People and workplace issues are global and, increasingly, so is the business of HR. Around the world, workplace policy is increasingly influenced by governments, employers and workers at the international level. I just returned from the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland where I was a member of the delegation sent by the United States to develop a new United Nations (UN) convention on violence and harassment in the workplace.
As a result of the “great awakening” last year of the persistence and pervasiveness of sexual harassment, we all know that more must be done to tackle this scourge. Companies are looking to enhance their preventive efforts, and, of course, that must start at the top.
Strong employment policies are crucial to any organization and should be updated regularly. Changing regulations, new case law and technology advances can quickly result in outdated, inefficient or non-compliant policies. Here are three policies that I recommend you review in light of recent events:
1. Electronic Communications Policies
On April 12, @shrmnextchat chatted with Christine Porath, an associate professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and author of Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace about How to Create a Culture of Civility in the Workplace.
Rude comments, discourteous behaviors and heightened tensions. As if HR professionals didn’t already have enough on their plates, they must now contend with the growing prevalence of incivility in their organizations.
On October 26, @shrmnextchat chatted with EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum (@chaifeldblum) and employment attorney Jonathan Segal (@jonathan_hr_law) about Effective Practices to Stamp Out Harassment.
By now, I assume you all have read or at least heard about the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former Fox Channel Host Gretchen Carlson against Fox CEO Roger Ailes. Since then, at least a half dozen other women have said that they, too, were harassed by Ailes.
When you heard about the allegations, which of the following responses comes closest to your immediate (visceral) reaction:
As part of our coverage of the 2016 SHRM Annual Conference, each of the official bloggers is conducting a Q&A with one of the session speakers. The speaker I chose was Catherine Mattice of Civility Partners. Her session, “The Real World: Case Studies of Real Organizations Who Solved Their Workplace Bullying Problems” caught my eye for several reasons. First, I’m an HR practitioner, so any session that focuses on solutions to real world problems interests me. Second, workplace bullying is a topic that I believe is gaining more traction and attention.
Don’t try this at work. Please. I’m begging you.
Ah, April Fools’ Day. A day when harmless, innocent pranks actually do harm people and are far, far from innocent. But hey, we all get some good laughs out of them, right?
A round up of workplace developments and legal trends to help keep HR ahead of the curve
It’s another new year in the HR universe and with every passing year, change is to be expected. People make resolutions, companies pivot and balance sheets get a new lease on life. 2016 is no different, but what will that change look like in the workplace this year? If the last two weeks are any indication, it’s sure to be a pretty interesting year.
On November 11, @shrmnextchat chatted with special guest Michael Jacobson (@HRTerminator) of Xpert HR about "Sexual Harassment: The Final Frontier of Workplace Gender Equality."
The 800-pound gorilla in the office is (likely) wearing a suit and tie.
Tackling a 'Macho' Mentality at Work
Conn. Extends Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Protections to Unpaid Interns
EEOC Hearing: Make Anti-Harassment Training More Effective
In case you missed it, there was a SHRM Conference Today post this week with a 