| Ask a company recruiter the state of the
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| | home with the baby. You can't blame a
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| job market, and she'll tell you that
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| | person for waiting until the last minute
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| certain, key jobs are always hard to
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| | to make such a decision, when hundreds to
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| fill. A great marketing chief, a terrific
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| | thousands of dollars are at stake.3)
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| CTO or other pivotal 'value creator' is
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| | ABSENCE OF COMP TIME POLICIESSmart
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| not born every minute. So which companies
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| | companies hire smart people, and they use
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| end up with the talent? The ones that
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| | Comp Time policies to give these folks
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| treat people like adults, rather than
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| | some time off when they earn it. Comp
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| like irresponsible children. The ones
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| | time is just a way of saying that when
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| that assume that people are doing what
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| | you've worked a lot of hours (and you're
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| they're hired to do, without being
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| | also a salaried employee, who can't be
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| watched like hawks. The companies that
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| | paid a dime for that overtime) you should
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| will always get the talent, when
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| | be able to take some time off here and
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| competition is stiff, are the ones who
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| | there. Comp time allows people to go see
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| don't allow in idiotic HR practices like
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| | the doctor, go Christmas shopping, or
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| the five prize turkeys listed here.Here's
| |
| | otherwise take care of the business of
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| our roundup of all-time most offensive HR
| |
| | living without using vacation, sick or
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| policies. If these sound familiar, you
| |
| | personal time. If your company doesn't
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| might want to think about whether your
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| | hesitate to let people work on weekends
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| talents would be more highly valued
| |
| | and at night, but won't hear of a Comp
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| elsewhere!1) FORCED-RANKING SYSTEMSYou
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| | Time policy to even things out, then I've
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| know these systems, especially if you've
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| | got a couple of websites (Monster,
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| ever worked in the technology industry:
| |
| | HotJobs and CareerBuilder, to name a few)
|
| they're the ones that force managers to
| |
| | you've got to see.4) TALENT REDUCTION
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| rank their employees in "best to worst"
| |
| | POLICIESOf course, there's no such thing
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| order, to literally rank Susie ahead of
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| | as a Talent Reduction Policy. I made that
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| Jim and behind Jane in an annual listing.
| |
| | up. But there are plenty of companies who
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| These policies are appalling. Apart from
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| | put ridiculous and draconian restrictions
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| the built-in hypocrisy that has the
| |
| | on internal transfers and promotions, to
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| company telling everyone all year long,
| |
| | the point that frustrated (but talented)
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| "We're a team! We're a team!" and then
| |
| | people simply leave the company rather
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| literally pitting each one against the
| |
| | than waiting around for the job they want
|
| other once a year, there's a horrifying
| |
| | and are qualified for. If your company
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| philosophy associated with a Forced
| |
| | requires your manager to sign off on your
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| Ranking system: the belief that people
| |
| | request for an internal transfer (and
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| can be reduced to one, lowest common
| |
| | you've put in your dues: say, one year in
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| denominator (called "worth" or
| |
| | the job already), then they're asking for
|
| "usefulness" or "indispensability" or
| |
| | a Brain Drain and they deserve one. You
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| something else, although never
| |
| | don't have to get your manager's
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| defined)and listed in rank order on that
| |
| | signature to apply for a job across the
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| basis. What a vile presumption.If we're
| |
| | street, now do you?5) CHEAPSKATE EXPENSE
|
| not being viewed by our employers as the
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| | REIMBURSEMENT POLICIESTravel is a huge
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| complex, creative, insightful beings we
| |
| | expense for most companies - sometimes
|
| believe ourselves (on our good days,
| |
| | it's second only to payroll when those
|
| anyway) to be, then it's time for us to
| |
| | expense line items are rolled up. But,
|
| find new employers. Forced Ranking
| |
| | still. How cheap does a company have to
|
| systems don't work, they're insulting,
| |
| | be to take back the Frequent Flyer miles
|
| and the companies that employ them don't
| |
| | that employees earned with their own dang
|
| deserve us.2) MATERNITY LEAVE/DISABILITY
| |
| | butts in those uncomfortable airline
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| POLICIESAs a corporate HR person for over
| |
| | seats? And how about policies that say
|
| 20 years, there were policies that I
| |
| | that you can take a client to dinner and
|
| hated to enforce, and others that I
| |
| | spend $50, but only spend $15 if you eat
|
| fought to overturn. Without question, the
| |
| | by yourself? Yes, it's important to be
|
| most absurd benefits-related policy was
| |
| | cost-conscious when writing a travel
|
| the one that said to expectant moms, "If
| |
| | policy. But a policy that requires you to
|
| you tell us that you're coming back to
| |
| | get from Pittsburgh to Chicago on a
|
| work after your maternity leave, your
| |
| | non-direct flight is valuing its cash
|
| health premiums will be paid for. But if
| |
| | above your time, your mental energy, and
|
| you say that you're not coming back to
| |
| | your health. That's simply wrong.HR
|
| work, you'll have to pay your own
| |
| | policies say a lot about what kind of
|
| premiums." D-oh! What would you expect a
| |
| | company you're working for. Considering a
|
| mom (especially a first-time mom) to say?
| |
| | job offer? Ask for (and actually read)
|
| She'll say she's coming back to work,
| |
| | the company's Employee Handbook, and
|
| ninety-nine percent of the time. After
| |
| | you'll learn a ton. Run - don't walk -
|
| all, no one can say for sure that she's
| |
| | away from companies that undervalue their
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| NOT intending to return to work.Why
| |
| | employees every day with bad HR
|
| enforce a policy that encourages people
| |
| | practices. You won't regret it.Liz Ryan
|
| to be less than truthful? Pay the
| |
| | is a former Fortune 500 HR executive, a
|
| blinking premiums, ask the employee what
| |
| | workplace expert and the CEO and founder
|
| her plans are, listen to what she tells
| |
| | of WorldWIT, the online network for
|
| you, and proceed accordingly. If you're
| |
| | professional women. Liz speaks and writes
|
| going to have to replace her, you don't
| |
| | about the workplace, HR, and work-life
|
| want to have to wait until the day she's
| |
| | issues. When she's not working, Liz sings
|
| due back from maternity leave to learn
| |
| | opera and hangs out with her five small
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| that - surprise! - she's decided to stay
| |
| | kids. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.
|
