Have I missed any?
(People actually keep track of such things? And, define "bad.")
Of those 60-some bad days a year, 80 percent are reportedly due to work-related stress. Maybe the other 20 percent fall on the weekends. Or holidays . . .
According to the article, work-related stress arises from bad sleep, being sick, bad hair (would you believe 1 in 4 respondents cited bad hair? they did!), loss by one's favorite sports team, and "having plans unceremoniously canceled."
I was happy to see that none of these reasons for a bad day at work have anything to do with employers. It's all just personal junk that spills over into the workday.
But, unfortunately, employers can do some things that make their employees miserable. Here are my top 10 ways they do it:
1-Play favorites. Employers should avoid favoritism in all forms. It can lead to allegations of discrimination and harassment, and even if it doesn't get that far, it's going to make the people in the "out" group feel very ungratified.
2-Break the law. Don't do this! Comply with all employment laws and also with all laws of any sort that apply to your business. An upstanding, ethical employer is much more likely to be respected by employees, and will also set a good example.
3-Fail to show appreciation. Everybody likes to feel valued at work, and appreciation doesn't necessarily have to cost money. When employees do a good job, thank them. Maybe even in front of their co-workers. Don't take the credit for their good work. Treat them as the valued partners they are. And, if you have an opportunity to reward them in a more tangible way, then by all means do so.
4-Keep mum. Employers should communicate regularly with employees about company news, how the business is going, and even bad news ("If things don't pick up soon, we may have to make some reductions in the next few months"). Better to be prepared than to be blindsided.
5-Hog the wealth. When times are good, don't keep it all for yourself -- share. I love the way so many employers immediately announced bonuses to their employees after the tax reform bill passed. That's the spirit!
These next ones are my own personal pet peeves about things that some employers do:
6-Call yourselves a "family." Sorry, employers, you are not your employees' parents, children, or brothers or sisters. You are their employer. I hope you all get along and work well together, but you're still not a family. Would you RIF your mother? Didn't think so.
7-Impose rules on your employees that you aren't willing to impose on yourself. I'm not talking about rules that may legitimately vary depending on the type of work done (such as limiting telecommuting to exempt employees only). I'm talking about rules that should apply equally to all "similarly situated" employees. Nobody's special. Either that, or everybody is. If you can't follow your own rules, then maybe it's time to scrap the rules for everybody.
8-Pay the bare minimum when you can afford to do more. Of course, many small employers, or larger employers in highly competitive markets or in troubled industries, may not be able to pay generous wages to their employees because it would drive them out of business. But if you are better-endowed, you should do your best to pay a fair wage and provide decent benefits to your employees. Don't try to get by with the least you can do.
9-Provide a wellness "benefit," but don't lift a finger to help your employees actually benefit from it. Maybe you want to reduce the number of out-of-shape employees in the workplace and get your health care costs under control. You encourage them to exercise, eat right, and get fit. Yeah! You can do it! But we still expect you to work 65 hours a week, stay involved in the community, and squeeze in your family (family, not "family") while going to the gym to do Cross-Fit for an hour three days a week and growing your own arugula instead of sending out for pizza. Sorry, employers, but that $50 a year "wellness" bonus just ain't worth it, and the stress is raising our blood pressure!
10-Fall for the "employment-at-will" deception. Yes, almost every state in the Union is an employment-at-will state, meaning that -- theoretically -- most employees can be terminated at any time and for any reason, good or bad, or for no reason at all. That's the principle, but here's the reality: The reality is that every termination occurs for a reason, and a good reason is better than a bad reason. Nothing gets my heart palpitating faster than an employer who tells me, "Well, I didn't have to have a reason to fire her! This is employment at will!"
(Not that any of my clients say this, mind you.)
There are so many exceptions to employment at will that it's almost worthless as a defense to a termination. If you can't explain why you terminated an employee, then people will assume you had a bad (illegal) reason. The employee will be free to accuse you of all kinds of things -- race discrimination, retaliation, sex discrimination, termination in violation of the public policy of your state, protected concerted activity, you name it. It may not be true. But if you don't have some good "alternative facts" that you can prove, then government agencies, courts, and juries are probably going to believe the employee.
Even if you're in an employment-at-will state, fire only for "cause," and you'll be much better off.
Image Credits: Video clip from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). Still photos from flickr, Creative Commons license: Bad hair Barbie by Shawn Rossi, bad hair dude by Scott Granneman.
- Partner
Robin has more than 30 years' experience counseling employers and representing them before government agencies and in employment litigation involving Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with ...
Robin Shea has 30 years' experience in employment litigation, including Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (including the Amendments Act).
Continue Reading
Subscribe
Contributors
- William A. "Zan" Blue, Jr.
- Obasi Bryant
- Kenneth P. Carlson, Jr.
- James M. Coleman
- Cara Yates Crotty
- Lara C. de Leon
- Christopher R. Deubert
- Joyce M. Dos Santos
- Colin Finnegan
- Steven B. Katz
- Ellen C. Kearns
- F. Damon Kitchen
- David C. Kurtz
- Angelique Groza Lyons
- John E. MacDonald
- Alyssa K. Peters
- Sarah M. Phaff
- David P. Phippen
- William K. Principe
- Sabrina M. Punia-Ly
- Angela L. Rapko
- Rachael Rustmann
- Paul Ryan
- Piyumi M. Samaratunga
- Robin E. Shea
- Kristine Marie Sims
- David L. Smith
- Jill S. Stricklin
- Jack R. Wallace
Archives
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010