By Lynne Curry, Ph.D, SPHR bio If you're dealing with a bully in the workplace, you're not alone. According to an Associated Press alert, 29 percent of all U. S. managers and employees deal with workplace bullies, and according to a white paper produced by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), one out of six individuals report being bullied at work at some point … [Read more...] about A tale of 2 workplace bullies and why they need to be stopped
Workplace Safety
A tactical guide to dealing with workplace bullies
Have you ever had a confrontation with an aggressive co-worker where you just got so befuddled that you couldn't find the right words for the moment? Instead, a great comeback occurred to you hours later, probably in the middle of the night, after you replayed the situation over and over in your mind. Don't you wish there was a script you could memorize to help you out in … [Read more...] about A tactical guide to dealing with workplace bullies
How to handle the “bully lawyer” without losing your temper or your job
A growing concern in all types of professional offices is the bully boss. "Bullying is the issue for this decade that sexual harassment was in the 1980s," says Rachel Schaming, a business and leadership coach and certified conflicts mediator in Tucson, AZ. In a law firm, the issue is especially difficult, because the bully may be a senior lawyer. As a result, staff don't want … [Read more...] about How to handle the “bully lawyer” without losing your temper or your job
Model Policy: Workplace Bullying Policy
Why you need this model policy: Your firm is committed to the goal of ensuring that all of its employees are treated with dignity, civility, and respect in the workplace. Bullying behavior is not compatible with this commitment. How this model policy helps you: This model policy explains what bullying is and helps you communicate to all employees that bullying behavior will … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Workplace Bullying Policy
A manual that covers the entire administration
A Washington, D.C. administrator has set up an operations manual that covers every imaginable item of managing the firm. It holds the basics of everything so that when she is out, the firm “can be on autopilot and keep the trains running on time,” says Jill D. Hirsch, chief operating officer of Slevin & Hart. And, she says, “it’s for me as well as for someone stepping in … [Read more...] about A manual that covers the entire administration
How to prevent violence . . . and deal with it when it happens
On the topic of violence in the office, "people are in denial," says one security management consultant. "They can't believe it's going to happen." But it does happen, and it comes from a lot of sources – unhappy clients, unhappy employees, employees' unhappy spouses, and even from outsiders wandering in. In one office in North Carolina, for example, a client's husband was … [Read more...] about How to prevent violence . . . and deal with it when it happens
Being mean doesn’t make an office efficient
By Steve M. Cohen bio I recently saw some good management advice in The New York Times, of all places! The newspaper published a great article describing how there is "No Time to Be Nice at Work." I found this to be good reading for any manager. Author Christine Porath noted several significant concerns that are relevant today, including her findings that … [Read more...] about Being mean doesn’t make an office efficient
Help staff protect their families against dangers of fireworks
The Fourth of July is a time for celebration—and beautiful fireworks displays! Share these tips with your staff to help them keep their families safe while they celebrate this special weekend. As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, ophthalmologists—medical doctors who treat eye disease and conditions—are preparing for an influx of patients who are injured each year while … [Read more...] about Help staff protect their families against dangers of fireworks
Bullying, by any name, can be expensive
By Steve M. Cohen bio Whether you call it harassment, bullying, or something else, negative workplace behavior can be expensive for any organization. Although the legal field is highly professional, it's also staffed with human beings who sometimes use bad judgment, have questionable intentions, or are even just misunderstood. Unhappy employees today are … [Read more...] about Bullying, by any name, can be expensive
Model Policy: Reduced schedule and flexible work arrangements
Why you need this policy: Once upon a time, the belief was that an individual could be an attorney or a primary caregiving parent but not both. Attitudes—and laws—have changed this thinking and opened the door to all kinds of flexible work arrangements allowing attorneys to balance their professional and parental obligations. How this policy helps you: Every law office needs a … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Reduced schedule and flexible work arrangements