During the course of doing business, there is a very good chance that a workplace crisis will occur. The crisis can come in a variety of ways. Incidents can include employee violence, malfunction of equipment, acts of God such as hurricanes and tornadoes, product tampering and other unexpected disasters that can occur at the workplace.
As a result, you may be called upon to respond to the situation. The question that needs to be asked is whether or not your company is prepared to respond to a crisis at your work facility. How will you assist your employees impacted by a crisis?
Henry Davis Jr is a Senior Consultant for Wind in Sails Experience with over 25 years experience in human resources. He worked over 30 years with BP/Amoco that included numerous leadership roles in HR. Henry’s profound impact on BP/Amoco in recent years has involved managing and directing crisis management, employee assistance, and health programs for the Americas. He led the humanitarian assistance support to employees during hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma as well as a petrochemical plant explosion and fire that involved 15 fatalities and 100 injuries. He authored the policy that is used to address employee, contractors and citizen’s needs that occur from a company accident or incident. He also trained the HR staff
Henry will help you determine if your company is prepared to respond to a crisis at the work place. You will learn how to address the people-related needs stemming from any disaster or incident at any of your worksites in the surrounding communities you do business. You will be able to evaluate the capability of your organization to respond to a crisis, identify the areas needing improvement and present a plan of action to management you can rely on at time of crisis. You will be useful in the performance of your duties as an HR professional during time of crisis.
IS THIS YOU? Recently the EEOC announced a $1,000,000 settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit… read more.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is actively pursuing litigation of discrimination and sexual harassment allegations. Two recent actions by the EEOC illustrate what can happen when an employer doesn’t take appropriate action to ensure that its workforce understands the obligation to avoid discrimination and harassment, and that supervisors understand their obligation to act promptly on complaints by employees.
The EEOC filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against Cracker Barrel based on charges of racial and sexual harassment in violation of Title VII asserted by 10 workers in three Cracker Barrel stores. The EEOC says that its investigation revealed that women at Cracker Barrel stores were harassed with obscene jokes, sexual propositions, groping, sexual assaults, and circulation of pornographic photographs and cartoons. The EEOC said that Cracker Barrel managers refused to investigate or act on complaints of harassment, and also became personally involved in the harassment by grabbing female employees, propositioning them, and laughing at their complaints. Calls by female employees to Cracker Barrel’s "hotline" for receiving complaints went unanswered.
The EEOC’s lawsuit against Cracker Barrel also alleges that African American employees were harassed and subjected to different terms and conditions of employment because of their race. The EEOC said its investigation disclosed that African American employees were harassed with obscene racial cartoons and continuous race-based comments, and that Cracker Barrel management assigned a black employee to wait on black customers when white servers objected to waiting on them.
Earlier this summer, the EEOC announced a $1,000,000 settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit it had filed against Airguide Corporation and Pioneer Metals, Inc. The case was based on allegations that female employees were harassed with sexually explicit slurs and comments by a supervisor, which persisted despite repeated complaints to management. The EEOC also alleged that after employees participated in the EEOC’s investigation or filed charges with the agency, they were reprimanded, suspended, harassed or terminated in retaliation. Airguide and Pioneer Metals agreed to a three-year Consent Decree which requires the companies to pay $1,000,000 to a group of seven former employees, to conduct training at all of its facilities in Florida, and to undergo monitoring by the EEOC.
Both the Cracker Barrel and Airguide Corporation cases illustrate the importance of having complete and adequate policies against sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, including proper complaint procedures. Employers should make sure their policies impose a duty on supervisors to report harassment, and are clear and specific about the company’s stance against harassment in the workplace. Because no policy is effective if employees and supervisors are not well acquainted with it, employers should implement training on their anti-discrimination and harassment policies. Requiring supervisors to be familiar with and to enforce such policies will help to avoid the types of claims described above.
Earlier this summer, the EEOC announced a $1,000,000 settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit it had filed against Airguide Corporation and Pioneer Metals, Inc. The case was based on allegations that female employees were harassed with sexually explicit slurs and comments by a supervisor, which persisted despite repeated complaints to management. The EEOC also alleged that after employees participated in the EEOC’s investigation or filed charges with the agency, they were reprimanded, suspended, harassed or terminated in retaliation. Airguide and Pioneer Metals agreed to a three-year Consent Decree which requires the companies to pay $1,000,000 to a group of seven former employees, to conduct training at all of its facilities in Florida, and to undergo monitoring by the EEOC.
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