Examples of Unethical Behavior in the Workplace

Let's say a manager has a private Instagram account where he posts sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, and transphobic memes. Let's say a female subordinate invites staff to an end-of-the-quarter celebration at her home. Then she discovers the Instagram page, and sees he is making posts joking that the male staff would have group sex with her at her home during the party. She sees that a supervisor posts joking about his male subordinates having sex with her at her home. This post is “liked” and thereby endorsed by staff members. She complains to Human Resources Manager, who happens to "follow" this insta page. HR tells her that he thinks the memes are “funny.” The employee feels ostracized at work and concerned that she could be in danger in her physical workspace and quits and sues. The employer gets the case disposed of, but on appeal the appellate court revives the lawsuit. Of note is that the appellate court rejects the notion that only conduct that occurs inside the physical workplace can be actionable, especially in light of "the ubiquity of social media and the ready use of it to harass and bully both inside and outside of the physical workplace." #hr you should be aware of this and keep it in mind.

“Go back to Haiti on the banana boat.” “Y’all don’t belong here.” These are just two of the slurs allegedly directed at 26 Black and Haitian workers by Waste Pro of Florida managers. Others included the n-word, “boy,” and “monkey.” The EEOC sued Waste Pro for race and national origin discrimination. The company just settled—for $1.4 million—and agreed to extensive injunctive relief. Among the allegations: Black employees were routinely given less desirable routes. - A stuffed monkey carrying an American flag was placed in a Black employee’s workspace—and kept there even after he pleaded with management to remove it. - That same employee had already reported being told to “go back to Haiti.” As part of the settlement, Waste Pro must: -Train its CEO and HR staff on race discrimination and complaint handling -Implement a statewide system to track complaints -Conduct exit interviews -Submit biannual reports to the EEOC -Develop a race-neutral system for assigning trucks and routes Here’s what I keep coming back to: Did the CEO and HR really not know how to handle these types of complaints? Why wasn’t HR doing more? Were they incapable—or were they hamstrung by management? In my experience, most HR professionals want to do the right thing. But when senior leadership doesn’t support them—or worse, actively undermines them—they're left powerless. Leadership sets the tone. A workplace that’s safe, inclusive, and compliant isn’t just HR’s responsibility. It starts at the top. Employers: This is your call. Will you support your HR team—or set the stage for lawsuits, turnover, union drives, and reputational harm? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Throughout my career, I’ve encountered some truly unacceptable behavior: 👉🏿 The coworker who checked out, skipped crucial meetings, and spent hours scrolling social media on her phone. 👉🏿 The manager who behind the scenes would threaten layoffs, but in public, acted like everyone’s best friend. 👉🏿 The toxic boss who insulted employees, called them 'incompetent,' and once threw a chair across the room. Reality check: It’s not the flashy perks or cool office design that defines our culture. Our culture is determined by the worst behavior we tolerate. And leadership should be setting the example! What’s the worst behavior you've put up with in our workplaces?

Being rude at work.   Rudeness and disrespect come in many forms, arise for various reasons (often from insecurity, exhaustion, ego, and/or jealously), and have a significant negative impact on workplace #productivity and #profitability.   Research shows that WOMEN bear the brunt of workplace rudeness, as highlighted in studies published by The Journal of Business Ethics & in Harvard Business Review (link in comments).   HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED OR WITNESSED COMMENTS OR BEHAVIORS THAT FELT RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, OR UNPROFESSIONAL?   Knowing the types of #communications that may be perceived as rude or disrespectful can help foster a more considerate, collaborative & productive workplace. 5 examples:   1. YOUR CONTRIBITIONS/WORK BEING MINIMIZED or DISMISSED: - “Even without (X’s work/contribution), we would have won that case anyway.” - “Your ideas are interesting, but they won’t work & few take them seriously.” - “The firm would have secured that client regardless of what you did.” Implies that a professional’s contributions are insignificant or lack value.   2. BEING VERBALLY ATTACKED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL: o  A powerful colleague looks you up and down and says: “What could you possibly know?” o  “You wear your hair too short.” o  “You have a strong personality.” o  “When are you going to leave the firm and start having babies?” Targets an individual’s intellect, character, appearance, or other personal features rather than their work or ideas.   3. DISMISSING, EXCUSING OR TOLERATING RUDENESS & INCIVILITY: - “He didn’t mean it that way.” - “X is an important executive, so if he yells at you, let it go and don’t take it personally.” Downplays and ignores the harm caused by bad behavior & perpetuates a toxic environment.   4. RECEIVING BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS: - “You’re so outgoing and friendly - it’s too much sometimes.” - “You’re so direct and articulate.” - “Thank you for doing X, but I could’ve done it myself.” - “You clean up well.” These may sound like praise but carry subtle, demeaning undertones.   5. BEING CRITICIZED IN A PUBLIC OR GROUP SETTING: - “That’s a bad idea.” - “You’re wrong; that’s not correct.” - Broad, negative generalizations like “You never…” or “You always…” Can cause embarrassment, humiliation, resentment, decreased motivation & a breakdown of trust.   6. EMPHASIZING THE NEGATIVE: I.e., mainly hearing from a supervisor when a (usually minor) mistake is made, and rarely (if ever) receiving positive feedback such as, “Thanks,” “Good work,” or “Great job.” Yet, being kind and saying "thank you" helps boost morale, strengthen relationships, increases productivity & creates a more positive work environment! The examples above may not be universally recognized as rude or disrespectful, but depending on the recipient, they can & do have negative effects.   Have you encountered or observed workplace communications that felt rude or disrespectful?   Please share to help us all become more aware!