In the midst of the almost merry, merry, because I think of this last couple of weeks leading into Thanksgiving week as ushering in the late fall and winter holidays, I received an instant message from a friend last night.

He has found a new job and was escorted out of his former workplace when he gave notice. He wanted to tell me just how bad his workplace had been. And, I was truly amazed. The workplace he described took every article of my recommendations on this website and did the exact opposite.

Employees were required to account for every minute of their time and a doctor's note was required if they missed one day of work. They were required to sign pages and pages of rules and laws including a policy that described what was considered to be an assault.

Buried in a basement, the employees were treated as if they were criminals or repeat offenders just waiting to screw up again; the rules covered every possible screw up, too. I could tell you much more, but some of you who work in negative workplaces don't need to hear any more of the gruesome details. I told my friend to run - not walk - away from this workplace. It would sap his spirit and steal his soul.

The typical workplace has its ups and downs in terms of employee negativity. Many workplaces are trying to be employee oriented. But, even the most employee oriented workplace can shudder under the weight of negative thinking. When employers understand the causes of employee negativity and put in place measures to prevent employee negativity, negativity fails to gain a foothold in the work environment. Learn the five key causes of employee negativity.

You may also be interested in Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity and Cures for Negativity, assuming you are experiencing negativity in your workplace.

This poll focuses on identifying the most common causes of negativity in your workplace. I have suggested several causes of negativity but would be interested in your comments about workplace negativity, too.

Poll: What Is the Primary Cause of Negativity in Your Workplace?

• Lack of direction from management.
• Constant change that is not well-communicated.
• Poor communication overall.
• An excessive workload.
• Lack of challenge, boredom.
• Insufficient recognition for the level of contribution and effort provided.
• Anxiety about the future: job security, retirement income.
• Other. Please respond in “comments” below.
  
  
• View Results

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My father (Marines) and uncle (Air Force) were veterans of WWII. My husband served in the Army in Germany during the Vietnam era. Veteran's Day is special to me because I was one of the lucky ones. These special men came back to me. Indeed, if my Marine father had not returned, I wouldn't be here writing this blog post today.

Recently, at a client company, we held a Raise the Flags ceremony and raised the flag of the United States, the flag ot the State of Michigan and the the flag of the company. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, who will come and play the bugle and raise the flags for the first time as a community service, were there to lead the celebration. One tradition they support is that the company members who are veterans stand closest to the flag. We only had two.

It's another generation during which mandatory military service no longer exists. The demographics of the company place most employees under the age of 45, and most are even younger. We need to make a concerted effort to make sure that the Gen Xers and the Millennials, most of whom have never experienced military service, understand and remember the generations that came before them, and the many that laid down their lives so that all of us may live free.

General Douglas MacArthur, arguably one of this century's most important men, gave one of the most moving speeches I have ever read a short time before he died. I share this with you in honor of Veteran's Day and all the men and women who have nobly served their country in some part of the military.

From the VFW website: "Right now, there are thousands of men and women in our military, once again taking up arms against the enemies of freedom. Like generations of patriots who came before them, these few shoulder the burden for the many. They serve because they know it is necessary for the greater good."

Hopefully, you join me in supporting our armed services personnel so that the lives of our people currently serving, and all of the brave heroes who came before them, are remembered and celebrated.

About the U.S. Military and Veteran's Day

• We Serve Those Who Serve: USERRA Requirements.
• Rod Power's U.S. Military site: Honor All Who Served.
• Books About Military Management.

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I don't know about your workplace, but ours has seen a lot of absenteeism this year. I'm not sure how much of it is related to H1N1 because we don't ask employees to account for why they are using their PTO. But, several of my family members and friends have reported flu-like symptoms and several have had doctors confirm swine flu. Fortunately, their cases were only mildly debilitating.

Continuing to make news, H1N1 (swine flu) is a major workplace issue. People spend a lot of time at work in close quarters with potentially ill coworkers. Employees all use the same door handles, shake candidates' hands, push elevator buttons, and just in general, put themselves in harm's way.

I've written several times about how employers can prepare their workplaces for any contagious illness including H1N1. Today, I'll share several additional resources about H1N1 Swine Flu.

SHRM in Conjunction With the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

With contractual financial support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today released a new toolkit, Doing Business During an Influenza Pandemic: Human Resource Policies, Protocols, Templates, Tools, & Tips.

"We're beyond theory and onto execution. The pandemic is here. And we need every business to recognize the impact it can have. It's not too late, but time is of the essence," said Michael T. Osterholm, Ph.D., M.P.H., an international authority on pandemic influenza and business preparedness and CIDRAP director.

The toolkit, designed for organizations of all sizes, is intended to:

• Help HR professionals new to pandemic planning come up to speed quickly on high-priority HR issues related to operating during an influenza pandemic.
• Provide concrete ways that organizations can implement federal guidance.
• Offer new ideas that can be used to improve existing plans.
• Serve as a reference for benchmarking.

The H1N1 toolkit is available free of charge as a PDF document from CIDRAP or from SHRM.

Swine Flu on About.com

• Vince Ianelli, M.D., the About.com Guide to Pediatrics, has created a comprehensive resource for parents and families: Swine Flu Symptoms. Swine Flu News.
• Kristina Duda, R.N., the About.com Guide to Colds and Flu, presents an outstanding guide to swine flu H1N1 including day-to-day symptoms, resources, and more.
• Trisha Torrey, the About.com Guide to Patient Empowerment, offers frequently asked questions about H1N1 Swine Flu.

Health Matters at Work

Offers podcasts about health matters in the workplace, arthritis, and other workplace and personal wellness issues. The website introduces today their new podcast series about H1N1 swine flu with advice about how employers should be addressing H1N1 at work and with employees.

Preparis.com

Asks whether your workplace is prepared for an outbreak of swine flu and hazards the guess that, if you are like most employers, you are not. Here is a comprehensive guide to preparing for H1N1 in your workplace.

H1N1 isn't going away anytime soon, so check out these fine resources and make sure your workplace is prepared.

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The job offer letter is provided to the candidate you have selected for your open position.

Most frequently, the candidate and the organization have verbally negotiated the conditions of hire and the job offer letter confirms the verbal agreements. In fact, I always negotiate verbally before writing the formal job offer letter. This saves me lots of time and rework in case I need to redo the job offer letter in response to a candidate's negotiations.

Generally, the candidate has indicated that he or she will accept the position, under the stated terms, prior to the drafting of the job offer letter. Do regard the position acceptance as tentative, however, until the job offer letter, and the confidentiality agreement, if you use one, are signed and in your file.

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Job Offer Letters

• Job Offer Letter Sample: Standard.
• Job Offer Letter: Early Career Sample.
• Mid-career Sample Job Offer Letter.
• Sample Job Offer Letter: Executive.
• Sample Job Offer Letter: Sales Position.

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