Category: Communication

September 23, 2022

About four months ago, I started my first job in my career field. I generally get along well with the people I work with. However, I find it challenging to tolerate a few of them. One of my co-workers has […]

September 22, 2022

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) has been at the center of conversations around building healthy, thriving organizations. It makes sense — having a DE&I strategy is essential to attracting top talent, as recent ADP research found that 76% of workers […]

September 21, 2022

Have you googled the term “quiet quitter” or “quiet quitting” recently? The sheer number of videos and other posts addressing it, analyzing it, complaining about it, lauding it, and advising on it on news sites and social media in the […]

September 20, 2022

HR professionals routinely use legal counsel to obtain advice on compliance issues, risk mitigation, and many other legal issues. Whether it arises in the context of a one-off accommodation question or a months-long harassment investigation, the attorney-client privilege is a […]

September 19, 2022

If you’ve seen any news in the past year, you know we’re currently knee-deep in one of the tightest labor markets in years. It all started in spring 2021, when burned-out workers triggered unprecedented churn, leaving millions of jobs open. […]

September 12, 2022

Workplace investigations in Canada can be complex to navigate, with few rules governing the process. While some legislation addresses investigations, there is wide leeway to implement them. “In Ontario, we have the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which creates a […]

September 9, 2022

In August, Lone Star Ambulance, a critical-care transportation company in San Antonio, settled a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. The company will pay $90,000 in damages and provide additional […]

September 8, 2022

Letting go of employees never gets easier. The longer your tenure spans, the more you understand the demoralizing ramifications of a layoff. Whether the person about to be let go deserves it or not, they are still human and should […]

September 2, 2022

Every employee, every workday, makes a decision: Are they only willing to do the minimum work necessary to keep their job? Or are they willing to put more of their energy and effort into their work? In the last few […]

September 1, 2022

When the pandemic first started, most companies asked their employees to work remotely—and Merit was no exception. “We used to be an in-person company, so our traditional structure of knowledge transfer was in person,” said Eliza White, vice president of […]

September 1, 2022

If you’re seeking to create a high-performing organization, there are specific tasks you cannot ignore. Chief among those tasks is developing your company’s current and future leaders. The thought of designing and implementing a sustainable leadership development program can be […]

August 31, 2022

When you’re overloaded with day-to-day concerns, adding a surprise task to your to-do list—such as coordinating an employee’s exit—can feel daunting. The good news is that solo HR practitioners can develop a plan in advance that will allow them to […]

August 30, 2022

The outcome of an HR investigation is sometimes “inconclusive.” In other words, the conclusion is a lack of a conclusion. This result frequently occurs either because there were no witnesses to the alleged incident or there was disagreement among the […]

August 23, 2022

There is a lot of talk surrounding company culture, which is important. A company’s culture is the revving engine behind any successful organization. Keeping with the motor metaphor, companies like to discuss what type of ‘engine’ they want powering their […]

August 18, 2022

What happens when politics, sex, race, religion and other polarizing topics come up in conversations among co-workers? SHRM Chief Knowledge Officer Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, has some unexpected answers. In his new book, Talking Taboo: Making the Most of Polarizing […]

August 17, 2022

Layoffs open employers up to the possibility of lawsuits under a wide range of laws, including the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, state “mini-WARN” requirements and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA). Nonetheless, employers can adopt some […]

August 15, 2022

Sadly, in the past 12 months, I have been hired to investigate or assist in investigating employee embezzlement more times than in the past 15 years combined. Embezzlement is the theft or misappropriation of funds or property placed in one’s […]

August 15, 2022

One of the most impactful strategies companies can utilize in the workplace is the power of belonging. As human beings, we are hardwired to motivate ourselves towards connection. In fact, recent research by neuroscientists suggests that social needs such as […]

August 12, 2022

Even before the pandemic, organizations of all sizes and across industries were embarking on digital transformation journeys. The pandemic shifted these journeys into high gear, especially as remote and hybrid work became (and continues to be) the norm. To be […]

August 8, 2022

One of the ways workers who are returning to physical workplaces can reconnect to management and one another is through town hall-style meetings. Gathering everyone together can be helpful in smoothing the transition back to the office, as long as […]