Human Resource Blog

The best practice in the HR field would be to sit both of them down in the same room together, with you, and discuss it. Point out that you have observed hostility and you want to clear the air, once and for all. Allow each employee a specific length of time to vent, but require that they do so in a respectful way, without name-calling or swearing.

In a perfect world, you would learn that the hostility arises from a simple misunderstanding, everyone would shake hands and come out friends. In the real HR world, this hardly ever happens. After each employee has had her say, it is your turn. Point out that you do not expect these two to become best friends, but regardless of their personal feelings, they need to be civil and cooperative with each other at work. They are both on your team, and you expect them to work together.

Also remind them that any hostile behavior is a performance issue. If Trina slams down the phone after a conversation with Margaret, Trina is not doing her job properly and can be disciplined or terminated. (If Margaret insulted Trina first, Margaret can also be disciplined or terminated.) Each employee is responsible for her own behavior, even if she is provoked. Give examples of any hostile behavior that you find unacceptable. You cannot control how employees feel, you can expect them to control how they act. Ask each for agreement in solving this problem and being civil to each other.

Hopefully, this will solve the problem — but follow-up is absolutely crucial. The very first time you observe one of them doing something that is hostile, you need to pull that employee (alone) into your office and address it as a performance issue. If you do so, the hostile behavior will stop. If you ignore a few problems, it will continue. In rare cases, one employee will not be able to stop her hostile behavior, and you will have to let her go. (Sometimes, both employees.)

The best solution to this problem is probably not to allow yourself to be caught in the middle. It appears that managers and employees from other departments are using you to \”nag\” your boss. Your boss understandably resents the nagging and snaps at the person who is doing it. That way, you get all the grief and the other managers take none of the risk. If Todd is another manager, and he wants an answer from your boss, simply tell Todd in a nice way that you don\’t have the answer yet. If he needs more information, he\’s welcome to ask the boss himself. (You can even volunteer to transfer the call.)

There is nothing to be gained by you confronting the manager to let him know you \”don\’t appreciate\” being snapped at. For one thing, no one likes being snapped at. For another, he holds all the cards here. You have nothing to gain by making him angry, and everything to lose.

We\’re not sure we understand the difference between a personal issue and management style. Ideally, managers should not snap at their employees. But we bet if you refuse to let the employees in other departments yank your chain, this will stop. If this reoccurs in the future when you are not nagging your boss, you can quietly say, \”I don\’t appreciate being spoken to like that.\” and walk away.

You seem to think that the response is at least somewhat justified, due to the pressure your boss is under. Our experience has been that there is often a great deal more pressure that employees are not aware of. Usually when a supervisor says he will have an answer by Tuesday, he menas by the end of business Tuesday. So it would not be approproiate to \”nag\” until Wednesday…and perhaps not then.

This is a touchy issue and we\’d love to hear comments from HR people who have handled similar problems in the past.

This is an issue that is an increasing concern to many employers. Because of HIPAA and ADA regulations, which protect the confidentiality of an employees private health information, it is probably better for an employer to err on the side of caution.

When an employee calls to report they will be absent, the employer can ask why. Obviously, if the employee says he is taking the day off \”just because\” or to go fishing, that is an unexcused absence. However, if the employee says that he or she is ill, the employer should not press for a diagnosis. The employer can legitimately ask when the employee will return to work. The employer can legitimately require a doctors note, assuming this policy is enforced uniformly. If the employee is entitled to unpaid, job-protected leave under FMLA, the employer can require that the employees doctor complete a form certifying that the employee has a serious health condition. The form does not require the doctor to provide the employees diagnosis, and the employer cannot demand it.

When an employer does learn an employees private health information, it is a best practice for the employer to not discuss this information with coworkers or others in the company, and not to discuss it further with the employee. This can even include well-meaning discussions about the employees health.

Its really sad when the CEO of a company is this clueless about HR, isnt it? The CEO missed a golden opportunity to bask in the glow of this customers compliment, which was directed at the salesperson and by extension, the organization that hired him. Instead of replying graciously, \\\\\\\”Thank you. We think Bob does an excellent job, but it is always great to hear that from our customers\\\\\\\” the CEO decided to act like a donkey. (You know the word we mean, but this is a family website.)

In fact, we would like to give the Idiot of the Month award to this CEO.

Unfortunately, this comment is not agains the law. It is in poor taste, it is asinine, tactless and stupid. It no doubt caused comment at the HR firm after the CEO and salesperson left…but there is nothing illegal about it. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, and national ancestry. Other laws prohibit discrimination based on disability and age (over 40.) However, there is no federal law that prohibits discrimination based on baldness. Lack of hair is not even considered a disability under the legal definition (although in some cases it may be caused by cancer or another disability.)

Some companies have policies requiring employees to be polite and respectful of each other. Given the maturity level of this CEO, we are going to bet that this one does not.

Being rude, cluless and asinine is not currently illegal. Nor would it be against any law or regulation for the salesperson to look for a better job with a company where he would be treated with respect — and to take his customers with him.

Absolutely. Employers are responsible for preventing sexual harassment at business-related events such as company picnics, office parties and client dinners, in addition to during the work day. It is likely — not certain– that the EEOC or a court would find that attending the business dinner was part of the employees job responsibilities and that going out for drinks afterwards was, too. In that case, the same standards of behavior apply in the bar that would apply in the business office. Even if the employer does not see the drinks after dinner as an inherent part of the job, if the employee does, or feels that he or she could not gracefully decline, then employment laws apply.

This is one of many reasons why more employers are limiting the consumption of alcohol at business-related functions.