HRChick
Seattle, WA
Female, 39
I'm the head of HR for a leading digital media company. I'm responsible for making my company an amazing place to work - or at least I'll go down trying! In short, I set the strategic direction for the HR function of the organization. I wear many hats: member of the executive team, confidant and advisor to my peers regarding people matters, as well as an advocate for all people that work hard to make our products great. People are what make organizations tick, and my job is to empower them all.
Sad, but true- there are workplaces that exist that are not respectful or observant of employee rights. First, know that you do have legal recourse if you want to pursue that avenue. Assuming that you worked in California (film studio reference), the state is very strict in what employers need to do to be compliant with state laws, and have agencies dedicated to enforcement of these laws. You can always make a complaint to an agency, who then would investigate the situation. If found guilty, the company would be responsible for paying significant penalties and demonstrate a change in policies to be compliant. That being said, many people choose to not pursue this avenue, as it can be costly to them personally. Many people work in small industries and are concerned that if they take action that will cause the company trouble, they will suffer consequences. I've worked in HR long enough to know that this happens, and that while in the long term justice may prevail, the employees in the situation are usually who suffers the most - financially, emotionally and from a career progression point of view. If that is your situation (and it unfortunately sounds like it) I suggest that you start small. For example - do you even know who your HR resources are? Perhaps get to know them through other HR subjects such as benefits or payroll questions, and establish a relationship with them. Learn what the company's grievance process is - some include an anonymous complaint line directly into the legal team, who have an obligation to follow up on the call. Or, if you belong to a union, that would be a good resource for you as well. Unions exist to protect employees and their rights. I'd do everything I can to educate myself on what my internal resources were, and to establish a relationship with the people in those roles. Sometimes just knowing what exists outside of your direct reporting relationship can provide avenues towards issue resolution.
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You might want to ask this of some of my ex-boyfriends. I thought it was fine, but to be honest, I think it was a little like Hot for Teacher. There certainly was an added edge of excitement, if you know what I mean. That being said, the risk likely is more to the HR person than the other employee, unless that person is the boss. Who wouldn't question what the HR person and their significant other talk about away from the workplace? It potentially ruins the credibility of the HR person, and could make the other person untrustworthy in the eyes of their peers. And, if there is favoritism involved, the HR person can be sued. You think I would have learned this lesson the first time. Happily, the third time was the charm!
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Lame - very lame. And, what's even worse, people typically don't act in a vacuum. If the host was awful to you, s/he likely was to other people as well.
Suing the company is where it gets a bit complicated. First, it depends on where you were that this happened. State laws tend to be a bit different when it comes to harassment law, with California being the strictest and easiest to pursue. It will also depend on the facts of the case. Was the host in a management position? How extreme was the incident? And, do you know for sure the company did nothing? Or, did they discipline the employee, but not make that known publicly - that is actually the typical response, due to privacy policies and laws.
If it were me, I'd actually look for resolution in a different manner - I would escalate the problem with the casino chain of management. I'd find the most senior executive I could, and reach out to them. Customer service organizations fear nothing more than an unhappy customer publicly denouncing services - and ruining their reputation in the process. It's like watching the news and the local customer protection reporter take on the case (in Seattle, we have "get Jesse") It's pretty amazing how quickly those situations seem to be resolved as soon as the story starts to go public. Much faster than a lawsuit, and cheaper than hiring a lawyer to be honest.
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That one is easy - great upper management. If you have awesome middle management, but the people that run the show are a-holes, you have no hope for a great workplace. At least with crappy middle managers, you can always go to the top for support and inspiration. And hopefully some timely "your fired!" comments...
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Geek Squad Agent/Supervisor
What's the biggest scene a customer's ever made in the store?
Federal Lobbyist
What was the strangest lobbying request you've ever received?
MBA Student
How many years of work experience do you REALLY need before applying?
Yup - I knew, in my gut, when we interviewed two candidates that the first one would be a better fit for my team. But we had feedback from our client groups that they preferred candidate number two because he seemed to have more expertise in the area (he was a tech recruiter). In an effort to be a better service provider to them, we went with the person they preferred... and I wish we hadn't.
It was pretty clear within the first two weeks that the person we ended up hiring was NOT a good fit - poor communication skills, wasn't able to carry a full workload compared to his peers and all around a square peg in a round hole. The client groups weren't happy either - while they appreciated the one thing this person could do (find candidates online), it was frustrated trying to get any other deliverables from the person. And, in the end, we had to let him go after only a few weeks.
I should have listened to myself the first time!
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The short answers is no, I don't take extra precautions. Every employee in that situation should be treated fairly, regardless of any personal characteristics. Truth is, with the passage of many federal, state and local laws, just about any characteristic can be considered a 'protected category' - race, religion, national origin, age, gender, religion, military status, sexual orientation. If almost everyone falls into one or more protected categories, then is anyone really special? Hence my assertion that all employees who are going to be fired need to be treated fairly, consistently and with respect. Plus, it's the right thing to do. If someone raises a concern that they are not being treated fairly because of one of the above categories, then the company has an obligation to look into the concerns. Either HR, Legal or an outside investigator should talk with the employee, understand the issues, gather any additional information relevant to the situation, and make a determination if there is any discrimination occurring and, if so, if it is related to the employee's performance. What is found during that process guides next steps. If there is discrimination, then there are bigger issues than a non-performing employee. If not, then the issue of discrimination has been resolved and the performance process can continue forward.
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The answer somewhat depends. First, I would look at the employee handbook - sometimes, there are specific policies that govern activities outside work relating to conflicts of interest or moonlighting (second paid job). I would check the handbook and see if it raises your particular situation. If not, then it is likely up to you. As an employer, I would appreciate the head's up. But if there's nothing in the policies, then it's your call.
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