Top 25 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace

Ran across this great article from 2008, Top 25 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace.  Published by HR World, I thought I'd share some of my personal highlights.  For the full article, the link has been provided. 

 

http://www.hrworld.com/features/25-signs-dysfunctional-workplace

1.  Nothing gets done without the bosses approval.  (Bottleneck anyone?) 

2.  Nothing can get done unless employees go behind the bosses back.  (If "it" works - you're gold.  If not, see #16 below.)

3.  No one is sure who the boss really is.

10.  Reward system?  What reward system?  (You can't have a stick and no carrot!)

16.  "Wall of Shame."  (Boss openly chastises employees in public.) 

21.  What matters is not what you've accomplished in a day, but how many hours you were seen "working."  (Let's reward productivity, not time spent in the office.)

25.  No one ever gets fired, no matter how ineffective they are at their job.  (Would someone please explain this to me????)

 

 

Letting Go - The Culture of Change

The only thing constant is change.    It encompasses every aspect of our lives.  We encourage the acceptance of new ideas and yet we resist the inherent change those new ideas bring.  We fight the loss of old patterns and the acceptance of new ones.   

Changing organization culture is a very difficult goal to achieve.  There are commonly shared interpretations, values and patterns that must be changed and yet are difficult to modify.   When employees face change within the organization, there are two obstacles to their success.  The social-psychological fear of the change and/or the lack of technical skills to make the change work.  For change to be truly successful within an organization, both weaknesses and fears must be addressed.  Leaders need to be open to discussing concerns with the employees, to clarify the meaning of the change.  What the change means and what it doesn’t mean to the organization.  “An organization should not abandon core aspects of what makes it unique, whereas some other aspects of the organization will need to be transformed.”  Culture is undetectable most of the time because it is not challenged. 

We’re going through reorganization.  Yes, structure does make a difference.  But we must transform the culture; change the way we do things, to be successful.  We must incorporate new ideas and practices.   Changing organizational culture is one of the toughest tasks we’ll ever undertake.  In any organization the established organizational culture is reinforced by new hires because we hire ourselves.  To change the culture, we need commitment to the change, understanding of the impact of the change to the organization and its people, and the tools to implement the change.

Transgender Status Protected under Title VII

On April 20, 2012 the EEOC released a decision in the case of Macy v. Eric Holder, Attorney General, Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, holding that a person undergoing a change in gender identify is protected from discrimination by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of  1964.

Employee File Access

If you are located in Texas and you are a private employer, under Texas law the personnel files belong to the employer.  As a result, employees have no legal right to either view them or copy them. 

Although the employer is not required to allow employees to review their files or receive copies, employers often times set their own policies.  Depending on the employer, the employee may be able to see their files, and/or make copies. 

No matter what your policy is.  Make sure you follow it.

From the Ground Up, The Performance Appraisal

We all know how important a PA process is even if the annual process is about as much fun as a root canal.  It's a necessary evil for all businesses.  Employees need formal feedback.  When they don't have it they feel ignored. If they feel ignored, do you think they'll be motivated to go the extra mile?  Probably not.

Now, take a company with 100+ employees that has no PA program in place, and the fun begins.  The entire PA process has to be developed from the ground up. 

Process:  What type of process should be used?  An on-line appraisal?  Paper-based appraisal?  Electronic or manual tracking program?   What type of rating system will be used?  Should a software program be purchased?

Manager Training:  The value of the PA process.  Legal aspects.  Manager PA preparation.  Conducting the PA.  Rater Errors.  Setting Goals/Objectives.  What are the do’s and don’ts of the PA?  And, most importantly, what is the definition of leadership? 

Timing:  Focal/Common Review Dates or Anniversary Review Date?  What are the pros/cons of each?  What option is best for the organization?  For the employees?   Will the performance appraisal process be tied to annual compensation increases?

Assessment:   What are the competencies that should be addressed?  Adaptability?  Analytical skills?  Conflict resolution?  Dependability?  Motivation?  Teamwork?  Will the competencies be different for salaried and hourly employees?

Objectives:  Develop a training program for the managers.  Discuss SMART objectives.  Why are objectives necessary?  What are the company goals?

Performance Improvement Plan:  Develop a process that will tie to the PA.  Train managers in the proper application and development of a PIP.   Discuss potential liabilities in a PIP.  Can I have different completion dates for different employees on a PIP?  What if the employee doesn't successfully complete the PIP? 

Salary Increases:  Merit increase?  Equity pay adjustment?  Discretionary pay increase?  COLA?    Do the managers require training in identifying the different types of increases?  Develop an approval and reporting process for any compensation adjustment.  Are there salary bands in place?  Do we need to develop competitive pay bands? 

The above are just a few of the issues that will need to be addressed.  And I'm sure the list will grow!

The Obesity Epidemic

The Economic Impacts of Obesity in the Workplace.  Quite a title isn't it?   A 2010 article, it's currently making the rounds via HR Benefits Alert and other HR advisories.  The article cites medical costs, productivity costs, transportation  costs and human capital costs as areas of potential economic impact.

In that same year, 2010, the CDC released it's findings that in 2009 - 2010, 35.7% of U.S. adults were obese. That's 78 million U.S. adults (41 million women and more than 37 million men over the age of 20).  Prior to those findings, in 2009 the CDC launched a website called "LEANworks" as part of a campaign to work with employers to reduce workplace obesity. (LEAN = Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition.) The website provides an obesity cost calculator for the employer. Using data provided by either the benefits personnel or human resources, the calculator allows an employer to estimate obesity related costs.  Shocked?  In Japan, companies use BMI (body mass index) as an evaluation tool for employment and dismissal.

The CDC released a report in which they indicated that an estimated 42% of Americans will be obese by the year 2030.  According to the American Health Association, if current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total health care costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by 2030.  That would account for 16% to 18% of U.S. health expenditures.

Statistics or studies, fact or fiction, there's a tremendous amount of information out there that deals with obesity.  Yes, obesity is a concern.  But what about the human cost? Obesity exacts a tremendous price on overweight individuals. Chronic health problems. Psychological suffering.

There has long been the belief that poverty and obesity go hand in hand.  There's no doubt that we need to make healthier choices.  But sometimes that's easier said than done (as my mother would say).   A family on a reduced/limited income has tough choices to make.  They can feed a family of 4 at McDonald's for a lot less than it takes to buy the ingredients to fix a nutritious meal for those same 4 family members.

Is the rising tide of obesity linked to rising food prices?  Basically, one of the primary reasons that lower-income people are more over-weight is because the unhealthiest and most fattening foods are the cheapest.  Between 1985 and 2000, the inflation-adjusted prices of fruits and vegetables increased by an average of 40%.  The price of soft drinks fell by almost 25% during the same time period.  (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently reported that $1 can buy either 1200 calories of potato chips, 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit.) 

Obesity is a concern.  And yes, there may be an economic impact to your workplace.   From the Human Resources angle, what about weight discrimination or bias?

Weight discrimination is largely ignored, but it is a serious issue.  The Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas recently instituted a new policy.  This new policy requires that an employee's physique "should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a health care professional."   I'm sorry - what?The medical center will require new employees to have a  body mass index of less than 35. 

This policy may cause outrage, but whether or not it's legal remains to be determined. The hospital is going to have to establish job related reasons for excluding employee candidates with a body mass index above 35.  And, how is the hospital going to actually determine the candidates body mass index? 

Weight discrimination is one of the last types of bias that is, for the most part, legal.  Michigan is the only state with laws on the books prohibiting weight discrimination. 

For those that are interested, a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Report indicated that the national obesity rate dropped to 26.1 percent in 2011 from 26.6 the prior year.  A slight drop, but a drop nonetheless.  In this same report, Gallup identified the most and least 5 obese states in the U.S.  For the second year in a row, Colorado had the lowest obesity rate at 18.5% (the only state below 20%).  West Virginia had the highest obesity rate since 2008, at 35.3 percent.  Texas didn't show up on the report.  So, I guess we're doing alright!

Employee Learning

Training Magazine released its annual list of the top 125 companies that support employee learning and development.  In the top spot was Verizon, followed by Farmers Insurance in the number 2 spot, and then Miami Children's Hospital, Mohawk Industries and McDonald's, respectively.

Some of the statistics reflected in Training Top 125:

• The average number of full-time and part-time trainers was 232 and 395, respectively.
• Some 97 percent of applicants use employee satisfaction surveys, and 98 percent use competency maps and personal/individual development plans.
• Only 64 percent tie managers' compensation directly to the development of their direct reports.

Yes, employers are training. But training is not the same as learning.

Gallup reports that 49% of employees are not actively engaged and that 18% are actively disengaged.   The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) reports that companies spend $1,067 per employee (2.7% of payroll) to deliver an average of 32 hours of formal training annually.   Are you investing training dollars in employees that have no positive impact to your bottom line?    Remember, you can't force employees to learn, they have to choose to learn.   And if they're not engaged, where is your ROI?

Companies need to invest in their human capital. And where is your best ROI?   It's your top employees.   The best results in training are achieved when employees have the ability and the interest in improving their role.  So identify your top employees and train them!