The number of lawsuits being won against supervisors in this country is absolutely staggering. We have entered a new age of litigation. The average payout in an employee lawsuit filed against an organization is a jaw dropping $750,000. So why are supervisors continuing to be sued in record numbers in this country? As a corporate trainer and business consultant to hundreds of businesses across the United States over the past 22 years, here is my take on seven lucrative areas attorneys are finding unlimited fodder to feed this ever-growing monster called employee litigation.
1. Companies Not Providing Training. In my many years of experience, this area (bar none), ranks as the number one reason for employee lawsuits. When a supervisor does not know, or disregards the laws which govern managing people, they are doomed to failure. It is not fair what companies do to supervisors in this country. They thrust them into leadership roles, without properly training them on employee laws and the liabilities they may incur when they violate these laws.
2. Sexual Harassment Not Taken Seriously. One would think that this would not even be an issue today, but it is. Too many of today's supervisors think that sexual harassment laws do not apply to them. They believe that they can say, and do whatever they chose, because they will not be held accountable. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways for supervisors to ruin their career, and put up to a three-quarters of a million dollars in an employee's pocket.
3. Thinking Retaliation is No Big Deal. The alarming number of cases brought before the EEOC for retaliation (in one year) jumped a whopping 23 percent (from the year 2007 to 2008) and these numbers continue to spike. View it from this prospective. If you held a stock and it jumped 23% in one year, you would be ecstatic. This is a legal area that has attorneys dancing in the streets.
4. Documentation that is Terrible. One law every supervisor should learn as part of basic supervisor training is the law concerning "spoliation." This law governs written communications, and this word alone implies that documents have been spoiled. This is a must know among supervisors.
5. Supervisors Not Guarding Employee Private Information. Supervisors are privy to some of the company's most highly guarded secrets. They have access to protected information on employees such as Social Security Numbers, Dates of Birth, family information, bank accounts, all the way to damaging medical information. This information must be protected under the law.
6. Age Law Trampled Upon. The age law of 1967, which falls under Title VII, is often misunderstood and just plain trampled on in today's workplace. And for untrained and unsuspecting supervisors, it is an expressway to disaster. Age related jokes and bias behavior is costing companies millions of dollars each year.
7. Unlawful Questions During Interviews. The laws are clear. Supervisors can't ask potential employees any and everything they choose. There are strict guidelines as to what questions can and cannot be asked during an interview. Problem is, most supervisors don't know the difference between the two. It is time to find out.
1. Companies Not Providing Training. In my many years of experience, this area (bar none), ranks as the number one reason for employee lawsuits. When a supervisor does not know, or disregards the laws which govern managing people, they are doomed to failure. It is not fair what companies do to supervisors in this country. They thrust them into leadership roles, without properly training them on employee laws and the liabilities they may incur when they violate these laws.
2. Sexual Harassment Not Taken Seriously. One would think that this would not even be an issue today, but it is. Too many of today's supervisors think that sexual harassment laws do not apply to them. They believe that they can say, and do whatever they chose, because they will not be held accountable. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways for supervisors to ruin their career, and put up to a three-quarters of a million dollars in an employee's pocket.
3. Thinking Retaliation is No Big Deal. The alarming number of cases brought before the EEOC for retaliation (in one year) jumped a whopping 23 percent (from the year 2007 to 2008) and these numbers continue to spike. View it from this prospective. If you held a stock and it jumped 23% in one year, you would be ecstatic. This is a legal area that has attorneys dancing in the streets.
4. Documentation that is Terrible. One law every supervisor should learn as part of basic supervisor training is the law concerning "spoliation." This law governs written communications, and this word alone implies that documents have been spoiled. This is a must know among supervisors.
5. Supervisors Not Guarding Employee Private Information. Supervisors are privy to some of the company's most highly guarded secrets. They have access to protected information on employees such as Social Security Numbers, Dates of Birth, family information, bank accounts, all the way to damaging medical information. This information must be protected under the law.
6. Age Law Trampled Upon. The age law of 1967, which falls under Title VII, is often misunderstood and just plain trampled on in today's workplace. And for untrained and unsuspecting supervisors, it is an expressway to disaster. Age related jokes and bias behavior is costing companies millions of dollars each year.
7. Unlawful Questions During Interviews. The laws are clear. Supervisors can't ask potential employees any and everything they choose. There are strict guidelines as to what questions can and cannot be asked during an interview. Problem is, most supervisors don't know the difference between the two. It is time to find out.