by Evil HR Lady on October 11, 2019
On Saturday, I ordered a new couch. The salesman had to enter the specifications for the couch into his computer. He seemed like a knowledgeable enough fellow–probably early 50s and knew a lot about furniture. But, he used two fingers to type all the information into his computer.
That made me start thinking back to my days in high school and thinking in the present about what classes my children take and I realized that there are three classes that everyone should take, but many schools don’t even offer. Educators, we HR types would be thrilled if people came to work with these skills–even though some don’t seem work-related.
Type
Back in the dark ages, when I was in high school, I took type classes. We learned to type on actual typewriters (although they did have built-in correction tape to fix mistakes, but only small ones). We learned how to place our fingers on the correct keys (sometimes we typed with our hands covered), and to properly format business letters.
To keep reading, click here: Three Old-Fashioned Classes I Wish Would Return to High School
What classes would you like to see added to the curriculum?
And yes, this article ran before, but it’s still a good question!
by Evil HR Lady on October 10, 2019
It’s open enrollment season–the time in which you can change your healthcare plan for the upcoming year. While all companies don’t use the calendar year, many do. You should pay special attention to the mental health coverage in your chosen plan.
If you’re the HR person tasked with finding the best plan for your company for 2020, it’s probably already done with the contracts signed, but keep in mind the importance of mental healthcare coverage.
You may say, “this isn’t important. No one at the office needs this.” First of all, doubtful. Second, nobody may need coverage for a broken leg today, but they may slip and fall tomorrow. Your office may be cancer-free today, but not tomorrow. You’d never say, “we don’t need good cancer coverage because no one has cancer!”
The first and best step that HR can make toward battling mental health problems is to find the best possible healthcare plan.
This is not easy. Mental healthcare is expensive. So, here are some slightly cheaper ways HR can help out.
To keep reading, click here: How to Improve Mental Health at the Office
by Evil HR Lady on October 9, 2019
Unless your business is in health care, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about vaccinations. Still, they’re an important part of any employee wellness program.
Vaccination rates are down, and that can mean bad things for your business. For example, when an unvaccinated boy in Oregon contracted tetanus, he spent 57 days in the hospital — and ended up with an $800,000 bill. If that were your employee on your health care plan, you wouldn’t doubt why your rates were going up.
Measles outbreaks are rampant. So far in the United States, there have been more reported cases of measles in three months than in all of 2018. In the Philippines, 70 people have died so far in 2019 from the measles out of the 4,300 people who caught it.
To keep reading, click here: Why Promoting Vaccinations Is Still Relevant
by Evil HR Lady on October 8, 2019
Workplace conflict is inevitable. That’s a good thing: You don’t want a bevy of drones who nod in agreement with everything the boss says. But sometimes workplace communication can sour when conflict arises over politics instead of the best marketing scheme or who should have won last night’s reality show finale.
Here’s what to do when the political arena becomes a little too much like a real-life prize fight — and your employees are right in the middle of it.
How Does Political Speech Become a Distraction?
Sometimes our political beliefs seem so reasonable and clear that it just boggles our minds that anyone could possibly disagree with us. The reality is, though, that about half the country has a different opinion than you do on any given political issue. Some people find political debates invigorating, but others tend to take them personally. And one 2014 study found that people attribute their own political beliefs to love but their opponents’ views to hate.
To keep reading, click here: What Can Employers Do to Mediate Political Workplace Conflict?
by Evil HR Lady on October 7, 2019
by Evil HR Lady on October 4, 2019
Are you chasing your dream job? Lots of people are. And it’s fine to have a dream, but the reality is much harsher. Settling can be the better choice. Here are eight reasons why.
- You have bills. Or at least you should. If you’re still living with your parents and are over 22, that’s super nice of your parents, but you need to start acting like an adult. Take any job that will allow you to be an adult and pay your own bills.
- Unemployed people have a harder time finding a job than employed people. If you’re currently unemployed and are holding out for the dream job–even if you’ve got a trust fund–you’re making it harder and harder to get a good job with every passing day.
- Dream jobs are often nightmares. Sure, you thought you wanted to be a sky diving instructor, but it’s only after you got the job that you find out that 50 percent of your job is talking people into jumping out of the plane after they are already in the air. Jobs that sound dreamy on paper come with coworkers, bosses, and clients, and they may or may not end up being nightmares.
To keep reading, click here: 8 Reasons You Shouldn’t Hold out for that Dream Job
by Evil HR Lady on October 3, 2019
When you’re struggling to lure in talented candidates who will bring your business into the future, a signing bonus can be an effective way of getting their attention. Now, some might say that’s overkill. But a sign-on bonus isn’t just for executives — it can come into play during any level of talent acquisition. Here’s what you need to know before you put your next offer on the table.
How Does a Signing Bonus Work?
The majority of companies — 74 percent, to be exact — give bonuses to at least some of their new hires, but amounts vary widely depending on the field. For an executive in the finance industry, you can expect six-figure signing bonuses, while for registered nurses, most bonuses will stay under $10,000. Some companies also give out smaller bonuses. Even a $500 check can make a difference.
To keep reading, click here: How a Signing Bonus Can Take Your Recruitment Efforts to the Next Level
by Evil HR Lady on October 2, 2019
We have a beautiful 28-gallon fish tank in our living room with a variety of fish, including Mollies. I don’t know much about fish, so when the lady at the pet store said we needed to keep a ratio of one male Molly to three females, I took her word at face value. She sold us one adult male, two adult females, and two baby females.
Everything was fine until one adult female and one baby female died.
Then the male Molly began to chase the remaining female continually. She couldn’t get a moment’s rest: he was always right there.
This lasted for a couple of days, and then we went back to the pet store and bought another adult female. I felt somewhat guilty putting her into the tank with a known harasser. And true to his form, he chased her around for a day, while the other female got a rest. But two days into it, and the tank has returned to harmony. All three adult Mollies interact, but there isn’t constant chasing.
As an HR person, I couldn’t help comparing this to office-based sexual harassment. Now, of course, there are some differences. These are fish. Their little fish brains don’t give them the luxury of free will. Additionally, if this were the office, I would have fired the male right after he started spending all his time chasing the lone adult female. Of course, I’d probably be in jail for having two employees die within a short time, but I digress.
To keep reading, click here: A Fish Tank Full of Sexual Harassment? Why Diversity Helps
by Evil HR Lady on October 1, 2019
“Do your best.” Have you said this? Or what about “Just do your best.” Is there a difference between those two phrases?
It depends on how they are said. I’ve often used the latter when employees say that they aren’t capable of doing the task at hand. It’s usually said with a sigh, “Just do your best,” as if I’m already acknowledging that their performances will be substandard.
The first phrase, though, “do your best,” can, if said in the proper chipper manner, indicate that this person should honestly do his or her best on this project. No stone left unturned, no detail ignored. There are very few times that this level of perfection is what you want. Most of the work your employees need to do is average work.
If you want to motivate people to do the right kind of work, here are ten phrases you should use instead.
To read the 10 phrases, click here: 10 Things to Say Instead of “Do Your Best”
by Evil HR Lady on September 30, 2019