To prepare for the economic recovery that is coming our way, employers should focus now on boosting employee engagement in order to keep key employees when the economy recovers, the job market is expanded and more attractive employment opportunities arise elsewhere. Many skilled employees may be frustrated by the actions of their employers during the recession and are just waiting for the opportunity to run for the doors. They may feel they were treated poorly by their company during the recession, are exhausted from having to work extra hard to pick up the slack for those who were laid off, or may just be interested in seeking what they perceive to be greener pastures in a better economy.
How To Retain Top Talent During An Economic Recovery
Rehiring After Layoff
Employers who have laid off employees during the past couple of years may now find themselves in a situation where they want to rehire some of those employees as the economy turns around. Before rehiring, employers will need to review a number of benefits issues to ensure compliance with separation agreements, employee handbooks and Internal Revenue Codes, just to name a few. Some of the issues to consider when rehiring employees are:
Improving Annual Performance Reviews
Employees and managers alike complain about the annual performance review process being a tedious, biased, ineffective morale-buster. A 2007 study of 2, 200 employees by Salary.com found that more than 60% of workers say reviews don’t do anything to help their future performance. Nearly eight in ten companies conduct performance appraisals, and of those, 72% report being only somewhat satisfied, not very satisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the process, according to a 2006 SuccessFactors study of 1,000 HR professionals. So why have a performance appraisal system in place when everyone is so unhappy with them?
Employment Laws and the Flu
Is H1N1 flu a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
It could be. The FMLA rule states that “ordinarily, unless complications arise, the common cold, the flu…are examples of conditions that do not meet the definition of a serious health condition.” However, complications can arise with the H1N1 flu that may result in it being considered covered by the FMLA.
Protect Intellectual Property When Employees Leave
When employees leave a company, managers and HR professionals should follow a process to ensure the protection of the company’s intellectual property. Any confidentiality agreements that were signed at the time of hire should be presented to departing employees, and they should be reminded verbally of their obligations to maintain the confidentiality of records, electronic files, and information learned while working at the company.
Cost-Cutting Actions Leads to Decline in Morale
The 2009/2010 U.S. Strategic Rewards Survey conducted by Watson Wyatt and WorldatWork, found that cost-cutting actions made by U.S. employers in 2009 to deal with the economic downturn have contributed to a sharp decline in the moral and commitment of their workers, especially top performers.
Shifting Benefits Costs to Employees in 2010
Preliminary results from Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2009 indicate that nearly two-thirds of U.S. employers will shift more health benefits costs to employees in 2010.
Massachusetts Expands Damages for Misclassification
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a ruling that increases the damages workers can receive if they have been misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees. According to the court, the damages incurred “equal the value of wages and benefits” individuals should have received as employees but did not.
I-9 Audit Initiative
In July, we posted information about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (”ICE”) division’s increased emphasis on investigating employers hiring illegal immigrants. Read more here. The same division announced on November 19th that it would begin delivering I-9 audit notices immediately to approximately 1,000 employers across the country.
Performance Review Disagreements
What do you do when an employee disagrees with something you’ve written on their performance review? Here are five tips to help you prepare for potential disagreements during performance reviews and how to deal with them effectively.