I recently attended a 2020 California Legal Update event presented by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Northern California and was quickly reminded why my core beliefs as a Human Resource professional continue to guide my HR consulting services. If you visit www.thecabogroup.com you will find I strongly believe that:
– Truth Matters
– Purpose Drives Performance
– Leaders Don’t Succeed Alone
– Learning Never Stops
– Health is a Priority
It is so important for all employees to be well trained on developing professional relationships in the workplace and how to have honest, purposeful conversations to support success. Yet recent statistics from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate many employers and employees have missed these messages.
In 2018, the EEOC received 76,418 complaints of harassment, discrimination and retaliation and secured $505,000,000 for victims in private sector, state and local government, and federal workplaces. There was a 13.6% increase in sexual harassment claims from 2017. And of the 76,418 claims, 51.6% were for retaliation. My initial response…heavy sigh! I can’t help but quote Uncle Ben from Spider-Man who states it clearly: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Based on the number of reported cases (and let’s remember these are only those reported to the EEOC) it’s no wonder we have required harassment prevention training and ongoing legislation to help protect employees. I know that mandatory training sessions and written Employee Handbook policies remain good-faith-efforts to support a positive workplace. However, more emphasis should be placed on investing in and developing our talent to better communicate with, learn from and support each other’s success on a daily basis to really make a difference.
HR compliance is a given. My mission is to help organizations develop professional work environments where every employee has freedom to thrive. I believe that begins with leadership…you really have to lead by example, otherwise you won’t be seen as leading at all.