Top 10 Dos and Don’ts in Planning an Employee Dismissal
If you are an employer contemplating the hard decisions regarding employee lay-offs and dismissals, here are some tips to make this process go as smoothly as possible and to avoid some of the legal pitfalls that could arise from dismissing an employee.
Progressive Discipline
To operate efficiently, most businesses follow workplace rules, policies and standards. In small businesses, enforcement of rules is often done on a casual basis by dropping a few well-placed hints in an employee’s direction. However, this type of communication is at best poor, especially when dealing with the uncomfortable task of having to discipline an employee.
Managing ‘At-Fault’ Absenteeism
At-fault (or “culpable”) absenteeism refers to when an employee is able to work scheduled shifts, but chooses not to. Most commonly, this is when a staff member calls in sick but is not actually ill. Frequently arriving late is also a type of at-fault absenteeism.
Innocent Absenteeism is Nobody’s Fault, But You Must Address It
By definition, innocent (or “non-culpable”) absenteeism is not your employee’s fault. “Innocent” absences usually relate to illness or injury—legitimate concerns that the employee cannot control.
Illness or Injury Leave
British Columbia is once again leading the way as it becomes the first province in Canada to implement a new permanent paid Illness or Injury Leave (also called Sick Leave) program.
Employers’ Obligations to Seasonal Employees
Employers in the tourism industry often employ seasonal employees during peak times. Though the BC Employment Standards Act (the “Act”) does not, for the most part, distinguish between seasonal and permanent employees, there are some important exceptions. Further, even when the Act applies equally to seasonal and other employees, the nature of seasonal employment, often during busy periods, may lead some employers to inadvertently overlook their legal obligations to such employees.
Managing Reward: Why Line Managers are the Vital Link
Hay Group’s research shows that the most successful reward programs work because they have been well implemented, rather than neatly designed. But the job of putting reward programs into action should not be left solely to HR. Instead, organizations need to take advantage of the relationship that already exists between line managers and their employees.
Key Components of an Effective Performance Management System
Several elements are involved in the success of a performance management system.