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
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
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
Why does a company need job descriptions? There are two main reasons, plus one applicable to companies certified in ISO-9001 and similar QMS programs. The most urgent reason is legal, as a protection against discrimination claims; the day-to-day reason is that it makes hiring and managing employees easier; the QMS … Read More
At the Compete Smart conference for Montana’s manufacturers, I attended break-out sessions on Value Stream Mapping and Training Within Industry. The names sound very different and they come from very different methods, but I was struck by the fit between them. Value stream mapping is done from the perspective of … Read More