Employee Relations Advisory

VP wants to fire her direct report after seeing sexually-explicit social media posts by the employee. What should the company do next? Pause for a beat. Then look into it: Review the posts--don't rely on someone's description. Do they seem legitimate? Ask the employee about it. Gauge her reaction. Does it seem credible? Think this is straightforward? AI has made it easier than ever to create fake images and videos. Every few weeks, I see a news story pop up about an employee accused of improper behavior that was actually a "deepfake" impersonation. This can have devastating effects on someone's reputation, and it spills over into the workplace. Before taking action, a company should also: (1) In consultation with employment counsel, consider potential legal implications (for example, some social media posts and off-duty acts carry legal protections, depending on location); (2) Review company policies that may be on point; and (3) Run this by the rest of your crew of trusted advisors (crisis PR, forensics, cybersecurity, etc.) Because matters like these are urgent and complex, employers should have a roster of advisors on speed-dial, so they don't have to go scrambling for help.

This Week in Employee Relations – Aug. 18-22, 2025 Welcome back to “This Week in Employee Relations,” your fast-scan digest of the employee relations headlines shaping policy, culture and compliance. Catch up in five minutes; walk into the week with the context — and the talking points — your organization expects. 🤖 Americans Are Anxious About AI Taking Jobs A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found 71% of Americans worry AI will “put too many people out of work permanently.” Concern is broad, even with unemployment still low. → ER Insight: Expect more fear-driven complaints, change resistance and rumor cycles. Get ahead of it: Publish your AI use principles, map the job impacts by role, and train managers to answer, “What does this mean for my job?” with specifics — not platitudes. Consider anonymous pulse checks to spot hot spots early. 💰 Staffing Firm Pays $217K After Denying Prayer Break Request Washington staffing firm Logic Staffing will pay $217,500 and implement policy/training changes after refusing to hire a Muslim applicant who asked for a longer Friday mid-day break to attend prayer and then barring him from future work. → ER Insight: Treat accommodation requests as an early-warning system, not a threat. Build a simple, consistent intake + escalation path (with appeals) and train frontline hiring managers to avoid knee-jerk “not a fit” decisions that read as retaliation. 🩺 CDC Sends Final Termination Notices to At Least 600 Employees AP reporting (via Reuters) says permanent termination notices are going out as part of broader federal health‑agency cuts; some units are protected by a recent court ruling, others are not. → ER Insight: For any large-scale RIF, the ER lift is more than compliance. You need an airtight selection criteria, a retaliation/whistleblower risk plan and a post-RIF climate strategy (bullying, safety and workload complaints spike). If you benchmark ER caseloads, compare pre- and post-RIF volumes to calibrate staffing and support. 💼 Jobless Claims Tick Up; Hiring Stays Tepid Initial claims rose to 235,000, and continuing claims hit their highest since 2021 — more signs of a cooling labor market, even as PMI data looks healthier. → ER Insight: In softer markets, performance‑management escalations and “quiet” exits increase. Tighten documentation standards, refresh your progressive discipline training and pressure‑test your severance and release templates before you need them. #ER #ERInTheNews HR Acuity

Someone pulls you aside. They want to share something important, but immediately ask you not to do anything about it. It happens all the time in HR. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Once someone shares a reportable event (harassment, safety concern, policy violation), you’re required to act. → You can listen with compassion. → You can create a safe space. → You can thank them for trusting you. But you 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 promise confidentiality without limits. Here’s how to handle it with empathy and responsibility: ✅ 𝗔𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 → Start by appreciating that they came to you. → Say something like, “Thank you for trusting me with this.” ✅ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Gently explain, “I’ll do my best to keep this as private as possible—but if it involves safety or serious policy issues, I have a duty to act.” ✅ 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 → Outline what could happen next. → Avoid legal jargon. → Use simple, calm language. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 → They might feel worried after opening up. → Offer to answer any questions about the process. ✅ 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 Even if the employee says they "don't want anything done," you still need to document the conversation properly. You’re not betraying trust by acting; you’re protecting everyone involved, including yourself. The best HR pros balance kindness with duty, and do it in a way that builds credibility across the organization. Remember: You’re not just listening. You’re responsible for what you hear. How do you typically respond when employees ask you to “just listen”? ♻️ I appreciate 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 repost. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? Click the "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" link below my name for weekly tips to elevate your career! #Adamshr #Hrprofessionals #humanresources #HR #theinsider   #hrcommunity Adams HR Consulting Stephanie Adams, SPHR