In my view, the term "other duties as assigned" means duties not in the position description, but within the usual framework of the position, such as type of job, one's...
What’s the difference between a friendly glance between co-workers and a sexual stare? A recent court ruling shows that sexual harassment is in the eye of the...
Q. We have two employees who have the same job title, job description and functions. We pay one a flat salary ($120,000). We pay the other a base salary plus a fixed...
Problem: "I'm in charge of turning on the dishwasher each night before leaving. To some, this translates to my also being in charge of cleaning up after...
Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are great tools to help underperforming employees come up to standards. But some employees think they can file a lawsuit anytime...
Employees who are unable to perform anything but sedentary work may be disabled under the ADA. That means employers may have to find ways to accommodate them, including...
Q. An employee who recently quit has not returned a company-owned laptop computer worth more than $1,000. Can we withhold the value of the computer from the...
The hallmark of a good leadership story? Inspiring, motivational, memorable and short—like, two minutes short. In the age of Twitter, people don’t have time...
Many leaders at larger companies fancy themselves too busy or important to do the messy work of managing, says Henry Mintzberg, management professor at McGill....
It happens to every manager: You sit down to prepare a staff member's review and realize you can remember only what the person has done the past few weeks. Supervisors...
A manager for PetSmart’s Pottstown and Wyomissing, Pa., stores got his employer in the doghouse after he sexually harassed female employees. It seems the manager...
A progressive discipline system is a way to deal with employee performance problems. It's also the most reliable way to avoid wrongful termination charges.
Occasionally, employees work up the nerve to complain about sexual harassment only to get cold feet about pressing their complaints or naming names. What should you do...
Asperger’s syndrome may be a covered disability under the ADA, a federal court hearing an Ohio case has concluded. Asperger’s is a developmental disability...
Question: “What would be a few good agenda items to discuss at our next administrative professionals meeting? No one really wants to say anything, and...
It’s a fact of life: Employees get into arguments at work. Obviously, you can’t let a situation get out of hand. But be careful how you discipline the...
An employee shows up for work, and appears to be in no condition to work. But is the employee in any condition to drive him/herself home? You should have a policy in...
If you ask a sampling of employees to describe the purpose of their jobs or the reason they’re assigned to a project, would you hear the same answer from all of...
Suppose your employees regularly incur business expenses that are not reimbursed by your company. For example, they might personally pay for business travel or tools. If...
Employers dealing with a shaky financial situation and stressed-out employees may use Halloween to add some fun to the workplace. Allowing employees to dress up...
