The HR Team June/July 2009 Newsletter

More companies are seeing the benefits of reducing work hours. Trimming hours allows them to keep employees.
 
Some 37 percent of human resource people say they are spending more time developing alternatives to layoffs than they have in the past. Some companies are even resorting to assigning unpaid leaves.
 
Furloughs and four-day weeks are not just for production workers. They are happening in state governments, universities, publishing, technology and the financial industry.
 
For companies that have reduced staff, their big challenge, now that business is picking up, is having to hire new people, according to consultants at Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc., in Chicago. 
 
Of course, when making staffing decisions, it is always best to first contact us at The HR Team to help appropriately plan and execute these decisions in the best manner possible.

How To Be A Better Boss

Here's how managers can keep morale high, improve employee performance, and promote trust, according to Business Week. 

• Let employees know how they are doing. Schedule at least two performance reviews each year. Keep employees upbeat, setting goals you want them to reach and skills you want them to acquire. Be involved in employee development.
• Be fair. Don't have favorites and treat some better than others. Develop trust and you will have more enthusiastic people.
• Back them up. If a plan or program you initiated doesn't work, take part of the responsibility. Don't lay it off on those who couldn't make it work.
• Give special rewards to those who have performed outstandingly. Make the reward fit the deed or performance. It will be motivating, not only for the one who received it, but for others who know they could be rewarded for an outstanding accomplishment.
• Work on problems calmly and in a business-like manner. Attack the problem, not the individual involved.
• Tell the truth about the business' circumstances. Work diligently if you expect your people to do the same. Always show honesty and integrity. When you do these things, you are on your way to becoming a great leader. 

Want to know more?  Why not schedule a session of The HR Team's "life changing" performance management training for your managers.

Talk To Your Teen About Dangers On The Job.

In these times, a teenager would feel lucky to have any kind of job for the summer. Some jobs, however, are hazardous to youngsters, especially when they have little or no training. 
 
The U.S. Department of Labor says workers under 18 are injured at a much higher rate than adults, even when employers follow the rules. One reason is that a 16-year-old boy can be as tall or taller than someone 10 years older. It's easy for the boss to forget he doesn't have the judgment of an adult. 
 
Among the most dangerous jobs for teens: Landscaping, grounds keeping and lawn services. The work may include the use of power tools and machinery, as well as hazardous chemicals and pesticides. Jobs in agriculture have the same risks and are named as the second most dangerous for teenagers.
 
Agriculture is followed by construction work on the danger scale. One road builder says he will never again hire young workers. They forget where they are and step back into oncoming traffic.
 
Federal child labor laws forbid kids under 18 from working in places like coal mines and sawmills.
 
Waiting tables in a restaurant seems safe enough, but pizzeria delivery people and those working alone late at night are vulnerable to holdups. Parents should discuss workers' rights with their teen. Kids should not be subjected to intimidation or sexual harassment on the job. 
 
Employers play an important role in the safety of teenagers, and The HR Team is here to help, but as parents we should be involved as well. We need to talk to our teens about their jobs and also determine whether the jobs are safe.