Career Q&A: How to deal with an unhappy coworker

I work in a small office for a not-for-profit organization, and I like my job, but I work right next to someone who is VERY unhappy with her life. I have noticed over the past few months that I am...

Human Resources Q&A: Managers are the key to employee engagement

I saw some results from a survey on workplace engagement levels. Apparently, 29% of employees reported that they were engaged with the work of their organizations. This doesn't strike me as being terribly high. With the emphasis that's been given...

Working with staff and volunteers

Most organizations are not at the stage of seeing paid and unpaid staff as a "team" to accomplish the mission/goals of the organization. If they did, many of the challenges that are centered on volunteer-staff relations might not exist. Here...

Human Resources Q&A: Treading water makes for unhappy employees

I read recently about a spike in suicides in Europe that were apparently provoked by workplace troubles. Is this a recession issue, or is there something else going on? Yes and yes. The Economist, in its October 10, 2009 issue,...

Exercise, positive relationships and fighting work stress

The latest research in neuroscience is highlighting the importance of building strength in our physical bodies to improve the sharpness of our minds. In fact, there is compelling evidence that mind and body are so absolutely intertwined that it has...

Governance Q&A: Accommodating employees with disabilities

An employee produced a note from a doctor and requested "disability accommodation" requiring me to reassign work between several employees. I know of someone with the same disability who thinks the work is doable, and wonder if this employee is...

Toward a labour force strategy for Canada’s voluntary and nonprofit sector

What percentage of Canada’s voluntary/nonprofit sector workforce do you think identify themselves as white/Caucasian? Would you say (a) 22% (b) 78% or (c) 89%? The answer is (c) according to the recent Canada-wide survey of nonprofit employees conducted by Ipsos...

Human Resources Q&A: Engaging employees of any generation

Can you tell me if there are generational differences when it comes to employee engagement? Some people insist that there are, while others say that engagers at work span the generations and are common to them. What an excellent question!...

Effective relationships between staff and volunteers

Build understanding and collaboration: Paid staff are respected and are empowered to fully participate in planning, decision-making and management related to volunteer involvement. There is a conscious, active effort to reduce the boundaries and increase the teamwork between paid and...

Career burnout: Dodging the stress bullet

How many of you head into work each day feeling less-than-enthused, bone-tired before you even get to the office, and anxious about having to face both your boss and that endless pile of paperwork on your desk? If that sounds...
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