Under both the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), an employer can ask for medical certification of a disability or of the need for leave. For a disability, be sure that you tailor the request for information to the specific duties of the job … Read More
Thanks to a recent US Supreme Court case (Vance v. Ball State University), there are some changes in how businesses define a supervisor – or there should be. A supervisor is no longer just anyone who gives another employee directions or assigns tasks. Now a supervisor has to have some … Read More
Hiring new employees can sometimes feel like a crap shoot. How a candidate interviews is frequently a poor indicator of job performance (except in fields like sales where presentation is key). Asking good questions in a structured way helps, as do portfolios and reference checks. The best way to test … Read More
It can be challenging to keep track of which employee has had what training, even in a small company. One good way to track it is with a training matrix: A matrix like this lets you quickly find out what training an employee has had and needs (you can easily … Read More
If you have a conflict that is headed to mediation (including an investigation with the Human Rights Bureau, which will attempt to mediate the case before they decide it), preparation is key. This includes not just getting facts organized; you also need to have your goals clearly articulated. Before you … Read More
Developing a written safety plan can take time, but there are some quick things you can add to an employee manual, procedures binder, or even job descriptions that can help your employees stay safe. Think about the small, easy things employees can do to prevent accidents, especially slips, trips, and … Read More
If an employee comes to you and says they have a disability, your first responsibility as an employer is to talk to them about it; this is the “interactive process” required by the ADAAA. Don’t panic or freeze up; disabilities are seldom a workplace crisis (unless you refuse to deal … Read More
There are lots of reason to focus on safety in a business, starting with taking care of employees and reducing their families’ distress. But there is a bottom-line argument for it, too: as injuries go down, profit goes up. Worker’s Comp premiums go down. Product quality goes up. Less time … Read More
Firing an employee is never fun. Depending on the circumstances, emotions can run high and there may be concern about a wrongful discharge suit. Writing out a termination letter, whether or not you plan to give it to the employee, is a good way to calm emotions and prepare for … Read More
In its standards for quality management systems, ISO-9001 has a lot of sections relating to how the production floor works and how quality is maintained. One section that is sometimes overlooked, 6.2.2, addresses personnel qualifications, competence, and training. In particular, it discusses: – how a company determines the required competencies for … Read More