I have talked briefly about why Employment Agreements matter, and about the impact COVID-19 has had on the workforce, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t talked about what makes a good employer.
Not everyone can work in our office (as I do work for the best employer), so here are a few tips that I have learned over the years of working in an employment law firm.
- Make sure your Agreement is Clear and signed BEFORE employment commences
Having everything set out in the Agreement before your new employee starts work makes your expectations out in the open about job duties and allowed vacation time. Another good idea is to have the company’s handbook attached to the Agreement to ensure that they new employee is well aware of the company’s policies before they start. Having it all out in the open cuts down on any uncertainty, and having it all organized makes it easier administratively on your end.
- Take an Interest and conduct regular Evaluations
Taking an interest in your employee can not only put them at ease in the workplace, but can also allow for open communication during evaluations.
Not everyone likes to be evaluated, however, having open communication and providing feedback in a positive manner, and regularly, could help employees feel that feedback from an employer is positive and not always dreading the reviews. Allow for feedback from your employee, and listen to what they are saying, encourage them to take an interest in the day to day of the business and feel included.
If you conduct regular reviews, it not only shows you where the employee needs to improve, but also the employee may not be aware of the areas they need to improve, and may open their eyes and take more initiative.
- Making the workplace a place your employee wants to be
This one can be hard depending on the type of business you have, however, if a law firm can keep it fun and maintain professionalism, I’m pretty sure any employer could do the same.
Even in these times, we have found ways to keep it fun by celebrating birthdays with ordering in lunch to our home offices and having videocalls to sit and chat about some fun stuff like politics, or which regions are shut down, but it still gets us away from the regular work mode and staying positive.
I know after reading this blog you all now want to apply for my job, but I will remind you I love my job and will not give it up easily, but you too can make your employees happy and want to come to work everyday.
Christine Allan, Law Clerk