HR Soapbox: The Workplace Devil Wears...

August 17, 2006

Volume 6, Number 4

In This Issue... THE WORKPLACE DEVIL WEARS...

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION: WHAT'S WORKING & WHAT'S NOT
LIVE AUDIO CONFERENCE
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
1:00 PM Eastern Time

Only $179 per phone connection

Now you can become one of the ever-growing number of successful employers that are utilizing employee recognition programs to:

improve their bottom line,
reduce employee turnover, and
improve productivity and engagement.

During this audio conference our expert will guide you through the employee recognition strategies that have been successfully put into action at other workplaces, and steer you clear of other strategies that simply don't work.

You will get answers to important questions like:
How do I identify an objective for my employee recognition program?
What are the 5 components that all successful employee recognition programs share?
Which recognition strategy components have little or no impact?
How do I sell an employee recognition strategy to upper management?
What is the role of leadership in a successful employee recognition strategy?

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THE WORKPLACE DEVIL WEARS...

While I was shining the spotlight on subordinates who bully their supervisors (see last month's Soapbox), Hollywood was shining the spotlight on bosses who ride roughshod over their subordinates with the feature film The Devil Wears Prada.

I didn't see the movie, but I needed to look no further than the AHI message board to read posters sharing their own workplace nightmares. Said one poster: "I swear, Meryl Streep was playing the female version of my boss."

Respond to this HR Soapbox So I figured what better time to offer readers advice for dealing with the boss from h-e-double-hockey-sticks!

Since public humiliation to the degree portrayed (from what I've read in Entertainment Weekly) in the film is generally taboo in today's workplaces, humiliation takes a much subtler form such as nasty looks and snotty vocal intonations from the boss. Since, oftentimes, to everyone but those on the receiving end of the abuse the boss is the picture of professionalism, victims who complain aren't believed or are tagged as being unable to handle a little criticism.

If working for a less-than-pleasant personality is a fact of workplace life that no one seems to believe, here are some suggestions for getting a handle on the situation.

Be prepared. Check to make sure the correct facts and figures are always within your grasp. Being wrong or unprepared will only add fuel to an irritable boss's fire.

Document everything. That way, things don't boil down to a he said/she said confrontation.

Defer to the boss whenever a disagreement arises. If the disagreement concerns safety or ethical issues, report your concerns to HR; don't try to challenge the bully.

Know the boss's personality. For example, if he/she analyzes everything to the nth degree, provide him/her with facts and figures to calm him/her down. Providing these same facts and figures to a boss who is less detail-oriented and prone to making snap decisions will only serve to make him/her even angrier.

Good luck, stay legal, and bullying bosses be gone!

Melissa V. Hansen
Editor

TOP 5 RESOURCES FOR HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS

1.
HR Professionals' Toolkit

This CD-ROM gives you quick yet comprehensive solutions to the toughest HR questions and problems you field every day on topics like: performance appraisals, sexual harassment, discipline, conducting legal background checks, legal pay practices, complying with the Family and Medical Leave Act, overcoming workplace negativity...and more. No matter what urgent problem suddenly lands on your desk, you'll never be blindsided when you have this valuable resource at your fingertips.

2.
Performance Appraisals: The Ongoing Legal Nightmare

Shows you the latest methods for conducting employee reviews safely, including what you can — and can’t — say during a performance review, what safeguards you need to deter legal action, how to skirt the most common pitfalls surrounding the appraisal process, and how the courts view comments made on company appraisal records.

3.
The Complete Policy Handbook

Shows you how to safeguard against the damage that loopholes in your employee handbook can cause. You'll get a CD-ROM containing a complete set of ready-to-print policies for a foolproof manual of your own...policies that have stood up to courtroom challenges...with language that has worked in defending other employers.

4.
Employer's Guide To Record-Keeping Requirements

Covers all the records, files, and documents demands made on employers by state and federal laws and agencies; as well as what you must post on company property to stay on the right side of employment laws.

5.
Employee Problem Solver

Gives you a solid mix of practical advice seasoned with legal experience for attacking the problem, not the personality, in difficult situations that you and your managers face every day. Each general problem area is designed to offer immediate practical steps for preventing, attacking, and solving tough personnel problems.