On Demand - Tactical and Strategic Human Resources Advisement and Support 

SMC can provide tactical and strategic support and advisement for general human resources needs. This can include risk mitigation, policy creation, and practical solutions for the complex world of employment and employee relations.

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Change Management 

Change, especially organizational change, can be very difficult and disruptive. Every organization must go through significant change over the course of its lifecycle. There are strategies and steps that can be put in place to greatly minimize the negative effect of change and enhance the positive elements of the future. 

 

Workforce Planning and Analysis 

Workforce Planning is the systematic analysis of the current workforce in the context of anticipated future staffing needs. This activity often follows strategic planning but can also be conducted in response to dynamic situations, such as the purchase of a new business, expansion efforts, landing a significant customer, and any other situation where an organization finds themselves in need of future staffing. 

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Human Resources Policies and Procedures 

Policies and procedures, including employee handbooks, create a process for the consistent application of human resources practices. Consistency is very important in mitigating the risk of lawsuits, unionization, and disgruntled workers. It also provides a framework for training employees regarding organizational practices, supporting culture, and memorializing important aspects of company practices. 

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Workplace Investigations 

A workplace investigation is an objective and systematic process of discovering the facts around a workplace incident or situation. Situations where employers must perform an investigation include claims of sexual or general harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and any other serious accusation that could result in liability for an organization. Investigations must be impartial and objective, well documented, and followed by appropriate corrective action when necessary. 

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Behavior Interviewing 

The importance of a good evaluation of internal and external candidates regarding their fit for future or open positions cannot be overstated. The best predictor of future behaviors and performance is past behaviors and performance. This can be difficult to determine in a standard interview. Behavior interviewing targets certain knowledge, skills, and competencies and asks a series of strategic questions designed to uncover actual previous behaviors and performance related to the position for which the candidate is being considered. Behavior interviewing makes it very difficult for a candidate to misrepresent themselves without being discovered by the interviewer. 

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ADA Interactive Process 

Organizations with 15 or more employees must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Compliance to this provision involves workplace access, but it also involves creating reasonable accommodation for someone with a disability. The activity of determining the intersection of an employee or potential employees’ needs and the ability of the employer to reasonably accommodate those needs is referred to as the interactive process. It is a standardized method of conversation and documentation and when performed properly leads to enhanced employee relations and the mitigation of risk associated with ADA related lawsuits. 

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Risk Mitigation - Worker Compensation Claims 

Workers’ compensation cases can represent one of the highest litigation risks for an employer. Simple mistakes or the absence of best practices can create opportunities for employees to hire plaintiff attorneys and sue their employer. One need only look at the billboards along major highways to see the significance of the risk. Cases that are managed well can demonstrate care and compassion for the employee, enhance employee relations, and greatly reduce the potential that an employee will make unreasonable demands, successfully misrepresent their injuries, or hire a plaintiff attorney from a TV add. 

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Risk Mitigation – Wrongful Termination 

Right to work statutes have been largely eroded by laws designed to protect employees from discrimination and other claims of wrongful termination. Employers must practice, communicate, and document progressive discipline to protect themselves from litigation. The proper administration of progressive discipline has some primary elements, but it is more of an art than a science. Each situation is unique, and employers must understand the particular dynamics, the risks in the context of changing laws, and manage the situation appropriately. 

 

Solutions 

S. Miller Consulting can provide interim or fractional services as needed.