Tag Archives: employment

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Watch out – your BEST Employees are planning to leave you

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HOWEVER, YOU CAN RETAIN YOUR A-PLAYERS.

Almost half of U.S. professionals have thought about quitting their jobs in the past year because of “stifling frustrations at work.”

The survey from The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University, also found that younger professionals, those who make less than $50,000 annually, and those who think their job is at a standstill are among the most likely to say goodbye to their boss.

About 30% of the employees said they are underappreciated, and overworked.

EMPLOYERS CAN PREPARE

As caring employers, we can boost a positive workplace culture through clearer pathways to career advancement, and by offering leadership skills development to employees.

In our ‘business leader’ role, we can also do a better job of recognizing those small wins – thank an employee who turns in a fabulous report or presentation – IMMEDIATELY, and in front of others!

5-MINUTE CHATS

Do you have 5-minute “How are we Doing” conversations with your employees? At least one a week? It is simple, and effective. Just ask: 1) what they are working on; 2) how it is going; 3) and how you can help?

Your employees want genuine feedback, but it doesn’t have to be a BIG deal. A simple, but authentic “thank you” can make an otherwise burned-out employee feel great about their workplace environment. Really; they will go home and tell their spouse and friends!

MORE TO DO, BUT START HERE

Certainly there are many, many more ways to help ensure your A-Players continue to be happy and productive members of your talent team. But a cost-free way to jump start a more ‘results and rewards-driven’ culture can begin by simply recognizing your employees as “people” who like to be told “Nice Job.”

 

I help organizations answer their People concerns, before they become BIG, EXPENSIVE DEALS. Call 404-791-7454 or email Steve.Lovig@gmail.com for a FREE appraisal.

 

 

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“Use-it-or-lose-it” vacation policies

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The Colorado Department of Labor (CDOL) announced that “use-it-or-lose-it” vacation policies would no longer be permitted. However, they then admitted materials on the subject were “Not clear.” Now they’ve released an FAQ, which continues the confusion. Here are some takeaways:

  • If you have a use-it-or-lose-it policy, it must clearly explain vacation earnings and accruals
  • Definition of when vacation is earned is critical
  • Value of vacation earned when an employee leaves must be paid
  • If you want to change your policy, it cannot be retroactive

You could put a cap on how much vacation is earned, require employees to use accumulated vacation before additional time could be earned, and have a policy clearly stating vacation pay is not earned until employees work the specified amount of time. But until further clarification, it looks like the employee must be paid for all earned and unused vacation time.

Thanks for the overview from Fisher & Phillips, found here: http://www.laborlawyers.com/colorado-department-of-labor-clarifies-vacation-pay-position

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March 17th – it’s St. Patty’s Day, sure but did you know….?

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March 17th – known by many to be the annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. But SURPRISE – it’s also National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day. St Patty’s Day info

Corned beef and cabbage evolved from Irish bacon and cabbage; it was Irish immigrants to America who quickly swapped in corned beef as a much less-expensive substitute. Corned beef and cabbage became popular in the States, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant in Ireland that serves it.

Although green beer for St. Patrick’s Day is common in America, the Irish traditionally would not even consider it in their celebrations, according to Kenny Mitchell, General Manager at Murphy’s Alexandria, located at 713 King Str.

How ever you celebrate March 17th, please do so with a sound mind and happy heart.

Me…? I’ll still be looking for a job.

Best regards,

Steve Lovig | http://www.linkedin.com/in/SteveLovig

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When to and When NOT to Dock an Exempt Employee’s pay

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This info is for all – but please note in Georgia, we kinda geek out when “snow” or “ice” is mentioned in the forecast. Yes, even if they say “Less than an inch expected..”

(Originally posted in 2014; Rulings are still the same. Dock with Caution!) 

If the suspected ‘wintry-mix’ hits us, offices and factories may be caught up in closing or not closing, and then paying or NOT paying? Certain rules apply and employers must be cautious. Improper deductions from exempt employee salaries may adversely impact the exempt status of all exempts.

YES, YOU CAN DEDUCT: Mark Tabakman referenced Allyson Kurker of Kurker Paget LLC, who blogged about this; the message bears repeating. First, non-exempt employees may be docked more easily than exempt employees; that’s straightforward.  Second, the DOL has issued guidance (FLSA2005-41 Opinion Letter) that outlines when you can deduct. If the business is OPEN and an exempt employee does NOT get to work, the employer may make a full day pro rata deduction. That is because the employee has voluntarily chosen to absent himself from work for “personal reasons.” The full-day, personal-reason deduction is allowable under the FLSA regulations.

HERE IS ONE CATCH: When the office is open, an exempt employee who has no accrued benefits in their ‘leave’ account does not have to be paid for the full day She fails to report to work due to weather-related stuff.

If the employer CLOSES down, then no deduction can be made on exempt employees. This is because the employee (in theory) is “ready, willing, and able” to come to work, but due to the business decisions, based on bad weather, the employer has closed and, therefore, no work is available for the employee, even though he is ready to work.

OPEN, BUT THEN CLOSED? If the employer opens up in the morning and later shuts down as the weather gets progressively worse, the rules change slightly. Although the employer may not make a cash deduction from an exempt employee’s salary for the few hours that are not worked in an early closing situation, the employer is allowed to ‘compel’ the exempt employees to take hours from their leave banks to “make up” for the work hours lost. Note, however, that if the exempt employee exhausts all such time, the employer cannot then make the above-referenced cash deduction from the salary.  In that situation, the employer must pay the exempt employee.

HOURLY EMPLOYEES: Federal statutes say you only PAY HOURLY employees when they “work.” If the office is closed, then an hourly employee could not work, and does not get paid. Caveat for taking work home.

TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY? If you pay the exempts (often managers and executives, often ’cause you HAVE to) but decide NOT to pay hourly employees, you could be setting up discord and major unhappiness among the troops. Consider alternatives.

 

I help organizations answer their HR and People concerns before they become BIG, EXPENSIVE DEALS. Call 404-791-7454 or email Steve.Lovig@gmail.com for a FREE appraisal.