Employee Relations

Employee Engagement and Retention, Leadership and Management, Employee Relations

Why Do Some Employees Seem Untouchable?

Most of us have worked with team members who are abrasive, bullies, and condescending. Their mere presence instills fear, and everyone walks on eggshells wondering if they are going to be the next target. So, why do they still have jobs? As an HR Manager, I can tell you most of the time the reason is that they get results. Since their results improve the bottom line, their behaviors get overlooked. But, the problem with that is they single-handedly destroy the morale of everyone around them.
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
2 min read
Employee Relations

The Dreaded Lunch Thief

You went to dinner at your favorite restaurant and were dreaming all morning about the leftovers that you brought to work. Or, you spent all day Sunday cooking and preparing your lunches for the week. However, when you go to the office refrigerator to enjoy your meal, you realize it is gone. There is a lunch bandit on the loose! This happens at every company, and at every company, the complaints come to HR to handle with the expectation of us catching the thief somehow. Are we expected to move
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
1 min read
Employee Relations, Employee Engagement and Retention, Leadership and Management

Are Employee Surveys Effective?

At some point in your career, you’ve more than likely been asked to participate in an employee survey. Organizations conduct these surveys for different reasons: • To ask for feedback and get a “pulse” on employee satisfaction and engagement • To instill an open-door policy where feedback and transparency is welcomed • To make improvements within the company I’ve worked at companies that conducted surveys annually, quarterly, or not at all. The ones that did not conduct surveys chose this
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
2 min read
Leadership and Management, Employee Relations

Losing Your Job Builds Character

Picture this. Your manager schedules an unexpected or last minute meeting with you with a vague subject line. When you arrive in the conference room, your site HR Representative is sitting alongside your manager. You immediately know something isn’t right. Your heart starts to beat faster, your hands may begin to shake, and/or you may begin to sweat. And then it happens. Your manager delivers the blow: “We have some bad news. You are being terminated/your position is being eliminated effective
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
1 min read
Employee Relations, Leadership and Management

How to Be the Worst Employee Ever

Most managers have that one employee who is just a nightmare! Yes. This is true. They may dread seeing them in the hallway or may not look forward to one-on-one meetings with them. If the manager hired them, they constantly question how they missed the warning signs during the interview process. If they inherited them from another team, they wonder how in the world they are still employed. I thought it was only fair to cover both sides and follow up on my previous article: How to Be the Worst
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
2 min read
Employee Relations, Leadership and Management, Training and Development

How and When to Ask for a Raise

You are diligently working long hours, crushing deadlines, and receiving excellent feedback from colleagues at all levels of the organization. Maybe you have taken on more responsibilities and/or joined a cross-functional team that is beyond your scope. Most of us believe we deserve and are worth much more money than we are actually paid. Sometimes this is true; other times, not so much. If you are planning to ask for a raise, here are some guidelines: 1. Be prepared to list specific accomp
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
2 min read
Leadership and Management, Employee Relations

Starbucks and Unconscious Bias

Two men were recently arrested at a Starbucks coffee shop in Philadelphia for trespassing after they did not purchase anything. They were waiting for a friend and one asked to use the restroom. The store manager asked them to leave and they refused so she called 911. How many times have you hung out at a coffee shop all day to work and use the free wi-fi? Did you use the restroom while you were there? Were you asked to leave? Probably not. This extremely unfortunate event shows how much more
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
1 min read
Employee Engagement and Retention, Employee Relations

Stop Annoying Your Co-Workers

We all spend a lot of hours at work. Just like your real family, your work family may start to get on your last nerve. Here are some examples of annoying habits or actions that I frequently get complaints about: 1. Being loud and disruptive in a cubicle environment - tapping, loud gum chewing, whistling, singing. You get the point. Be quiet and courteous of your office mates. 2. Cooking smelly food - Burned popcorn, fish, etc. Be aware that some people are very sensitive to smells and th
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
2 min read
Employee Relations, Leadership and Management

Why Are You Crying?

Crying in the workplace - sobbing, shaking, hyperventilating. Why do tears make people so uncomfortable? Due to the nature of my role, I witness people (men, women, managers) crying quite frequently. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I offer a tissue, listen sympathetically, and provide resources and/or solutions. I do my best to make the person feel comfortable. However, so many people don't know how to cope when someone starts crying. It may be in a private 1:1 meeting behind closed d
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
1 min read
Employee Relations, Leadership and Management

Why Do So Many People Loathe HR?

I am an HR professional who has worked in the Human Resources field in different roles for over eighteen years. I have been an HR Generalist, Senior HR Generalist, and HR Manager in the manufacturing, contract manufacturing, machining, and non-profit health care industries. I have practiced all HR functions including talent acquisition, performance management, training, coaching, management, employee relations, benefits, and compensation. Whenever there is an interesting article about job sear
Brenda Maday
Brenda Maday
4 min read