Employment | Union Station

Ways Employers Can Continue To Train Their Employees

Employee training doesn’t just end the day the employee stops learning the basics of the jobs. For many businesses and employers, employee training is something that is done on an ongoing basis. Continual employee training ensures that all employees are kept up to date on the industry that they work in and the techniques that are being used.

Employee training can be done in a number of ways. Here is a look at some of the resources that employers can use to train their employees.

Internet Based Courses. Internet based courses are a great way to offer employees a way to brush up on the industry that they work in. Many employees love Internet based courses because it allows them to learn at their own pace. If they already know material it’ll fly by quickly and they can focus on newer material and learning new items. Internet based courses are also good for the employer because they can assign specific courses to meet the individual employee’s needs so employees are not learning about skills they will not use on their job.

Training Videos. Videos or DVDs are a great way to train a group of employees. Training videos offer an interesting way to present the information that the employees need. Training videos are usually purchased for items that can be utilized by a large group. The most common types of training videos include safety videos, sexual harassment videos and industry specific courses.

Training Manuals. Training manuals are a great way to lay everything out there for the employees. Training manuals allow companies that are larger in size to make sure that everyone is getting an across the board training in specific topics. This allows the company to present a unified front no matter where the company is located.

Situational Models. Situational models are basically hands-on training in specific industry related areas. Employers will create situations for the employees and have them react to it. Other situational models include presenting new items or technology and having the employees learn about it with hands-on training.

Filed Under: Career, Employment Tagged With: employment, Learning

Why Hands-On Training Works for New Employees

Employers want to make sure that all their employees before they start working are properly trained. The ability to have properly trained employees who enter the workforce allows employers to have a successful business and operate at a high level of efficiency. If you are about to enter the workforce in a job that requires manual labor or physical work chances are you will be undergoing a hands-on training session. Here is a closer look at hands-on training sessions provided by employers.

Hands-on training sessions are extremely popular for employers who offer physical or manual labor. It has been proven that the best way to learn the job is by showing the employee what they are expected to do and have them physically do it. All of the work is done under the watchful eye of a skilled employee who can help direct the new employee in what to do.

Hands-on training is especially important for those jobs that cannot be properly explained via a handbook or textbook. While an employee can spend hours reading up on how to install a carpet they will not truly understand the process until they get out there and start doing the job. This hands-on training allows employees to see where they might be lacking in skills and what they need to further study.

Research has been conducted on the efficiency of hands-on training. Many researchers believe that those that engage in hands-on training are more likely to learn their job than those that studied from a book. This is because these people are thrown into the workforce and are actually seeing how things operate and what they need to do. In fact, hands-on training has become so popular that many companies will either offer hands-on training or a combination of textbook/handbook studying and hands-on training as this allows for efficiency amongst new employees.

Filed Under: Career, Employment Tagged With: employment, Workforce

What an Employer Can Do if They Find Out An Employee Has a Criminal History

When hiring a new employee many employers are leery of hiring someone with a criminal past. While it is illegal to ask specifically if you have been arrested that does not stop an employer from finding out about any criminal past you may have had.

All criminal records from citations and convictions are public record. This means that anyone who has your name has a legal right to research it and find out what type of criminal past you may have had.

So what does an employer do if they find out that a new employee or a potential employee has some type of criminal past? There are a few options that are available to the employers.

The first option that the employer has is to check on the state laws. Some states allow for employers to terminate their relationship based on criminal history. Some states only allow the employer to terminate the employee-employer relationship if the employee lied or it is a crime that could put others in the workplace at risk. It is important to know what your state allows before terminating an employee for a criminal history.

The second option that employers have is to consider if the criminal history or crime puts the job the person needs to do at risk. All states have laws that make it if the conviction or crime has a direct relationship to the job at hand it could be grounds for automatic termination. Crimes and convictions that fall under this category include theft, fraud and embezzlement charges. It is also common if a person is convicted of a child-related crime they may not work around children.

It is important to know that as an employer you can only judge based off of incidents that lead to a criminal conviction. Even if the potential employee is undergoing a trial or waiting to be convicted you cannot terminate the relationship against them at that point in time.

Filed Under: Career, Employment Tagged With: Criminal record, employment

Questions to Avoid Asking Potential Employees During an Interview

Interviews are vital to gaining a job. Almost every job requires that you interview with a potential employee so that you can gain an idea of whether or not they will be right for the position that you are hiring for. It is important that you know if you are interviewing a potential employee that there are specific things that you are prohibited by the law from asking them. Here is a look at a few of the questions you are not legally allowed to ask potential employees.

What is Your Race/National Origin?

This question is strictly prohibited. In fact, while some illegal questions have a legal way to ask them this one does not. It is deemed that race and/or national origin has no bearing over whether or not a person can do a job. By asking this question you are opening the door to be investigated for race discrimination. However, you as an employer can ask for a potential employee to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaire must be used for government reporting reasons and the race question must be optional to fill out.

Are You Married? Other Personal Questions

As an employer you are not allowed to ask whether a person is married or not. The law sees that the marriage status of a person does not have any effect on how well they perform their job. It is also illegal to ask if the interviewee has any children or anything else that is a portrayal of the potential employee’s personal life. This is because a potential employee’s personal life does not show if they are capable of performing a job or not. The legal way around this is by asking potential employees if they feel that they will be able to meet the job requirements and if anything will interfere. If the potential employee volunteers the information then it is legal to ask them a follow up question on it. However, asking them directly about their situation is against the law.

Filed Under: Employment, Hiring Tagged With: employment, Question

Tips For Reducing Stress At Work

Every person has stress. There is no way around it, and some stress in your life is good. Stretching yourself too thin both at home and at work can create problems for not only you but your family and co-workers as well. Dealing with work stress can make your whole day go downhill and affect your family life when you get home. We often put more stress on ourselves at our jobs to be better and do better so that we stand out more to our supervisors. You can learn to manage your stress with several easy tips.

Leave earlier. When you rush leaving the house and rush through traffic and barely make it to work before your scheduled time, you are setting yourself up to have a bad day. The rest of the day feels rushed and you are left with the feeling you forgot to do something. Leave 10 minutes early going to work, get there earlier and this gives you enough time to ease into your day.

If it’s possible, slip away at lunch time. Get away from work and take a breather. Read a book while you eat, listen to some music, or take a walk. Anything that has nothing to do with your job. This gives you a few minutes to clear your mind and recharge yourself for the afternoon.

Whatever tasks you have set to do for the day, break them down in order of importance. Do what’s most important first. If there is something that you are just really dreading doing, do it first thing in the morning. Get it over with and the rest of your day will be better.

Don’t stress yourself trying to make everything perfect. Setting unrealistic goals that are impossible to reach will cause you the most stress. You are your own worst enemy by being a perfectionist. Do the best that you can. That’s all anyone can do.

Filed Under: Employment Tagged With: Reducing Stress

Ways A Business Can Go Green

More and more business’s are going green as a way to save money and help the environment. Even just a small bit helps the environment and the company as well. Many businesses have started offering bill payment online, direct depositing employee’s checks, and online job applications as a way to cut back on paper waste. There are more ways that a company can go green even if you are a small business. You don’t have to do it all at one time.

Most companies, when they hire you, upload all your information into a software that automatically files it for them. Documents like W-2′s, state and local tax documents, and benefits packages. It save Human Resources from drowning in paperwork and also allows them to be better able to find all an applicant’s information in one spot without lost papers. It increases productivity for the HR department.

Replacing old or aging equipment with new energy efficient equipment or appliances is another great way to go green. Buying new energy efficient light bulbs can save money on your electric bill. Remember to get equipment that carry the Energy Star rating and you can save a lot of money on operating costs.

Cleaning products that are green is probably the easiest way to go green. Using a cleaning crew that only uses green products gives you the feeling that you are doing your part. Providing green plants in your office or building that increases oxygen and cleans the air is also a great way to go green. Educate your employee’s on recycling and provide bins throughout your building.

Getting your ink cartridges refilled and buying recycled papers can also be cost effective and green. And a lot supply stores already offer these. If you can help the environment and save money, why not do a few simple things to go green.

Filed Under: Career, Employment Tagged With: Business

4 Jobs That Doesn’t Require A College Degree

There are a lot of jobs that do not require college. Who say’s you need 4 years of college to make good money? Let’s look at 4 jobs that pay good and take a little bit skill to do them. You can go to college for any one of these jobs, but you do not need a degree in order to obtain them. Experience is a great teacher and I think a lot of potential employer’s realize that when it comes to certain jobs.

An Electrician is a skilled trade and you need experience if this is the job you want. You can start as an apprentice and work your way up to a Master Electrician. This work is dangerous, so you need to know what your doing in order to perform the job well. It is also backed by a union. The pay can be different by location and individual but you can comfortably make about 45,000 dollars a year.

The Real Estate Broker makes about 58,000 dollars a year and doesn’t require a college degree. Although, it does require some classes and a state exam. Granted, the real estate market is not doing so well right now, but there are always houses being bought and sold. Your job is to find the houses that you know can be sold easily.

A Salesperson doesn’t need college but they do need a healthy dose of self confidence and some mighty tough skin. Salespeople generally work on commission, so the pay will vary.

If you have a flair for decorating and you like working on the computer, then you might be a good Web Designer. A website that has a good design draws people back to it, and creates more work for the designer. The pay for this job is 55,000 dollars a year.

Filed Under: Career, Employment Tagged With: College Degree

Planning for the Future: Union Labor

You are in the rare position: you like your job. Your employer isn’t an egotist, assuming all credit for the efforts you provide. Your hours aren’t unbearably long. The company offers concerns for safety, ensuring that regulations are diligently maintained. Morale is high and this is a precious thing–which is undoubtedly why you believe a union is wasted on you. You think it can provide no more than what you already have and will only serve as an inconvenience.

You are, sadly, mistaken.

A union is not formed solely because conditions are without merit (though that is undeniably the most common cause). Its purpose is to protect its members, offering every right they deserve and every respect they have earned. And this continues even after a career has finished. The contributions made to those involved with a union greatly outweigh those of ones who are not:

Pensions: often contracts can be charted to ensure that the final paycheck is not the final payment. After a job is finished, many employees (even those who had the ease of kindly managers) are unsure of their future. With pension plans, however, this can guarantee further income and help to soothe the sudden burden of being without work.

Health Benefits: insurance does not have to fade with retirement. Union members can instead negotiate their current plans to continue long after they have left a company. Contractual obligations can be created, offering security. The rates will be lower and the benefits will be immediate. This must be negotiated, however, and is not a certainty. Consider it well.

Funeral Expenses: though it is a terrible truth, it is still one we must face–we will not always be here. A union, though, can help to make that transition as painless as possible for those we leave behind. The benefit of funeral expenses can be offered and this becomes a great comfort to others.

You enjoy your job. You have no complaints. But the future is forever unsure until you have created a contract that will provide for you and your family. A union can assist in this.

Filed Under: Employment, Union Tagged With: Union Labor

How To Handle A Hostile Co-Worker

We have all encountered people at work who are less than cordial. For whatever reason, you have individuals who are not happy with themselves, their lives or their jobs. And they tend to take it out on whomever is around them. Most of the time you can ignore these people, but there are some occasions when you just have to deal with them. What do you do?

Stay away if you can, but if you can not and you see this person getting riled up, remove yourself from the situation. Go back to your desk, or take a small break. Do not become involved. That is exactly what they want, someone to argue with.

If you can not make an escape, do not return fire. Snide comments and low-blows would make anyone ready to do battle. Do not do it! Make kind words and politeness the order of the day. Try to remain as calm as possible and just go back to work.

If all else fails, involve management. No one should have to work in that type of environment. Have the two of you and your boss sit down to have an adult discussion with no yelling and no finger pointing. Explain that you are uncomfortable in those types of working conditions. Hopefully, it can be resolved there.

If it doesn’t stop, becomes worse, you can’t perform your job or you are concerned for your safety, be prepared to take legal action. Sometimes moving to another department or them moving to another department doesn’t put a stop to it, especially if you still see the person during the day. It could even make it worse. You should make plans to go to another job. The tensions it can create in the office from other employee’s can be just as bad as the harassment itself.

Filed Under: Employment Tagged With: Hostile Co-Worker