US$450,000 penalty after employee event serves as reminder of different personality types
For all the talk of diversity and mental health, I’m not sure how much they have crept into the area of employee recognition.
But that’s something employers may want to take note of after this recent incident.
A U.S. employer was charged US$450,000 after throwing a surprise birthday celebration for one of its workers.
The employee – who has anxiety disorder – had specifically asked his employer not to celebrate the occasion because he feared it would trigger a panic attack. But this request was forgotten, so the worker ended up leaving the revelry to have lunch in his car.
The subsequent events are unclear, but conflict arose and eventually the individual was fired – only to file a lawsuit alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. And he won.
Of course, the case raises the issue of mental health, and how employers can do better when it comes to supporting workers with individual needs. There would have been little hardship to change the company tradition of public birthday lunches so this employee wasn’t put in the spotlight and penalized for his social phobia.
Introverts versus extroverts
The decision also resonates with me as I’m an ardent introvert. While I don’t have social anxiety, I would also prefer not to have my birthday celebrated at work. It’s just not my thing. And I would hope my employer would accommodate that preference.
For years, we’ve heard that recognition is most effective when it’s personal. That can mean something as simple as a handwritten note from a manager or lunch with a CEO.
But I’m not sure how often introversion versus extroversion is factored into employee recognition programs. Because there are many people who would love to be singled out in front of their peers, their achievements loudly celebrated.
On the other hand, there are the introverts, who would much more appreciate a quiet word of thanks or small gift given in privacy.
“Introvert employees can make recognition tricky,” says a blog by the ita group, which provides six ways to effectively recognize this group: use personal emails to recognize accomplishments; recognize introverts in front of their immediate team; use your company’s employee recognition platform; give thoughtful feedback; be a behind-the-scenes advocate; and take them out for coffee.
“Understanding the different personalities in your office will better set your team members and your organization up for success.”
As many of us return to our offices, in-person recognition will once again become popular, which is definitely a positive development. But let’s hope employers and HR take into account the different employee preferences – and of course any mental health considerations – when planning the rewards.
When companies integrate both employee appreciation and diversity and inclusion (D&I), good things happen, especially to the bottom line, according to a new study.
