The preliminary March deadline for new and finalized PPACA requirements has been pushed to September 23, 2012. PPACA is the abbreviation for the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, known more succinctly as health care reform.
Last week, final regulations were issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury. The regulations provide clarification and guidance along with the later deadline. Foremost among those requirements, you’ll need to be sure your employees are provided with a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC.) The SBC is a readable, plain English summary of important health insurance coverage components. It must also include a uniform glossary of such common terms as copayment and deductible. The goal of the SBC is to help individuals more easily understand and compare their health insurance coverage and options.
In addition to the final regulations, helpful materials have been published on the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration’s (EBSA) website. Included are: compliance guidance, an SBC template (with instructions) and a uniform glossary of coverage and medical terms.
So add the September 23 deadline to your task list and become familiar now with the specifics of what information employees must receive. Your health insurance provider is likely on top of this as well so they should be able to provide you with any additional help that you need.
Sexual harassment in the workplace seems to be a never ending problem. Previously, we looked at the issue with an eye toward preventative steps that can reduce your risk of claims. Considered to be a form of sex discrimination, it’s helpful to remember that sexual harassment can occur among individuals of any combination of gender. Regular training and a good anti-harassment policy are among the best practices you should follow.
Best practices reduce but don’t necessarily eliminate your risk. Simply put, stuff happens. So what should you do if you get a complaint of sexual harassment? How about if you become aware of a potential situation and there’s no formal complaint? What if an employee complains and then wants to take it back? The legal standard is whether you “knew or should have known” about a situation. So embark on an investigation whenever you realize a case of sexual harassment might exist.
An important rule of thumb is never procrastinate. In order to follow Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines and demonstrate that you take such complaints seriously, respond to any allegation promptly. Unless the claim is truly harmless and minor or the harasser admits right away to the offense, you’ll need to investigate thoroughly. Here are some important steps to help you set up an effective investigation process:
1. Decide who the investigator should be. A trained HR professional is a wise choice. But if there is a close personal connection to either party or some other issue or reporting relationship that compromises impartiality, the investigation should be conducted by another trained individual or by outside legal counsel.
2. Never jump to conclusions. If an individual’s allegation initially sounds far-fetched, push aside any instinct to judge right away. Conversely, don’t condemn the accused either; it’s vital to remain objective and treat all parties with respect.
3. Assure the individuals involved that you will provide confidentiality and protect their privacy as much as possible; don’t make any guarantees, however, and let them know that information will be have to be shared on a need-to-know basis.
4. Consider the immediate pressure the alleged victim may be feeling and help alleviate it; but create a solution that does not create harm. For instance, separating the individuals by changing the alleged victim’s location or shift may be detrimental to him or her. Even when unintentional, such harm could result in a claim of retaliation. Instead, focus your solution on the alleged harasser; consider placing him or her on administrative leave.
5. Plan the investigation carefully. Develop a list of witnesses and other relevant sources of information including electronic evidence such as emails, letters, cards, phone records or computer history. These may be added to as you glean further information throughout the process.
6. Prepare questions in advance. Keep them open ended and try to frame them in a way that does not reveal confidential information, if possible. Interview the complainant, alleged harasser and witnesses. Your questions should cover: who, what, when, where, why and how. An excellent list of suggested questions for each type of interviewee, along with additional guidance, can be found on the EEOC website.
7. During all interviews, take careful notes. Never make promises or offer your opinion. Look for inconsistencies as well as further evidence and additional potential witnesses. It can be helpful to ask that the individual to put his or her version of what occurred in writing or at least sign off on your notes. A disparity between what the person says and what he or she is willing to put into writing could be a red flag and may help you assess credibility.
8. Interview individuals again if new information warrants.
9. Make your best determination of what happened and the appropriate action to take based on an assessment of credibility and review of all the evidence. Create a confidential, written report that documents your methods, all evidence and information gathered, conclusions drawn, and, if warranted, recommendations for appropriate remedial action. Any remedy should fit the situation and need not always be as serious as discipline or termination. Other actions might include counseling, training, changes to procedures or improvements in complaint mechanisms.
10. Stay in touch with both parties throughout the investigation. Let them know when it’s been completed and what your findings are. To protect privacy, you likely won’t reveal to the complainant the specifics of any disciplinary action. However, you should let him or her know if some action is being taken. Encourage the complainant to report any further instances of misconduct and regularly check in with him or her to follow up and make sure there are no further problems.
The concept of retaliation is a potential danger when dealing with complaints of sexual harassment or complaints of any workplace misconduct for that matter. Retaliation is any action that punishes an employee who engages in legally protected workplace activity. Employees who complain sometimes find they’re treated differently afterward, either by the alleged wrongdoer or others. Hostile treatment, including being ignored or shut out, can be considered a form of retaliation. Remind everyone involved in the situation that retaliation against any party or witness is strictly prohibited. Continue to follow up during the ensuing months or year to make sure it’s not happening in your workplace.
Some consider Valentine’s Day an annual headache promoted by florists, greeting card companies and jewelers while others enjoy the opportunity to offer caring gestures to friends and loved ones. My preference is to acknowledge the holiday but eschew the price gouging by making cards and assembling simple gifts such as chocolate dipped strawberries. In the workplace, Valentine’s Day can be a fun, mid-winter excuse to share treats or a themed pot luck meal; a healthy way for co-workers to socialize and coalesce as a team, right?
But what of sexual attraction and dating when they occur at work? And what of the darker side when things go awry? Sometimes power masquerades as love. Or one person wants to end a romantic relationship and the other pressures the person not to. Favoritism at work can result from a sexual relationship involving a supervisor. And one sided attention, not to mention unwelcome sexual advances, can create discomfort or even major stress for employees directly and even indirectly involved. Romance in the workplace can engender a claim of sexual harassment in all sorts of ways.
What role does human resources have? Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and similar state laws. Perpetrators and victims can be of either gender and harassment can occur within the same gender regardless of sexual preference. A harasser can be a direct supervisor, supervisor in another department, co-worker or even a non-employee such as a vendor or client. It is vital for human resources to take steps toward prevention before a complaint ever happens:
1. Adopt a sexual harassment policy – make sure your policy defines sexual harassment, provides examples of behaviors, states that sexual harassment will not be tolerated and that wrongdoers will be disciplined (up to and including termination), provides a clear complaint procedure that identifies more than one individual to complain to (in case one of them is the harasser), indicates that all complaints will be thoroughly investigated, and that you will not tolerate retaliation against any employee who makes a complaint.
2. Disseminate the policy far and wide. Make sure all levels of employees receive a copy in writing; it’s not a bad idea to have them sign a form acknowledging they received it. Use other communications channels as well: post a hard copy, post it on your intranet, include it in your employee handbook and provide a copy to all new employees.
3. Coordinate policies. Since sexual harassment can be computer- or internet- based, preclude sexual harassment in other relevant policies such as your email, internet or smart phone usage policies.
4. Provide regular training. Training sessions for all employees should define sexual harassment, indicate employees’ right to a workplace free of sexual harassment, cover your complaint procedure and encourage employees to use it. Educate managers and supervisors about sexual harassment in a separate session that includes their role in complaint handling and addressing inappropriate conduct.
5. Monitor the work environment. Talk to employees about the work environment, look for offensive photos or posters, nip inappropriate behavior in the bud.
Best efforts aside, people are people, humans are complex, and stuff happens. What if an employee complains of sexual harassment? First of all, do not procrastinate; make the complaint a top priority and take appropriate actions right away:
Let the employee know that you take the complaint seriously. Listen attentively and respectfully, even if the complaint initially appears unlikely. While acknowledging that it may be difficult, ask the employee to explain who did what to whom, when, where, why and how;
Investigate thoroughly. In addition to the complainant, speak with the alleged harasser and any witnesses;
Gather any other relevant evidence such as emails or phone records;
Maintain confidentiality. To the greatest extent possible, do not share information unless someone has a need to know;
Explain to the complainant that no one is allowed to retaliate against him or her for lodging the complaint; that if such retaliation occurs (s)he should report it immediately;
Be professional and don’t pre-judge guilt or innocence;
Document the investigation and actions taken;
If a complaint is determined to be valid, respond swiftly and take appropriate disciplinary action. Make sure your actions (such as shift or location changes) do not inadvertently punish the victim.
Conducting a thorough and unbiased investigation is one of the most valuable skills HR can offer when an employer is faced with a complaint of sexual harassment. Stay tuned to our next blog for tips and guidance on how to conduct an investigation most wisely and effectively. In the meantime, may Valentine’s Day at your workplace be healthy, happy and harassment free!
Time Magazine’s cover story this week, The Upside of Being an Introvert, looks at introversion in a society that tends to value extroversion. It explores the various challenges and strengths of introverts and extroverts, the areas that lie between them and the discomfort zones introverts can overcome through effort when warranted. The day before seeing the Time article, I read about Temple Grandin, PhD, speaking at a local conference. Portrayed by Claire Danes in a 2010 Emmy award winning TV movie, Grandin is an author and professor at Colorado State University who conducts conferences nationwide in her areas of expertise: autism, Asperger’s, and the humane treatment of livestock. According to the article, when Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child, a doctor had recommended institutionalization; her mother refused. It’s disturbing to consider the different outcomes for Dr. Grandin and our society had her mother acquiesced!
Both articles point to society’s gains from diversity; as a microcosm of society at large, the workplace benefits likewise. After all, how many of us, as HR professionals, have witnessed (or committed) the classic mistake of hiring or promoting employees who are “just like us” rather than surrounding ourselves with the complementary skills and diverse viewpoints needed to bring the department or organization to the next level? The result can be stagnation, stifled ideas and missed opportunities. Conversely, a well-managed, diverse team can lead to synergy and high performance when diverse approaches, ideas and vantage points are encouraged and valued.
Raising awareness about these variations in personality types and styles can help employees, supervisors, and managers become more effective in the workplace. For instance, if you know your boss prefers short summaries, don’t engage in meandering explanations or tangents, even if that’s your preferred communication style. On the other hand, if you need information from a co-worker whom you know values strong interpersonal connections, ask him about his weekend and family first; he’ll go the extra mile knowing you are interested in him as a whole person.
One way for HR to help managers and employees understand and capitalize on each other’s differences is to use a formal personality assessment instrument. Possibly the most well known is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator® which is based on four categories of preferences: Extrovert or Introvert; Sensing or iNtuition; Thinking or Feeling; Judging or Perceiving. The combinations yield sixteen different personality types denoted by the upper case letter in each of the categories such as ESTJ, ISTJ, ENTP, etc. One criticism is that sixteen profiles may be hard to remember and use.
There are other assessments that yield fewer profile types and thus may be easier to remember and act upon. This is not to advocate for or against any type of assessment or even whether to use one at all. Do the research and let your judgment and budget be your guide if you think a formal tool might be helpful for your organization. My observation has been that, formal tool or not, it’s good to raise awareness among staff and managers that many differences in style are not necessarily better nor worse, just different.
For starters, it helps to know about four main temperaments, with the understanding that we are a mixture of all to varying degrees. Although the names are old fashioned, the categories themselves have stood the test of time:
1. Choleric people are energetic, ambitious and passionate. They tend to be doers and, as leaders, are dynamic and goal oriented. They are confident, outspoken and not easily discouraged; they tend to be good decision makers but can also be compulsive. Other downsides are a tendency to be controlling, become impatient, be quick to anger. Highly results orientated, cholerics may be impatient with meetings, processes and other staff members and they may be unaware of the effect they have on others.
2. Sanguine people are cheerful, talkative and entertaining. Fun-loving and enthusiastic, they have good people-skills and a confident and spontaneous style. They are emotional and communicative by nature, but can also tend towards arrogance and self-indulgence. They may be artistic. At work they provide a positive atmosphere and often volunteer to help out. However they can also be day dreamers who struggle to complete work, starting too many tasks. Their creative and enthusiastic energy can inspire others, but they may lose focus when the novelty of the project or task wears off.
3. Phlegmatic people are relaxed and easy going. They remain calm and quiet and are usually considered reliable and capable. Although generally slow to anger, if pushed too far they can be explosive. At work they are steady and have a good sense of processes and timing. They are good mediators who work well under pressure and tend to need deadlines to work towards. They sometimes find it hard to speak up in the workplace so their ideas may get overlooked. They have a tendency to avoid conflict.
4. Melancholic people are thoughtful and sensitive towards the needs of others. They are often deep, philosophical, self-sacrificing and conscientious. While principled and idealistic, they may also be self-critical and prone to depression. At work they are organized and goal-oriented and maintain high standards through being persistent and thorough. They may ask difficult questions. They can find creative solutions but may also fear the worst. They can be resistant to change unless there is a good precedent.
Being aware of temperamental differences can help you anticipate, prepare for and interact well with others for the best results. The key is not to pigeon hole people. I once had a colleague who, I suppose, had me pegged as someone who would be unsettled by change. (It’s true that I have “melancholic” tendencies.) He thought I would react if he sat in the chair that I happened to have sat in at several prior meetings in that room. I entered the room and sat in another chair, unaware of his thought process and unconcerned about which chair I sat in. He promptly burst out laughing. The joke, he admitted, was on him.
