Want Your Workplace to Offer Acceptance, Respect, Empowerment, and Value?
3 May 2023
What Do You Expect from Your Workplace?
Want to know why I do not get along with "traditional" HR managers? And why nobody else specializes in the trades? Here you go!
Behold this "motivational quote": Life is short. Work somewhere you're continuously accepted, respected, encouraged, inspired, empowered, and valued.
This statement is one of the most deceptive, useless statements I have seen in a long time. Beyond the fact that every listed item is subjective and open to interpretation:
- This is obviously targeted towards employees, which leaves the reader assuming employers are the only ones violating the principles of the statement itself.
- Acceptance: Demanding "Continuous Acceptance" defies the concept of accountability. Do something acceptable and you will be accepted.
- Respect, Encouragement, Inspiration: These three are solid, but as indicated in #1, they are all a two way street. EVERYONE should offer respect, encouragement, and inspiration to each other. Before assuming someone is violating one of these things, VERIFY THEIR INTENTION. Intentional communication before making emotionally biased decisions would likely solve 99% of problems we have in society today.
- Empowerment: You cannot demand this of anyone. The only one who can empower you is YOU. Whatever actions you take come with consequences... Both positive and negative. Be prepared and act accordingly.
- "Being Valued": Another variation of Acceptance. Again, not something you can force on someone else. Knowledge that you are valued by another is based on MUTUAL execution of Respect, Encouragement, and Inspiration.
We all have rules we have to follow to protect ourselves legally, whether as a citizen, employee, or employer. The needs of these three categories of people often cause conflict as interpretations vary. Human interaction is complicated by its very nature. The key to survival is removing emotional bias from decision making, intentional communication, and building a firm foundation of Trust among everyone you interact with.
For citizens, there are psychologists to help. For business owners, there is only one H.R. Guy. 😇
End of rant.
A guide to the types of employee drug testing: Pre-Employment, Post-Accident, Random Selection, and Reasonable Suspicion.
Employees can be your greatest asset... or your biggest frustration. When issues come up, here are some steps to make sure you respond appropriately instead of just reacting from emotions. Trust us, you'll get much better results this way.
Hold your employees to the standard of being PROFESSIONAL representatives of the Trades, not just technical experts, and you greatly minimize the risk of getting hit with an EEOC settlement. Here's why.
Written warnings can be key in managing employees, so you need to know both the art and the science of doing them correctly. These tips for what to include - and what NOT to include - in your written warnings will help you to communicate clearly to your employees, and get you set to defend yourself in a potential legal claim against you.
You need a strong Brand and good company culture to attract - and keep - the best employees. Here are some tips for how to showcase your home service company as a great place to work and take the first step towards successful recruiting.
From Labor Law Posters to Safety Manuals – everything your staff needs to boost compliance and morale, in one dedicated spot. Having an up-to-date and complete Employee Resource Center will give you the peace of mind to run your business without worrying about compliance.
Reasonable Accommodations in the workplace are no joke - you can get into serious legal trouble if you don't comply with the ADA. Yet here's a case study on a company who terminated someone for an issue directly related to their disability and was not held legally liable. Check out the details of how this might apply to your business.
Home services companies might be tempted to classify workers as independent contractors, but we STRONGLY advise you to hire them as W-2 workers instead. And it's not just because the government might fine you (big time!). Read more for tips on why it'll be in your company's best interest.
Listen to The H.R. Guy explaining the nuances of HR for the Trades in 2025, with tips on common HR pitfalls and how to avoid them, the value of Stay Interviews, key mistakes with performance pay, and the ultimate goal of "Representing the Brand."
You thought you were rid of that toxic employee, but now he's causing you even more problems - posting negative Google reviews and refusing to return company property. Why is this happening?