HR Happens

Outside of the healthcare industry, an employee vaccination policy seems like something a business wouldn't have to ever dream of writing. Cue a global pandemic. As of December 17, 2021, OSHA's (Occupations Safety and Health Act) Emergency Temporary Standard has been reinstated. In case you were unaware of the initial ETS, it was a policy put in place, to be enforced by OSHA, requiring all employer's with 100 or more employees to have a current record of all employee's vaccination status and to implement a written vaccination-or testing policy. The ETS was suspended by a federal appeals court on November 6th, so that the courts could evaluate whether the ETS was a government overreach. The stay was lifted by the 6th Circuit Court in a 2-1 ruling.   "Based on the [Occupational Safety and Health Act's] language, structure and Congressional approval, OSHA has long asserted its authority to protect workers against infectious diseases," wrote Judge Jane Stanch ...

(Disclaimer: NewsFlash! is a section of The HR Lady Blog that showcases articles and posts from other organizations that are relevant to human resources.) When Should Managers Call HR? By  Jonathan A. Segal July 21, 2020 Employers expect supervisors to resolve some issues on their own and to report other things to human resources—or possibly to in-house counsel—rather than to resolve them independently. But do you know which is which? For example, you probably know that you should report to HR all complaints of unlawful discrimination, harassment or retaliation, even if: The employee requests that the complaint be kept confidential. The employee implores the supervisor not to consult with HR. The complaint appears to lack merit. But in other instances, the line is less clear. For example, if an employee is frequently late, it's your job to resolve the issue by confronting the employee about his lateness and handling it according to established company policies. But what happens if ...

Having a diverse workforce-team members with differing backgrounds, knowledge, experience, socioeconomic situations, etc- can be a great thing! Co-workers are able to bounce ideas back and force and work together to come up with even more innovation than if all of your employees were cut from the same cloth. However, sometimes, this diversity can lead to very strong, differing opinions, which if not managed properly, can turn explosive and cause a lot of issues including turnover, poor culture, aggression and even lawsuits. Our experts have seen the good, bad and ugly side of a diverse workforce and have some tips on how to keep your team together, while allowing them to continue to express their individuality. 1. Create an Open-Minded Environment Human brains are wired to find similarities and differences in every situation. We are constantly comparing thoughts, situations and conversations to events or situations we have experienced in the past. This can lead to some very pers...

Have you ever received a text or e-mail and wanted to immediately celebrate, but were worried those around you would look at you funny if you started doing a happy dance at your desk? What about bad news that ruined your day, but you didn't have an outlet to talk about it? These types of scenarios are best handled in person. Written messages can be interpreted differently by each individual, and having a conversation face-to-face will allow all parties to get their thoughts across clearly and concisely. As a general rule of thumb in our tech-savvy world, the following types of conversations are best delivered face-to-face: 1. News to be celebrated! This can be anything from a promotion or raise to the company being recognized as the top in the industry. Whatever the news, this should be done in person so that employees feel like a team and can celebrate together! This does not have to be a big production. Grab employees for a quick five minute huddle and announce the news....

Anyone who has found themselves in a supervisor role, has been tasked with helping one or multiple employees with matters that do not relate directly to their work. Handling these topics can become tricky, but it is essential to provide support for "home life" matters in today's office culture. Checking your 'home life' at the door, is ideal to minimize distractions and performance issues among employees. But, when tough situations arise, this is not always possible. Major life changes, such as a partner's job loss, new child, childcare issues, car maintenance issues, moving, (and the list goes on) can be so stressful to an individual that the stress spills over into the workplace. As a supervisor, you must be available to offer support to these employees, without cutting drastically into performance and production. So, how does one go about this? Here are a few ideas to implement in your workplace: 1. Use Third-Party Resources Employees turn to their...