10 stupid mistakes in employee relations

Avoid these screwups if you want to keep your staff happy.

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Handling employee relations issues correctly is absolutely essential for creating a successful company. Never forget: Your employees are a top asset, but if you botch your relationships with them, you could create a work environment with low morale and little productivity. Needless to say, this isn’t good for business.

So, what are some of the ways companies screw up employee relations?

1. Playing favorites. Favoritism shouldn’t exist in the workplace. When you constantly give opportunities only to your favorite employees or apply the rules only to certain employees, you’re going to create a work environment that’s filled with jealousy and resentment. All employees should be treated equally.

2. Taking sides in employee disputes. This usually goes hand in hand with favoritism. You should never jump to conclusions nor take sides when two or more employees have a dispute. Always look at the facts, and make decisions based on company rules and regulations.

3. Not giving employees clear performance expectations. If employees don’t know what’s expected of them, how can you expect them to succeed? You need to have clearly defined standards, and employee performance should be measured against those.

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