I have traveled this entire country, north, south, east, and west, training professional on how to stay out of legal hot water, and I’ve witness firsthand the onslaught of lawsuits being filed against untrained and unsuspecting managers, leaders, and supervisors all across the country; and it’s getting worst not better (there is a reason for this that is unprecedented in this country!).

Supervisors are like sitting ducks at a shooting gallery for these money hungry, money grubbing attorneys in every city and town in America (you should know that I’m Pro Employer/Pro Employee).

Why do you think this is? Well, a great part of the blame can be placed squarely on the backs of the company. More often than not, supervisors are asked to take on added roles and responsibilities within the organization, but are given very little training how to lead in today’s work enviroment- especially from a legal perspective.

When you look at the word Supervisor it seems to imply that there is something SUPER about that person’s VISION. Well, it’s not. Supervisors have to be trained on every aspect of their new responsibilities- including the legal aspects of dealing with today’s employees.

Here is one legal land mine every Supervisor should know when dealing with employees today.

Supervisors cannot just make up rules as they go along. There are specific legal policies that must be adhered to . If the company has a policy that says everyone is to be at work at 8:00am- then everyone who comes through those doors at 8:01 is late-period. A Supervisor can’t say I like John, but Bill and I don’t see eye-to-eye, so I’m going to put more pressure on Bill than I do John.

So this supervisor decides to write Bill up for being late- but lets John slide. You will be absolutely shocked how often this scenario is played out in everyday in businesses across the country, but in more subtle ways.

When one employee is treated differently than another- the legal term is called “disparate treatment or discrimination” and employees can sue the supervisor (hence the company) for such ‘discriminatory” acts.

Now, more subtle acts may include treating a person differently because of their race, color, origin of birth, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, gender, and more.

THIS IS DANGEROUS GROUND FOR ANY AND ALL SUPERVISOR.
If you are accused of DISCRIMINATION as a supervisor- what are the proper legal steps you should take? Not what you think- has your company trained you to know this? After all, you are the person being sued.

The discussion is now open… ask any question you wish.

Today, more than ever before, we now live in a litigation happy society. If you are a supervisor in any organization of any size, you should be beating on the door of your Human Resources Dept. -asking them what are the specific legal liabilities you will incur when dealing with today’s workers.

 There is one legal document your company should have handed you THE MOMENT YOU WERE PROMOTED TO SUPERVISOR (and 95% do not), A Supervisor’s Hand Book. Just like new employees are handed an Employee’s Handbook, all supervisors today should have a handbook that details the Federal Employee Laws that have tripped up so many well meaning and good supervisors, who were never trained, but later held legally responsible for how they dealt with their subordinates.

It’s just not fair what companies and organizations do to Supervisors in this country. We thrust them into leadership roles- without providing any training on their responsibilities from a legal perspective. Then companies allow them to be slaughtered by the court system because they said or did something illegal to those employees. There are specific employment laws when dealing with employees. But no one ever told them certain acts were illegal.

For example the legal definition of ‘constructive discharge” where a supervisor rides (or discriminates against) one employee so much that they create a hostile environment and the worker leaves the company and files a lawsuit and wins.

Or, the fact that no one tells them that just because an employee leaves the company does not mean that the lawsuit cannot be filed. It can be filed against the supervisor even years later- depending on the legal circumstances and how good their attorney or legal counsel is.

In posts that will follow I will use this space to detail exactly how to write an effective “Supervisor’s Handbook” for any organization that will keep Supervisors and the Organization out of legal hot water and why your company should be doing this training -like yesterday!

In the mean time I will post new information on this important subject @ my business development website www.goldcrowninc.com.

Keeping Supervisors out of legal hot water for the past 16 years…more to come. Tell someone you care about to follow as well.

My repsect…Dr. Cubie Davis King

 1. Someone whose knowledge of the job and industry is superior, cutting edge, and surpasses that of all other candidates. Employers are now paying for the knowledge that will help them not just beat, but destroy their competition. If your knowledge is outdated – you won’t get that call. Conversely, if your knowledge is fresh, alive, fluid, and up to date- employers will make room for you!

 2. Someone whose people skills are sharp. No matter how great your technical skills are if you can’t get along with people, you are viewed as a liability, not an asset. Therefore, work hard on your people skills! Let potential employers know you can work effectively with all sorts of people on all levels of the organization.

 3. Someone willing to go the extra mile. It’s not hard to be extraordinary in the workplaces of today. So many workers do just the bare minimum each day – and when the bell rings at the end of the day, they are out of there. Employers look for those leaders who are willing to do a little extra. Don’t worry, when you go the extra mile in doing your job- you won’t be hard to spot- and believe you me- employers do notice! .

 Use these top three strategies – and get hired by the best! Do you agree or disagree?

If you want to succeed…you must build into your internal constitution a burning desire to win. Develop pit bull tenacity and stay focused on the goal(s) ahead of you. Vince Lombardi (the famed coach of the Green Bay Packers) once said “it’s not whether you get knocked down- it’s whether you get back up! Want to subscribe to a magazine dedicated to your success? My new mag talks only of success- from the best and brightest. To subscribe (it’s free) email me directly at qbcubie@hotmail.com with the word “subscribe” in the subject.

For you I wish only…the best of success. Dr. Cubie

It’s that time again where we pull aside and reflect on  where we are going. take this time to re-focus your attention  on the direction your are heading in.

Also, take a good look at the people you are currently associating with. Are they supporting you in your dreams- or are they hindering your progress? If not, it’s time for a up-grade. And now is the time to come to grips with these realities.

Remember, if you want to win big in 2011, you have to review your goals daily- and spend time in your dreams. So in 2011…

“Make Your Dreams King”

-Dr. Cubie

P.S. Pick up a copy of my poweful new book -OPK: GrowRich Using Other People’s Knowledge. Folks get ready to win!

The workplace in 2011 will be abuzz with two words- “performance improvement.”  Forget about how things operated in the pass, companies are looking to move forward. Some, looking just to survive; others looking to thrive.  In either case they’ll need a workforce ready to take on the tough challenges of the day.

This means you (as an individual worker) must hone your skills- personal development is the new buzzword being bannered around. I often ask my students this question “what do we do with obsolete things on our computers?”  They answer “delete them.”  I then advise “don’t get deleted.”

Folks, take it upon yourself to see that your skills are updated and that you are in tune with what is going on in your industry today; that’s your responsibility- not your employer.  In other words invest in yourself!  No don’t have a minute to lose, so dear reader- get it done!

Remenber…come to work each day and think as if you were the CEO!

 Until next time,

-Dr. Cubie  www.cubieking.com  and www.goldcrowninc.com