The most difficult part of risk management is figuring out what risks should be managed. Management involvement is important here; in a perfect world, the management team would spend some time brainstorming possible risks, which could then be evaluated and actions taken. The relevant risks to be managed depend a … Read More
One of the major changes in ISO 9001:2015 is the addition of risk-based thinking. Technically it has always been there, but now risk management takes center stage, replacing preventive actions and feeding the corrective action and improvement systems. Done poorly, this is one more piece of paper to gather dust … Read More
When writing an employee manual, it is easy to focus on the policies and discipline procedures, because that is where the problems are usually reflected. But there are some final touches that should be put on every employee manual, one of which is a set of disclaimers. The first disclaimer … Read More
The 2015 revision to ISO-9001 will be published in the fall and will bring more changes than the 2008 revision. Some of the changes are mostly a matter of emphasis; some, like risk management, will require adjustments to quality management systems (QMS). If you are currently ISO certified, ask your … Read More
One of the most tempting steps to skip in hiring is checking references. You go to all the trouble of actually getting ahold of someone and all they say is “Yes, he worked here for those dates.” Still, it is important to do the leg work and, with luck, find … Read More
One of the things that makes it tricky to set hard and fast ethical standards is that every ethical dilemma is different. Academics who study ethics have come up with Ethical (or Moral) Intensity as a way to describe the various dimensions along which dilemmas can differ; each one will … Read More
Since Montana is not an at-will state, employers must have good cause for firing an employee past the probation period. In general, good cause means that the employee did something wrong that affects the business, and that they have had a chance to fix it but didn’t. Good cause does … Read More
Medical marijuana is legal in Montana, but that doesn’t mean that businesses have to allow employees to light up at work. According to an advisors’ website, Mondaq, [S]upreme courts in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana have all upheld employer decisions to discharge employees that were medical marijuana patients. The plaintiffs … Read More
Disciplining people is probably the least favorite thing that every manager has to do, aside from firing someone. While it will never be easy, here are some guidelines that may make it a little less stressful. First, know your company rules and polices. Talk to management or HR before doing … Read More
When an employee gets injured seriously enough to miss work, it seems easiest for them to stay at home until they are completely ready to return to work. But doing so has costs to the employee and employer that should be considered, costs that can be ameliorated by a company … Read More