Employers: Stop Retaining Jerk Supervisors
I hear about this a lot, both in my work prosecuting claims for employees as well as defending claims for employers – some supervisors and managers at Texas companies get a lot of complaints lodged against them.
The first complaint? Could be a personality clash (unless it’s something serious like sexual harassment or overt racism).
The second, third, and fourth complaint? That’s when I ask my employer clients: is there merit to this complaint?
Because here’s the truth: when employers don’t dig deeper into repeat complaints, they open themselves up to liability. Sure, maybe the supervisor is “productive.” But if they’re also biased (consciously or not), you’ll start to see patterns – like women, Muslims, or Latin-American employees filing most of the complaints. That’s a red flag for discrimination claims.
Too often, companies side with the person they’ve promoted into power rather than truly listening to subordinates. The risk? That loyalty could blind them to discriminatory behavior – and that’s where I step in to file claims for employees.
Texas employers: investigate patterns.
Don’t reward bad actors with continued employment.
Stop protecting “jerk” supervisors at the expense of your people and your business.
If we take complaints seriously and act early, we prevent bigger problems – and make workplaces fairer for everyone. Wouldn’t that be easier?
Originally posted on Bridget’s LinkedIn