Human Resources

December 9, 2014 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

ODE TO CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTIES

The dreaded much anticipated holiday season at work

Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer – O Holy Night!!!!

Happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Diwali, Merry Christmas

The holidays are a minefield of emotions, stresses, and demands on the budget and time of everyone this time of year. Family requirements are always a concern but even more challenging are the expectations in the workplace during the holiday season. Family responsibilities might be tricky and taxing but expectations at the office have higher stakes.

Some things to consider regarding office holiday party etiquette:

BEFORE YOU ATTEND

Commit to attend the party if at all possible. Some planning committee worked hard to provide a way for everyone to celebrate as a group. Yes, I know it is sometimes hard to relax with people you may not even enjoy being around – get over it. You might find these people to be entirely different in a more relaxed atmosphere. Hey, at least try. Remember all that rhetoric about team building??

Prepare mentally for some small talk

Remember most people’s favorite subject is themselves. Ask questions about where they went to school and grew up. “Do you follow the Saints?” “Are you an LSU/SU fan?” “What keeps you busy when you aren’t at work?” Another topic which always gets someone talking is family. “Do you have children?” Ages? Schools? Activities? Any pictures? Off limit topics (do I really need to remind you?) – religion, politics, office politics and policies, and controversial topics such as legalization of marijuana or immigration issues.

Get a dress code idea

If you receive an invitation without a mention of formality or informality, ask around. Especially if you are new to the company, check with employees who have gone to previous parties. You don’t want to show up in a Christmas sweater with reindeer and bells and others are in a sleek suit or a cocktail dress. Consider a compromise between sexy and attractive and professional and serious.

Gift Giving

It is always welcome information when the office sets a gift giving policy. Having a Secret Santa or drawing names for a single non gender specific gift with a suggested spending limit is a great idea. Just remember personal items are not a good idea. Gift certificates are an excellent option. If you feel compelled to buy individual gifts, do not present them to the person(s) at the office party. Find a time/place before or after work to give such gifts, even if they are small tokens of friendship or appreciation.

Gifts to the boss are tricky and usually not expected. Be mindful of the workplace’s holiday culture and follow customary gifting which may be a single gift to which all have contributed or absolutely not giving boss gifts. Consider being creative and socially responsible in your gift giving. Perhaps you have a favorite charity that you would like to make a donation to in someone’s name, or think about interests and causes the recipient of the gift may embrace and donate in that area in their name. Shopwithmeaning.org lists organizations which fund causes from clean water, fair trade, fighting poverty, hunger relief and education in third world countries. The holiday season is a time when MANY agencies solicit – they are easy to find.

BEHAVING AT THE OFFICE PARTY

Mingle

It might be awkward but make an effort to acknowledge all your coworkers and especially your superiors. The setting may seem really informal but defer to supervisors and bosses. Don’t use this as an opportunity to speak your mind, question or comment on work policies.

Avoid any romantic or sexual advances

Discretion is important. This is not the time or place to declare your romantic intentions to a coworker. You certainly don’t want to be the object of workplace gossip after the party. If you are the object of unwanted attention, let the person down gently – especially if you find yourself being “hit on by the boss.” Remember innocent attention can turn inappropriate and lead to claims of sexual harassment. Don’t touch people in ways that can be misconstrued or say things that can be considered sexually provocative or demeaning.

That drinking thing

First, remember that it is not a requirement to have any alcoholic beverage. Many people do not drink because of religious convictions, health issues, or perhaps because they are recovering alcoholics. No one should ask why you aren’t drinking alcohol and unless he is a dullard will not. It is perfectly acceptable to have a soft drink, water or coffee without any explanation offered. That being said, many people use a holiday party as an opportunity to imbibe at the company’s expense. Most post party gossip concerning improper behavior (think dancing with the lamp shade on your head, giving TMI -too much information about your personal life, or telling people exactly how you feel about fellow employees or company policies) is fueled by too much alcohol.

Problems arise that can cause others to think poorly of you or in extreme cases cause dismissal from a job. The more drinks, the more likely a person is to do something he/she will regret. I’m just guessing here, but if you are a drinker who has sometimes overdone it, think back to things that you did or said that might have caused you embarrassment upon cold, sober reflection.

So consider if you are drinking to eat food before drinking. You might order rum and coke or gin and tonic for a first drink and then switch to plain coke or tonic. No one will notice. If it is a long evening pace yourself and drink water and eat between alcoholic beverages. If you feel like you might be overdoing it, duck out early instead of getting drunk in front of the boss. In the holiday spirit, consider helping a coworker that might need to be encouraged to leave the party – and drive him/her or call a cab. On final thought – Don’t let these suggestion be a concern that overrides your decision to attend, as Holiday Office Parties can be great relationship builders with co-workers, clients or prospects.

SOOOOOOO – HAPPY HOLIDAYS, KWANZAH, HANUKKAH, RAMADAN, DIWALI –MERRY CHRISTMAS AND REMEMBER AN OFFICE PARTY IS STILL THE OFFICE AS FAR AS GOOD SENSE AND PROPER ETIQUETTE ARE CONCERNED. ENJOY AND BE SMART.

Related Posts:

Gift giving at the office

February 10, 2014 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

TOP 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE COMPLAINING AT WORK

Think before COMPLAINING – Work is a No Whine Zone!

“Never tell your problems to anyone—20% don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them. Lou Holtz

Complaining on the job can be a slippery slope – addictive and resulting in one being perceived as negative, especially if there is never a presentation of the problem AND possible solutions. There is a fine line between expressing opinions, offering suggestions and ideas and simply running your mouth. You don’t even need to be in earshot of authority; your coworkers will gladly quote you to your manager. If you are talking at work about something work related which you do not approve of, be sure that word will get around, probably with additional comments you never made and/or a slant you did not intend. Remember the childhood game of Gossip? One person whispers something to another and it is repeated down the line until the last recipient of the message repeats what he/she thinks the original message was. This last statement which makes it through the chain of people is guaranteed to be different from the original. THE OFFICE IS NO PLACE TO PLAY GOSSIP. If you complain assume any and all coworkers and managers hear at least some version of your complaint.

That being said, if you must express your displeasure at work, consider the following before you engage your mouth:

1. Your length of time on the job

The shorter your tenure on the job, the less favorable your complaint will be taken. You need to earn the right to express your opinion.

2. Your position in the company

If you have no authority or position in the company, where do you come off in complaining about policy?

3. Your performance record

Those with a stellar performance record can offer their opinions at will, while those with a poor performance record better put up first or shut up for now.

Before you express a complaint, make certain that you are prepared to offer a possible solution. This makes you a part of the effort to improve, i.e. a team player.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BECOME A SOUNDING BOARD FOR MR/MS NEGATIVITY

Let’s suppose for a minute that you are one of those people who has written on his forehead, “Tell me your troubles, I care.” If you are such a person, you may find yourself the recipient of complaints from a negative coworker. Usually the complainer does not want advice, he/she just wants to vent, and you look like someone who will listen. How does one handle this situation, especially if it becomes constant and aggravating? You can try several strategies. Listen, but set limits and do not hesitate to tell your negative colleague that you would prefer more positive subjects. You do not want to be a negative magnet and appear guilty of complaining by association. It is okay to let someone know that you care about his happiness but disagree with his assessment of the situation. Try actively listening to the complaint, question and ask for clarification. If you feel qualified to provide advice and ideas, feel free to do so but keep in mind that long term attempts to “help” your coworker can sap your energy and positivity. Recommend professional help through HR, seminars and/or helpful books. For someone who exudes negativity and presents complaining as a chronic condition, you can always request to gracefully bow out and refuse to discuss “how the company is going down the tubes, they are being treated unfairly, customers are worthless – ad infinitum.

If all else fails and he/she won’t leave you alone and you feel that your work is being impacted, talk to HR staff.

Whether you are the complainer or the listener/sounding board, consider that negativity has no place in a vibrant, progressive company. NEGATIVITY IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE. ASK YOURSELF DO I NEED A NEW JOB, A NEW COMPANY, A NEW CAREER, NEW OUTLOOK, OR PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING. DECIDE FOR YOURSELF BEFORE YOUR MANAGER MAKES THE DECISION FOR YOU.

“I personally believe language developed because of our deep inner need to complain.” Jan Wagner, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe

December 9, 2013 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

GIFT GIVING AT THE OFFICE

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas

Christmas is indeed a special time of the year – a time of anticipation and unfortunately for most of us high anxiety. The stress/anxiety of the holiday does not just revolve around family obligations but includes that area of life where so much of our waking time is spent – the workplace.

Gift giving, a central part of Christmas, presents special concerns in an office setting. You must be mindful before purchasing gifts for coworkers, bosses, those who report directly to you and support staff. First, who is included? If you are in a new position, ask fellow workers what is the precedence or if there is a policy in place regarding gift giving. A gift says a lot about how you feel about a person, their worth, and closeness to you. It is almost never a good idea to give a gift that is too intimate like perfume or, God forbid, sleepwear. Another area to be leery of is a humorous or gag gift – unless this is specifically outlined as an office tradition. Remember everyone has a unique sense of humor and what you think is hysterically funny, another might find offensive. Consider the person. Summer sausage to a vegetarian? A nativity set to a Jewish colleague? A large box of chocolates to an obese office mate? A flask for the guy noted to overdo on the rum punch?

USE YOUR HEAD FOR GOODNESS SAKE. YOU BETTER WATCH OUT. YOU’D BETTER BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!! Santa Claus is coming to town.

Consider some of the following guidelines when purchasing a holiday gift for coworkers:

Keep it practical and under $20. (Sometimes offices set an agreed upon limit; this is a good thing.) Some suggestions for practical gifts – desk speakers, picture frames, music gift cards, USB flash drives, ear bud headphones.
Fire up the oven and prepare goodies to share with everyone.
Institute a Secret Santa. That way it is understood that everyone buys one gift and gets one gift. There are so fun ways to do this. Ever heard of dirty Santa where you can “steal” a gift from someone who has already opened his/her gift or go to the Santa sack for something still wrapped?
Arrange and participate in a pot luck dinner or a cookie exchange.
One of my favorites – sponsor a charity such as shopping for a family in need and all contribute to that.

A gift for the boss???

What is a good idea when it comes to gifting the boss? Should you? Will you be seen as a suck up if you do? It is best to not give an individual gift but opt to participate in a group gift – perhaps give a gift to charity in the name of your boss. He has to be thrilled or appear a Scrooge. Bah humbug employees!! According to etiquette expert Emily Post, just don’t do it.

A gift for those that report directly to you???

This is your call but if you do, it should be done across the board. Consider something impersonal such as gift certificates, tickets to the theater or a sporting event, wine, or food baskets.

A gift for helpers and service staffers???

You may want to remember those who support the company in positions that are not always seen yet assist everyone indirectly in accomplishing their jobs. People that clean, work in the mailroom or assist in low profile, minimum wage jobs might appreciate a group gift of money.

And finally, if you have a few coworkers who are special to you and you want to remember them at Christmas, be discreet in gifting them. Perhaps you could give your gift outside the office. It is also a good idea to cover possible embarrassment and have a few wrapped, impersonal, non-gender specific gifts to give to someone who surprises you with a gift.

“What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.” Phyllis Diller

Happy Holidays to all and check yourself for the office Christmas party – be sure to check out this related post Holiday Office Party mishaps.

November 22, 2013 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

YOU’RE FIRED!

IT’S A DIRTY JOB BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT!! THOUGHTS ON TERMINATING AN EMPLOYEE

“Getting fired is nature’s way of telling you that you had the wrong job in the firstplace.” Hal Lancaster in the Wall Street Journal

“You’re fired!” No other words can so easily and succinctly reduce a confident, self-assured executive to an insecure, groveling shred of his former self.” Frank Louchheim

It’s just not working for whatever reason. Perhaps there is a need to downsize and the employee’s position is one that can be eliminated, or quite possibly the employee’s performance does not meet expectations. Boundaries have been breached. Rules have been broken that either has to do with how the employee performs or how the business performs. Whatever the reason, an employee must be terminated. Yes, fired.

“One of the hard lessons being a manager has taught me is this: the health of the business is more important than the well-being of any one employee.” It is upsetting to a manager to know that his actions will cause distress to an employee’s family, but “it’s more important to defend the integrity of the group.” Good employees hate working with inefficient or maybe even dishonest colleagues. Paul Downs on NY Times Blog

As a manager it is your job to handle the termination. Sadly, so much of the time the employee is not expecting to be “let go.” It is heartbreaking when the employee is trying his best and just can’t do the job yet finds himself blindsided when he must be terminated.

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown if the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” Bertrand Russell

Employees are often surprised and shocked when it becomes necessary to fire them. Termination meetings are uncomfortable for all concerned. Even in circumstances in which the employee NEEDS to be let go for countless good reasons, managers and/or HR directors are put in a most uncomfortable position. People deserve to be treated with respect especially in the midst of this humbling, frightening experience. After all, the employee will have no job!!!

There is no easy way to deliver the news but there are guidelines that when followed make all those involved – manager and employee feel valued and human. Conducting a termination meeting is a management skill that must be honed. In refining this sensitive important skill, consider the following:

The worst thing can be acting like a robot and going through the motions. Be humane and remember that you could end up on the other side of the desk. Perhaps you have been in the past.

Be respectful and look someone in the eye.

Don’t be cagey about reasons. Explain briefly why the decision to terminate was made. Refer to the employee handbook if it is appropriate. Here is the point at which a manager can be a real leader. Recommend an environment in which the employee could be successful. Be supportive.

Don’t be overly friendly. “I once fired someone and was so nice that they didn’t realize they were actually fired.” Alison Brod – Alison Brod Public Relations

The message must be clear and concise. Lead off with the bad news and then quickly soften the blow with statements like “I’m sorry this position wasn’t a good fit for you,” or “Thank you for your contributions.”

Don’t forget to involve the HR team. If possible have an HR rep in the meeting or arrange for one to be available afterward to explain final pay, and ongoing health benefits.

“Handled creatively, getting fired allows an executive to actually experience a sense of relief that he never wanted the job he lost.” Frank Louchheim

September 24, 2013 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

WHEN TO COUNTER OFFER AND WHEN TO RESIGN

“WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER”

– How to handle counter offers

After great thought and mental anguish, after pondering the pros and cons, you have made up your mind. You began a job search in earnest or listened to opportunities that you believed represented a better situation than you currently have. You are going to resign but are surprised and maybe even quite flattered to be given a counter offer by your current employer. Your current employer may offer better pay, better working conditions, better benefits and a sincere apology for not valuing you more highly when faced with the reality of losing you. BEWARE!! CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES, EFFECTS OF ACCEPTING A COUNTER OFFER AND RESCINDING YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEW JOB.

Breaking up is really, really hard to do! Resigning from a job is probably the closest thing we will ever do as grownups that repeats high school. Do you remember breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend when you were young? Have you ever heard a significant other say, “Please don’t leave me. I will change.” Most of us learned that the only problem is that nothing every changed for long. Well, history repeats itself!

First, what will be the effects of deciding to stay with your current employer? You might initially feel relief that you do not have to leave your comfort zone. You might feel that you are finally truly appreciated. AGAIN BEWARE!! It’s all just business baby. Your current boss will now perceive you differently. She/he may privately resent you and question your loyalty. The counter offer may just be the way the boss buys some very valuable time to find a more loyal, qualified candidate. There is a huge likelihood that your boss will start looking for your replacement at a cheaper salary and just use you to bide the time until that replacement is found.

There are other situations which may arise after you have accepted the counter offer. You may find yourself under suspicion of interviewing for another job whenever you need to take time off. When there is time for promotions, you may not be considered because you almost left the company. Sadly, management often rewards blind loyalty. You may find yourself first on the list for layoffs and reductions in force.

Statistics show that 75 – 90% of those who accept counter offers quit within 6 months or are terminated within one year. Other considerations – coworkers may resent you. And those are just the repercussions of accepting the counter offer. Consider yourself bought off. Will anything really change? Was it just a better salary you were looking for?

Now consider the consequences of rescinding the offer you accepted when you resigned from your current employer. Your value was already established with the new company who thought you were worth more or saw your potential and chose to invest in that potential. The company that “you left at the altar” is expecting you and has cancelled their search, sent Dear John letters to the candidates that were not chosen, arranged for your training and purchased your new equipment and set up your email address. Your revocation of the offer will quite likely burn bridges with other prospective employers. Never doubt that negative press spreads like wildfire in tight niche spaces.

Accepting an offer and then getting cold feet can have a snowball effect on your reputation. Many times the acceptance of an offer of employment is a legally binding contract that holds you responsible for losses the company may suffer due to your actions.

You – the job candidate can become branded as unreliable and such reputations have a way of “getting around” in the business world as well as with the network of recruiters in your space. Relationships with clients and colleagues suffer. You may find yourself not put forward for other positions that you may have been suited for.

THINK !! Before you ever present your resignation letter, go back and make a list of everything that dissatisfies you with your current position. Read it several times before you present the letter. Make sure you understand exactly why you no longer want to stay with your current employer and be prepared for a possible counter offer. Remember, sometimes people get fired and sometimes people fire their employer. If you make the decision that it is time to move on then stand your ground, don’t be swayed by promises, and resign in style.