Sometimes we need to tell the truth. You have probably heard it before…truth is a defense to defamation. You have probably heard it before…legal and/or HR says we cannot say anything negative about the departed employee. Both statements make logical sense; both are true in many respects.
Some goals are elusive and, once attained, they are difficult to maintain. One of the most elusive goals is weight loss. It can take 3 months to lose 10 pounds, and yet it can take a mere 3 days on vacation to gain it all back. How frustrating! Guess what? Departmental culture can sometimes be just as elusive.
Not too long ago, I thought the year 2020 was one of the worst ever for employees. We had to tackle COVID-induced isolation, discriminatory animus towards the Asian population, and figuring out how to reconfigure laundry rooms, walk-in closets and dining room tables into functional office spaces. I certainly could not have imagined that 2025 would be immensely worse.
Part of expressing dignity to colleagues and customers involves understanding that we are different and unique beings. Behaviors that might be acceptable or expected in one culture may be quite different in another. This is perfectly understandable and okay. As professionals, we must learn to appreciate differences. Pausing to ascertain before overreacting is crucial. Unfortunately, these ideals are not always exemplified in the workplace.
In the last post, I shared a disturbing story about how the Washington Post ownership allegedly laid off journalists while they were abroad, leaving them to their own devices to find a way back home. Pondering on this, it reminds me of a story of an Abbott Laboratories employee who went abroad, albeit the ending was a beautiful display of dignity.
Amazon has taken an extraordinary step that reduces the reach and influence of the Washington Post, a news publication it acquired a little over a decade ago. About 300 employees, or one-third of its staff, were recently laid off. However, layoffs are nothing new in our profit-first society. It is how certain employees were treated that is shocking.