It’s September, so it's back-to-school time, which inspired this month's HR lesson.
A teacher friend shared with me a story about a classroom situation that applies to the workplace too:
Student: “Ms. T, we only had to do some of this assignment, right?”
Teacher: “No, you should do it all. Why?”
Student: “Well, it says, 'Do one sixth'.’
Teacher: “No, it says 'Due 1/6'… that’s today, January 6th.”
Let’s be honest, there’s always one person who can make a simple directive more complicated, even in the workplace. A manager tells an employee that something needs to be done, and the employee confuses the instructions (intentionally or not) and things just don’t happen.
As managers, we need to set clear guidelines, hold people accountable, make sure our instructions are understood, and follow up. Of course, in this case, the teacher let the student know that she wasn’t falling for it.
We are proud to welcome Allison Rodriguez to the HR Team. Allison is a Senior Consultant with more than 10 years of global HR experience across start‑ups, high‑growth organizations, and large corporate environments.
The HR Team provides outsourced HR and HR consulting to nonprofits, associations, small businesses, and startups that need experienced guidance, practical compliance support, and help managing employee issues properly.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Better Approach to Prevention and Response
Sexual harassment in the workplace isn’t a new issue, but organizations have good reason to give prevention and response renewed attention.
Glendora C. Hughes, Esq., General Counsel for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR), says harassment claims are surging. The HR Team, a Ravix Group company, is seeing that increased attention firsthand. Eileen Levitt notes that the firm is receiving more requests to assist with workplace harassment investigations, including requests from law firms.
For employers, this is an opportunity to take a fresh look at whether their approach to prevention and response is working as intended. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) calls prevention the best tool for eliminating workplace harassment and recommends an effective reporting process, anti-harassment training, and immediate, appropriate action when concerns are raised.
A harassment policy can’t just be something organizations have. It has to be put into practice. That requires five essential elements: a clear policy, meaningful training, consistent accountability, a culture where people can speak up, and an effective investigation process. In this article, we breakdown what each of those elements should accomplish.
In addition to HR consultants, Ravix Group provides payroll and executive search solutions to help nonprofits, startups, small businesses, and scaling enterprises operate with confidence. Whether you’re managing rapid growth or navigating complex transitions, our team becomes your trusted back-office partner—so you can stay focused on what’s ahead.
