Exercise Caution to Prevent Employee Claims of Invasion of Privacy
It's not easy being an employer. The business must offer competitive wages and benefits without over-paying. It must keep employees happy but still maintain workplace discipline. It must protect its customers and its assets without seeming to distrust its employees. Without being overbearing or acting as a strict parent, it must ensure that employees are doing their work and doing it well. Many employers, using modern technology, are keeping an eye on workers -- literally. A 2007 study by the American Management Association and The ePolicy Institute revealed that:
- 66% of employers monitor employees' Internet connections
- 65% use software to block employees' access to some Web sites
- 43% monitor employees' e-mail
- 45% monitor the time employees spend on the phone and the numbers they call
- 16% record employees' phone conversations
- 9% monitor voice mail messages
- 7% monitor employees' job performance using video surveillance
Also, in certain industries employers search workers' workstations and lockers, perform drug tests and physicals, investigate their backgrounds, and even monitor their activities outside of work. When an employer disciplines or fires a worker based on information it learned through one of these methods, the worker might become angry enough to sue the employer for invasion of privacy. Although federal and state laws generally permit employers to monitor workers' activities and use of employer property, some suits succeed and all of them divert financial and human resources away from the employer's main business. There are several things employers can do to avoid this ...
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Greetings!
Warmer weather is upon us and for many that means one thing: more family gatherings. Aside from the Christmas season, my family gets together more during summer than any other time of the year. I'm not sure if it's the ability to soak up the sunshine that motivates us, or if it's the fact that we can't typically fit all of us INSIDE, so we need to have that reunion in the great out of doors... but whatever the reason, summer seems to increase the frequency of family functions.
There's nothing quite like a family gathering, is there? It's been said  that "families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts." It takes all types to make up a family. Some you are crazy about, others... well... maybe not so much. We all have that favorite aunt or uncle, and then the cousin that we're certain we could manage to live without. Fate often brings together individuals who would otherwise have nothing in common, and who, in all likelihood, wouldn't typically be friends... yet there's something about family that makes life richer.
I wonder if the reason we don't get along beautifully all the time is that we're so different. We each have our own set of eccentricities, talents, personality traits and the like, and the combinations of those characteristics sometimes mix as well as oil & water. Nevertheless, if we can learn to embrace those differences and see that all together, we make a more complete unit than any of us do apart, our time spent together could be much more rewarding.
Your business is like a family. You most likely have employees that are as different as milk chocolate and salted cashews... but it takes all kinds to create a work environment that is well rounded and productive, and the right blend can result in sweet satisfaction. Drawing on the various strengths of your workers can give you a balance that makes the most of each individual's abilities, and strengthens any weaknesses that might exist.
This month's newsletter is all about that family. It's about understanding how individuals respond to different situations, and using that knowledge to the benefit of your company. Whether you adore your staff, or have a few members that you tend to think of as "Cousin Itt", we're confident that these tips will help you to manage
your employees and make the most of the your business family.
And if your family's a little nutty? Take comfort from the fact that today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground. J
Until next month, David Mason, President Mason & Mason Insurance Agency M&M Assurance Group P.S. Become a fan on FACEBOOK! And don't forget to check out our website! We're at www.mmins.com. Just click the "Clients" tab at the top of the page and enter the site with username: "Client" and password: "INFO4U". Happy browsing! If you have any questions, give us a call at (800) 298-0802. We'd love to hear from you! |
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Take Seven Steps to Reduce the Risk of Employee Fraud
 Most business managers and owners are well aware of the threat of loss from outsiders, and use a variety of methods to reduce this risk. From locks on the doors, to security guards and dogs, to complex electronic burglar alarm systems, many preventative steps are taken. However, it is often the case that less attention is dedicated to reducing the risk of theft by an insider. No one wants to believe that an employee would defraud the company of money deliberately. Most people want to trust their employees, and rightly so. But it only takes one bad apple to do significant damage. Depending on the person's position within the company, and the length of time the theft continues, substantial losses can result. Business owners often have a tendency to believe "it can't happen here." Unfortunately, employee fraud is quite common. Furthermore, no risk reduction measures can be guaranteed to keep it from ever happening or to detect every instance.
Having said that, loss control experts recommend two general approaches to reducing vulnerability to theft by insiders: Measures to decrease the probability that employees will commit the crime, and measures to increase the perceived probability of discovery and punishment. Below are seven tips to help with both approaches...
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Ensure Compliance to Safety Procedures with Behavior Modification Techniques
A key step to implementing any new workplace program successfully is to gain complete acceptance by employees. That means not only must everyone on the job accept the changes, they truly must embrace them for the changes to really take hold. The best way to achieve that kind of commitment is to make the changes a part of your corporate culture. Mostly everyone would agree that no program is more important to make a part of your culture than a safety program.
The most effective way to convey a message to the group is also the most simple: Through language. Every organization has its own language, including terms that are common to everyday practices. Safety terms will become part of your company's culture when they become part of every facet of the job. Workplace safety practices need to be communicated, and enforced. Safe as well as unsafe behaviors need to be outlined and posted, where all employees have an opportunity to observe them. It is critical that new employees be given a course concerning safety procedures, and fully understand the consequences of ignoring them.
In addition to employees understanding safety guidelines, it should become common practice and custom to carry out the safety rules. An organization's customs are the accepted methods for getting things done on a regular basis. Although you might have clearly explained the consequences for violating safety practices, this is not always enough to ensure compliance. Compliance can be especially difficult for workers who have been on the job for a long time.
Long-term employees often develop a rhythm -- a system of shortcuts, which helps them complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Sometimes the practices they use...
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Thank you for taking the time to read this month's newsletter! Remember, your feedback helps shape future issues. We value your input, so please...let us know what you think! Have a great month!
Sincerely,
David Mason
President
Mason and Mason Insurance
M&M Assurance Group |
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Mason & Mason Insurance M&M Assurance Group
458 South Avenue 3304 White Mountain Hwy
Whitman, MA 02382 North Conway, NH 03860
T (800) 759-1452 T (800) 298-0802
F (781) 447-2832 F (603) 356-9290
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