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Called to Depose in a Lawsuit? Here Are 10 Tips You Need to Know
It’s the type of phone call no manager wants to get — there has been an accident at a work site that involves someone else. In such cases, a lawsuit can follow, and you may be called to give a deposition and possibly testify in court. If you should ever be deposed, here are 10 tips to remember.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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You Are the Brand
As an HVAC contractor, the most important brand that you sell is not the product brand. It is your company name. If customers do not know about your company, they will not buy from you. It’s as simple as that. You are the company that sells and installs the product. You have to build brand awareness for your company.
by Greg Mazurkiewicz
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The Advantages and Pitfalls of Monitoring Your Employees
Employee monitoring can offer advantages to both employees and employers, including more efficiency, better work product, and mitigating risk for all parties involved. At the same time, managers should be aware of legal restrictions and also need to be sensitive to employees’ concerns.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Service Management Excellence
Many service managers move into the position without a great deal of opportunity for training and preparation in the areas of communication skills, customer service, dealing with different personalities, or managing people. This excerpt from a new E-book discusses how to be an effective manager.
by Jim Johnson
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Post 9/11, Religious Discrimination Claims Rise
The 9/11 attacks came as the United States has become a more religiously diverse country. Since then, the number of religious discrimination cases that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) receives has been on the rise.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Surviving the Tidal Wave of Demographic Pressure
The demographic tidal wave is a formidable threat to the health of American business. Employers are passing up opportunities to expand their businesses because they do not have and cannot find workers who can handle what is required. The best solution is to be the employer of choice.
by Frank Pennachio
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OSHA Now Requires Employers to Pay for Most Protective Gear
Last November, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule that means it may cost more now to keep employees safe on the job. Under the new rule, companies will now have to pay for most personal protective equipment for their workers.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Assessing Customer Satisfaction
Is assessing customer satisfaction an example of trying to catch chickens after they’ve flown the coop? It is when the identification of opportunities to improve customer satisfaction does not combine a traditional (reactive) assessment of customer satisfaction with a non-traditional (proactive) analysis and evaluation.
by Bob Cicerone
Richard Sassaman
John Swinney
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Figuring Out Military Leave
During this presidential election year, politicians are debating how long American troops may be fighting wars overseas. Companies with employees on active military leave, though, need to be sure that they are complying with all the relevant legislation right now.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Ten Ways You Can Become More Valuable
We can’t make other people be more considerate, helpful, honest, etc., in our personal and business lives, but consider this: If everyone were to work on himself or herself and develop these attributes, our world would be a better place. Here are some guidelines to make it happen.
by Terri Levine
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Balancing Your Obligations Under the ADA
A court case involving United Parcel Service (UPS) highlights the difficult situation companies
face when trying to balance their need for employee and public safety with
their legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Seven Tips for a Healthy Computer
Fixing “issues” and “conflicts” on computers can add up to tens of thousands of dollars lost to decreased productivity or service/repairs. Here are seven simple tips everyone could adhere to — businesses and individual computer users alike — that will keep your computers (and wallets) in tip-top shape.
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Following Injuries, Employers Must Remember to Fill Out the Paperwork
On-the-job injuries can be stressful for
everyone who was involved or witnessed an accident. But no matter how upsetting
or time-consuming the situation, employers must remember to fill out the
paperwork afterwards for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA).
by Richard D. Alaniz
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How to Manage Employees Who Manage
How many of the employees whom you manage are responsible for managing others? If you expect them to become as hands-on as you, you have to spend some time up front talking with each of them to prepare them.
by Bruce Tulgan
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Take Steps to Ensure Fiduciary Duty
For people who have even heard of it, “fiduciary duty” is usually a term reserved for bankers, chief financial officers, and members of boards of directors. However, all employees owe a duty of loyalty to the organizations they work for, even if they do not handle money or make major decisions.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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HVAC Contractor Licensing Certification Goes High Tech
Many HVACR industry members see state-mandated certification courses as an unnecessary drudgery for renewing tradesmen/contracting licenses; however, graduates of Southeastern Building Trades Associates Inc. (SBTA) continuing education classes see the process as mind-expanding and state-of-the-art learning.
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A New Political Climate Means New Employment Issues
Amid a faltering economy, and with primaries for the 2008 elections now in process, the political landscape grows more uncertain for businesses and employers. In the coming months, four issues currently under consideration in Congress loom particularly large because of their potential impact on companies.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Workers’ Comp Storm Clouds on Horizon in 2008
As always, in long tail coverage such as
Workers’ Compensation, there are challenges that cloud the future. The Workers’
Comp outlook for 2008 is one of caution and concern. Here is an assessment of
what employers can look forward to in the year ahead and even beyond.
by Frank Pennachio
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Are You Shorting Your Employees on Overtime?
Despite revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act in 2004, determining how to properly classify workers remains an ongoing struggle for many companies. That is evident from the amount of money the U.S. Department of Labor has collected from businesses that failed to properly compensate their employees for overtime.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Reward Employees for Their Good Work
Rewards are a powerful method for encouraging good job performance. Good work may not be repeated and employees can upset customers when managers don’t recognize, encourage, and reward them for job performance that meets or exceeds customers’ expectations. But rewards must be used effectively.
by Bob Cicerone
Richard Sassaman
John Swinney
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Are You Safe From Your Company’s Drivers?
If your employee is involved in an accident while working, you can be held liable. Where a company knew or had a reason to know that a driver of its commercial vehicles could create a risk of harm to others, it creates a “negligent entrustment.” And the stakes can be high.
by Richard D. Alaniz
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Solve Small Problems Before They Turn Into Big Problems
Do you want to be great at solving employee
performance problems? If you are talking with employees about the details of
their work on a regular basis, then talking about small problems should be something you do as a matter of course.
by Bruce Tulgan
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Is Your Business at Risk of Fraud and Theft?
In
a recent NEWS’ column titled “Fraud and Theft
Prevention Need Attention,” the topic of risks that businesses
take was discussed and it concluded with the mention of a Q&A document from
the Dwyer Group. This document has
now been made available to The NEWS for publication.
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