Preventing violence against employees is an employer’s responsibility—and not one to be taken lightly. Being aware of the risks and taking steps to make your company a safe workplace are the first steps in a successful violence prevention policy.

Seven Warning Signs Of Potentially Violent Behavior

1. Threats: either direct or veiled threats of harm
2. Aggressive or inappropriate actions: Intimidating, belligerent, harassing and bullying behavior
3. Weapons: Bringing one to the workplace or inappropriate references to or a fascination with weapons
4. References to workplace violence: agreeing with violence as a solution to a problem, fascination with incidents of workplace violence, or identifying with perpetrators of workplace homicides
5. Indications of desperation to the point of contemplating suicide: over finances, family problems, or other personal problems
6. Drug and or alcohol abuse
7. Extreme changes in behavior

These signs differ from broader examples such as a worker who has experienced the ending of a relationship, or one who has been to counseling. Those are not indicators of workplace violence any more than are broad age-group (men in their 40s) or physical descriptions (wears black clothing).

Rather, the seven behaviors above are not to be ignored—they are clear signs that something is wrong. Identifitying and dealing with an employee who exhibits these behaviors may help prevent workplace violence. Depending on the behavior, the solutions can range from immediate police intervention to disciplinary action or referral to professional help.

Providing employees with a company policy on workplace violence tells them that management takes it seriously and that their reports of threats or unusual behavior will be dealt with. Failing to provide a policy, take reports seriously and deal with threats means employers will fail at preventing violence as well as instilling trust.

Employees must be trained in how to recognize signs of violent behavior and encouraged to report it. Emergency procedures should be practiced so that all staff members know what to do in the event of an incident.

Management can take advantage of training to learn how to take disciplinary actions and diffuse anger, as well as handling crisis situations. Most important, management must ensure that appropriate pre-employment screening is conducted on every employee. Knowing whether the candidate you’re about to bring into the workplace has a history of arrests, criminal activity or violent behavior is the one of the best ways to prevent future workplace violence.

While workplace violence incidents can occur at the hands of people without criminal pasts, thorough employee background screening also includes checking references and talking to previous employers about an employee’s work history, handling of emotional issues, anger management and temperament.

Preventing workplace violence is one of the most important duties of an employer. Educate yourself, your management team and your staff on the seven signs of potentially violent behavior.

Recently a Jet Blue flight attendant named Steve Slater made a dramatic exit from his job—and made the news world-wide. His “I can’t take it anymore” rant was heroic to some, and simply whiney to others.

Those who see him as a hero say he represents the overworked masses that have made it through the recession, but with nerves frayed and tempers flaring. Many of these workers, it seems, are just waiting for the next incident to push them over the edge.

But what about their bosses? Many have been hesitant to pile more onto employees who are already maxed out. Are managers getting ready to crumble under bigger piles of responsibility, too?

How does a manager avoid putting too much onto employees and risk having one quit in a dramatic fashion, or “slide the chute,” as the Jet Blue flight attendant did? It’s a matter of delegating—which is an art. Doing it right maintains a balance and keeps everyone’s workload manageable—including yours.

Here are some tips on delegating well:

• First of all, recognize that if you don’t delegate, you will cripple your ability to manage.
• Get to know your staff better. What area of the business they want to learn more about? Find tasks that will advance their knowledge and they’ll be more likely to do them well.
• Don’t “hover.” Once you give someone a task, let it go and let them do it—even if they’re doing it differently than you would (also known as doing it “wrong”).
• Give them time. Realizing an employee is capable of handling some things as well as you—even if they’re only at 50% now—comes with time. So delegate a task, teach them how to do it right, and expect that that will. Be patient.
• Empower employees with knowledge of how each project fits into the company’s operations. Let them see how important it is, and they’ll be more likely to take ownership of it.

When the recession hit, employers knew their workers couldn’t just walk out the door and find another job. Now that we’ve been through a couple of years of the downturn, stressed-out staff need to be handled carefully in order to keep them from running toward the exits as soon as things start getting better.

But, just because your staff may have options now or in the near future doesn’t mean you can’t add to their responsibilities. Who knows—maybe delegating some of your job duties will make their jobs much more fulfilling and your employees more likely to stick around!

In many industries, business is starting to pick up; employers are at least thinking about hiring again. One of the most important positions you’ll hire for is salespeople. What’s the best way to approach this challenge?

Salespeople need to do two things: acquire new business and take care of existing customers. It takes a certain type of employee to make a great salesperson—and there are few businesses that can survive a bad sales hire. Think about how long your company can wait for a new salesperson to get up to speed, and hire the best you can.

Five ideas to consider when you’re ready to hire sales staff:

1. Expert sales people can sell anything. Often, employers focus on finding someone who already works in their industry. They believe that if Tom has been installing flooring for several years, he should be able to sell it, too. Our first tip is to flip this thinking upside down. Try looking at people who have the skills, drive and temperament it takes to be a successful salesperson—even if they know nothing about your business category. It’s easier to teach a good salesperson about the difference between berber carpet and linoleum than to teach a good carpet installer how to close a sale.
2. Consider hiring from your competition. If you’re paying attention, you know what’s going on with your competitors. Perhaps they have a very strong sales staff you’d like to emulate. One way to do it is to hire those people. Hiring another company’s staff does not come without challenges, so be sure to do your homework. Confidentiality is the goal—but it’s not guaranteed. If you’re okay with your competitor knowing you’re trying to hire her star salesperson, go ahead. And be prepared to invest enough to lure her in and keep her happy and productive.
3. Speaking of investing in salespeople, hiring the best means offering an attractive compensation package. Salespeople are driven by a variety of factors, like the thrill of the game, winning the business and of course, making money. Growth is achieved through sales—and if you structure your compensation package correctly, you can make both your new salesperson and your bottom line happy. Consider a base salary plus a commission of some type. Commission only makes some salespeople desperate. Some companies put a cap on commissions—that’s not always a good idea. Why cap sales? Do look for quality of sales when figuring out commissions. Lower percentages for lower-profit items makes more sense than a flat fee no matter how much the sale actually nets the company.
4. Always be recruiting. This means you should have an idea of who your next salesperson should be long before you hire anyone. Through social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, you can get to know more people quicker than ever before. You could meet an unknown sales star at a networking event, a parking garage, or your neighborhood pizza restaurant. A natural people-person is a natural salesperson too. Keep an ongoing list of who you’d like to talk to when hiring for your next sales position—whenever that may be.
5. Do your due diligence on reference and background  checks. Salespeople can charm even the most wary employer into believing everything they say about their history and sales performance. Ask for former client and employer references, and don’t skip the credit check.

Productivity in the U.S. is down, and rumor has it that employees are maxed out. If you’ve trimmed some staff members and squeezed out all you can from your remaining employees, it’s time to assess your productivity. Perhaps it’s time to consider hiring again.

Re-hiring a Laid-off Employee
When they’re ready to hire for a newly-open position, many business owners and managers naturally think about the last person who held it. In many cases, that person didn’t leave the company, but was laid off. Before you pick up the phone to recall a laid-off employee, consider these tips.

Often, it makes sense to bring a laid-off employee back into the fold. After all, if Susan did the job for years, she won’t require any training. She’s already in tune with the company’s culture, so there’s no bringing her up to speed on dos and don’ts. She knows the policies and procedures as well as you do. It’s usually much easier to rehire a former employee than recruit, hire and train a new one.

But first, consider the reasons behind the layoff. If George was an exemplary worker and budget is the only reason he’s gone, then he could be your only choice for the position. If that’s the case, call George as soon as you can—before another company hires him.

Why Hiring Laid-Off Employees is not Always a Good Idea
Chances are your company and its needs have changed during the recession. Perhaps your remaining crew has turned into a lean, mean, production machine—and that ex-employee won’t fit in. It can be difficult for inflexible people to fit into a changed environment.

There’s a reason George was laid off instead of Tom. Before you hire him back, assess the situation around the layoff choice. It could lead to insight about George’s past and future performance. Was his work up to speed? Did he create bad feelings when he left?

Laid-off employees can change, too. A formerly dedicated worker could develop a negative attitude toward a company he’s been seeing as the enemy for months or years. Consider requiring the former staff person to go through the same application process and interview as a brand-new employee. This gives everyone an opportunity to look objectively at needs, skills, and attitudes. If there are any signs of a grudge, ask open-ended questions to get to the bottom of it.

Don’t Forget Employee Screening
It pays to be just as cautious when re-hiring an ex-employee as when hiring a stranger. Anything can happen between layoff and rehire time. Don’t expose your company and other employees to the risks of hiring anyone—even a former employee—without a thorough pre-employment background check.

Why employees are voluntarily leaving their jobs in larger numbers than we’ve seen in nearly two years, and what employers can do about it.

It may seem like a slap in the face to employers who’ve worked hard to keep their employees happy (and employed) through this tough economy, but they’d better get used to this fact: employees are voluntarily leaving their jobs in larger numbers than we’ve seen in nearly two years.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of employees quitting their jobs surpassed those being discharged by employers this past February. And as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, a poll conducted by Right Management at the end of 2009 indicated 60% of employees intend to leave their jobs when the market improves.

Some employers are bracing themselves for major turnover. Formerly-nervous employees are starting to feel more confident that the economy will turn and employers will begin hiring again. And, they feel they’ve waited long enough to pursue better opportunities, according to the survey.

Another factor inspiring employees to jump ship could be low morale and job satisfaction. We’ve written about ways to keep employees motivated through the recession, as job responsibilities increased and perks disappeared. But some employers may have taken the “you’re lucky to have a job” approach to employee management too far—even if it was true!

Employees are again going to be faced with choices, as recruiters call and their networks start buzzing again with opportunities. While no one knows exactly when that will happen, history shows that what goes up (unemployment figures, for instance) must come down.

Employers concerned about losing good employees—and the associated costs, like recruitment, lost productivity and training—should think ahead and keep communication flowing. Talk to your employees one-on-one and hear their grievances. Ask for ways you can help improve the work environment. The goal is to catch your valued staff before they head out the door. After all, most employers know it’s much easier to keep a good employee than to find another one.

Small employers often don’t worry about strict regulations and too many rules. With a small group, your employees may be more like family, and if everyone is getting along, it’s a good thing. But what if two or more employees are getting along a little too well, and start seeing each other outside of work? No big deal? But what if one of them is in a supervisory role? Now it gets complicated.

While relationships between coworkers don’t present a threat to employers, those that involve a person in power are a different story. A consensual romance that goes sour could lead to charges that it was, indeed, non-consensual. Favoritism is another potential hot issue, like when a manager promotes her boyfriend. No exactly fair to the other staff, is it? As an employer, you must protect the company from charges of sexual harassment. An inappropriate relationship between a supervisor and subordinate could leave the organization vulnerable to a lawsuit.

That’s why every organization with employees needs a basic, written dating policy. What should it include?

• First, make it clear that while dating is not prohibited, romantic relationships between supervisors and employees are not allowed. Train supervisors to avoid workplace romances with subordinates.
• Some firms avoid issues with nepotism and claims of unfair treatment with a policy that no couples or relatives will be hired.
• Other companies require employees who intend to pursue a romantic relationship to report such to management. Why? For a written record that it is indeed consensual. Make sure to ask for notification when the relationship ends, too.
• Clearly state that sexual harassment will not be tolerated in any form. This includes inappropriate language, behavior, or unwanted attention. Remind employees that “no” means “no.”

How to Deal with the Office Rumor Mill
When one employee spills the beans on another’s extracurricular activities, encourage him or her to pay attention to their own worries, not to mention their job. It’s best not to tolerate employees reporting on each other.

If Jack and Jill’s relationship is creating a negative work environment, deal with it before morale and productivity plummet. Obviously, your employees are being paid to perform their job duties and nothing else, so any damaging behavior should not be tolerated.

When it comes to the economy, everyone seems to be waiting for something to happen. Reports we used to pay little attention to, like unemployment, consumer confidence, savings rates and housing starts, capture our attention and are analyzed closely.

Employers are no exception. They’ve weathered the economic storm, and many want to know if it’s ever going to turn around. You may be asking yourself if it’s time to spend some of the cash you’re holding on to, or if it’s time to hire again. Or you may just want to know if you can exhale yet!

We can’t tell you the answer to Questions 1 & 3, but here are some tips for question #2: How do you know if it’s time to hire?

1. You and your employees are stressed out. You might have cut positions, combined workloads, or just kept piling tasks on yourself and your staff. If your people are starting to show signs of discontent, are leaving things undone, or are threatening to walk out—you know you have a problem. It just might be solved with a new employee.

2. You are profitable. Profitability is a very good sign. But only when it happens for several months in a row. Much of this depends on your business, but if you’ve been turning a profit for 18 months, and your current staff is overworked, it might be time to hire. If you’re not steadily seeing profits, see #3.

3. The new hire will produce profit. If you’ve crunched the numbers and a new hire will pay for him or herself and then some, what are you waiting for?

4. You’re paying for temps or independent contractors. If there are services you need enough to pay higher temp and contractor fees, can you afford to turn that expense into an employee? Consider hiring a good-fit contractor or temp. If they have skills you need, then find a way to create a sustainable solution.

When you make the decision to hire, be sure to properly screen employment applicants. Pre-employment screening is an easy way to mitigate the risk of hiring staff with questionable backgrounds, criminal histories, or unacceptable credit problems.

Federal investigators in Bellevue, NE arrested a man for running a background check scam. The FBI accuses him of forming a fake background check company and charging consumers $600 for each bogus background check. His total take for this fraudulent activity was a whopping $170,000!

According to reports, the 51-year-old man had previously been indicted on wire and mail fraud charges before he started his latest scam company. Apparently, he indicated he could run FBI and Interpol background checks on anyone—which is not true. FBI records are not generally available to the public.

It’s far too easy for scammers to find victims who will pay $600 for a fake “FBI-quality” background check. Employers and hiring managers should do their due diligence and make sure they’re using a reputable employee background check company.

How can an employer be sure a pre-employment screening company is legitimate? Ask the following questions:

• Is it ISO 9001 Certified?
• Is it Better Business Bureau Accredited?
• Is it a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners?
• Is it FCRA Compliant as a Consumer Reporting Agency?
• Is it PCI Compliant?

For more information about our pre-employment screening services and background check services ranging  from $25 to $160 on average, please see our newly-redesigned website.

As it generally has in the past, the United States Supreme Court has unanimously ruled on the side of employers in a recent case concerning employees’ use of employer-provided technological equipment.

Sexting Police Officers
In the case, two Ontario, CA police officers sued the Police Department after one officer’s department-supplied work pager useage exceeded the allowed limit month after month. A supervisor requested transcripts of text messages sent and received by the employees. The search on Sgt. Jeff Quon’s pager turned up over 400 personal text messages received and sent in one month alone—including sexually explicit messages. The officers claimed the search violated the Fourth Amendment.

Do Employees Have a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy?
The Supreme Court’s decision was based on whether or not the officers had a “reasonable expectation of privacy” concerning their text messages. The department’s formal policy which that employee communications would be monitored—and Quon signed a statement agreeing to the policy. However, Quon’s supervisors informed him that they would not audit texts as long as employees paid any over-limit fees imposed by the wireless service provider.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that this informal policy was enough to give the officers a reasonable expectation of privacy. But the Supreme Court reversed that ruling, saying that even if Quon had a reasonable expectation of privacy, the ruling itself was indeed reasonable.

How Does the Ruling Affect Employers and Employees?
This ruling indicates the law is on the employer’s side concerning employees’ use of employer-provided equipment. Legitimate company interests trump employees’ privacy interests.

Finding a balance between allowing reasonable personal use of company-issued laptops, cellphones, iPads, and computers and protecting a company’s reputation, business practices and trade secrets is tricky. There is a reason employers provide such equipment—it makes employees more available, and allows work to be done anywhere. Employers are advised to provide employees with detailed policies governing use of such equipment.

Entrepreneurs are accustomed to “doing it all.” Their work styles make them self-starters, hard drivers and hard workers. One result is that sometimes, entrepreneurs are unable to let go. They believe the idea that if they don’t perform every task, it won’t get done properly—or at all.

However, this approach is not healthy for either the entrepreneur or the business. Hiring a “second in command” person is not always seen as priority for “I can do it all” business owners—but it is something they should absolutely consider.

This high-level employee can be invaluable to busy business owners, enabling them to focus on larger projects like strategic planning, or emergency problems requiring the owner’s full attention. They can also literally save their lives, by reducing the stress, lack of sleep, and poor health habits that plague most workaholic control junkies.

Hiring a second can save a business, too. What if the owner is the sole information of vital company information? How long would it take the business to recover if something happens to him or her? What about the employees, vendors, and customers who depend on the company—what happens to them if the business owner becomes ill, suffers an accident, or dies unexpectedly?

Not letting go of control is just too risky—for most every business. And while “I must do it all” entrepreneurs might think they’re the only ones capable of handling the details of running their businesses, chances are they lack a number of skills. After all, nobody can truly “do it all.”

Besides, when objectively analyzed, most day-to-day operations can easily be handled by a qualified executive-level hire. It’s best to recruit a second-in-command with skills the business owner lacks; a complementary work style is beneficial, too.

So if you’re a business owner who thinks you’re the only one who can do it all, think again. The job market is full of super-qualified people who could give you your life back—and make your business more productive, efficient, and successful.

Because this is such a crucial position, due diligence is a must when hiring a second-in-command. Check references, and run a thorough employee background screening to be sure you’re hiring someone you can really trust.