When to Use an Outside Investigator & Choosing an Outside Investigator
By Gene R. Thornton, Esq. *
Whenever an employer receives a complaint of sexual harassment or other workplace misconduct, a prompt, thorough, and fair investigation should be conducted. Following the investigation, appropriate remedial measures should be implemented. That much is basic employment law and human resource management. But who should perform the investigation? Should it be done by the employer’s HR manager, office manager or safety officer, if any? Should it be done by the accused employee’s supervisor? Or should an outside investigator be retained and, if so, what qualifications should be sought in the outside investigator.
Simple Investigations—Outside Investigator Probably Not Needed
If the allegations concern performance issues, employee relations, then the employer can probably do without an outside investigator. It will...
Updated: March 17, 2020
The Coronavirus has been making headlines over the past two months. Now that this bug has hit US soil, the buzz is much greater and scarier. The media is telling us to run for cover and self-quarantine and buy up all of the toilet paper and bleach wipes you can find (hint: there are still some bleach wipes at Home Depot). Outside of the media, people are torn, we hear a ton of information, but we are unsure of what to believe.
As you are reading this blog we are seeing more and more forced closures. Ski resorts, restaurants, gyms, and other public gathering locations have already experienced forced closures. Unfortunately, we are seeing the likeliness of more and more closures. Small business are going to feel a tremendous impact today and in the long-term future. Taking precautions and making plans now, will help to minimize the impact. Who knows what the fallout will be, but it's time to prepare for...
Getting “Bored” with Your Onboarding Process?
Make Onboarding and Training Fast and Easy!
For most of us, we have experienced what it’s like to be that “newbie”. That’s right, a new face in a new company where countless thoughts of excitement, worry and anxiety flood our minds. If you are like many, those thoughts can turn into piercing questions or doubts. Did you make the right decision? Is this truly the right company for you? Where is the nearest exit in case you need to make a run for it?
As an employer, hiring manager, or HR representative, your focus is guaranteeing that you can “walk the walk”. Your newly hired employee accepted the position for a reason, now it’s up to you to ensure that he or she continues to feel that this opportunity was too good to pass up.
So, how does this happen? Think about the first few days on the job and how much information and training was provided. It’s a...
Wow, what a decade it has been! There have been so many changes and updates in the HR world over the past several years; life for employers and HR professionals has probably gotten a bit overwhelming and a kind of stale at times.
Well, I am here to put a little cheer into your New Year! Let’s take a look back at some of the most ridiculous, bizarre, and just downright absurd policies and rules that employers have come up with to help run their business. Here we go!
Small Business and Employee Ethics- Avoid Disaster!
For most small businesses, employees can be the businesses most significant risk. According to The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that companies lose 5% of their annual revenue to employee fraud and abuse. Unethical employee actions hit small businesses the hardest. Most small businesses do not have the financial ability to sustain the hit of significant employee fraud or theft occurrence. Unfortunately, the cost of employee theft isn’t only the cost of the theft. Employers also need to factor in the additional expense of legal fees, employer time spent on legal action, loss of employee...
Guest Post by Clint Perry at Unlimited Benefits
Depending on the industry that you're in, the cost of onboarding an employee can cost you upwards of $25,000. If you're not working to keep everyone you have and help your most talented employees thrive, you're not working to build a stable company culture. If you're searching for company culture ideas, don't run to order ping pong table and beanbag chairs when it's your employees that make the culture.
Here are four ideas you should consider to build a better company culture.
If it's not already baked into what you do, you need to create a culture by having your team collaborate more often and more effectively. Without a team building effort and an atmosphere that inspires people to work together, you won't have much of a culture at all....
Are you wasting paper and printer toner making handbooks that no one reads? Or, are you spending valuable time sending it via email to your staff?
Here's the truth: if your employees don't feel motivated to read it, they won't.
There are a ton of ways to write an employee handbook that actually gets read. You can still include important rules and guidelines. But, the way you put this important book together must change.
Creating an employee handbook can be easy. These steps will take it from paper waste to the important file; keep reading to find out how.
One reason your employees don't care about the handbook is that it's boring. Employee handbooks are often written like legal contracts full of threats.
Consider how you talk to your staff. Do you encourage open...
Dress code policies might seem like overkill for a small business. But every company needs a dress code, including yours.
Why? Today, business wardrobes are leaning more towards casual dress. Some companies forego dress codes altogether. They feel that workers do best when they're wearing clothes that are comfortable.
But not having a dress code is an open invitation to future problems. If there is no dress code, someone is going to push the limit. This could cause safety problems or customer service issues. It could even end with a lawsuit for discrimination.
These are all reasons that it's better to have a dress code policy for your business. For tips on how to create the best company dress code, keep reading.
When it comes to managing a...
This is the usual reaction I find when a small business of twenty employees or less is approached about employee health, dental or vision benefits.
Many believe it’s too expensive. Well, it may be. But too expensive for who? The employer? I think not. The employee, maybe, but let the employee decide that for themselves. Offering benefits can only enhance an employer’s image to recruits regardless of the expense to either side.
Employee benefits, in the last five years, have become much less stringent on the rules regarding what an employer must contribute, how much paperwork an employer must complete and who can enroll, save for the ACA guideline regarding husband and wife groups but we’ll get to that later.
In today’s benefit marketplace many carriers have relaxed the regulations regarding employer contributions to be so minimal it allows for any employer to at least make a benefit offering. For example, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield,...
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