HR Professional - December 2007/January 2008 - (Page 14)

UPFRONT H A N D B O O K S | VA C AT I O N T I M E | E X E C U T I V E P O L L BY THE NUMBERS GOOD HELP IS HARD TO FIND Websitehtt ps://builder.thompson.com/five_minute_guide.html The Five-Minute Guide to Employee Handbooks OK, quick test people. Grab your employee handbook and ask yourself a few questions: Does your handbook include a broad disclaimer stating that the handbook is not a contract of employment? Does the handbook detail timekeeping procedures and limitations on overtime for non-exempt employees? Is the handbook an effective reference tool for employees—has it reduced employees’ day-to-day questions regarding policies? If you answer “no” to these or any of seven other questions in Thompson Publishing’s Five-Minute Guide to Employee Handbooks (https://builder.thompson. com/ﬁve_minute_guide.html), it may be time for an overhaul. This free guide provides a quick audit to determine whether your handbook is effective in protecting the company, and provide a comprehensive overview of employee handbook fundamentals. The overview covers topics including: the purpose of an employee handbook, legal issues and operational policies, beneﬁ ts, leaves of absence, rules and regulations and separation of employment. The guide is American in scope (including Safe Harbor provisions and the Family Medical Leave Act), but the basics are universal. Take ﬁ ve minutes and see if your handbook measures up. 84% OF CANADIAN EXECUTIVES SAY IT IS NOW HARD TO FIND AVAILABLE WORKERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST AND IN THE SERVICE SECTORS. 76% OF CANADIAN EXECUTIVES SAY THE COUNTRY’S HUMAN RESOURCES CHALLENGES SHOULD BE A TOP GOVERNMENT PRIORITY. THE MAJORITY OF EXECUTIVES POLLED BLAMED A BOOMING ECONOMY, AN AGING POPULATION, LACK OF FOCUS ON EDUCATION, A STRONG WESTERN ECONOMY, DISINTEREST IN THE TRADES, AND A GROWING COMPETITION FOR LABOUR FOR CANADA’S STAFFING WOES. —From the Report on Business’s quarterly C-suite survey, August 2007 Did You Know C R E AT I V E T Y P E S C A N ’ T S TAY AWAY A recent survey by The Creative Group finds 87 per cent of advertising and marketing executives check in with the office at least once while on vacation—with almost half calling in once a day. Only 13 per cent made a clean break and left their BlackBerries at home. The poll included 250 responses, half from advertising execs and half from marketing execs in both Canada and the U.S. Creative Group division director Collin Ezzell says these dogged execs aren’t doing their companies any favours by checking in all the time. “These people need to use their vacation time to decompress. Creative people are busy being creative. If they don’t step back and put things in perspective, they’ll burn out and the creative tap will run dry.” Her advice? Leave the laptop and PDA at home. Advertising and marketing execs were asked how often they check in while on vacation: Several times daily 9% 28% 2 % 3% 3% Once daily 2-3 times a week At least once a week Never 14 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7 / J a n u a r y 2 0 0 8 HR P R OF E S S I ON A L https://builder.thompson.com/five_minute_guide.html

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - December 2007/January 2008

HR Professional - December 2007/January 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Website Did You Know By the Numbers Technology Study News: Ontario Regulatory Enforcement Compensation News: Postponing Retirement Legal Compensation On Message Public Image Ltd. Building Brand Equity Research Strategy HR 101 Interview with Marshall Goldsmith Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - December 2007/January 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.