Water Well Journal
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/557876
Employers may institute policies regulating employee dress, grooming, and personal appearance and develop standards that apply equally to all employees. Generally, employers should detail and publish what type of behavior will and will not be permitted in the work- place and outside of work, so employees can comply with these requirements. Some federal statutes explicitly regulate employee absenteeism and attendance. Employers should develop policies to address employee tardiness and timekeeping. Ensuring Safety It is important for an employer to implement policies and work rules de- signed to minimize the risk of incidents of workplace violence. Employees must be protected from workplace violence. An employer must make certain they will properly respond immediately to any incident or threat of violence. To ensure employee safety and to avoid liability, employers should devise work rules and policies addressing horseplay, bullying, and harassment. Related to safety in another sense, employers may limit employee use of employer equipment, vehicles, and com- munications to proper business purposes for both privacy and security reasons. Providing Training Provide ethics training to your work- force. A simple course in basic business ethics can go a long way toward helping your employees learn what is and what is not acceptable. Free courses are available online to small businesses with limited budgets. Larger companies can typically hire a motivational speaker who is knowledge- able on this subject or pay for a more intensive course. Punish any violators of your ethics policy. One bad employee can ruin the image of the entire company. It is neces- sary to establish a zero-tolerance policy for unethical behavior. Once it is known those who cross the line will be pun- ished, employees will be much less likely to exhibit unethical behavior. Finally, set an example for your workforce. In order for employees to behave in an ethical manner, they need to know they are working for a moral boss. They will be much less likely to display signs of unethical behavior if they know this type of behavior will not be ignored. e y v o mpr • I ease y ncr • I e est a f v n • I e A w NGWA om li ott our b y wledg no our k y es of w minut e -based tr eb . ine . ge . f time aining r h T 3 — N En t 27 — Oc L ep 22 — S e L h T h I ne f t vings wit a gy S er d ar w eading Up hing: ision T he V VFDs th M v 17 — o N r P h T v 3 — o N y Mud Rotar er M op r he Imp illing r y D r oun r or G Mot e of tanc or mp g nding Reg y da o er t ist y! WWJ Alexandra Walsh is the vice president of Association Vision, a Washington, D.C.–area communications company. Get Business Tools in the NGWA Bookstore Head to the NGWA Online Bookstore at the website of the National Ground Water Association when you're looking for your next business tool to aid your business. You can find cost calculators, contracts, best suggested practices, and more. The calculators are for water well drilling, pump installation, and geothermal drilling. Visit the Online Bookstore at www.NGWA.org when it's time to get your next business tool. WWJ September 2015 47 Twitter @WaterWellJournl