Onboarding that Impacts Retention By Traci Scherck, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Do you remember your first day on the job? Was it super organized and aligned with who you are or was it well… not the best experience? There is nothing worse that starting a new job and when you arrive on the first day,...
Increase Employee Retention With Strong Teams By Traci Scherck, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Accountability, trust, and fun. What do those words make you think of? If you said a dream team, you are right! A dream team is one that is cooperative, collaborative and committed to each other and the key outcomes. They meet every...
Strategic Engagement! Influence Employee Longevity in Your Organization By Traci Scherck , MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Are you sick of the Great Resignation, great shuffle, or whatever you want to call the mass exodus of employees to new organizations? The old adage of what got us here will not get us there. How do...
Inspiring Leaders By Traci Scherck, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP What does it mean to inspire someone? The Oxford English Dictionary defines inspire as – to fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. It can become overwhelming when you are trying to check off all of the boxes...
Aligning People Strategy With Business Strategy By Traci Scherck, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Have you ever found yourself in a crunch where they need to hire someone “yesterday” and end up hiring someone to fill the position without looking at the entire person? What we often hear is 30 – 60 –90’s day after a person is...
I-9 Updates The I-9 form is a requirement for all employers and new employees to complete at the time of hire. There are specific rules as to how to complete the I-9 and when. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made an announcement in the Federal Register on January 31, 2020, that the new version of the I-9 Form (rev.10/21/2019) is available...
What does permission have to do with employee engagement? Permission. This little word leads to the choices that we make each and every day. We are taught in our current society that we must be given permission to do things. The permission to go to the bathroom in school. The permission to leave the house and play outside. The...
The employee handbook is a great reference tool for both employees and managers. But did you know that you are not legally required to have a handbook? Nope. Not required at all. Yet, is an employee handbook recommended? Absolutely! The handbook is a key reference for your employees and your managers. This provides consistent policies to...
A water bottle on an employee’s desk or a cup of coffee seems very, very reasonable. Yet, what happens when there is more than coffee or water in those containers? The answer depends on your policies, state law, and what you already know about this employee. Here are 5 steps to review when facing a situation of potential substance...
A water bottle on an employee’s desk or a cup of coffee seems very, very reasonable. Yet, what happens when there is more than coffee or water in those containers?
The answer depends on your policies, state law, and what you already know about this employee. Here are 5 steps to review when facing a situation of potential substance abuse on the job.
Address the impact the substance abuse has on the employee’s behavior through your handbook policy, cultural norms and job descriptions.
Ensure you have a clearly written job description with physical abilities that name what the expected behavior is.
Review your handbook policy to determine what your Drug and Alcohol policy states and ensure you are adhering to it. The following are key items typically included in a drug and alcohol policy:
Investigate the situation. If your policy provides the support to conduct reasonable suspicion testing and you have staff onsite trained to complete this, complete that assessment.
Review what you already know about this employee. Do they have a noted disability or a perceived disability under the American with Disabilities Act? Have accommodations been made in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act? This will determine if you must enter into an interactive process to provide reasonable accommodation. The key here is that you have already addressed the IMPACT the substance abuse has on the organization, specifically relating to safety concerns.
In any case, a good offense is the best defense for any employment law situation. Therefore, having strong policies and ensuring your managers are trained to identify key HR red flags will lead to increased employee productivity and engaged staff.
If you have more questions than answers after reading this blog, please check out our complimentary trainings HERE. We discuss both organizational culture and compliance. If you like what you find, we would love to continue the conversation.
