HR Girl 4'11" Blog

Keeping Your Employees Cool & Safe This Summer

It’s official; summer is here, and so far it has been a hot one! So what should you do in order to keep your employees cool this year? You need a plan of course, especially for your employees who work outside of the office environment. Workers who are constantly exposed to the sun should be aware of the possible dangers affiliated with the heat. An open line of communication from you to your workers in the field will be the starting point. They will be depending on you for guidance and safety, so make sure you are aware of their work environment.

Here are 6 things to share with your workers this summer, which are all critical to their health as well as reducing your risks:

Sun Screen & Block Application

On a daily basis, sunscreen and/or sun block should be applied, and reapplied as necessary throughout the day. These lotions will help reduce the amount of damage to the skin, due to it’s direct exposure to the sun. Remember, SPH 15 and higher is recommended in order to protect your skin from UVA and UVB damage. The most popular makers of these lotions are ww.bananaboat.com, www.coppertone.com, and www.neutrogena.com.  IDEA: You may furnish small bottles of sunscreen to your employees, so they can always have a small back-up supply.

Heat Stroke and Exhaustion Awareness

Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion or stroke is critical knowledge that your staff should be armed with. Heat exhaustion can occur if your employee has been doing heavy work in the heat, accompanied by lack of fluid intake. Signs of heat exhaustion include: rapid heartbeat, rapid and shallow breathing, dizziness / lightheadedness, confusion or irritability, and nausea. Heat strokes have similar signs, however, a heat stroke can be deadly. IDEA: Train your staff about the signs of heat stroke & exhaustion and how to respond to such emergencies such as these. If all employees cannot be trained, make sure at least one person on site has the proper training, preferably First Aid & CPR certified.

Staying Hydrated

It’s imperative that your employees remain hydrated by taking in plenty of fluids throughout the day. It is recommended that a person should drink 8 to 10 cups of water a day, but if your employees would like to mix it up a bit, and add a little flavor to quench their thirst, they may choose a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade which provides a healthy amount of electrolytes for their bodies so they may remain hydrated throughout the course of the day. IDEA: Provide a cooler for your employees to keep in their vehicles at all times. If not, furnish them with a coupon to purchase a cooler.

Shade Provisions

You may find it beneficial to provide your employees with adequate shade near their outdoor workspaces. A 10X10 or 8X8 canopy (www.canopycenter.com or www.dickssportinggoods.com) can be purchased for less than $200, perfect for the employees who remain stationary for long periods of time. This will cost a fraction of an emergency room visit. And whether your company provides vehicles or you require the use of your employee’s personal vehicle, you can suggest frequent breaks to their vehicles. This will allow them a place to access some cool air throughout the day.

Heat Advisories

These advisories are normally issued in the morning on your local news station as well as the national weather service (www.nws.noaa.gov).  So it’s critical for these warnings your priority is to communicate these warnings to your staff, because their lives depend on you. IDEA: Up to date weather can be accessed via cell phone applications, and you may choose to utilize texts notifications in effort to keep your employees in the know.

Weather Flag System

Depending on your geological location, you may develop a flag system that informs employees of the weather conditions along with your companies requirements for working in those conditions. The military uses a similar system that alerts the troops to the current weather conditions so they will know when to limit outdoor activities during those peak hours of high temperatures throughout the day. Here’s an example of a flag system that you can use:

Green Flag – Calm conditions and safe 70° – 89°

  Yellow Flag – Stay alert and safe. Temperatures range in between 90° – 97°.

Red Flag – Extreme caution with frequent breaks. Stay alert and hydrated.                                Temperatures range in between 98° – 102°.

Black Flag – DO NOT WORK! Temperatures exceed 103°.

IDEA: These flags may be disbursed to your staff on the site supervisor vehicle or via text alerts.

Get ready to enjoy a safe summer with your employees by keeping them in the loop. Doing so will reduce your risks as well as furnishing a great and safe working environment for your employees.

Disclaimer: Products mentioned are not being endorsed. These are merely suggestions offered in effort for you (the reader) to make an educated decision in regards to providing a safe working environment for your employees.

5 Indicators That You May Be An HR Doormat - How to Fix It

So you have a job despite the current economic state. You're feeling pretty secure, right? But there are a few things about your job that leaves you a little restless at times. Most of the tasks that used to be assigned to you have been taken over by other members of the company and even outsourced to a third party. Scratch head here.

There are growth opportunities within the organization you serve, but no one has spoken to you about them. You're simply being overlooked. What gives? You may be an HR Doormat.

If you are, it's not too late to fix it. I've compiled a list of 5 common indicators that are real, along with an action plan to fix the problem. Of course there are many more scenarios that I could have addressed, but these to me are the most frequent.

Here we go...5 indications that you are being an HR Doormat:

1. Candidates (internal and external) are strongly encouraged to submit applications or resumes directly to the chief. Recruiters and staffing agencies will sense that you are incapable of handling open requisitions, therefore they will migrate upwards in order to get things done. They will in turn alert others, including your future employees, about your insufficiency.              

ACTION: If there isn't an existing flow chart, make one immediately! Make sure that you have included yourself on this chart and present it to management. Let them know that you are  aware of the loopholes within the system and you are ready to take charge of the requisitions. Reach out to all of the recruiters and re-introduce yourself to them. Inform them that you will be participating in the hiring process from now on. If job boards are utilized, obtain pass codes immediately and make sure you keep a running log of who has access to the site and how you can regain control of the hiring processes. Only forward the qualified candidates to the respective department head, not all of them.

2. Inquires regarding payroll or benefits are rerouted directly to the HRO, because it's  responsible for furnishing accurate information to the employees.  This is a result of either upper management or the employees having frequent problems obtaining timely information from you. Now they have outsourced all personnel related functions in order for a clear line of communication to be established.

ACTION: Outsourcing functions are great, however utilizing them as a full time crutch without using your free time to focus on strategy, could buy you a one-way flight to Extinct Functionality Island. Familiarize yourself with the HRO's data systems so you can still assist the employees with the questions they may have. Speak with the CEO and management regarding your ability to learn and grow with the organization, so you can be an asset instead of a liability. Also, don't be afraid to dig into your organization and learn how it operates.

3. By the way, your company is scheduled for an HR audit, and there is a stack of paperwork  including salaries, performance and metrics that have magically appeared on your desk. Management has kept separate employee files within their own reach, of the various changes that have taken place for several years.

ACTION: Realize that the management members who hid such data has compromised some serious legal issues. State the facts to them directly and let them know how critical it is that documents such as those remain in the HR Department. And show them that you are responsible enough to keep this stuff under lock-and-key so your company won't find themselves tied up in litigation.

 4. A new hire orientation is beginning in 30 minutes and you've just received the agenda via BCC (Blind Carbon Copy). Classic move. In fact this happens more often than none. You are the last to be informed about the new hires. Many of the managers want to hire the people whom they are familiar with, leaving you totally out of the loop.

ACTION: You are more than just a note taker. You must let them know that record keeping is only a small aspect of your job. You should be the one leading these meetings and structuring the agenda and from now on you will be. Let them know that the HR Department will be facilitating and issuing the schedules for all orientations including contract labor.

 5. The new employee handbook that has been approved by an attorney, for the past 3 months has yet to be distributed because no one has time to orient their regarded departments. At this point, we all know the difference between having a handbook and the result of not having one.

ACTION: Simple, set a date, send out a notice, and prepare your speech for this new employee handbook review. It's imperative that all employees (exempt & non-exempt) have a copy of the handbook, accompanied by their signed acknowledgment. Handbooks should be reviewed on an annual basis, along with an attached addendum (if policy changes occur). Take control of the situation.

If any or all of these episodes are happening to you, or someone else who is experiencing this type dysfunction at this capacity; change is imperative. Again there are more issues I could have discussed, but I narrowed it down to just 5.

I would like to hear from you. Feel free to share your experiences.

Unscheduled or Contract Employees

Recently I spoke with a small business owner who said that an auditor (perhaps accountant or IRS rep.), who advised her to not post a schedule for her employees. This is in effort to keep employees off the payroll, therefore curving her payroll tax liability amount.

CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION!!!!!

This is certainly a surefire way of having the IRS and DOL knocking at your door. Now I know there are alot of shortcuts and loopholes in the law, but what I'm about to say shouldn't be used as your only resource, but should be used to save your bottom for a little while and perhaps for years to come. If you have an establishment which requires constant staffing, that is, Monday through Friday and sometimes weekends; use a schedule.

If you don't have time to call-in your employees every single day; use a schedule. If you have more than 3 employees who you use on a daily basis; use a schedule. If you use them at least 3 days out of the work week; use a schedule. It's logical to just post a schedule for the employees whom you use on a regular basis.

Don't be mistaken or mislead, if you have a person whom you utilize their skills on a regular basis at your establishment; they are an employee. If you tell them when to show up, when to leave, and when they will be compensated; they are an employee. If you are providing benefits to them; they are an employee.

A "contract employee" or "independent contractor" means exactly what their titles say; they are under contract. So if you don't have a contract or written agreement in place for these fine individuals, they may as well be your employee.

It's imperative that the contractor or employee knows their status before they step foot into your establishment. This in turn will clear up alot of misunderstandings from occurring.

And remember, if someone offers you advice that sounds a little questionable, do your research.