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Investigating employee misconduct is not something that any manager knows how to do instinctively. Too often, the investigation itself becomes the center of disputes that can result in expensive discrimination claims and lawsuits. Learn an easy-to-follow process for performing a full, thorough, prompt and unbiased investigation; doing away with myths and misconceptions about what managers can and cannot do during an investigation and what conclusions they can lawfully reach.

The National Labor Relations Board's rules now permit “ambush” or “quickie” union elections. This rule – which took effect in April 2015 – stacks the deck in favor of labor organizations trying to unionize your company.   By dramatically shortening the timeframe between when a union files its organizing petition with the NLRB and when the employees must vote on whether to become unionized, the rule limits every union-free employer’s opportunity to adequately communicate its position on unionization to its employees.  Don’t be caught unprepared!

Many employers mistakenly believe that if they have a written service contract with an individual that the individual is automatically not an employee. Independent contractor misclassification continues to be a major concern for federal and state government officials. These officials believe that these misclassifications are causing their agencies to lose significant tax revenue. Consequently, they are joining forces to crackdown on this perceived problem. Learn how to avoid the potential civil (and even criminal) penalties associated with misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor.

What every supervisor in a non-unionized company should know to be prepared for a unionization effort. Supervisors can be an employer's best defense against unwanted unionization so long as supervisors understand the legal limits on what they can say and do when confronted with a union-organizing drive. Learn these critical do's and don'ts.

This video focuses on: (1) how to recognize the difference between a training problem and a motivation problem; (2) how to motivate unmotivated employees; and (3) how to perform legally defensible progressive discipline, up to and including discharge.  For a further discussion on this topic, check out our "Managing the Non-Performing Employee" deskbook.