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NYSHRL assigns personal liability to those who harass

09/01/2007

Having trouble finding the best way to explain to employees that it’s in their best interest to maintain a harassment-free environment? Try this persuasive sentence: Co-workers who participate in discriminatory conduct can be held personally liable for damages. Or explain it this way: If co-workers name-call, harass or otherwise discriminate against another co-worker, their assets—house, car and personal possessions—are on the line …

Provide training when promoting into management ranks

09/01/2007

When promoting someone from the rank-and-file to first-level management, be sure to provide harassment and discrimination training. Here’s why: If the employee you have selected as a supervisor has a hidden history of discriminatory behavior, you’ll want to make sure that’s all in the past …

Porn at work: Don’t get into debate over what is ‘Too much’

09/01/2007

When an employee says no to the sexual images posted in co-workers’ workstations and to their sexually laced comments, your company had better listen … and act. It shouldn’t debate over “how much” porn is acceptable. As a recent lawsuit shows, even if an employee initially tolerates a sexually charged workplace, she can drop the lawsuit hammer at any time …

Don’t Ignore—or Make Light of—Harassment Complaints

09/01/2007

Remind supervisors, managers and HR staff: Don’t brush off or make light of sexual harassment complaints. Doing so can just add more fuel to the fire. When employees are ignored, they may begin to see every slight that comes their way—getting the cold shoulder at meetings or missing out on promotions—as retaliation for voicing their concerns about sexually hostile behavior. And that can make them much more likely to file lawsuits against your company …

Making it mandatory boosts ER workplace violence training

09/01/2007

A study in the July issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that workplace violence training for hospital employees occurs more frequently in states where the law requires such courses …

5 simple ways to salvage a ‘below-standard’ employee

09/01/2007
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Managers—Even HR Managers!—May Be Personally Liable for Disability Harassment

09/01/2007

As if you don’t have enough to worry about. Now a federal court interpreting California law has concluded that supervisors and managers may be personally liable if they don’t provide a harassment-free work environment or if they harass a disabled employee …

Turning managers into leaders: 5 questions to ask

09/01/2007

We look in mirrors every day. They give us a reflection of ourselves. But what about our inner selves—our attitudes and thoughts? How often do we look there? True leaders look inward every day and take stock of themselves. As simple as it sounds, it’s the step most overlooked by managers in their journey to becoming leaders …

Do You Need More ‘Think Time’ in your day? A 16-Question Self-Quiz

08/21/2007

As summer winds down, the pace of work and life picks up. But living life at too fast a pace can hurt your career and your health. To find out if you need to reserve more quiet "think time" in your day, take this simple 16-question self-quiz.

Dealing with foul-smelling workers: 6 tips for ‘The talk’

08/07/2007

Hosting a termination meeting may be easier than having to tell an employee that he or she has offensive body odor. Here are six tips for handling the issue in your workplace: