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The HR Engineers

Have You Taken a Summer Vacation Yet? HR Expert Shares Tips for Small Business Owners

Denise Noble, PHR

Too busy for a vacation? For those who own a small business, vacations are imperative to avoid decreased productivity, increased stress and burnout.

With more than two decades of experience, Denise Noble, PHR (Professional in Human Resources), founder and senior HR Consultant at The HR Engineers, providers of human resource consulting and services for smaller businesses throughout New England, outlines the steps small business owners should take to ensure all goes smoothly while they are away.

“Many small business owners have already experienced, or are at risk for ‘burnout’,” explained Noble. “Burnout can occur when a person has too much work and not enough time to do it. Burnout can also occur when a lot of time gets spent ‘putting out fires’ in repeated crisis mode rather than concentrating on main objectives.”

Tell employees in advance and delegate – Small business owners should let employees know when they’re going on vacation, and draw up a plan for delegating. Review expectations, back-up plans, worse case scenarios and contingency plans.

Potential problems and resolutions– Make a list with solutions to problems and the specific steps that employees need to take to handle them.

Identify who is in charge– Be sure to identify the “go to” person for daily operations and troubleshooting. Have your employees take on more responsibility at least a month before you leave so they can get the feel of what is expected of them.

Have Coaching and Training programs in place– Coaching and training programs ensure that employees are trained to handle any emergency that may come up at any time. Having the programs already in place will help to keep manager and employee skills sharp, honed and on point. If the business already has an Employee Handbook, then employees can refer to it in a small business owner’s absence as it serves as a guidebook for many company policies and procedures.

Inform clients – Small business owners should inform their clients that they will be going on vacation and when they will return. Reassure clients that they will be in capable hands while the owner is on vacation and may expect the same quality and level of work. Small business owners should also inform clients of who will be handling their account and that if an emergency arises, the staff has the ability to contact the owner.

“Small business owners really need to make vacation a priority and start preparing their staff for departure the moment their plans are in place,” noted Noble.

For assistance in readying your company for your vacation, developing an Employee Handbook or Coaching and Training programs, contact The HR Engineers at 508-785-4950. Remember to ask about their complimentary HR review.

About The HR Engineers

The HR Engineers provide outsourced HR services to businesses with 50 or fewer employees throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Founded by Denise Noble, PHR, who has more than 20 years of human resources, accounting and business management experience, The HR Engineers provide tailored solutions to help grow and protect small businesses. From the development of Employee Handbooks, Policies and Procedures to solutions for Optimizing Employee Engagement, Management Coaching, Labor Law, Compliance and more, The HR Engineers provide expert HR solutions to meet a small business’ needs and budget. In-person consultations are offered to companies within a 50-mile radius of their office in Franklin, MA. For more information contact 508-785-4950 or visit thehrengineers.com.

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The HR Engineers outline what marijuana legalization means for Employers

The passing of Question 4, which essentially legalized marijuana for recreational use for persons aged 21 and over (with certain provisions) in Massachusetts, brings a number of questions to the forefront for employers. Can employers enforce a “no marijuana smoking” policy during the workday if employees are not on company property? What about employees consuming edibles during their lunch break?

With more than two decades of experience, The HR Engineers, providers of human resource consulting and services for smaller businesses throughout New England, clear the “smoky” air and clarify workplace policies that can be enforced by employers when it comes to marijuana.

First and foremost, there are existing laws prohibiting operating while under the influence or consuming while operating any motorized form of transport or machinery, such as a motor vehicle. Additionally, wherever the smoking of tobacco is prohibited; the smoking of marijuana is prohibited. Nor, can marijuana be consumed in a public place (unless it is an approved marijuana establishment).

An employer is not required to allow or accommodate conduct in the workplace just because it is allowable by law. Similar to workplace policies regarding the consumption of alcohol, employers may enact and enforce policies limiting the consumption of marijuana by employees. This includes smoking and/or consumption of marijuana just prior to the start of the workday and during work hours, regardless of whether or not they are on company property.

The new law does not change the previously enacted law and its regulations allowing marijuana for medical use. So in this regard, employers may maintain their current policies regarding the medical use of marijuana.

“With the passage of Question 4, which regulates marijuana for recreational purposes, employers have expressed a number of concerns,” explained Denise Noble, PHR (Professional in Human Resources), the firm’s founder and senior HR Consultant. “The bottom line is – employers may enact and enforce workplace policies that limit employees’ marijuana consumption, similar to policies that limit alcohol consumption. That being said, all policies and employee handbooks must be updated with very specific language that details these rules and regulations, leaving no ‘gray areas’ or room for interpretation.”

Establishing written policies and procedures helps avoid costly disputes in the workplace. The HR Engineers help employers by working with them to ensure their HR policies and practices are clear and applied consistently. The HR Engineers’ team also works with employers to establish new policies as needed.

To arrange for a complimentary HR compliance review from The HR Engineers, contact 508-785-4950.

About The HR Engineers
The HR Engineers provide outsourced HR services to businesses with 50 or fewer employees throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Founded by Denise Noble, PHR, who has more than 20 years of human resources, accounting and business management experience, The HR Engineers provide tailored solutions to help grow and protect small businesses. From the development of Employee Handbooks, Policies and Procedures to solutions for Optimizing Employee Engagement, Management Coaching, Labor Law, Compliance and more, The HR Engineers provide expert HR solutions to meet a small business’ needs and budget. In-person consultations are offered to companies within a 50-mile radius of their office in Franklin, MA. For more information contact 508-785-4950 or visit thehrengineers.com.

The HR Engineers outline what marijuana legalization means for EmployersRead More