Tag Archives: jonathan segal

Kindness

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I am pleased to share my latest post to The SHRM Blog on kindness and leadership.

I like to read and re-read blogs on leadership. They are helpful reminders on what I need to keep doing (or not doing) and where there are opportunities for personal growth. Although expressed from different perspectives, the articles often cover the same attributes or competencies that we rightfully expect from good leaders.

I am struck by how often we need to be reminded to listen. Sound too basic? If you are preparing your response when someone is talking, you are you fully listening? The answer is NO, and I have to remind myself of this on a regular basis.

And, of course, we are reminded that we need to express our recognition. But, too much attention is paid to recognizing concrete accomplishments and not enough to existential recognition: acknowledging someone exists by saying hello or non-verbally recognizing their presence.

I am glad to see more articles/blogs focus on caring. If you don’t care for your employees, they won’t care for you. So, some of our caring, if we are honest, in self-serving. .

But absent from the blogs that I have read is one attribute that feels endangered in our fast-moving, highly-polarized and sometimes cruel world: kindness. By kindness, I mean warm and gentle thoughtfulness with no expectation of a return on investment.

A casual smile. Picking up coffee for a colleague. Pulling back when you know someone needs space. Leaning in when you sense someone needs to talk. Asking someone if they are feeling better. Looking the person in the eyes with attention and not agitation.

We all have heard the expression “random acts of kindness.” That we need to be reminded to do them randomly speaks to their deficit in the ordinary course.

Being kind to people means more than caring about their concerns or appreciating their contribution. It means truly recognizing the humanity of a colleague without thinking about how what you do may benefit you.

As leaders, we need to do more than perform random acts of kindness. Kindness needs to be in our DNA. That does not mean being weak. And, it does not mean avoiding hard decisions. One of the best HR people with whom I have the pleasure to work was thanked after she terminated someone. The terminated employee thanked her for her kindness.

The antithesis of kindness is bullying. When I see bullies, I see weak snowflakes – those who can feel good about themselves only when they make others feel less than them.

When I see kindness, I usually see strength, someone strong and secure enough that they can risk being and being seen as more gentle. And that leads to the ultimate question: are you strong enough to be kinder?

Love, Lust and Valentine’s Day

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I am pleased to share my latest post to the SHRM blog.

There were times when I cautioned HR to keep a firewall between Valentine’s Day and the workplace. The reason for the caution is the initial purpose of Valentine’s Day.

We all know that the initial purpose of Valentine’s Day was for individuals to express their love to those whom they love in a non-platonic way. I was tempted to say romantic, but I once had a manager deny there was any romantic relationship because “it was only sex.”

Over time, however, the meaning of Valentine’s Day has changed. Just look at cards to parents, grandparents, kids, etc. There is no sexual message.

Many employees acknowledge the day too by simply saying “have a nice Valentine’s Day.” I don’t think they mean: “I want you here and now.”

And, some managers will bring in Valentine’s candy or other treats. I don’t think they have any predatory motive.

So, I am not sure it is reasonable to say Valentine’s Day has no place in the workplace. Does that not make an employer seem excessively restrictive? And that may have an unintended effect of undermining critical restrictions.

But here are 8 guard rails to consider as we approach Valentine’s Day:

  1. Okay to say Happy Valentine’s Day. I would avoid happy V.D.
  2. Better to say Happy Valentine’s Day to a group than an individual. You don’t want anyone to feel singled out.
  3. Be thoughtful not only on what you say but also how you say it. An accompanying wink can make earnings disappear in a blink.
  4. Managers should be more careful if, when and how. Perhaps respond only but don’t initiate.
  5. Managers should never send a card, e-mail or social media message to a subordinate over whom they have direct or indirect authority. Most certainly the card should not include an audio of I Honestly Love You.
  6. Never ask anyone who their Valentine is or whether they have one, unless you want to be a defendant.
  7. Any food you might bring in can be shared without fanfare. Don’t need to say anything. The food will speak for itself.
  8. Remember, not everyone has a “Valentine” in the traditional sense. While not having an intimate partner is not a “protected group,” such individuals are human beings who matter. Be thoughtful on how such individuals may feel when we share what is a common bond to most but not all.

The business world is becoming painfully competitive. Sometimes businesses get lost in defining and crowing about their cultures without genuinely caring for people who compose it.

No, HR does not need to coddle employees, but we need to help bring back some of the warmth in our workplaces that has been replaced by an increase in harassing behaviors, bullying and political infighting.

That we need to be careful on Valentine’s Day not to send intended to unintended romantic messages does not mean that our workplaces would not benefit if our words and actions manifested the love we feel in our hearts.

If you share metaphorically a little love in your heart:
And the work world will be a better place
And the work world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Mary Tyler Moore and Single Women

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I am pleased to share my post to the SHRM blog regarding the legacy of Mary Tyler Moore.

A lot has been written about the passing of Mary Tyler Moore. Perhaps we did not know at the time how ground breaking the Mary Tyler Moore show was. In retrospect, it is clear to us.

There are so many episodes that dealt with gender equality, including when Mary was paid less because she was a woman and denied opportunities because she was not a man. With a wonderful combination of strength and humor, she leaned in….and prevailed.

But there was something else about Mary Richards that is getting less attention: the fact that she was single. No, it was not because of a death or divorce but rather a choice.

I have spoken with many single women about workplace issues. A blog on this issue was slated for later this year but the timing unfortunately feels right now.

Single woman have shared with me:

1. They have been asked why they never married. Are married women (or men) asked why they choose to marry? The often unspoken assumption: it was a result, not a choice.

2. They sometimes feel excluded from discussion on managing work and life. While many single people have children, many others don’t. Our respect for life outside of work cannot be restricted to those of either gender who are married with children.

3. They at times feel marginalized when invitations to employer events include spouses, partners or significant others. I know some men who feel the same way. Why not just “adult guest?”

Yes, some state laws prohibit discrimination based on marital status. And, I don’t believe many women (or men) are denied jobs or opportunities because of their single status.

In fact, sometimes they may be given extra work, particularly if they don’t have children. The conscious thought process or implicit assumption: they don’t need to go home.

The dialogue about intimate relations has become refreshingly more inclusive. Yet, we sometimes fails to recognize those who are not in them.

Do single men face the same issues? I am not sure.

I think single men are often seen as having made that choice. Well, this is a choice more and more women are making, too.

So when we remember Mary Richards, we can remember her “spunk.” Lou Grant, I love spunk!

And, we should remember what a pioneer she was for women generally. But I suspect she holds a special place for single women everywhere.

In our workplaces, let’s continue to challenge ourselves to be more inclusive. It’s the least we owe Mary!

Political HR Tale in Wacky World of Election 2016

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I am pleased to share my latest post to The SHRM Blog regarding the upcoming election and the workplace.

In less than two months, the Presidential election will take place. You are thinking about that when you see your receptionist wearing a button for her political candidate.

You ask her to remove it because you have customers of diverse political views. She says “NO,” promising to file a case with the Supreme Court because you are violating her First Amendment rights. Note to SCOTUS: we hope you enjoy her as much as we do.

Well, First Amendment restrictions do not apply to private employers. The First Amendment restricts only government action. So you nicely tell your employee either the button goes or she goes. She walks off the job. Note to file: discuss reserve for litigation.

You continue down the hallway and you see two employees wearing buttons for opposing candidates:

-A Clinton supporter’s button talks about need for paid parental leave.

-A Trump supporter’s button talks about religious liberty and Obamacare.

Thinking of the First Amendment, you tell both employees: off with the buttons. And the NLRB responds: off with your heads.

If political buttons relate to terms and conditions of employment, they may be protected under the NLRB. I won’t say anything negative about the NLRB, even though the NLRB seems fond of disparagement as they attack non-disparagement clauses!

You go to your office and you hear two employees fighting over the election. Neither can believe their colleague would consider voting for the other candidate. Time to play referee.

Just focus on the disruptions without regard to the content. The NLRB probably would allow employers to focus on the disruption, if substantial, even if the issues discussed were work-related. I say probably because, as you well know, this NLRB has defined employee rights very broadly and management rights narrowly…

You go back to your office and you close the door. The phone rings: a manager asks if he allows an employee to solicit for one candidate during his working time, does he have to grant equal access to another employee soliciting for the other candidate during her working time?

You reach into your pocket and take a pill. Yes, it was lawfully prescribed after the last holiday party.

Neither federal nor most state or local laws consider political affiliation a protected group. But forget the law: you don’t want to alienate a sizable portion of your workers, customers or business partners.

But allowing solicitation uniformly is not the answer to this question. Your uniform exception to your no-solicitation rule during the employee’s working time now allows employees to solicit uniformly for unions during their working time. Oh what a web the law weaves.

After you talk with the manager, she asks you, as a friend: whom do you favor? You think of changing the topic to something less controversial—your sex life—but the thought is just that.

Temperatures are hot and they will get only hotter. When the election is over, you need to work together. People often feel attacks on candidates as attacks on them.

So, respond only if you have a strong relationship with the person that is beyond merely professional and you are confident you both can survive knowing you may vote differently. Don’t be too confident.

You breathe deeply and begin to relax until you hear an employee making comments about Muslims or Mexicans. This is not a political, but a factual statement. Do you need to pick a side?

Yes, the law. Brook no bias by either side. You must respond proactively to disparaging comments about Muslims, Mexicans, Evangelical Christians, white men or any “protected group.” To ignore is to condone if you are in a position of power.

You call a friend and share what so many of us feel–you cannot wait for the election to be over. Your friend assures that you have the holidays to look forward to—a time for peace and tranquility.

Your friend clearly either is not an HR professional or just plain crazy if she thinks the holidays are the most wonderful time of year at work. Every holiday decoration designed to increase inclusion is deemed a micro-aggression by someone. Stay tuned for more on holiday headaches in December!).

But until then we must survive. And, we will—with a little help from Gloria Gaynor.

I Wish

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I am pleased to share my latest post to the SHRM blog.

I had the opportunity to talk randomly with a number of #SHRM16 attendees and ask them one question.

The question is based on Steve Wonder’s “I Wish.”

I asked people what they wished were different about their day to day HR jobs. Here are the top 5 top answers I heard.

1. I Wish I Had More Time with the People (Outside of Emergencies)

Spending positive time with employees is more than just an aspiration. It is essential to effective human resource management.

Employees need to know that they matter. And, they won’t if you don’t acknowledge that they exist.

Make sure your employees know that they are valued and appreciated. There is no better way you can do so than to spend time with them.

2. I Wish I Spent More Time with Strong Workers

No question: we all spend more time dealing with struggling employees than we do with those who meet or exceed expectations. Sometimes, it feels like we spend 85% of our time on the 15 percent who don’t meet expectations.

We can’t reverse the percentages, but we can move the dial.  As with everything that is important, reserve time to interact with your solid players and stars.

Don’t just thank them.  Ask them how you can make their work lives easier.

They are often the least likely to complain. They sometimes have the best ideas.

3. I Wish I Spent Less Time On Compliance.

We are talking about human resources, not legal resources.  So your job should not be only about legal compliance.

Even so, legal compliance is a key part of each of your jobs.  The question is how to integrate the legal with other aspect of your jobs.

Think, and show, how legal compliance is in the best interests of the Company’s business. For example, employees who are or feel harassed are diverted from giving their all toward your organization’s mission.  That does not even address the cost of litigation.

And, try to think of compliance as values. While sometimes the regulations are burdensome, employment laws focus on important issues. Thinking of the values underlying the laws makes dealing with the more onerous regulations a little easier.

4. I Wish I Were Not In the Middle So Often

Let’s face it. We often are in the middle. And, sometimes, we get hit from all sides. Remember this.

Employees complain that they are working too hard and have no lives. Some managers complain employees are not working hard enough and spend too much time on their lives.

Remember, you are not a neutral. You are part of management. But you still can help bridge the gap.

For the benefit of the business, let managers know that there is only so much employees can give. By asking for a  a little less, you may actually get a little more.

And, let employees know that more is expected of all of us. Accepting it is more productive than fighting it.

Of course, no one will be fully happy, but you already knew that. But at least you can help the bridge the gap in expectations so it is not insurmountable

5. I Wish I Could Have More Fun

Let’s face it: the SHRM conference is fun.  We all love seeing our friends and colleagues with whom we may connect primarily on social media.

Well, without the help of SHRM, you probably cannot have a party with 15,000 people. But you can have more fun with your colleagues. And I encourage it.

But here comes the lawyer. Be careful when you blow off steam that you don’t say something that could bite you in litigation. Share about frustrations (where they exist). But don’t talk about specific employees or pending, threatened or actual claims. There is no “HR” privilege from discovery.

Let me end this blog by playing a song that I hope will bring a smile to your face.  Just substitute “HR” for “girls”.

Stop Embracing Failure

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I am pleased to share my latest post to Entrepreneur.

If I read one more article by an entrepreneur about embracing failure, I will scream. Actually, my scream is this article. Yes, almost every entrepreneur fails at some point in his or her career. That includes such greats as Steve Jobs.

And, we should be careful not to create a culture where people fear failure. Sometimes the greatest risk of all is to take no risk at all. So that means we must encourage prudent risk taking with the realization that not every new idea will have a positive return on investment.

But accepting failure and embracing it are very different. I agree with the former; I struggle mightily with the latter. I read one article that waxed so poetically about embracing failure that I ran out to look for “congratulations on your failure” greeting cards. I could not find any.

Confession: I am an entrepreneurial lawyer. No, that is not an oxymoron.

I sometimes hear lawyers talking about avoiding risk I respond there is no such thing as risk avoidance, only choosing and balancing risks. I sometimes hear entrepreneurs talking about necessary failures as a form of success. I am less vocal but I disagree that failure is success, even where necessary.

Rather than embracing failure, accept it, learn from it and then try again. In hospitals and other settings, when something goes wrong with a patient’s treatment, there is often an RCA — root cause analysis. Why did the potentially avoidable happen?

Entrepreneurs, do your own root cause analysis. Figure out why and where you failed so next time you are more likely to succeed.

To borrow from Wikipedia: The primary aim of root cause analysis is to identify the factors that resulted in the nature, the magnitude, the location, and the timing of the harmful outcomes (consequences) of one or more past events; to determine what behaviors, actions, inactions, or conditions need to be changed; to prevent recurrence of similar harmful outcomes; and to identify lessons that may promote the achievement of better consequences. “Success” is defined as the near-certain prevention of recurrence.

1. Goals.
Was my goal clear? You may be surprised how many failures exist because the goal was not defined.

2. Time line.
Did I have a clear time line to get there? Set a realistic time frame and build in time to make sure you can gather the support you need and overcome the obstacles that are foreseeable.

3. Team.
Did I have the right team supporting me? No one can do it alone. Pick those who see possibilities with realistic assessments of limitations as opposed to those who can see only what can go wrong or those who think nothing can go wrong.

4. Obstacles.
Did I anticipate obstacles in advance and minimize them? If you don’t see them, you will fail. Know what we are trying to mitigate, not eliminate, them. You cannot control everything….I think.

5. Influence.
Did I try to increase my chance of success by using influence as opposed to blatant directives? Influence is power so you are more likely to be successful if people share your vision as opposed to doing what they are told to do.

6. Feedback.
Ask for feedback from others on how to do better next time. You gain not only their ideas but also their engagement. Plus, if you are the driver on the mission unaccomplished, it is hard to have sufficient distance to see critically what needs to change.

7. Personal responsibility.
We need to take personal responsibility for failures, but not take them personally (to borrow from Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook). The difference between the two is the difference between day and night and the ability to have the resilience to bounce back.

9 Tips for Closing the Gender Pay Gap

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I am pleased to share my latest article to the SHRM HR Magazine regarding the gender pay gap.

Everyone knows there is a gender gap in how employees are paid, though estimates vary as to how large it is. But compensation inequity of any size does more than expose an organization to litigation; it can cause disengagement and lower productivity, which can translate into lower profits.

It can also push talented employees out the door in search of greener pastures (and higher paychecks). In fact, often the smartest and most marketable employees are the first to leave. Bottom line: The gender gap is everyone’s problem.

So let’s begin with the assumption that your organization is smart and wants to eliminate this business inhibitor and legal wrong. What do you do?

1. Lawyer Up on Data Collection
Sometimes HR professionals will collect data to demonstrate that a problem exists. I understand why, but this can be dangerous.

The information likely will be discoverable, and your good-faith efforts could be used against you. If you need data to break through denial at your company, you may want to work with your employment lawyer to collect it under attorney-client privilege. Then have it delivered in the form of legal advice.

Even then, the underlying data may not be privileged if, for example, it is gathered from existing nonprivileged documents and information. However, data compilation and analysis done by-or at the direction of-counsel might still be protected from disclosure by the attorney-client privilege and/or the work product doctrine.

The bottom line is that the scope of the attorney-client privilege is deceptively complex, so give careful and thoughtful consideration to how you work with your employer’s lawyer to maximize the likelihood that the privilege will apply.

One thing is clear: Simply copying your employer’s attorney on an e-mail does not make the information within the e-mail privileged; it simply makes the attorney a witness to it.

2. Analyze Positions Qualitatively
Once you’ve documented pay gaps, don’t automatically assume they are all attributable to gender.

There may be totally legitimate business reasons for wage differences. For example, someone who took four years off to have and raise a child might earn less than someone who did not spend time away from work and who has received regular raises over that time span.

So, while quantitative data provides a starting point, a qualitative assessment of the relevant factors at play—one that ideally is also done under attorney-client privilege—is needed to determine if changes are in order.

3. Allow Negotiation …
Ellen Pao, former CEO of Reddit, tried to ban salary negotiations at her company based on the theory that allowing such bargaining inherently benefited men. Let me count the reasons I disagree with this tactic. Actually, I’ll stop at three:

First, it reinforces the stereotype that women aren’t capable negotiators.

Second, it takes away a woman’s (or a man’s) power to play a role in determining her (or his) own pay.

Third, whether and how someone negotiates may be relevant to whether you hire them. It is better than a behavioral question-it is a behavioral simulation.

4 …. But Reconsider Asking About Salary History
When we ask about prior salary, we may be unwittingly perpetuating the gender gap created by prior employers. If someone was paid too little at her previous employer, the low part of your range may result in a material increase in compensation but still be less than the candidate deserves.

Consider eliminating the salary history question from your applications. After all, what does prior compensation really have to do with what someone should earn for a new opportunity? Ask only if it is truly relevant to the job and document why you believe it is.

5. Create Pay Ranges But Recognize Exceptions
Establish pay ranges for positions to maximize consistency, and develop criteria for how you will place a new hire or promotion in the range.

But also realize that there will be times when exceptions are necessary.

Develop a procedure to determine when and why you should depart from the norm, and conduct periodic audits to make sure that exceptions are not made only for men.

6. Consider Access Issues
Pay is often linked to performance. At certain levels, I think that works (at least to some degree). But I firmly believe that you cannot perform as well as your peers if you don’t have access to the same opportunities that they do. In my view, this is where many employers miss the mark, big time.

I hate unnecessary bureaucracy as much as anyone, but if there is no structure as to how work is distributed, the plum assignments too often may go to someone “just like” the manager. While slights like this are not intentional, they are often very real. Are the highly desired assignments typically meted out among the guys while playing golf or drinking at the neighborhood watering hole? If so, the boys’ club may be rearing its ugly head in a way that perpetuates the access gap and, with that, the gender gap.

Access to key assignments, customers, clients and information is essential to successful performance and the resulting link to higher pay. Of course, managers must have some discretion, but there should also be guardrails in place so that access issues don’t translate into unequal opportunity.

7. Appraise Performance Appraisals
Gender bias is often evident in performance appraisals, which are linked to pay. Two examples:

• A man is refreshingly assertive, while a woman engaging in the same behavior is labeled with the scarlet “B.”
• Or, a new twist on the double standard: A woman and a man are both involved in equally unacceptable behavior, but he is described as having engaged in “abrasive conduct,” while she is simply labeled “abrasive.” It’s a subtle but important difference—between a behavior that can be changed and a fixed character trait.

Train your leaders on these and other potential biases.

8. Be Aware of Persistent Biases and Their Effects
Yes, some of what an employee is paid is a result of his or her ability to negotiate. So workers have a major role to play, too: An employee should not complain with impunity about making less than others if he or she did not ask for more or apologizes for having done so.

Unfortunately, ambition is not always viewed as laudably in a woman as it is in a man. Sheryl Sandberg makes that point in Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (Knopf, 2013) multiple times. Here is the sad but persistent reality: A woman may have to decide between conforming to the societally accepted stereotype of being nice (and making less money) or being liked less because she asks for what she has earned.

9. Train Your Leaders
Of course, a woman who leans in should not have to choose between being well-liked or well-paid, so educate your leaders about the unconscious biases that can come into play in cases where women negotiate no differently from men. Once people are made aware of their own prejudice, they are less likely to unconsciously engage in it.

Inevitably, some folks on the leadership team will deny that the bias exists at all because they have not personally experienced it. Let me conclude by saying this: I have never experienced labor pains. But I would be foolish to deny their existence based just on my life experience. You can take the analogy from there.

11 Words Or Expressions That May Result In Flogging At #SHRM16

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I am pleased to share my latest blog post to the SHRM blog regarding the SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition.

Here are my top 11 words or expressions that none of us should dare say at the Annual Convention under penalty of listening to Barry Manilow for 24 hours straight while reading the FMLA intermittent regulations:

11. Buy in

10. Drivers

9. Synergistic alignment

8. Sea Change

7. Paradigm Shift

6 Knowledge share

5. Change agent

4. Value Proposition

3. Leverage best practices

2. Seat at the table

1. Think Outside the Box

I came up with #1 after vetting all 11 with key SHRM stakeholders and the completion of a robust gap analysis.

I would like to add emphasize that, if you think outside the box, you are still restrained by the box! Enough with the boxes already.

Listen for these words and avoid them at all cost. After all, you don’t want to be accused of “drinking the Kool Aid”

I must pivot now to another meeting. I will revert to this list after the meeting. But I hope you are actively engaged in the HR space as you ready for the Annual Conference.

And, remember, I write the blogs that make the whole world sing. This one is for you, for Fanilows.

We can’t smile without you unless you are at #SHRM16. So we hope to see you there! Annual.shrm.org.

 

The Often Unacknowledged Bias Against Asian Americans

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I am pleased to share my latest post for the SHRM blog:  http://blog.shrm.org/blog/the-often-unacknowledged-bias-against-asian-americans

May is celebrated as the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month: http://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/. At times, this celebration seems to get much less attention than months dedicated to other groups of the diverse fabric of workplaces.

Perhaps, this is because, as a group, Asian Americans have been largely successful. For example, while less than 30% of the general population has a bachelor’s degree, approximately 50% of Asian Americans do.

However, because a group, broadly defined, has been successful does not mean that we should ignore bias that may exist against individuals in that group. Indeed, focusing on the success of the “group” may result in ignoring bias against the individuals.

So, while this month we celebrate the achievements of Asian Americans, we need to focus on the bias against them, too. If we don’t eradicate the bias, then individuals will not be as successful as they can be. Here are my top 7:

  1. Not all bias is unconscious. Sometimes the bias is quite conscious. It is sometimes framed as “lack of trust.”
  2. Sometimes the bias is based on stereotypes. The stereotype is that Asians are strong in math and science. This may result in their being discriminated against when it comes to jobs that involve strong interpersonal skills, such as human resources.
  3. At times, the bias is unconscious. While we should not generalize in the name of sensitizing, respect is shown in many Asian cultures different from North American norms. Lack of eye contact, which may be intended as respect, may be seen as dissembling. Saying “no” indirectly may be seen as lacking certitude as opposed to promoting face saving.
  4. Because there may be cultural differences, some employees may be less comfortable with employees of Asian heritage. The “not-like-me bias” may result in exclusion of Asian Americans from social and other opportunities to access decision makers that may affect advancement and other opportunities.
  5. Because Asian Americans are often referred to as the “model minority,” more may be expected of them. When they may fall short of our inflated expectations, they may be seen as failing, even when they actually are meeting “standard” expectations. There is no such thing as a positive stereotype.
  6. Or, because of the “model minority myth,” Asian Americans may not get the help they need. If a group is “so successful,” then why do we need to spend time addressing the real bias that keeps individuals within that group from being successful or even more successful?
  7. And, harassment still exists, such as jokes about the shape of Asian employees’ eyes or mimicking the accent of an employee of Asian ancestry. Just plain ugly.

These are but 7 examples of issues to which we need to keep our eyes and ears open and respond appropriately if we see, learn or become aware of them. As leaders, to see and ignore is to condone. There is no such thing as a passive bystander when it comes to discrimination or harassment if you are a leader.

Now, let us celebrate the many achievements of Asian Americans: http://adrian.edu/uploads/files/AsianContributions.pdf. Check out the many websites referenced. The contribution is real.

But may we never forget the abject horror of the Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/japanese-american-relocation Never again!

Why Holocaust Remembrance Still Matters

General, ,

I am pleased to share my latest post from the SHRM blog in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The United States Congress created the Days of Remembrance as our nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust. This year, Holocaust Remembrance Days (Yom HaShoah) is today, Wednesday May 4, 2016. http://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance

During the Holocaust, more than 11 million human beings were systemically murdered. That includes 6 million Jews, 2/3 of the European Jewish community at that time. That percentage still boggles my mind. In my family, the percentage was much higher.

But the numbers would have been even worse were it not for the countless “righteous gentiles.” The term “righteous gentiles” is used to refer to those who are not Jewish and who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. They are specifically honored in Israel and throughout the world.

Today, I share with you links to some of their stories: https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/righteous/stories/. Please read about these heroes. Their stores are beyond inspiring.

On a personal note, I thank the Polish Church that hid my great aunt at their peril. Today, her daughter is one of my closest friends.

And, of course, there were the millions of American and other service men and women who lost their lives in fighting Hitler’s machine. They, too, cannot be forgotten.

I share this link to one story of their bravery. You can find so many more by using Google.

So what does this have to do with Human Resources? Of course, one connection to Holocaust Remembrance Day is the “human” in human resources. But it is more than just that.

This is not a day or week in which we celebrate the achievement or contribution of any group or people. In remembering the Shoah in our workplaces, we are reminded of how important it is that we brook no hate. It is also a time to recognize those employees whose lives were affected and shaped by this horrific period in history.

One way to do so is simply to post on your Intranet a remembrance statement. You can find words and images all over the Internet.

This is also a great topic for a diversity and inclusion program. The diversity in experience but the universal message that includes all: we cannot tolerate intolerance against any faith, race, ethnicity, etc.

And, of course, every day, we must do our best to make sure that hate has no place in our workplaces. A strong policy is not enough. When it comes to hate-based harassment, if you are in human resources or a manager, there is no such thing as a “passive by-stander.” To ignore is to condone.

As Jews, we often say “Never Again.” And, when we say that, we mean to anyone–at any time–anywhere.

Shalom (Peace) to all.