Keeping Your Valuable Talent From Leaving

With low unemployment and a growing economy, how do you keep the talent in your office from leaving your organization and finding greener pastures elsewhere?

Employees are an investment, plain and simple! Here are some of the ways an employee cost an organization money:

·         Recruiting the employee

·         Hiring the employee

·         On-boarding the employee

·         Paid time off (vacation, sick, etc.)

·         Compensation (wage, benefits, bonuses, etc.)

·         Turnover

When the country was going through a tough economy, the above list would be enough to keep most employees. However, things have changed. With low unemployment, the competition for talented and skilled employees is heating up! Employers are beginning to feel the pain in the quality and quantity of productivity as their talented and skilled employees are lured away by another organization who is offering some enticements are that too hard to pass up.

What can your organization do to keep from losing your valuable talent? Here is a list of the four main ways to keep your talent from leaving:

1. Increase Wage – Employees are not volunteers! This is important to keep in mind when considering a wage increase for an employee. This is one of the main ways your competition is able to lure amazing talent to their organization. Stay ahead of your competition and pay an employee based on the worth they are to your organization. In addition, increasing an employee’s wage demonstrates your commitment to them and an appreciation for the work they do.
2. Improved Management – This is the number one reason an employee leaves their current employer. Poor management will de-motivate an employee and make their work environment terrible to be a part of. Improve the skill level of your current managers or replace them with leaders who know how to build and strengthen a working relationship with your employees.
3. Better Benefits – Investing in a better healthcare plan, offering a more flexible schedule option, and other such ideas are ways to entice employees to stay with your organization.
4. Employee Development – One of the determining factors for employees to look for employment at another organization is the lack of professional development at their current job. Good employees want to learn new skills and develop weaker ones so that they can be more effective in their job. They also feel that developing their skills gives them an increased chance at a future promotion. When organizations do not take time to develop their employees, they are at great risk of losing their hard working employees who care about their job and the organization while only keeping the employees who are mediocre and don’t really care about much anyway.

Hiring a good employee is only the first step. In order to keep that good employee a part of your organization, it is important to invest time and resources . . . continuously. Having lesser talent within your organization will save money, but you will notice a drop in productivity, morale, and cohesiveness. As this occurs, more and more of your valuable talent will leave. You will eventually notice a big difference within your organization . . . and your customers will as well.

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Importance of Written Time Off Policies

Managing time off requests effectively
will help reduce your liability

There are certain times of the year, summer and holidays, when a significant number of employees request time off from work. While it would be nice to accommodate all of the time off requests, work still needs to get done. In addition to reduced productivity, there is another factor with time off requests that increases liability, reduces morale, and sours the great culture that has been building within the organization. All of these are the result of unfair time off practices.

Reduce Liability

All of your time off requests should be done by following a written policy and procedure. Time off policies should be the same for the same type of employee (part-time or full-time). Be sure that the written time off policies are in no way discriminatory of gender, race, religion, or other factor.

Keep Morale High

If the written policies and procedures are not deviated from and are followed, then there should be no appearance of favoritism. It is the appearance or perception of favoritism that has a destructive influence on the morale of other employees.

Culture is Still Great

Any type of special allowances of time off could have a souring effect on the culture of an organization. Remember, everyone would like to have a special day off and get paid for it. If it is not written in the policies and procedures, don't do it. If someone really needs to have a day off and it is outside of the written policies, then the day off can be granted to the employee, but it would not be an unpaid day off. This would not have the same souring effect on the culture as a paid day off would have.

Reduce liability, keep the morale high, and maintain a great culture by having fair and written time off policies and procedures that are strictly followed.

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Employee Breaks and Your Business

Breaks are important to your employees, but those breaks have an effect on your business.

Alice has been helping customers for nearly four hours straight. She gets into an argument with a customer. That argument escalates quickly and a supervisor then gets involved. Things are deescalated, the customer leaves angry, and Alice gets a tongue lashing from her supervisor.

The situation described above has been played out many times in many businesses. Ask yourself this question:

Who's at fault for the above situation?

Everyone will have his or her answer based on their own personal experiences and practices. My answer is simple; it is the supervisor's fault. People are human and they need to be recognized as such. Alice should have not been helping customers for nearly four hours without a break. Despise all of the training provided, it was the fault of the supervisor for not treating Alice as a human that lead to this situation.

Let's take a moment and see how employee breaks effect the business and the employees:

Effects of Breaks on Business

Employees are only productive when they are working. When employees are productive, business is able to get done. When an employee is on break, they are not being productive, but they are still getting paid (outside of a unpaid lunch break).

Effects of Breaks on Employees

When an employee goes on break, they are able to "wind down" and decompress. They take a few minutes to relax and socialize, read, get some refreshment, or step away. This helps employees feel rejuvenated and refreshed. Breaks are just as much mental as they are physical.

State laws vary with this issue. For example, one State says that an employer must give its employee a 10 minute break every four hours and a 30 minute lunch break if working more than six hours. Typical employment law does not take into account the various industries, the type of work being done, and the mental/physical stress on employees.

Perplexing Facts

• Businesses want employees to be highly productive for the maximum time possible.
• Most employees want to be highly productive and do quality work. If a business has employees that don't meet this criteria, then they should find ones who do.
• Employees are humans and humans need time to re-energize, refocus, regroup, and refresh.
• Employees who are given shorter periods of time to work between breaks are typically more productive, effective, energized, and focused. They tend to be highly productive.
• Giving employees the opportunity to be highly productive and appreciating them as humans, will improve morale and decrease turnover. This saves the business money.

In order for businesses to achieve a high level of productivity from its employees and for employees to produce at a high level with high quality work, here is my recommendation:

• Employees get a 10 minute break every 2 hours
• Employees who work 8 hours should get a 30 minute unpaid lunch break every four hours
• Employees who work six hours get one 10 minute break after two hours worked and another 20 minute food break after their next two hours

You should always check with local state laws before creating a break policy. In addition, some flexibility should be considered based on industry and type of work.

If a business treats their employees well, then it is more likely that those employees will treat the customers well!

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Using PTO During Inclement Weather

What are your policies for unpredictable time off?

Winter’s here and while it may not be a popular decision, employers can, in some cases, make workers use paid time off (PTO) when severe climate conditions hit and employees can’t get into work, according to a SHRM article.

One legal expert in the article noted that short of a state law prohibition or a written company policy that says otherwise, if the business is open, an employer can make an employee use PTO.  This typically only applies to exempt employees, not non-exempt workers who are only paid if they come to work.

Should the weather become a problem and an employer closes down for a few days as a result, then it has to pay an exempt worker their full salary if the worker has done or eventually does any work at all during the week, no matter where it takes place.

Experts in the article noted that creating a solid “inclement weather policy” is critical, so there is little confusion should bad weather interrupt the work week. Any policy must detail rules for exempt and non-exempt employees.

If an employer is going to invoke PTO use as a possibility for weather-related lost work time, should a business remain open, then that specific information must be spelled out clearly in an effective, legally sound policy. Of course, the same expert warned that invoking PTO under these circumstances could negatively impact worker morale.

Apart from a clear policy on PTO and bad weather, there is also the issue of employee safety. An employer will not want to take responsibility if an employee is ordered to work by a manager during risky weather conditions and the employee has an accident en route. In the end, common sense – and a clear policy on PTO and time off for bad weather – should rule, say experts.

(SHRM website)

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Leaches in the Workplace: Discrimination

Discrimination within a workforce, sucks the lifeblood out of the organization

Discrimination: the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people

Leaches: bloodsucking parasites

Dan was excited about his new job. However, that excitement quickly dissipated as he experienced some situations that made him feel like he was being treated differently. It was not only how some people talked to him, but also how they looked at him, gave extra space while walking around him, and at times, made an effort to avoid him all together. Dan decided to put all of this aside and earn his way through the company using his talents, experience, and amazing work ethic. His quality of work was at a high level, but the strange treatment remained the same. No matter what he did, Dan felt that his hard work and determination would never pay-off. Less than a year after starting this new job with excitement and enthusiasm, Dan resigned. The company has now lost a valuable and contributing member of its organization. A little more information about Dan; he is a war veteran of African descent who had lost his arm fighting in Iraq.

Discrimination comes in many forms including, age, disability, gender, race, national origin, religious, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and weight. When discrimination is part of a workforce, it sucks the lifeblood out of that organization and all of the people who are a part of it. Productivity is less, morale is lower, and there is an increase in turnover. On many occasions, companies loose valuable members of their workforce who have greatly contributed to its success. Discrimination is a behavior that has a negative effect on everyone involved.

Here are some signs that discrimination may be a part of your workplace:

Odd hiring practices – Failing to hire or refusing to hire a potential employee based on one of the discrimination classifications. Typically, an organization is not even aware that this is happening, because the recruiters have complete control over the initial screening process.

Missed promotions – Promotions are wonderful opportunities for employees to move their careers ahead, but sometimes the most qualified employee is not the one who receives the promotion. When a company promotes an employees, there should be extensive documentation that justifies that promotion. Employees know who the most qualified person is for a promotion, and when that person gets looked over, everybody takes notice and remembers.

Unequal pay – All employees should be paid based on the value that individual brings to the organization in a particular position. Paying people differently for doing the same job is a slippery slope. If employees have similar experience, education, and skills and they are doing a similar job, then their pay should reflect that.

Unequal discipline – It is vital for an organization to have documented discipline procedures and to follow those procedures. Disciplining employees differently could be a demonstration of favoritism or discrimination.

In order to help avoid these unfair practices, organizations need to teach employees what their expectations are in the area of discrimination. They need to be clear, blunt, and they need to teach by example by quickly handling any discrimination practices or situations that may arise. Leading by example begins with management. Companies must demonstrate the type of behavior they expect from their employees. Discrimination will suck the lifeblood out of any organization. Eliminating discrimination will help your employees be more productive, increase morale, and reduce turnover. Discrimination has no place within the workforce of an organization.

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7 Signs an Employee is About to Quit

It is important to be proactive when you believe an employee is going to quit.

Jack has worked at his current position for more than five years. Today, Jack walked into his supervisor’s office and gave his notice that he will be leaving his current position in two weeks. His supervisor was very surprised at the news. Jack is an important part of what the company does and his leaving is going to affect the company in a negative way. Jack’s supervisor knows that it will take some time to replace him and then even longer to train the new hire. This will have a negative impact on the company for the next few months . . . at least! Unfortunately, Jack’s supervisor did not recognize the warning signs of Jack’s intent to find a new job. If he had, this situation could have been averted or prepared for.

Employee retention is an ongoing effort of every organization. They want to keep the best talent and the brightest employees. However, companies do recognize that they are not going to be able to keep everybody. When an employee does intend to leave, there are some signs that could give a company some awareness of that intention, before the employee actually quits.

1. Sloppy Work Habits – the best employees’ are consistent and complete high quality work on time. An occasional slip-up could mean nothing, but the company should begin to have concerns when prolonged lapses in quality or efficiency begin to happen. This could be an indication that the employee has grown tired of their work and has become disengaged from the company.
2. Attendance – Employees typically maintain the same schedule when they arrive to work and when they leave. If an employee begins to arrive to work earlier than usual or leave earlier than usual on a regular basis and begin taking random days off, this could be a warning sign that they are taking time out of their day to attend interviews. Taking random days off could also be a sign that the employee is trying to use up any remaining paid-time-off before quitting.
3. Appearance – Employees will usually wear the same type of clothes to work every day. If the organization does not require employees to wear a tie and an employee suddenly begins to wear one, then the employee should take notice. Does the day the employee upgraded their wardrobe also coincide with a day they slightly adjusted their schedule?
4. Isolation – You don’t want to jump to conclusions, but an employee who takes frequent trips away from his or her desk to seek solitude might be a sign that they are fielding calls from potential employers. It could also be a sign that they are dealing with a personal issue that is conflicting with work.
5. Life Changes – Birth of a child, loss of a loved one, marriage, divorce, sudden illness requiring on-going medical treatment are all life changes that could alter and employees’ career. These changes offer an opportunity to the employer to have a meeting with the employee to discuss future work plans. Failing to do so could end in the company scrambling to fill a big and unexpected vacancy.
6. Out-of-Character Complaining – Happy workers usually don’t make their negative feelings known to other workers. If an employee develops a surly personality and begins complaining about other co-workers or processes, this could be a hint that something is not right. This shows that the employee has become disenchanted with his or her work and the grumblings could have an effect on other employees’ attitudes.
7. Distancing – If an employee appears to separating or distancing him or herself from co-workers, this could be an indication that the employee has begun disconnecting from fellow co-workers in anticipation of their imminent leave. This type of behavior is also noticeable during meetings where the employee appears disengaged.

In order for a company to keep the best talent and brightest employees, its supervisors need to be able to recognize when an employee is preparing to quit. If a supervisor has cause to think a valuable employee might be on their way out, the correct course of action would be to have a meeting with the employee to discuss the supervisor’s concerns. If the employee does intend to leave, then the company can begin the hiring process. This meeting might also be an opportunity for the company to make some changes in pay, benefits, work schedule, etc. in order to keep the valued employee.

If this article was helpful, you may also want to read about employee burnout at: http://bit.ly/1PCFgd7

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Employee Engagement Determines the Quality of Patient Care

Improving patient care has always been a healthcare priority, but outcomes are now tied directly to the bottom line.

More and more CMS is taking into account quality care and patient satisfaction measures to determine how much they will reimburse providers.

Interactions between healthcare employees and patients can often determine the patient satisfaction measures that influence this reimbursement. In addition, it’s these interactions that can convert a single visit into a loyal customer relationship or ensure a one-time customer.  If the patient/employee relationship is going to determine a large portion of the financial viability for healthcare organizations, it makes good fiscal sense to find ways of improving the quality of patient care through employee and patient interactions.  Employee engagement may be the single best way to make these improvements.

An HR Solutions case study using nearly 29,000 healthcare employee opinion surveys revealed compelling evidence that employee engagement has a direct tie to patient satisfaction. In the survey, it was determined that:

●       85 percent of engaged employees displayed a genuinely caring attitude toward patients, compared to only 38 percent of disengaged employees.

●       91 percent of engaged employees recognize their workplace as dedicated to patient care, compared to only 42 percent of disengaged employees.

It’s readily accepted that happy, connected, and supported employees offer diligent patient care. Unfortunately, according to a global workforce study, less than 44 percent of those who work in US healthcare facilities are considered highly engaged.

According to this study, one of the markers of high employee engagement is that employees have clear, measurable goals that allow them to understand how their performance drives success for the organization. However, employees also need clear feedback and guidance to reach those goals. Management can help accomplish these objectives by connecting individual employee goals with organization-wide initiatives, and implementing a recognition program for those that meet and exceed their targets.

Another key element in employee engagement, according to a study by Northwestern University, is communication. When employees feel their suggestions have no value to leadership, they stop offering them and disengage from the organization. This leads to faster turnover and lower work quality. In order to increase employee engagement, management must focus on building up employees through positive feedback and coaching. Employees should be able to assess this feedback, along with their own performance goals, so that they are engaged in the improvement process.

You may not immediately see the results of these engagement activities, but you need to remember the ultimate goal: Improved patient care. Building engagement takes time; it is not a seasonal activity for leadership, management, or HR to tackle and then forget about. Instead, it should be a slow and steady build that draws in more and more employees, and you must implement processes that will maintain your newly engaged culture.

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3 Warning Signs Your Employees Are Burning Out

Today’s stress-driven lifestyle may spell out “success” to many, but it’s doing a lot of harm.

Employees everywhere are on the brink of burnout, and it’s damaging to their health and your business. Stressed out employees cost organizations $300 billion annually and drive 46 percent higher healthcare costs. What’s more, 64 percent of employees with high stress levels say they feel extremely fatigued and out of control, and it’s costing 35 percent of people at least an hour of productivity each day.

Without overhauling society, what can you do? The key is to recognize the telltale symptoms of burnout before it’s too late. But that’s often easier said than done, especially because on-going, low-grade stress can feel exhilarating (similar to working against a deadline), it is common for even employees to miss the signals.

Here are three warning signs to watch for:

1.      A slump in productivity or quality.

When top-notch employees start becoming unreliable, something’s up. Keep your eyes peeled for someone who’s regularly missing deadlines, racking up frequent complaints from patients, or whose performance has declined over the past couple of months.

2.      A detached, disengaged employee.

Notice an A-plus employee suddenly seems to disconnect or lose their spark? Intervene ASAP. These feelings could manifest in the form of poor communication with co-workers, an overall lack of enthusiasm, or an unwillingness to collaborate with the group.

3.      An unusually pessimistic person.

If a former department cheerleader’s attitude suddenly becomes negative, it is reason enough to raise the alarm. Be on the lookout for on-going negativity, endless complaints, and a previously high-performer who you can no longer encourage.

Now that you know burnout looks like early on, make it your goal to help employees stop the stress from progressing further.

Create a culture that discourages employees from burning the candle at both ends, and help managers and supervisors form caring team environments. When employees know they’re supported, they’ll feel more comfortable speaking up when they feel like they’re starting to fizzle.

Offering tools and resources that support all areas of well-being is just as critical as company culture. Programs like these communicate you care, while helping your people manage everything they’ve got going on and protecting your workforce against the damaging effects of burnout.

If this article was helpful, you may also want to read about the 7 signs your employee is about to quit: http://bit.ly/1MN7nWL

For more information on this and other topics related to HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare, please emailsupport@hcsiinc.com or visit our website at http://www.hcsiinc.com

Be sure to become a member of our Linkedin group by visiting; http://bit.ly/1FWmtq6

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Improve Employee Morale, Increase Productivity

The effects of employee morale on an organization are far reaching and long lasting

Employee morale is the cornerstone of all businesses. Employees with a high level of job satisfaction, a good outlook, positive attitude, and a feeling of well-being in their workplace, have a high level of morale. It is the level of morale that has a direct correlation to the level of productivity. While skills, resources, and knowledge are also important aspects of productivity, it is the level of morale of the skilled worker that greatly affects his or her level of productivity.

There are many factors in a workplace that can affect employee morale. Examples include: work hours, work load, pay, incentives, and perceived value. An employee who has low performance may not be a lazy or bad worker, but rather they may have low morale. When evaluating an employee’s performance, it is important to look at all factors that could have a direct effect on the employee. If an employee has a poor work/life balance, is working for a low wage, has little to no incentives, or is perceived to not be of a value to the organization, then their overall performance will be greatly affected.

With employee morale having such a large impact on any organization, how do you raise or maintain a high level of morale within your office? Here are five suggestions for raising or maintaining a high level of employee morale:

• Vision – Your employees are part of something bigger, but do they know that? Employees need to understand and share in the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish. That vision will motivate and inspire all employees within the organization.
• Show You Care – Each of your employees is an individual person and they liked to be recognized as such. Be involved in your employees’ lives by identifying and celebrating their birthday, when a child is born, or a wedding. It is important that your employees feel loved and valued by the organization.
• Look For The Awesome – When an employee is doing good work, recognize it and celebrate it! Recognizing an employee’s good work helps motivate the employee while showing other employees the quality of work you are looking for.
• Promote From Within - When employees see that there is room to advance their career within your organization, it speaks volumes. Find out what skills and talents the each employee possess and find ways to develop those skills for future use in your organization. When you have an all-star employee, help invest in the training they need to advance as your company grows.
• Have Fun – Doing business and being professional does not mean that you cannot have some fun along the way. Organizations that encourage and facilitate fun employee activities often keep those employees happy. Activities such as bowling, summer parties, paintball or laser tag, and going to the movies all encourage the employees to enjoy their time at work while bonding them closer together. The common these in all of these ideas is caring recognition, rewards, and appreciation. These small steps can go far.

Keeping your employees motivated and engaged is the best way to promote increased performance and reduce turnover within your organization.

For more information on this and other topics related to HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare, please email support@hcsiinc.com or visit our website at http://www.hcsiinc.com

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Employee Violence in the Workplace: Part 3

How violent acts effect your organization

Once a violent situation occurs in a workplace, the overall impact of that action is difficult if not impossible to calculate.

Workplace violence has a lasting effect on an organization. Time, productivity, organizational culture, and money are all negatively affected by these situations. In addition, the impact on the employees and their families will have an impact on the organization as a whole. Criminal actions may involve law enforcement with jurisdiction to interview witnesses and make arrests. OSHA and other government agencies may have authority to conduct their own investigation with possible citations, penalties, and possible criminal sanctions.

Just as the impact on the organization can be a lasting one, the impact on the employees and their families can be physical, mental, emotional, economic, and even catastrophic. Special concerns for security, liability, management issues, performance issues, and physical/mental health care are at the forefront for victims of workplace violence. Employees who are victims of workplace violence may miss work, move more slowly, or feel unable to complete their assigned tasks.

Acts of violence in the workplace can result in various legal actions taken against employers. Potential areas for litigation or charges may include the following:

• Civil action for negligent hiring, retention, or supervision
• Workers’ compensation claims
• Third-party negligence claims for damages
• Requests for leave under the FMLA
• Claims resulting in mental impairments
• OSHA citations, fines, or criminal charges

Workplace violence can be damaging for the organization and the victim alike. It is important to take proactive steps that will help prevent this type of behavior:

• Review company policies on workplace violence
• Train supervisors to avoid negligent hiring and retention
• Communicate the emergency action plan to all personnel and related agencies and take time to practice your emergency action plan
• Train employees in CPR and first aid
• Offer an employee assistance program

Take the time to have policies, procedures, training, and open communication in place for a workplace violence situation. These actions will help prevent a possible workplace violence act in the future.

For more information on this and other HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare related topics, email support@hcsiinc.com or visit our web site at http://www.hcsiinc.com

Source: http://bit.ly/1Az0E87

Employee Violence in the Workplace Part 1

Employee Violence in the Workplace Part 2

Employee Violence in the Workplace: Part 2

Potentially Violent Employee Identified . . . Now what?

In part 1 of the Employee Violence in the Workplace series, we identified the 10 possible signs an employee might become violent. Then the question is, “what do I do if I suspect that one of my employees might become violent?”

John is Bill’s immediate supervisor. For a couple of weeks now, Bill has shown signs that he might become violent. John is aware of this situation and has decided to “keep an eye on the situation”. About a month later, Bill has an outburst and assaults a co-worker. After the incident, John reports to his supervisor that he was “keeping an eye on the situation”. John and Bill are both fired and the organization now has possible legal action pending against them.

If you suspect that one of your employees might become violent, then action must be taken.

Here are the steps to take if you suspect one of your employees might become violent:

1. Document your findings and detail the reason behind your suspicion.
2. Notify your immediate supervisor of the situation and your action plan moving forward.
3. Have a meeting between you, the suspected employee, and a witness (your supervisor or a manager from another department). During this meeting, talk with the suspected employee about your observations and how they are effecting their performance in the workplace. Show empathy and do a lot more listening than talking. Do not tell the employee that you suspect them of becoming violent, but ensure they understand the changes you have noticed.
4. Talk with your supervisor about the meeting with the employee and discuss options. Some options might include a change of position (horizontal) within the organization, a few days of paid time off, etc.
5. Have a second meeting between you, the suspected employee, and a witness (your supervisor or a manager from another department). During this meeting, review what was discussed at the previous meeting with the employee and the steps the organization is going to take moving forward.
6. Document all actions taken and conversations that have occurred since step 1.

While nothing is guaranteed, following these six step will help protect your organization from possible violence and legal action. Your organization is not only protecting itself and the other employees, it is also creating a culture within where employees will feel more open to the idea of approaching their supervisor if they are having problems in the workplace or at home. This open communication will help avoid potentially violent workplace situations in the future.

Coming soon: Part 3 in this series of Employee Violence in the Workplace – How violent acts affect your organization.

For more information on this and other HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare related topics, email support@hcsiinc.com or visit our web site at http://www.hcsiinc.com

Other related topics:

Employee Violence in the Workplace Part 1

Employee Violence in the Workplace: Part 1

10 Identifying signs of a potentially violent employee

Jan just came back to the office from her lunch break. She sits down at her desk and continues working on the report that she had been focused on in the morning. Hearing the sound of somebody walking quickly in her direction, Jan looks up to see Sue standing in-front of her desk and is obviously upset. Sue begins to yell at Jan about something that occurred the previous week. Soon, Sue shows signs that her emotions are getting out of control. Within moments, Sue reaches across Jan’s desk and slaps her. This situation appears to have come “out of the blue”. However, there are usually signs or behaviors that would have warned a supervisor that something was wrong, before the situation became violent.

Employee violence in the workplace is a very serious matter. Most people think of violence as a physical assault. However, workplace violence is a much broader problem. It is any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment.

Rumors, swearing, verbal abuse, pranks, arguments, property damage, vandalism, sabotage, pushing, theft, physical assaults, psychological trauma, anger-related incidents, rape, arson and murder are all examples of workplace violence.

Identifying an employees’ behavior that could lead to violence, is a big step in avoiding most violent situations in the workplace. Glassdoor.com compiled a list of the 10 signs of a potentially violent employee.

A combination of a few (or more) of the following behaviors should be reason for concern.

1. Excessive tardiness or absences: An employee who consistently leaves their workday early without authorization, or presents numerous excuses for shortening the workday, should set off an alarm. This is a significant sign for an individual who is typically prompt and committed to a full workday.

2. Increased need for supervision: Generally, an employee requires less supervision as he or she becomes more proficient at their work. An employee who exhibits an increased need for supervision, or with whom the supervisor must spend an inordinate amount of time, may be an individual who is signaling a need for help. Managers should be alert to such a change and consider offering professional intervention if needed.

3. Lack of performance: If an employee who is normally efficient and productive experiences a sudden or sustained drop in performance, there is reason for concern. This is actually a classic warning sign of dissatisfaction, and the manager should meet with the employee immediately to determine a mutually beneficial course of action.

4. Change in work habits: As in the case of reduced productivity, an employee exhibiting inconsistent work habits may be in need of intervention. If you think about your peers at work, they are typically quite consistent in their work habits. If habits change, the manager has reason to suspect the individual is in need of assistance and action should be taken.

5. Inability to concentrate: If an employee is suddenly unable to concentrate, this may indicate that they are distracted and in trouble. A manager should be notified to try and encourage the employee to seek assistance.

6. Signs of stress: If an employee who has traditionally adhered to safety procedures is suddenly involved in accidents or safety violations, this is often a sign that the employee is under a large degree of stress, which can be a significant contributor to workplace violence.

7. Change in attitude: A sustained change in behavior is often an indication of an employee in difficulty. People are typically quite familiar with the personalities of their peers and are often quick to notice major changes. Your work environment should be managed in such a way as to ensure trust and open communication.

8. Weapons fascination: A classic behavioral warning sign is someone who is fascinated with weapons. This should be easily recognized and reported.

9. Drugs and alcohol: Watch for changes in the person’s mood or character when drugs and alcohol are used. Often people who have substance abuse problems act out in the workplace, and it’s important that every organization have some methodology in place to identify and assist victims of drug or alcohol abuse.

10. Not taking responsibility for their actions: A person who uses excuses and blames others is a classic behavioral warning sign that is easy to identify but just as often ignored by managers. A worker who engages in this behavior is typically signaling for assistance and may require counseling.

While the 10 signs above do not guarantee an employee is going to become violent, they are signs to look for in helping prevent violence in the workplace.

Coming soon: Part 2 in this series of Employee Violence in the Workplace – Potentially Violent Employee Identified . . . Now what?

For more information on this and other HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare related topics, email support@hcsiinc.com or visit our web site at http://www.hcsiinc.com

Poor Management Cost Your Business Money

9 Signs of Poor Managers in Your Healthcare Office

When employees are dissatisfied at work, one of their most common complaints is about poor management. Dissatisfaction at work causes an increase in turnover and that costs your business money! For employers interested in improving employee morale and workplace culture, the idea of “poor management” is too general. What causes the perception of poor management? What exactly are the most common complaints about poor or ineffective managers?

The Harvard Business Review actually did a survey on this topic, and it created a list of the most common complaints about ineffective managers. The Harvard study labeled these items as “The Communication Issues That Prevent Effective Leadership,” and it’s easy to see why: these items clearly would hinder a good working environment.

Here’s what the study found, ranked by frequency:

1.      Not recognizing employee achievements
2.      Not giving clear directions
3.      Not having time to meet with employees
4.      Refusing to talk to subordinates
5.      Taking credit for others’ ideas
6.      Not offering constructive criticism
7.      Not knowing employees’ names
8.      Refusing to talk to people on the phone/in person
9.      Not asking about employees’ lives outside work

Some of them may be surprising to many of us, such as not knowing employees’ names. Such things seem like they would fall under basic courtesy—and when basic courtesy and good management are lacking, employee morale can easily be lacking as well.

In order to help prevent your business from wasting money, it is important to have effective leadership. By having effective leadership, you will notice an increase in employee satisfaction, and thus a decrease in turnover. Having a decrease in turnover alone will lead to you saving your business money!

(BLR website)