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Resources for a Productive Work Environment

As a manager or member of a human resources department it is necessary to keep up to date with changes in work requirements and on new ways to keep your workplace productive.  The internet is a great way to find organizations and other companies who are devoted to improving the workplace environment.  One important area to keep up to date is in labor law.  Law at Work is a great resource for federal and state information for labor laws and the various agencies.  If you are looking for information on equal employment opportunity then look no further than the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  The EEOC has information for employers on how to handle a charge, conflict resolution, remedies and the different types of discrimination.  There is also information for employees on how to file a charge, mediation, remedies, and much more.

If you are seeking to hire employees there are numerous job sites such as America’s Job Bank where it is possible to find your state job bank in order to register your openings for employment. A simple search on the internet can lead you to many other job sites that will help you find talent in your area. Once you have your employees it will be important to provide the training necessary to develop the best workforce. The American Society for Training and Development is a source for webcasts, events, books and other educational materials to help professionals in the areas of workplace learning.  The focus of the ASTD is to help professionals improve performance and bring the best out in employees.

There are so many resources available for employers to find information on how to create a more productive work environment. Internet resources and library resources are always a good start for any employer. There are organizations and consultants who are always ready to offer advice.

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Violence in the Workplace

Events in the news every night remind us how frightening the world can be with violence at work, at home, and public events. As a manager or even as just an employee what can you do to help reduce the chances of violence in the workplace? Many organizations and companies have begun to put focus on the issue of workplace violence.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has even dedicated a section of their website to the topic of workplace violence. The website contains a wealth of information from recording and reporting requirements to stress at work.

Workplace violence is often unpredictable.  Although erratic behavior, violent verbal outbursts, or other acts of aggression may indicate that an individual is in need of help, it does not necessarily mean the individual is going to cause harm to others.  Any of these instances should be addressed immediately and many offices have instituted zero-tolerance policies for any form of violence in the workplace.  Guidelines should be clearly established within an organization and counseling should be offered to employees who may be showing signs of emotional instability. Yet, not all disgruntled workers will show their frustration in outward manners.  Some individuals are more introverted than extroverted in their methods of dealing with stress, frustration, or other grievances. Many individuals who have committed mass assaults on their places of work or other locations or events are often afterward described as a quiet type who kept to themselves. Therefore, there are no stereotypes that can be used for reference. Small signs of frustration or anger should be addressed by employers. An employer will not be able to detect all abnormalities about their employees, but being more involved in the employees’ daily lives and activities will increase the chances of an employer being able to prevent violence in the workplace.

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How to Improve Staffing

Staffing is one of the most important aspects of a human resource department. Your employees are the face of your company and if your employees are incompetent then the public will feel your company is the same. According to the article Six Ways to Strenghten Staffing by Adrienne Hedger there is a right way and wrong way to go about obtaining new talent for your company. The six aspects to find good employees that Hedger brings up are as follows:

  • Improve your ability to find “the needle in the haystack”.
  • Think outside the box and look in new areas to find talent.
  • Be flexible.
  • Take the time to really research and know the candidates you are considering.
  • Consider temporary employees.
  • Consider outsourcing.

Basically what this means is that as a company you will have a lot of resumes to go through as there are many people looking for employment. Just because you may have 100 resumes on your desk in one day it does not mean to glance through as if you were reading cliff-notes. By not paying attention you may miss a diamond in a junk pile. By thinking outside the box and using different sources such as a variety of internet job boards, employment agencies, or even interest sites you may be able to find the person you need. They may not always be in your industry, so consider looking outside and into other industries. Do not be rigid, be flexible…enough said.  Temporary employees are often great ways to see how someone will work out without the permanency if they do not. If they do you can always offer permanent employment. Many individuals feel strongly against outsourcing, but depending on the need of your company it can increase business and reduce an overload on existing employees. Just keep these aspects in mind and you can find your diamond.

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How to Deal With Interoffice Conflicts

In every office there are a variety of personalities and often not all personalities work well together. As a manager how do you handle the various conflicts and petty argument that arise between your employees? Diplomacy and the frequent use of headache medications may be necessary.   Conflicts can arise out of differences in opinions regarding procedures, the often played blame game of one person did not do what they were supposed to do, or simply two people just do not like each other. Whatever the reason as a manager it is important to determine the details of the entire situation and to get the viewpoint of all sides.

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has links to information on how to handle interoffice conflicts including curbing conflict, bullying, management guilt, and much more. There are a variety of sources from books at the library to informational articles online. No matter what method you choose to learn about solutions, if you have a conflict within your office it should not be left unresolved. Conflict can be beneficial in the workplace as challenging ideas can sometimes lead to new solutions or ways of thinking that can improve the company.  When conflict arises communication with the parties involved is very important.  Take the time to discuss the issue at hand with each employee separately.  Bringing the employees together initially to discuss the problem can lead to something short of a cat fight if not handled properly. In discussing the issues separately you can determine if it is a difference in opinion, a simple misunderstanding, or basically one person has it out for the other person. Once the situation is understood, diplomacy and a simple conversation will hopefully allow you to mediate a truce between the parties. If you are unable to do so, it may be necessary to move further up the command chain and include your human resources department or a higher level of management.

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Prevention of Mental Health Issues in the Workplace

Mental health issues in the workplace does not always mean that an individual is being pushed so far that workplace violence will occur. In many cases mentalhealth issues can simply mean a person is being overworked and is stressed.  In some cases when a company is being downsized individuals who still have their jobs are not only stressed about the uncertainty but also there is a form of depression that can be felt in the workplace for those who were fired. A manager can help employees in a variety of ways to try to help prevent mental health problems that can arise in the workplace.

In an article by Melissa Dittman entitled Building a Mentally Healthy Workforce she states that team building interventions help not only to provide support for individuals, but also improve morale, manage conflict and can even help solve problems. By helping employees feel as if they are part of a team instead of flying solo in the corporate haze then it reduces a lot of isolation that some employees may feel. Also Dittman suggest that parent programs are implemented to help reduce the stress that parents face trying to juggle both work and family. This can be care programs or even flexible schedule to allow the individuals to manage their daily lives. This leads to Dittman’s

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Just Starting a Business and Figuring Out Office Policies

For a new business owner there are many obstacles to overcome.  Of these managing employees can be a major task. When first starting a business it is important for an employer to lay ground rules for the employees of the company. Granted experience and various complications along the way will provide the need for revised policies and probably the desire for therapy, but getting the basics down will help with the day to day management of employees. Not all companies are the same; therefore, a cookie cutter template of an office manual probably will not work.  There are a variety of resources to look at when researching how to create office procedures.  A simple search in the books on Amazon of office procedures will reveal numerous reference sources for the creation of policies for your company. You can either purchase items online or just check out your local library. Often taking a trip to the library can help you find information on a variety of issues that can benefit your office.

Another resource can be your local SCORE office. SCORE is a nationwide program that offers counseling advice to business owners. Individuals who mentor others through the SCORE program are usually retired business owners who have a wealth of experience and can guide newbies through the complications of business ownership. Counseling can be done online or face to face in one of their many offices across the country. Your advisor can help you determine what you need to focus on and through their own experiences help you plan ahead for problems that can occur.

Another consideration may be to have a meeting with your employees to discuss their concerns and issues that they may be facing. By taking the time to listen to your employees, do proper research and obtain the guidance of an experienced mentor you can take the guesswork out of preparing office policies for your company.

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Workforce Planning

Many human resource individuals are responsible for figuring out what is needed to achieve the strategic goals of a company. One way these individuals do this is through strategic workforce planning. According to Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management by Wayne Cascio the purpose of workforce planning is to respond to the needs of the organization, allocate resources and determine priorities. In order to do this several actions can be taken to develop a workforce planning system.  A workforce planning system consists of:

  • A talent inventory that establishes the abilities of the company’s current employees.
  • A workforce forecast to predict what is needed in the future.
  • Establish action plans to increase recruitment of talent (how to choose these individuals and internal promotions, development, and compensation).
  • Establish control and evaluate the company to reach the company’s goals.

Through a properly planned system a company can maximize its ability to bring out the best of its current employees and bring in the best talent from outside the company.  Also, by knowing the strengths of your current employee base many employers will find the talent they need for upper management may already be within their company.  This will assist a company in promoting from within and keeping talent in the company. Often if your employees feel that your company will only hire upper management from outside the company then there is no need to strive to reach higher levels of performance.  The feeling of a glass ceiling within a company is not a good aspect to have within a company.  Motivation is extremely important within a company.  By knowing what your employees are capable of doing you will have a much better abilty to assign duties that will make the employees feel as if they are being utilized properly.  Employees are a great resource and should be used to their maximum potential.

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Dating in the Office

Office romances are always a source of office gossip and sometimes can be the source of employee terminations. What should you do if you find that casual conversations with a co-worker are become less business and more personal?  What do two individuals do when they find they are strongly attracted to each other but must maintain a distance due to their work? Office romances are often complicated and even more complicated should the employees be married or one is the subordinate of the other. Some would say the easiest bit of advice would be don’t get into a romance in the first place. Yet, how many individuals are capable of keeping their hormones in check to follow that advice?  Some may be able to take heed, but not all are so strong willed. If you are one of the ones who can’t fight the feeling then here are a few bits of advice.

First and foremost keep it out of the office. Even if you are a married couple who happen to work together personal issues should be saved for home. One of the biggest problems should you start dating a co-worker is if you have a fight or break up it makes working together even more difficult. For this reason many companies frown upon or even outright forbid office romances. Some companies will not allow married couples to work in the same departments. Personal conflicts can cause problems not only in your performance but can make your co-workers lives miserable. Also, don’t try to sneak into quiet places in your building to get affectionate with each other. The worst thing that can happen is what you think will be a brief interlude in the supply closet to be interrupted by your boss as he is looking for pens. So play it safe and keep your love life at home and make sure business stays business.

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Should You Allow Your Employees to Use the Internet?

The debate is raging in many offices regarding the use of the internet. We are in an age where it is almost impossible to function without access to the internet for a variety of purposes such as shipping, banking, ordering, and other functions vital to a business. So what happens when employees use the internet for purposes other than these required functions? Is it helpful or harmful to a business? It depends on how it is being used. In some situations it may be very helpful to employees.  For instance if an employee forgets that they needed to pay the electric bill or they were going to be disconnected they may spend their entire day stressed and make many errors because their mind is not on their duties. If they are able to simply get on the internet, pay their bill, and continue with their daily duties without fear of a reprimand it helps with employee morale. Yet, it is not so beneficial if the employee is simply getting on Facebook to update their status about how miserable they are or what they did for the weekend.

How does an employer find the balance between helpful and harmful? First expectations about the internet should be provided to employees in their employee handbook or guidelines. In today’s world it is very easy to determine where employees are going on the internet. Employers can determine whether the employee is simply trying to manage something in their life or simply goofing off. The United States Department of Labor did a survey in 2003 on internet usage at work and found that approximately 77 million individuals used the internet at work. By this point in time it is most certain that number has increased. The internet is not going to go away; therefore, it is up to employers to determine how it can be beneficial to their employees and manage misuse.

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Pet Peeves in the Office…Learning Some Manners for Phone Use

In every office environment there are rules of etiquette that should be followed. Granted some offices are more relaxed than others, but simple common courtesy should always be remembered. If you work in an office with cubicles some of these apply a lot more than others. First there is the use of the speaker phone.  Even if a building has offices in which doors can be shut, speaker phones can irritate many of your co-workers. If you are alone in your office there is no need for a speaker phone. If it is necessary for you to work hands-free please consider a headset for your phone.  Your co-workers are not interested in what your wife is cooking for dinner or the complaint of the week from your client. Another aspect to consider is the person on the other side of the conversation.  If they are unaware they are being broadcast over the speaker phone it is possible that the conversation could result in embarrassment for the other party should something negative or off-color or be said in the presence of an individual who can hear the conversation.

If you do get a headset this does not mean you can walk around the office having a conversation.  This is actually more irritating than if you were in your office on the speaker phone. Please use common sense and a little bit of courtesy when on phone calls within your office. Another issue with using a headset is the fact many individuals may not realize you have a headset on and believe either you are trying to have a conversation with them or simply talking to yourself. The work environment should be one of consideration. There are many pet peeves to working with others, so try not to be the one who is the source of irritation.

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