Start Your FREE Membership NOW
• Discover Proven Ways to Be a Better Law Office Manager
• Get Our Daily eNewsletter, Law Office Manager Bulletin,
    and MUCH MORE
• Absolutely NO Risk or Obligation on Your Part -- It's FREE!
EMAIL ADDRESS

Upgrade to Premium Membership NOW for Just $90!
• Get 3 Months of Full Premium Membership Access
• Includes Our Monthly Newsletter, Office Toolbox, Policy Center, and Archives
• And MUCH MORE!
Home » topics » Managing staff
COMPLIANCE

What does FMLA require of a law office employer?

January 27, 2023 by

One of the employment laws that affect how you manage your staff is the The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This is a federal law that requires certain employers to provide their employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain qualifying reasons. These reasons include the birth or adoption of a child, the care of a family member with a serious health condition, and the employee’s own serious health condition. In terms of what this means for a law office employer, you are required to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the reasons outlined above, without fear of retaliation or job loss. The employer would also be required to maintain the employee’s health benefits during… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , ,
HUMAN RESOURCES

Coming out at work

December 27, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry “He’s talented but anti-social,” the business owner said of his accounting manager when he called. “At first, we thought the problem was that “Gene” was a finance type and kind of a geek. But there have been odd comments from others over the last two years,” explained the business owner as he asked for my help as an HR consultant. “The latest problem is he doesn’t want to attend our Christmas party. We’ve asked all the managers to make an appearance. We’d like to promote him to CFO and don’t want someone unstable in that position. Could you interview him and give us a read?” Gene sent me a Zoom link for the interview and was tight-lipped, so I invited him to meet off-site. Before we met,… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , , ,

How to support an employee who chooses to come out at work

December 27, 2022 by

Supporting a staffer who has chosen to come out at work can be an important way to create a welcoming and inclusive workplace for all employees. Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people’s self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Here are some ways you can support an employee who has come out at work: Listen to the employee’s concerns and feelings and provide a safe and supportive space for them to share. Offer your support and affirm the employee’s identity. Let them know that you respect and value them as an individual. Educate yourself about the challenges and issues that LGBTQ+ individuals may face in the workplace and in society. This can help you better… . . . read more


TELEWORK

Still managing remote staff? 8 tips to do it better

December 24, 2022 by

As lawyers continue to drag their feet about returning to work at the office, many legal support staff also want to continue to work remotely. Unless your law office is taking a hard stance about working on the premises, it’s likely you will continue to supervise some of your team from afar. While managing a remote workforce can present its own set of challenges, it can also be a highly effective way for law offices to expand their reach and attract top talent. So let’s review some tips for effective management of remote law office staff. Clearly communicate expectations: One of the key challenges of managing a remote workforce is ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. It is important to clearly communicate… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , ,
POST-PANDEMIC WORKPLACE

Managers hold the key to employee engagement and retention

December 15, 2022 by

With many workplaces now allowing hybrid work, new complexities in managing the workplace are emerging, says the The Conference Board in a new report. Recent evidence suggests that productivity among US workers has declined significantly from heights experienced during the pandemic. Remote and hybrid work arrangements combined with ill-prepared managers may be a cause. Why it matters Managers lie at the nexus of employee engagement and retention. Given the added challenges of a post-COVID world of work, it is essential to strengthen how employees are managed and led. Care must be taken to create an organizational culture welcomed by employees that also supports organizational goals. The path forward Postpandemic, managers and employees must learn how to adapt effectively to each other’s emerging needs and preferences. This can be done by… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , ,
MOTIVATING YOUR STAFF

Praise is nice but a year-end bonus is better

December 13, 2022 by

A year-end bonus can be a powerful tool for reminding your staff their hard work and commitment and the company’s overall growth and success are closely intertwined. And according to a survey of employers, 50% of companies plan to award year-end bonuses in 2022. While this is down from 63% last year, it’s a sign that staff retention remains top of mind for many employers, says Robert Half, the specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm which conducted the survey. Presenting employees with a financial reward—whether it’s to acknowledge individual, departmental or companywide success—can help bolster retention and even help with recruitment efforts. It can also be a motivational tool for driving team productivity and engagement in the year ahead. A year-end bonus can help employees feel like they make… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , ,
YOUR CAREER

Do you just open your mouth and let the words fly?

December 11, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry When you’re upset with another person, do you open your mouth and let your emotions erupt and words fly? If you want to resolve an interpersonal conflict, you can’t afford to blast the other person. While you may feel vindicated, you risk the other person attacking back, getting defensive or shutting down If you want things to become better and not worse between you and the other person, learn to tackle yourself first, open the conversational door to the other person, remain results-focused, word your thoughts so they can be heard, and admit your part in the problem. Tackle yourself before you slam the other person When you’re upset, adrenaline can hit you like a wave. Don’t let it swamp you and torpedo your chances of attaining… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , , , ,
PRODUCTIVITY

3 questions to ask in your daily standup meetings

December 5, 2022 by

A daily standup meeting can be a highly effective way to keep your staff motivated and moving on important tasks. This 10-minute meeting, used in a variety of workplaces, provides an opportunity for a quick check-in on the day’s priorities. As the name implies, participants stand up—a posture that discourages long discussion. The meeting is so short no one bothers to find a seat. You should schedule the meeting at the same time and place deal. The start of the shift, after staff arrives and gets settled for work but before the office opens to clients, is one common time to schedule the regular standup meeting. You should also start on time rather than wait for latecomers. You can use the time to review ongoing projects such as filing backlog…. . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , , ,
MANAGING STAFF

Inflation’s impact on employees and the workplace

December 1, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry What keeps your employees and coworkers up at night, and what does it mean to you as their employer or colleague? According to the U.S. 2022 Inside Employees’ Minds Report conducted by the HR consulting firm Mercer, which surveyed 4049 employees between Aug. 26 and Sept. 9, 2022, it’s financial worries, https://www.mercer.us/content/dam/mercer/attachments/private/us-2022-inside-employees-minds-report.pdf. The number one issue for many employees in 2022—can they cover monthly expenses given skyrocketing inflation—ranked only ranked ninth in 2021. As no surprise, employee satisfaction with their employers has declined markedly from last year in the areas of compensation and benefits. Further, two years of continued crises—the pandemic, layoffs and labor shortages, supply chain challenges, political and racial polarization, the war in Ukraine, and the looming recession—have changed how employees view work. Employees who once… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , ,
MANAGING STAFF

5 lessons employers can learn from Elon Musk’s Twitter crises

November 26, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry When multi-billionaire and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk acquired Twitter on Oct. 27, he assumed leadership of a company that hadn’t earned a profit in eight of its ten years, By Nov. 4, eight days later, 1.3 million users had fled Twitter. Revenue dropped dramatically as advertisers, Twitter’s main revenue source, pulled out. One could feel sorry for Musk—except Twitter’s crises resulted in part from Musk’s own “I wing it” actions. His mistakes provide valuable lessons for other employers. Don’t alienate those you most need to survive Musk’s own tweets and heavy-handed actions alienated Twitter’s employees and stakeholders. In his first eight days, Musk fired massive numbers of Twitter’s full-time workforce, throwing remaining employees into survival mode. Remaining employees heard about the mass layoffs but didn’t learn… . . . read more

TAGGED WITH: , , , , ,

(-0)