New Conferences Heading Your Way in 2018

Tax reform, workplace harassment and a focus on emotional intelligence and accountability are new or returning topics to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s business education lineup for 2018.

On the heels of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being signed into law in late December, business owners need to know what sort of impact the new tax laws will have on their companies.

A new event, the Tax Summit: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will take place April 17-18 at the Indiana Chamber Conference Center in downtown Indianapolis. As the largest tax reform in U.S. history, and with a stated goal of creating a more competitive corporate tax climate, it will be beneficial for employers to understand the new tax law and how to prepare for changes in the coming years. Topics addressed include: reduction of the federal tax rate, elimination of the corporate alternative minimum tax, impacts on small businesses and much more. Early bird discounts are available until February 1!

Also new for 2018 are two seminars that have been added because of feedback from employers who are seeking an emphasis on “soft skills” in their employees. The events are:

  • Accountability Mindset, January 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This seminar centers on understanding the power of your personal mindset and its impact on your leadership, an increased awareness of factors that influence your behavior, as well as transform your team’s results by instilling a culture of accountability.
  • Emotional Intelligence Impact, January 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Focus on your emotional intelligence and complete the EQi 2.0 Leadership assessment, which will inform you of your strengths and opportunities for growth. You’ll learn how to manage your emotional responses by identifying new approaches and impact your organization by inspiring and leading others.

A returnee this year is the Workplace Harassment Seminar on February 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event covers preventing, investigating and correcting workplace harassment and is ideal for human resources professionals, managers, supervisors, business owners and more.

Visit the Conferences page on our web site to see a full list of the various business education and special events we’re hosting in 2018.

What to do When Poor Workplace Culture Emanates from the Top

Horrible bosses

One of the headlines dominating recent news is the revelation of numerous allegations of sexual abuse against Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

As the stories continue to roll out about the ever-widening scandal, the picture is becoming clearer: many people knew about the disastrous workplace culture at Weinstein’s company and its impact not just on employees, but on others throughout the industry.

Aside from what Weinstein is accused of doing in private, there are plenty of stories of how he treated people publicly. He’s not the first, of course, to be noted as a notorious boss (a quick Google search offers a list of names that fit that description). Hollywood itself has taken on the topic through movie examples: 9 to 5, The Devil Wears Prada and aptly named Horrible Bosses (and its sequel) – and the fantasies of getting back at those bad bosses.

While everyday employees aren’t about to kidnap their boss and teach them a lesson in humility, as the fed-up employees did in 9 to 5, what can companies and employees do when the boss is the problem?

Michelle Kavanaugh, Indiana Chamber director of human resources, offers a few insights on this topic. First, companies should have a very strong harassment policy in place and a clearly structured reporting system, she offers.

“Some companies have anonymous call lines, which work better for larger organizations to keep callers truly anonymous,” she says.

Other steps to take include: having a zero-tolerance harassment policy, working with company leaders on the issues so that the culture is set at the top and making sure enforcement happens from the top down. Another protection is working with legal counsel to come up with an action plan before something happens.

And for employees who are dealing with harassment, the first step to take is to directly point out the behavior as inappropriate and request that the behavior stop.

“Use consideration, state your position and make your request,” Kavanaugh notes. “There is probably an intimidation factor. You have to work through that and state your concerns. Using ‘I’ statements are also psychologically a good way to approach the subject.

“If the behavior continues, and it is the business owner or person at the top, find someone else within your organization that you trust and hopefully the organization has a policy in place to deal with the behavior.”

If that doesn’t help, finding a confidant outside your workplace to assist you is another avenue. Should more extreme measures become necessary, avenues to consider include retaining legal help or filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Department of Labor.

“This is just scratching the surface of this subject. Employers working closely with good legal counsel can protect the company and employees and help instill a culture where toxic environments and abuse are not the norm,” Kavanaugh adds.

We also offer the Indiana Guide to Preventing Workplace Harassmentnow in its fourth edition. Written by a team of experts from Indiana-based law firm Ogletree Deakins, the guide is a simple and comprehensive manual covering topics employers need to know to identify, deal with and prevent workplace harassment and discrimination.

Harassment Can Appear in Any Workplace

The buzz around the National Football League today is an unsettling harassment situation in the Miami Dolphins' locker room. Jason La Confora of CBSSports.com writes on the uncomfortable details (below). Note that Richie Incognito has been suspended by the team for his alleged behavior and an investigation is ongoing. The incident came to light after Jonathan Martin left the team following what was described as an "emotional breakdown."

Among the texts that Jonathan Martin made available to his parents, and then, eventually the Dolphins and the NFL, include those in which Richie Incognito refers to Martin, who is biracial, as a "half-n*****," according to a source who was privy to the communication.

There are several instances of threats as well, the sources said, and overall disturbing exchanges, including one in which Incognito refers to defecating in Martin's mouth.

Incognito also made reference to tracking down members of Martin's family and harming them in the texts as well, according to a source.

In some instances, that kind of rhetoric might be shaken off or ignored, but, given the track record of incidents between Incognito and Martin, and how sustained it had become, Martin truly felt that Incognito might be capable of inflicting harm, and for his safety getting away from the team was in his best interests.

The NFL, apprised of the evidence, began upper-level meetings on the case this morning as it launches its investigation. People with access to some of the exchanges believe in time this situation could become a springboard for further policies and practices at the league-wide level in regards to hazing, verbal harassment and perhaps also stricter codes in terms of financial harassment and actions whereby rookies are required by veterans to pick up excessive tabs and bills as a rite of passage.

Workplace harassment is a topic that all employers need to be educated about. For your convenience, the Chamber offers the Indiana Guide to Preventing Workplace Harassment, authored by attorneys at Ogletree Deakins.

Harassment Issues Prevalant in Many Workplaces

You wouldn’t think the U.S. Library of Congress would be a hotbed of intolerance and harassment, but PR Daily reveals this unfortunate story about alleged harassment in the workplace regarding sexual orientation.

A former government employee claims he was fired for being gay after he “liked” a pro gay-and-lesbian Facebook page.

According to Roll Call, former Library of Congress employee Peter TerVeer told the organization’s Equal Employment Opportunity Complaints (EEOC) office that he had a good relationship with his ex-supervisor, John Mech. But when TerVeer “liked” the Two Dads page on Facebook, which promotes awareness of the gay and lesbian community, things allegedly got weird:

“Shortly after, TerVeer said, he started to receive emails from Mech that contained ‘religiously motivated harassment and discrimination.’ Mech then called him into a meeting for the purposes of ‘educating him on hell and that it awaited him for being a homosexual.’”

The harassment grew so bad that TerVeer’s doctor advised him to go on extended medical leave, Roll Call reports. He was later fired for missing 37 consecutive days of work.

The EEOC office has 180 days to review the case. If no action is taken, the next step, according to TerVeer’s lawyer, is legal action. A Library of Congress rep declined to comment to Roll Call.

To ensure your company has the most up-to-date harassment knowledge, consider our new edition of the Indiana Guide to Preventing Workplace Harassment. Authored by attorneys from Ogletree Deakins, this guide is set to ship in mid-May.