Some seem to get hired because they are relatives or friends, or on some other subjective basis. These are the very people who are treated preferentially, as loyal to oneself, thus adding to the adversarial relationship that some managers have with their other employees. We also urge employers to assess their needs carefully when they prepare a job description for hiring. Irresponsible management practices and inhumane treatment take a heavy toll on both productivity and morale. Another consequence is the high turnover of disgusted employees, including some of the ablest and most valuable, often in perennially troubled areas.
Some supervisors seem unaware that some employees are in legally protected categories.
Increasingly the lack of timely and appropriate intervention, on the part of supervisors and other University officials, has become the subject of legal action, quite as much as the initial complaint of harassment or unfair treatment. At risk, in this new environment, are supervisors as well as the resources and good name of the University. The goal of our office is to foster an environment in which job satisfaction is the rule, and where employees are encouraged to develop their professional skills. Indeed, it serves no purpose to humiliate and belittle people, even when they misbehave. For the most part, rules and policies are in place.