People Management

If a star employee has ever surprised you during an exit interview by saying she had been dissatisfied with her job for a long time, you’re not alone. It’s common to find a vast divergence between employee satisfaction and management’s take on the situation. Managers frequently make five big mistakes that can send your valued employees packing. Luckily, they’re easy to fix.

The DOL’s Women’s Bureau has started what it calls “a national dialogue on workplace flexibility,” and the agency is pushing employers to focus more on the work/life benefits of flex. Here are 11 steps you can take to make flex programs more successful—making work/life balance easier for your employees and improving your overall business operations:

The “at least I have a job” feeling is starting to wear off among employed Americans. After years of taking on new duties at their old pay, many are feeling overworked, underpaid and underpromoted. Two in five of them are seeking new jobs. Here are four key things your employees will look for elsewhere if you’re not providing it:

Today’s economic climate has caused employers to cut budgets and workforces—and expect workers to do more with less. As they see colleagues laid off and their employers cutting back, employees are more concerned than ever about their own job security. It makes sense for employers to address stress issues in their workforces, since increased stress affects not only employees, but employers’ bottom lines.

Our front-desk receptionist is a gem. She very capably handles all her duties and presents a very favorable “public face” for the company … except for one thing. She is prone to religious proselytizing, not just with people who work here, but occasionally with visitors, too. Sometimes, it’s just, “Have a blessed day.” But other times, she’ll roll out a whole Bible verse to suit whatever mood she is in. I have received a few complaints about this, but everyone is quite shy about making it a big deal since she is otherwise so great. How can I tell her to tone it down without offending her? Can we get in legal trouble by asking her to stop preaching?—Krista, S.C.

Some of our employees are stealing from us! Not by taking money or supplies, but by stealing time. Some pretend to work through lunch so they can leave work early. Others conduct personal business on the phone or over the Internet. Others just spend way too much time socializing. What can we do to crack down?—Louise, PA

The days of organizations handing out bonuses like Halloween candy seem to be over. While employers have returned to awarding bonuses in 2010, they’re attaching more strings than ever and are more likely to look at “hard” financial performance metrics when making variable pay decisions.

When managers create an environment that helps empower their employees, some employees will jump on the bandwagon and act empowered right away. But many of them just don’t have the confidence to risk failing or take actions without consulting a supervisor every step of the way. Here is a seven-step model for encouraging and motivating employees.

Steven Whitlow, an employee at a Cognis plant in Kankakee, signed a last-chance agreement that forfeited his right to file charges against Cognis with any civil rights commission or government authority. Later, Whitlow rescinded his agreement, stating that he did not want to waive his civil rights. When Cognis terminated him, he filed a complaint with the EEOC.

Employees feel overworked and underpromoted, and two in five of them are looking for new jobs. A new study is the latest to reveal that employees who plan to leave their companies say they feel a lack of communication from management. Here are four things your employees might think they’ll find more of elsewhere: