(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Sanctions Law Clearing Out Illegals in Arizona
If apartments are starting to sit vacant, this must mean that the new Arizona Immigration Sanctions Law is starting to take its toll on the illegal immigrants here in Arizona. What will this mean for your company?
“The sanctions law is pushing immigrants to leave the state. The law is aimed at clamping down on illegal immigration in Arizona, which has the highest share of illegal immigrants of any state, by threatening to yank the business licenses of employers caught knowingly employing such workers.
The law also requires businesses to electronically verify the work eligibility of all new hires as of the first of this year.
To avoid sanctions, employers have been letting go workers who can't prove they have permission to work in the U.S.
As a result, many immigrants are leaving, either to other states where they think it will be easier to get jobs, or back to Mexico, where the majority of illegal immigrants in Arizona are from.”
So far, the law has done what it was intended to do. How has this law affected your company? Businesses that catered to the illegal population have seen drastic sales hits, apartments have seen a large wave of vacancies, what will be next?
Posted January 31st, 2008 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Immigration, Other, Recruiting | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...When you asked them, what did they say?
In meeting with some business owners lately, I started noticing a pattern that could very well be the root of many HR problems…
"I want to increase our benefits offering to our employees…" OR "We need better dental insurance" are phrases we (in the HR industry) have heard many times. Often, these are presented as "THE SOLUTION" - So what is the ACTUAL problem? Turnover, Morale, Productivity, Recruiting, etc.?
So when sitting with these business owners, I find myself asking the same question time and time again:
"So when you [business owner] asked your employees what is the top 5 reasons you (hate, love, would leave, would stay) working here, what did your employees say?
MOST COMMON ANSWER - "Well… I didn't ask"
No matter what the problem - DON'T COME UP WITH THE SOLUTION IN A VACCUMM!!! You might just spend a LOT of money trying to fix a problem on the wrong end…
Just food for thought -
Harry Glazer
Posted January 30th, 2008 by Harry Glazer - Posted in Benefits, Health, Human Resources, Productivity, Recruiting | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Why Can’t I Check MySpace?
I'm sure you've heard it around the office. MySpace, Facebook, and all the other social networking sites out there are being blocked at the office, and for good reason. Many employees don't understand that there is more to risk than just a lack of employee production.
This news story goes on to say, "Their chief concern is the potential damage from viruses or spyware, according to Barracuda. They cited the potential drain on employee productivity as a close second. What's more, employers will tell you that bandwidth issues and potential liability exposure are also convincing reasons to restrict certain Internet access by employees."
From an employers view, there are too many potential money eaters in the equation to allow employees to waste away on the internet. If you want to be social at work, get to know a fellow employee while working on a project.
Posted January 25th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Productivity | | 3 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...How do I tell my employee that their personal appearence or hygiene stinks?
Wow. What a question! WARNING: The names of the party involved in this story have been changed to protect the innocent and offensive.
This topic actually came up from a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine (let's call her Mandy) who manages a small office staff of 6. Since they work in very close proximity of each other, it’s very common that you catch a "whiff" of your co-worker as they pass by. Mandy complained that one particular employee (let's call her Gretchen) continued to come to work with unacceptable appearance and even more offensive, her hygiene was not really up to par.
Not wanting to offend this woman, Mandy tried her best to ignore the situation and avoid the confrontation. She thought "maybe she is just going through a rough time." (Wrong move-handle this issue immediately especially if your employee deals directly with clients)
A few weeks passed and her personal body odor was not improving nor was her physical appearance. (Everyone just tried to ignore it. No one wanted to confront her so they put up with it)
In this case, Company X deals with a very high end clientele with deep pockets. Obviously not the people that you care to offend. The "hygiene challenged" employee met with their clients and conducted business as usual. The very same day, Mandy gets a phone call from a very concerned and disturbed client. Apparently, the client took offense to the poor hygiene habits of Gretchen and called to voice her disgust with the appearance and pungent odor. The client proceeded to let Mandy know how Gretchen, while very competent, was a poor representation of their business and a negative reflection on their company. This particular client insisted on dealing with anyone except for Gretchen in future dealings.
I know that this is a rough subject to talk about. Face it-these issues are real. Poor Hygiene is a huge negative reflection on your company. If your employees are sloppy, then what does that say about your business? I personally won’t do business with someone who cannot manage their own personal hygiene.
If this has happened to you or someone you know click on this link for some great advice on dealing with an issue like this.
I know complicated HR issues like this can sometimes stink. It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it.
Posted January 25th, 2008 by Vincent - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Not IF, but WHEN.
A business owner today reminded me that HR "issues" are not a matter of IF, but WHEN. He has a company with 6-8 employees and growing here in Phoenix. In 4 years of operating, they have only had a couple "scares" when it comes to employee issues, lawsuits, etc. However, he was very clear in stating that the more they grow, and the more creative disgruntled employees become (and their attorneys), the more potential for an HR technicality driving them out of business. I don't know about you, but when I hear that, I feel empathy for the small business owner. You work all this time and invest your soul into a business, only to have an employee (who never cared about the company anyway) take it all away with one ridiculous complaint.
Don't get me wrong, the laws protect us from bad employers who mistreat people, and that's good. But how many rules do we need to have in order to ensure that doesn't happen? 50, 120, 500? It seems unfair.
Either way, one thing is true…every company, large or small, should be creating the right environment for employees to work in, which includes understanding what's expected, clear policies, career paths, mutual respect etc., which will reduce the likelihood of an issue coming up. They also need to make sure all those "i"s are dotted and "t"s are crossed, somehow. Good luck small business owner!
Posted January 23rd, 2008 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...“Being In the Moment”
Posted January 18th, 2008 by Aaron Witsoe - Posted in Customer Service, Human Resources, Other, Productivity | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Watercooler Ethics
There are a few issues that shouldn’t be brought up at work.
When we all gather around the water cooler in the afternoon or the coffee pot in the morning, there are a few topics that should always remain off limits. The more controversial the topic, the stronger the reasoning is to not bring it up. More specific topics that you might want to leave out, such as…
- Should abortion continue to be legal?
- Should same-sex marriage be legalized?
- How relevant to holding public office is a person's religion?
- How much should the wealthy be taxed?
- To what extent should the federal government be involved in social programs?
Keeping the workplace free from controversy will help keep the employees productivity levels up. Maybe this is something to look into for your company.
Posted January 18th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Other, Productivity | | 0 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Why is Jan. 16 an important day in Arizona business?
On Jan. 16, 2008 a federal judge, Neil Wake, will once again rule on the Legal Arizona Workers Act. Local business groups are preparing for the new hearing stating that the new law that went into effect Jan 1. violates both U.S. and Arizona constitutions.
Previous hearings and attempts to halt the law before it's went into effect all failed and were rejected by the federal judge.
For more information on HB 2779 and the Legal Arizona Works Act visit www.azimmigrationcompliance.com
Posted January 15th, 2008 by Vincent - Posted in Immigration | | 2 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Pulled over for going 77 mph….are you a legal citizen?
I have heard the rumor. Maybe you have heard it too. The rumor is: Police Officers are now able to ask for proof of citizenship from anyone they pull over.
Are our public safety officers expected to become immigration officials? If this is true, how will the state handle complaints that only those with darker complexions are being asked their status? Is this really happening? If not now, will it? Some are saying that this new practice is already in effect. I tried to find some additional information to back this rumor up. All I could find were various articles stating something similar to this:
PHOENIX — Police in suburban Scottsdale have begun routinely asking for proof of citizenship from every suspect they arrest and turning those who are in this country illegally over to federal immigration officials. The procedure was started Oct. 15, a result of the September killing of Phoenix police officer Nick Erfle by an illegal immigrant, Erik Jovani Martinez. Scottsdale police had arrested Martinez on a misdemeanor charge 16 months earlier but they released him then because they didn’t know he was an illegal immigrant who had been twice deported. Erfle’s killing “caused us to look at what were asking suspects,” Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said. “If we arrest someone and then find that we called ICE (Customs and Immigration Enforcement) and they put a hold on them, then we know they have been deported and are back again.”
Reading this, it makes sense that an individual who has been "arrested" be properly identified. But is it going to far to pull people over and ask them their immigration status?
Posted January 14th, 2008 by Camille - Posted in Customer Service, Human Resources, Immigration, Other, Uncategorized | | 1 Comments
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Got the Office Blues?
There's nothing that brings a team closer together than putting in some time for a good cause. A little community service goes a long way not just for the organization you are helping out, but for employee moral and team building. Its a positive experience all the way around. Getting beyond those doors and windows, even just for an hour, brightens the spirits and mends the office blues.
Here are a few activities for building up your employees:
· Painting & Clay Sculpture
· Community Service
· Group Luncheon
· Creative Thinking / Brainstorming
· Salsa Dancing, Belly Dancing, Jazz Performers, and DJ's
· Storytelling
· Team Building & Theatre Sports– (Team Games)
Posted January 11th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Health, Human Resources, Productivity | | 0 Comments
