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Have you ever heard of wellness programs in the workplace? If so, there is a good chance that your employer feels strongly about the benefits of this type of program. However, wellness programs in the workplace are not common among every company in every industry. In fact, there are many companies that are behind the times when it comes to employee wellness.

In order to fully understand what wellness programs have to offer, you really need to know what benefits can come from this. Generally speaking, wellness programs are implemented in order to inform and assist employees in living a healthier lifestyle.

There are many different details that go into wellness programs in the workplace. Although not all wellness programs are the same, most of them are similar when it comes to several details. For instance, most wellness programs in the workplace touch on general health topics, dealing with mental and physical health, and even offering health screenings. With all of these factors being offered, it is easy to see why so many companies are considering a wellness program, or are taking a closer look at programs they currently offer.

So what is the point in offering wellness programs in the workplace? Remember that employees spend on average 47 hours per week at the office. And the fact of the matter is that this is only increasing as time goes on. In addition, technology such as laptop computers and cell phones are making it easier than ever before for work to follow employees home. In turn, all of this cuts into the amount of time that an employee can devote to their health and wellness. Not only will this put employees at risk for health problems, but it will also negatively affect their work performance. As you can see, a lack of health and wellness will burden both the employee as well as the employer.

Quality wellness programs in the workplace can go a long way in helping employees to lead a better life both in and out of the office. Studies have also shown that a wellness program can also help companies to increase their bottom line; and what employer is not interested in doing that?

There are many primary benefits that go along with wellness programs in the workplace. Some of the more popular ones include: increased productivity, lower health care costs, fewer physical injuries, reduced job turnover, and increased loyalty among many others.

Overall, wellness programs in the workplace are becoming more and more common. With so much to offer, it is safe to say that companies without these programs will be moving in this direction over the next few years. Remember, wellness programs in the workplace are beneficial for both employees and the employer.

So you are hiring new employees and have narrowed your stack of resumes to the 10 or so top candidates, now it’s time to start setting up interviews. If you dread this portion of the process, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are some ways to put both yourself and the candidates at ease - and make sure you get all the information you need to make a smart decision. Start by preparing a list of basic interview questions in advance. While you won’t read off this list like a robot, having it in front of you will ensure you cover all the bases and also make sure you ask all the candidates the same questions.

The initial few moments of an interview are the most crucial. As you meet the candidate and shake his or her hand, you will gain a strong impression of his or her poise, confidence and enthusiasm (or lack thereof). Qualities to look for include good communication skills, a neat and clean appearance, and a friendly and enthusiastic manner.

Put the interviewee at ease with a bit of small talk on neutral topics. A good way to break the ice is by explaining the job and describing the company - its business, history and future plans. Then move on to the heart of the interview. You will want to ask about several general areas, such as related experience, skills, educational training or background, and unrelated jobs. Open each area with a general, open-ended question, such as “Tell me about your last job.” Avoid questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no” or that prompt obvious responses, such as “Are you detail-oriented?” Instead ask questions that force the candidate to go into detail. The best questions are follow-up questions such as “How did that situation come about?” or “Why did you do that?” These queries force applicants to abandon preplanned responses and dig deeper.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

-If you could design the perfect job for yourself, what would you do? Why?
-What kind of supervisor gets the best work out of you?
-How would you describe your current supervisor?
-How do you structure your time?
-What are three things you like about your current job?
-What were your three biggest accomplishments in your last job? In your career?
-What can you do for our company that no one else can?
-What are your biggest strengths/weaknesses?
-How far do you think you can go in this company? Why?
-What do you expect to be doing in five years?
-What interests you most about this company? This position?
-Describe three situations in which your work was criticized.
-Have you hired people before? If So, what did you look for?

Your candidate’s responses will give you a window into his or her knowledge, attitude and sense of humor. Watch for signs of “sour grapes” about former employers. Also be alert for areas people seem reluctant to talk about. Probe a little deeper without sounding judgmental.

Pay attention to the candidate’s nonverbal cues, too. Does she seem alert and interested, or does she slouch and yawn? Are his clothes wrinkled and stained, or clean and neat? A person who can’t make an effort for the interview certainly won’t make one on the job if hired.

Finally, leave time at the end of the interview for the applicant to ask questions - and pay attention to what he or she asks. This is the time when applicants can really show they have done their homework and researched your company, or rather, that all they care about is what they can get out of the job. Obviously, there is a big difference between the one who says, “I notice that your biggest competitor’s sales have doubled since launching their Web site in January. Do you have any plans to develop a Web site of your own?” and the person who asks, “How long is the lunch break?” Also, candidates who can’t come up with even one question may be demonstrating that they can’t think on their feet.

End the interview by letting the candidate know what to expect next. How much longer will you be interviewing? When can they expect to hear from you? You are dealing with other people’s livelihoods, so the week that you take to finish your interviews can seem like an eternity to them. Show some consideration by keeping them informed. During the interview, jot down notes (without being obvious about it). After the interview, allow five or 10 minutes to write down the applicant’s outstanding qualities and evaluate his or her personality and skills against your job description and specifications.

Let me start by telling you a story . . .

It is four in the morning. The windows to the bakery have clouded over with steam. Outside the roads have been plowed but the snow continues to fall in bursts. Melanie stands inside gaping at the previous night’s orders that have somehow come out burned. The chocolate macadamia nut cookies look and feel like hockey pucks. The brownies have blackened edges. She knew to fix the problem would take several hours, maybe even half her day, and she had her own work to do. Melanie had to bake a wedding cake and make several dozen cookies that day.

But Melanie took the job into her own hands. Of course she was frustrated at having to perform double the work, but could she fire her employee for this disaster?

If she fired him, could her baker come back and sue her for wrongful termination? It could ruin her entire business and damage her business’ creditability in the community. But if she didn’t get rid of him soon, her business was headed for disaster anyway.

This is a common worry with small business owners nationwide. They hire help once their business becomes successful and they can support a full-time employee. But their hopes turn to disgust when that employee does not care as much about the outcome of their work as the owner. In Melanie’s circumstance, she had enough of the poor performance, but like many small business owners she had no experience firing employees. She had not kept records of performance, and therefore ran a high risk of a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Firing Employees The Safe Way

So how do business owners like Melanie protect themselves when firing employees? From my experience, I have identified 3 basic items you must have before firing any worker.

1. Established workplace rules and guidelines
2. Proper documentation of the employee’s problems
3. A legitimate reason for termination

Let me cover each of these briefly. You will discover that proper documentation helps protect you from the legal retaliations of former employees. But before you can ever document, you must first set up basic workplace rules. Then you must clearly state these rules to all employees. Finally, you must apply them consistently to everyone, including yourself.

Once you have set up the rules, you can then begin the second item, documenting the employee’s problems. Often Human Resource Managers refer to this as progressive discipline. Your goal here is twofold. First, you want to try rehabilitating the employee. Second, you are collecting evidence to support your reason for firing if your worker fails to improve.

This leads us to the third item. You must have a legitimate reason for terminating the employee, and you must communicate this reason to your worker. Many small business owners believe they don’t have to give a reason for firing. Because they live in an “at will” state, they think they can fire anyone whenever they choose.

Unfortunately, they are wrong. Many lower courts have given new protections to employees making “at will” almost meaningless. In today’s legal environment, employers who rely on it for legal protection often find themselves on the losing end of a lawsuit. When the employer has no documentation and gives no legitimate reason for firing, the courts typically favor the employee.

In Melanie’s case above, she had no documentation and no workplace rules. A few months earlier her baker didn’t show up for work and failed to even call in. She did not have the tools at that time to let him go.

However after having to do double the work that one snowy day, she took the initiative to set workplace rules. True to form, her baker continued to show up late when he showed up at all. When he did come to work, his performance continued its downward spiral. Despite her repeated warnings, he showed no improvement.

Once she had enough documentation, Melanie fired her incompetent employee. And she didn’t flinch when he asked why. She said it was because of his poor performance and showed him the warnings to prove it.

Because she fired properly, her legal risks from the termination were minimal.

By firing employees the right way, many small businesses will increase their success and find that their workplace grows with the right employees. The wrong employees and the wrong approach to firing workers can cost a business owner his or her livelihood.

It seem that the only time people are open to change is when what they have always done no longer works for them. In other words when our needs are no longer being met by previous behaviors, thought patterns or procedures.
Your task as a CEO or manager is to show your staff that this applies to your business as well. When certain procedures and practices no longer meet the needs of your business or organization change is needed.

To facilitate this change you must show respect for both the needs of the business and employees. When your business needs for increased efficiency, profitability and productivity take priority over the needs of your staff you are bound to increase stress and create resistance to any proposed change. There must be a balance between the two.

Here are thirteen suggestions to help you bring about change without sending your entire staff to a Psychiatrist.

1. Keep your staff informed especially when the change you want to effect is going to impact them personally. Explain the why and the how of your decision to change.

2. Stress how the proposed change will benefit your employees. When people begin to perceive a forthcoming change as a definite benefit to them and when they feel a sense of ownership in the process they more eagerly participate in, welcome and adapt to any changes made. Ownership and participation are essential. People are motivated by self interest

3. When your staff perceives a specific change as something done to them without consultation and input they build resistance instead of co-operation.

4. Get your people involved in the planning and the implementation of any change.

5. If you do ask for input from your staff make sure you use some of their suggestions. If you ask for input and ignore any suggestions given you will stop the flow of participation dead in its tracks.

6. Provide adequate training and practice in any new procedures. This is required to develop a new comfort level and replace the old. It usually takes about four weeks to develop a new habit so provide adequate training with this in mind. Avoid giving a 4 hour seminar on a new procedure or technology and expecting everyone attending to be proficient after one or two sessions. Invite them to tell you when they feel comfortable and confident with the new change.

7. Have a mentoring program set up until a new comfort and confidence level is achieved. Training the trainers and having them available and easily accessible is vital. Have your mentors offer tutorials on request.

8. Never assume that you as a CEO or managers have all the wisdom and insight on any issue. Remember that wisdom is cumulative and resides within the collective. When my wisdom and insights are added to those of others we become wisdom and insight rich. This is when great things begin to happen.

9. Never rush into change. Look upon it as a process involving information, discussion and patience. When you give it time you get the results you want plus a strong commitment from your people.

10. Avoid the bandwagon. A lot of workplace change is initiated by a manager or supervisor getting excited about some new program or technology after attending a conference. They return thinking they have found the motherload. Always research any new idea. Test drive it with a few willing volunteers and then make a decision as to whether you want to commit to full implementation based on their response to the test drive.

During a speech on workplace stress to a group of office workers recently I asked what the most stressful part of their job was. The vast majority said supervisors and managers who discover new software to make their jobs easier and just when they are getting used that new technology the same supervisors discover something else to make their jobs easier. It seems to be never ending. They also claimed that in-service on the new software took them away from their jobs and caused them to fall father and farther behind.

11. People are resistant to change and must be shown that any new way of doing things is going to make their lives less stressful and more enjoyable. Never forget that people are motivated by the search for pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

12. Affirm, appreciate and praise your employees frequently especially during the period of change implementation. Appreciation and praise are powerful human motivators.

13. Foster a climate of humor in the workplace. People working in a climate of humor and employment enjoyment are more flexible and open to change.

The only change people are comfortable with this the change that jingles in their pocket.

“Much workplace violence is sparked by stalkers who come to the workplace of their partners or targets and harass or punish them on the job,” a new test developer observes.

But he says offices, factories, assembly plants, and other businesses are more at risk of employees already there suddenly snapping and creating horror. “Most importantly, we are at higher risk than ever of terrorism, with the perpetrators hidden within the emloyee pool,” Dr. Heyward Ewart warns.

Saying that’s it’s time we “head them off in a new way,” Ewart has created a test for dangerous employees. The 51-item “Employee Violence Screening Test” is uploadable from his website.

He strongly cautions that the instrument is experimental and must be used by knowledgeable professionals only. Other measurement methods should be used in conjunction with it.

In order not to single anybody out, the test should ideally be given to the entire facility, Ewart suggests.

It is his hope that graduate students in human resources and the social sciences will use the instrument as the subject for a thesis.

Dr. Ewart has devoted more than 24 years of his professional life to the protection and treatment of women, children, and the family. During the President Jimmy Carter Administration, he served the White House Conference on Families, and such leadership continues to this day.

He is not only a veteran clinician in the mental-health field but also a distinguished teacher at the university level. Through Zoe University, Jacksonville, Florida, his video lectures have been used by distance-learning students across the United States and in some 41 foreign countries.

A much sought-after public speaker, Dr. Ewart is a commanding presenter who speaks with great passion on the issues of abused women and children. He has hosted and appeared as a guest on many TV and radio programs in major markets, a love that dates back to his original career as a radio and TV news announcer.

He is a published poet, and his hobbies also include photography, singing, drama, evangelism, and social activities of all kinds.

With his new test, all questions are to be read aloud by examiner and answered YES or NO. Ten or more positive responses might indicate a risk severe enough to justify further evaluation by a qualified psychologist immediately. However, the examiner may give certain responses added weight, according to intuition, especially if the examiner is experienced. Questions can be repeated upon request.

Before administration, Ewart suggests putting the subject at ease by explaining that this is a routine test to determine anything special that the management can do to make him/her comfortable. State that this questionnaire may not be necessary in his/her case, but that all employees are given this opportunity, especially when new to the job, and that it is for their benefit, Ewart recommends.

He suggests saying to the examinee that “these are some questions I am going to ask. Some may sound strange, but do not let that bother you. Remember that this questionnaire is given to many people with different backgrounds. Please answer YES or NO, whichever comes to you first. Try not to hesitate. We can begin now. This will not take long.”