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

HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

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A 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 workplace
• Terminations disguised as layoffs
• Recruiter settlement on discriminatory practices
• Ultimate Guide to HR book update! Listen to find out how to get a freebie!
• A government agency discriminated against pregnant workers
• Quiet vacationing

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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 [e-mail] 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.