Stephen Paskoff on Civility in the Workplace [Podcast]

1
2011

compliance, civility, workplace etiquette

Civility in the workplace is something most, but not all, would agree makes for a better work environment.  But, what about the impact on compliance?

In his book Civility Rules, long-time labor and employment attorney Stephen Paskoff, who is a former trial attorney for the EEOC, argues that civility plays a critical role in ensuring ethical, compliant behavior. He observes, “The path from the merely disruptive to outright abusive behaviors is a well-traveled route to illegal actions.”

In this podcast Stephen discusses:

  • The dangers of incivility
  • Watching for incident reports that may not be uncovering illegality but are nonetheless troubling
  • The impact of incivility on business
  • The importance (and surprising ease) of making the business case for better behavior
  • The role of leadership in affecting behavior
  • Tone at the top
  • Tying behaviors to values, and
  • The importance of candor

1 COMMENT

  1. I agree that civility is a worthwhile goal. However, unfortunately compliance people, at least in the US, have to be cautious because the NLRB has taken a somewhat negative approach on this topic. I believe the labor board has no feel for the compliance and ethics profession and the important role we play, and does not see the danger of restricting corporate efforts to promote civility. See my article on this and other ways the legal system undercuts compliance & ethics, Joseph E. Murphy, Policies in Conflict: Undermining Corporate Self-Policing, 69 Rutgers U.L. Rev. 42 (2017), http://www.rutgerslawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Joseph-Murphy-Policies-in-Conflict-69-Rutgers-U.-L.-Rev.-421-2017.pdf .

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