This week, I want to address the employers of our community.

As we come out of this recession to recovery, I contend that now it is more important to focus on training than ever before. Over the past few years, many have reduced their staffing needs to bare bones demanding more from team members.  Failure to provide additional skills or strengthen employee knowledge may result in unwanted turnover.    

When was the last time that you offered your employees sexual harassment awareness training? A year ago, two, maybe never! Now is the time. You should not do sexual harassment training because somebody makes you, but because it is the right thing to do. It is also not just about sex anymore. That is correct; it is about so much more. It’s about respect and the right way to treat people. By offering a program on awareness, you will be doing so much to protect yourself, your company and your most valuable asset, your employees. 

If you have a manager, when was the last time that manager received supervisor training? Could his or her actions end up costing you money in a court room? How should a supervisor give a good performance review? Does your supervisor have good communication skills? Has he or she become routine in dealing with sensitive employee issues? And let us not forget HIPPA.

When the economy turned down in October of 2008, many employers turned off the training button. As things pick up, I contend that now is the time to get back on track. Training has been, and will continue to be, a benefit that is a win-win for everyone.

Brian Coughlin has lived in Norton most of his life and graduated from Norton High School. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Science degree in management from Lesley University. He is a human resource consultant and has been operating his own business for six years. Check out his company page at www.coughlinHRconsulting.com.