As a manager, you might find yourself at some point managing a cross-cultural workforce with little or no training on how to do so effectively. Often times, corporate diversity efforts target training at the immigrants and overlook needed training for their managers.

If you find yourself managing a cross-cultural workforce, use these tools and ideas to guide the relationships:

• Learn cultural differences. In other cultures for example, people have different perceptions of time. U.S. workers, in general, adhere to schedules, whereas those from many other cultures do not. At Midwest Staffing Group, our staffing coordinators deal with managing diverse cultures on a daily basis. By providing our team with a base understanding of various cultural backgrounds we are able to more effectively manage the employees. If possible, read books or articles about cultures of every person you deal with internally and externally.
• Learn how to pronounce their names. By taking the time to learn how to correctly pronounce your employees’ names you are showing them you care about them as a person.
• Share food. If possible, host a pot luck featuring foods from various cultures at your company. Or take a few minutes to sit down with your employees to enjoy lunch because sharing a meal can deepen a relationship. In our staffing offices, we often have employees bring us food from their cultures.
• Imagine what your employees are going through. If you have grown up in the US, you probably haven’t thought much about what it might be like to move to another country. As a manger, take time to talk to your employees about their experience and try to understand the challenges and the possible grief that accompanies uprooting.
• Listen. By multi-tasking during a cross-cultural conversation you risk misunderstanding and show the employee that they aren’t important. As with any employee, it is important to give your employees your full attention when they are speaking to you.
• Learn what motivates. As with anything, there is never a “one-size-fits-all” approach to motivating a workforce, let alone a cross-cultural workforce. With Americans, a manager typically will emphasize opportunities for personal growth and monetary gain. With employees from other cultures there might be other motivating factors. With employees from India for example, a manager might want to emphasize, personal loyalty, and cultivate a "human touch" in relating to employees.
• Career Development. As managers, we frequently ask our employee’s, "What are your career plans?" We often expect that employees will take partial responsibility for their professional advancement. However, in some other cultures, the expectation is that it is the boss's responsibility to decide on an employee's future. As a manager, ensure that you are aware of who you are dealing with when discussing career development and adapt a strategy that works for you and your employees.

Managing across cultures can be a challenge but the rewards are well worth it! A cross cultural workforce can allow you to have a diverse team where employees bring different skills, ideas and experiences everyday!

As State Primaries have taken place and the general elections are right around the corner, now is a great time to make sure your companies Voting Policies are up-to-date. Minnesota's Election Day Law covers all "regularly scheduled" state primary or general election was recently amended to give employees the "right to be absent from work for the time necessary to appear at the employee's polling place, cast a ballot, and return to work."

Expansion of the "Right to Be Absent from Work"

In 2010, the MN legislature expanded the definition. Every employee who is eligible to vote has the right to be absent without penalty or loss of salary or wages. Employees have the right to be absent from work “for the time necessary to appear at the employee’s polling place, cast a ballot, and return to work on the day of that election.”

Answers to Unanswered Questions

The Minnesota Election Day Law provides little guidance to employers beyond prohibiting "penalties" or "wage and salary deductions," Some questions you might have regarding the new law are listed below with some general guidance. Please consult your legal counsel before making any policy changes as this information is only guidance.

Can I require an employee to provide advanced notice?

The statute doesn’t fully address this issue, it would be challenging for an employee to prove that providing notice prior to the shift starting interferes with the right to be absent from work to vote.

Can I limit the amount of time the employee is absent from work?

Yes, although enforcing it might be a challenge. The statute provides that the employee must be given time off for the time necessary to (1) appear at the employee's polling place, (2) cast a ballot, and (3) return to work. It does not provide for time to make a pit stop along the way! However, it would be difficult to prove how long it actually took the employee to vote based on lines at the polling place, etc..

Can I require the employee to use accrued vacation or paid time off (PTO) to make up the difference?

The statute doesn’t address this question but keep in mind that deducting an employee's accrued leave or PTO could be viewed as a prohibited deduction or penalty.