Training is one of the most important aspects in any business as it provides the continued ability to both improve and operate at a high level of success. Done properly it builds a foundation of ideas, values, and goals that embody the organizational culture. Bill Reynolds of CompEraser has provided a fantastic piece on the importance of this role for all managers on an ongoing basis:
All managers face the task of training their employees, in the broadest sense of the term. In addition to knowing how to select training for subordinates, you must know how to perform the role of trainer. Managers are called on to help new hires, for example. Even if the personnel department provides general orientation training, it is the duty of the unit manager to see that the new employee learns to perform the new job correctly.
Too many managers take this task too lightly. Ineffective managers typically hand new employees a manual and tell them to read it. This hardly suffices as on-the-job training. Another on-the-job training error is to tell the new hire to watch a seasoned employee to learn how the job is done. There is no guarantee that the experienced employee is doing the job correctly or can teach someone else how to do the job.
In the meantime, the new hire feels like a pest and is reluctant to ask too many questions. Some managers, like drill sergeants, dictate job procedures and command new hires to perform these correctly without asking too many questions. Rather than adopting these procedures, you must work closely with new employees to see that they develop the right work skills and attitudes.
You should also train in the event of employee performance problems, when an employee’s job is expanded or changed, or when you want to develop a subordinate for a new project or promotion. In essence, whenever you provide feedback, or coach, you are training.
In addition to directly training employees, you must provide support to subordinates who return to the job after attending a training seminar. It is your job to help them transfer what they have learned from the training program to the work situation. This may mean letting them try a new approach or test a new idea. It may mean removing attitudinal or structural barriers so that employees can incorporate training concepts into the daily work routine.
Check out the HRSentry resources for more tips on training as well as a series of desktop training programs ranging from workplace safety to sexual harassment.
Sweeping changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—which protects individuals with disabilities from, among other things, discrimination in employment—are almost certain to be coming soon. On June 24, 2008, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3195, the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) by an overwhelming vote of 402–17. A very similar version was introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2008 (S. 3406) with 56 Senators as original co–sponsors, and over the past couple of weeks, approximately 70 Senators have signed on in support of the bill. What this means is that it appears almost certain that, when the Senate reconvenes in September, it is highly likely that the ADAAA will be passed, most likely with enough support to override a veto if the President does not ultimately support the amendments.
The ADAAA, if passed by the Senate, would likely drastically change the ADA as we currently understand it by broadening the ADA’s protections to a wider range of individuals. Supporters of the ADAAA contend that the act will restore original congressional intent of providing broad coverage to persons with disabilities. Beginning in 1999, the United States Supreme Court has issued several decisions that those who support the ADAAA believe too narrowly construed the ADA and weakened the ADA’s effect and original intent of providing broad protection to persons with physical and mental impairments that substantially limit a major life activity. Specifically, the United States Supreme Court has held that workers with disabilities who are able to effectively mitigate their impairments (for example, by the use of medications, corrective vision or hearing devices, prosthetics, and other assistive technology) are essentially not disabled—or at least not disabled enough to qualify for the ADA’s protections. These decisions and lower court decisions following them have held that certain serious conditions that one might think are disabilities—such as epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, cancer, diabetes, and cerebral palsy—are, in fact, not always disabilities. Because of the narrow interpretation of the ADA adopted by the United States Supreme Court, many plaintiffs are found not to actually be disabled. By one account, in 2007, only 3 percent of ADA plaintiffs were ultimately successfully, largely because so many of them are found not to be disabled.
The ADAAA would broaden the ADA’s reach by essentially reversing the United States Supreme Court rulings that narrowly interpret the meaning of the key phrase “substantially limits a major life activity.” The ADAAA would define disability as any actual, past, or perceived physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, and would define substantially limits a major life activity as “materially restricts a major life activity.” The ADAAA would also, for the first time, provide a list of per se major life activities. The list includes, but is not limited to, caring for oneself, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, working, and the performance of any major bodily function. The ADAAA would also prohibit the consideration of measures that reduce the impact of an impairment on an individual. In other words, a hearing impaired person who can hear just fine with hearing aids who might not be covered under the ADA currently might well be covered if the ADAAA is passed into law. The ADAAA would, however, would make clear that employers are not required to provide reasonable accommodations to persons who are “regarded as” being disabled but who do not actually have a disability.
The bottom line is that all employers should be aware that sweeping changes to the ADA are likely coming soon. These changes will result in more individuals being covered by the ADA and its protections. Employers should pay close attention to the status of S. 3406 and attempt to be aware of when these changes will go into effect and affect their organization’s practices. If the ADAAA is passed, employers are likely going to face more instances in which they need to provide accommodations to employees who might not have been considered disabled in the past, but who are considered disabled under the new law. Employers should study the new law once the final version is passed and make the appropriate changes to their workplace policies and procedures.
AGOSNET is committed to providing employers with the most proactive and responsive risk management tools available. their products and services include claims and incident prevention, claims and incident management, hiring practices, workplace policies and procedures, reporting mechanisms, and training. Their robust desktop training programs, including sexual harassment, equipment safety, and school/workplace bullying, provides employers with a simple method for purchasing, delivering, and tracking employees progress.
Payroll – Protecting Your Organizations Bottom Line
The payroll department handles your organization’s largest asset – your employee’s wages and the taxes. Being in compliance with the ever-changing IRS tax laws can seem overwhelming at times. Employees wanting you to do things “their way” can be a compliance nightmare. A simple thing as accepting an invalid W4 can put your organization at risk. Learn about W4s, W5s, W9s, 1099s, Independent contractors vs employees, new hires, I-9 updates and taxation of fringe benefits. Do you know the tax laws on tuition reimbursement? relocation? company vehicles? What about health insurance if you offer it to domestic partners or civil union couples? Not taxing benefits correctly can lead to huge fines and penalities when you get audited by the IRS!
HRSentry is offering a free webinar on Payroll Basics and Taxation of Benefits. For more information and to register for this webinar being held on Sept 16th (Tuesday) from 2-3 pm click here. The webinar will be presented by Brenda Sabin, CBP.
When most people think of religious discrimination the usual denial of accommodation by the employer comes to mind. A situation that arose with Kelly Services in California puts a different meaning to the term. In the recent case of Noyes v. Kelly Services, an employee was turned down for a promotion and filed a lawsuit charging reverse religious discrimination under the California and federal antibias laws. She claimed that she was discriminated against for not being part of the same faith that the manager belonged to. The woman claimed that after having applied for a promotion she was turned down in favor of someone who had been there six years less, and lacked the masters degree in business administration that the plaintiff held. As proof of this bias the plaintiff pointed to the last six promotions by the manager, five of which were members of the same faith.
The Courts found that:
(1) although Kelly Services argued that the promotion decision was consensus-based, the other managers couldn’t recall reaching a consensus, and one stated that the manager ultimately made the decision;
(2) His actions prevented full consideration of the woman for the job by the other managers;
(3) He favored Fellowship members and the co-worker in particular (for example, paying the co-worker a higher salary for the same job she held and frequently hiring Fellowship members as temporary contractors and giving them management jobs).
The case went to a jury which awarded the employee $647,000 for economic and noneconomic losses, in addition to a whopping $5.9 million in punitive damages.
Workplace favoritism can be an expensive issue, Here are some tactics for avoiding similar problems as seen on BLR.com:
Have clear policies to govern how promotion and hiring decisions are made.
Make sure the promotion selection process includes oversight and review by upper management and/or human resources.
Provide training for managers on the policies and procedures governing promotions.
Get all your policies and desktop training for employees at HRSentry.
Many colleges and universities have departments dedicated to getting their students out in the field through internships and jobs. Developing a good relationship with these institutions can lead to a very beneficial relationship on all sides. I recommend:Getting a list of local colleges at one of the many online directories. Any major search engine should have complete listings, visit this Yahoo! directory for more information.
Specify what kind of intern you are looking for
when looking for a new intern or new hire one of the most important aspects is making sure that the job description, and what you want out of the prospective employee/intern are accurate. Many times recruiters will try to sell the job instead of trying to match it to the right person, this leads to false expectations and can lead to low retention.
I recommend:Taking a look at some sample job descriptions and general tips on a free site, such as this one found on About.com. You can also visit online human resource compliance services such as HRSentry for this and all other HR related issues.
Don’t treat them as “the intern”
Good interns are made to feel as part of the team and given meaningful tasks that will challenge them. If all you want an intern for is to take care of your busy work then it will be a painful experience for both.
I recommend:Assign a mentor who is willing and able to interact consistently with the intern. This will give the intern someone to turn to with questions they may have. Read about the The Importance of a Good Mentor to find out more on what benefits can be expected.
Set realistic goals
Goal setting is a very important part of the internship experience. It gives the intern the ability to feel as though they contributed. Assigning interns to tasks that they will never see the outcome is not nearly as effective. Good goals will excite the intern and give them confidence to take the position to the next level, employment.
I recommend: Developing an internship program that includes goal setting for the intern. This should be done with input from the intern. This will allow them to feel included and respected right from the start, as well as providing a custom learning experience. Resources on goal setting can be found at the free online Management Library.
Provide effective feedback
Upon leaving the internship, an individual should be given feedback, both good and bad. With good interns it can be tempting to sugar coat their downfalls and present them as flawless. Taking the time to provide constructive criticism and tips for the future while recognizing their achievements results in a much more effective experience. I recommend: Checking out the benefits of conducting employee reviews in this article on benefits of self-reviews , or going to the Management Library.
