Human Resources | BizSieve.com

Forget About Winning against the War on Workplace Injuries, Facts That You Cannot Ignore

People like to believe that they are safe even when their lives seems to be hanging by a thread. This is a common human psychology and there is no way you can change this. And as this mentality is deeply rooted, it is no wonder that business organizations still continue to ignore those workplace safety issues that could have led to life threatening incidents. Originations feel that they are doing a commendable job as the injury rates are down compared to last year and the safety system seems to be working fine like a well oiled machine. And out of this complacency, organizations start relaxing and giving less attention to things that could play a decisive role during a life and death circumstance. No matter, how bullet proof the safety system of a workplace may look like, there will always be some rooms for improvements and you can only identify those areas only when you start realizing the fact that your safety system is not perfect, in fact, far from being perfect.

However, I am not saying that you have to waste your hard earn money on some trivial issues that would have zero impact or little impact on the safety system of your workplace. When you are spending too much time and efforts on trivial things, chances will be that you may miss out on crucial things that could spell doom for the safety of your workers. Moreover, as our business models are changing all the time and we are embracing new technologies to give productivity a shot in the arm, the existing safety systems starts becoming obsolete. For this reason, you can never claim that your workplace is perfectly ‘safe’ for workers because of the dynamic nature of your business. But for some unknown reasons some business owners have started believing that they have won the battle against the menace of workplace injury; but when you start believing in things so absurd, you are going to lose the battle for sure. Here are some other ways to lose the battle against the menace of workplace injuries

Image Source - http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendrak/3769525335/ — Image Source – http://www.flickr.com/photos/kendrak/3769525335/

We Know it All Attitude:

When we enter a new place or face a new situation, we take every possible precaution to get used to that. We follow the rules carefully and think twice before making a move as we are not sure when a problem may crop up. But as soon as we realize that we have gathered enough information about the situation and how to tackle it, we start messing up. We become comfortable with things and this is exactly where we start making mistakes. However, you may argue that we get used to things as we gather more inputs about the work that we are going on a regular basis, but you also cannot refute the fact that this experience also puts you in greater danger as you become oblivious of the obvious dangers in some jobs.

workers — Image Source – http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaxport/7657583704/

We are Over Confident

You have probably heard this hundreds of time before – ‘Change is the only constant thing in the world’, but you might have never given it a serious thought. If you have, you would have certainly realized that workplace hazards, just like any other things in the world, change and evolve and that means, you have to be proactive and find out the flaws in your safety system on regular basis. But as it appears, people tend to ignore this as they grow a feeling that they have won the war against the hazards. As the perception of dangers starts diminishing, the probability of hazards increases. Therefore, you have to accept that your safety system is not 100% perfect and there is always some room for improvements.

Disruptive Technology

Induction of a new technology does not necessarily mean that it is going to add positive effect in your organization’s safety and security system. People might find it really tough to deal with the new technology and they might make silly mistakes that could have led to minor or major injuries. So, whenever you are inducting new technologies, you have to make sure that people who are going to use this are at ease with it otherwise, it might have negative impacts on the whole production process.

About the Author: This article is contributed by Michael Evans who is associated with Mobile Safety Steps, which is UK’s leading manufacturer of safety steps. Visit our website.

New Hampshire Storm Recovery: Is it Safe to go Back to the Office?

The year 2012 was not kind to the Northeast. Many buildings were damaged by severe weather, leaving property owners with the task of clearing up damage from wind and water. Hurricane Sandy brought flying debris, shattered windows, and flooded buildings, causing clear structural damage. Some of the damage is less obvious; flood-waters can introduce mold and other contaminants into buildings and cause electrical issues. If a damaged building is not fully repaired before work resumes, employees can get hurt.

Property Owners and Premises Liability

New Hampshire closely follows other jurisdictions in setting the liability that property owners have to individuals on their land. In New Hampshire, property owners have a general duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition. This duty includes a duty to warn persons about hazardous conditions on the land and take action to protect them from reasonably foreseeable harm. A failure to warn about the defect, remedy the defect, or act reasonably will render the property owner liable for any injuries that result. Unlike other states, New Hampshire does not distinguish between invitees, licensees, and trespassers.

This distinction largely applies to guests, first responders, and other people who are not employees. If a non-employee is injured as a result of a condition on the land, injury lawyers NH can guide them as the above test applies. If the owner did not provide an adequate warning to the non-employee about the hazard and if the owner did not repair the harm, the property owner will be liable for the non-employee’s injuries. Injuries to employees are different; they are not normally handled through the tort system.

Workers’ Compensation

When an employee is injured at work, the employee will be compensated for his or her injuries through the state’s workers’ compensation program. This applies whether the injury was a cut from broken glass, electrical shock from a shorting outlet, blunt force trauma from a physically collapsing structure, or a long-term illness arising from exposure to mold. The nature of the injury matters little; if it was incurred while acting within the course and scope of one’s employment, it will be covered.

Workers’ compensation in New Hampshire offers injured parties a variety of benefits. In all cases, the employer will pay the employee’s medical costs including hospital care and rehabilitative costs. Employees are entitled to 60 percent of their wages if they are unable to perform any work. If the injured claimant can perform some light work, the injured claimant will be entitled to 60 percent of the difference between his or her old salary and his or her new salary. Claimants receiving full disability benefits, no Social Security Benefits and less than 60 percent of New Hampshire’s average wage are also entitled to a cost of living adjustment after three years.

Not all workers’ compensation claims are paid immediately. If the insurer believes that more documentation will be necessary, the insurer may delay payment until it is satisfied or deny an otherwise legitimate claim. If a legitimate claim is denied or if the insurer is making frivolous requests, contacting the state’s Department of Labor and lodging a complaint may resolve the situation. Those employees not covered under workers’ compensation should consult with a personal injury attorney to discuss options for recovering compensation. A lawsuit for negligence may be possible.

Ann Bailey has formerly reported for daily news outlets and offers these distinctions to help anyone injured while at an office in New Hampshire. Tenn And Tenn, PA are injury lawyers NH that represent clients for maximum recovery of their wages and benefits lost because of their office and other work injuries.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielpink/3548120912/

How to Handle Conflict at Work

Conflicts will always arise at the workplace. Irrespective of how much we hate it, it is a universal truth that there is no organization in the world which is free of conflict.

It may be a small matter that can be easily resolved, or it may be a major conflict that threatens the existence of the business entity. This does not mean that the organization has to be in a chaotic state at all times. Conflict can be the beginning of interesting relations at work. The managers have to be meticulous in dealing with it. They must do so in a manner that is fair to all and the means used to arrive at a solution must be void of bias or prejudice.

Here are a few tips that are useful in minimizing and handling work related warfare.

1. Define what is acceptable

This is the first step in avoiding unnecessary rivalry. Ensure that all employees understand the kind of behavior that is expected of them. Clearly define a framework that highlights code of ethics. Let them know what will not be tolerated. In the same light ensure that everyone’s job description is crystal clear to avoid situations where there is conflict arising from ambiguity in roles. This framework should be used whenever there is a conflict, and the employees have to be aware of its existence. The policies which have been set up have to be utilized as the basis for conflict resolution.

2. Deal with conflict as soon as it arises

Tugs of war at the workplace should not be ignored for too long. Ignoring such clashes will only give them time to flare up. It may spread like bushfire, and before you know it, it is all over the organization. This particular reason necessitates prompt confrontation of the conflict before it goes out of control. Do not let it escalate to a level where you cannot effectively deal with it. Do not bury your head in the sand. A few conflicts will calm down naturally, but most conflicts do not die down without some sort of intervention.

3. Listen to all parties and then act

It is only fair that both parties are accorded an audience before action is taken. Sometimes it is not necessary to do so, especially when it is quite obvious that one party is on the wrong. However, it is only right that both sides of the dispute are heard so as to arrive at a conclusion that is free and fair. Listen to what each party has to say before taking any serious action. Ascertain the facts and then act accordingly.

4. Request a third party to intervene

Whenever there is a conflict, it is important to ask an impartial third party to mediate. This is particularly important when you have made attempts to resolve the conflict without any significant progress. A third party will bring in some fresh ideas and give the parties concerned a notion that someone has listened to them, which is a crucial step towards healing.

5. Aim at finding a lasting solution

The idea behind conflict resolution is to come up with a lasting solution. You have to be solution oriented. As much as you acknowledge the problem, you have to suggest possible solutions which will bring the dispute to an end once and for all. This will help the parties to open up as they give their opinions about the suggested solutions, which should improve the situation.

6. Keep emotions away from the process

The greatest mistake people make is to let their emotions interfere with their decisions. The same applies while solving conflicts. Emotions will only aggravate a bad situation. Try to remain sober and to think as straight as possible. Ensure that emotions are kept off the bay so that they do not interfere with the process.

About the Author: Suzan Morley has over 10 years of HR experience.

When, What And How To Outsource

If you’re running an expanding small business it can be difficult to know what you can do in-house, and what you should outsource. There are special circumstances for both – what your company actually does, how reliant you are on the service, and what resources and money are available to you – but there are also general rules that can and should be applied when the decision to outsource is made.

When to Outsource

You need to evaluate what you can do effectively and economically in-house first, naturally.

Running a small business eats up a lot of your time. If you find that you’re cutting time and resources from the jobs integral to your business, just so you can do tasks such as bookkeeping and payroll – it’s worth considering outsourcing.

However, when judging the relative value-for-investment returns offered by outsourcing versus in-house work, don’t just include the cost.

The skills your staff have built up while working for you, their familiarity with your business and your needs, and their greater reliability can all be hidden advantages to using in-house services. So even if it works out more expensive to do everything in-house, you might decide that paying a premium for reliability and known quantities is well worth it.

Conversely, you might decide that your staff’s skills make their time more valuable in real terms than the amount you are paying them – so even if a freelancer costs more, your in-house staff could spend their time better.

Finally, make sure that no editing is required. Editing of outsourced writing or coding might take no more than 15 minutes a pop, but it still adds costs on top of costs. Your time, and the time of your employees, is valuable. Be absolutely sure that you factor in the time-cost of editing outsourced work.

outsourcing dilemma
Image by: Robbert van der Steeg.

What to Outsource

The benefits of outsourcing are that you get to shift tasks that may have been sapping a lot of time and a great deal of money from your company simply because your workforce doesn’t have the skills or motivation to perform these tasks quickly and effectively.

Don’t ever outsource something just because it’s not an enjoyable task. You need to consider whether that task is one of the important things that people come to your business for – give that up, and you’ll compromise your standing as a company.

Do, however, consider whether a task is taking longer because your skilled and professional staff are given no motivation to complete it quickly – that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should outsource the task in any case like this, just that it is an option to be looked at.

Outsourcing data entry tasks might be worth it, for instance, if your company’s paid staff are mostly writers, and thus aren’t interested enough in the task to complete it quickly. If there are opportunities within the company related to data entry, however (being in charge of Content Management Systems, for example), you might find that the work gets completed very quickly and efficiently indeed.

There’s little point in punishing staff for completing boring work slowly, though – it’s easier and creates less ill-will to outsource the work to somebody who gets paid more if they work faster and harder!

There are a lot of tasks that make sense for most businesses to outsource because teaching someone the skills required doesn’t make sense given the limited time they’ll be spending on the task.

Bookkeeping and payroll only generally take half a day a week, so there’s little point in training someone in-house specifically to do that. Similarly, there’s hardly any point in hiring an IT guy if your company consists of relatively few computers – it makes more sense to bring in freelancers.

How to Outsource

When you’ve decided what you need to outsource, shop around for the best deal. Think about what packages are on offer, and whether you need to choose someone local or not. Anything where you might need an on-site visit (for example, IT management or office interiors) will need to be local, with say, an hour of where you are based, whereas tasks that only involve digital communication are fine to be based further afield.

It’s not necessarily a good idea to outsource overseas – even though the costs might be compelling, often you get what you pay for, and your service may suffer.

Think of how comprehensive the service needs to be, and don’t be afraid to negotiate on prices and what you think should be included. Many companies offer flexible rates, depending on both the service and the business.

Outsourcing should be utilised to complement your key business objectives. Ideally it should be implemented to allow your skilled workforce to concentrate on their primary role. If this is done correctly, you will see your business grow and achieve success.

Any outsourcing horror stories to share? Great successes? Let us know in the comments!

About the Author: James Duval is an IT-for-business specialist who is addicted to his Xbox. He writes blog posts for Interaction UK London.

5 Tips for Small Business HR Outsourcing

In a bad economy, companies are turning to a variety of money-saving methods. From cutting a few days out of the work week, to eliminating positions, many companies are in a tough position. If you can’t cut down your work week or eliminate a position all together, however, it would be wise to consider HR outsourcing.

Not only does outsourcing your HR team result in one less in-house employee, it takes the stress of workers compensation, health insurance, payroll and tax filing off of your hands. According to CPEHR.com, “In place of current management, the HRO firm takes over some of the cumbersome administrative functions relating to employment.”

To make the most of this cost effective service, consider the following tips.

Set Goals

When you’re outsourcing an in-house position, it’s important that it’s making a difference for your company. The only way to measure that is to benchmark the progress by setting goals. Goal setting is valuable in any business setting as it increases productivity and purpose. In outsourcing, however, it’s an effective way to keep all your teams working together.

For the company: One of the benefits of outsourcing HR is cost savings in insurance, lawsuits and recruiting. Set savings related goals to be sure you’re getting the most ROI.
For your HR team: With your HR employees out of house, you want to be sure they are staying on track. Set up goals for the week, month or quarter.

Maintain Open Communication

When you can’t have a department meeting or quick chat in passing, it’s critical that you make communication a priority. Outsourcing-Center.com suggests, “… It is important to merge them through open, honest communication steeped in realistic expectations around how things are going to work.” Be sure to utilize various forms of communication to make it effective:

Set an email checking schedule to ensure emails are being received and read.
Set up phone meetings; weekly, daily, whatever you need to stay on the same page.
Utilize new technology such as video chat to maintain a face to face relationship.

Have a Team

Although you should be wise to choose an HRO company that you trust, it’s important that you have an in-house team working closely with your far-away employees. For important projects, having in-house hands involved can ensure that the job is on track and in line with your over-all goals for the company as a whole, not just the HR department. Thus, choosing the right team will be crucial.

Include one member of each department involved; IT, Accounting, etc.
Choose employees that will work well together. For an important project, you want your employees, in-house and outsourced, to be productive and open.
Only include your outsourced HR employee when necessary, as a significant benefit is allowing them to focus strictly on HR without being pulled into side jobs and projects within the office.

Outsourcing your HR employee or team will be cost effective for any sized business. By taking HR duties out of the office, you’re reducing your costs and risks involved. Be sure that you’re making the most of these services with goal setting, communication, and team work.

About the Author: Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics that range from social media to business management. She is a professional blogger and web content writer for ResourceNation.com.