Policies: Do the Employees Get It?

Earlier today I had a long-tenured employee ask “What are the procedures for documenting sick leave?”  “ .. . . I realize it is documented someplace but I’m not sure where and I thought you would know it off “the top of your head” saving me the trouble of finding it.”    I smiled.  This document in question is located in both the employee handbook as well as a standalone policy on the HR portal.

Companies devote substantial time and resources in developing policies.  Once policies are developed we roll them out in meetings, post them, put them on the company intranet, distribute them via email, and/or hard copy distribution.   We obtain the signed acknowledgement as proof that the employee received and is aware of the policy - thereby negating any future claims from the employee that s/he "didn't know."   But no matter how or how often policies are communicated, sometimes it seems the company falls short in the communication of the policy.  Are the policies then wasted?  No, but perhaps we need to better understand our audience.  How are our employees receiving the information we are communicating?  Words must always be carefully chosen; nuances must be considered. 

My recommendation, schedule assessments of your company policies at regular intervals. This will allow you to assess the employee understanding of the policies and to obtain feedback.

Yes, you will still have the rare employee who finds it easier to ask HR than look something up.  But, after all, that's why we're here!

Rudeness At Work

In my previous blog I addressed language policy's as a tool to assist employers in maintaining a civil and respectful workplace.  Civility, the fundamentals of courtesy, politeness and consideration, are critical to business.  The lack of civility leads to high turnover, lower moral and even a potential loss of business.

In 2011 a survey was published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.  The survey, titled "Civility in American 2011" addressed civility in politics, education, the workplace, the Internet and the marketplace.   The real interest to me is the section "Incivility Goes To Work."  The study reflected that two-thirds of employees reported that their performance had declined as a result of incivility encountered in the workplace.  43% of Americans (four in 10) have experienced incivility at work with 38% reporting the belief that the workplace was "becoming more uncivil and disrespectful than a few years ago." 

Employers, take note.  As a result of experiencing rudeness, or just awareness, 67% of the respondents reported the need for civility training!  It is up to the employer to determine what is and isn't tolerated in the workplace.  But employees are asking for the education to understand how to communicate with each other and avoid creating conflict.

Statistics provided in the section Who/What is to Blame For Workplace Incivility reflected that the largest offenders were organizational leaders at 65%.   The stats for younger vs. older employees peaked my interest.   Does this present a framework for identifying age-related differences in work attitudes and behaviors?

• 65%  Leadership of the Workplace
• 59%  Employees themselves
• 34%  Younger employees
• 24%  Lack of employee rights
• 6%  Older employees

It is to be expected that a certain level of civility is fundamental to the operation of any business.   The survey reported that approximately 69% of Americans "have either stopped buying from a company or have re-evaluated their opinions of a company  because someone from that company was uncivil in their interaction."  There it is.  A direct impact to your bottom line!

Are there remedies for restoring civility?  Here are some basic steps that any individual can take:

• Active Listening (Listening to a co-workers perspective without interrupting; ask clarifying questions, reflect back understanding of views)
• Communicating critical feedback with consideration
• Assuming that everyone has the best motives
• Remember the small but important gestures - saying "please" and "thank you."
• Be aware of your tone and volume
• Be respectful, even in disagreement
• Maintain objectivity during conflict

In closing, remember the Golden Rule that your mother taught you?  When in doubt, refer back to those words of wisdom (or your mother).

Civility is NOT a sign of weakness.  Civility is about boundaries. 

Email Communication & "Netiquette"

During the drive into work this morning I was, as always, listening to my favorite radio station. This morning a listener phoned in with a rather unique dilemma. She had received (erroneously) an email from her Corporate Human Resources Department with an attachment that contained the salaries of all her co-workers. Ouch. (And shame to HR!) It seems as though she shared the same last name as the intended recipient. This issue aside, do you practice email “Netiquette?”

Ninety two percent of Internet users in the United States use email. That's a huge number since 73% of those living in the U.S. use the Internet (Information Please® Database, Pearson Education, Inc., 2008). At 92%, the potential for workplace email faux pas is tremendous. So what can you do to avoid potential errors?

1. Avoid being quick on the trigger. Remember that you can’t recall an email that has been sent in haste. It can’t be “unsent.”
2. Re-read your emails before sending them out, it could be a life-saver in the end.
3. Fill in the “to” section last to avoid sending the email prematurely or to the wrong party.

A couple of other email issues come to mind:

Is it possible for the message to be lost in a cloud of “fluff?” Yes! Try to be concise and clear with the message you wish to convey. Is the information that you mean to include in the email actually there? Did you answer all the questions thereby pre-empting further questions?

Can someone be offended by your “tone” in an email? Yes! Intent and meaning are hard to convey since the recipient receives only the words. They have no clue as to your frame of mind, or mood, at the time you wrote the email. And please, do not write in CAPITALS, no one wants to hear you SCREAM.

Is it possible to be too casual in an email? Yes! Avoid using the texting shorthand that has become so popular. Written communications are becoming short and abbreviated due to the increase in texting, Twitter, etc. This texting shorthand is a language tailored more for IM'g than email. Also, please use a salutation in your email, and maybe a closing. A courteous greeting may make your email less demanding and terse.

My rule of thumb has always been that, if it’s a business email, be professional. Avoid those little smiley faces. And, use spell check! Remember, your correspondence says a lot about you. Good or bad!