HR managers are constrained when workers quit without notice
At many companies, employees are told they must give two weeks’ notice before leaving their job.
But is a notice of any kind required? And if someone walks out the door suddenly—leaving deadlines hanging and colleagues in the lurch—is there anything an HR professional can do?
The Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., is supposed to be a secure facility, protected by checkpoints, armed guards and requirements of valid credentials for entry.
According to authorities, 12 people were killed and eight others injured when Aaron Alexis opened fire Sept. 16, 2013, in Building 197 at the facility.
So what went wrong?
Every day millions of employees drive to and from work or spend their workday driving. Sadly, about 2,000 workers die each year on the road while commuting or working. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related fatalities among people ages 16 to 24 in the United States.
There are many good reasons for keeping thorough and up-to-date records of accidents and injuries that occur on the job. The primary reason, of course, is compliance with the law. But a thorough reporting and recordkeeping system can also provide you with valuable information concerning accident patterns and prevention.
Management-level employees and HR staff should be trained on the workplace impact of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking, a vast majority of respondents told the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in research findings released Feb. 1, 2013.
The tragic murders of students and teachers Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., is a grim reminder of the need for every workplace to have a safety plan and procedures in place, human resource and workplace violence prevention professionals said.
As smartphones and tablets become ubiquitous, multi-tasking behind the wheel has been gaining notice as a grown-up workplace danger rather than the sole province of reckless, texting adolescents.
Along with the risks to life and limb, the trend carries significant financial perils for employers.
A worker who causes an accident while reading e-mail or texting on the job can expose an employer to millions of dollars in liability for loss of life, in addition to the costs of property damage and lost productivity.
When employees observe workplace misconduct such as stealing, safety violations or substance abuse—and decide to report it—most will go to their supervisors to do so, an ethics survey finds.
Sixty percent of the 2,172 workers surveyed in June 2012 by the Ethics Resource Center (ERC), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, said they will report misconduct they observe to their supervisor first. About one in five (21 percent) will report to higher management and about one in 10 (11 percent) will call a hotline. Just 1 percent will go first to an outside agency.
Injury risk increases 37 percent for employees with difficult family issues, researchers reported.
One-half (51%) of organizations reported that there had been incidents of bullying in their workplace. The three most common outcomes of bullying incidents that organizations reported were decreased morale (68%), increased stress and/or depression levels (48%) and decreased trust among co-workers (45%). This is part one of a two-part series of SHRM survey findings on workplace bullying and violence.
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A side effect of HR professionals taking on more leading, visible roles in business could be becoming the target of workplace bullies.
“When you are the top person in your profession, even if you do everything right, you can have a bad day that brings it all down,” said Dr. Jack Stark, a psychologist who has counseled professional athletes and worked with Fortune 500 company leaders.
Earlier this year, a local teacher was suspended after her school learned about nasty comments on her personal blog concerning her students. And that story became national news. Now, word has it that the school is considering a social-media policy. Well, it's about time!
Social-media policy? We don't need no stinkin' policy! Then again...
G. Brint Ryan discusses HR's critical role in developing Ryan LLC's innovative work environment - myRyan - where employees have the flexibility to work where, when and in what manner that best promotes increased efficiency and effectiveness.
This year is shaping up to be one of the most active years for HR public policy on the state level. Already, numerous workplace measures across the country have become law, and many others are progressing down the road to enactment As a result, HR professionals who in past years have focused their attention on Washington need to also be wary of workplace legislation coming from their state capitols.
