Internal impact of discrimination litigation often not considered by lawyers
March 30, 2005When lawyers are asked to represent a business in defending an employment litigation matter, we have many things to think about.
(When is the answer due? What are our defenses? What will happen in discovery? What is the prospect for settlement? For summary judgment? What is our overall strategic litigation plan?)
But the impact of the lawsuit on the daily work lives of the company’s employees or on the ability of the company to function normally is not usually one of the things occupying our thoughts.
Workforce Management magazine tells us somebody needs to be thinking about these things, if not the lawyers, than HR or top management.
The story is summarized as follows:
While an embattled company is defending itself in a discrimination lawsuit, it ought not ignore what’s going on in the office or the factory. Otherwise, the workforce could drown in gossip, low morale, cover-ups and retaliation.The story is:
“Discrimination Suit Can Be a Damaging Workplace Distraction” by Eve Tahmincioglu.
Concluding tag line:
Having a deliberate strategy and communicating a firm’s objectives in one voice . . . will help mitigate the negative impact of a discrimination suit. Absolute silence or pat denials with no steps toward improvement “breeds discontent within and out of a company.”
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Comment by Anonymous
Check out Eve Tahmincioglu at http://www.evetahmincioglu.com. You should also take a look at her new book From the Sandbox to the Corner Office for a collection of lessons learned by leaders in various walks of life, many of which detail encounters with discrimination.