Ep92: A Smile or a Consequence - Trader Joe's Problematic Stance on Positivity

Send us Fan MailA story in the New York Times brought to light a different side to the Trader Joe's so many know and love, talking about how a policy of positivity and happy greetings was creating quite the opposite of a work environment for employees. In today’s episode, Chuck and John talk about this contradicting policy and environment, particularly with how it came across with a “smile” policy.How do you create a positive environment for customers without putting employees in uncomfortable or unreasonable situations?In the HR News + Updates segment, the team touches on the following topics and more:Dating rumors in the workplaceTerminations disguised as layoffsRecruiter settlement on discriminatory practicesUltimate Guide to HR book update! Listen to find out how to get a freebie!A government agency discriminated against pregnant workersQuiet vacationingSupport the showOur new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE! Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcastDon't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!Do you have a situation or topic you’d like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event?  You can reach the Team at  [email protected] for suggestions and inquiries.The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns.