By Michelle Spencer bio Bosses have the greatest effect on an employee's satisfaction with their job, and employee turnover incurs considerable hard and soft costs. This has great significance for law firms, where many attorneys lead legal teams, and there is a high percentage of bosses. Management in law offices need to be especially mindful of these webs of unofficial … [Read more...] about Like a Boss: The High Cost of Bad Management
Employee benefits
Professionals want work-life balance. Here’s how to help them (and you) achieve it
Will 2016 be the year of work-life balance? According to new research from staffing firm Robert Half, 54 percent of professionals have increased their commitment to their personal life over the last year. Thirty-eight percent of those polled said they are more committed to their career, and 34 percent cited additional dedication to their job. Older professionals are just not … [Read more...] about Professionals want work-life balance. Here’s how to help them (and you) achieve it
The link between your employees’ resilience and your business outcomes
Today's employers are challenged to provide competitive benefits and employee engagement strategies that not only support the well-being of their employees, but also improve the bottom line. With resilience building and mindfulness training programs continuing to gain momentum in the workplace, meQuilibrium recently conducted a study to measure resilience against … [Read more...] about The link between your employees’ resilience and your business outcomes
When are your employees likely to be happiest?
What's the happiest day of the year? Hint: It's coming up! According to data from Gallup, the happiest day in 2013 was Thanksgiving Day: 70% of Americans felt a lot of happiness and enjoyment with little stress or worry that day. It's not surprising that happiness levels typically increase on Fridays and through the weekend and then decrease during the workweek, with many of … [Read more...] about When are your employees likely to be happiest?
Easy answers to 5 tough questions managers often face
Here are the answers to five individual questions managers often encounter. They are outlined by attorney Shari L. Lane of Northwest Employment Law in Portland, OR. Changing the face of the job 1. Can the office require an employee to take on a different work schedule or move to another location? What if it affects the employee's child care or family responsibility … [Read more...] about Easy answers to 5 tough questions managers often face
Paid sick leave and what law office managers need to know
Currently, there is no federal law that requires private sector employers, including law offices, to provide paid or unpaid sick leave, explains a new report from XpertHR, an online service for HR professionals from Reed Business Information. Without federal legislation in place, however, several states and local jurisdictions have taken matters into their own hands by … [Read more...] about Paid sick leave and what law office managers need to know
Average starting salaries for legal jobs projected to rise 3.1 percent in 2016
Starting salaries for legal professionals in the United States are expected to increase 3.1 percent overall in 2016, according to the just-released Robert Half Legal 2016 Salary Guide. Law firm attorneys with four-plus years of professional experience should see greater-than-average salary gains. Among legal specialists, compliance directors are expected to see the largest … [Read more...] about Average starting salaries for legal jobs projected to rise 3.1 percent in 2016
90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
A Kentucky office manager has devised a method to control time off, focusing on making the paperwork easier. Keeping track of 45-minute appointments or an hour of personal leave is a bookkeeping nightmare, says the administrator, whose office has 26 staff. So she combined vacation, sick, and personal leave into a single pool of paid time off and made it a rule that the time … [Read more...] about 90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
Firm benefits from employee benefits
A firm's attention to employee satisfaction has earned it the ranking of best place to work in the state—for five years in a row. The recognition program is sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce, and the firm has been at first place since it began. According to the human resources manager, there are four items that stand out in what the firm provides for both staff and … [Read more...] about Firm benefits from employee benefits
Why your law firm needs a wellness program and how you can build one that works, Part 2
By David C. Fortosis bio In our first article on wellness, we addressed the rationale for making employee health improvement a priority in the workplace. We pointed out that wellness is multifaceted with social, emotional, financial and physical health all interwoven dimensions of a healthy and productive person—at work and at home. Let's be honest: The primary … [Read more...] about Why your law firm needs a wellness program and how you can build one that works, Part 2