July/August 2000 Issue Number 13
Is a monthly electronic newsletter which links current events and issues to the daily challenges faced by fire and emergency services managers. Current topics in the area of sexual harassment, diversity management and conflict resolution will be discussed.
We hope that you find the information here useful and provocative.
Let us know what you think!
Leading Diverse Communities Beyond Conflict, August 24-25, 2000, Dallas, TX. The new National Fire Academy diversity course, will be offered as a pre-conference seminar at Fire Rescue International.
ADD: Diversity Challenges: Can People Really Be Doing These Things?, August 27, 2000 from 1500-1700, Dallas, TX. This workshop will be presented as part of the Fire-Rescue International Conference in Dallas.
"Managing Change and the Conflict that Comes With It", August 30, 2000, The Dallas-Ft. Worth Hyatt Regency Hotel. This workshop will be presented at the Department of Defense Fire and Rescue Conference.
Fifth Biennial Women in Uniform Conference, November 30- December 1, 2000, Arlington, VA. For information call: 202-628-0444 ext. 12.
The Importance of Middle Managers
When asked what they most wanted from their jobs, a recent survey of 500 workers rated working for a manager they respected as their #1 priority. The survey, conducted by a human resources training company in Annandale, VA, also linked employee retention directly to employee-manager relationships.
Although it is tempting to wonder why a survey was needed to draw this conclusion, it is disheartening to recognize how little attention most organizations put into the development of their middle managers, a rank which corresponds to company officer and battalion chief in most emergency services organizations. Most emergency services organizations promote people to this rank based primarily on technical expertise, not the ability to handle personnel issues. In fact, many departments do not offer or require any human relations training at all before someone is put in charge of a crew.
Is it any wonder there are problems? When little importance is put on interpersonal skills within the departmental culture, and when few resources are made available to those who might be interested in self-improvement, it is not surprising that few changes may be evident in how human relations are handled.
Most people want to do a good job in the role of middle manager, and they also want to avoid crisis situations. In most cases, they will be very open to training that will help them do their jobs better if they feel this training is also a departmental priority. A commitment to improving supervisory skills in the area of human relations must come from the top down.
What level of priority does your organization put on interpersonal skill training at the company officer or battalion chief levels? What kinds of problems have you experienced because a middle manager failed to be effective in that role? How much has that failure cost your organization, not just in money, but in loss of public support and lack of productivity? Considering all there is to lose, there is much to be gained by preparing people better for the human as well as technical aspects of their jobs.
Source: Entrepreneur Magazine, February 2000.
Recent Supreme Court decisions have effectively narrowed the potential scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In an effort to define what is a genuine disability under the law, the court has drawn limits regarding conditions that can be alleviated with proper treatment, such as vision problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes. As a relatively new law, the ADA will certainly continue to be refined through the judicial system in years to come.
Source: Inc. Magazine, October 1999.
Legal Discrimination
Timothy Liebaert was ready to buy a house. He had a down payment, good credit, and access to a loan. He was employed, and with a young family. However, the housing development where he wanted to live refused to sell him a home. The reason? Mr. Liebaert is a lawyer.
The developer, Burlington Homes, was up front about its concerns. "We do not need to do business with everyone who walks in the door," said company president Donovan Judkins, who went on to say that a previous experience with a home-buying lawyer had "made our life miserable with threats and intimidation." As a result of this decision, Mr. Liebaert sued Burlington Industries for discrimination based on his profession.
He lost. A California Superior Court judge dismissed the suit, saying that discrimination based on profession is not illegal under federal or state law. Mr. Liebaert filed an emergency appeal, and that was also denied.
Illegal discrimination is specifically defined under federal, state, and local laws. Federal law prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, and disability. Some state laws also include sexual orientation. A handful of cities and counties do protect home buyers against discrimination based on profession (New York City and Portland, Oregon both have this type of legislation.) But discrimination based on profession is not illegal in California. Mr. Liebaert was out of luck.
Not all discrimination is illegal. In some cases, individuals are treated unfairly, and there is nothing that they can do about it through the judicial system. Even if discrimination is claimed by a member of a so-called protected class, it still must be determined that the discrimination was because of the protected class status and not some other factor.
Discrimination law is a work in progress, and it is not completely consistent throughout the United States. It is important to know the specific protections applied within your jurisdiction, and act accordingly.
Source: The New York Times, September 12, 2000.
© Linda F. Willing, 2000
