Just the other day, Kandi met a gentleman in his eighties (at least!) and he expounded to her his ideas on “this younger generation.” Apparently, we don’t take as much pride in ourselves or our work because we’re allowed to wear jeans. Gone are the days when men put on a three-piece suit—or even own one! Gone too are the days when women wore pantyhose and high heels every day.

There are two schools of thoughts on dress codes: 1) Employees are more productive when they’re comfortable so they should be allowed to dress casual, and 2) Requiring a more formal dress creates a professional environment, which keeps employees more productive and communicates the right message to customers and clients.

First, you should have an outlined policy on your dress code that is communicated to your employees. Even if it’s just to address safety concerns, such as banning flip-flops and open-toed shoes in the plant, or spelling out that short skirts, ripped jeans, and T-shirts with profanity on them are unacceptable, your dress code spells out how you want your employees to look as they represent your business. Some industries are able to spell out their requirements in black and white, since employees are required to wear a branded shirt and black pants (ex., restaurants), while others still encourage suits and ties (banks, lawyers, CEOS). You need to ask yourself how much interaction your employees have with the public, and what image you want the office/work environment to present to visitors. A major restaurant chain recently changed its dress code to allow visible tattoos, as long as they aren’t offensive or on the neck/face, showing how far public perception has come.

My husband always requires khakis and polo shirts as a minimum for his employees, because to him, "business casual” is casual! To him, there’s no difference in comfort between khakis and jeans, but to many employees, jeans represent a sort of freedom.

Even if you decide to allow employees to go casual on days they won’t be meeting with anyone, you can’t leave “casual” up to the imagination unless you want to see Crocs and sweatpants with words written on the rear. Jeans can look nicer paired with a button-up shirt or blouse than wrinkled khakis and a stretched-out sweater. Here are some tips to maximize your dress code:

1. Differentiate when more casual dress will be allowed. Whether it’s dress-down Fridays, on days when a local sports team has a home game, or when employees are not meeting with clients, allowing them some freedom in their clothing (within bounds) can improve employee morale.
2. Spell out the things that are definitely not allowed and have a procedure to follow if someone violates the dress code (being sent home without pay to change, for example).
3. Be consistent in your enforcement. If you let one department slide, or one person in the department slide, other employees could become resentful of the “favoritism” treatment. What we wear is a very personal thing, and seeing someone flaunt a violation of the dress code can make other workers very emotional.
4. Encourage professionalism, even when employees are dressed down. Address violations and employees who use dress-down days as an excuse to socialize without pointing fingers or getting emotional. Simply point out the policy, which should spell out what is appropriate and that casual dress is a privilege extended because employees are able to remain professional and get their word done.
5. Come up with a plan that works for your business. You know your work environment and your employees best. Make the dress code work for you.

Bringing in a candidate for an interview means that you were impressed with their skills and background and you think they might be a good fit with your company. The first thing that you do is make small talk to get to know them and make them feel comfortable. But what many interviewers don’t realize is that the innocent questions they’re asking may be illegal!

According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, any questions that reveal protected classes, such as age, race, national origin, gender, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation, are off-limits. Now, obviously things like age, gender and sometimes race may seem fairly obvious, but hiring decisions cannot be based on these qualities. Below is a list of example questions to avoid:

1.     Are you married? This can reveal marital status and sexual orientation, both of which aren’t allowed.

2.     Do you have children? You also can’t ask if the person is planning to have children in the future. Even if the woman is visibly pregnant, you can’t refer to it. Instead, ask questions such as, “Do you have responsibilities that will interfere with specific job requirements, such as travelling?” or “Do you have anything planned in the next six months that will interfere with your availability?”

3.     What religious holidays do you practice? Instead, ask, “Are you available to work on Saturdays or Sundays.”

4.     What country are you from?  

5.     Is English your first language? Instead, you can ask “What languages do you read, speak, or write fluently?”

6.     Do you have any outstanding debt? Credit checks are allowed for positions where money is handled, as long as you check the credit of all the candidates you’re considering. You must also have their permission first.

7.     Do you drink? Likewise, asking about past drug use is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

8.     How long have you been working? This questions allows employers to calculate age, which is unlawful. Similarly, they can’t ask what year you graduated high school or college, or your birthday. However, they can ask how many years’ experience you have working in a certain industry.

9.     What kind of discharge from the military did you receive? You can ask about the skills and experience that the applicant acquired during their service.

10.   Have you been arrested? Instead, you can ask if they have been convicted of a crime, but the crime may not disqualify the applicant from the job, unless the conviction directly relates to the job at hand. For example, you don’t want to hire someone who has embezzled money from an accounting position.

Knowing the questions to ask are important in finding the right candidate for the job.

by: Dan Cozzi

At Elite HR Team, respect is a value that requires constant attention. For us, respect is expecting personal and professional interactions to show consideration for the other and always respecting others and ourselves in our interactions and choice of words. 

We strive constantly to embody respect by listening to the needs of our clients and prospective clients by developing and offering solutions when we can, but also referring out when the problem is not an area that we have the expertise to solve. 

Respect is intimately related to the achieving results portion of our company vision. Just as we recognize that you want to focus on the parts of your business that you love, while we focus on the human resources aspects, we have partnered with businesses in various industries, such as payroll, accounting, IT, attorneys, CPAs, etc., because they deal with the financial or technical sides of your business. No matter what your needs, if there are areas that need improvement, come to us! We will either help, or point you in the right direction. After, all we respect your time, and if we can save time searching for the right support system, we will!

Our team is on your team, because when small businesses are successful we are successful. That's how we show respect. 

We've shared why we feel respect is key to our vision for our future, please share how or if respect plays a role in your company, team, or work group. Watch the video below and make sure to leave your comments! We look forward to learning from you!

By: Jodi Tahsler
Time theft costs American businesses billions of dollars each year. What constitutes time theft? Minor things like these can add up quickly:

• Late arrival or early departure, requesting paid sick days for inappropriate reasons
• Excessive socializing and personal phone calls
• Using company time and facilities to operate a second business
• Taking long lunch hours and breaks
• Slowing down the work place to create overtime
• Handling personal business at work

You want your employees to find a balance between home life and work, but if they "steal" 1 hour a day, that adds up to 5 hours a week, and over six full workweeks a year!

Not surprising, full-time workers are more likely to slack off than temporary workers, and the greater an employee’s seniority, the greater the chance they will be lax about an eight-hour workday. Employees under thirty years old also tend to steal more time than older employees.

What can you do to protect yourself? First, if you aren’t using some kind of system to track hours, you should consider putting one in place. Time cards are better than nothing, and a time clock is better than a time card, which can be easily “fudged” a few minutes.

While you should allow employees to take 15-minute breaks, and may be required to do so by law, depending on the length of their shift, you must also ensure that breaks are not taken advantage of. Time clocks can actually make flexible schedules work better, as they ensure that employees are actually putting in a 40-hour week. They also eliminate “favoritism” among employees—face it, every department has one employee whose life is 15 minutes late.

Restricting time-sucking websites, including personal email and Facebook, or making it clear that personal use of the internet is prohibited or restricted to breaks, can also make a big difference. Not allowing employees to use their cell phones at their desks can also prevent “quick” checks of email, social media, or “one more level” in that addictive game. These are especially important as younger workers come into the workforce—cell phones are a major part of their culture and communication.

Despite initial pushback from employees who resent being monitored after having previously had “more freedom,” time-keeping procedures are a win-win for everyone. They eliminate disputes regarding pay, accelerate payroll preparation, provide legal records of hours worked that are honored in any court of law, establish respect for time, enforce the work schedule, and enable calculation of product or service costs.

At the federal minimum wage of $7.25, each minute is worth around 12 cents. Taking 20 minutes a day, that’s $604 a year (with 250 days worked). Multiply that by your number of employees, and it quickly compounds. Saving time does equal saving money!

As the below info-graphic illustrates, harassment & discrimination is a very serious issues for businesses, and can be very costly. Businesses should avoid discrimination by training their employees and managers on appropriate workplace behavior. Attorneys suggest that workplaces have at least a bi-annual session of Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training and then also have every new-hire go through this training. It has been proven that businesses who conduct this training regularly are given a break in litigation because they're able to prove that they do not condone discrimination and harassment in the workplace, but rather take preventative measures to avoid this behavior in the workplace. 

Learn more about our Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training here.

We have 3 options for you when it comes to this training. 

1. We can come on-site and conduct this training for you and it includes the training presentation, handouts, and quizzes. 

2. We have online capabilities where your employees can watch a training video remotely. The handouts are populated on the page below the training and they are prompted to complete the quiz online as well.

3. You can purchase our DIY training kit and conduct the training yourself. The disc includes the PowerPoint training, the movie, the handouts, the quizzes, and the answer key.  

We also offer this training quarterly for you to send your new-hires to, if you so desire. 

Learn more about our Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training here.

Your employees are like your family and you want to take care of them and their families. Contain your claims cost and give them access to a doctor 24/7/365 from the convenience of their homes. Teladoc is perfect for those late night worries in cold and flu season when you're just not sure if you need to see a doctor.
Talk to a doctor by phone or online. There's even a mobile app! All doctors are U.S. board-certified and licensed in your state. 

Are You Rolling with Medical Marijuana? It's hard to know how to protect your business, as the government has yet to release all the details about the "Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act." Don't wait for problems to spark! 

The most important thing businesses need to do is to address medical marijuana in their drug policy. Employers can prohibit employees from using, but it has be spelled out in a detailed policy. Because medical marijuana is used for people who have a debilitating disease, employees who are able to get a prescription may be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Reasonable accommodation must be made for these individuals.

Businesses should also address medical marijuana with union reps, discuss potential issues with employees, and talk to an attorney before refusing to hire, disciplining or firing a registered user for a failed drug test.

Program updates are available at www.mcpp.illinois.gov. Joel Harrison will be giving a People in Business presentation on March 10 about what businesses need to do now. We are here to answer your questions and help you craft your business's drug and anti-discrimination policies. 

Group Interviews Explained Have you ever been in or conducted a group interview? Group interviews involve having an interview with a range of 5-15 candidates at the same time. The interview can be conducted by asking the same question to the whole group and allowing each individual to answer among the group. Or, the group may also be divided into subgroups for group activities and assignments. Group interviews can save an employer a lot of time in the interview process. For example, a manager is more likely to have time for a 1-hour group interview with 10 people but making time for 10 one hour interviews may not be possible. Group interviews can aid in identifying those candidates with leadership skills as they stand out in the crowd and take the lead in the group. 

Group interviews are a great idea for certain types of positions, but for other positions should not be utilized. A group interview should not be conducted for mid-level management positions or higher. Upper management is an integral part of any company. It's important that their interview time is spent one-on-one to really get to know them. Plus, it can be perceived by the applicant as demeaning and degrading for an executive to be interviewed in this way. Let's be honest, it is difficult to find good managers. You want to spend one-on-one time with them for your own sake and for the sake of showing them respect in the recruiting process. Group interviews are a great tool for lower level positions, to entry-level management positions. These positions often have a lot more applicants than management positions, so you can really maximize your interview time with group interviews. Plus, as mentioned above, you can see what applicants show strength, confidence, and leadership. 

Would you consider a group interview situation? What roles would you put through a group interview? Leave your comment below. 

By: Dan Cozzi

Veracity is one of our core values at Elite HR Team. We define Veracity as, "extending permission to embrace unique qualities and serve genuinely."

Passion means to have a strong, almost uncontrollable emotion about something.  Where do such emotions come from?  They aren't logical, but they are tied to something deep within us; extremely personal.  One of the great philosophers in western history, Thomas Aquinas, held that temperance binds our passions.  In the realm of morality and justice temperance protects society, but the absence of it can turn an individual into a sociopath.  However, when related to the health of your workforce, encouraging certain passions is a goal of the highest order.  Passionate people greatly engage in the things they are passionate about, and here is where veracity is important. 

Companies that don't embrace veracity find it difficult to promote passionate workforces. Without it managers, executives and company leaders risk tempering their worker's passion for their work. Think about it, how passionate can someone be where her/his unique qualities are suppressed in an effort to force compliance to tasks and exercises which are counter to their strengths or individuality. 

At Elite HR team, we embrace veracity as one of our values to avoid tempering our team members’ passion for their work.  In whatever we are working on, for our clients or for our business goals, we give ourselves and our partners permission to embrace their unique qualities and strengths and live them in their work. These unique qualities determine our strengths which we welcome and encourage to strengthen our team and yours.

We've shared why we feel veracity is key to our vision for our future, please share how or if veracity plays a role in your company, team, or work group.  We look forward to learning from you! Comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page.

You can also watch our video about Veracity where Dan interviews Kandi on Elite HR Team's core Value Veracity here: