It's not just the C-Suite that represents the company.  Your management team sets the workplace standards for more than you might realize- the interaction with your employees, level of customer service with clients and effective productivity with vendors. 

So what happens when you promote an employee to a manager and fail to bridge the gap between prior expectations and the current position?

Many companies promote employees to manager roles- which is great. But to do so without the proper training is asking for a potential disaster. 

If your managers are not properly trained on the employment laws, they won’t know how to legally respond to these types of situations:

1. An employee circulates a funny meme about a lawyer, a Priest and a Rabbi;
2. A request for time off for doctor appointments when the person is all out of PTO;
3. A person who is strictly prohibited from working overtime, but does it anyway and demands she is owed her overtime pay.
4. An employee wants to bring her dog to work because of her anxiety.

Each of these scenarios trigger different obligations for the company and have different legal consequences. The recently promoted manager probably does not know how to legally respond to these employee issues. Not knowing the law places the company at risk and therefore quickly gives rise to legal liability.

Be proactive and train your management team on employment laws, so they can confidentially make decisions regarding employees and focus on the work that needs to be done to move the needle in your business forward. 

Here is the various trainings that should take place:

1. Sexual harassment Training
2. Training on Requests for Medical Leave (Americans with disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act)
3. Training on Minimum wage and overtime issues (Fair Labor Standards Act)
4. Training on how to respond to complaints of hostile work environment or toxic workplace complaints
5. Training on how to be an effective leader and communicate through conflict.

When is the last time you trained your employees? Does your management team know how to respond to these types of issues when they arise?

Interested in learning more? Check out my training programs for managers and human resources professionals:

Americans with Disabilities Act

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors

FREE DOWNLOADS

Step-By-Step Guide to Investigating a Sexual Harassment Complaint: Download here.

The Employer's Termination Checklist: A Guide to Terminating an At Will Employee and Avoiding Retaliation Claims. Download Here. 

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