Survey Says: Reasons Why You Should Use Surveys to Collect Employee Feedback (And Five Tips for Doing So)

No matter how your organization is performing in the current economic climate, it's important that you have a good understanding of how your employees feel about their roles, your leadership, the work environment, and more. It always makes good business sense to take a proactive approach to managing your human resources--rather than reacting to situations as they arise--and employee surveys allow you to do this.

A well-crafted employee survey can affirm the steps you are taking to engage employees and ensure their loyalty; more important, it can help you determine areas where you need to improve and help you decide the types of policies, processes, and programs you need to implement. For example, if your company has had to cut salaries and benefits during the recession, how are your employees reacting? Do they understand the need? Are your leaders managing it in a way that promotes openness, or do they need to improve their communication efforts? Can you create low-cost programs to help boost morale? On the other hand, what if your company is growing? Are you doing so in such a way that your employees still feel connected? Are you continuing to focus on your company's values amid all the change?

Read the rest of this article to find out how employee surveys can positively impact your organization's financials and to learn tips for conducting them.

For additional advice on employee surveys or to find out how FlashPoint has helped organizations conduct them, contact us. You can also find out more by visiting the surveys page on our website.

Upcoming Events
Indiana Chamber HR Workshops
FlashPoint sponsors the Indiana Chamber's 2009 HR Training Series. Information is available at 800.824.6885 or the Chamber's website.

New Laws and Regulations Affecting HR

Rulemaking Agendas Give Insight into Administration's Priorities
On May 11, 2009, federal agencies issued their semiannual regulatory agendas--the first issued in President Barack Obama's administration.  These agendas report on the agencies' completed rulemakings, their anticipated timetables for finishing pending rulemakings, and their plans for initiating future rulemakings. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (DOL), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were among the agencies providing agendas. These agendas provide some insight into the agencies' currently anticipated target dates for regulatory action as well as their priorities.
To learn more about the EEOC's, the DOL's, and OSHA's agendas and rulemakings (both completed and pending), read Barnes & Thornburg's Labor Alert on this issue.

What's on Tap for Accessibility Regulations?
Also on May 11, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its own semiannual regulatory agenda. According to the agenda, the DOJ anticipates issuing final rules to amend its regulations implementing Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to adopt revised ADA Standards for Accessible Design in September 2009.
Barnes and Thornburg issued a Labor Alert on the DOJ's regulatory agenda as well. Click on the link to find out more.

Supreme Court Enforces Mandating Arbitration of ADEA Claim
The United States Supreme Court recently enforced a collective bargaining agreement that required union employees to resolve their discrimination claims through arbitration, instead of bringing a lawsuit in federal court. Because of this decision, courts will give greater weight to union and non-union agreements that require employees to arbitrate their claims against employers. This particular decision pertains to claims that two employees made under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), but based upon the Court's reasoning, it is highly possible that courts will extend this ruling to other non-discrimination statutes such as Title VII or the ADA.
To learn details of the case and its implications, read Barnes & Thornburg's Labor Alert.

Congratulations and Celebrations

FlashPoint congratulates Tina Harpenau, HR generalist at client EHOB, Inc. Tina recently became certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and we commend her on receiving this prestigious designation!

We'd also like to acknowledge a couple of our staff members--our two Jeremys. Jeremy York, one of our consultants, received his certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR); Jeremy King, our business development manager, was elected to the board of the Kiwanis Club of Indianapolis.