Time To Revisit the Past!

Over the past few years, a lot in the workplace has changed and keep in mind change is good. A great deal of people are uncomfortable with change but keep in mind, if life was easy where would be the fun in the challenge?

This blog is due to an encounter I recently had at the airport, well I didn't I was listening to some workers at the airport while I was awaiting my flight home. These two young ladies were fast food workers and the color of their skin or nationality does not matter or should it ever for that matter. The purpose of this post is to put a focus on something that leaders and businesses alike phrases like this "You're making me feel threatened!" or "I don't feel comfortable!" to begin with a few.

I support the rights of all in the workplace, well in life in general but I believe that situations that cause someone to be held accountable for their actions or lack their are being overlooked due to someone using one of those phrases.

There has been an influx of individuals using those phrases in the last few years, I believe. Well back to the young ladies at the airport. Their conversation centered around the manager telling one of them to clean a grill or cooker of some sort, and the young lady said to the other "I just told him he's making me feel threatened" so he backed away and I went back to my phone, we didn't have anyone at the counter so what else was I supposed to do?"

This is one of many incidents that I have witnessed of people using phrases like that to avoid doing something or talking about something that is being brought to their attention. I've heard things like "I mentioned that I felt threatened, or you're making me feel uncomfortable," to avoid not being held for something that they were supposed to be doing.

Please note that I am a part of HR and do believe that leadership must look into scenarios when an employee uses that phrase, but do some looking into why are they feeling like that? what was said to make them feel comfortable? If someone says that they feel threatened in the workplace, there could be repercussions for people if situations are threatening or workplace bullying.

Accountability has taken a huge hit because of scenarios like this one and others that I have heard or witnessed someone not be held accountable because they simply said that phrase, and everyone seemed to throw their hands in the air and walk away from the situation. Keep in mind we were hired for our skills and professionalism, so situations like using those phrases are and can be detrimental to the workplace.

Google the phrase I feel comfortable or I feel threatened, you will come back with a lot of articles explaining what to do in cases where an employee feels that way and what you can do to support them if it is something that done that made them comfortable.

Til next time everyone.