As many of our Astronology readers know, Astron Solutions works with a number of hospitals in Louisiana.  We recently came across an article in Nursing Spectrum that highlights what many hospitals have been doing since Hurricane Katrina this past August.  The story is a relatively quick read we hope you find interesting.

2005 Year End Wrap Up -The HR Year in Revieww

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As 2006 begins, Astronology takes a look back at key issues human resource professionals faced in 2005 and the issues’ implications for 2006.

The Legal Environment

2005 was a year that brought many challenges to the human resource professional in terms of protecting their organization from lawsuits.  According to Workforce Management, these were the top 10 employer mistakes made in 2005:

1. Failing to Establish an Effective Sexual Harassment Policy

Recent Supreme Court decisions hold employers liable for their supervisors' actions unless complaining employees fail to take advantage of company complaint procedures.

2. Failing to Pay Overtime to Nonexempt Employees

Many employers pay employees a salary regardless of the number of hours they work and whether they are subject to the wage and hour laws. Unless they are exempt as administrative, executive or professional employees, you must pay them time-and-a-half their regular hourly pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 per week.

3. Failing to Complete I-9 Forms for New Employees

Many employers merely photocopy employee-produced documents without filling out the parts of the forms that describe the documents. This can be a costly mistake if the Immigration and Naturalization Service audits you – one employer was reportedly fined $100,000.

4. Failing to Take and Document Disciplinary Actions

Supervisors, not wanting to be perceived as villains, hate to write up employees. Then, when the company can no longer tolerate unsatisfactory performances, the files do not document the poor records, leaving no grounds on which to justify discharges.

5. Failing to Quickly Discharge Poor Performers

Employers are advised to progressively discipline employees and to give one warning too many rather than one too few. If you have retained employees for many years despite poor attendance records, multiple infractions, and even several “final'' warnings in their files, you are asking for trouble.

6. Being Sure that Layoffs have no Disparate Impact on any Protected Group

To avoid lawsuits, verify that the group being laid off doesn't contain a disproportionately high percentage of age-protected employees, employees of a particular ethnic or racial group, or those of a particular sex, compared to the rest of the workforce.

7. Failing to get a Signed Release from a Terminated Employee

As an employer, you may have a legitimate reason for terminating an employee. However, you fear a lawsuit if the employee is a member of a protected class. The right approach to avoid litigation often is to get signed releases from departing employees, particularly if any severance or separation pay is provided to the employees.

8. Conditioning Employment Offers on Medical Exams

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) bars employers from asking applicants about their disabilities or requiring medical exams before offering employment. You can ask applicants to take job-relevant medical exams only after offering jobs. The burden is on you to establish the medical exam's relevance to job requirements.

9. Failing to take Proactive Steps to keep your Workforce Union Free

Employers must constantly communicate with their employees to address grievances. If employees do not believe their employer is interested in their issues, these employees may look outside the workplace for representation.

10. Failing to Retain Labor and Employment Counsel to Avoid Making the First Nine Mistakes

The proliferation of complex statutes prevents most employers from keeping on top of employment law without professional help.

Key Strategic HR Issues for 2005

In addition to the legal environment faced by human resource professionals, there were a number of strategic HR issues that became 2005’s areas of focus.  About.com’s human resources forum identified ten key issues faced by human resource professionals in 2005:

1) Building Successful Work Teams

People in every workplace talk about “building the team,” “working as a team,” and “my team,” but few understand how to create the experience of teamwork or how to develop an effective team.

2) Minimizing Workplace Negativity

Nothing affects employee morale more insidiously than persistent workplace negativity. It saps the energy of your organization and diverts critical attention from work and performance

3) Developing “Great Managers”

Great managers break every rule perceived as “conventional wisdom,” when dealing with the selection, motivation, and development of staff.

4) Continued Issues of Failed Performance Appraisals

Performance appraisals or reviews, as they have traditionally been approached in organizations, are fundamentally flawed. The adoption of a performance management system instead will improve both employee performance and employee motivation.

5) Introduction of Web-Based Human Resources

Understanding web-based technologies can transform the way you offer Human Resources services within your organization now and in the future.

6) Retaining Your Best Employees

According to experts, retention will be a challenge in 2006, requiring both competitive salaries and great benefits. Employee involvement, recognition, advancement, development, and pay based on performance are important factors in your quest to retain your best.

7) Dealing with a Bad Boss or Bad Managers

Dealing with less than effective managers, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face.  Typical results are high turnover and low morale.   

8) Creating Respect at Work

Ask anyone in your workplace what treatment they most want at work. They will likely top their list with the desire to be treated with dignity and respect.

9) Redefining the Human Resources Function

As organizations realize that their human resources are their only dynamic asset, Human Resources professionals must evaluate their goals and potential contribution.

10)  Developing the HR Scorecard

Better definition of the role Human Resources can play as a source of sustainable competitive advantage and a key driver of value creation is essential.

Be sure to watch for future issues of Astronology as we explore these and other issues impacting the human resource profession in 2006.