Practical Solutions To Your Workforce Questions

Not knowing how to deal with some problems within your workforce can make your job miserable. That’s what managers tell me all the time–and that’s why I developed the HR HelpLine.

The HR HelpLine provides expert, confidential advice on all employee issues so you can effectively run your organization. Business owners, senior managers & HR professionals use this service to solve their human resource problems and get practical advice on difficult workforce situations.

Call Rick Dacri at 207-967-0837 for a FREE initial consultation. I guarantee you’ll get the answers you need.

TOP TEN BENEFITS TO THE HR HELPLINE

10. You’ll get answers to all your workforce questions FAST Whether as basic as an attendance issue or as complicated as handling a sexual harassment claim-I’ll have expert advice for you.

9. You’ll always know how to address the difficult employee issues I’ll provide you a back to basics approach to dealing with employees–practical and uncomplicated

8. Employment law will finally be clear to you No more legalese-just straight answers–a simple, uncomplicated approach

7. You’ll always be talking to an expert whom you can trust You’ll only talk to me, Rick Dacri, who’ll find solutions for you that makes sense

Off the Clock Work: Must I Pay?

I received this question about off-the-clock work from a client who subscribes to my HR HelpLine service. Here is the client’s question and my advice:

Client Question: On occasions, some of my employees complete work assignments at home. In addition, most of them regularly check their smartphones for emails and take phone calls from me, other managers or even clients. Am I required to pay my hourly employees for this time?

Answer: Yes. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to compensate hourly, nonexempt workers for all work performed, including such “off the clock” work. And, if the total hours worked (regular and off duty) exceeds 40 hours worked, you must pay overtime. You have no obligation to compensate your exempt workers.

It is not uncommon, particularly with good dedicated workers, to find that they put in additional hours beyond their normal work days. This is good for the company and under the law, nonexempts must be compensated for that. Secondly, because of technology, employers have come to expect employees to check smartphones and laptops for emails and texts and to remain in communication during after hour periods and weekends. Again, employers are obligated to compensate nonexempts for all hours worked—whether it is required or not, and even if the employee fails to report it. If an employer has reason to believe it occurred, they should address it with the employee and compensate the employee.

Clearly communicate with your employees that if they work “off the clock,” they are to record these hours and you will compensate them for it.

Is that the policy in your company? How do you handle “off the clock work”? Please comment below.

If you have employee questions, call our HR HelpLine. I provide operational advice, not legal advice, on how to address difficult employee issues.

 

Reference Checking: 5 Tips To Get Great References

I received this question about reference checking from a client who uses my HR HelpLine Service.  The client is the Chair of a human service agency board of directors. Here is the client’s question and my advice:

Client Question: We are preparing to hire a new executive director for our agency. My experience in checking references is that the HR department only verifies employment and nothing more. For this hire, should we even bother trying to do references?

Answer: Absolutely do the references. You would be putting your agency at risk if you failed to do so.

In today’s litigious society, it is often difficult to get employers to provide references. Everyone is afraid they’ll some how be sued for telling the truth about a past candidate. As a result, you get the standard name, rank and serial number response. This won’t do. You need to get solid references so don’t be deterred by these kinds of responses.

To get great references, follow these 5 tips:

1. Tell the candidate who you want to speak with and have him identify these people. These could include members of his board of directors, current and past managers, staff, customers, etc.
2. Once you get the names and contact information, tell the candidate to call these people first to tell them that you will be calling. Have them ask the reference to take your call.
3. Offer to call after hours.  If the reference prefers, call the reference at their home.
4. Unless your hiring someone for your Human Resources department, by-pass this department. They have been lawyered up and will never give you the straight scoop.
5. If necessary, utilize a Reference Authorization Form. This is a form, signed by the candidate, authorizing the reference and promising not to sue for providing truthful information.

For an executive level hire, you may also want to go beyond a background check. You may want to do a criminal background check and credit check.

Reference checking is essential to the hiring process. Not doing this exposes the Board and the agency to bad hires and even potential lawsuits.

If you have employee questions, call our HR HelpLine. I provide uncomplicated, operational advice, not legal advice, on how to address difficult employee and organizational issues.

Job Abandonment: How Should Employers Handle?

I received a question from a client who uses my HR HelpLine Service about an employee who has apparently abandoned his job. Here is the client’s question and my advice on how to handle it:

Client Question: We have an employee who has gone MIA (he has done this in the past also, apparently he has a significant drinking problem). We are in the process of terminating him for absenteeism and failing to show up for scheduled shifts. We have called his cell phone numerous times with no success at connecting with him. Is there anything we need to do on our end other than to document the reason(s) for his termination? Should we send a letter of termination to him?

 Answer: To begin, your desire to terminate is because the employee has an absenteeism problem and has failed to call in when absent, consistent with your policy. Do not discuss the alleged issue of drinking. This is not an issue unless you actually see him drinking on the job or he admits he was drinking. Stick with the issues you know: he has not shown up for his scheduled shifts and he has not called in to inform you of his absences.

 Note: Employers should never accuse or suggest that someone has been drinking or has a drinking problem. You should only discuss performance related issues. Stick to what you know or what you observe. Do not surmise, diagnose, or act simply on rumors. Focus on observable behaviors. In this case: no call, no show—repeatedly.

Since you have tried to contact him a number of times without success, you can move forward with the termination for job abandonment. Send a certified letter, return receipt. Tell him after continued absences and his failure to call in to inform you of his absence; and after your repeatedly calling him to find out where he was, you are terminating his employment due to job abandonment, consistent with your policy, as outlined in your employee handbook. Keep the letter short. You should also keep in the file his record of absences and the days and times you tried to contact him. Note that you left messages for him to call you and he did not do this.

Pay him all monies owed including any unused, accrued vacation time.

If he should contact you with a legitimate reason for not contacting you and working, then you may have to reconsider your decision. But multiple violations of your attendance and call in policy constitutes job abandonment.

If you have employee questions, call our HR HelpLine. I provide operational advice, not legal advice, on how to address difficult employee issues.

Book Promotion, Part 1: The Strategy of Promotion

Since I wrote my book Uncomplicating Management, I have been asked regularly about book sales and what it takes to promote a business book. Most consultants know they should write a book and therefore want to hear what others have done, while those who have taken the plunge, want to simply measure their experience and success against others. Regardless, there is a bit of mystery to the process and for those who have written a book, you quickly realize everything you thought would happen, rarely does.

 There is both a strategic and tactical approach to promoting your book—a process I clearly did not understand when I first wrote my book. I had thought, incorrectly, that the hard work ended once I turned the manuscript over to the publisher, allowing me to turn to focus on my dream about getting that call from Oprah and cashing royalty checks. Unfortunately, it is not that easy and I am still waiting for Oprah’s call.

At the same time, properly promoted, a book publication is the gold standard for every management consultant, as it can propel your practice to a much higher level. Here’s how:

Well before you publish your book, in fact, before you even begin writing, you must be clear as to your purpose in writing it. Your book promotion strategy flows from this core decision. Budding authors must decided between emphasizing books sales and thus positioning themselves as authors, or leveraging their book to enhance their professional reputation, positioning oneself as a thought leader/expert who has written a book. Your strategic objective will ultimately dictate your promotion tactics. But the strategy implications are enormous. The author’s focus is on book sales and generating cash from them. The thought leader’s focus is promoting one’s ideas contained in the book. In the latter case, the goal is to position yourself as the expert who business leaders/decision makers want to hear and meet, allowing you to generate growth in your consulting business. While sales of books remain welcome, it is hardly a focus. The strategy and tactics are used to leverage your position and reputation as a thought leader—not merely as another author.

A book publisher will never explain this to you. Their sole focus is on selling books. Your focus is on promoting you. Leveraging your book over selling your book generates greater consulting revenues for your business and counter intuitively even more significant sales of your books down the road. Giving books to CEOs has, in many cases, resulted in new business for my firm and multiple sales of the book to the CEO’s managers.

Before you begin penning your book, be clear about your purpose. This critical step will become the foundation from which you will build your book promotion campaign and consulting marketing plan.

 Part 2: 51 Tactics to Promote Your Book will be posted in another day. Come back to read.

How Managers Can Raise Their Performance: 3 Uncomplicated Questions

Having a healthy, open dialogue between employees and their manager is the cornerstone to employee engagement and productivity. While the focus is often on the employee’s performance and steps needed to raise the bar on their performance, attention must also be directed on the impact the manager’s action have on it.

Managers can quickly get a sense of their impact by asking their employees, individually, 3 simple, uncomplicated questions:

 

1. What am I doing that you would like me to STOP doing?
2. What am I not doing that you would like me to START doing?
3. What am I doing that you would like me to CONTINUE doing?

              Stop/Start/Continue

 Watch the reaction as you first pose these probing questions. Most employees will be initially reluctant to respond. Being honest can have negative consequences. But with time and trust, they will respond and their responses will allow the manager to reflect upon his style, allowing him to manage better.

To remember the questions, think of a traffic light. Red for STOP, yellow for CONTINUE, and green for START.

Give it a try, and then let me know how it works out for you by responding in the comment section below.

Management Development: Belmont Light Completes Uncomplicating Management

The Belmont Light management team successfully completed the management development program Uncomplicating Management. Based in part on my book of the same title, these managers attended the following 5 training modules:

• Module #1: What it means to be a real leader & understanding why managing is so hard
• Module #2: Know the law
• Module #3: Dealing with difficult employee issues
• Module #4: Developing, coaching and engaging your people
• Module #5: Critical conversations & improving interpersonal communication skills

Check out the program outline.

If you would like to learn more about the program and the and how it will benefit your management team, contact me at rick@dacri.com.

Unemployment Compensation: How To Win Claims

I frequently get questions on my HR HelpLine on how to prepare for and win an unemployment claim.  Here are some tips:

Unemployment Compensation provides individuals who have lost their jobs a temporary source of income. Administered by each state, employees who have been let go due to a lack of work (lay off) or performance are generally able to collect.

Though the rules vary by state, there are generally four reasons to disqualify an employee from collecting:

1. Fired for misconduct
2. Voluntarily quit without good cause attributed to their employment
3. Not available or able for full time work
4. Not a citizen or authorized to work in the U.S.

Though the disqualifying reasons are clear, employees who would not normally be eligible to collect, do. Many times it is because employers make mistakes either prior to the employee filing a claim or after a claim has been filed. Here are the common mistakes:

Strategy: Any Road Won’t Get You There

Emily is the CEO of a medium sized manufacturing company. She knows where she wants her company to be and what she needs to do to get it there—and she is driving it in that direction. But it wasn’t always that way.

Like many CEOs, she took over a relatively successful firm and focused on continuing the things that made it successful while learning her new job. She immersed herself in all aspects of the business and quickly found herself getting bogged down in the day-to-day operational issues. But, the company was making money, customers and employees weren’t complaining, and there was no need to do anything differently, until the recession hit. She lost her largest customer and suddenly her company was bleeding. Doing more of the same would no longer work. Changes were required. A new plan was quickly needed.

Over a difficult 6 month period, she and her key managers developed and launched a new strategic plan and direction for the business. They realized that as the economy radically changed, so too must they. Through a series of careful steps, they formulated their plan, initially defining their core purpose (mission), company values and vision for the future. Goals and objectives were established to get them there.

Emily knew that they would have to differentiate themselves from their competition, so she went out and talked to her customers. Armed with their input along with market data generated by her staff, she reformulated a new direction. Knowing that before she could implement her plan, she needed to communicate with her workforce and vendors, bringing them on board, and ensuring that everyone was fully engaged and ready to move.

The “journey” as she calls it was not without missteps, setbacks, and pain. It has now been nearly 3 years since Emily begin the road back from near ruin. Her company has gone through an organizational transformation.

CEO & Board of Directors: Forging An Effective Relationship

(This article, written by Rick Dacri, was originally published in Mainebiz)

Nobody takes care of the boss. The CEO’s job is to take care of everyone in the organization, but many CEOs feel no one is taking care of their personal and professional needs. Their Boards of Directors expect them to run and grow the business; carry out their mandates; recruit, retain and develop the internal talent; and prepare the organization for the future. CEOs accept this but expect to be taken care of just as they do for their staff. As one CEO said to me, “I work everyday trying to move this organization forward while keeping everybody happy and just once I’d like it if someone was there for me.”

It is the role of the Board to take care of their CEO. Not in a kumbuya sort of way, but more in a supportive manner. And this is where it often breaks down.

CEOs, like any employee, want their basic needs met and when they are not, resentment occurs. They want a Board that can provide:

1. Clear expectations and accountability standards: After all, if you want her to drive the organization where you want, give her a map.
2. Understand his needs and expectations: Boards need to take time to get to know what makes their CEO tick.
3. Provide a timely performance review and know the market for executive compensation: Late reviews and salaries that fall below their peers are two areas that cause the greatest resentment resulting in breakdowns in the relations and turnover of CEOs.
4. Set realistic performance goals: the strategic direction of the organization will only be achieved when this is done well.
5. Provide ongoing feedback on performance: It’s lonely at the top. The CEO needs input from the Board.
6. Support the CEO’s development: Grow your CEO. The world is constantly changing and your CEO must be able to keep up.

The role of the board is difficult and complex.