Another Day in the HR Field

When a survey reports 83% of employees have been talking politics at work, you must be relieved that now some work can get done. So, what should be top of mind for employers to get employees back to work after a pandemic practically lifted life out of employers and employees alike. And, it is not over yet. The priority is to evaluate how you have done as an employer adapting to the COVID-19 situation and comparing that to what employees think.  According, to almost 20k local government employees only 75% of essential workers and 89% of remote workers think you’ve done a good job. A good 1/3 or so think the job has increased after COVID-19. Both situations do not bode well for employee morale and job satisfaction and can lead to increased turnover and low employee engagement. Currently, 51% of employees are looking to leave jobs which increases the stress on HR and hiring managers. Do not forget they can burnout too!  In my experience democratic administrations issue more workplace rule

Remember when the "Fifty Shades" book series came out in 2015? Remember the memes like this one pictured? Would that book or this meme be appropriate in the workplace today? No! Why, because it would be considered discussion around the topic of sex or sexual nature and can possibly substantially interfere with an individuals work performance or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.   This is just one example of a topic discussed in the State of Illinois Sexual Harassment Prevention Training now required by all employers with one (1) or more employees.  The fine for not training is $500 for employers with 1-3 employees and $1000 for employers with four or more employees.  With tomorrow being the first day of Q4 we have three months left to get into compliance yet some are still kicking and screaming that this is required! With the IL Workplace Transparency Act training deadline at the end of this last quarter of 2020 employers are asking for an easy w

I am so very honored to be among some of the very best names in Springfield's history.  It is such an honor to be nominated for next years award.  Thank you in advance to those who nominated me! This award is sponsored by the Illinois Women in Leadership (IWIL). The definition of the award from their site is as follows:  The ATHENA Leadership Award® was inspired by the goddess of Greek mythology known for her strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment -- qualities embodied in the ATHENA Leadership Model®. The Award is unique in both scope (local, national and international) and the ATHENA mission upon which it is based. The ATHENA Leadership Award® is presented to a woman or man who is honored for professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Since the program’s inception in 1982, more than 7,000 exemplary leaders in over 500 communities have received the prestigious ATHENA Award in

Recently, a client asked me if they needed to adjust their drug testing policy so a transgender employee could choose the gender of the person observing them urinate for a test. Obviously, the person wanted the employee to feel comfortable with who was in the room with them. First of all, having another employee watch you urinate can be uncomfortable for anyone, for any reason, but it is a requirement for some drug tests in order to ensure that the testee doesn’t bring in a bag of someone else’s urine to exchange as their own. If the reason is not obvious, it is so they do not test positive when they know they have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. So, I did some research and thought it would be good to share this information for other employers, managers, small business owners and HR managers who may have similar questions. What are the requirements to be an observer for a direct observed collection? According to the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing

I will be co-hosting with the UIS Continuing & Professional Education department a summer HR Workshop Series.  Each week a different topic will be presented covering COVID Workplace topics the first three weeks with the last two weeks focusing on helping employers meet the Workplace Transparency Act compliance training requirement by year-end.  Here is what is in store for the next five weeks for all those who register, grab a lunch, and sit down at their home or office computer. COVID Training Thursday from Noon-1p.m. 7/9 - Noon -1pm HR2033  Encouraging and Maintaining Remote Employee Engagement – COVID 19 sent over 68% of employees home for at least two months and many of them are still there working day in and day out either permanently or until there is an antidote for the virus.  So in the meantime, what is a manager to do when it comes to keeping those employees motivated, productive, and engaged in the workplace? We will discuss many options

     A year of turbulence, caution, and weariness is how I would describe 2020 so far and its only June!   If you are not dealing with employees coming or going related to COVID-19, your hearing unrest due to violence in the news involving nationwide protests, rallies, looting and social media opinions running rampant.         There is so much out there going on it is difficult to keep your employees engaged, focused on performing their job and safe in today’s environment.   However, all those things are still our top concerns as managers and human resources professionals.              This year has brought safety to the top of that list almost daily.   So instead of talking about safety related to COVID-19 pandemic, I’d like to focus specifically this month on a topic that is in large part a major concern for business in one of our bigger cities in America as I write this article and has the potential to spread as it has done before.   That is the topic of VIOLENCE.         Preventing

What hasn't been said about the Coronavirus over the past several weeks in the HR community? I can't think of a thing? Over the past two weeks at least, I've been doing nothing but talking, listening, watching, researching and responding to questions from clients, students, family, and friends about this topic much like the rest of the world. The following is a list of what I think is the most important things I have learned and suggest employers consider if they have not already done so. I call it the three C’s of Coronavirus for HR and Employers. 1.       Compliance with new local , state , and federal employment regulations covering employees.   This covers quarantine rules, time off, protected time off, unemployment, and even paid time off in some cases depending on the size of the organization. 2.       Cleanliness with the CDC and WHO .   Sure most organizations have cleaning companies that might come into the workplace once a week.   How many of you have th

I just completed a training program today for county officials that applies to all business owners, managers, and HR in the state here in Springfield today (on February 26, 2020) covering the Workplace Transparency Act and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, I'd like to summarize some of the main points.  As the program description described, the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act imposes a variety of restrictions and requirements on employers relating to workplace discrimination and harassment including annual sexual harassment prevention training for all employees (in all employers of all sizes throughout the state).  The training covered the standards to get into and stay in compliance. The most recent 2/5/20 Public Service Announcement by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) was introduced covering the need to provide training to all employees no later than 12/31/20 and annually thereafter with all new employees being trained within 90 days of that first ann