Yes, it’s an employer’s market and there are plenty of capable people looking for work in the current economic climate. But now isn’t the time to sit back and assume your employees have no options available to them so you can ignore them or treat them poorly. Many employers are making these costly employee retention mistakes.
Five Strategies To Reduce Your Recruiting Costs
Economic concerns are causing many businesses to look at all operating costs and find ways to reduce expenses, including the cost of finding and hiring qualified candidates. If using a recruiter doesn’t fit in your budget right now, and expensive advertising is yielding so many resumes from unemployed candidates who are desperate for work that you can’t manage the inflow, here are five strategies you can implement immediately to reduce your recruiting expenses and find qualified candidates.
Do’s and Don’ts of Reference Checks
When employees leave your company, whether they resigned or were terminated, you can expect prospective employers to contact you at some point for information about them. Your risk in providing references is that former employees may sue you if your references are unfavorable and lead to job rejection. Awards in successful defamation suits may include damages for lost earnings, mental anguish, or pain and suffering, and potentially punitive damages.
The Importance of Exit Interviews
Exit interviews can be a valuable source of information beyond learning the reasons why employees are leaving your company. When exit interviews are done well, they can uncover issues that can be addressed before they turn into lawsuits - issues such as harassment, discrimination and workplace violence. They can also provide information on how to improve procedures and can identify the programs in the company that are highly valued. Exit interviews can provide you with honest, focused feedback that you can act upon in your own time frame.
California Update on Deductions for Partial Day Absences
The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (”DLSE”) has issued an opinion letter stating that while employers cannot deduct from the salary of an exempt employee for partial day absences, employers may deduct for such absences from employee leave balances in accordance with the employer’s bona fide leave policies.
Enforcement Audits and Investigations to Increase in 2010
In 2010, all of the federal agencies responsible for enforcing federal employment laws will step up enforcement audits and investigations.
Supreme Court Ruling May Lead To More Unionization
The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that labor unions and corporations are permitted to spend as much as they want on their own campaign ads to support or oppose federal political candidates will have a significant impact on employers who face union interference with their workforce.
More Discrimination Lawsuits Expected in 2010
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced earlier this month that it received 93,277 workplace-discrimination complaints in FY 2009, which ended September 30, 2009. That number is second only to the record number of charges filed with the agency in FY 2008.
Mandatory New Hire Notification for New York Employers
Updated January 2010
In a previous article on this site, we advised that, as of October 26, 2009, Labor Law Section 195.1 requires New York employers to notify all new hires in writing of their hourly rate, overtime rate (if applicable) and payday and receive a written acknowledgment of such notification. The New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) took the position that a countersigned offer letter containing the information was insufficient and that employers would be required to utilize the NYDOL’s official forms. The NYDOL has now decided that, while employers may still elect to utilize the NYDOL’s forms, it is not mandatory to do so, and employers may utilize their own forms to satisfy this requirement.
Creative Rewards On A Budget
When cash is tight, business leaders may need to get creative to attract, retain, support and fully engage key employees. The following suggestions require minimal investment but can represent sustainable alternatives that truly satisfy what employees need and want.