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.
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.
Lawyers play a significant, if not oversized, role when it comes to conflicts. People hire attorneys to help them navigate the conflicts, and the attorneys have a legal obligation to fight for the best interests of their clients. They are to be consummate advocates for the betterment of those they represent. Therefore, it should be an unquestioned fact that lawyers are advocates. But what about the peacemaking role? Is it also applicable to them?
When dealing with an employee relations concern, it is easy to look at the people involved. If it is a performance issue, we wonder why the person has decided to underperform, or if the person lacks the skill or education to meet expectations. If it is a conflict between employees, we quickly deduce who is to blame for the breakdown in civility and devise a remedy in accordance with our assessment. This approach makes sense. It works. But is it the best approach?
The pursuit of dignity is a noble one. However, the pursuit doesn’t come risk-free. Hilton Hotels franchisee Everpeak Hospitality learned this lesson when it got caught in a firestorm after one of its clerks stated that the hotel would not book rooms for members of ICE or DHS in their Minneapolis Hampton Inn. Given this scenario is a microcosm of the greater turmoil in the city and state following the ICE shooting and killing of a US Citizen, as well as several other concerning interactions with city motorists, an unbiased observer may be able to understand why the hotel clerk made this declaration. After all, it is fairly common for hotels to employee immigrants at their establishments. Any level of DHS activity questioning the immigration status of their employees (or guests) would create a significant hurdle for employee morale and business revenue.
The best way to infuse dignity into a workplace culture is for it to be modeled by leadership. If leaders do not treat subordinated, customers, and others with dignity, this behavior (or lack thereof) teaches others that it is fine to ignore, look down upon, or even mistreat those around them.
It is incumbent upon institutional leaders to model dignity-infused behaviors when interacting with colleagues and subordinates. Treating others with dignity and respect, everyone along the hierarchical tree, is a positive expression of care, concern, and respect for those who help make companies successful and a joy to show up to on a daily basis. Leaders who miss the mark should be immediate candidates for coaching. Coaching on the merits of empathy and dignity should typically preclude any disciplinary action – giving them the opportunity to fold into the (desired) culture before making the determination that they are ill-fit for the role or the company.