From all of us at McNamara & Associates,
We wish you A Happy/Healthy Holiday Season!
December Newsletter 2010
McNamara & Associates, Inc. Workplace Safety, Security & Violence Prevention
Violance Prevention in Healthcare
McNamara & Associates, Inc. continued its efforts this year to assist healthcare facilities in violence prevention. In 2010, McNamara & Associates conducted Violence Prevention training for over 1100 healthcare workers in New York, New Jersey and Maryland.
Jersey City Medical Center was very proactive in coordinating training for their staff. Employees from high risk areas such as: emergency department, behavioral health, med-surge and security attended sessions throughout the year.
The Jersey City Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff attended sessions as well. Jersey City EMS were the first in the state to ensure their workers attend Violence Prevention Training (as of this date, 95% of all EMS workers have attended).
Both the hospital staff and EMS attended sessions that consisted of Gang Awareness, De-Escalation Techniques and Self-Defense (A Self-Defense session was also attended by reporters from The Jersey Journal –article Saturday Oct. 9, 2010 issue-page 3).
Our staff conducted Violence Prevention training sessions for three hundred and fifty Somerset Medical Center personnel.
McNamara & Associates just completed training sessions for a new client. St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore held sessions for their ED and Security staffs in De-Escalation Techniques.
Security Risk Assessments
One important aspect in securing a safe environment for your healthcare employees is to conduct a Security Risk Assessment. The assessment can then be used to help develop a violence prevention plan. The assessment process includes: evaluating existing security measures, identifying potential risks or vulnerabilities, and suggesting appropriate counter measures. Aspects of physical, electronic, and procedural on-site security that relate to workplace violence are examined. Prior workplace violence incidents are analyzed and pertinent security policies and procedures are reviewed.
McNamara & Associates completed Security Risk Assessments for the following facilities this year:
Saint Barnabas Hospital-New York
Somerset Medical Center-New Jersey
Liberty Health System-New Jersey
Atlanticare Behavioral Health-New Jersey
Organization & Management Development
On the Organization & Management Development side of the business, McNamara & Associates conducted Leadership training for managers at Methodist Hospital in N.Y.
The sessions consisted of the following topics: Successful Effective Leadership, Phases of Adult Learning, Learning Phases and Coaching Styles, Components of Communication and Understanding Alternate Cultures and Languages.
Exit interviews are truer and safer when they’re on paper.
Partial reprint of an article that ran in Law Office Administrator, a publication for legal office managers.
Exit interviews serve two good purposes.
First, they show where the firm needs to make improvements.
And second, they can become a good defense in employment law claims. People usually “tone down” what they have to say in an exit interview. Oftentimes they don’t even mention problems. So when they later claim labor violations, the defense can say “wait a minute. When did you lie—in the exit interview or in the lawsuit?”
But don’t rely on verbal interviews, says management consultant John McNamara. To get the most candid responses along with the greatest legal protection, give the employee a written questionnaire. Afterwards, if the firm wants to do so, follow up with an interview.
WHY WRITE THE ANSWERS?
A written questionnaire ensures more candid feedback, because people are more comfortable putting their criticisms in writing than telling the boss about them. And that’s especially true if the criticisms are about the person conducting the interview.
And on the legal side, writing eliminates the interview gap, or what gets lost in translation between what the employee says and what the interviewer documents. With the responses in writing, there can be no claim of misinterpretation. The firm has “actual words” the employee wrote down.
Hand out the questionnaire as soon as the resignation comes in and ask the employee to return it before the last day of employment. Give it to the employee on the last day with instructions to mail it in, and the firm will never see it again, because the firm can’t require employees to fill it out.
EIGHT GENERAL POINTS TO COVER
What should the questionnaire cover?
Ask the same questions the firm would ask in a face-to-face interview. But focus on the positive. Gauge it to find out where to make improvements for the other employees. Ask about things people think about but are afraid to say when they’re still working for the firm. Employees who leave on good terms “will give honest feedback” and their opinions are usually similar to the rest of the staff. Make it a “very simple document”.
At the top put all the data—employee’s name, social security number, job title, and the supervisor’s name. Then if the answers are called into question later, there can be no doubt about the job or the line of reporting.
There are eight basic questions to include, but “don’t get locked in to any one format”. Change the questions as the firm wants to identify different trends or to evaluate different points.
First are some opinion questions. Tell the employee to “circle the number that best represents your opinion,” with the numbers running from 1 to 3 for poor, average and excellent. After each question, put in a space for comments.
- How do you rate the firm’s concern for and interest in the employees?
- How do you rate your progress here and the growth and advancement opportunities that have been available to you?
Many discrimination claims are based on claims that the employee was forced to leave because promotions and advancement were unfairly denied.
- How do you rate the working conditions? Generally, the answer to that question will be positive unless an employee is totally disgruntled.
- How do you rate the pay scale?
- How do you rate our benefit plan?
Both of those questions are useful for employee retention. They will show if the firm is competitive in salary and benefits, and if so, the firm can use the response in recruiting.
After that ask these two questions:
- What’s your overall opinion of this firm?
- Could we have prevented you from leaving? If yes, how?
The three biggest reasons employees leave are pay, job demands, and management. And that question identifies which one applies, because it brings out such answers such as “I would have stayed if the salary had been higher” or “if the workload had been lighter” or “if I hadn’t had to work for So - and - So”.
What if the employee is leaving because of a problem the firm can fix. Should it ask that person to stay?
It’s tempting to do that with a valued employee, but don’t do it. A resignation “is not the time to say ‘wait a minute, let’s negotiate.’” That move “creates an entitlement mentality with the employee”. It’s an encouragement to threaten resignation every time the employee doesn’t like what’s going on.
Finally, ask this . . .
- What can we do that will improve our firm?
Exiting employees often have “really good ideas” for improving operations and even increasing profitability, but they many times don’t offer them either because they haven’t been asked or because they are afraid of stepping on someone’s toes. A questionnaire may show, for example, that Staffer A is overworked while Staffer B doesn’t have much to do, and the work should be arranged.
A FEW MORE QUESTIONS
The firm can follow up with an interview.
It can do that routinely or only when it wants more information, but usually interviewing is a good idea when all that comes back is circles with no comments. That could be an indication that the staffer is disgruntled but doesn’t want to get into a discussion about the problem.
In the interview, ask for specifics.
Suppose the staffer had given interest and concern a low rating. Ask:
-
What do you see as poor about our interest in our employees? Did that lack of interest affect you directly? Do you believe we make decisions with total disregard for how employees feel?
Or if the employee rated the firm high in that area, ask:
- What did we do that made you give the high rating?
Pin down the reasons for the bad scores, because those are the points that can lead to labor claims. If the staffer has said there was no opportunity for advancement, ask:
- Why do you think the opportunities didn’t present themselves to you?
And if the questionnaire reveals that the staffer is leaving because of the supervisor, go further and investigate. The firm needs to understand what’s going on and find out what the supervisor had done “to drive that person out”.
Holiday Season
Quick….when the holiday season comes around what is the first thing we think….Wow, this year flew by. How many times have you said or heard that.
The second item on our minds….how much weight I am going to gain within these next few weeks. You’re not different than anyone else. I figure at least 5 lbs, ok maybe a few more for me.
This Thanksgiving really started me off to the five pounds. My cousins outdid themselves. Before the turkey…..jumbo shrimp, pigs in a blanket, mini knishes, assorted cheeses, Swedish meatballs, vegetables with spinach dip and chopped liver. Of course I had to try each one, it was there. The main course was turkey, two types of stuffing, cranberry, noodle pudding, sweet potatoes, barley and gravy that automatically winds up going straight to your arteries.
We all know that there is always a relative who makes a dish that everyone must try. They shovel at least two pounds of it on your plate and you had better say it’s great (unless you don’t care for this person too much). You are ready to explode right about now, but wait, dessert is on the table…..four chocolate cakes, one apple pie, fruit and once again something some relative made that they want everyone to try. Be clever on this one. When they are not looking, quickly take the dessert you want and head to another room, or house or state.
Anyway, good luck with all your holiday season meals . . . did I say five pounds?
Safety Tips
In our newsletter last year we printed some helpful safety tips when you are out driving around and shopping for the holidays. We thought it would be a good idea to reinforce safety during this holiday season.
- Know where you are going. If you are going to a new area to shop, be sure you don’t get lost in the wrong place.
- Park nearest to busy entrances and exits.
- Park near lights.
- Don’t park next to vehicles that are occupied when it can be avoided.
- If a car suspiciously drives along side of you while walking to your car or down a street, walk towards the back of the vehicle so if the person(s) are up to no good they have to drive backwards.
- If something doesn’t feel right, don’t go there now.
- Don’t be walking to or from your car with a cell phone on your ear. You must maintain awareness of your surroundings without distractions.
- Have your keys in your hand as you approach your car so you can enter quickly.
- Don’t be too distracted or take too long when loading packages in your car.
- Don’t accept help from strangers and be suspicious of someone you don’t consider a friend.
December Newsletter 2010
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