Unequal Treatment at Work

Hey Besties!

How do you balance motivating employees while also making sure no group feels undervalued or overlooked? In today’s episode, we tackle that - and don’t worry, we won’t take long because Jamie’s got a hard stop (and read all the way to the bottom for proof).

In This Episode:

• Intro Story: Leigh shares a story about starting a new job when, just minutes in, an employee walked into her office, and she immediately thought, "This isn’t going to end well." Fast forward, and - shocker - it didn’t (and she later needed to have security for a while).

• Corporate Cringe Speak: Every. Single. Episode. We've used this phrase, and one of us is the biggest offender (ahem, Jamie). But you have to listen to hear what it is.

• Hot Topic: The perks and policies that make some employees feel like VIPs while others feel like extras in a corporate drama.

  • Salary vs. Hourly: Why do salaried employees get flexible hours, but hourly folks get side-eye (and their pay docked) if they need to run an errand?

  • Corporate vs. Field: Why do corporate teams get free coffee, while the people actually running the business get a vending machine with stale granola bars?

  • The "Special Exceptions" Dilemma: If some people get different perks, what message does that send to everyone else?

• Questions & Comments: As always, we have questions and comments, including our response to the LinkedIn clickbait of “HR’s just there to protect the company,” and the signals it can send when only one group of employees are expected to take notes during meetings.

Discussion Guide – For Your Next Podcast Discussion Group or Team Meeting:

1. Trusting Your Gut: If your gut reaction to a new hire isn’t great, how can you adjust your mindset and try to help them succeed?

2. Unequal Treatment: Are there different things that our teams are eligible for, and how does it impact how they feel and work? Does it impact retention and engagement? What can we do about it?

3. The Same Crew: Are there certain groups that are expected to do things like take notes, get coffee and plan events? What message does that send, and how can those responsibilities be distributed more fairly?

That’s a wrap for today, Besties! We’d say “keep fighting the good fight,” but honestly… can we make it feel like less of a fight? While Happy Hour episodes are on pause, we’re gearing up for a Hot Topics episode covering everything from US Executive Orders and federal HR to layoffs and a certain tech company’s “male energy” battle cry. Got other topics you want us to tackle? Reply and let us know. And yes, keep scrolling for that promised pic!

Happy Hump Daaaaaaaay,
Your HR Besties

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