HR Strategies, LLC
Monthly Strategies
EEO-1 and Vets 100 Reports due
September 30, 2013
EEO-1 and Vets 100 Reports Due September 30,
2013: “All private employers with 100 or more
employees, and or employers subject to Title VII
who have fewer than 100 employees if the company
is owned or affiliated with another company,” such
that it legally constitutes a single organization with
a total of 100 or more employees, as well as all
federal contractors with 50 or more employees with
contracts, subcontracts or purchase orders totaling
$50,000 or more, must file an EEO-1 Survey with
the Joint Reporting Committee by September 30,
2013. Additionally, all banks and or credit unions
acting as depositories of Government funds in any
amount, and financial institutions who are issuing
and paying agents of U.S. Savings Bonds and Notes
must also file this report.
Additionally, federal contractors must also file the
VETS-100 Report by September 30, 2013.
Contractors must report the total number of disabled
veterans, other protected veterans, Armed Forces
service medal veterans, and recently separated
veterans as well as the total number of all current
employees in each job category and at each hiring
location. “Federal contractors (and subcontractors)
are also required to list job openings with the
appropriate state employment service agency.
Contractors must also have a written affirmative
action plan in place demonstrating nondiscrimination policies for veterans and other
covered groups.”
The Importance of a Positive
Organizational Culture
Why does one company offer employees flextime
and family-friendly benefits? And why does
another firm allow a business-casual work
Volume 10, Issue 8
August 1, 2013
environment and fully-paid educational assistance?
One word: Culture.
During the past several years we have read, Fortune
magazine’s prestigious list of “100 Best Companies
to Work For.” The “100 Best” consistently report
that they are able to recruit and retain the best and
the brightest and maintain a competitive edge
because of culture. Culture means more than nice
perks; they offer a work environment that
demonstrates that employees are treated and
respected as adults. The essence of the 100 Best is
commitment that the company really cares about
employees . . . they walk the talk.
When taking a close look at the 100 Best, it shows
that the specifics of organizational cultures vary
greatly. Even different workers performing very
different jobs within an individual organization find
different things about the firm’s culture meaningful.
Beyond the 100 Best list, history, unfortunately,
also has numerous examples of employees leaving
firms because the cultures seem to devalue people
or frustrate individual capabilities. Creating a
positive culture is hardly a simple matter. But when
an organization faces the challenges of recruiting
and retaining employees, culture can become an
influential factor.
Employee Relations and a Positive
Organizational Culture
Certainly, arguments can be made that good
performance is influenced by good morale. In turn,
good morale is largely influenced by positive
employee relations. Therefore, a strong case can be
made that positive employee relations ultimately
helps to foster a positive organization culture.
So what are the consequences if employee relations
are devalued? An organization that chooses to
ignore employee relations increases the likelihood
for the following scenarios:
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Loss of credibility between management and
employees
Higher probability of unionization
Increased employee absenteeism
Increased employee turnover
Greater potential for litigation
Monthly Strategies
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Simply stated: The benefits of having an effective
employee relations program far exceed the costs of
not having one.
Positive Employee Relations
Management devotes a tremendous amount of time
and effort to helping the organization achieve its’
business goals. The management team must also
champion employee relations and serve as
employee advocates – people who:
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Works for fair treatment of employees
Partners with and trains management in
fairness issues
 Tries to maintain and / or improve employee
morale
 Attempts to resolve employee problems
 Believes employees should be treated with
respect and dignity and works to that end.
How the management team approaches employee
relations is largely determined by the union status,
whether the organization is union-free or unionized.
When an Organization May be
Growing Too Fast
Sometimes organizations fail because they are
growing too fast. As a company is growing, it is
important that they change with the times. They
must be able to alter their cultures, processes and
structures to move forward and to achieve the next
level.
It’s important to use metrics and analytics to track
performance and create a culture of accountability
throughout the organization. It is often said “you
cannot manage it if you cannot measure it.”
Suggestions to assist your organization with growth:

Does everyone know that the success of the
organization is everyone’s job? Have you
shared the company’s goals and how each
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job will affect the success of the goals? If
you haven’t already done so, help your
employees understand the direct correlation
from their responsibilities to the overall
goals and objectives of the business.
Make sure you clarify roles and delegate
effectively. Communicate the company’s
vision early and often. Employees need to
know the direction they’re headed and be
able to explain the vision and what it means.
Empower employees by reinforcing the
good decisions they make and redirect those
that may need help navigating.
Work smarter not harder. It is critical to
reward employees for outcomes not
activities. Often time’s activities are not
leading to outcomes that are aligned with the
company’s mission, vision and values.
Communicate the expected outcomes of
each team member and together look for
ways to reduce activity in favor of
meaningful results.
Building a culture of collaboration and
engagement is critical for success opposed
to a blaming culture. Employees must own
the issues and opportunities. During team
meetings it is important to assign ownership
and hold people accountable for their
results. Collaborate on process
improvements and together work to focus on
key points and deliverables for the
stakeholders.
Remove silos from the organization and
prevent departments from working totally
independent from other departments. Crossfunctional teams to work on projects and
initiatives are effective for reaching mutual
goals. Don’t reward individuals for their
contribution but reward the entire group for
achieving the overall goals and objectives of
the business.
If your organization would like to learn more about the
items in this newsletter, please feel free to contact Tricia
Clendening at 302.376.8595 (office) or 302.373.1784
(cell) or [email protected]. Please contact us if
you would like to be removed from our Monthly
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