With unemployment rates at historical lows, some employers may use a tuition assistance program as a tool to attract, engage and retain employees.
I am an advocate for employer educational assistance because I benefited from such a program early in my career.
The healthcare organization I worked for offered a generous tuition assistance program that allowed me to finish an undergraduate degree. Read the Full Article →
The economy is booming, unemployment is low but there may be times when you should consider offering an employee a severance pay package.
Churches in particular, should at least consider offering severance pay to an employee who leaves involuntarily because of the reality that most church employees don’t qualify for unemployment benefits.
A severance pay package can help bridge the gap in pay for church employees who leave employment involuntarily. Read the Full Article →
Employee turnover is often difficult, particularly for a church. Regardless of the reason for an employee leaving, there are several things that need to be done. A tool that can help you is a termination checklist.
If you read this site much you know that we are all about using checklists to help manage churches because these tools can help us stay focused and get everything that is required done. Read the Full Article →
One of the important documents every ministry should have on its shelf is a church employee policy manual.
Churches that have the resources to pay employees should strive to create environments that attract the best and the brightest.
These ministries that value their employees take the time to create policies, procedures and compensation strategies that create a healthy work environment.
Part of that process is writing down those policies, procedures and benefits so that employees can understand what is expected of them and what they can expect as an employee of the ministry. Read the Full Article →
Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job. Knowing what the specifics of their job is helps them to do just that.
Successful organizations create systems to help manage employees and the job description is part of that system.
Employees need to know what is expected of them and who to go to with questions or concerns. Read the Full Article →
Being responsible for the oversight of a church congregation can be very challenging because of the tender balance between pastoring and pursuing a shared vision.
Church leaders are sometimes challenged with knowing when to operate in one of two roles – pastor or boss.
When asked how to respond to different management issues, I ask leaders the question – Is this a boss issue or a pastor issue? Read the Full Article →
I was recently speaking to someone who was telling me a very sad story about how their church had to let a pastor go.
The church was experiencing some financial challenges that resulted in a decision to reduce expenses by terminating a pastor.
My acquaintance shared with me that the pastor was notified of his termination by the staff accountant and had no conversations with the senior pastor (his boss) . Read the Full Article →
Most organizations understand the importance of screening job candidates before deciding to bring them on-board.
However, there is so much to learn when someone leaves.
So why not ask people probing questions when they decide to leave the organization?
Take the time to learn why an employee accepted another position and you can learn how to improve.
Many organizations us exit interviews are a forum to learn. Read the Full Article →
Anyone who has ever been in a management position, understands the challenges that come with managing employees.
These issues are the same when managing church staff.
Managers have the responsibility of helping employees develop job skills and holding employees accountable for completing job responsibilities.
Being in a management position requires an aptitude for dealing with the many diverse aspects of interacting with employees. Read the Full Article →
Managing church employees can be a very rewarding experience because influencing and participating in an employee’s professional development is just fun!
However, there are those difficult times when an employee just isn’t the right fit and needs to move on.
These are very stressful times that result in lost sleep for the involved manager.
What adds to the difficulty is the sudden realization that the proper documentation of the months of issues is missing. Read the Full Article →
