With summer quickly approaching, there is an increased risk of heat illness for employees who are exposed to working conditions in high temperatures. Heat illness refers to any serious ailment caused by too much heat. This includes heat exhaustion, cramps, and heat strokes. Both employers and employees need to be (a) aware of the dangers and early signs of heat illness, (b) knowledgeable about how to prevent it, (c) aware of helpful OSHA tools, and (d) prepared to take action

Employee stress continues to be a concern for business owners and managers today. A recent study showed that 8 in 10 workers are stressed by at least one thing at work. Although some levels of stress are normal, and may even be helpful, it is important to recognize that excessive stress levels can affect not only your employee’s performance, but also their personal relationships, health, sleep, and overall sense of well-being. First, it is helpful to define what we mean by s

When you think about wearable technology, do you think about smart watches and getting those daily steps in? Wearable devices have a multitude of capabilities, including but not limited to providing navigation, acting as a communication device, and (as many of us know) acting as a health and fitness tracker. We’ve accepted the use of wearable technology in our personal lives. But using wearables, and the data they provide, has become a trend in the workplace as well. A 2015 R

When you started with your company, you were more than likely handed an employee handbook, had office policies explained to you, and gained an understanding of what was expected of you in the role you were hired for. However, there is another category of workplace rules that are not written anywhere and govern not only the way things actually get done but shape company culture. According to Frances Frei and Anne Morris in the Harvard Business Review, these rules pick up where

We are well into summertime…have you taken your “workcation” yet? We can hear you asking, “Workcation?” A workcation is when you are supposed to be on vacation, enjoying time with your family, friends, or even by yourself, but you are still checking your email or taking a quick call from the office. Last week we discussed the importance of taking a lunch break as a short respite from away from work. (Click here to read that blog.) This week, we’d like to talk about how benef

In offices all over the country, it is not unusual to see people eating lunch at their desks and forgoing breaks in order to get more work done. From time to time, we all may be guilty of this behavior, but when it is a daily habit, studies show there are negative effects on productivity, the quality of work produced, and the engagement and overall well-being of employees. Being able to separate from work for a short period of time allows the opportunity to relax and can help

It is always unfortunate news when you learn that an employee you know and work with has been diagnosed with a serious illness. Americans are now facing a real world health crisis. For example, in 2017, almost 50% of deaths in the US were attributed to heart disease and cancer. So what do you do when you find out someone you work with has been affected by one of these or any other serious illness? Our first instinct is to want to help the person in a kind and compassionate ma

“You have to have a reason to get up in the mornings.” “Follow your bliss.” “Ikigai.” Ikigai? What’s that? We are not recommending a new sushi restaurant to you, but rather a Japanese approach to finding your purpose in life. The philosophy is known as ikigai (eye-ka-guy). Loosely translated it means a “reason for being”. We are all familiar with the idea that if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Ikigai is a way of living that helps balance the sp

There is a quote from Martin Lomasney, a Boston politician from early 1900’s who said, “Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink”. This was updated in the early 2000s by Eliot Spitzer, former NY state attorney general, who added “and never put it in an email”. There is a long list of companies and individuals who have been implicated of wrong doings because of their emails (and that list includes Spitzer, who apparently did not heed

New Year’s Resolutions. Love them or hate them, as the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, most of us think about them. These resolutions usually run along the lines of “this is the year I get organized/get that big promotion/land that big client”. These are all great goals. As we start 2018, here are some things you may want to think about as resolutions for the New Year that can help enhance both your professional and personal lives. Hit the Books: In our sound bite, Tweet fill

Hi!!! And welcome 2 another blog from De Novo HRC!! Was that opening a little unexpected coming from a professional? Today there are more ways than ever to communicate. Email, texting, direct messages, video calls (and even blogs)…the list seems endless. We use so many of these in both our professional and personal lives, do you feel sometimes the lines get blurred? Should you really respond to an email or text message from a supervisor, colleague, or client the same way you

Were you under the impression that you left cliques behind after you graduated high school? That when you reached adulthood and began your professional career those childish behaviors would be a thing of the past? Wait…you didn’t think so? Well, according to a survey by CareerBuilder, you are not alone. 43% of people surveyed said their workplaces have cliques. A clique is any close group of co-workers who socialize in and possibly out of the office, and are exclusionary of

You’ve probably been seeing holiday decorations and lights since just after Halloween, but now that we’re past Thanksgiving, there is no denying that the winter holidays are right around the corner. During this season, businesses often want to extend a holiday bonus to their employees as a gesture of gratitude for the work done during the year. Of course, whether that bonus is monetary or a physical gift of some sort is up to the company. But there are some guidelines that yo

After taking the summer off we are ready to resume weekly blogging! Let’s talk about personal mobile device use in the office. The world’s first mobile phone call was made on April 3, 1973 but it would take approximately another 20 years before they became commonplace for the everyday person. Today, our cell phones do more than just make calls. Our mobile devices are mini-computers in our pockets. Everything is at our fingertips…social media, texts, the internet, shopping, b

Many business owners are endorsing a more casual dress code than they had as recently as five years ago. Members of every generation - from Traditionalists to Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and up & coming Centennials/Gen Zers - have voiced their preference to say goodbye to formal attire in the workplace. Progressive businesses listened to their employees and have been adapting their policies accordingly. This is due in part by today’s competitive job market. At

Let’s talk business etiquette for a moment. Not standard etiquette, but three of the more subtle behaviors that demonstrate professionalism in the Information Age (aka Digital Age, Computer Age, New Media Age). By now, everyone knows not to email or text IN ALL CAPS, but some of us may not realize we’re giving the perception of committing other faux pas. With a little bit of proactive explanation, we can correct that misperception. When on a voice or video call, we may ne

It’s time for business owners and executive managers to stop using the term “family” when referring to their workforce. While it’s admirable to promote a culture of trust, inclusiveness, and other “family-like” values, it’s time for this metaphor to go away for good. Why? For several reasons, and here’s a few: Even though personal and professional relationships exist in the workplace, they are not as “permanent” as the quintessential family relationship. The days of spen

Tomorrow is April Fools’ Day. How it started no one really knows, as historians have linked April Fools’ Day to several different origins. For example, April Fools’ Day has been linked to ancient festivals such as Hilaria, a religious festival celebrated in Rome on the March equinox, during which people dressed up in disguises to celebrate. Others who believed it was tied to the vernal equinox speculate that it was Mother Nature, fooling people with her changing and unpre

If you saw our tweet (@denovohrc) then you know that yesterday was National Puppy Day! Here’s a fun fact: everyone who works for De Novo HRC has two dogs. Companion dogs have been found to lower stress in the workplace. So sometimes, if we’re very lucky, we’ll arrive at work in the morning to discover that someone has brought their pups into the office for the day. In fact, the International Journal of Workplace Health Management published its findings on “the effect of

As a recruiter, I recently interviewed a seemingly highly competent candidate for an open position. One who had skills aligned with the position, who had ample and relevant experience, who was engaging during the interview and answered questions directly, whose references checked out. But what the candidate didn’t have was clean social media. The individual’s candidacy was terminated. Which was extremely disappointing because it could have been avoided. Why does it matte