Here are this week’s links to a few good stories that we found and selected because we feel they might add valuable insights and perspectives for small to medium size businesses.

  • Showing gratitude in the workplace works on many fronts. It is a good way to build employee morale, but it can also reap other benefits.  In an article posted on American Express Open Forum by Anthonia Akitunde – Gratitude at Work: The Business Perks of Saying ‘Thank You’ – the author references a statement made by Dave Skibinki of SnapMD:  “If you are in the habit of saying thank you to your staff, they can then say thank you to customers.  You are in essence creating a culture of gratitude.  Thant’s a good thing for any business.”  Makes sense to me.
  • Can an employer be held liable by an employee for sexual harassment of the employer’s customer?  An Oregon court is considering it.  A Safeway employee is bringing an action that should make business owners take notice.  In Employment Law – August 2015 #2 on the JD Supra website, the overriding message is this: “Employers would be well served to remember that liability for discrimination in the workplace can be imposed based on the actions of clients and customers as well as other employees and take appropriate action when such circumstances are alleged.”  Employers should clearly take notice.
  • In a state that has a predominance of small businesses; it was good news to see that the Boston Globe reported that Massachusetts unemployment rate remained at 4.7% in July as the state added 7,200 jobs in the month.  The rate dropped below 5.0% on March for the first time since 2007 and the trend of increasing job growth remains solid.

For more information on this topic, please reach out to Genesis HR Solutions at  AskUs@genesishrsolutions.com or 800-367-8367.

Genesis HR Solutions is the premier PEO provider for Massachusetts based businesses.