Are You Proactive or Reactive?

 Does your company use the same standards for employment and workforce compliance as required for other functions such as Accounting, Manufacturing, Engineering, etc?  For example:  Does the HR function have a quality system such as that used in manufacturing to assure the product is made to comply with specific standards?  Does your HR function require certification standards for supervisors and managers to assure their understanding and compliance with required standards?    Accountants are certified, so are welders, forklift operators, truck drivers, etc.  Why not supervisors and managers?  Manufacturing has specified training requirements.  Does the HR function?  From my experience of over 30 years as a HR Manager and Business owner I can tell you with some certainty that most (if not all) non compliant issues are the product of poor business practices, bad policies and supervisors and managers improperly handling employment related issues.   It is a given fact that laws, regulations and interpretations are continuously changing.  That requires regular and continuous training of supervisors and managers (anyone with supervisory responsibilities over other workers and those in policy making positions).

It is not easy to be proactive.  It requires a specific plan with quality checks, audits, evaluations, certifications, training, policy reviews and process reviews.  Candidly, it requires a constant, scheduled review of the entire scope of employment and workforce issues.  

I have witnessed the worst of work stoppages and unionization, the anxiety, stress and repercussions of discrimination and EEOC complaints, the disruptions and financial cost of non compliance and poor business practices and policies.

I have also seen the value and rewards of compliance and good business practices and policies.  As a consequence I became a strong advocate of being proactive.  There will always be those employees who will challenge you with frivolous complaints and charges and law suits.  However; there is great satisfaction and defense of those charges and complaints that comes with having your “house in order”. 

 I have often used and quoted the wisdom and inspiration of the great and legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi.  I would like to share one that I have read many times, that hung on my office wall for most of my business career, and remains there today.  I see it each day as I enter my office.

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all-the-time thing.  You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.  Winning is a habit.  Unfortunately, so is losing”. 

 And this final thought from Coach Lombardi.

“I believe in God, and I believe in human decency.  But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour – his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious”.

You can be victorious; it just takes hard work and constant vigilance.  BizKeys can help!

Jack Hobbs,

Founder and President, BizKeys, LLC