LEADERSHIP Summer 2019
Dealing with the Death of a Co-Worker pg. 4 Keeping Employees Informed of Key Issues pg. 5
Keeping Personal Problems “Off the Job” Conflict Resolution Domestic Violence Leave: Taking Time Off
Leadership Summer 2019
A word from your Account Management Team... Welcome to the Summer 2019 issue of Leadership!
The summer is heating up and hopefully so is business! To help, we’ve packed this issue full of resources to help you tackle difficult topics with your employees. We hope these help you keep your cool all summer long! Page 4 starts off with helpful information on coping with a death in your workplace. Next, page 5 talks about the importance of keeping employees informed on key topics. Page 6 provides tips on how to separate personal problems and your work. Page 8 looks at the important subject of employee leave relating to domestic violence. Finally we end the issue with an article on conflict resolution. Speaking of conflict resolution, remember that with MINES you have access to unlimited supervisor consultations and conflict management up to 4 hours per occurrence. We are here to help. Please call us at 1-800-873-7138 anytime. To your health!
– The MINES Team
MINES & Associates 10367 West Centennial Road Littleton, Colorado 80127 800.873.7138 www.MINESandAssociates.com
. . . . . . . . C r edi t s . . . . . . .
Life Advantages - Author Delvina Miremadi © 2019 Dealing with the Death of a Co-Worker pg. 4 Keeping Employees Informed of Key Issues pg. 5 Conflict Resolution pp. 10-11 The Staywell Company, LLC © 2019 Keeping Personal Problems “Off the Job” pp. 6-7 Nolo Legal Press © 2019 Domestic Violence Leave: Taking Time Off pp. 8-9
Total
Wellbeing
2019
TotalWellbeing is your way to connect the dots between the 8 core dimensions of wellness: Physical, Occupational, Intellectual,
Environmental, Financial, Social, Spiritual, and Emotional Wellness. Understanding these dimensions is the first step toward a sense of complete wellbeing. In 2019 we take ideas around wellbeing and tie them into the bigger picture, your community, and the rest of the world. It is important to understand the influence that the world has on our wellbeing and the influence we may have on others. All year we will be looking at ways to strengthen your connection with your community by providing information, insight, and resources to help on a personal level along with ways to give back to the people around you so we can all thrive together!
Enhancing Awareness Inspire Wellbeing
The 8 dimensions of wellbeing don’t just apply to one person, they apply to everyone we know and everything we do. Social influence is a huge factor that contributes to each of our levels of wellness, but it all starts with the individual. With this in mind, our challenge to you in 2019 is to see how you can apply wellness goals and concepts to the activities you do everyday. Any time you learn something new, teach someone else and help them use it to enhance their own life!
Total Wellbeing World View
In 2019 we aim to build on the concept of wellbeing awareness. We will be providing resources, stories, and tools to help you see the bigger wellness picture from your community to the rest of the world. Check out our articles in this magazine and head to minesandassociates.com/newsletters to check out our monthly newsletter with even more great wellness information.
Wellness Webinars
Support from the experts Join MINES for any of our free monthly webinars. 2019 will cover great new topics ranging from improving your credit, having a stress free summer, turning negatives to positives, and much more! Visit our website to learn more, or register for upcoming events at www.minesandassociates.com/webinar.
Is there a topic you’d like to see us explore? We’d love to hear from you.
Shoot us an e-mail at communications@minesandassociates.com and let us know what you’d like to see.
www.MINESandAssociates.com | 800.873.7138
Dealing with the Death of a Co-Worker When an office suffers the loss of an employee, it can impact everyone in various ways. Those who worked closely with the person may find it hard to continue daily tasks, and those who knew the coworker only casually may still have a hard time handling the news. If someone has passed in your company, here are some ways to cope.
Work Through Changes at the Office
Once some time has passed and everyone gets back to their daily work routines, expect that work productivity may still be affected over the next few months. It’s important to accept this and give yourself some time to work through the loss; don’t ignore sorrow, guilt, frustration, or anger. If you do ignore these feelings, you are depriving yourself from the natural grieving process, and may encounter depression or anxiety as a result. Even though it may be difficult, acknowledge that your work life will be different, but be confident that you will work through the change.
“If a few months go by and you are still having a hard time handling the death, talk to a counselor or your doctor. It’s important to speak up, and not keep your feeling bottled up inside.”
Communicate With Others Chances are other people in your office are feeling the same way as you. Meet with them to chat about the deceased person and about how you are coping. Praise and laughter about the deceased’s antics may be a healthy way to work through sadness. Share your thoughts and feelings with others, and be willing to both participate and listen.
Recovering
In addition to communicating with other coworkers, see if your company offers counseling or group recovery programs. Your employee assistance program (EAP) will also have information on how to cope. (Editors note: MINES is your EAP and can provide counseling and crisis services either one-on-one or in a group setting. Contact MNIES if you have a death in the workplace.) If the death was job-related, see what you and supervisors can do to create a safer workplace. If a few months go by and you are still having a hard time handling the death, talk to a counselor or your doctor. It’s important to speak up, and not keep your feeling bottled up inside. You can recover; pursue help if you need it. M
4
Leadership Summer 2019
Keeping Employees Informed of Key Issues Communication is a key element to successful organizations. By continuously updating your employees about the status of the organization, you provide them a sense of community and trust among and between all levels of staff.
Communicating About Other Departments
Employees may have questions about how other departments affect their work, and how their work affects other departments. In order to keep a positive work atmosphere that promotes healthy communication, arrange meetings between groups and departments.
Communicating About Customers
Have employees ask customers for written and oral feedback. Share these comments and suggestions at staff meetings.
“Tell your employees daily about job performance. Clearly defining goals and reminding employees of these goals is crucial to company success and allows employees to critique their own performance.”
Communicating With Workers About the Company’s Financial Status Share with employees as much as you can, explaining how each team has affected the company’s financial picture. Supervisors can use sales or supply expense reports to demonstrate how much each team has contributed.
Communicating About Outside Competition
Use outside, competing companies to inspire a competitive edge to your workforce. Examining competing products during meetings is a great way to discuss the competition your company is up against, and generate ideas to help set your company apart from the competition. Mutual vendors and distributors can also give supervisors insight into how your company and outside companies are viewed in your market.
Communicating About Job Performance
Tell your employees daily about job performance. Clearly defining goals and reminding employees of these goals is crucial to company success and allows employees to critique their own performance. M
Summer 2019 Leadership
5
Keeping Personal Problems ‘Off the Job’ Your personal life may be in turmoil because of your strong emotional attachments to unpredictable or difficult people. But, allowing your personal problems to affect your productivity at work will add to your stress. There are steps that you can take at work, at home and with yourself, to help keep personal problems from affecting your work.
Get involved
“One of the best ways to avoid taking your personal problems to work is to be involved in some community work or support group that allows you to vent and to problem-solve, so you’re not taking your negative mind-set into work,” says Loretta LaRoche, author of “Life Is Not a Stress Rehearsal.” “Community service also lets you see other people who are more disadvantaged and makes you feel better about your own situation.” Being with other people who have similar problems in a support group provides an opportunity to share experiences and ideas, and keeps you from feeling isolated. You have many non-religious support groups to choose from, including Tough Love for families with difficult children, AlAnon for the family members or friends of alcoholics and Parents Without Partners for single moms and dads. A multitude of religion-affiliated groups also are available. Check with your local chamber of commerce for a list of organizations and volunteer opportunities.
Be an optimist
Look at what’s good about your personal life, or as Ms. LaRoche says, “Look for the bless in the mess! Optimists know there’s a problem and try to solve it. Optimists say, ‘Things happen, now what?’”
Change what you can
Determine which changes you can make in your personal life. Where can you add more predictability and structure? With whom do you need to set limits? Can you either divide up the household chores or hire someone to help with the cleaning, laundry and cooking? How can you be more pleasant at home, even when others are grumpy?
“Being with other people who have similar problems in a support group provides an opportunity to share experiences and ideas, and keeps you from feeling isolated.”
6
Leadership Summer 2019
“Schedule time for yourself. Make sure you’re eating properly, exercising, getting enough sleep and relaxing some every day. Each week, do at least one activity you enjoy.” Humorize your situation Most people take something bad that happened and make it seem even worse by exaggerating reality.
“Turn that into something humorous by taking that exaggeration one step forward and making it completely absurd,” says Ms. LaRoche. “You’ll soon laugh at your ridiculous thoughts.”
Do three things for yourself every day
Schedule time for yourself. Make sure you’re eating properly, exercising, getting enough sleep and relaxing some every day. Each week, do at least one activity you enjoy. At work, use part of your lunch hour to go for a walk or read an inspirational book.
Become an actor
Pretend you’re an actor or actress playing a role. When you get dressed for work, wear your work costume, and don’t wear these same clothes in your personal life. When you arrive at work, pretend you’re on stage. As an actor, no matter what’s going on in your personal life, audience members have paid for their tickets and the show must go on.
Make friends at work
Invite a different co-worker to lunch every day. These one-on-one lunches will help you get to know your peers on a more personal level. Choose happy people with a positive attitude, because they’ll give you energy.
Get support from your supervisor
Make your supervisor aware of any major problems you’re facing in your personal life. He or she may have more compassion and offer possible solutions. Ask if your company or health insurance covers outside counseling.
“By using these strategies, you’ll be better-equipped to focus at work in spite of personal problems, and you may soon discover your work has become a safe haven from the chaos you experience at home,” says Ms. LaRoche. M
Summer 2019 Leadership 7
Domestic Violence Leave: Taking Time Off
Domestic violence -- mental or physical abuse at the hands of an intimate partner -- often affects the victims’ ability to work. According to Legal Momentum, an advocacy group, victims of domestic violence lose an average of 137 hours of work a year. Some need time off from work to seek medical attention, seek a restraining order, or relocate to a safe place. Others are prevented from getting to work when an abuser disables or takes the car, sabotages childcare arrangements, or leaves the victim without cash to use public transportation. These problems have led a number of states to pass domestic violence leave laws, which give victims of domestic violence the right to take time off for certain reasons. Some states allow those who are victims of, or witnesses to, a crime to take time off to attend court proceedings; these laws protect victims of domestic violence, although they also apply more generally. And, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may also provide a right to leave for some domestic violence victims.
State Domestic Violence Leave Laws
Almost a dozen states -- including California, Florida, Illinois, and Washington -- and the District of Columbia have passed laws giving victims of domestic violence the right to take some time off work. These laws vary significantly in the details, including:
• How much time off. Some states allow employees to take up to a set amount of days or weeks off; others allow employees to take a “reasonable” amount of leave or simply prohibit employers from disciplining or firing employees who take time off for reasons related to domestic leave. • Reasons for leave. The list of covered activities varies by state, but most allow time off for medical care and psychological counseling, relocation or other safety planning, and seeking a restraining order or participating in legal proceedings relating to domestic violence.
• Notice and paperwork requirements. Most states require employees to give reasonable advance notice that they will need leave, although these laws also recognize that the employee may be facing an emergency and be unable to give notice. State law may also require employees to provide some written proof that they took leave for reasons related to domestic violence.
• Use of paid leave. Currently, no state requires employers to pay employees for this time off, although the District of Columbia will require paid leave starting at the end of 2008. Some states allow employees to use their paid leave (such
8
Leadership Summer 2019
as sick or vacation days) while taking time off for domestic violence; others require employees to use up all of their paid leave before taking domestic violence leave.
You can find information on each state’s domestic violence leave laws at www.legalmomentum.org (look for the article titled Employment Rights for Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence).
State Crime Victim Laws
In addition to laws that require employers to provide domestic violence leave, most states have laws that protect employees who must take time off for legal matters relating to a criminal case in which they are a victim or witness. These laws differ in the legal matters they cover: Some states only protect employees who have been subpoenaed to appear in court and testify; others cover more activities, such as seeking a restraining order, attending court hearings, or preparing to testify.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The FMLA is a federal law that allows certain employees to take up to 12 weeks off every 12 months for their own serious health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, or to care for a new child. An employee who is physically injured or develops psychological trauma as a result of domestic violence might be entitled to FMLA leave. An employee might also be able to take time off to care for a parent or child who has been a victim of domestic violence. FMLA leave is unpaid, although employees may use their accrued paid sick or vacation leave while on FMLA leave. The FMLA applies only to employers that have at least 50 employees working within 75 miles of each other, and employees who have worked for at least a year, and at least 1,250 hours in the past year, for the employer. M
Remember the MINES EAP comes with unlimited management consultation services. Feel free to call us to talk about your domestic violence leave policy anytime.
Summer 2019 Leadership 9
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is unavoidable. But how you deal with conflict is a skill everyone should learn. Oftentimes, how you go about resolving a conflict can dramatically impact whether or not the same conflict comes up again. By allowing a conflict to end badly or go ignored, you never come up with a solution that resolves the issue. Below are some important strategies that will help you navigate those adverse moments and come out at the end with a positive outcome.
Common Resolution Strategies
When faced with a conflict, consider which resolution strategy is right for your situation.
• Problem-solving: You calmly and rationally look at the situation and work together to find a solution that’s good for everyone. This is often the highest and most difficult level of conflict resolution.
• Avoidance: You recognize that your involvement will only deepen the conflict, so you choose to stay out of the disagreement. Avoidance works for minor disputes and shows that you can let others work out their own issues. • Compromise: You find a common ground that each party can agree on and help everyone give up something for the greater good of the group. • Dictating: You’re tasked with making a decision that will support the needs of everyone involved.
• Accommodation: Often the “last resort” in a conflict, you go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of others, even if it’s at the cost of your own wants or needs.
Group Resolution
When two or more parties are involved in a conflict, it can be tricky to get involved – especially if they don’t want outside interference. When a group conflict arises, consider these steps: • Get involved only when asked
• Help everyone see things from the other party’s perspective • Have each party explain what they want to accomplish • Don’t let time constraints influence the outcome
10
Leadership Summer 2019
• Actively listen to what’s being said
• Don’t rush to a judgment or side with one party from the start
• Look for the middle ground that will lead to a win-win resolution
• Keep the conflict focused on the issues at hand and not the people involved • Help everyone see misunderstandings that are preventing a resolution • Keep everyone calm and avoid inciting emotional reactions
• If you can’t remain neutral, ask a third party to step in to mediate
If You’re a Participant
If you’re involved in the conflict, you need to keep these additional points in mind:
• If it appears that you’re in the wrong, be willing to admit that you made a mistake or acted in poor judgment. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you’re not in the right during a disagreement and it sends a message that’s loud and clear about your personality. • If you’re in the right, avoid blaming the other party for what’s happened. Stay calm, respectful, and supportive of the other party.
• Don’t let your anger get the better of you. Disagreements can easily become heated and change the tone and focus of the conflict. Count to 10, walk away for a few moments, schedule a time to discuss what’s happened – just don’t push the conflict further by letting your anger get involved.
When to Step Back
You have to know how to pick and choose your battles. If you turn every minor conflict into a full-blown argument, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of disagreements. Recognize when a conflict needs to be discussed openly and when a conflict needs to be overlooked for the good of everyone involved. M Summer 2019 Leadership 11
A note to Supervisors... From time to time, situations arise when a supervisor is not sure how to respond to a particular behavior. The Employee Assistance Program is available on a 24/7 basis for consultation on issues such as: referring an employee to the EAP, how best to respond to and manage difficult behavior in the workplace, and whether training or some other form of group intervention (such as an organizational intervention or a conflict resolution) may be helpful for a particular situation. The EAP can serve as an ally to anyone who is working with a troubled employee.
• 24/7 supervisor consultation regarding problems in the workplace
• Assessment of behavioral risk on the job • Return-to-Duty conferences
• Advisory services in writing, revising, and implementing policies
• Supervisor and Manager training
• Unlimited formal Work Performance Referrals
• Coaching for management and leadership skills
• Conflict resolution for supervisor-employee problems
MINES believes that employees are an organization’s most valuable resource. Your EAP is always available to provide you and your employees with support.
The MINES Team
Questions? Reach us at 800.873.7138 | www.MINESandAssociates.com