Monthly Archives: January 2018

The EEOC’s Latest Anti-Harassment Guidelines

Improving Your Company’s Anti-Harassment Policies

San Antonio HR consultation servicesEmployers are required to follow anti-harassment guidelines in accordance with nondiscrimination laws. Not only is this a legal obligation, it is also crucial for maintaining a workplace that is socially positive and productive. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has made recent updates to their website indicating some of the best ways in which businesses can avoid workplace harassment. Our San Antonio HR consultation services can help companies effectively incorporate and implement these guidelines.

Here are the five core principles outlined by the EEOC that, if followed, will prevent workplace harassment, and properly address it should it occur.

Committed and Engaged Leadership

Discouragement of workplace harassment of any kind needs to be demonstrated by all senior leaders. This includes the allocation of resources with the goal of preventing harassment, as well as consistently measuring the effectiveness of their efforts.

Our San Antonio HR consultation services can help in developing leadership that is committed to the prevention of workplace harassment.

Consistent Accountability

Businesses need to be quick to take corrective action when evidence of harassment is found. This action needs to be appropriate for the severity of the harassment, and discipline should be consistent with past situations of a similar nature. Disciplinary action should never favor particular employees unduly.

When it comes to creating a workplace that addresses workplace harassment appropriately and consistently, our San Antonio HR consultation services can help.

Strong Policies


All employees should be familiar with a comprehensive anti-harassment policy that is regularly communicated. Employees need to be familiar with examples of untolerated behavior that constitutes harassment. Anti-harassment guidelines should apply to:

  • Employees at every level
  • Applicants
  • Clients
  • Customers

It should be made clear that anyone who makes a report of misconduct, is party to investigations, or does anything else that is protected under the law, is immune to retaliation.

Upon official employment, and during harassment training, all employees should be given a copy of the company’s policy. This policy should also be posted in commonly accessed areas within the workplace.

Our San Antonio HR consultation services can help establish strong company policies, and help managers communicate these policies effectively to their employees.

Effective Complaint Procedures

Employees should be encouraged to report conduct that constitutes harassment as early as possible. Employees should also have multiple ways in which they can file their complaints. Alleged victims, employees who report harassment, witnesses, and the alleged harassers themselves should all have their privacy protected as much as possible.

Investigations should be conducted immediately upon allegations of harassment. These investigations should be impartial and thorough.

The allegation should be appropriately documented, and established guidelines should be used to measure the credibility of the relevant parties. A report should be written documenting the investigation, findings, recommendations, and imposed disciplinary actions.

Our San Antonio HR consultation services will help companies carry out effective complaint procedures and resolve issues of workplace harassment.

Regular Training

Employees need to be regularly trained at every level of the organization. Whenever possible, the program should be presented live by qualified trainers. Employees should be given the chance to ask questions regarding training, harassment policy, and the available complaint system(s).

Training should also be provided to supervisors for the proper prevention, identification, reporting, and correction of workplace harassment of any kind.

It should be noted that in some states, employers are required to maintain written anti-harassment policies, including California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Employers are also required to provide supervisors with anti-harassment training in California, Connecticut, and Main. It is always a good idea to check your applicable law in order to ensure your company is complying with anti-harassment requirements.

My HR Consultation Can Help

San Antonio HR consultation servicesWe can provide the professional San Antonio HR consultation services your company needs to adequately meet the guidelines established by the EEOC. All employers should be familiar with these guidelines and make sure their company’s policies, training programs, and complaint processes are consistent with them.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of Human Resources, we understand the law in regards to workplace harassment, and can provide real world solutions for companies of all kinds. Contact us today. We will provide the San Antonio HR Consultation services your company needs.

Signs of a Bad Manager

San Antonio HR consulting servicesWhat To Watch Out For

Few things are more important in the workplace than a manager who knows how to both hire and motivate employees. It requires a certain kind of intelligence to effectively enforce rules and keep people productive. When managers are failing to meet certain standards, our HR consultation services in San Antonio can help.

Here are some signs you may have a bad manager.

Fails To Adequately Discipline Their Employees

This includes being either too hard or too soft in terms of disciplinary tactics. When an employee does not meet performance or conduct standards, a good manager can accurately measure the severity of the offense while taking into consideration the employee’s level of past performance. A good manager will also keep in mind how they have disciplined other employees for similar offenses, in order to ensure consistency.

There are many ways in which managers may need to discipline employees, but across the board, disciplinary actions should always be appropriate for the circumstances. A bad manager will discipline employees based on emotion or other arbitrary criteria, and fail to work with other senior leaders to determine the best course of action. Our human resource consultation services in San Antonio can help discourage this kind of behavior.

Is More Lenient On “Star” Employees

High-performing employees should be adequately rewarded, however, they should always be held to the same standards as all other employees when it comes to rules. When managers fail to be consistent in the enforcement of rules and standards, it creates an attitude of distrust among employees, many of whom will be more reluctant to report complaints when they notice misconduct. Employees will be less likely to work together in good faith, leading to an overall less productive and social workplace. Our San Antonio business HR consultation can help managers stay objective regarding their employees.

Assumes They Are Above the Rules

A bad manager is one who fails to set a good example for their employees. When managers fail to meet general workplace requirements, such as showing up for work on time, returning emails and phone calls, and staying throughout their entire shift, employees will often emulate their behavior. A good manager is one who inspires good behavior in their employees by embodying it themselves. Our San Antonio human resource consultation services can help encourage this kind of managerial behavior.

Fails To Keep Adequate Documentation


It is imperative that managers keep the proper documentation on employee’s past performance and conduct. Without doing so, they will not be able to support the right employment decisions, or show employees that they were given an opportunity to improve. Bad managers will fail to thoroughly document the performance and conduct issues of their employees, or the disciplinary actions they took to resolve these issues. Things such as verbal warnings and counseling sessions should be included in this documentation.

Our San Antonio human resource consulting services can help improve managerial performance in this area.

They Take All of the Credit (And None of the Blame)

One of the best ways a manager can inspire their employees is by giving them public recognition for their accomplishments. A bad manager will take credit for all of a project’s success, offering none to the rest of the people who made it possible. Conversely, passing blame off on their employees when things don’t go according to plan is equally demoralizing.

Managers should recognize the contributions of their employees, and take responsibility for their mistakes. Our San Antonio HR consulting can help encourage managers to be more considerate of their employees.

They Produce Increase Turnover/Transfer Requests

Bad managers often lead to an increase in employees feeling they need to quit or transfer to a different department. If this happens, it is important to monitor the turnover and conduct exit interviews in order to see why exactly employees are leaving.

There are also many ways in which anonymous feedback can be given regarding managerial behavior, which will lead to more honest criticism.

San Antonio HR consulting servicesOur San Antonio HR Consultation Services Can Help

No matter what the problem might be, there are plenty of ways in which an HR consultant can help remedy the problem, enhancing both managerial and employee performance, confidence, and morale.

If you require a San Antonio HR consultant for hire, contact My HR Consulting today!