Tough Love II: What Your Employees Won’t Tell You About HR, But I Will
Workplace Application: If perception is reality, we all benefit when know the perceptions held by our employees.
The use of “plain-speak” and not “HR-speak” is just one example of the recommendations provided at last year’s Tough Love presentation. This year, in Part II, the presenter will tell you what your employees may not tell you, no matter how open and accessible you may be. Situations (and examples) explained include:
- Platitudes that make employees bristle. (“You are our most valuable resource.” Really?)
- Being so careful to avoid legal risk that you come off as cold and unfeeling, and employees are disappointed. (You don’t ask an employee who is visibly upset what’s wrong, for fear they may answer.)
- Claims and occurrences that employees should bring to HR, but often don’t. (Off-the-clock work; union activity.)
- When employees need help from HR but are afraid to ask. (About the equal-opportunity bully who also brings in big dollars.)
- Employees' perception of the mediator role that HR often plays. (Sometimes very different from how we see it.)
Jonathan A. Segal
Jonathan is a partner at Duane Morris LLP in its Employment Group. He also is the Founder and managing principal of the Duane Morris Institute, which provides training on employment issues to HR professionals, in-house counsel and other leaders.
The core of Jonathan’s practice is helping employers maximize legal compliance and minimize legal risk with regard to harassment, discrimination, retaliation and reasonable accommodations.
Over the past few years, Jonathan has focused on religion in general and antisemitism in particular. In addition to helping clients, Jonathan has delivered a number of talks on antisemitism on behalf of the EEOC as well as to field directors of the EEOC.
Jonathan has provided training to federal judges and other members of the federal judiciary on various employment issues for more than 20 years.