Can HR Staff Have Friends at Work?
Thursday September 4, 2008
A long term reader of this site, Keith Hamm, SPHR, who is the Human Resources Coordinator for the Minnesota Valley Action Council, Inc. sent in a question I‘m hoping other readers will want to answer. In his note, Keith made a comment I’ve never heard before, plus he offered some thoughts I think others will relate to, so I’m sharing a few words of his update.
He said about life at work, “Never enough time and some days I feel
like I'm being pecked to death by ducks (many small annoyances that kill
my day), but it's a job. I have noticed that we're getting a LOT more
complaints from staff and applicants on the cost of fuel. That's cost us
a few staff and cut down on the reach we have for applicants.?"
What’s your experience of this?
Question: "There's a difference of opinion about how HR should treat staff. One camp
says that HR shouldn't develop friendships at work because there may be
(or appear to be) a conflict of interest if a discipline issue crops up.
The other camp says that HR should be friendly and socialize with staff
in order to become more familiar with the employees/management and the
culture of the organization. What do you think? HR friendshops at work or not...?"
Keith adds: "One of the questions on our performance appraisals is, 'Do you have a
best friend at work?' This is modeled on the book First Break All the
Rules.
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Business Communication Guides
Wednesday September 3, 2008
September is Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month. With that in mind, I will spend part of the month catching up on books. I don’t review products as often as some of you would like, but from time to time, I run across a really useful product. Syntaxis Press offers an elegantly packaged four book set about basic
business communication that I like.
- Presentation Skills for Business Professionals
- A Writing Guide for Business Professionals
- A Grammar Guide for Business Professionals
- E-Mail Etiquette for Business Professionals
Like you, I do a lot of my research online these days, but sometimes it’s just easier to reach for a book. And, these are books I actually read and use. The books represent the years of experience in consulting and teaching about business communication that Ellen Jovin and Brandt Johnson have spent.
The strength of the books is that they don’t try to tell you everything about the English language – just the most important items that you are likely to encounter in your daily communication. The books are easy-to-use, easy to follow, and organized for easy access to the material.
As a former English teacher – please, let’s not go that far back – I have relied for years on Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. Now, I have a second set of business communication basics and reminders sitting on the same shelf. (Available at Amazon.com and from the authors’ Web site.)
Image © Ellen Jovin
More Recommended Books
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Wonder What an Employee Handbook Should Offer?
Tuesday September 2, 2008
Looking for ideas about the content of a comprehensive employee handbook? Here’s a list of the policies, procedures, and professional behavioral expectations found in many employee handbooks. This sample employee handbook table of contents also covers pay, benefits, performance expectations and legal issues.
Please do pick and choose for your own employee handbook and I'll work to continue to develop the content back-up and samples. When additional resources are available on the site about a particular employee handbook item, I have linked additional articles, policies, checklists, and forms.
Take a look at my new article; it’s not an actual employee handbook, but it does identify what ought to be in an employee handbook. I had been using this employee handbook outline as my own guide to determine what policies and articles to write for the site. But, I think you’ll benefit from it, too. Not every organization will need all of these components because every organization is different, but every organization needs some of them.
And, I am sure I am missing many employee handbook components, so your input in "comments" is welcome to help me add more for an effective employee handbook.
Happy Labor Day
Monday September 1, 2008
Celebrate Labor Day today. Labor Day is more than a three day weekend, although three day weekends are awfully nice. It is our opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the working men and women of America.
About.com's Robert Longley quotes Samuel Gompers:
"'Labor Day differs in every essential from the other holidays of the year in any country,' said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. 'All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.'"
Image © Getty Images / John Foxx
More About Labor and Labor Day
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