07 Feb Why You Should Never Ignore an Employee Complaint?
Employers should always pay attention to employee complaints. Besides just being the right thing to do, it can save the organization and its culture from a toxic rabbit hole that could lead to scandal and legal ramifications.
Take the case of Stamey v. Forest River, Inc. as an example of an employer who did not address employee complaints with the appropriate diligence. This inaction harmed the employee and landed the employer in court. Although the court ultimately sided with the employer because of a lack of documentation, this case could have gone very differently, and the employer still had to go through a lengthy, painful, and costly process not to mention a hit to their already broken culture.
If you don’t have time to read the whole case (it’s a doozy!), the big idea is that Stamey v. Forest River is an extreme example of age-based bullying containing harassment, profanity, graffiti, and sabotage to the point of physical danger. The employee estimated over 1,000 age-based insults received and multiple attempts to alert management. Not only did the employer not act against the harassers, but they failed to ensure the harassment didn’t continue.
Though management was not directly involved in the bad behavior or retaliation, when an employee feels they have been forced to quit, the employer can still be found liable as though they had. This legal case is based on what the employer allowed: an environment so toxic and unreasonable that it forced the employee out. Though this is an extreme case, there are several takeaways for every employer.
Foster a Reporting Culture
Although no one is excited to receive a workplace complaint, good can always come of it. You want employees to report harassment and inappropriate behavior, so corrections can be made before things progress any further. Make sure your employees know their workplace experience is important to you and that they can have confidence their voice will be heard, and actions taken when appropriate. Ignoring even one complaint can make your employees question whether their complaint will be heard.
Educate Staff
Make sure all staff, and especially management, know what constitutes general and sexual harassment and have a working knowledge of protected classes. Most states recommend (and several require) harassment prevention training so that all staff can identify it. Your Staff Handbook should also contain a harassment policy that outlines the behaviors that are and are not acceptable in the workplace as well as the consequences for prohibited behaviors.
Equip with Responsibility and Resources
Ensure your staff is also familiar with the procedure for reporting harassment (which should be found in your organization’s operations manual). Not only do all supervisors need training to know the basics of what to do and not to do, they need to be able to work the process. Designate appropriate point people and have processes and materials in place for an immediate, documented response when an employee complaint is received.
Never Assume
Especially in faith-based organizations, it can feel like harassment is not a critical issue. A culture of brotherly love, upstanding moral character, and unconditional forgiveness should be a given, right? Unfortunately, harassment happens everywhere. As a supervisor, take all mentions of inappropriate behavior seriously. Have a procedure not just for reporting harassment but investigating that report. Better to investigate nothing than allow an issue to fester like in the case of Stamey v. Forest Rive, Inc.
Original content by HR Ministry Solutions. This information is provided with the understanding that Payroll Partners is not rendering legal, human resources, or other professional advice or service. Professional advice on specific issues should be sought from a lawyer, HR consultant or other professional.