Author: Site Staff

If you’re unsure whether you’re making the grade at work, here are five ways to take charge:

Assess the situation honestly.
Step back and consider what you’ve been told, as well as what you know about your performance. Be fair in your assessment. Try to put yourself in your boss’s role and ask yourself how he or she could have concluded you need to improve.

It’s natural to feel anger toward your boss at first and conclude there’s nothing wrong with you, but everything wrong with your boss. It may even be true, but the reality is you probably can’t change your boss. You’re the only one you can change.

Clarify expectations.
Clearly understand what is expected of you. Then determine what you need to do to meet those expectations. Ask your manager for specific examples of desired behavior.

Decide where you want to be, and determine if you’re willing to change.
For instance, if your job requires you to learn a new computer language, are you willing to do it?

If not, perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere. If you plan to stay with the same organization but in a different capacity, it may make sense to improve your performance in your current role before pursuing other options.

Get buy-in and assistance.
Ask your manager and others in the organization for help in improving in your current role or in looking at other options.

If you’re struggling with a personality issue with your boss, ask to work with a personal coach to improve your relationship with your boss. Or, a test such as the Myers-Briggsâ Type Indicator may help you understand and appreciate differences between you and your boss.

Outline specific objectives for how you’ll improve.
You’re responsible for your career—your boss and the organization aren’t. Decide how you need to improve and how you’ll make that happen. Take control of the situation to get what you want out of it.

Get feedback along the way.
Let people know you’re working on the objectives you’ve outlined, and ask for feedback. And, thank people for their feedback rather than being defensive.

Source: Personnel Decisions, Minneapolis, March 10, 1999.

C
autionary notes regarding some recruitment methods.

While none of the following methods are prohibited per se, employers should be alert to signs that the recruiting process tends to favor younger workers over older workers, or one gender, ethnic group, or racial group to the exclusion of others. There is no requirement that employers advertise all job openings rather than hire based upon word-of-mouth or walk-in applicants. However, employers may face problems when this type of recruiting results in an unbalanced workforce.

1. Walk-ins
   Some employers advertise their job openings only at their places of business and only accept applications there. This could be discriminatory, depending on your location and work force. If your location is in an all-white or predominately white neighborhood, non-whites may be deterred from applying. If the employer is a restaurant or retail store catering to the young, older people may be deterred. If your workforce is almost entirely white, female or young, then walk-ins might be deterred from applying because they believe that they will not be hired if they are not white, female or young.


2. Word-of-mouth referrals
   Again, depending on your workforce, word-of-mouth may present problems. If that workforce is, for example, almost entirely Hispanic, male or young, then word-of-mouth referrals may reinforce the non-diverse nature of the workforce and may be found by some courts to discriminate against persons who are not Hispanic, male or young.


3. Referral fees and bonuses
   Some employers offer finder’s fees to their employees (for example, paying $500 to an employee who refers another person for employment who is then hired and works for the employer for at least three months). This can cause the same problems as word-of-mouth referrals if your workforce is non-diverse.


4. Employment agencies
   Some employers rely on employment agencies to screen employees. Employers must make it clear that agencies should observe equal employment opportunity laws.


• In one case investigated by the EEOC, a Fortune 500 corporation hired an employment agency to find suitable candidates for a corporate “Manager of Cultural Diversity.” Allegedly the corporation stated a preference for a non-white female. The employment agency called an EEOC district office, and encouraged EEOC investigators to apply. However, it then told a white male investigator that the corporation would not be interested in a white male and deterred him from applying. This action by the employment agency was found to be a Title VII violation.


• Employers who knowingly allow employment agencies to engage in discriminatory activities on their behalf have themselves violated the law.


5. Advertising
   Be careful about the language that you use; it could subject you to liability if it is found to be discriminatory. The following are examples of the types of phrases which should not be placed in advertisements:


• “Recent college graduate” (potential Age Discrimination in Employment Act violation)


• “0-1 years of experience” (potential Age Discrimination in Employment Act violation)


• “Young, energetic” (potential Age Discrimination in Employment Act violation)


• “Hostess” or “waitress” (potential sex discrimination in violation of Title VII)


• “Christian carpenter wanted” (potential religious discrimination in violation of Title VII)

SOURCE: “Employer EEO Responsibilities: Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace; The Law and EEOC Procedures” by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Technical Assistance Program. May 1999. (Revised).

CCH Incorporated is a leading provider of information and software for human resources, legal, accounting, health care and small business professionals. CCH offers human resource management, payroll, employment, benefits, and worker safety products and publications in print, CD, online and via the Internet. For more information and other updates on the latest HR news, check our Web site at http://hr.cch.com.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.

Some ideas to liven up your office:

Schedule your next staff meeting at an unusual location, like a camping trip. Frozen Fusion of Phoenix held its meeting at a paint ball facility—”take no hostages” was the theme.

• Distribute “happy pills”—pretzels or jelly beans, perhaps—in little jars or bottles each week.

• “Reward” employees who have had a bad week (flat tires, car problems, computer problems) with a quart of ice cream.

• Initiate a cartoon or joke of the week club or contest.

• Plan a dress-up day based on a theme that relates to your company—such as 50s day for a theme about “old-fashioned service like you remember growing up.”

SOURCE:

Janet Jackim, michael HARRIS group, inc., March 12, 1999.

Have you ever found yourself mediating a tense negotiation where no one is budging an inch? Trying to get a new client to notice you and your company’s services and you need to get your foot in the door? Hosting a client dinner, where after minimal conversation, everyone is starting to look at their watches? Forced to work with a difficult colleague or client and you need to win him/her over? Making a presentation that includes a lot of technical information and complex data and you need to make sure your audience understands and relates to what you are saying?

Storytelling is a skill that will not only help you through any of these predicaments, but will set you apart from the rest. Peter Giuliano and Frank Carillo, the principals of Executive Communications Group, provide these reasons why storytelling can work:

Storytelling breaks through barriers.
Telling stories puts people at ease and helps to build relationships. Stories have a way to get others to open up and be more receptive to you and your ideas.

Storytelling puts information into context.
Research proves that people learn best through stories. The technique gives you a powerful edge on your competition when your audience looks to you to communicate complex information in a way that they can understand.

Storytelling is persuasive.
Stories let you broach subjects delicately, introduce ideas subtly and adopt a kinder, gentler leadership style overall.

Storytelling makes an emotional connection.
Telling stories reveals something about yourself, which gives people the sense that they know you. Often, this is an advantage with a potential client because people feel comfortable working with those they connect with.

Storytelling can enliven a presentation of facts and figures.
Using storytelling in a presentation can bring numbers and pie charts to life, transforming a dry presentation into an energized one.

Storytelling keeps you foremost in people’s minds.
A person who tells a good story, just like the story itself, tends to be remembered. It is a sure way to gain and maintain a competitive edge.

Storytelling gives you control of the spotlight.
Knowing the right way to tell a story gives you the unique ability to grab attention for yourself or guide it away.

SOURCE: Executive Communications Group, Englewood, NJ, March 11, 1999.

You can provide employees with up to $50,000 in group-term life insurance as a tax-free benefit. The cost of the group-term life insurance in excess of $50,000 is included in the employee’s gross income to the extent it exceeds the amount, if any, paid by the employee for the coverage and must be reported on an employee’s Form W-2. This “imputed income” is not subject to federal income tax withholding. However, it is subject to FICA tax and, for active employees, an employer is required to withhold the FICA tax at least once a year.

The IRS has issued final regulations which revise the uniform premium table used to calculate the cost of group-term life insurance for reporting on an employee’s Form W-2. The new rates are generally effective on July 1, 1999.

Example: Relo Corporation pays the premiums on a $70,000 group-term life insurance policy on Jane Doe, an employee. Jane is 50 years old. Excess coverage is $20,000 ($70,000 minus $50,000). The monthly rate for $1,000 of excess coverage for a 50-year-old employee is $0.23. The $0.23 cost is multiplied by 20 ($20,000 excess coverage divided by $1,000) to give a $4.60 monthly value of the excess coverage. The annual value of the excess coverage will be $4.60 multiplied by 12 months to yield $55.20 in total income to be reported on Jane’s Form W-2.

Cost per $1,000 of protection for one-month period

Under 25	$0.05
25 to 29	.06
30 to 34	.08
35 to 39	.09
40 to 44	.10
45 to 49	.15
50 to 54	.23
55 to 59	.43
60 to 64	.66
65 to 69	1.27
70 and above	2.06

Note: Although the regulations are effective July 1, 1999, changes to payroll systems are not required to be made by then. Employers currently withholding FICA taxes on a pay period basis can either:

1. change methods to treat the new amounts that are includible in income after July 1, 1999 as paid on December 31, 1999, or
2. continue to withhold using the prior table’s rates, so long as adjustments for the post-July 1, 1999 FICA withholding amounts are made by the last pay period for 1999.

Source: CCH Incorporated is a leading provider of information and software for human resources, legal, accounting, health care and small business professionals. CCH offers human resource management, payroll, employment, benefits, and worker safety products and publications in print, CD, online and via the Internet. For more information and other updates on the latest HR news, check our Web site at http://hr.cch.com.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.

Back in February, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) launched a nationwide mediation program. Under this program, the EEOC evaluates each new charge to determine whether it is appropriate for mediation. If the EEOC determines a charge is appropriate for mediation, the parties to that charge may choose either mediation or investigation as the first step in the EEOC adjudication process. The EEOC is working to get the word out across the country this new mediation program, according to EEOC General Counsel Clifford Gregory Stewart.

Stewart notes that the EEOC wants employers to understand the following five points when considering mediation:

1. It’s voluntary;
2. It’s fair and neutral;
3. It’s confidential—all parties to the mediation must sign an agreement which states that the mediation proceedings will be confidential;
4. Any resulting agreement is completely binding; and
5. No party will be forced to accept a resolution against his or her will.

Nationally, the EEOC has resolved about 50 percent of its new charges via mediation. The agency expects that about 55,000 charges nationwide will be resolved via mediation next year, Stewart reported.

Source: CCH Incorporated is a leading provider of information and software for human resources, legal, accounting, health care and small business professionals. CCH offers human resource management, payroll, employment, benefits, and worker safety products and publications in print, CD, online and via the Internet. For more information and other updates on the latest HR news, check our Web site at http://hr.cch.com.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.

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Right Management Consultants did a study of 179 organizations that recently merged. They found that only 30% of respondents said their companies had succeeded in areas such as cultural integration, employee retention or communication. The study gives eight reasons why a merger can fail:

1. Key talent leaves.
2. Lowered overall productivity and individual performance.
3. Incomplete or infrequent communications.
4. Placement errors.
5. Management denial or inattention to key workforce problems.
6. Lack of direction during implementation.
7. Ignoring the “culture fit.”
8. Poor management of remaining employees.

SOURCE: Right Management Consultants, Philadelphia, March 1, 1999.

The Tight Labor Market Means Lower Hiring Standards

With fewer qualified candidates hunting for jobs, employers are being forced to lower their hiring standards just to stay in business. People who previously wouldn’t even have merited an interview now routinely get job offers, and almost no one is deemed unemployable. But while these relaxed standards fill jobs, they also create new challenges for HR and new rules for recruiters.

Products & Services:

Help HR Maintain Hiring Standards

• Skills Assessments
• Honesty Testing
• Drug Testing
• Background Checking
• Interview Training

Help HR Expand The Candidate Pool

• Recruitment Media: Newspapers, Internet, Broadcast
• Job fairs
• Recruitment Ad Agencies
• Placement Agencies

Contingent Staffing: New Rules for the New Economy

U.S. companies will spend more than $75 billion on temporary help by year-end. And that figure represents only out-of-pocket costs. In today’s labor market, companies are increasingly reliant on contingent employees to meet their business goals – so how contingent employees are managed can literally make or break the business. The new breed of HR is using on-site staffing, vendor partnering, contract negotiations and other techniques to develop a temporary staffing model to save time and money.

Products & Services:

Help HR Partner with the Right Contingent Staffing Firm

• Contingent Staffing Firms

HR’s Role in Due Diligence

Mergers and acquisitions make business headlines daily, yet most fail because the two corporate cultures clash. In the end, it all comes down to people. HR can help mergers succeed by playing a more active role in the due diligence process. When and how should HR get involved?

Products & Services:

Help HR Get the Right Data

• Consulting Services
• Research Services
• Salary Survey Data
• Job Design & Evaluation Programs
• Employee Attitude Surveys

Help HR Through the Merger

• Outplacement Services
• Career Development and Planning Services
• Succession Planning Software
• Compensation/Pay for Performance

 Counter Offers: Does Upping the Ante Work?

In today’s frantic job market, a company’s most valuable employees are being wooed away. What should HR do when an employee gives notice? Offer more money? Get into a bidding war? Or let them go? The new breed of HR will want to know the most effective use of the most used and abused retention tool.

Products & Services:

Help HR Manage Effectively

• Career Development
• Succession Planning
• Compensation Design
• Salary Surveys
• Awards & Recognition Programs

Elder Care: HR’s Looming Crisis

Within the next five years, 37% of employees will be more concerned about caring for an elderly relative than for a child. What can HR do now to prepare for this inevitable business challenge? What resources are available to help employees? How can HR take a proactive role in helping employees?

Products & Services:

Help HR Keep Employees Productive

• EAPs
• Wellness Programs
• Eldercare Programs
• Work/Family Information

What HR Should Know About Social Security Reform

With 76 million baby boomers hitting retirement just as workforce growth slows, Social Security is faced with two options: reform or face insolvency. Changing demographics and new thinking on Social Security will give HR new administrative burdens – and may have a profound effect on retirement plans. How can the new breed of HR professional prepare?

Products & Services:

Help HR Stay Proactive in Retirement Benefit Planning

• Retirement Planning Services
• Reporting/Recordkeeping
• Plan Documents
• Investment Management Services
• Benefits Communication Services

HR101: Update on Software

The pressure is on HR professionals to manage employee records and other data better than ever before. The new breed of HR professionals know that they must actually use data to make smarter decisions, not merely store data. Accordingly, they need to benchmark bets practices in HR software implementation and use. Should they buy or lease time on a system? Move to a corporate-wide platform or stay with a dedicated system? Create an Intranet?

Products & Services:

Help HR Get the Most from Technology

• HR Software Programs
• HR Software Consulting Firms
• Intranet Applications

Share Your Success Story

Imagine HR decision-makers reading about your HR product and service in the Workforce special advertising section, “HR Success Stories.” Showcase your product – and show how it solved a business problem for one of your most successful clients. HR decision-makers will share your success story with others, quote your client’s results in a presentation, and name your product or service in a proposal to the CEO.

December 1999 “Success Story” Package:

• One full-page, four-color magazine ad in Workforce
• One full-page, four-color Success Story with a picture of the client company
• An experienced HR journalists to write the Success Story
• 200 four-color, two-sided reprints of your Success Story and advertisement to use in direct mail promotion, at trade shows and with other promotions
• Magazine and online reader service programs
• A 50-word product description in the Workforce Extra supplement

Only: $9,150 (gross). You SAVE $4,050.

Products & Services:

Promote Your Product or Service:

• All HR Products & Services

Remember that “Success Stories” is only offered once a year – in December. Make sure your product is included. The space reservation deadline is October 12^th.

 October 1999 Deadlines

Prior to August 25^th: Contact your sales consultant to reserve space. Receive an insertion order to sign and fax back.

August 25^th: Reservations & Listings Due

September 1^st: Artwork Due

DON’T FORGET – OCTOBER IS THE AD-Q ISSUE.

What does this mean?

This is a fantastic opportunity to measure your campaign’s effectiveness in speaking to the new breed of HR professional – at no additional charge! Following the release of the October issue, Ad-Q will survey a large number of the Workforce audience to gauge the lasting impression created by your marketing message. Upon completion, you will receive a separate report from Ad-Q that quantifies a number of measurable advertising statistics. Ask your sales representative for more information.

Issue: Three control room operators at a nuclear power plant believed that their employer was maintaining its hydrogen pressure in an unsafe manner. After complaining to the engineering department, they felt that their safety concerns had not been adequately addressed. In order to determine the validity of their concerns, the employees knowingly conducted potentially dangerous and unauthorized tests at the plant during two consecutive midnight shifts, activating the plant’s alarm systems on each occasion. The employees had even prepared in advance in case their tests caused an “accident.” In response to these unauthorized tests, the employer terminated two of the employees and reprimanded and transferred the third employee. Claiming they had been discriminated against for attempting to ensure the safety of the plant, the employees sued the employer, arguing that, as licensed nuclear operators, they owed a duty to the public to verify what they believed to be a critical safety issue. Did the employer discriminate against the three employees by taking disciplinary measures?

Answer: No. The employer acted appropriately due to the employees’ “reckless disregard” for the potential hazards associated with these tests. The court noted that “regardless of their motives, good or bad, petitioners moved knowingly and dangerously beyond their authority when, on their own, and fully aware that their employer would not approve, they conducted experiments inherently fraught with danger.” The employees acted deliberately and without direction from management when they knowingly conducted tests in violation of requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In addition, the employees knew that their tests could produce conditions “sufficiently perilous to set off alarms” at the nuclear facility.

Employer obligations:
The employees based their claims of discrimination on a federal statute designed to protect employees who “blow the whistle” on their employers. This statute may be found at Title 42 of the United States Code, §5851. Specifically, the statute prohibits an employer from discriminating against an employee because the employee—

1. notified the employer of an alleged unlawful activity, or
2. refused to engage in an unlawful activity if he or she has identified the illegality to the employer.

However, the statute also contains a provision that renders its protections inapplicable to employees who deliberately engage in unlawful activities without direction from the employer. Because the employees in the present case deliberately conducted unauthorized tests that they knew would violate standards established by the NRC, their actions were not protected by the whistleblower statute.

Cite: David A. Fields, Robert P. Weiss, et al, Petitioners, vs. United States Department of Labor Administrative Review Board, Respondent, 11thCir, 138 LC 10,445.

Source: CCH Incorporated is a leading provider of information and software for human resources, legal, accounting, health care and small business professionals. CCH offers human resource management, payroll, employment, benefits, and worker safety products and publications in print, CD, online and via the Internet. For more information and other updates on the latest HR news, check our Web site at http://hr.cch.com.

The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.

You might want to create a team if you can’t execute a task individually or if the task requires working interdependently. Here’s how:

Create a common, shared goal and a strong task orientation that translates into each person knowing how to move towards that goal.

Promote interdependency. Each person needs to know what they’re going to contribute.

Have measurable outcomes. Team execution is usually more effective if you can measure what the team produces.

Talk about cultural differences and allow people to have some fun with them. For example, in intercultural sessions, you might take accepted cultural dimensions and have people predict how their nationality might behave in certain situations.

Realize that people need to understand differences before coming together effectively and building a unified team.

Continually stress the team’s purpose and its measurable outcomes.

Make sure team members have the right skills—technical competence, interpersonal skills (cross-cultural sensitivity) and good problem-solving skills.

Use training to help team members develop interpersonal, intercultural skills.

Provide detailed agendas for meetings.

Spell out lines of communication. How will people communicate with one another?

SOURCE: Larraine Segil, January 25, 1999, author of Intelligent Business Alliances (available at Amazon.com) and co-founder of The Lared Group, based in Los Angeles.