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