I recently read that Careerbuilder.com found in its annual survey that 20 percent of the 7,000 respondents plan to be in contact with their place of employment during their vacation.
Now while this is down from last year’s high of 27 percent, it still seems ridiculous to me that so many people feel it absolutely necessary to […]

According to a new book out by Jennifer Deal, Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground, after seven years of research the idea that there is an on-going conflict between generations at work – boomers, Xers, Yers – is poppycock.
Apparently what it comes down to is that we all […]

I’ve asked myself this question one too many times, hanging up the phone in disgust after dealing with someone who clearly did not define my concept of good customer service.
For most people, good customer service is getting what you want. However, the truth of the matter is that good customer service is all about getting […]

It’s an age-old problem, coworkers who appear oblivious to common courtesy when it comes to personal hygiene issues.
I bring this topic up because a recent reader wrote in and asked, “I know that this is not a new issue, but I’m just not sure how to handle it without offending a coworker. She smells. Not […]

As the Internet has become a dominant force in our everyday lives and employees have gained access to it and email on a regular basis, cyberslacking, also known as goldbricking, or wasting time playing on the computer at work, has become a real concern for white collar employers.
Add to this the concept of multishirking, doing […]

I recently read an article in the February 2007 issue of INC. Magazine about workplace bullying and decided to do a little Internet research.
Did you know there are actually entire websites (like http://www.kickbully.com/ and http://www.bullyonline.org/)  as well as an organization dedicated to the subject of bullying? There’s even a Freedom from Bullies Week the third week […]

Enron, Arthur Anderson, WorldCom, Adelphia….
These are not unknown organizations flying under the radar. Yet within the last ten years they have fallen victim to…what? Corporate greed? Stupidity?
Depending on who you speak to, corporate ethics is a) a human resources function, b) not a human resources function, c) a legal issue, d) everyone’s responsibility.
I’d like to […]

Ain’t love grand?
Not always.
Well, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would tackle what can sometimes be a very sensitive subject: workplace romance.
This is not a new topic and everyone has an opinion. However, when it comes right down to it, romantic relationships at work are going to happen. You just can’t stop two […]

A couple of weeks ago while watching the Today Show I heard a new term: presenteeism.
Well, new to me anyway. The term, that is. The concept has been around for years. It’s the opposite of absenteeism. It’s when a sick employee who should really stay home and get well decides to go to work and […]

I recently read that a survey done by Circadian Technologies indicated that absenteeism was up and employee morale was a large factor.
All my years in human resources made me say, “Duh.”
After all if employees are dissatisfied with their work environment what on earth is going to compel them to want to go there each day?
It […]