Sunstone HR (HR Consulting)

By:  Rod Lacey Sunstone HR  (Human Resource Consulting) ". . . these low-points provide us with a fairly significant choice   – do we double-over and let the kick take us out of the fight, or do we use that kick to propel us forward toward something greater?" Before the title of this article gets you caught-up in the laws of physics, let me clarify that I’m referring to a ‘professional’ kick-in-the-gut. You know the time when you’ve had that unfortunate event at work that hit you so hard that it hurt. Maybe it was a layoff. Maybe it was an unwanted transfer, demotion or role change. It may have even been that dreaded meeting where your manager brought you in and did his best to sound compassionate as he fired you. Whatever it was, that’s the kick-in-the-gut I’m referring to. Deserved or undeserved is not the issue. Fair or unfair also doesn’t matter in this equation. That. Just. Happened. Most of us have, or will have one of these devastating meetings...

Employee Relations: Responding to the “H” Word What I love about a career in human resources is that 'people' keep things very interesting. I will never be able to say that " I've seen it all " because even when facing a similar scenario, how an individual responds or behaves makes it an entirely new situation. If you've spent time in management or human resources, you've all had that employee relations moment when a woman comes in and shares a story that freezes you in your tracks. Your mind thinks the words "Oh s*#!" but you remain visibly calm as she shares her story. She shares that she’s been offended by an incredibly crude comment made by a coworker. She’s visibly upset and expresses that she’s ‘ had it’ and ‘ will not work with that man again .’ She then tells you that she's going home for the day and walks out. A quick clarification before we proceed:     I refer to the harasser as a “he” and the harassed as a “she” for ...

By:        Rod Lacey Sunstone HR  (Human Resource Consulting) "A simple “he said, she said” might stop some HR professionals in their tracks, but implementing an Awareness Talk allows you to satisfy the need to address alleged behaviors, protect the accuser and protect the company." With No Additional Witnesses? There's Nothing We Can Do Here, Right? If you haven’t faced this yet, you certainly will in any employee relations role. Susan comes to human resources sharing details of Gary’s dastardly action. The accusations are big enough that HR makes this a priority and immediately starts an internal investigation. The one catch in this situation is that there were no witnesses. Let’s assume Gary’s alleged action was significant enough to warrant immediate termination, if validated. Where there were no witnesses, the next logical step in the investigation would be to interview Gary and present him with an opportunity to share his story...