“We have to shift our mindset around emotions and vulnerability at work. When we’re saying psychological safety, what we’re saying is that people can feel free to be vulnerable.”

The ideal workplace has minimal turnover, high morale, and team members who feel creatively fulfilled. Business owners who may wonder how they can achieve this workplace nirvana should evaluate the psychological safety of their office and tune in to our latest episode of HR in 15. We are joined once again by our host Jacqueline McGrath, an HRBP at PrestigePEO, and guest speaker Catherine Mattice, Founder & CEO of Civility Partners. In this episode, our speakers discuss how psychological safety benefits company culture, along with providing actionable changes employers can encourage to detoxify workplaces.

 

Highlights Include:  

• The benefits of a psychologically safe workplace
• It starts from the top: what actions you can demonstrate to create a safer workplace
• Listen to feedback and continue to incorporate it

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Catherine Mattice founded Civility Partners in 2008 as a result of working in a toxic environment. She has since served a huge array of clients with consulting, training, and coaching services. She has written three books, one of which Ken Blanchard called, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic” of workplace bullying. Catherine has also been cited in such media outlets as Forbes.com, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur, and USA Today, and appeared as a guest on such venues as NPR and CNN. Catherine is active in the International Association for Workplace Bullying & Harassment (IAWBH) and one of the four founding members of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on ending workplace bullying. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Communication and taught communication courses at the college level for ten years.

“I’m not being my best self if I’m experiencing microaggressions in the workplace. I can’t be as innovative as I possibly could be, and I can’t offer my best customer service to clients in this environment.”

Employees cannot grow and thrive in a work environment that stifles them. If employees feel that it is not safe to ask questions and offer their ideas without ridicule, then you may have a culture that is not psychologically safe. In this episode of HR in 15, our host Jacqueline McGrath, an HRBP at PrestigePEO speaks with Catherine Mattice, Founder & CEO of Civility Partners, about psychological safety. Psychological safety, or the lack of it, can greatly impact the workplace, which is why this is an important concept to understand. If you have a culture that does not support questions and admitting mistakes, you may have inadvertently fostered a toxic environment. Check out this episode for useful information on psychological safety and what you can do to ensure your workplace is welcoming for everyone.

 

Highlights Include:  

• How to figure out if your workplace culture has become toxic
• Ways to show your team members that workplace bullying is not tolerated
• Fostering a safe environment for the future

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Catherine Mattice founded Civility Partners in 2008 as a result of working in a toxic environment. She has since served a huge array of clients with consulting, training, and coaching services. She has written three books, one of which Ken Blanchard called, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic” of workplace bullying. Catherine has also been cited in such media outlets as Forbes.com, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur, and USA Today, and appeared as a guest on such venues as NPR and CNN. Catherine is active in the International Association for Workplace Bullying & Harassment (IAWBH) and one of the four founding members of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on ending workplace bullying. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Communication and taught communication courses at the college level for ten years.

“Some people thought that working remotely would end harassment, but it didn’t. Harassment just changed.”

The pandemic caused a multitude of sudden changes in our daily lives, and the business world wasn’t an exception. Remote work was previously an uncommon benefit; suddenly, every company had to offer remote work or stall completely. For offices that were more experienced with remote work, they may have had protocols for preventing issues. But for the vast majority of businesses, this was new territory, and mistakes were bound to happen. Toxic behavior is not limited to in-person interactions. Harassment can and does happen remotely via email, phone, text messages, chat services, and more. Employers need to prepare for digital harassment by having processes in place to handle these situations. In this episode of HR in 15, Ken McCarthy, President of Integrity by McCarthy, Inc., returns to speak with Kelly Taveras, an HRBP at PrestigePEO, about how to prevent digital harassment.

 

Highlights Include:  

• Establish a healthy company culture where people feel comfortable reporting harassment
• Ask your managers to look out for poor behavior
• Remind your staff that harassment is not tolerated

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Ken (he/him) retired from the Canadian Public Service in 2020 and created Integrity by McCarthy Inc. to raise the bar in how organizations prevent and resolve incidents of workplace harassment, violence, wrongdoing and fraud.

He has seen the devastating consequences on individuals and organizations and set out to make a difference. Ken has led a workplace investigation program for a workforce of over 15,000 employees.

He has also provided executive oversight in more than 500 workplace investigations and has designed and delivered investigation training sessions to 500 front-line managers. Ken is based in Ottawa, Ontario.

“In a toxic workplace, employees are not going to reach their full potential because they’re afraid.”

As employers compete for the best talent in our current competitive job market, many business owners are wondering how they can improve their company culture to attract and retain good employees. We’ve all heard the term “toxic workplace,” but how do you know if your company has become toxic? In this episode of HR in 15, Kelly Taveras, an HRBP at PrestigePEO, speaks with guest Ken McCarthy, President of Integrity by McCarthy, Inc. They discussed what exactly a toxic culture is, why it’s important, and how to identify if your workplace has a toxic culture.

 

Highlights Include:  

• Risks of an unchecked toxic culture
• Warning signs that you may have an unhealthy workplace
• Consequences if you do not correct bad behavior in the workplace

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Ken (he/him) retired from the Canadian Public Service in 2020 and created Integrity by McCarthy Inc. to raise the bar in how organizations prevent and resolve incidents of workplace harassment, violence, wrongdoing and fraud.

He has seen the devastating consequences on individuals and organizations and set out to make a difference. Ken has led a workplace investigation program for a workforce of over 15,000 employees.

He has also provided executive oversight in more than 500 workplace investigations and has designed and delivered investigation training sessions to 500 front-line managers. Ken is based in Ottawa, Ontario.

“We’re not talking about doing the same work in less time. We’re looking at your business processes to figure out how you can deliver the same output with fewer and more efficient inputs.”

The 5-day work week has been a familiar concept since the early 1900s, and it’s hard to imagine life without it. But the 5-day week concept was originally designed with the idea that the working individual had a spouse at home to take care of the domestic duties, and this isn’t nearly as common today. This leads to a burnt-out workforce with an uneven work-life balance. In comes the concept of a 4-day work week – but how would you implement it? In today’s episode of HR in 15, we’re continuing our conversation with Joe O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of 4 Day Week Global. Host Rhonda Wheelous, Director of Client Services at PrestigePEO, joins him to discuss how a company should bring a 4-day work week into reality.

 

Highlights Include:  

• The 4 Day Work Week Global pilot program
• How real companies have thrived after adopting this new schedule
• Training, networking, and mentoring to make sure this new schedule works for everyone

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Joe O’Connor is a driven and dynamic campaigner and communicator, with extensive leadership experience, and a passion for social justice and progressive change. Joe is currently based in New York City, where in addition to all his work for 4 Day Week Global, he is conducting a one-year research fellowship with Cornell University, leading a research project on working time reduction.  He was appointed as CEO in March 2022, taking over from Charlotte Lockhart. Previously he was 4 Day Week Global’s pilot program manager, where he is coordinating pilots of the four-day working week in Ireland, the United States and Canada, with almost 50 companies signed up to participate in six-month coordinated trials early in 2022. Pilots are being planned later in 2022 for the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

“In a really tight labor market, the 4-day work week can give businesses a competitive advantage.”

You’ve probably heard of the 4-day work week concept already – in recent years, this idea has become popular in the business world. But you may not actually know of any companies that utilize this 4-day week, and it’s even less likely that you currently work on a 4-day week yourself. Today we’re speaking with a company that wants to change that. In this episode of HR in 15, Rhonda Wheelous, Director of Client Services, Southeast Region at PrestigePEO, speaks with Joe O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of 4 Day Week Global. Tune in to hear about why a 4-day work week works.

 

Highlights Include:  

• How a shorter work week increases productivity
• Improvements in work/life balance
• Less need for sick days and better morale overall

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Joe O’Connor is a driven and dynamic campaigner and communicator, with extensive leadership experience, and a passion for social justice and progressive change. Joe is currently based in New York City, where in addition to all his work for 4 Day Week Global, he is conducting a one-year research fellowship with Cornell University, leading a research project on working time reduction.  He was appointed as CEO in March 2022, taking over from Charlotte Lockhart. Previously he was 4 Day Week Global’s pilot program manager, where he is coordinating pilots of the four-day working week in Ireland, the United States and Canada, with almost 50 companies signed up to participate in six-month coordinated trials early in 2022. Pilots are being planned later in 2022 for the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

“Having a DEI strategy makes the difference between having to go to work and wanting to go to work. When you know that your company cares about you, you work harder and stay in your position longer.” 

Diversity is a hot topic in the business community, but many employers are lost on how to actually implement a DEI strategy. In our last episode of HR in 15 with Joy Stephens, founder of New Heights, Academic & Leadership Consulting, we discussed the most important element of your DEI strategy (listen to it here). Today, Joy returns to speak with LaToya Velez, supervisor of HR Client Services and our DEI officer here at Prestige PEO, to discuss the “Three Cs” of implementing a DEI strategy. With these in mind, you’ll be able to realize your strategy with your company as a team effort.

 

Highlights Include:  

• Your team needs to be committed to doing the work
• You need to have your team collaborate and work together
• Finally, your team must encourage communication, answer any questions, and have an open and honest discussion

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Joy Stephens is the Director of Business Development at New Heights Academic and Leadership Consulting. With a background in research and development, marketing, manufacturing, and sales, Joy now applies her broad corporate experience to help organizations “develop their people” and truly transform their culture. Joy is a Board-Certified career coach and corporate culture consultant who helps organizations move forward.

“DEI is not something you can assign to a single person, like a project. It changes the way work gets done. It’s a way of life.”

The business world has gone through a huge number of changes in the last couple of years. During the Great Resignation, we have seen that people are willing to leave even high-paying jobs if they feel it no longer serves them. Companies need to adapt to these changes and provide better benefits, improve work-life balance, and take a hard look at their company culture. One important element of a healthy company culture is a DEI team, which helps to ensure your workplace is encouraging diverse opinions and is inclusive for everyone. In this episode of HR in 15 Joy Stephens, founder of New Heights, Academic & Leadership Consulting, returns for a discussion on how to have a successful DEI team.

 

Highlights Include:  

• What the Great Resignation has taught us
• How to make sure your DEI team is effective

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Joy Stephens is the Director of Business Development at New Heights Academic and Leadership Consulting. With a background in research and development, marketing, manufacturing, and sales, Joy now applies her broad corporate experience to help organizations “develop their people” and truly transform their culture. Joy is a Board-Certified career coach and corporate culture consultant who helps organizations move forward.

“The big thing here is that the performance discussion should not include any surprises for the employee.”

Providing positive feedback to your team member is the easy part, but what happens when the conversation is a little more difficult and includes some ways an employee needs to improve? For new managers, coaching and constructive criticism can be difficult. An effective manager needs to feel confident in their feedback so that their employee can positively improve their work.

Rhonda Wheelous, Director of Client Services at PrestigePEO, returns for further discussion on performance management. Listen to this episode for a rundown on coaching an employee to improve, written warnings and Performance Improvement Plans (PIP), and how to reinforce better behavior.

 

Highlights Include:  

• When you should coach an employee and when you need to provide a written warning
• What a written warning looks like and what it should include
• How to provide specific and effective compliments to reinforce good performance
• How to make performance evaluations simple by preparing notes ahead of time

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Rhonda Wheelous joins us with over 20 years of HR experience.  She earned an MBA from Baruch College and has worked in many areas of Human Resources during her career.  Over the years she has developed proficiency in employee relations, talent management, training and development, performance management, health and welfare, payroll, HRIS, and HR strategy.

She works as a trusted advisor to senior managers and works with key team members to ensure employees have the tools necessary to achieve organizational goals.  She takes pride in her ability to successfully partner with others to build strong organizations where employees are valued.  She believes that people are the driving force behind organizational success.  During her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

“Performance management is a process to improve and sustain performance over time.”

Every company has a goal to achieve, and each employee is part of that goal in their own way. It’s important to stay on top of performance management so that everyone knows what’s expected of them and how they’re doing. In this discussion with Rhonda Wheelous, Director of Client Services at PrestigePEO, she goes through the process of performance management, how to make sure goals are clearly communicated, and how to provide positive and actionable feedback.

 

Highlights Include:  

• What performance management is and why it’s important
• How to analyze job tasks and set goals for the employee
• Providing feedback throughout the year, both at annual reviews and one-on-one meetings
• Providing recognition and rewards to reinforce and sustain position performance

Have questions? PrestigePEO is always available to help with HR, employee benefits and payroll, and more. Call Us Today at 888-PEO-PEO1 or visit prestigepeo.com.

Rhonda Wheelous joins us with over 20 years of HR experience.  She earned an MBA from Baruch College and has worked in many areas of Human Resources during her career.  Over the years she has developed proficiency in employee relations, talent management, training and development, performance management, health and welfare, payroll, HRIS, and HR strategy.

She works as a trusted advisor to senior managers and works with key team members to ensure employees have the tools necessary to achieve organizational goals.  She takes pride in her ability to successfully partner with others to build strong organizations where employees are valued.  She believes that people are the driving force behind organizational success.  During her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.