The law is clear: protect your employees, not a problem customer
He's a regular. Spends money. Knows the beer list. The kind of customer small breweries are told they can't afford to lose. But the ...
Topic: harassment
If you aim to hit the legal floor, your workplace will always miss the mark
By Jon Hyman
If your defense to a harassment complaint starts with "well, technically…" you've already lost — even if you win the lawsuit. ...
Leadership always starts at the top
By Jon Hyman
"Quiet, Piggy." That's what Donald Trump said to a female reporter over the weekend aboard Air Force One in response to a qu...
Target's new "smile" policy has some serious legal problems
By Jon Hyman
You can't policy your way to happy employees. But Target sure is trying. The retailer just rolled out its new "10-4" policy. E...
3.65 million reminders that "do nothing" is the costliest workplace compliance strategy of all.
By Jon Hyman
A federal-court jury just hit a pair of New York hotels (and their owners) with a $1.65 million compensatory and $2 million punitive damages...
If this were your workplace, would you tolerate it?
By Jon Hyman
Politico just published leaked messages from Young Republican leaders — future GOP operatives, appointees, and elected officials, as well a...
"Same-actor" harassment isn't immune from Title VII.
By Jon Hyman
A federal judge recently granted summary judgment to Verizon Wireless after it fired a Black employee who twice used the n-word in the stor...
The importance of preaching (and training) calmness in the workplace
By Jon Hyman
Until today, I had never heard the phrase, "gratuity riot." I bet you hadn't either. It allegedly happened in Nashville, where...
Appeal court guts protections against customer harassment
By Jon Hyman
Thanks to the 6th Circuit , customer-facing employees are now a whole lot less safe at work. Dorothy Bivens worked as a sales rep for Zep, I...
It's wrong. It should have never been said. But is it illegal discrimination?
By Jon Hyman
"Old man, you been here longer than I've been alive. Are you ready to retire?" Kenneth Lowe had worked at Walbro for over 40 y...
Being a workplace star doesn't excuse bad behavior. In fact, it demands more accountability, not less.
By Jon Hyman
Teenage football phenom Lamine Yamal made headlines for all the wrong reasons this weekend. At his 18th birthday party, he allegedly hired p...
PIPs are performance improvement plans, not employee termination plans
By Jon Hyman
The point of a performance improvement plan isn't to fire someone, it's to help them improve. It's right there is the name. But ...
I want my records back, records back, records back
By Jon Hyman
When you destroy the evidence that could justify a termination, don’t be surprised when a court refuses to take your side. That's the me...
A dog of a workplace lesson
By Jon Hyman
Last weekend, I got bit by the doggie mayor of Boston's Seaport . His name is Bennett . He's a 9-month-old golden retriever. And whi...
2.5 million reasons to avoid age discrimination
By Jon Hyman
"Younger and hungrier." That was the phrase executives at CrossCountry Mortgage allegedly used to describe the kind of people they...
Do not undervalue the importance of confidentiality in workplace investigations
By Jon Hyman
After a Costco employee filed a sexual harassment complaint, she and others were required to sign an "Acknowledgement of Confidentialit...
Don’t eat the chicken (yet): A lesson in workplace investigations from a Portuguese rooster
By Jon Hyman
In Portugal, one of the most iconic national symbols isn’t a monument or a monarch—it’s a rooster. The Galo de Barcelos. (Stay with me. This...
Documentation wins cases
By Jon Hyman
Charles Carroll worked as a high-ranking exec at IDEMIA, the company behind TSA PreCheck. He ran a new initiative called "Trusted Fan...
Properly functioning boards of directors must hold CEOs accountable for their words and actions
By Jon Hyman
Boards must hold CEOs accountable for their words and actions. Case in point: last week Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk resharing a post suggesti...
Cards Against Liability
By Jon Hyman
Have you ever played Cards Against Humanity? For the unfamiliar, it's a party game where players take turns filling in the blanks of abs...