In yesterday’s Advisor, we talked about supervisors and managers who tried to be good supervisors, but their good intentions backfired. Instead, they laid the groundwork for expensive lawsuits. And we said that the solution is training, training, and more training.
Where do you start? New supervisors are overwhelmed by their new responsibilities. They have to forge new relationships with people who were formerly colleagues. They have to submit weekly reports. And they try to be “Real Bosses.”
Here are five quick rules to get your new supervisors and managers through their first 90 days:
As we mentioned in yesterday’s Advisor, the first thing to get across to new supervisors and managers is that they don’t have to make instant decisions. They can step back and seek advice before taking action.
Supervisors and managers also need to know that appearances count. If you fire someone the day after he or she does does something that is protected, that will give the appearance of retaliation, even if there was not retaliatory intent.
The lawsuits that may be filed over supervisory mistakes can be very expensive. Even when the company “wins” a suit, it has probably spent over $100,000 in legal fees and that’s to say nothing about the lost time and productivity and perhaps bad publicity damaging to the brand.
Operate in multiple states? That's a real compliance challenge, but with 50x50 (50 Employment Laws in 50 States); answers are at your fingertips. Wage/hour? Leave? Child labor? Discrimination? All there in easy-to-read chart form. Get more details.
We’re not trying to say that managers and supervisors can’t ever act. The point is that until they are trained, it’s very easy for them to unintentionally create a very expensive problem. HR is there and ready to counsel them if they encounter a sticky problem before their training is complete.
The second thing they have to understand is that there are a lot of rules that govern their conduct. The most important are rules concerning
Of course, the federal rules are only part of the picture. Most states have laws that affect HR functions. Actually, there are about 4 dozen key laws with important state differences. Especially if you have operations in multiple states, you need to know all the differences.
Where are you going to go to find out about all your state law obligations? It’s not easy to track the ins and outs of different laws in different states—and that’s where the 50x50 comes in.
50 Employment Laws in 50 States, 2011 Edition is the revolutionary guidebook that puts ALL the most need-to-know employment law information—for each of the 50 states—right at your fingertips.
Imagine the time and frustration you'll save with this authoritative, instant-information reference. In just seconds, you'll zero in on the precise information you need whenever you must:
Finally, an easy-to-use state law guide for all 50 states plus DC and Canada! 50x50 (50 Employment Laws in 50 States) guide is the authoritative guide to 50 of the most crucial employment laws. Easy-to-read chart format. No legalese. Just updated for 2012. Get more information here.
With 50 Employment Laws in 50 States, 2011 Edition, you get the exact guidance you need whenever you need to understand ANY state law concerning:
Family and medical leave Benefits for same-sex partners and common-law spouses Final paycheck Vacation/sick pay Overtime Workers' comp AIDS testing Polygraph testing Genetic testing Drug-alcohol testing Off-duty conduct Tobacco use on the job Weapons Personnel files Whistleblowing Plant closings Meal and rest breaks Health insurance continuation References Pre-employment inquiries New hire reporting Affirmative action Background checks Credit reports Arrests and convictions Pregnancy leave
Small necessities leave Voting leave Jury duty leave Military leave Employee privacy Social security numbers Unemployment comp Employment at will Child labor Labor organizations Organizing by public employees Noncompete agreements Wage payment Minimum wage Payment of commissions Garnishment Wage deductions Direct deposit Required posters Safety Breastfeeding Title VII equivalents Other discrimination and harassment laws State and local equal employment opportunity laws
To make sure your 50 Employment Laws in 50 States remains up to date, we closely monitor changes in employment law in all 50 states. Each year we'll rush you a replacement edition on a 30-day-review basis, and bill you at the then-current rate. You pay only if you decide to keep the update.
Bonus: 50 Employment Laws in 50 States has recently been revised and expanded to include Canadial laws.
Get fast answers with this chart-based, 50-state reference guide. Includes all corresponding regulations, statutes, and court cases so you can easily find the source documents if you need to.
Order or get more information.
If you have comments about this tip and want to post them on this page to share your thoughts with other HR Daily Advisor readers, simply enter your comments below. NOTE: Your name will appear on any comments posted.