Navigating Performance Reviews During Long-Term Leave: Essential Tips for Employees and Employers

Natasha JeshaniNews

As a fractional HR consultant at Career Contacts, I often encounter employees and employers uncertain about how to handle performance reviews during long-term leave. Whether it’s parental leave, medical leave, or other extended absences, ensuring that your performance is evaluated fairly and comprehensively can significantly impact your ongoing career success. If you’re planning to take long-term leave this year, it’s essential to address how your company will manage your performance review in your absence. Key Questions to Address Before Taking Long-Term Leave: Will You Miss Your Performance Review? Long-term leave often coincides with the time when annual or bi-annual performance reviews are conducted. If you’re not present for the review, it’s essential to understand whether the review will be postponed, skipped, or conducted in your absence. Missing out on this crucial feedback session can leave you without valuable insights into your performance and areas for improvement. How Will Your Performance Be Evaluated? Evaluation criteria can become complex when an employee is on long-term leave. It’s important to clarify with your employer how your performance will be assessed during this period. Will they consider the work you’ve done up until your leave? Will there be any adjustments or special considerations given …

Returning to the Office (Post-Pandemic)

Natasha JeshaniCOVID-19 Support, Human Resources Tips

The past year and a half has been an unprecedented time in the world and that includes in the workplace. Most companies never thought it was possible to do what they do from home, and have spent time and resources to support a safe working environment, while ensuring business continuity. As companies begin to discuss bringing employees back to the office, employers may be feeling apprehensive about how to transition their team back into the workplace in a way that is safe and considerate to their employees. If you are wondering how to ensure you are keeping your employees in mind during this transition, you are already hitting our number one recommendation – talk to your employees! Here are some additional insights on how to do just that: Start by taking a look at your company’s policies and consider if any of them need to be re-written to better suit the current state of workplace environments post-pandemic. Because the landscape of the work world has continued to change so dramatically over the course of even just the past few months, this may be a good time to review your workplace’s safety/sanitation, clocking in/out, dress code policies etc. and reintroduce them …

How to feel “unstuck” while feeling “stuck” at home

Natasha JeshaniNews

Most of us are currently following the stay at home orders that have been instituted all over the world. I have been hearing a lot of people saying things like “I just feel stuck” or “I feel like this is wasted time”. The fact is, most of the world is in the same situation, so feeling like you are getting left behind as the world is moving forward simply isn’t the case, we are all in the same boat. Mindset is key in this situation. It’s important that you are choosing to see the silver lining of this extra time as the chance to use it however you feel works best for you. For some, that will mean some much needed down time, for others, it might be getting in that quality time with the kids that you have been missing. For others, it can be a time to grow your skills and knowledge to set you apart when the world returns to normal. Here are some ideas of great ways to keep that stagnant feeling at bay! Take an online class Utilize some of the wonderful online learning platforms to deepen your software skills, learn about how other people …

Keeping Remote Teams Connected

Natasha JeshaniNews

We are officially on week 3 of a 100% virtual Recruitment and HR team and although we miss being in the same physical space, we are also really proud to be doing our part and staying home. As a newly formed remote team, we have been feeling really connected after creating our own process and thought we would share some of our favorite “social” events. Virtual Happy Hour Every Friday, we get our entire extended remote team together for a virtual happy hour. We all catch up on how we are doing, our wins, our struggles and just support one another. This isn’t about productivity, it’s about genuine connection. We care about each other and want to make sure we are all ok. We are in this together so it’s important that we all know we can lean on one another. It’s also a fun time to brainstorm new ideas and get our whole team together!   Coffee Chats In smaller remote groups, we connect by video or phone, with a coffee in hand. These are generally shorter connections with only a few people, to connect on a deeper level. This might be to solve a work problem, come up …

Working From Home Blog Series

Natasha JeshaniNews

Part 1: The Benefits of Your Employees Working From Home Employees have been asking to work from home (or remotely) for years. Over time, this has become more common to work from home, but is still not how most organizations operate. At the most, employees have options to work from home on occasion, and are rarely doing their roles 100% remotely. Now, with the Corona Virus, COVID-19, employees are being asked to work from home with little notice, and less support.  Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the benefits of working remotely., but also support employees in being successful at home. Here are a few of the benefits you may experience, depending on your role in the company. Benefits to the company: Companies are all upgrading IT so that employees are efficient with time and accessibility Companies are able to show (not just tell) that they put trust in employees Employees working remotely are often more productive (less interuptions) Remote meetings are often more time effective and shorter in length Companies are able to hire employees from anywhere in the world – global reach! Allowing employees to work remotely is one of the best perks you can give …