By Lynne Curry “How much trouble are we in?” the office administrator asked. I looked at the sheaf of text and Slack messages, loaded with emojis, and stopped on one sent in early March that asked, “Good to know you’re almost done with the project and headed for the weekend. Do you garden?” flanked by an eggplant emoji. Other texts included peaches, dump trucks, sweat … [Read more...] about Watch for harassment by emoji in your office
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Russian-American workplace discrimination: It’s a thing now
By Lynne Curry Question: Like many other employees that need highly skilled employees and want to diversify their labor pool, ours has hired several Russian emigrants. Other than coworkers complaining that these employees’ accents make understanding them difficult, we had no problems—until Russia invaded Ukraine. At first, nothing occurred that created worry. Many of our … [Read more...] about Russian-American workplace discrimination: It’s a thing now
Harassment continues in era of remote work
By Mike O’Brien In the early days of the pandemic, there was speculation that workplace harassment would decrease when so many workers shifted to remote work. Some recent surveys indicate that hasn’t been the case, and that incidents of harassment have been increasing. Possible reasons for this spike include the stress of the pandemic, the fact that remote workers may lack … [Read more...] about Harassment continues in era of remote work
Model Code of Conduct for Virtual Meetings
Far from eliminating workplace harassment, telecommuting has only caused it to morph into digital forms. As a result, law offices and other employers need to tweak their harassment policies to deal with the new face of harassment. The virtual meeting, in particular, has become the digital age version of the holiday office party where employees feel emboldened to do and say … [Read more...] about Model Code of Conduct for Virtual Meetings
How to give your analog workplace harassment policy a digital makeover
One of the only nice things about the pandemic is the relief it’s provided from workplace harassment. After all, employees are far less vulnerable to workplace harassment when they work from home. Right? Absolutely wrong!!! Since the pandemic began: More than 4 in 10 U.S. workers (41 percent) reported that they’ve been subjected to some form of digital harassment (Pew … [Read more...] about How to give your analog workplace harassment policy a digital makeover
How managers can help victims of revenge porn
By Lynne Curry When “Paula” broke up with “Rob,” he vowed she’d regret ending their relationship. She thought Rob meant she’d miss him. She didn’t realize he planned to destroy her reputation, nor that the drama would cost her a job and perhaps her career. Three days later Paula sat in shocked silence looking at nude photos where she lay asleep half on, half off a blanket … [Read more...] about How managers can help victims of revenge porn
5 people problems and how to solve them
By Lynne Curry bio We can’t guess all the challenges facing us as office managers in this new year, but we can assume that we will be dealing with an old one: people and their personalities. Whether working together virtually or in-person, chances are good you will be dealing with people problems. Here are five common problems and strategies for dealing with them. Stopping … [Read more...] about 5 people problems and how to solve them
Office’s duty to protect returning employees from COVID-19 discrimination and harassment
SITUATION Fully recovered from his bout with COVID-19, Max is thrilled and excited to return to his custodian job after 14 days of mandatory home isolation. But almost immediately, he senses that something is wrong. His co-workers shun him and leave the room the moment he enters. And, while hygiene and handwashing are de rigueur for all maintenance staff, Max alone is required … [Read more...] about Office’s duty to protect returning employees from COVID-19 discrimination and harassment
Can racial discrimination be proven with circumstantial evidence alone?
SITUATION An equipment repair technician who also happens to be the office’s only African American employee endures racial abuse at the hands of his supervisor and co-workers. He complains to management and is warned to “stay in his lane.” Shortly thereafter, somebody leaves a noose on his desk. It’s the last straw. The technician claims he was subject to systemic racial … [Read more...] about Can racial discrimination be proven with circumstantial evidence alone?
What you need to know when a bully takes you on
By Lynne Curry bio You've met bullies who play a win/lose game, even as you aim for a win/win solution. Guess who loses when they take you on? You do. Would you like to win, or at least not lose? Here's what you need to know: Fail the bully's test We believe or like to believe the best of everyone. When a bully first tests us with a demeaning slam, we often think … [Read more...] about What you need to know when a bully takes you on