Yolofsky Law May 2019

Yolofsky Law May 2019

THE HERO I N S I DE R

www. yol of sky l aw. com (305) 702-8250 MAY 2019

FROM THE

Yolofsky Office

May is for Mother’s, flowers, the unofficial start to summer, and most importantly, Memorial Day.

This is the day to pay our respects to the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. It is not the time to say thank you to those that are still here. Presently, there are people who have friends and loved ones who served in the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Panama, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other conflicts abroad. There might even be a few who still recall WorldWar II. This Memorial Day, before diving into the long weekend, take 5 minutes to read the story of Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter. Their selfless sacrifice is what this day is all about.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell when it’s time to let someone go. When an employee is consistently late, refuses to deliver on their promises, or establishes a pattern of blatant toxicity, it’s obvious that you should send them packing. Unfortunately, sometimes the worst employees in your organization are the ones coasting by behind the scenes, covering up their mistakes and undermining your workplace culture without you realizing it. Here are three less obvious tendencies of bad employees. 3 SIGNS IT’S TIME TO FIRE AN EMPLOYEE Some Bad Behaviors Are Hard to Detect In business, errors are bound to be made — sometimes even catastrophic ones. But when your employee immediately rushes to point the finger at another individual — even one who is partly culpable — it’s a red flag. Any employee who genuinely enjoys working in your organization will form connections to their coworkers. If they’re quick to throw others under the bus instead of taking some responsibility, it shows that they do not value trust or community — or they simply care more about their own well-being than the well-being of the company. While it’s not ideal for an employee to take responsibility for an error that truly wasn’t their fault, acknowledging that they may have had a hand in the error — whether it was miscommunication or mismanagement — shows a level of self-awareness and strength that can go a long way in business. THEY’RE EAGER TO THROW THEIR COWORKERS UNDER THE BUS.

- AJ Yolofsky

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This is especially true in your management team. It’s easy for a manager to point out an underperforming team member and say they’re messing up, but in reality, it’s their responsibility to keep everyone on track. If someone is throwing around blame after a mistake has already been made, it might be worth asking why the mistake was able to occur in the first place. Playing the blame game in management will result in disgruntled employees and create a rift in company culture. Nothing damages workplace culture like unsubstantiated rumors. Your employees may complain from time to time about one another as a means to blow off steam, but you need to start recognizing when it becomes an insidious pattern. When someone is continuously talking about others, it shows a lack of character and an unwillingness to work out problems on their own. Face-to-face communication is always better, and those who shy away from honest THEY NEVER STOP GOSSIPING.

communication and resort to talking smack weaken your entire workforce.

THEY DON’T VALUE THE REST OF THE TEAM.

If there’s one thing you should never tolerate in your office, it’s an unchecked ego. The best way to ensure success in your business is to hire folks who are not only intelligent and competent but who also play well with others and lift one another up. Teamwork is paramount at every stage, regardless of the business you’re in. Just because someone is a top performer doesn’t mean they got there alone. If they can’t recognize that and give credit where it’s due, it’s likely that those they’ve unwittingly leaned on, gossiped to, or complained about are getting fed up. At a certain point, it doesn’t matter how great an employee seems to be; if a substantial chunk of their team dislikes them, it’s time to start asking some hard questions.

Don’t let your own opinion of a high- performing colleague cloud your perception of their personal faults. Sometimes, they may seem to benefit the bottom line, but they bring everyone else down in the process. Make no mistake: These folks are not worth keeping around.

Are 4-Day Workweeks the Secret to Productivity? MONDAY–THURSDAY

Could you get more done with one less day in the week? Of course not! Most of us need more time in the week, not less. At least, that’s the assumption. But a New Zealand company recently proved that when it comes to company productivity, less may meanmore. In March of 2018, Perpetual Guardian, a finance management company in New Zealand, began testing a four-day workweek for its 240 employees. Researchers from the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology studied the firmbefore, during, and after the trial. Perpetual Guardian isn’t the first company to test-drive a four-day workweek, but during the trial period, they did something unusual: They didn’t reduce employees’salaries. Paying employees for five days of work while only requiring four days sounds like a surefire way to bankrupt a company, but researchers found the change had the opposite effect. By trimming the hours down andmaintaining pay, Perpetual Guardian saw a 20 percent increase in productivity. The shorter workweek motivated employees to get their work done quicker by cutting downmeeting times, becomingmore self- motivated, and telling their colleagues when they were being distracting. After the trial, employees at Perpetual Guardian also reported feeling 7 percent less stressed and a 24 percent improvement in work-life balance. Considering the fact that burnout — and the sick days that

come with it — are such a problem in the United States, providing employees with a better work-life balance may be the secret to a happier, more productive workplace. After the successful trial, Perpetual Guardian opted to stick with the four- day workweek permanently. They provide several tips for implementing a four-day workweek at your company.

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Do your own web and local research. Speak to your staff and be clear about your objectives and what you are trying to achieve. Ensure policy is well-supported and resourced. Create a policy that can flex depending on workloads, projects, or customer requirements.

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Let your customers knowwhat’s going on and assure them there will be no drop in service. Ensure the new employment structure doesn’t cut across legal requirements. Be clear that the aimof the initiative is to benefit the company as well as the employees. Recognize that flexible working initiatives aren’t magic bullets.

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If you’re interested in learningmore about Perpetual Guardian’s four-day work week, check out the white paper written by The University of Auckland researchers at 4DayWeek.co.nz/four-day-week-trial .

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The Revolution in Forensic Science Continues to Captivate the Masses Genealogy Sites and the Warming of Cold Cases

We’ve come a long way in the field of forensic science since 1986, when DNA was first used to convict someone in court. In 2019, criminals who would have gotten away with their crimes in the past are now put behind bars where they belong. The advent of genealogy testing has been thrust into the spotlight with high-profile cases that were solved by sequestering information from sites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com. With this revolution in DNA testing on the rise, there’s really no end to the impossible-to-solve cold cases that can finally be put to rest. Whatever the motivation was behind genealogy sites in the beginning, they’re now some of the most sought-after >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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