WorkSource Blog

Employee motivation is key to achieving company goals, mission, integration of core values, productivity and the overall health of an organization. Twyla Dell writes of motivating employees: “The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality and service.” (An Honest Day’s Work (1988)).

Advantages of employee motivation include:
1. Achievement of goals
2. increasing positive perspectives
3. creating the power to change
4. building self-esteem and capability
5. employees manage their own development and help coworkers with theirs
6. increases productivity

Here are 5 ways to foster employee motivation:
1. Provide the opportunity for employees to develop their skills and abilities: employees want to continue to learn and develop new skills. Most do not want mundane, no-brain work.
2. Employees gain a lot of motivation from the nature of and the work itself: Expand the job to include new, higher level responsibilities. Assign responsibilities to the employee that will help him or her grow their skills and knowledge. Stretch assignments to increase contributions to their company.
3. Elicit and address employee concerns and complaints before they make an employee or workplace dysfunctional: Listening to employee complaints and keeping the employee informed about how you are addressing the complaint are critical to producing a motivating work environment.
4. Recognition of employee performance is high on the list of employee needs for motivation: Many supervisors equate reward and recognition with monetary gifts. While employees appreciate money, the also appreciate praise, a verbal or written thank you, out-of-the-ordinary job content opportunities, and attention from their supervisor.
5. Employees appreciate a responsive and involved relationship with their immediate supervisor: Talk daily with each employee who reports to you. Encourage the employee who brings ideas or improvements. The supervisor’s relationship to reporting staff is said to be one of the single most important factors in employee retention. Ensure you provide a work environment for employee motivation.

Sources: About.com Human Resources, Basics About Employee Motivation

Why is building human capital so important?
The effects of employee turnover can be significant. That’s why it’s important for companies to keep their human capital, which is more than simply “employees.” Human capital is the pool of skills, talents, experiences and knowledge employees bring to the table. Human capital equates to productivity, revenues and bottom line profits. So when you consider the impact of turnover, it is best to think of it in terms of the loss of human capital.

In general, reducing employee turnover saves money. Money saved from not having to find and train replacement workers can be used elsewhere, including the bottom line of the company’s profit statement. The U.S. Dept. of Labor estimates that it costs about 33 percent of a new recruit’s salary to replace a lost employee. In other words, it could cost $11,000 in direct training expenses and lost productivity to replace an experienced employee making $33,000/year. Private industry estimates for highly skilled jobs deem turnover losses at a much higher level, up to 150 percent of the position’s annual salary.

Some research studies have found that turnover from transient workers has lasting effects on loyal employees who stay with a company, also. One study tested productivity among workers who were exposed to a management- planted person who quit in the middle of a task, citing dissatisfaction with the job and the company. A second group of employees worked with another planted person who had to leave the task because of illness. The group exposed to the employee who quit had lower productivity levels than the group exposed to the ill employee. The employees apparently took the complainer’s statements to heart while the ill employee had nothing bad to say about the company.

This demonstrates that turnover can lead to lower productivity and morale in certain situations.

Source: Reference for Business, Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd Ed.

Are you aware it’s time to post your OSHA 300A Summary log?

Each employer maintaining the OSHA 300 log for workplace injuries and illnesses pursuant to OSHA’s recordkeeping standard must post their 2010 annual summary by February 1, 2011. The posting period is from February 1, 2011 to April 30th. Employers must utilize the annual summary form (form 300A) when complying with the posting requirements. The form is available for downloading from the OSHA website.

WorkSource, Inc. is committed to workplace safety and is certified by the WRC (Workers Risk Compensation). All temporary employees working at a client site on a staffing firm’s payroll must be included in the recordkeeping.

• A company executive must certify the 300A log
• The annual summary provision requires employers to include a calculation of the annual average number of employees covered by the Log and the total hours worked by all covered employees.
• The 300A log must be posted in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted.
• If an organization has had no recordable injuries or illnesses, the company must still post the 300A summary with zeros in the appropriate lines. The log must still be signed by a company executive.
• An employer must maintain records for 5 years plus the current year and provide them for inspection by OSHA investigators.

Sources: American Chamber of Commerce, Fisher & Phillips LLP, Solutions At Work

What are the top reasons for most employee turnover?
Employee turnover is a fact of life for all companies. Whether you’re operating a fast food restaurant or an executive corporation, employees come and go as time passes. Employee turnover occurs when employees voluntarily leave their jobs and must be replaced. The severity of turnover varies widely by type of business and the economic health of the region where companies are located.

High turnover can be a serious obstacle to productivity, quality and profitability for organizations of all sizes. For the smallest of companies, a high turnover rate can mean that simply having enough staff to fulfill daily functions is a challenge, even beyond the issue of how well the work is done when staff is available. Turnover is also a problem for major companies, which often spend millions of dollars a year on turnover-related costs. Customers are also likely to experience dips in the quality of service each time their representative changes.

The U.S, Department of Labor estimates that it costs about 33% of a new recruit’s salary to replace a lost employee. That’s obviously a significant amount of money. And when you consider the time that the selection process and training takes, turnover can eat up precious company resources.

To reduce turnover, you must be aware of what causes turnover.
1. Receiving higher pay elsewhere. This can be regularly observed at all levels of the economic ladder, from executives to entry-level workers. However, there is considerable evidence that money is often not the root cause of turnover, even when it is a factor in an employee’s decision to quit. Yet it is something to consider. Being competitive with pay-rates and benefits packages is indeed important.
2. Work environment: Turnover tends to be higher in environments where employees feel they are taken advantage of, where they feel undervalued or ignored, and where they feel helpless or unimportant.
3. Management handling of major corporate events such as mergers or layoffs. If employees are fearful or have a negative image of a company, more employees tend to leave the organization.
4. Work stress experienced at particular types of jobs: ex: childcare workers, waiters dealing with demanding dinnertime customers, police officers in high-crime areas, and truck drivers facing long hours.
5. Other factors such as seasonal changes (i.e. beginning of school semesters)
6. Retirement (even though this type of turnover is expected more-so, if many employees are aging out of the workforce it can have detrimental effects.
7. Work-Life balance can’t be achieved. When women or men are trying to juggle heavy home responsibilities with work responsibilities, they may find it overwhelming and therefore leave their positions.

Source: Reference for Business, Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd Ed.

Why are Job Descriptions important?
It is in the best interest of companies to have complete job descriptions for all positions. Here are some reasons why:

1. Serves as a reference guide for determining comparable industry salaries
2. Helps maximize dollars spent on employee compensation for the position by ensuring experience, and skills needed for the job, are detailed and matched to prospective applicants.
3. Functions as a foundation for developing interview questions
4. Details information about the position that can be incorporated into “help wanted” ads
5. Discourages employees from refusing to do something because “it is not my job.”
6. Provides a basis for employee reviews, salary increases, setting goals, and growth paths.
7. Serves as legal documentation that can be useful in the event an employee files a termination or discrimination lawsuit against the company.
8. Provides the opportunity for applicants to determine if the job fits their expectations, experience and skills.

What to include in a job description:

1. Job Title: Clarifies the position, job title, and rank or level (if applicable)
2. Salary Range: List starting salary, mid-range, and high (maximum salary for the position. Include information about how employees may be eligible for additional compensation (i.e. sales commissions, performance bonuses, annual raises, etc.)
3. Statement of Purpose and Objective: A general statement, summarizing tin three or four sentences, the purpose or objective of the position,
4. Job Description: A detailed list of specific duties and tasks in their order of significance (the most important duties should appear at the top of the list). This list should cover every activity that will take 5% or more of the employee’s time and include any accountability the employee may have for meeting certain objectives.
5. Description of Reporting Structure: This section provides a detailed description of any and all roles the employee will hold. This should include their own supervisory roles (if any) as well as who they are subordinate to directly and indirectly. If the employee is to work with other employees or departments include that information as well.
6. Experience and Skills: Be as specific as possible when detailing the experience and skills required to perform the job. For example, if the position requires the use of a computer, list the type of software or hardware used to perform the job.
7. Description of Ideal Candidate: Detail other strengths needed to perform the job such as “ability to work with tight deadlines and multiple bosses.”
8. Work Location and Schedule: List the physical location of the job, the days and hours of the position, and include any potential overtime that may be required to perform the job.
9. “And Other Duties as Assigned.” This is an important feature to include in every job description.

Source: Women In Business

What is your company doing this holiday season to volunteer their time?

What is your company doing this holiday season to involve your employees in community service? What projects support your company mission and vision statements, as well as your over-all strategic organizational goals? How does service affect employee performance and perceptions of what they contribute in the workplace?

Engaging your employees in volunteering their time, giving of their resources and investing a part of themselves goes a long way in helping them find meaning in their jobs, take pride in the company they work for, and improve morale and retention. Community service also affords opportunities for employees to acquire or hone skills they can integrate into their daily responsibilities and tasks.

Whether you decide on food, clothing, toy or monetary “drives,” group activities such as “adopting a family” or serving meals together, or individual projects such as mentoring or tutoring kids in need, you can rest assured your efforts will not outweigh the rewards.

“Giving back” to the communities we are a part of is just good business!
Email Nancy what your company is doing this Season. The next edition will feature our corporate efforts as Iowa business communities. nancy@worksourcestaff.com

Happy Holidays to All!

What should I write in a Reference Letter?

It’s often a precarious place to be when a former employee who has been fired requests a reference letter for a prospective employer.  Should you provide negative feedback or only relay the positive in order to avoid a defamation lawsuit?

If the employee had real performance issues that might put others at risk it certainly isn’t wise to simply set them aside.  You could be risking a lawsuit down the road if someone sued after being harmed.

On the other hand, overemphasizing the former employee’s negative qualities could find you with a defamation lawsuit.  When in doubt about the reference wording, contact your company attorney for consultation,

Dr. Carol Lindsay, who is black, was terminated early from her contract as a specialist obstetrician.  Her supervisors didn’t like her messy office or the fact that she had fallen far behind in reading patient tests.  She was often late when patients went into labor,  She was also allegedly rude and uncooperative with staff.

Lindsay applied elsewhere and her former supervisor sent a carefully worded letter that said Lindsay’s knowledge was “adequate,” but that a prospective employer should place her in a setting where “peers are available for mentoring.”  When she wasn’t hired she sued, alleging defamation.

 Fortunately for her former employer, she couldn’t show a connection with the letters and not being hired.  (Lindsay v. Children’s Hospital., No. 24114, Court of Appeals of Ohio, 2009)  – (HR Specialist Employment Law Vol. 39, No.5; May, 2009)

Are companies required to give time off for Religious Observances?

It’s important to know what accommodations you’re legally required to make when employees request time off work for religious purposes/observations.  This is a very sensitive issue which can bring much controversy.  Yet if you are prepared and know your company’s policies/procedures you will be much less likely to put your organization at risk.  

One of the biggest conflicts occurs when an employee wants to take time off and potential productivity and profitability is compromised.  Title VII states that an employer must provide “reasonable accommodation” of an employee’s religious beliefs and practices.  Under Title VII, an employer can’t refuse to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious observances, unless accommodation would constitute an “undue hardship” for the company.  According to trial attorney Jeffrey Steinberger (senior partner of The Law Offices of Jeffrey W. Steinberger), when making a decision regarding “reasonably accommodations,” note the following:

1. An employee must first notify the employer of the conflict between his or her religious belief and an employment requirement.  Without proper notification, an employer can legally discharge an employee for excessive absences, even if it’s later determined that the absences were for religious purposes.
2. Recent court cases have ruled in favor of employers when employees requested preferential treatment in regards to taking time off to observe the Sabbath.  The courts have found undue hardship to the employer because of morale problems with the employees that had to work on Saturdays, as well as employers having to pay higher wages to fill the employee’s vacancy.
3. Employees have had more success in cases involving special leave to observe holy days or attend religious activities that weren’t regular and frequent., However, even a single absence can cause an employer undue hardship.  For example, if the employee is the only one who can perform an essential job to continue business operations, an argument of “undue hardship” could be made.
4. In ruling on Title VII religion cases, the courts have held that employers aren’t required to accommodate employees’ religious activities when it involves increased financial costs, transferring supervisory personnel or employees from other departments resulting in inefficiency, or discriminating against other employees or violating seniority systems.
5. Examples of accommodations that don’t constitute undue hardship:  flexible work schedules, voluntary substitutions, floating or optional holidays, staggered work hours, and allowing employees to make up lost time.
6. While technically not required, companies should always offer accommodation suggestions before claiming undue hardship.  If no suggestions are made, the employer must be able to prove there was no possible accommodation.
7. Consult expert legal counsel to achieve a successful resolution when the employer and employee can’t agree.

How can a hiring checklist help my company?

Sometimes it’s easy, especially when busy, to shorten your hiring process as you’re bringing on new employees.  This is a very risky practice, however.  Give every manager clear hiring procedures to follow for each new open position.  Checklists can be a valuable tool for managers or HR Professionals to keep track of all that needs to be done consistently.  A South Carolina hospital found out the hard way they should have utilized consistent hiring practices when one of their employees applied for a promotion.

For nearly two years Joyce Dennis worked jobs that progressively added more responsibility.  She finally interviewed for a promotion to ER registration supervisor.  The hiring manager suggested she wouldn’t get the position, however, due to rumors that she was having an affair with a doctor.  Dennis denied the affair and complained to the CFO.

In response, the CFO took over the hiring for the position.  He reviewed Dennis’ application but failed to interview her.  He ended up hiring a friend’s husband.

 Dennis quit and filed suit, alleging discriminatory failure to promote, as well as defamation.  A jury sided with Dennis and awarded her $161,000 in damages.  A federal appeals court upheld the ruling, describing the hiring process as “peculiarly informal.”  Dennis didn’t possess all the skills/requirements in the written job description, yet the man who got the job was even less qualified.  (Dennis Medical Center v. Columbia Colleton Inc., No 01-1338, rth Cir.)

How valid are Verbal Safety Warnings?

A verbal warning is not necessarily sufficient as a disciplinary action if an employee is known to have violated a safety policy or practice.  Look at how OSHA cited and the court ruled in a case involving the death of a New York bridge worker.

When a New York bridge worker took a fall that resulted in his death, OSHA cited the employer with a serious-violation fine.  The company appealed, saying it provided the correct harness, but the employee failed to use it.  He even ignored supervisors who yelled at him about it.  The court upheld the fine, however, arguing that oral warnings alone aren’t sufficient for enforcing important safety rules.  The company had a progressive discipline plan for safety violations yet the supervisors didn’t follow it.  According to the court, the company certainly should have.

(Secretary of Labor v. Skanska Koch Inc.)

This is certainly reason to pause when employees fail to follow safety rules.