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What You Can Do to Help Employees in Uncertain Times

by HRM-RI Member Norma Conley

Norma is the owner of HR Business Partners, LLC Providing practical human resources solutions for management and senior executives. normaconley@yahoo.com  401.632.0127 Norma is also the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Employee Assistance Services   www,RIEAS.com Read her article below or click to download it (printer-friendly PDF)
		Norma Conley

In these difficult times, employees will frequently look to their management teams for assurance or guidance as they work through their anxiety about the economy.  Depending upon the company, employees may be anxious about their own immediate future or believe that the company could do more. Now is the time to provide assistance to whatever extent possible. 

The first issues that companies should address are those rumors that are running rampant.  Stories about possible reductions in force, reductions in benefits or reduced revenue should be addressed honestly by management and HR teams.  If there is any validity to these rumors, meet them.  If there are going to be layoffs or reductions in force, explain who will be affected, when people will be affected and what the organization is going to do to help its staff. 

Even when you are closing a unit or a facility, it is possible to provide assistance and guidance that can grant positive returns. One company that I was responsible for closing had its most profitable quarter in its last quarter and we were able to place nearly 75% of the staff with local employers.  It can be done.  Similarly, if benefits need to be trimmed, hold employee meetings, explain the full impact and then move on.  Uncertainty creates more anxiety.

If your organization does not have dire news to share, you can help in other ways.  Show support for your employees by encouraging them to save for their future.  Offer such programs as the following:

1. Arrange for people to buy savings bonds through payroll deduction.
    
2. Have a guest speaker from organizations such as the College Bound Fund program explain how it works and how easy it is to start to save.
    
3. Invite speakers who have knowledge about financial aid programs for college students. Contact a local college for assistance.
    
4. Have your 401k provider provide on-site informational programs.  They will make themselves available in these times.
    
5. Make sure that your HR staff knows how 401k loans work or how to take a hardship withdrawal.
    
6. Provide Benefit Statements for Employees if you do not already do so.

There are other programs that you can adopt. As a member of the HR department, you can arrange car pooling.  HR knows everyone’s addresses and can obtain permission to organize car pooling in different sections of the state. Every little bit helps. Helping them save on gas not only saves money, but improves camaraderie in the workplace. Allow for some flexibility with starting and ending times so that people can make use of car pooling. This will be especially helpful as RIPTA considers reducing or eliminating some of its routes.

If it is possible to be more flexible with work hours, now is the time. Let employees work their hours over 4 or 4.5 days a week.  It may save on gas, child care and enable an employee to pick up a second job if possible.  If people can work from home, let them make the arrangements.  It will also save on gas, food, and day care costs.  Even one day a week will do wonders for your employees’ pocketbook and it will improve morale as well.  Believe it or not, studies show that people working from home are just as effective if not more so depending upon the nature of their work.

If you need to use temps from time to time on an alternative shift, explore the idea of using your own staff. You can set up a second pay system for such work.  It insures a knowledgeable worker and it will put money in the pockets of your own staff. They will not forget this.   

For those employees who are struggling to pay their bills, arrange for your EAP staff to provide assistance and contact information on financial services that are available.  Companies are more willing to negotiate terms of repayment than most employees understand. Your EAP can also help staff deal with the stress of this time period and more personal issues such as medical problems or issues with children.

Arranging for company discount programs that cost you nothing, but help employees is always a good idea.  Buying in numbers will be a benefit.  Invite speakers from service companies or “stores” to speak to your employees and then register them. The services can range from bulk warehouses to insurance products. In these times, these representatives will be happy to come out to your organization. 

Push morale boosters when you can. Is there a company initiative going on right now such as improved productivity or enhanced customer service?  If so, institute a spot award program to recognize those employees who really help out.  These awards can be for such items as gas cards, grocery store cards, movie tickets, family restaurants, etc.

Work with your CEO or CFO to determine if your company can actually afford an emergency fund for employees. This may be a small pool of money that an employee can be given or lent in a difficult time.  Develop appropriate criteria and continue to communicate that you care.  Not only will it help that truly troubled employee, but it sends the message that the company cares.

Arrange for employees to share or pool their unused sick days for a co-worker in need. Again you will help an employee who is struggling and you continue to communicate that the company cares. If your company policy has been supportive of employee bulletin boards or swap information, allow for employees to help each other.  Let employees post the information about the baby furniture that they want to sell. Someone else will need this.  Employees will be happy to buy/ sell / or trade furniture, bikes, baby products, etc.

But above all else, walk around.  Make sure that you know the issues and that you address them.  Be a source of honest, accurate information.  Bring issues of importance to your management team.  Listen.

(Norma's suggestions originally appeared on the hrmissues listserv, a private listserv for HRM-RI
members only, which is sponsored by RIEAS. If you are a member of HRM-RI and you are not already subscribed to the hrmissues listserv, please consider signing up today.  Click here to learn more.)

The Ethics of Talking About Politics At Work

by Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., The Ethics Guy®

This article appeared originally on BusinessWeek.com and is republished here with the permission of the copyright holder.

Who do you think should be the next President of the U.S.? John McCain? Mike Huckabee? Barack Obama? Hillary Clinton? Oprah Winfrey? Jon Stewart? Regardless of who gets elected, there is no question that this is the most diverse and exciting campaign in many years. Given what is at stake in the election and the historic nature of this year's race, it is tempting to discuss the issue at work with those colleagues we're accustomed to chatting with and hashing out so many things. Yet there are very good reasons why we shouldn't.
		Bruce Weinstein

The Fearsome Foursome

Along with sex, money, and religion, politics is one of the most controversial topics of conversation that exists. I submit that money, more than sex, is the most personal aspect of our lives, and it is the one that opens us up to the greatest potential for embarrassment. Only the most boorish among us would ever think about asking a colleague, "So, how much did you make last year?"  Thanks to reality television, cell phones, Facebook, MySpace, blogging, and other 21st century technological developments, we know far too much about people, but however thin the line between professional and personal is getting, many of us still value a modicum of privacy, particularly when it comes to what we earn.

Sex, too, is still an off-limits topic for discussion at work and not merely for the legal reasons relating to sexual harassment. We talk about sex with our closest friends (with whom we probably would not even discuss our income), but this kind of conversation is wisely held after business hours. Neither your salary nor your sex life is anyone's business at the office. Nor, for most professional settings, are your religious beliefs. Discussing the existence of God is fine for a college philosophy class or a third date but not at a company whose mission is banking, insurance, public relations, or just about any other field one can think of.

Politics may not be as close to our hearts, minds, and souls as money, sex, or religion, but it's not too far away, either. In its purest form, politics is to our country what ethics is to us as individuals or social groups. Ethics asks, "How should I live?" Politics asks, "How should we live?"  It's true, of course, that the term "politics" has come to be practically a slur word. When we are prevented from accomplishing a goal at work, we often say that what got in the way was "office politics."  If a less-qualified job candidate is hired over a more qualified one, we conclude that it was "politics" that somehow won the day. However, where I am using "politics" here, it is in its classical sense: the study of how our society should be ordered.

When talk in the office turns to politics, the conversation inevitably touches on the meaningful issues at stake in the election, and most of these issues are by their nature highly divisive. Among the questions now on the table are:

• Should abortion continue to be legal?

• Should same-sex marriage be legalized?

• How relevant to holding public office is a person's religion?

• How much should the wealthy be taxed?

• To what extent should the federal government be involved in social programs?

No matter what your position on these issues is, it is clear that:

• There is disagreement about them.

• The passions raised by each question are strong.

• In all but a few instances, where you stand on each issue has little or no bearing on the job you are doing or your ability to do it.

In considering whether it is appropriate to have political discussions on the job, five fundamental ethical principles are at stake: (Do No Harm ); Make Things Better;
Respect Others; Be Fair; Be Loving.

Here is an example of the very real danger of allowing free and unfettered discussions about Presidential politics at work.

Let's say that you and your boss are arguing the respective merits of your preferred candidates. Unbeknownst to you, your boss is very passionate about the abortion issue, but your candidate -- and you -- hold a view that is contrary to your boss's. As much as your boss might strive to respect your right to have and express your opinion, can you be sure that s/he won't hold your position against you when, say, your performance review comes around? If you are the boss in question, can you be certain that your subordinate's political beliefs won't affect your decision to give her a raise or even keep her on?

Preferences about music, art, or food are three of the many areas in which reasonable people may disagree. Your co-worker likes Madonna and you like U2? No problem. However, when someone holds contrary political beliefs from us, do we say that he or she merely has a different opinion? No. We say, rightly or wrongly, that he or she is mistaken, and this has troubling implications in the workplace. If you believe in evolution, and you suddenly discovered that a colleague is a creationist, can you honestly say that your view of him or her would not then suffer? Might this not affect how well you work together on a project that has nothing to do with how the world came into existence?

"But I'm not that way, and neither are my colleagues," you argue. "We're able to take the high road even when we talk about controversial subjects."  Even if this is the case, it is highly unlikely that the vast majority of other people will follow in your footsteps, as nice as that would be.

"This is utter nonsense," you claim. "I have a right to talk about politics if I want to." Yes, of course you have a Constitutional right to free speech, and there may be no prohibitions in your workplace against discussing whatever you like, short of committing harassment or other hostile acts. But just because we have a right to do something doesn't mean that it is right to do it  (BusinessWeek.com, 10/11/07). When we reflect on how we ought to conduct ourselves, it is more important to ask, "Is this the right thing to do?" rather than, "Do I have a right to do it?"

Simply put, we shouldn't discuss politics in the workplace because, with very few exceptions, these discussions have nothing to do with our job and can only interfere
with it.

Toward a More Respectful Workplace

One might conclude that what I am calling for will lead to a chill in the workplace or, worse, a corporate police state in which speech is carefully monitored and wrongful talk is harshly punished. Rather than make a fetish out of what each individual should be allowed to do (or get away with), a more appropriate perspective to take here—and with all issues concerning conduct at work and beyond—is to consider how our actions might adversely affect others and fracture the community of which we are a part  (BusinessWeek.com, 6/28/07). Yes, in the best of circumstances, discussion with people who hold different points of view can lead to greater understanding of beliefs different from one's own. Yes, it may be possible for you and your colleagues to have a civil, respectful conversation at work about the politics of abortion, euthanasia, creationism, the existence of God, your sex life, and your salary.

If you are able to have such polite repartee, you are in the minority. For most people, these kinds of discussions too often degenerate into loud arguments and the conclusion that those on the opposing side of the fence are "idiots."  In what sort of business would this kind of behavior promote doing one's job effectively? As engaging as such conversations might be, to what extent will they enhance the ability to carry out one's duties and meet the needs of customers and company alike? More to the point, won't such conversations likely impede the performance of one's assignments?

Bottom line: the very real and important need for lively, informed, and vigorous debate is best met before and after one goes to work. Everyone in the body politic will be better off if this rule is treated with the respect it deserves.

Weinstein is the corporate consultant, author, and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy. He has appeared on numerous national TV shows and is the author of several books on ethics. His Ask the Ethics Guy! column appears every other week on BusinessWeek.com's Managing channel.

What to Do When 50% of The Experienced Workforce Vanishes?

Advisory Panel Needed To Examine Industry Brain Drain

by Dana Borowka, MA, CEO, Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC

		Bye-bye Baby Boomers. Will the last experienced person in the water industry please turn the lights out when you leave? From a human capital standpoint, the state of the water industry is not good: According to the United States Department of Labor, nearly one-fifth (19.2 percent) of workers are within five to seven years of retirement.    In addition to the high price of doing business, the water industry is facing another kind of crisis... much of the industry’s workforce is nearing retirement age.  Unfortunately, over the years, little effort has been made to attract young, fresh talent to replace them. This is more than a decrease in head count, it is a loss of know-how. The industry is at risk of losing crucial intellectual capital. Ten years ago McKinsey & Co. declared that better employee talent is worth fighting for, and the news quickly spread from the boardroom bunkers to the cubicle trenches. The reason for the coming talent wars was demographics and the retirement of the Baby Boom generation. The battle cry was to not only improve hiring practices, but to work harder to retain your best employees. While the U.S. workforce grew by 54 percent from 1980 to 2000, it is only expected to grow by 3 percent from 2000 to 2020. On top of that, the percentage of the U.S. workforce with college degrees rose by 43 percent during the ‘80s and ‘90s, but over the next 20 years will grow only a paltry 7 percent. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 60 percent of the jobs in the 21st century will require skills possessed by only 20 percent of the talent pool.
Dana Borowka, MA, CEO of Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC has over 25 years experience in the area of business consulting and helping organizations both nationally and internationally in raising the hiring bar in “bringing effective insight” to organizations through using work style and in-depth personality assessments.    Dana is a nationally recognized speaker on this topic and has built a well recognized organization that provides expert interpretation of in-depth  personality assessments during the hiring process, providing stress management workshops and in assisting those with communication challenges. He is the co-author  of the soon to be released book, "Cracking the Personality Code".
Here are five recommendations to tackle the brain drain issues: During the past decades companies have proven that you can’t win the talent wars just by spending more. When it comes to finding and keeping employees, pay is secondary for top talent. But if a company builds up an outstanding reputation, people will line up to work at that organization. For the water industry, this will involve a degree of investment in branding efforts and workplace changes that will appeal to the younger Generation Y. One of the most important issues for reputation will be to promote a cause. The 2008 Adecco USA Workplace Insight survey found that 69 percent of Generation Y wanted the company they worked for to be more environmentally conscious. That demographic was even willing to sacrifice, on average, 6.2 percent of their salary to work for an environmentally friendly company—more than double the amount any other generation of workers would be willing to give up. This is clearly an issue that would motivate top young talent since they would be eager to work for an industry that could make a significant environmental contribution. An equally significant issue is the transfer of knowledge from the seasoned industry professionals to new employees. It is crucial that the mentoring relationships be managed properly so that both sides will feel comfortable and work together effectively. The big question is how do we get individuals who know technical operations, equipment and field needs to share the “tribal knowledge” that they have acquired over decades of being on the job?  One way is to help them to understand how to mentor and coach the new hires. For example, companies can offer incentives that can supplement their retirement incomes in exchange for coaching the newbies. A train-the-trainer program is an essential first step so they can properly transfer some of that valuable information in their heads. Since effective mentoring and cooperation is so crucial to the impending transfer of knowledge, personality assessments will be vital in matching the right workers to the right tasks and team members. In my soon-to-be-published book Cracking the Personality Code, I discuss how using an in-depth work style and personality assessment during the hiring process and for current staff allows the employer to manage more effectively. This data can reduce the learning curve for the influx of new hires necessary in your industry. In addition, personality assessments are vital in building mentoring partnerships and teams that will be productive and run smoothly. By understanding how different members of the team work, managers can help guide them to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Since so much of the industry-specific knowledge for your industry is in the minds of the impending retirees, organizations must act quickly to effectively capture it. Overall, managers need to realize that attracting talent, retention and training of employees are interconnected issues that must be considered in tandem with each other. To alleviate this industry problem, action must be taken by the industry as a whole to change the way they are perceived. An advisory board on hiring and retention would help the water industryto share strategies and information that will stave off this personnel crisis. What is not working is the poaching of talent. Ultimately, somebody is going to lose.  We need to be creative working on the supply side of the issue, not the demand side. There is a need for a summit around this issue.  The water industry is trying to attract the best and the brightest, at the same time other industries are attempting to do the same.  This means working within the Industry, local schools, community colleges and universities. There is a need for organizations to convene and discuss local, regional and national strategies.  The water industry must stop merely grumbling over the dismal statistics and take decisive action. Collaboration in the water industry-- led by a national advisory committee on how to attract, hire and retain top talent in the 21st centur -- will help ensure that action is taken quickly and efficiently. Time is of the essence and cooperation is the key to a thriving future for the industry. Now is the time to begin discussions on who should be on such a panel, what organizations should sponsor the effort, and how soon could the discussions begin. If you have ideas, nominations or if you would like to participate, please contact me. This article is republished here by permission from the copyright holder. Permission is needed from Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC to reproduce any portion provided in this article.  © 2008 If you would like additional information on this topic or others, please contact Lighthouse Consulting Services LLC, 3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403, (310) 453-6556, dana@lighthouseconsulting.com & our website: www.lighthouseconsulting.com Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC provides a variety of services, including in-depth personality assessments for new hires & staff development, team building, interpersonal & communication training, conflict management, workshops, and executive & employee coaching.

Case Study Illustrates Benefits of Employee Wellness Program for Taunton, MA Insurance Agency

Bristol, RI May 16, 2008 - EVOLUTION Bodywork & Nutrition announced today that they have released a case study highlighting Taunton, MA insurance company, Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency LLC. The case study highlights results the insurance agency achieved by implementing an employee wellness program designed and administered by EVOLUTION Bodywork & Nutrition.

The Case Study features results which include:

• Employee Weight loss of 500 lbs
• Significant improvements in body fat; cholesterol; blood pressure; physical activity; smoking prevalence; systolic and diastolic blood pressure; seat belt use; and overall physical health
• Decrease in employee absenteeism
• Increase in sense of community and peer support

Click Here to read the entire Case Study or Download a PDF version

Formalized Knowledge Transfer and Mentoring: What, Why, How

Does your company face a looming exodus of Boomers retiring? Is there concern that the organizational knowledge they took years to acquire will leave with them? Does your company need to attract new talent? reduce costly turnover? develop talent at all levels? prepare new managers and leaders?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you will find useful ideas in a new White Paper by Dr. William A. Gray, Corporate Mentoring Solutions, Inc.

Click here to read or download this white paper (PDF)

Training Costs -- Staff & Contract Instructors: Comparisons & Considerations for Strategic Decision Making

A recent survey of over 100 training leaders identified training delivery as the largest expense category in the training budget. The survey, conducted by Training Industry, Inc. and Expertus, found that delivery costs totaled 35% of the overall training budget and included instructor compensation, travel, lodging, facilities and other expenses directly related to providing training programs.

At time when many training organizations are working to optimize cost efficiency, delivery expenses are going to be under review to make sure all costs are justified. Instructor compensation is a major component of delivery costs and the decision to use staff or contract instructors will have an impact on overall delivery expenses. This white paper provides a methodology for analyzing the true cost of instructor compensation.

Click here to read or download this white paper (PDF)

The Role of Training in Continuous Improvement Initiatives

TBM LeanSigma Institute and Training Industry, Inc. are releasing a report on
The Role of Training in Continuous Improvement Initiatives. The study was conducted with 71 corporate training leaders and focused on the involvement of the training function and types of training that should be provided for initiatives such as Total Quality Management, Lean, Six Sigma, and Business Process Reengineering.

The findings are now available free as a resource to understand what types of involvement and training matter most to ensure successful implementations of continuous improvement initiatives. Key findings include:

• The more involved the training function is with continuous improvement initiatives, the more satisfied senior management are with the progress their companies have made
    
• Of the methods used for company-wide improvement programs, Lean, Six Sigma, or a combination (32%) and TQM (29%) are used most frequently
    
• Active 'walk the talk' leadership from senior management is critical for ensuring the ultimate success of the improvement initiative
    
• The more specific the continuous improvement training, the better
    
• Most continuous improvement training should continue to be instructor-led but should be complemented with a blended approach

For more findings, click here to read or download this report (PDF)

Developing Leadership Talent: A Guide to Succession Planning and Leadership Development

Disney Institute Case Study: Women & Infants Hospital of RI

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Caring

Women & Infants Hospital has created and sustained a focused culture of care by taking thoughtful and disciplined actions, based on proven principles of service excellence provided through Disney Institute. This change in culture has led to success in all areas and the results have been dramatic.  [except from case study presented by TrainingOutsourcing.com -- use link below to read full article (PDF)]

Disney Institute Case Study: Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

White Papers Available from the Global Center for Human Capital
		Click on any of the titles below to download the white paper in PDF format. Introducing the dEPS - Diversity Earnings Per Share Metric - Linking Employee Commitment & Workplace Incivility to Corporate Earnings - A New Financial Metric for Increasing Shareholder Value Human Capital Factor - Linking Diversity Management to Stock Price and Earnings - Published by Diversity Best Practices The Brutus Syndrome - Is Your Bottom-Line Being Bullied? Linking Derailing Behaviors to the Bottom Line - Corporate Bullying The Global Center for Human Capital assists organizations in their efforts to create and maintain equitable, respectful environments that leverage the capabilities of today's increasingly diverse workforces, workplaces, and marketplaces.
Craig B. Clayton, Sr. (above) is the Founder & Executive Director of the Global Center for Human Capital. Since 1999 he has been the Director of the University of Houston's International Institute for Diversity & Cross-Cultural Management; located in the C.T Bauer College of Business.

Mercer 2007/2008 Compensation Planning: Americas Overview

Click here to download highlights of this report in PDF format

SEPTEMBER 2007 -- This report covers pay trends and practices for 70 countries, based on a survey with 884 participants in Canada, the U.S., and Latin America.

Topics addressed include: economic trends impacting base pay in the Americas, planned base pay increases, top rewards challenges facing HR, average 2007 base salary increases, short-term incentive payout, alignment of rewards strategy to business strategy, total rewards communication vehicles, and more.

Office Romances: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

by Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., The Ethics Guy®

This article appeared originally on BusinessWeek.com and is republished here with the permission of the copyright holder.

For many of us, the workplace isn't just where we go to do our jobs. It’s also the place where we spend a large percentage of our waking hours, eat many of our meals, and develop and maintain friendships that last beyond office hours and sometimes even the job itself. Given the amount of time we spend at work, the workplace seems like the most logical venue to look for romance and it's certainly the most practical. Fellow employees are more likely than total strangers to share at least some of our goals and values. At work, we get to know people in ways that are difficult to do in bars, on the Internet, or through a blind date set up by well-meaning friends and family members.
		Bruce Weinstein

For all these reasons, it is tempting to pursue a romance with a co-worker, an assistant, or (gulp) the boss. But there are many more compelling reasons why we shouldn’t. For all of their potential benefits, office romances are at best troublesome and at worst damaging to ourselves, our co-workers, and our employer. Here's why.

THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT ROMANCE

Most romantic relationships do not work out. How many people do you know who are married or still in a committed relationship to the very first person they ever dated? Not many, I suspect, and it would be rather odd if that weren’t so. After all, it is only through experience that we discover what we are looking for in a partner and what we ourselves need to do to make a relationship successful. For many of us, this process of trial and error takes a while. It took me, your humble correspondent, until the age of 46 to find the woman I wanted to marry (or perhaps more accurately, the woman who wanted to marry me).

The implications for the workplace are this: The odds against an office romance succeeding are just slightly better than what you'd find at the worst casino game in Las Vegas. When you lose at roulette or Keno, though, you’re out only a couple of dollars (if you’re smart), and that's the end of it. When you lose at the game of love at the office, you have to face the other person day after day. That constant reminder of a relationship that didn't work out is a painful burden to bear, and it can affect how well you are able to do your job, which is the main, if not sole, reason we're employed in the first place.

THE LIVES OF OTHERS

"But I know a couple who met at work a long time ago and are still together," you say. Even if that's true, we often overlook the downside such relationships have for other employees. If co-workers Jane Doe and Joe Schmoe are still going strong, and they're in the same department, when Joe goes into Jane's office and closes the door, will others think that two need for privacy for work—or for something spicier? If Jane and Joe break up, will the tension in the air make it difficult for others to do their jobs effectively? The workplace shouldn't be a sexualized environment or one fraught with the unpleasantness from what the rock group Bad Company called good lovin' gone bad.

In short, a romance between two people at work affects more than just those two people. The love-struck couple may not notice or care about this, but they should. Since ethics is fundamentally about considering how our actions affect the rights and well being of other people, romantic relationships on the job raise bona fide ethical concerns.

A QUESTION OF POWER

Dating a fellow employee is tricky enough when the parties in question have the same or similar levels of power and authority within the organization. When there is a significant imbalance of power, such as between a senior and junior level executive or an executive and his or her assistant, the stakes are even higher, and the ethical problems are more pronounced. Suppose, for example, that you are a manager, and a new member of your team seems particularly friendly toward you. Are her smiles meant to be warm, flirtatious, or alluring? Is she simply a kind and caring person, is she interested in you romantically, or she is trying to curry favor with you? It's hard to know, especially when you are attracted to her, and there is nothing like physical attraction to make it difficult to think straight.

But let's also suppose that you are convinced she is not just a lovely person but is genuinely attracted to you. You summon the courage to ask her out. Here is what can happen next:

• She is aghast that you have misunderstood her, and she now feels uncomfortable around you.
    
• You have read the signs correctly, and she happily accepts your invitation, because she really would like to get to know you better.
    
• She is thrilled that she has been able to manipulate you and is confident that she will be able to get what she wants from you and the company.

It doesn't matter which one ends up taking place (or, for that matter, what the gender of either party is). All of the above are deeply problematic. If "A" happens, you have taken steps toward the creation of an offensive or hostile working environment and may have opened yourself and your company to a legitimate charge of sexual harassment. If "B" is what you get, the going may be great for a while, but when the relationship fizzles, as it probably will, one or both of you will in all likelihood have to go. "C," of course, has disturbing implications in another direction, which I need not make explicit.

By the same token, if you have a fling with your boss that flames out, and you later don't get the promotion or raise you were counting on, can you be sure that the broken romance wasn't the reason why? Can your boss?

We all know of a couple that met under inauspicious circumstances (boss/assistant, professor/student, therapist/patient), and today they are happily married or have been living in a committed relationship for many years. To borrow an expression from jurisprudence, however, hard cases make bad law. Just because a few folks here and there have been able to overcome the odds does not mean that this practice is, for most people, wise, healthy, or ethical.

...BUT IF YOU MUST...

You may still find yourself irresistibly drawn to someone at work and, in spite of the above arguments, you intend to follow your heart (or whatever). I propose the following guidelines for such circumstances:

1. Proceed with your eyes wide open. Be prepared to accept the consequences, whether or not the relationship succeeds. If co-workers complain, or your work suffers, you may have to be transferred to another department, or you may even lose your job, so have a back-up plan for employment.
     
2. Be discreet. Even if everyone in the workplace knows that love is in the air, do your best to avoid PDA’s (i.e., physical displays of affection, not personal data assistants. I’ll discuss those distractions in a future column.)
     
3. Just don't do it if the object of your affection is your boss or assistant. There is no good way to effectively handle such relationships other than preventing them from happening in the first place.

In the workplace, the duties to do no harm, be respectful, and be fair mean we ought to think carefully about how our actions can affect our employer, our co-workers, and ourselves. Thus, there are good reasons to turn down Cupid's call for a chance at romance on the job. When Freud suggested that work and love are the two essential components of a happy life, I don't think he meant that we should find them in the same place.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D. is the professional ethicist and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy®. His column, Ask the Ethics Guy, appears bi-weekly on BusinessWeek.com.

The Ethics of Apologies

by Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., The Ethics Guy®

This article appeared originally on BusinessWeek.com and is republished here with the permission of the copyright holder.

Every day, it seems, we learn of an apology from a prominent executive, celebrity or political figure in response to an indiscretion of some sort. Those in the public eye have an unfortunate tendency to apologize only after they have been found with a hand in the cookie jar. When this happens, it is only natural for a skeptical (or cynical) public to wonder, "Are they apologizing for their conduct, or simply because they were caught?"
		Bruce Weinstein

To make matters worse, the wrongdoer will often use the passive voice in his or her apology: "Mistakes were made," rather than, "I made a mistake." It is more comfortable to use the passive voice here, but doing so relinquishes any sense of personal responsibility. It is a non-apology apology and is therefore not very meaningful.

Of course, it's not just those in the public eye who readily offer an insincere "I'm sorry." You probably have at least one such person in your life. It may the person working for you who spends too much time making personal phone calls or surfing the Web while at the office. Perhaps it is a friend who consistently cancels lunch dates at the last minute. Maybe you even find yourself offering apologies more than you should. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the need for the apology and whether you need to make one or feel you deserve one, the following questions arise:

• What makes an apology meaningful?
• Does apologizing make us look weak?
• How should you respond if you can't avoid repeating the mistake?
• What may we rightfully expect from someone who apologizes to us?

To answer these questions, it will be helpful to keep two ethical principles in mind: "Be Fair," and "Be Loving." Fairness or justice requires, among other things, that the punishment should fit the crime, and some forms of wrongful conduct are so serious that a mere "I'm sorry" isn't enough of a response. To be loving and compassionate in our professional and personal lives calls upon a different set of skills: we should do what we can to honor a person's sincere apology, even though our anger pulls us in the opposite direction.

With these two principles in mind, I propose the following guidelines for giving and accepting apologies:

WHEN YOU *OWE* AN APOLOGY:

Admit your mistake quickly and take personal responsibility for it. Don't say "we made a mistake" when you mean "I made a mistake."

Apologize first to the person you have wronged. That is the person who matters most.

Speak from the heart. An insincere apology is as bad as no apology at all. People can tell when you really mean it, even if you think you're a good actor and can fool everyone.

Realize that "sorry" is just a word. For that word to be meaningful, you must do your level best to avoid repeating the mistake. This means coming up with a strategy and sticking to it.

Understand that a meaningful apology is a sign of integrity, not weakness. Anyone can blame others, or deny that he or she did anything wrong, or lie about what really happened. Only a strong, self-possessed person can own up to their mistakes, and only such a person commands true respect.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you can't do something well on your own, invite others to work with you on the problem. If the problem is beyond your grasp, consider asking someone else to take it on, if it is appropriate for you to do so.

WHEN YOU ARE *OWED* AN APOLOGY:

If someone has done something wrong and apologizes to you, accept the apology graciously. However...

You are also justified in expecting the person to avoid repeating the behavior that required an apology in the first place.

Depending on the situation, you might need to make clear to the other person what the consequences will be if he or she makes the mistake again.

"Three strikes and you're out" is fine for baseball, but in other areas, it may take only one strike for someone to be justifiably banished from being a player. Some mistakes are so serious that you should not grant a second chance. For relatively minor slip-ups, however, or if the task at hand is unusually difficult, it might be unfair not to allow more than three opportunities to get it right.

If the apologist continues making the same mistake over and over, you may have to say, perhaps regrettably, "I can't in good conscience give you another opportunity to slip up," no matter how much that person continues to apologize.

The 1970 film Love Story featured the memorable line, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Even if this were true, there are many other areas where we do have to say we're sorry-and mean it. The challenge for all of us is to admit we've made a mistake, to do our best to ensure that we don't do it again, and to forgive others who sincerely regret their own poor judgment. No one is perfect, but most of us do have the capacity to right our own wrongs and to accept the imperfections in others.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Bruce Weinstein is the public speaker and corporate consultant known as The Ethics Guy®. His latest book is, Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good (Emmis Books). In 2008, Roaring Brook Press will publish his next book, which will focus on ethical issues for teens. He has appeared as an ethics analyst on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends, MSNBC's Live, CNBC’s Capital Report, Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance, and many other national television programs.

Dr. Weinstein offers lively, dynamic 1-hour keynote speeches, 2-hour workshops, and 3-hour seminars on ethics tailored to your group’s needs and interests. Learn more at TheEthicsGuy.com or call 800-285-6988.

Using Exit Interviews to Improve Performance

Revealing Workplace Realities: Using Exit Interviews to Improve Performance
 

	Senior executives in organiza- tions of all sizes, and across all industries, continue to raise concerns about their ability to retain and attract top talent.
	Turning to their HR leaders, senior executives expect the implementation and execution of policies, practices, and procedures that will address this issue. Most HR leaders continue to use measurement methods that do not accurately reflect the effectiveness or efficiency of HR initiatives, nor do they get at the root cause of employee turnover. One of the most effective tools that should be used to measure an organization's ability to retain and attract the top talent it needs to achieve competitive advantage is the Exit Interview Process. Exit interviews with employees who have decided to voluntarily leave an organization provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of HR policy, practice, and procedure. The Exit Interview Process reveals workplace realities that cannot be understood through any other method.

Is Mentoring For Your Company?

The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership wants to remind all HR professionals in our state that just one hour per week from your employees could dramatically change a child's life. A survey of 248 US corporations reveals several benefits to the company and employee.

Top 10 reasons your company should be involved in mentoring:

10) Helps to create a better prepared workforce for
      the future  
  9) Promotes better morale among your employees
  8) Improves employee teamwork
  7) Improves public image of your company
  6) Helps to fulfill community involvement policy
  5) Employees gain insight into the lives of youth and
      develop more positive reciprocal relationships
      with youth
  4) Gives your employees a break from busy pro-
      fessional lives with opportunity to give something
      back to the community
  3) Creates a network with other volunteers
  2) Employees feel better about themselves, have
      improved health, and report getting along better
      with their own families
  1) Improves employee retention

To learn more or get involved, visit the Partnership's website at http://www.rimentor.org

Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations: A Report on the Department of Labor’s Request for Information -- 2007 Update

Issued by the Employment Standards Administration and the Wage and Hours Division of the U.S. Department of Labor

No employment law matters more to America's caregiving workforce than the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993. Since its enactment, millions of American workers and their families have benefited from enhanced opportunities for job-protected leave upon the birth or adoption of a child, to deal with their own serious illness, and when needed to care for family members.

After nearly fourteen years administering the law, two Department of Labor studies (1996, 2001) and several U.S. Supreme Court and lower court rulings, the Employment Standards Administration’s Wage and Hour Division issued a Request for Information (RFI) on December 1, 2006.

The RFI asked the public to comment on their experiences with, and observations of, the Department's administration of the law and the effectiveness of the regulations. More than 15,000 comments were received in the next few months from workers, family members, employers, academics, and other interested parties. This input ranged from personal accounts, legal reviews, industry and academic studies, surveys, and recommendations for regulatory and statutory changes to address particular areas of concern.

There is broad consensus that family and medical leave is good for workers and their families, is in the public interest, and is good workplace policy. There are differing views on whether every provision of the law is being administered in accordance with the statute and with congressional intent. It is also evident from the comments that the FMLA has produced some unanticipated consequences in the workplace for both employees and employers.

A report of this kind is a unique step. Normally, the organization of comments received in response to a Departmental Request for Information would first be seen accompanying proposed changes to the rules. There are no proposals for regulatory changes being put forward by the Department with this Report. Rather, what we hope this Report does is provide information for a fuller discussion among all interested parties and policymakers about how some of the key FMLA regulatory provisions and their interpretations have played out in the workplace.

To download the full report:
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/FMLA2007Report/2007FinalReport.pdf

2006 Global HR Transformation Study

Mercer's 2006 Global HR Transformation Study garnered nearly 1,400 responses across Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand and North America.

For purposes of the study, HR transformation is defined as the process of recreating or reinventing the HR function -- such as re-engineering, restructuring, implementing new systems or a new HR service delivery model, outsourcing or co-sourcing -- with the specific intent of enhancing HR’s contribution to the business.

Mercer's study confirms, unequivocally, that HR transformation is alive and well around the world. Half of the 2006 respondents said they are currently in the midst of an HR transformation, while 12 percent had completed one within the past year, and another 10 percent plan to begin a transformation within the next year. However, based on the 2006 study findings as well as Mercer’s work with leading organizations globally, it is clear that a second wave of transformation is now under way. This new wave -- let’s call it Transformation v2.0 -- differs significantly from the initial wave.

Transformation v1.0, which started about 10 years ago, focused largely on operational excellence and improved HR service delivery through process and technological enhance- ments. At the same time, it opened the door to a more strategic role for HR -- one that has not yet fully materialized. In Transformation v2.0, HR is challenged to deliver on those strategic expectations -- to make the human capital strategies a reality. HR can do so through a disciplined focus on business.

Through this paper, Mercer examines both versions of HR transformation and answer some critical questions:

• Is HR making progress -- and in the right direction?
• Where hasn't HR made progress and why?
• How is HR transformation similar and different around the world?
• How can organizations position themselves for success in the next wave of HR transformation?
• What will the successful HR function of the future look like?

Use the link below to read the full report, posted on the Rhode Island Business Group on Health website.

http://www.ribgh.org/resources/2007HRTransformation-MercerPerspective.pdf

Avian Flu -- Preparing for a Pandemic

Marsh Global Risk Alert on Avian Flu
(This is a large file and may take a few moments to download.)

Businesses would be well-advised to ensure their emergency-response and business-continuity plans are up-to-date and include specific planning for dealing with a pandemic. This issue of Risk Alert aims to:
Provide background information on avian flu and human influenza pandemics; Discuss corporate preparedness and business-continuity management (BCM) through the lens of a pandemic; Highlight the international implications of a pandemic; and Outline some of the potential insurance coverage issues related to pandemics. Other Avian Flu Information Resources for Businesses Business Checklist developed by CDC and Dept.of Homeland Security Letter to Business Leaders from US Secretaries Chertoff, Leavitt, and Gutierrez

Pay for Performance

Link goals, performance, and rewards to impact the bottom line

Pay for Performance  

At some companies, a Human Capital Management strategy called "Performance Management" is strategically integrating compensation and incentives, goals and performance management tools, to identify and motivate employees. These standardized processes support employee engagement at all levels of the enterprise. And adopters of "Performance Management" report an additional benefit: HR is free to become a strategic business contributor.

Eight Essential Ingredients for a World Class HR Career

Article by Martha Finney, Co-Author of HR From the Heart
Article by Martha Finney, Co-Author of HR From the Heart

www.marthafinney.com   Buy Martha's book in the HRM-RI bookstore

When "Fast Company" came out with its August issue, the cover story was "Why We Hate HR." 
 
... why were so many HR professionals so quick and ready to line up behind this message, saying, "See? This is why we’re so bad." To which I have two words to say, "Not acceptable."

If there is any mediocrity going on (and there is, I’m not going to try to say otherwise), it's because HR professionals need to be reminded of what a truly world-class calling they have chosen for themselves. So I thought I’d list the eight essential ingredients for a world-class HR career as a reminder that no matter where you are in your HR career, all these things are within your reach...

(To read the rest of this article, use the links above.)

Crafting an HR Scorecard That Works

The Ten Dimensions of an Effective Measurement System
The Ten Dimensions of an Effective Measurement System
 

These Ten Dimensions of Measurement Success are the key to successful imple- mentation of an HR Scorecard and Measurement System. Whether you are just getting started, your HR Scorecard is already being used successfully, or your results have been less than you expected, assessing your efforts against these ten dimensions will enable you to strengthen your measurement initiative and exceed the expectations of senior management. An effective and efficient HR Scorecard and Measurement System is the surest way to demonstrate HR ROI.

How to Keep Employees on the Team in a Time of Great Change

Article by Martha Finney, Co-Author of HR From the Heart
Article by Martha Finney, Co-Author of HR From the Heart

	Whether the economy (or your industry or your business itself) is contracting or expanding, the principle is the same: Your future depends on passionate, dedicated, innovative top talent that is deeply and emotionally engaged in your company's critical mission. Here's how you can cultivate the true engagement of your employees and build your company's reputation as the place where their dreams go to thrive – no matter how bitterly the winds of change may blow...
			www.marthafinney.com   Buy Martha's book in the HRM-RI bookstore

Is a Violence-free Workplace in Your Forecast?

Article by Larry J. Chavez, B.A., M.P.A, Critical Incident Associates
Article by Larry J. Chavez, B.A., M.P.A, Critical Incident Associates

Workplace violence sits on the extreme end of the scale of problems involving people. Like a stored up charge of energy, it waits for certain conditions to exist to unleash its destructive force. A single act of workplace violence exposes innocent people to unimaginable horrors, and leaves its host organization reeling in an aftermath of legal problems that can endure for years....No organization can afford to maintain a climate of negligence where lives of innocent people hang in the balance.
 

When Work Works: A Project on Workplace Effectiveness
and Workplace Flexibility

Project on Workplace Effectiveness and Workplace Flexibility
Project on Workplace Effectiveness and Workplace Flexibility

Families and Work Institute (FWI), with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is conducting a nationwide campaign to highlight the importance of flexibility in the work- place. Both research and practice demonstrate that flexible work policies enhance businesses’ competitive advantage in the global economy and yield positive business results. Use the links above to learn more.

Workforce Development -- Business/Education Alliances

Sustaining Workforce Development Through Business/Education Alliances
Sustaining Workforce Development Through Business/Education Alliances

Human resource professionals need to take a more active role within their businesses in sustaining workforce development initiatives in their state and local communities if they want to be recognized as strategic contributors/business partners in their organizations and impact the economic stability and quality of life in their communities. Use the links above to download this article by Linda Lulli, SPHR.

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