Tis The Season to Give Thanks…
To Your Employees!
The holiday season is a great time to tell your colleagues, coworkers, and employees how much you value them and their contributions. Here are seven great ways to show your appreciation to employees and coworkers.

Give a “shout out.” Publicly praise something your coworker/employee has done well. Identify the specific actions that you found admirable, and let everyone know about it.

Mind your manners. Always remember to say your “please” and "thank you’s.” This simple action can go a long way.  Social niceties do belong at work: a more gracious, polite workplace is appreciated by all.

Be inquisitive. Ask your coworkers about their family, their hobby, their weekend, or a special event they attended. Your genuine interest will cause people to feel valued. Know your coworker’s interests well enough to present them with a small gift occasionally. A gift certificate to their favorite restaurant or a special DVD has a personal touch and shows them that you really care. 

Get flexible. Offer staff members flexible scheduling for the holidays, if feasible. If coverage is tight, post a calendar so people can balance their time off with that of their coworkers.

Break bread. Almost everyone appreciates food. Take coworkers or staff to lunch for a birthday, a special occasion, or for no reason at all. Let your guests pick the restaurant. Not only does this show your employees that you care, but it’s also a great team builder.

Create and celebrate traditions. Creating traditions at work helps to bring employees together. It also helps to foster a family-type of environment, which further shows people that you care for and appreciate them. 

Provide opportunity. Perhaps one of the best ways to show your appreciation is by providing opportunity. People want chances for training and cross-training. They want to participate on a special committee where their talents are noticed. Provide these opportunities whenever it’s possible.

The tips above are simple and effective ways to tell your employees and coworkers thank you. And remember that while the holidays are a great time to say thanks, you can (and should) show your appreciation throughout the year as well!




Are You Being Bullied? 
Key Warning Signs
According to a scientific study conducted by Zogby International, 37 percent of U.S. workers have directly experienced destructive bullying. Workplace bullying is a serious offense and can cause both emotional and physical damage. It is defined as repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons by one or more perpetrators that takes the form of verbal abuse, offensive conduct/behaviors, and/or sabotage.

Every day, many people are bullied and don’t even know it. They may blame themselves or believe that they are just being overly sensitive. However, it’s important that employees recognize the true signs of workplace bullying so that they can work with management to put a quick stop to it.

You may be a victim of workplace bullying if any of the following apply to you:

You start doubting yourself. You may wonder if you have done something wrong or could at least be partially blamed for the situation. However, don't ever try to explain bullying behavior in logical terms, because it is neither logical nor decent.


You obsess about work at home. You spend considerable amounts of time thinking about the day’s events and the things the bully said or did.

You have negative physical reactions. You may feel like throwing up the night before the start of your work week, or you may have severe headaches and body aches.

You feel ashamed. You are embarrassed about being controlled by another person at work and keep this information from your friends, spouse, or partner.

You take days off to avoid the situation. You often use your paid time off to avoid the bully and the misery. Moreover, your days off are spent exhausted and lifeless; your desire to do anything is gone.

If any of the warning signs above apply to you, you must act immediately. Take the matter to your boss or HR. Bring any records or evidence of the bullying incidents. Remember, nothing can justify bullying behavior. You are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

Note: the list above is not all-inclusive. If you feel you are being bullied at any time, seek help and guidance from your management team.




Flu Vaccinations:
Protecting Yourself and Your Patients
As flu season approaches it’s important to address concerns about seasonal flu inoculations among patients and staff in healthcare facilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year. The following takes a brief look at

The Importance in Long Term Care
Residents of long term care facilities are particularly at risk of the flu. In fact, illness rates of up to 60 percent and fatality rates as high as 55 percent have been documented as a result of influenza outbreaks in long term care facilities. Influenza transmission among residents, family members, other visitors, and healthcare workers is a particular problem in long term care facilities for two reasons; the close proximity of healthcare workers and residents and the immunological changes that occur in frail or debilitated individuals, which may prevent them from responding to flu vaccine with protective levels of antibody. That is why it is equally important for all healthcare workers and volunteers to be vaccinated against influenza.

Once Is Not Enough
It’s also important to remember that just because an employee or patient received a flu shot last year, it does not mean that they are still protected for this year. This is because a new strain of flu virus emerges every year. The immunity that is built up from having the flu caused by one virus strain doesn't always provide protection when a new strain is circulating. That is why the influenza vaccine is updated to include current viruses every year.

Timing Is Everything
Since the flu virus can quickly turn into an outbreak in a long term care or nursing facility, it is important to set up a system to encourage all patients/residents and employees to be vaccinated. It depends on what part of the country you live in, but in general, you should get a flu shot between October 1 and March 31.

Benefits All the Way Around
When healthcare professionals receive flu vaccinations they are helping to protect the vulnerable people around them. Healthcare staff will also benefit directly, as vaccinations will keep them healthier and will enable them to remain functional and productive. Moreover, vaccinating a large percent of healthcare residents and employees produces what is called “herd immunity.” In other words, in diseases passed from person to person, it is more difficult to maintain a chain of infection when large numbers of a population are immune.



A New Pet
A man wanted to get a pet and was perusing the classified ads in the newspaper when he read this: Purebred Police Dog For Sale: $50. The man thought this price was a bargain and he figured that the dog would be intelligent and good looking since it was a purebred.

So, he picked up the phone and told the seller he wanted to buy the dog. The seller offered to deliver the man’s new pet to his home. The man was delighted.

When the police dog arrived however, the man was taken aback by the way it looked. It was definitely not the good-looking dog he had pictured in his mind. Instead, the dog looked like nothing more than a mangy mongrel.

“How in the world can you get away with calling that dog a purebred police dog?” The man asked.

The seller answered, “Don’t let his looks deceive you. He’s working undercover.”