Doing Good (Authentically) as a Business
In an earlier post, we talked about the importance of matching public support for the LGBTQ+ community with internal practices, policies, and employee training that support diversity and inclusion. Psychological astute, relevant, engaging, and practical employee training also encourages a respectful and civil workplace, conflict management, negotiation, and emotional intelligence. Still another area that would […]
Silencing the Lambs: Weighing the Legal Cost of Confidentiality Requirements During Harassment Investigations
Recently we have been fielding questions from clients concerned with protecting their reputation in the midst of a harassment investigation. Specifically, when a company receives a complaint of workplace harassment they often want the matter to be kept as quiet as possible, so as to avoid the rash of bad publicity caused by the ubiquitous […]
The Cultural Conundrum: Syntrio’s 3 part Webinar Series on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
As 2018 moves into its second month we are seeing no slowdown in reports of sexual harassment in the workplace and in the news. More and more women (and men) are feeling empowered to tell their stories. Understanding this fact, and aware of our role in the prevention of harassment in the workplace, Syntrio has […]
EEOC Releases 2017 Litigation Statistics
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has released its fiscal year 2017 litigation statistics. For those of us involved in the employment discrimination and harassment compliance arena the annual report provides us with a “standings” table much like the standings we analyze so carefully when our favorite baseball team is in the heat […]
Case Study: Sexual Harassment Prevention
Yesterday we discussed the importance of actually doing something about the problem of workplace harassment once a company becomes aware that the problem exists in its organization. Although we like to work with companies to ensure they promote a culture of inclusion and positive interaction before there is a problem, we realize this is not […]
Wells Fargo Sales Abuses and Decentralization
Shearman & Sterling’s April 2017 “Sales Practices Investigations Report” for Wells Fargo’s independent directors addressed numerous deficiencies, one of which was the bank’s decentralized structure. The investigation identified the autonomy provided to each business unit as a major factor in the sales abuse scandal. These findings offer rich insights for companies in how ethics and […]
Wells Fargo Sales Abuses and Performance Management
The rich detail in the Wells Fargo sales practices investigation report (here) by independent law firm Shearman & Sterling offers a wealth of lessons. The report addresses numerous problem areas, all of which can have implications for ethics and compliance education. This is the first of seven blogs to assess the report’s findings and conclusions […]
Anchoring Against the Slippery Slope: A Candid Interview with Rashmi Airan
“In December 2014, I was across from my 10-year-old son at a high-top table, sitting knee-to-knee and as I looked into his eyes I said: ‘Today, Mommy had to plead guilty to a federal crime.’” I stumbled upon Rashmi Airan’s LinkedIn profile while doing some research on companies and prospects one recent Friday afternoon. Because […]
Sexual Harassment: Self-Awareness is Key, but Only Half the Battle
Every morning a new celebrity name scrolls across the bottom of the television screen or appears in your twitter feed; and every morning the headline is the same: “XXX celebrity has been accused of sexually harassing co-workers and has been terminated from his employment.” Suddenly sex sells again, and sexual harassment has finally been put […]