‘Tis the Season: Ethical, Appropriate, and Joyful Holiday Gift-Giving During COVID-19
‘Tis the season for business owners and executives to think about what gifts to give to vendors, top clients or customers, and employees.
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 […]
Does Your Harassment Training Need a Makeover?
The #MeToo movement grew exponentially due to the availability of the internet as an avenue for victims of harassment to express their protest of bad acts and actors in the workplace. Like any internet phenomenon, the movement has spawned a backlash against training programs provided to employees (and perceptions about the reasons training is actually […]
Vermont Passes New Sexual Harassment Law
In the latest example of “keeping up with the Joneses,” last week Vermont passed new legislation aimed at reducing (and publicizing) incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace. Similar to laws passed in many other states in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Vermont’s new law guarantees independent contractors, volunteers, and interns a working environment […]
Pour Over Effect: Wine Bar Hit with Large Harassment Judgment
5th and Wine, a Scottsdale, Arizona wine bar recently faced claims of sexual orientation harassment and retaliation. According to the complaint, the bar did nothing to stop alleged harassment against two servers, which include name calling, inappropriate touching and sexually based comments. Specifically, the two servers alleged that they were harassed based on a perception […]
Retaliation Claims are on the Rise: How to Avoid Them
As reporting on suspected wrongdoing reaches historic highs, 2017 saw a 100 percent increase in retaliation claims. The 2018 Global Business Ethics Survey uncovered this shocking statistic. Driving the higher numbers are social and demographic trends, along with expanded employment laws at the state and federal levels that provide expanded protection of employees against retaliation. […]
Building an Ethical Culture: the Basics
Even within the same industry, organizations can have radically different cultures. There are norms, both tacit and explicit, that address how colleagues interact, how management communicates with employees, and how customers are treated. In terms of ethics, some companies pay lip service to ethical behavior, while others walk the walk. For long-term success and to […]
Second Circuit Holds Title VII Prohibits Sexual Orientation Discrimination
On March 1, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held in Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc. that sexual orientation discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is the second such decision in the last year, with the Seventh Circuit reaching the same conclusion in 2017. The […]
#MeToo Allegation Spurs South Korean Actor’s Suicide
Jon Min-ki, a South Korean actor best known for his roles on a variety of television shows was found dead at this morning. According to multiple news outlets, the cause of death appears to be suicide. Min-ki, who was perhaps best known known for his role in 2013’s The Attorney, had recently been accused of […]
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 […]