|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Employers - Protect Yourself from Custody Battles that Hold Your Company Hostage
Child custody? How'd that get to be an employer's concern? When an employee faces child custody litigation, it will effect their ability to do their job. And it often causes legal consequences for their employers as well. Unless you know where to draw the lines regarding your legal obligations and exposure, you could find your employee's custody difficulties costing the company in a variety of ways. Custody problems have a major impact in the workplace, where they effect other employees, as well as hurting the bottom line. Worse yet, they can be disruptive in the workplace for a long time. Unlike other kinds of employee stress, a custody dispute could keep creating turmoil until the employee's youngest child turns 18. A matter may seem to be resolved, only to rise again years later as the child's circumstances change. Financial Costs Add Up The widespread effects of custody litigation on employers isn't a new issue. It's just that nobody has been noticing how many negative ways it creates problems in the workplace. But you need to, because the risks and harmful consequences to your enterprise of ignoring it are significant. When you consider the impact on other employees, your personnel policies, and financial exposure, this article should be a wake-up call. Impact on the Employee's Performance
Impact on the Supervisor or Employer Extra supervision is usually required to compensate for erratic employee performance issues. Distracted employees aren't capable of doing their best work. Plus, you need to be vigilant as to how custody developments effect co- workers, and the extent to which they're pulled into the personal problems. Constant updating and consoling distracts everyone involved from their work. In an effort to be "understanding" it's easy for supervisors to fall into enabling behaviors, that are harmful both for the business and the employee. These could include:
Be Alert to the Company's Risks The employer must never sacrifice company policy under such circumstances. It should already have policies in place to deal with these matters - and then stick with them. If the personnel matters are mis-handled, even for well-meaning reasons, the legal exposure would be costly in both dollars and time. And don't overlook the related issues which put the company at risk: possible workplace violence (one need only pick up the paper), compromised company confidentiality (as private work-related matters are made public records through court submission) and accidents, which are more likely when a person is distracted. And that doesn't even address the costs related to lost jobs. (It costs approximately $125,000 to hire and orient a new employee.) Custody matters often trigger relocations or resignations. No workplace is immune. Just because custody-related problems haven't come up before, it's unwise to disregard the headaches it can cause. Knowing the proper way to support the employee and where to draw the line serves them as well as the organization. If you want to protect your business from being held hostage when an employee goes through a custody dispute, you need reliable information. Because the consequences to your operation could be crippling. About The Author Charlotte Hardwick, author Win Your Child Custody War, the most comprehensive and respected guidebook on the topic (640 pages, updated each year). For resources that put you in control and arms you for every step of your custody dispute, visit http://www.custodywar.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Motivation - You Get What You Reward There's a programme currently running on BBC Television inthe UK called - "Little Angels." It's a series that offershelp and advice to parents who're experiencing behaviourdifficulties with their children. I'm sure there are similarprogrammes in other parts of the world. The children areoften out of control, won't do what they're told andgenerally dominate the family. Innovation Management ? does the idea fit with the firm? Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Business Knowledge Management In the last few years a lot has been written about Business Process Management, and about technologies supporting it such as BPMS, SOAP and Web Services. Most of these theories, tools and techniques refer to processes of a highly structured nature. Where Else in Your Business Do You Accept a 60% Failure Rate? I recently surveyed CEOs and Business Leaders of large companies and small, profit and not-for-profit, and I asked just them just one question:'What is the single biggest factor that you believe will inhibit your sustained profitable growth into the future?' A, perhaps, surprising 37% responded that it was people - the recruitment, motivation and retention of people that was the biggest factor. Creativity and Innovation Management ? Money Doesnt Do It Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. Critical Success Factors - Next (Note, although this article was written in early 2002, it is totally relevant. Right now.) Industry Analysis Section of Your business plan Writing a Business Plan for your next entrepreneurial endeavor is crucial. You will need sufficient capital and a guide to keep you on track. One important part of any business plan is to size up the Industry and attempt to figure out your pecking order and specialty niches for your best chances of profitability. Having written more business plans than I care to admit and having read hundreds of others, it always amazed me how easy it was to attempt to "wing it" when it came to the Industry Analysis section. You know read a trade journal and look at a graph put it into Microsoft Excel and shove it into the business plan. If you have done this or are tempted to, you are not alone. But let me warn you that the Industry Analysis section is crucial. As a serial entrepreneur I have had some great successes and victories in the market place and of course as Babe Ruth will tell you, some strike outs also. You must know the truth and understand the trends of your Industry to properly position yourself for the stage win. This is why Lance Armstrong has a whole team to cover for him as he rides into the record books. You must know your competition, the course and have a clear strategy to be successful in business and it all starts with your business plan. Five Problem-Solving Success Tips The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's tough economy. 3 Ingredients of Highly Profitable Organizational Change As waves of organizational change sweep across the business landscape, a huge question arises: What must a leader do to make sure change produces highly profitable results? What to Ask When You?re Invited to a Meeting 1) Where is the agenda? A meeting without an agenda is like a journey without a map; it will always waste your time. Once you have the agenda, make sure that it consists of more than a list of words because this is almost useless. The agenda for an effective meeting will provide a complete description of how the meeting will proceed. Making Your Workers Your Partners There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of companies. The former want, for instance, to minimize costs - the latter to draw huge salaries as long as they are in power (who knows what will transpire tomorrow). For companies traded in the stock exchanges, the former wish to maximize the value of the stocks (short term), the latter might have a longer term view of things. In the USA, shareholders place emphasis on the appreciation of the stocks (the result of quarterly and annual profit figures). This leaves little room for technological innovation, investment in research and development and in infrastructure. The theory is that workers who are also own stocks will avoid these cancerous conflicts which, at times, bring companies to ruin and, in many cases, dilapidate them financially and technologically. Whether reality leaves up to theory, is an altogether different question to which we will dedicate a separate article. What 80% of Businesses Don?t Know: Tips for Improving Your Working Capital Management What is the number one way to prevent failure in business? Take a minute to really think about your answer. What comes to mind? Increasing patients or customers served? ? Effective marketing? ? Location, location, location? ? Improving patient or customer care? ? Being the best in your industry? Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Managerial Influence This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency evaluates an employee's feelings regarding their direct manager or supervisor. The manager/supervisor competency covers topics like clarity of goals, manager support, coaching and feedback, and regular reviews of performance. The old adage that "people leave their managers, not organizations" is often true. Of all the workplace stressors, a bad immediate manager is one of the worst and will directly impact the emotional health, productivity, and retention of an employee. This competency can be especially insightful if your organization is losing quality employees while your compensation and benefit packages are equivalent with industry standards. Beyond Management Coaching: When Things Are Getting Out of Control Leaders and Managers often ask us, 'What do you do when you have tried to coach and counsel an employee about a performance concern, and the employee has not responded? How to Enhance Quality in Your Business Every business must strive to provide quality products and services to customers. To achieve that objective the company must draw well thought out policies and procedures to ensure 100% achievement of the targets. Top Ten Tips for Outstanding Customer Service Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way. Are Your Meetings Smart? Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to accomplish more in less time every day, Roger shook my hand and said, "I can use what you said. But there is one thing you didn't talk about. It is something that drives me crazy. I can't get anything done because I'm in meetings all day long. We have gone overboard on meetings. We discuss practically everything as a team before making decisions." I asked Roger for his card and I called him later that afternoon with some ideas that could help get him and his team out of their meetings trap. ISO 9001 What Records Does My Business Need To Keep? Which documents must I keep for ISO 9001? How To Manage A Difficult Employee Having to manage a difficult employee is never fun and can be the most challenging part of your responsibilities as a business owner/executive. While never easy, this article will address a step-by-step way to consistently and confidently handle the most challenging employee situations. In addition, how you handle a difficult employee will send a strong and powerful message to those who still work for your company. Why I always Keep my Promises Integrity is very important to me, and I try hard to 'do unto others as I would wish them do unto me'. It hasn't always worked that way for me though.There have been times in my previous career - times that I can remember vividly even now - when promises were not kept, things were borrowed, never to be returned and where I was not on the best end of wheeling and dealing that are part of corporate politics.For me, creating honourable relationships with my people has always been important. It is a two-way street. Once when my wife was very ill, my management team told me not to come in, despite it being a very busy time. I told them, thank-you, and I would come and go, in the comfort that they thought enough of me; of us; to tell me to do that.I didn't need to ask, but what they said to me at that time came from an environment of fairness, honesty and trust had grown over time. They knew that if it had been them, I would have offered the same.It was as if, as Steven Covey says, in 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', I had enough credit in my 'emotional bank account' to tide me over. I'd never realised that I had that credit, but looking back, my standards and values were daily deposits. You get back what you give out.There's no better time to start than right now.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
