As disturbing as this case is, I can’t help but see the upside in the fact that the abuse was overt (vs. covert). It’s generating necessary attention that hopefully will have lasting effects beyond the outcome of legal chess. At least all of us in the HR community across the nation, get to hear about it and take some kind of action. Whether it be as consumers, legislatively, or simply to “up” our own standards and drive that standard 360 degrees in our places of business. All abuse is wrong, every time, no matter what the volley of the week in court happens to be. Although we may never be able to fully wipe out harassment, that’s no excuse to lessen our efforts. Treating people well, is good business.

Personally, I feel strongly about taking this subject up a notch or too. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather deal with a problem before it becomes the size of Godzilla and is eating at the top of the Empire State building. But addressing harassment at a much earlier stage is a grey and murky pond to fish in unfortunately. Abuse/harassment often begins on barely discernable scale – an attitude, a remark or gossip on the grapevine. When’s the last time you saw the company gossip monger disciplined for their behavior? Under what policy? Probably never happened. “Zero tolerance” policies theoretically should include zero tolerance for the grapevine gang too.

No matter what my stated yearly objectives are, my top priority remains the same year after year, no matter who my boss is and what the market is doing. It is timeless and unchanging – the Golden Rule. As cliché as that may sound, read on. There is no greater priority.

Despite state and federal employment laws, case law shows us that harassment is still thriving some where, some how. The ridiculously overt cases like at Dish Network get all the press and represent a total breakdown societal norms. In my experience, it’s the harassment we don’t easily see that has the greatest impact of all. Covert harassment is the silent but deadly evil step sister. It starts small and casts a wider net. It’s also impossible to accurately measure, harder to prove and has often shackles the victim in a no-win situation that they’ll endure much longer than they would if the abuse were widely visible.

Aside from the bottom line, harassment delivers its payload to other notable destinations too. This itinerary includes some lengthy visits to the mental, emotional, and physical health stations of the individual. And it doesn’t end there. What about the people in victim’s circle of influence? What magical memories do you think this trip has in store for those kids and spouses who are along for the ride? Suffering wears many masks and takes many forms.

From a leadership perspective and tactically speaking, HR is charged with many daunting responsibilities. What we do or don’t do, what we say or fail to say is a cause set in motion; good or bad; little or large – in business and out into the personal lives of others. That’s where the Golden Rule comes in – this is the place where our influence really counts. You can write the greatest policies, develop the best programs and hit your all your targets consistently. That’s all great, but big deal. Business changes, priorities flip and on the continuum of life, you probably won’t even be remembered for it a year or two from now. People only truly remember the personal, but timeless things, like how they were treated.

Long ago, I witnessed a tragic case that began through a series of small and seemingly petty acts. A smart, upbeat and ambitious guy was hired in a manufacturing job. A little threatened by the new guy, the co-workers responsible for training withheld lots of little, yet critical information necessary for task mastery. The first goal was to make the guy look stupid. The harassers instigated conditions that not only caused the new guy to make mistakes, but put him in harms way from a safety standpoint. All the while they stoked the fire with their gossip and remarks to anyone who would listen, basically rallying support. The new guy had a tremendous work ethic and worked harder and longer in an effort to over come the situation. He had no options with a family to support and the job market at the time. He put on his game face because he couldn’t quit, and he couldn’t win either. Only he didn’t know it at the time. From the outside looking in, the harassment continued over time at what appeared to be about the same velocity. It differed only by the creativeness of the perpetrators day to day, yet never hit the radar screen of management in a meaningful way.

However, the impact on his life was anything but static. The stress first attacked his mental and emotional health. Insomnia, depression, feelings of worthlessness. Simultaneously, the long hours, tiredness and irritability had devastating effects on his children and marriage. Next went his physical health.
Things escalated and he couldn’t focus and finish tasks as well. No one knew if it was the stress, the medication, or a combination thereof. He basically began to sort of shut down. When this man’s family left him, it pushed him over the edge. He just stopped getting up in the mornings. Next to go was his job and finally his life.

A. Timeless things shape the future.