Marcus Williams Training Academy

Saying you don't condone sexual harassment is not enough if you don't back it up with swift action. Harassment, assault, retaliation. Every employee is important and deserves a safe place to work.  

Articles Used: 

1. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/18/mcdonalds-lawsuit-systemic-sexual-harassment-employees-worldwide 

2. https://time.com/5725058/mcdonalds-sexual-harassment-lawsuit/ 

3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52284054  

Music Credits:  Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/​​...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

Misconduct can be perpetrated by or against any gender. Don't allow gender biases to influence your view when you receive an allegation. Also, action speaks louder than words. Your policy only carries the worth of your action. 

Articles Used: 

1. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-paying-95000-to-end-sexual-harassment-case-where-male-employee-said-his-female-boss-made-life-miserable-2019-12-04 

2. https://www.hrdive.com/news/chipotle-settles-eeoc-suit-alleging-worker-was-locked-in-freezer-after-repo/568522/ 

3. https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/chipotle-pay-95000-settle-eeoc-sexual-harassment-and-retaliation-lawsuit#:~:text=%2D%20Fast%2Dfood%20chain%20Chipotle%20Mexican,the%20federal%20agency%20announced%20today.  

Music Credits:  Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/​...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

Your company has policies. Your company has values. What speech you allow or disallow is your choice, but it is important that you apply and enforce the policy equally. Disagreement does not always equal offensive just because someone says it is.  

Articles Used: 

1. https://www.complyright.com/policies/can-employees-exercise-complete-freedom-of-speech-in-the-workplace 

2. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/employee-free-speech-in-the-workplace.aspx  

Music Credits:  Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

Let's talk about how Dark Horse Comics went from referring to Scott Allie's tendency to bite others as a joke to finally being forced to take appropriate disciplinary action. Why was he allowed to continue in his job for so long when his bad behavior was so well known in the industry?  

Articles Used: 1. Twitter Feed of @ShawnaGore 2. HTTPS://GRAPHICPOLICY.COM/2015/10/01/ENOUGH-IS-ENOUGH-DARK-HORSES-SCOTT-ALLIES-ASSAULTING-BEHAVIOR/ 3. https://www.comicsbeat.com/dark-horse-scott-allie-misconduct/ 4. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dark-horse-comics-cuts-ties-editor-scott-allie-accusations-sexual-abuse-1300388 5. https://io9.gizmodo.com/dark-horse-finally-cuts-ties-with-editor-scott-allie-af-1844163340  

Music Credits:  Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

Listen to Bryan tell his story about how his employer received an allegation that he had engaged in misconduct, how they conducted an investigation, and how they found that he not only did not engage in the alleged behavior, but that the allegations were made up. Unfortunately, when the investigation failed to implicate Bryan, they found another excuse to fire him, the fact he was without a permanent residence.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

No matter how long you have been conducting investigations, you can still find ways to improve. Your experience is only as good as the training you received. You may sitting on a ticking time bomb of case files without even knowing it. In this episode I talk about my observations of common mistakes and failings after reviewing hundreds of cases. It's not just the other guy who needs this. You aren't as good as you think you are. 

And if you feel yourself getting angry or defensive, you are in the right place.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

Sometimes companies don't know what to do and don't have good policies in place when misconduct is occurring, so they choose to just make it go away. To protect my guest's anonymity, I will call him "Steve." Listen to Steve's story of being stalked and threatened by a coworker and being fired when he went to his supervisor for help. Here is his story and my take on what should have happened.  

Content warning: Some mild language and references to stalking and violence  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life. Fill out the form at https://williamsconsultgroup.com/podcast

How much more effective would your team be if everyone knew and understood the roles of each team member? Does your manager know what you do? Do you understand why your manager makes specific demands? When everyone is trained in a silo, there is no clear communication or collaboration. If I were in charge, I would utilize a comprehensive training model.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

*****Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life*****

#titleix #titlenine #titleixcoordinator #investigator #corporatetraining #misconduct

No longer can leaders tell their employees to "trust us." Employees want transparency and are willing to move to an organization that is transparent. When it comes to misconduct, transparency and consistency build trust while acting as a check and balance on disciplinary decisions. The data backs me up.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

Articles Used:  https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/effect-of-employer-transparency 

https://institute.uschamber.com/employees-demand-transparency/ 

Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life

Humans are complicated beings. We all do good things and bad things. Our public persona is often different than what we do in private. However, people often judge allegations of bad behavior through the lens of other non-related good behavior.  You must take care to look at the actual relevant evidence, not whether a person is nice, hard working, or your friend. Our prisons are full of good people who did a bad thing. 

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

Episode Transcript:  https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-myths-good-people-can-t-do-bad-things?origin=business_manager 

Articles Used:  https://twentytwowords.com/judge-gives-rapist-pastor-lenient-sentence-hes-good-christian/#:~:text=Pastor%20David%20Lynn%20Richards%20Jr,t%20deserve%20life%20behind%20bars 

Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life  

I was not paid for placement of the security camera in the background, but I do recommend it! www.wyze.com

Behind the scenes at "The Happiest Place on Earth," things were not quite so happy for Conner Howell during his role as Hans in "Frozen." The role started out as a dream until the director changed and Howell was faced with harassment and discrimination. We talk about what happened and how things could have been handled differently, even though we only have one side of the story. 

 Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

Episode Transcript:  https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-in-the-news-frozen-live-at-the-hyperion?origin=business_manager  

Articles Used: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10163695898520054&id=617980053

Contact me to share your workplace story for our series: Misconduct in Real Life

The world was rocked when allegations that Ellen DeGeneres, the founder of the "Be Kind" movement was accused of overseeing a toxic workplace environment. In this episode we explore the story and ask if the toxicity was due to misconduct and what you can do to avoid the same issues in your organization. 

 Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

Episode Transcript:  https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-in-the-news-the-ellen-degeneres-show?origin=business_manager  

Articles Used: 

https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-mean-backlash-nikkietutorials-timeline-2020-4  

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/07/30/ellen-degeneres-apologizes-show-staff-after-mistreatment-complaints/5550464002/  

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/krystieyandoli/ellen-employees-allege-toxic-workplace-culture  

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/28/896253475/the-ellen-degeneres-show-is-under-internal-investigation

Leaders frequently believe that because they haven't received any reports of misconduct that none is occurring. It is the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil approach, or in other words - denial. Misconduct is happening and you can only deal with it if you know about it. Improve your process and increase trust so that your employees feel confident your response will be professional and competent.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Listen on your favorite podcast app or read the transcript at: https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-myths-nothing-to-see-here?origin=business_manager

After receiving an allegation of sexual misconduct against anchor Ed Henry from a former employee, Fox immediately hired a law firm to conduct an investigation and Henry was fired less than a week later. I talk through the case from an investigator's perspective.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  

Episode Transcript:  

https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-in-the-news-ed-henry-and-fox-news?origin=business_manager  

Articles Used: 

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/01/885956385/fox-news-host-newly-fired-for-sexual-misconduct-had-inspired-earlier-warning

 https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53254656  

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/media/ed-henry-fired-fox-news/index.html  

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/21/893394261/civil-suit-against-former-fox-news-anchor-ed-henry-alleges-rape-sexual-misconduc

In this episode of the Marcus Williams Training Academy Podcast, we talk about alcohol in the workplace and the increased risk of misconduct that alcohol consumption creates. Alcohol is strongly tied to workplace misconduct and poor decision making. Creating a culture where meetings, parties, or relationships revolve around alcohol is creating unnecessary risk and liability. It also alienates and creates discrimination against those who don't drink for personal, health, religious, or other reasons. If I were in charge, well, that's what this episode is all about.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Links to articles used in the podcast:

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/alcohol-and-work-holiday-parties.aspx https://www.ethoscopywriting.com/blog/2017/1/30/how-many-drinks-should-i-have-at-a-business-meeting-or-happy-hour https://www.inc.com/john-discala/how-to-lead-a-successful-business-meeting-over-drinks.html

Transcript: https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes

In this segment, we take a current news story involving an organization struggling to properly handle misconduct. I walk through the publicly available information to discuss what should have been done and what needs to happen in the future to rebuild trust and create a professional misconduct response program.  

The subject of this episode is Ubisoft, the international gaming company known for game franchises like "Assassin's Creed" and "Splinter Cell."

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Podcast Transcript: https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-in-the-news-ubisoft 

Articles Used: https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-employees-have-grave-concerns-over-toronto-stud-1844277486 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-21/ubisoft-sexual-misconduct-scandal-harassment-sexism-and-abuse https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-ubisoft-allegations-of-harassment-20200712-zcynk3gzrfegtlm4ym4ixiigoa-story.html

Although it is important to conduct thorough background and reference checks before hiring, there is no way to prevent your employees from engaging in future misconduct. You can minimize the risk but never make it go away. Preventing misconduct involves good hiring practices, good policy, training, and a culture built on trust.  

Music Credits: Spy Glass Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Listen on your favorite podcast app or read the transcript at: https://www.williamsconsultgroup.com/forum/podcast-episodes/misconduct-myths-preventing-misconduct-through-hiring?origin=business_manager 

Articles cited: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/10/14/corrupt-ncis-agent-who-was-besotted-with-fat-leonard-begs-judge-for-mercy/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/ncis-special-agent-shared-classified-information-with-her-terrorist-suspect-lover-prosecutors-say/2018/10/02/d1ba3140-c65b-11e8-9b1c-a90f1daae309_story.html

I sent an email out to over 2200 title ix coordinators, all of which I had found and gathered manually, one by one. In the last episode I talked about title ix websites. In this follow-up, I share what happened after I hit send on the email.

I viewed over 2000 college and university Title IX websites. There was a disturbing number of very poorly designed sites - potential barriers to effectively helping students. Is that truly the message they are trying to communicate? I walk through what I learned and how you can create a website that truly reflects your desire to help your campus community.

After working as a Title IX investigator, I realized that Title IX, Human Resources, and other internal investigators are expected to conduct quality investigations but are not provided with quality training. I had to solve that problem, so the Williams Consulting Group and Marcus Williams Training Academy were born.

You haven't had any allegations up to this point. You only hire good people. It will never happen to you, right? WRONG! You will have to respond to allegations of misconduct at some point and how you respond matters.

What behaviors constitute misconduct? I review a list of misconduct behaviors that you may see in your organization. Misconduct is behavior, criminal or otherwise, that is against the policies and values of the organization.

Learn how including support persons in your policy and in your investigations can help improve communication, increase participation, and lead to better information. 

Start building a solid foundation of skills for your interviewing toolbox by learning how to prepare for and conduct effective interviews.

Lesson Two of the Investigations Certification Program will help you understand what it means and what it requires to have a biased investigation. It teaches how to avoid allowing your biases to influence your investigations and also how to protect yourself against false accusations of bias. Purchase the course at marcuswilliamstraining.com

Lesson One of the Investigations Certification Program will help you prepare detailed and thorough investigative plans, which will protect you and ensure your investigations are thorough, solid, and every fact is corroborated. Purchase the course at marcuswilliamstraining.com