HR Management & Compliance

Top 10 List: Why Supervisors Do NOT Need Basic Legal Training

Please don’t read this list literally! Vermont employment law attorney Jeffrey Nolan with Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew had his tongue firmly planted in cheek when he first shared this list with listeners during a national audio presentation on performance evaluations earlier today.

Conference attendees asked us to send them a copy, and we thought you’d enjoy seeing it, too. So, with apologies to David Letterman, here is Jeff’s “totally sarcastic” top 10 list of reasons why employers should NOT do comprehensive legal issues training for supervisors. Drumroll, please!

10. Training costs money.
9.  Training sessions take time.
8.  You’re pretty sure you did “sexual harassment” training a couple of years ago.
7.  Your workplace is so enlightened that you don’t need it.
6.  Getting sued gives you first-hand experience with the exciting legal process.
5.  It can be fun to watch an arrogant supervisor being cross-examined about every snarky e-mail he’s ever sent.
4.  Jury trials get less scary after your third or fourth one.
3.  Punitive damages are really no big deal.
2.  When the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concludes that discrimination or harassment occurred in your workplace, it will make you do training anyway.
1.  Ignorance is bliss!

If you can think of other “teaching points” for Jeff, please sign in and leave a comment. Jeffrey is an attorney with Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew in Burlington and a frequent contributor to Vermont Employment Law Letter.

Supervisor training is a critical part of every organization’s efforts to limit employment law issues. HR Hero provides a number of training products and services including the Basic Training for Supervisors booklet series, DVD training programs, and online training at our Training Today website.

1 thought on “Top 10 List: Why Supervisors Do NOT Need Basic Legal Training”

  1. 1. those jokes aren’t really that bad..besides,some people just don’t have a sense of humor
    3. the employees like me. none of them would ever sue
    4. employment law training is boring & it takes too long

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