Page 130 - An Indispensible Resource for Being a Credible Activist

and anyone else involved in performance management and decision making. This
training will ideally include high-quality education regarding how to avoid negative
and positive rater-bias, conflicts of interest, harassment, discrimination, retaliation,
attribution error, NVC skills training and practice, sound conflict resolution training
and practice, and the use of statistically valid emotional intelligence measures such
as the EQi, the EQ360, the MSCEIT (http://www.eiskills.com/MSCEIT.html) , or the
TESI (http://www.theemotionallyintelligentteam.com/tesi.asp), with accountability
processes within the environment of a learning organization.
Implement a zero-tolerance policy to address workplace bullying, and adopt a
sound policy such as that used by the Washington State Department of Labor
and Industries.
Avoid employee layoffs at all costs. Instead of eliminating jobs, consider other
measures such as instituting four-day workweeks, lowering executive pay, lowering
the ratio of the highest paid employee to the lowest-paid employee, and examining
other cost-cutting measures in process, in benefits, or in other ways. Solicit ideas
from all employees to include them in these challenging decision-making processes.
Allow employees to donate paid time off to other employees who are ill, awaiting
disability benefits, awaiting maternity benefits, and out of their own sick time due
to serious illness. A sample memo follows this page regarding such a policy.

Clearly post and abide by all mandated city, state, and federal employment laws. To see
which your company is required to post, go to http://www.dol.gov/osbp/sbrefa/poster
/matrix.htm.

SAMPLE MEMO REGARDING (COMPANY)’S
COMPLIANCE WITH THE NLRA

On letterhead, in interoffice memo format, or via e-mail
CONFIDENTIAL

To: Your Supervisor
(Include any others on this list to whom this memo should be addressed.)

From: Your Name
Date:
Re.: Concerns about (Company)’s Compliance with the NLRA

I am compelled to express concern about how we at (Company) handle issues related to
employees’ rights to organize.
As you know, employees do have a right to organize under the NLRA. I am concerned with
how the recent situation with (employee’s name or incident involving company response

CHAPTER 8 • Concerns about W orkplace Violence, Bullying 113