All posts by leahhollis

Avoid a toxic workplace

December 21, 2011Discrimination, diversity training consultants, sexual harassmentcultural diversity training workshops, discrimination, harassmentleahhollis

Diversity Training Consultants

Diversity Training Consultants Patricia Berkly LLC

Today’s Need For Diversity Training Consultants Patricia Berkly LLC

Of late, you might wonder if diversity training consultants have been improperly overlooked. There have been several workplace discrimination lawsuits demonstrating the constant need for expert diversity training consultants. Toshiba is facing a $100 million law suit. Bayer employees filed a gender discrimination law suit. 3M Company has agreed to pay up to $12 million to settle a discrimination law suit. Higher education is not immune, with Auburn athletics facing a race discrimination law suit after letting go 10 African Americans. Yale is facing investigation from the Office of Civil Rights. Apparently these organizations need diversity training consultants to help develop an inclusive organizational culture. How can organizations weather the storm of discrimination law suits crossing the country? Diversity training consultants who offer interactive programs can be most helpful; in fact when considering the cost of law suits and settlements, diversity training consultants are worth their weight in gold. Initially organizations may question the value of cultural diversity training consultants; but diversity training consultants can not only create workshops, diversity training consultants can develop other programs and analyze policy. Patricia Berkly LLC is a diversity training consultants group that will also develop a tailored risk assessment so organizations can identify the benefits of hiring diversity training consultants. Interactive training, and long term support and analysis by diversity training consultants can pave the way to equity.

Workplace Bullying Lessons

December 15, 2011bullying, Discriminationbullying, discrimination, toxic workplaceleahhollis

Workplace Bullying Lessons

Diversity makes a difference
Remember this 1964 Burl Ives Classic remake of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer? He has some bullying lessons for us? He was that cute little guy who was banished to the island of misfit toys because of his red nose, all a target of bullying. While many of us grew up on this Christmas fable, this story and others taught youngsters, and then adults, that picking on the different kid… that bullying was all right, just part of growing up. The rite of passage was bullying for many. In this charming story, Rudolf eventually prevails when he saves Christmas Eve, despite being rejected and a constant target of bullying.

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Embrace your Rudolfs

However at work, bullying and picking on different staff can not only create turnover, it can cost organizations close to $64 billion a year. YES! with a B— bullying costs in the BILLIONS. Bullying, which includes excluding people from meetings, lunches, and social functions, is not child’s play. This bullying behavior affects 37% of the workplace, and has often been deemed the silent epidemic. What is ironic, it is the diversity in thinking and talents that makes for innovation. Bullying kills this innovation. Bullying creates a non productive environment. Bullying at work destroys the office culture. If Rudolf was not different with his red nose, he couldn’t save the day. Similarly, people with different ideas create wonderful solutions in Facebook, cell phones, art, cooking, and in business. If they were busy fighting off bullying, they would spend more time defending themselves from bullying and less time creating. The lessons learned include: embrace your Rudolfs. Curtail workplace bullying and allow innovation to flourish.

Cain is not Able… It costs more than money to defend an accusation…

December 9, 2011Discrimination, diversity training in companies, sexual harassmentcost of harassment, sexual harassmentleahhollis

Cain is not Able… It costs more than money to defend an accusation…

This message is not about political spinning, indictment or accusation. Instead, let’s reflect on what Herman Cain said as he suspended his campaign. The constant accusations of sexual harassment and the endless distractions of such accusations became too much to bear for his family and his campaign. Despite the ground swell of popularity in the last weeks, a charge of sexual harassment has unraveled his White House dreams.

While every man is innocent until proven guilty, the court of public opinion has voted, and continues to swing its support to other Republican candidates. Since these charges of sexual harassment from Ms. White, Herman Cain endured a 15 point drop in support in Iowa. The number of voters who once wanted to see Cain in the polls, dropped from 22 % to 8%.

But on the other side of sexual harassment, over the years, sexual harassment claims at the EEOC have actually declined. The 2000 fiscal year reported close to 16,000 sexual harassment cases. The 2010 statistics report just under 12,000 claims with the EEOC. The workplace might be evolving into a more women friendly environment as women are officially over 50% of the workplace.

Nonetheless, even with the 20% decline in reported sexual harassment cases over the last decade, the single one that winds up on your door step is the one that looms the largest in your memory. Remember Brett Favre, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback who was mired in constant allegations of sexual harassment. Bill Clinton paid $850,000 to settle the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

In 2008, eight women charged that two male supervisors at Aqua Tri Pool Company in Irvine, California pressured them for dates and sex, touched them inappropriately and offered promotions in exchange for sexual favors. Aqua Tri Pool paid $463,000 to settle a sexual harassment case. The cost doesn’t stop here; this number doesn’t include the loss of productivity during discovery and deposition stages. Even in the best case scenario, any organization charged with sexual harassment in court often foots $100,000 in legal bills just to defend the charge harassment, discrimination and disparate treatment. Organizations need to be poised to stop the problem before it starts.

· > First is the human resources department staffed to offer regular training? If not, has the organization budgeted for outside trainers to educate managers and staff to keep everyone compliant? Remember, anti harassment policies are only as strong as the people applying these policies to your workplace.

· >Maintain a culture of transparency so all staff feel encouraged to discuss the organizational culture internally, instead of filing external complaints with attorneys.

>Take complaints seriously. If staff think that HR will only support the organization, the staff won’t report small instances, and come forward once a small brush fire of a problem explodes into a conflagration of legal issues.

What is diversity?

November 25, 2011companies who offer diversity training, cultural diversity training, Cultural Diversity Training Workshops, Diversity Training, diversity training consultants, diversity training programs, diversity training programs in companiesleahhollis

What is diversity?

According to the US Census, our community is evolving to be a “minority majority” country. In several states, minority children are actually in the majority under the age of fifteen. So just what is diversity? Diversity is beyond a black and white race issue. Then what is diversity? It is beyond a man versus woman issue? What is diversity again? Diversity is about understanding the different background and experiences of people and embracing those differences? What is diversity? It describes a group of people, whether they are in the same race, gender age or background, but understanding they are all unique individuals. What is diversity? It is the fabric of our schools, communities, and workplaces. What is diversity? It is ubiquitous and constant.

What is diversity management? Diversity management moves beyond the tolerance that we discussed in the 1990s. Diversity management includes a leader’s understanding of what motivates people from different classes, races, regions, ages and experiences. What is diversity? From a leadership point of view, it is also the clear knowledge of Title VII, FMLA, and ADA rules that help a manager not only answer the question “what is diversity” but make decisions properly informed by federal laws. When a staff member asks “what is diversity” and why is it important, a leader can recognize that diversity is at the root of innovation. What is diversity? It is the germ of diverse ideas and solutions which emerge from a diverse workforce. When companies engage different demographics and ages, knowing the answer to “what is diversity” can lead the way to opening a new market share, and creating diverse revenue stream.

So when you think, “What is diversity,” it is the current trajectory of our population. In regard to business, when we think, “What is diversity,” it is at the root of problem solving and innovation. What is diversity? The answer changes in every community. But the answer to “what is diversity” lies in our ability to embrace difference and respect the civil right of each other. What is diversity? It is just good business.

Avoid Sexual Harassment

November 11, 2011cultural diversity training, cultural diversity training activities, Discrimination, sexual harassmentleahhollis

Avoid Sexual Harassment

Get Trained … Stay Compliant

You thought it was a joke…She thought it was offensive.

You thought it was ok to hug him… He thought he was cornered.

Just what IS sexual harassment? It is a form of sex discrimination and prohibited by Title VII of 1964 Civil Rights Act. It encompasses unwelcome physical, visual, or verbal behavior of a sexual nature. Like other forms of discrimination, sexual harassment creates a toxic workplace. Did you know that over 16% of sexual harassment cases are filed by men? The EEOC collected over $48 million in monetary benefits related to sexual harassment in 2010. This figure doesn’t include settlement collected through litigation.

These costs also don’t consider the legal fees and cost lost in productivity. Further, organizations lose money when people leave a contentious environment. No one is a winner when a Title VII complaint is launched against your organization.

Some recent cases in the last six months include:

>Jay Medicar Transportation will pay $70,000 to settle sexual harassment suit.

>MTV employee files sexual harassment and hostile work environment.

>Lighthouse Restaurant pays $23,000 to settle sexual harassment lawsuit.

>Monarch Dental pays $175,000 to settle EEOC sexual harassment lawsuit

>International Profit Associations will pay $8 million to settle sexual harassment suit compensating 82 women who suffered sexual harassment at the company.