Emergency Exits At Work… Are They Safe?

Most people are under the impression that emergency exits at work are always safe and well-maintained. I wish this was true. Many workplace emergency exits aren’t kept up to standard. This isn’t deliberate, but usually a cost-savings oversight.

Here are three things you can do to ensure workplace exits are safe.
1. Lighted exit signs should be in good working order, and have a battery backup in case of a power failure. My best advice is to check these signs as you walk into work and out of work on a monthly basis. Not your job? Schedule yourself to do a visual check anyway and then call maintenance every other month to have them perform the actual checks.
2. Check to see if workplace exits are ADA compatible. Most new buildings already ensure this, but older buildings don’t often have handicap accessible emergency exits. Know where your company stands on the issue and develop a plan to help those with disabilities exit the building safely in the event of an emergency.
3. Doors should be secured to prevent unauthorized entry from the outside, but not to prevent employees from exiting in emergencies. Smokers are notorious for using emergency exits as quick routes to cheat a smoke here and there. These people should be addressed directly and you need to explain that the emergency exit is for emergencies only. Propping a door open while they smoke can allow for a security breach- never good!

I hope these tips help you realize the importance of clearly marked emergency exits at work.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla Garrett

Assistants Slow You Down

Everyone knows by reading my blog that I am a huge promoter of delegation. This said, I do want to address what happens when you hire your first assistant. There is a sense of relief and almost a feeling of less responsibility on the business owner or director. Don’t let hiring an assistant provoke a sense of “freedom” from work or responsibility. In fact, with an assistant you should be taking more on!

For example, controlling your own calendar is crucial. Many people let their assistants set up their appointments. Well, this is great if you want to be in hour long meetings or phone calls all day long. You need to control your calendar, period! Your productivity will go down when your assistant starts making meeting after meeting after meeting. Don’t delegate this task- ever!

Do you really need an assistant to book your travel plans? Is this cost-effective? No! Technology has made it so much easier to book your own flights, travel plants, etc. that paying someone to do this for you almost feels sacrilegious. You can mind five minutes in the day to book your own travel plans or dinner reservations. You don’t need to pay someone to do this for you.

You see, assistants can provide some benefit for you as far as performing actual work towards a goal. However, when it comes to booking meetings or travel for you personally – they are not needed. In fact, they hinder you.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

Sex and The Big 5- Is Your Human Resources Department Educated?

Your HR department should know more than the law. In fact, they should know what caused each law and related landmark cases. I get questions all the time about the subject of Sexual Harassment. When I ask if the person knows the top three or five landmark cases on the subject, they usually say "no". Well, being educated on these public cases and the provisions in each state can better prepare you (and your staff) for preventing sexual harassment in the workplace.

What is sexual harassment? According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment includes:

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature ... when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment.

1. Anita Hill/Justice Clarence Thomas

The first sexual harassment decision was actually handed down in 1976. But it wasn't until the 1991 confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas that the concept entered national consciousness. The country watched live coverage of Anita Hill (Thomas's former colleague and a law professor) accusing Thomas of using inappropriate language and sexually harassing female colleagues when they worked together. Thomas denied all allegations. Thomas's nomination was barely approved by the Senate in a vote of 52-48.

2. Paula Jones/President Bill Clinton

President Clinton came under fire for alleged sexual harassment. Paula Jones was a state employee when Clinton was Governor of Arkansas. In 1991, she claimed that Clinton exposed himself and asked her for oral sex in a hotel room. Jones dropped her suit against Clinton in exchange for $850,000. However, she never received an admission of guilt or an apology. Years later the Monica Lewinsky scandal led to the impeachment of President Clinton.

3. The Tailhook Convention

The Tailhook scandal involved sexual allegations against the armed forces. Former Navy lieutenant Paula Coughlin was one of more than 80 women who alleged they were sexually assaulted. The assailants were drunken Naval and Marine officers attending a conference at Vegas' Hilton Hotel. Coughlin ended up suing the hotel for failing to provide adequate security. She was awarded $1.7 million in compensatory and $5 million in punitive damages.

4. Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing

In 1998, Mitsubishi agreed to pay $34 million to female workers at the Normal, Illinois plant where the work environment was anything but normal. The company was charged with allowing a hostile setting for women since at least 1990. In addition to the $34 million, Mitsubishi paid out several more million in individual suits. Why?

The women were routinely fondled, verbally abused, and subjected to obscene jokes, behavior, and graffiti. According to the case, one male worker even fired an air gun between a female's legs. Others were denied promotions when they refused to grant sexual favors. The company immediately hired Lynn Martin, former Secretary of Labor. Martin overhauled the anti-sexual harassment and complaint system, which now boasts a zero tolerance policy.

5. University of Colorado Football Program

Two women charged the University of Colorado's football program with sexual harassment. The women claimed they were sexually assaulted in 2001 at an off-campus party by Colorado football players and recruits. The women's suit was filed under Title IX, which promotes gender equality in education. Vastly different from the sexual harassment claims described above, violations of Title IX require showing that the school had actual notice of sexual harassment and then acted with deliberate indifference. The case was recently thrown out in a U.S. District Court, but the women have appealed.

My advise is to know the Federal law, know your state's law, and know the landmark cases behind the law. For example, the state of California has some of the strictest EEOC policies in the country. If you need help reviewing the Federal law, or setting up policies related to sexual harassment issues, click here: EEOC

Twyla