Small Business Toolbox

A library of business management info


Discipline and Termination
  • Reducing the Fraught in Firing
    09/03/2008
    Firing someone is never easy, or at least it shouldn't be. In fact, according to small business consultant Annette Fazio, it's probably not something you'd ever want to get completely comfortable with, especially when you consider everything that could go wrong in the process. The problem is that people are unpredictable, which can make for some interesting, and sometimes frightening, reactions.
  • Effective Use of Praise and Criticism
    08/04/2008
    Praise and criticism are two important elements of effective leadership. Praise is especially important in what should be a manager's ongoing effort to elevate average or even better-than-average performance to outstanding performance. Although praise is always more powerful than criticism in improving performance, it's an unfortunate reality that criticism is the more frequently used of the two. This condition undoubtedly exists because criticism is necessary to right a wrong or reverse an error, but praise is perhaps seen as not especially necessary because there is nothing in need of immediate change.
  • How to Manage Employee Productivity
    07/21/2008
    How does a manager turn an employee's poor performance into satisfactory performance? Are threats of disciplinary action called for? Given that a particular employee received the same orientation as others, who's responsible for this person's failure to perform to expectations?
  • How to Prevent Employee Theft
    07/07/2008
    It's an unfortunate fact that some employees steal from their employers. When we consider employee theft we're inclined to think first about taking supplies, equipment or cash. Slower to come to mind are other forms of theft, such as late arrivals, early departures, extended lunch periods or performing personal business on work time. Whether it's pocketing paperclips and pens, padding an expense account, stealing time or embezzling millions, it's all theft.
  • The Manager's Role in Controlling Unemployment Costs
    06/27/2008
    Unemployment compensation insurance is a statutory benefit; every employer is required by law to participate in its state's unemployment insurance program. Although differences exist throughout the country, employers are generally subject to experience rating in that they are taxed according to their claims history. So the more a company's claims can be kept under control, the less the company will pay out in premiums. (In some states there are exceptions for nonprofit organizations that are required to pay on a dollar-for-dollar basis, paying actual costs as incurred.)
  • Protect Your Business Against Discrimination Claims
    04/28/2008
    Discrimination lawsuits are costly and time consuming. Hiring, termination, promotions, raises, job assignments and working conditions (including harassment) can all implicate discrimination laws. To avoid litigation you'll need to establish clear policies on hiring, working conditions and terminations.
  • Polygraph Testing and Employee Privacy
    03/25/2008
    There should be no argument with the contention that an employer has the right to ensure a workplace that's free from substance abuse, employee theft and general dishonesty. For years, a number of employers exercised this right in the form of employee polygraph testing. In fact, some businesses in which employees consistently handled cash and merchandise, such as retails stores or restaurants, subjected employees to random polygraph tests as a normal business practice.
  • The Final Paycheck: Paying Terminated Employees on Time
    03/21/2008
    There are two important issues that an employer must keep in mind when it comes to a terminated employee's final paycheck: When must the check be paid and what must be included in the paycheck. These issues are governed by state law, as there are no federal laws immediately on point.
  • Keeping Employees Accountable
    02/06/2008
    If your small business employs more than one person, you depend on teamwork to get the job done. In fact, if one person doesn't pull his or her share of the weight, the entire team could fail. For that reason, it is imperative that employees be held accountable for their actions. Here are ways to make sure that accountability comes from the very top.
  • Implementing Progressive Discipline
    10/03/2007
    Most supervisors hate doling out discipline. The situation becomes even more troublesome when employees perceive disciplinary action as unevenly applied or as punishment rather than correction. As a result, they may concentrate on not getting caught or retaliating rather than rectifying the problem.
  • Polite Behavior: You Can Bring It Back!
    09/11/2007
    You can't change the impolite behavior of the world. But by practicing a few simple habits yourself, you can often change the behavior of the people around you—and dramatically improve the civility of your small business.
  • The Pros and Cons of Exit Interviews
    08/16/2007
    "Exit interviews are for bad managers," declares Penelope Trunk, a business consultant and columnist with the Boston Globe and Yahoo! Finance. "They're totally outdated. If they (the business owner or manager) cared what the person leaving had to say, they would have asked them before they left."
  • Saving a Disliked Employee
    08/06/2007
    When an important member of your staff doesn't get along with coworkers, all of the talents that person brings to the job pale in comparison to the animosity he creates. This situation is common and can be disruptive for any size company, but it presents special concerns for small-business owners. They can't afford to lose a skilled employee or ignore the complaints of their unhappy staff who can't easily escape their irritating coworker.
  • Cost-Saving Measures to Consider Before Resorting to Layoffs
    07/06/2007
    Layoffs are a fact of life. Few things in business remain stable for long periods; customer preferences change, markets expand or contract, some companies grow while others shrink, and product life cycles get shorter. With this endless fluidity of business, cutting back workers has become nearly as common as acquiring them.
  • Bullying: Not Just a Schoolyard Problem
    06/11/2007
    When a preteen girl was suspended from school for bullying a classmate, her mother didn't let the punishment stop there. She not only took away the girl's cell phone and television time; she went a step further.
  • When Love Walks In the Office Door
    04/09/2007
    Romantic relationships between co-workers--or even superiors and subordinates--place any size company in jeopardy, but the risk can be especially acute for smaller business, says attorney Robin Bond, president and founder of Transition Strategies, LLC, a Wayne, Pa.-based employment law firm.
  • Performance Standards: What They Are and How to Use Them
    01/31/2007
    Performance standards are the next step logically following a job description. A job description says what must be done; the performance standards then specify how much must be done and how well it must be done. Standards are expectations of employee performance, and they are measures against which that performance can be evaluated.
  • Reprimanding an Employee: Keeping It Positive
    01/29/2007
    The close-knit family feeling of many small businesses often makes it hard to reprimand an employee. There are times, however, when it's in the best interest of the business as a whole to do so. By keeping the reprimand as positive as possible, and by focusing on improvement of work and the employee's potentially greater value to the company, reprimands can also be in the best interest of the employee.
  • Providing References for Former Employees, Both Friends and Foes
    12/15/2006
    Employers today find themselves in the position of saying too little for fear of saying too much when it comes to providing references for former employees. Should you tell the truth and nothing but the truth whether good, bad or neutral? It may be surprising, but there is no right answer. As a former employer, you can generally say as much or as little as you like, as long as you do not knowingly provide false information. By definition, a reference allows you to disclose a significant amount of information about a former employee--but as with any business dealing, it pays to think before you speak.
  • Micromanagement is Mismanagement
    11/27/2006
    Most people who have been in the workforce any length of time have occasionally been exposed to bosses who micromanage. The micromanager is the manager who must personally make every decision, take a lead role in the performance of every significant task and, in extreme cases, dictate every small step the workers take. To many employees the micromanager is, in modern parlance, a control freak.
  • Strategies for Addressing Conflict
    09/28/2006
    Conflict is inevitable in the workplace. As long as two or more people are present, the potential for occasional disagreement exists. Frequently, the basis for a particular conflict is not apparent since an underlying issue can be camouflaged by a less important visible symptom.
  • Why Performance Feedback Is Crucial
    09/20/2006
    An anonymous but wise individual once said: "Good management is not only the gift of identifying talent, but the art of selective recognition of strengths and weaknesses, and the proper encouragement of the best in any man or woman." This statement alone, especially the latter part speaks volumes about the importance of feedback on performance.
  • Dressing Employees for Success: Implementing a Non-Discriminatory Dress Code
    09/08/2006
    An employee's appearance can often make or break a customer decision. You naturally want to create appearances that shine a positive light on your business. But what about your employees' rights? Can an employee drag you into court for making her cover up a tattoo? Or, what about beards and body piercings? To establish a dress code that steers clear of discrimination remember three things: Be reasonable, communicate openly and think about your bottom line.
  • Crafting a Workplace Violence-Control Program
    07/27/2006
    Unfortunately in business today, violence in the workplace is on the rise. This steady increase is troubling in itself, and it becomes all the more frightening when we consider the highly random character of workplace violence. We know it can occur anytime anywhere, affecting anyone, with little or no forewarning.
  • Stop Employee Theft Before It Happens
    07/25/2006
    Picture this: An accidental discovery in the books reveals that the most trusted, high-level employee from the company down the street has been embezzling money for years, and it has gone unnoticed—until now. Do you think this frightening scenario will never happen at your company? Think again. Security experts say that as many as 30 percent of the average company's employees do steal, and another 60 percent will steal if given a motive and opportunity. Some estimates indicate that more than $600 billion is stolen annually, or, roughly $4,500 per employee. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, about a third of all business failures each year trace back to employee theft and other employee crime.
  • Cultivate Customer Satisfaction by Putting Employees First
    04/05/2006
    Ever encountered a clerk or cashier who muttered “Have a nice day” in a way that showed that he or she couldn’t care less what kind of day you had? You may have walked away feeling that the person who served you didn’t like his or her job, and that “serving” you was one small step toward quitting time. You might also have left with an unfavorable impression of the business, and if you encountered this behavior on your second or third visit, you might have taken your business elsewhere.
  • 10 Reasons to Implement a Drug-Free Workplace Policy
    03/17/2006
    Most drug users are employed, and when they arrive for work, they don’t leave their problems at the door. Some costs—increased absences, accidents and errors—are obvious. Others, such as low morale and high illness rates, are less so, but their effects may be equally harmful.
  • No One Is Born a Good Manager
    03/08/2006
    The desire to become a manager is usually inspired by wanting to expand one’s business skills, financial potential and career satisfaction. Moving into management is a big step because it means that day-to-day tasks change in a key way: No longer will an employee work primarily on his or her own. Instead, duties like interacting with others, working out time schedules and goals for them, conducting and attending meetings and inspiring and instructing others consume the workday.
  • Human Rights Complaints: When to Go It Alone, When to Call Your Attorney
    03/02/2006
    Few managers who have ever been involved in a human rights complaint are happy to see one arrive. An external agency determines the timing of a complaint and the time frame for the company’s initial response. Thus, a human rights complaint is always an intrusion on management’s routine, so there’s no “good” time to deal with a complaint.
  • The Fine Art of Criticism
    01/18/2006
    The need for criticism can’t be avoided; hardly anyone’s work or behavior is always perfect, and obvious shortcomings must be addressed. But criticism, even done properly, can be difficult for the critic and discomforting to the recipient. Done incorrectly, criticism can be hazardous, if not outright damaging.
  • Staff Infections: Three steps to eliminate poor performers
    01/11/2006
    The best way to protect your business from problem employees is to begin the employment relationship with clearly written procedures for documenting employees’ behavior--good and bad. Consistency is key. Employment discrimination suits often start when you treat workers in the same situation differently.
  • Controlling Absenteeism
    11/15/2005
    Absenteeism will never go away completely; people become legitimately ill and experience crises that require time off. Nevertheless, you can minimize absenteeism through conscientious attention and control.
  • Seven Ways to Avoid Employee Fraud
    10/11/2005
    Though employee fraud is one of the most common crimes committed against small businesses, owners and managers of many small companies take few precautions. This is unfortunate because a small-business owner can significantly reduce employee fraud at little or no additional expense to the company.
  • Properly Trained Employees Lead to Small-Business Success
    07/01/2005
    The California Chamber of Commerce recently conducted a survey of 100 of the most successful small businesses in that state. One of the questions was, what is the real key to business success? The most popular answer - properly trained employees.
  • Terminating Employment: Six Steps to Help in the Process
    06/17/2005
    The decision to terminate an employee is never easy and is usually a last-resort measure. But unfortunately, termination may be inevitable. To avoid legal problems down the road, you should establish a set approach to employee management that includes procedures for firing an employee. The following six steps can help you effectively handle terminations.
  • React Quickly to Problem Employees
    09/21/2004
    If an employee is not performing to your standards or expectations, you must handle it immediately. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that it will pass. Set up a time to discuss what is happening directly with the employee. Do not wait for a review period.
  • Terminating Employees
    07/13/2004
    Getting the right mix of employees takes time. At one time or another, every small-business owner must decide whether to discharge an employee. The saying “one bad apple can spoil the barrel” is especially true in a small company.
  • How Private Are Your Personal Files?
    06/22/2004
    The majority of people who manage the work of others retain information about employees in their files. We’re concerned here with personal files; not personnel files which include the official employment records, but rather those files that a manager may use for retaining information about individual employees.
  • How to Nip Disciplinary Problems in the Bud
    02/24/2004
    Are you uncomfortable with delivering disciplinary action, even involving employees you know deserve it?
  • Curb Absenteeism With Formal Policies
    10/06/2003
    Because many small businesses have only a few employees, excessive absenteeism can place a considerable financial burden on a company.
  • Combating Absenteeism
    06/05/2003
    There are some steps that you as a small-business owner can take to either avoid absenteeism, or lessen the consequences when it does happen.
  • Handling Problem Employees
    03/03/2003
    Generally speaking, problem employees fall into two categories: those with bad attitudes and those lacking the skills for the job.
  • Dealing With Absenteeism
    09/18/2002
    When calling in sick becomes the rule rather than the exception, you have a problem.
  • How to Deliver Bad News
    03/28/2002
    No one likes to break bad news to business associates, employees or clients.
  • Kinder, Gentler Tactics for Reducing Unscheduled Employee Absences
    03/28/2002
    Although you can't eliminate employee absences, you can do the next best thing by encouraging workers to schedule their time off.