ELI In the News

Steve Paskoff and ELI^® were recently featured in Compliance and Ethics News, a quarterly online newsletter published by Morehouse College’s Compliance and Ethics Program. The following is an excerpt from the June 2009 issue.

Most organizations that are concerned about increases in litigation, EEOC charges and potential union organizing activity look at each area of new or enhanced risk and devise separate strategies to address them. But they often are attacking the symptoms, not the real and very common problem: leadership misbehavior. Here is a more holistic approach to the workplace issues that keep you up at night.

Steve Paskoff and Tucker Miller of ELI® were recently featured in the “The Physician’s Report” by Physicians Insurance Agency. The following is an excerpt from the Winter 2008 issue.

A top insurer of business losses recently indicated that lawsuits are on the rise not only in the United States but globally. Among other prescriptions for limiting this business risk, the insurer emphasized the significance of workplace training. I could not agree more. However, the question asked too infrequently is, how do we accomplish this result? Consider the irony of the rise in employment-related lawsuits. Compared to 10 years ago, workplace training has dramatically increased. Yet we continue to see examples of fraud, misconduct, and other unprofessional and illegal acts.

Healthcare has gotten the message and is setting a standard that other industries will follow. Bad behavior, as opposed to illegal behavior, causes horrific patient risks. From medication errors to botched surgical procedures to fatalities, bad behavior devastates patients’ lives and erodes the ethics of healthcare institutions. This is a serious business issue in every workplace, though the harm may be less obvious in non-healthcare settings. Threats, demeaning behavior, a failure to tolerate dissent or welcome questions are too often viewed through the narrow lens of workplace illegality. When unprofessional conduct does not qualify as illegal, we sigh over its regrettable nature, throw up our hands in helplessness, and wish we could eliminate the problem, but seldom do we give it high priority, much less make it an organizational imperative. Healthcare, however, is taking a radically different, new and exciting approach.

Many organizations are beginning to let their guard down when it comes to the intensity of focus on preventing, detecting, and addressing harassment in the workplace. But with outrageous examples continuing to surface, it's clear the problems are not behind us. In this editorial for HR Management Magazine, ELI president Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., discusses the latest trends and cases, highlighting the steps organizations need to take now to revamp their approaches to sexual harassment training, business ethics training, and other efforts to maintain a civil workplace.

Retaliation claims are on the rise, and courts are expanding retaliation provisions even as they narrow rights in other areas related to discrimination and harassment in the workplace. ELI president Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., explains why, in this Final Word column for HR Management Magazine.

Noting that the courts recognize it's more efficient for issues to be raised and resolved internally rather than escalating to lawsuits and claims, he advises organizations to implement several steps -- starting with leadership and encompassing communication and training -- to eliminate the fear of retaliation and build a welcoming, productive business culture.

What skills will turn your managers into effective leaders? In this editorial for HR Management magazine, ELI President Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., advises organizations to leave behind the heroics and leadership legends. Truly effective workplace leadership, he says, can be found in the behaviors and actions that make a difference in the day-to-day work environment most of us face.

Business culture is often defined by organizational values, but to integrate values into the workplace, you need a plan. ELI's president Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., discusses the challenges of planning a values-driven culture and how to overcome them in this article for HR Management magazine.

Business ethics training and workplace values were the topics of discussion in a Fox Business Network roundtable segment, "Values and Valuations," which included ELI's President Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq.