Training & Development

A new report released by the Partnership for Public Service and Booz Allen Hamilton says that in order to increase employee retention and workplace productivity, federal agencies should improve how they bring new employees onboard and how they are integrated into the workplace culture. Onboarding, the process of familiarizing new hires with their new workplace requirements and responsibilities, is rarely used as a retention tool.

Employers and HR personnel need to focus their efforts on a candidate’s transferrable skills, rather than searching for the perfect match of skills and qualifications when searching for candidates in a tight job market with a skills shortage, according to the CEO of Australia’s Recruitment and Consulting Services Association.

Technology is often part of the conversation in the workplace. Sometimes it's because the company is moving toward new technologies, but not always.

Employees like to test-drive new techologies, but they don't always ask first. The question, do they have the right to try the new technologies without permission.

Allowing business casual as the dress code at work can be a nice benefit for employees. It can also create confusion for others.

While business casual is as much a staple of the office as using the Internet, more and more companies are attempting to enforce rules that set a minimum standard of dress.

It's not only the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year." It's also the time that people begin shopping online for holiday gifts - often at work.

This means it's also going to be time for small business owners to decide how much surfing is permissible on company time and what is excessive.

It's a slippery slope for employers when deciding what to do when one of the company's unwritten rules has been broken.

Trying to get every rule in writing is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, every company has an employee or employees that do something unacceptable without actually breaking an official rule.

A recent study has found that employees with significant depression who participated in a program improved work productivity and greater job retention than those receiving standard care.

The researchers say that depression is as costly as any other health problem for employers.

The smoke-free workplace has become a reality. Up next is helping employees themselves to become smoke-free.

Businesses are hoping to reduce medical bills by paying to help employees stop smoking. Surveys indicate that it has become mainstream for companies with at least 200 workers now offer help to stop smoking as part of their employee benefits package.

E-mail is one of the few parts of a business that is on duty 24-7, 365 days per year.

However, some employers are imposing some holidays for the most popular source of office communication. To do it, businesses are making one day per week e-mail-free.

Technology in the workplace has become a tricky topic. Employers want to reap the benefits of technology without having to police the use of computers, cell phones and PDAs.

An attorney from Atchley, Russell, Waldrop, & Hlavinka LLP discussed some of the double-edged issues at a recent seminarat Texarkana College.