Social worker Juli took an administrative role to get health insurance for her daughter only to see the racial hierarchy at work front and center. Hear Juli's story, her take on why workplace abuse happens from a social worker lens, and what her three tips are for targets of workplace abuse. Take action: http://www.wpsact.org Learn more: https://workplacepsychologicalsafetyact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FactSheetWomenofColor.pdf If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Employers in the U.S. have WAY too much power. And that power reinforces white supremacy and the patriarchy. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on the system to show how abuse and discrimination at work intertwine to keep white men in power — and the rest of us out. Take action: http://www.wpsact.org Learn more: https://workplacepsychologicalsafetyact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FactSheetWomenofColor.pdf If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Recovery from such trauma as workplace abuse follows a typical pattern. In this episode, I talk about those typical stages of recovery and how we're leaning on the collective part of recovery by giving targeted employees a way to take their voices back, minimize the isolation, and give others permission to speak up in a national protest across the country. Join us on Saturday, October 22 at Lives Lost to Workplace Bullying and Mobbing at a location near you (or start an event near you) to honor 15 victims who lost their lives after abuse at work and publicly let targeted employees and legislators that we're not backing down from fighting for protections for workers: https://actionnetwork.org/events/lives-lost-to-workplace-bullying-and-mobbing/ If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Research shows the difference between healthy and toxic work cultures. In this episode, I share my top three signs based on my own experience in multiple jobs — and what we can do to navigate or heal from these toxic workplaces. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

In 1991, Anita Hill became a household name when she shared her story of sexual harassment by Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas. Sexual harassment is a form of abuse of power and control at work, making it a common tactic for workplace abuse. In this episode, I talk about three aspects of Anita's story that follow the workplace bullying playbook as shown in the documentary ANITA on Apple TV Movies. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Often defined by our bullies, limiting beliefs can make us feel stuck after workplace abuse. In this episode, I talk about three common limiting beliefs after the trauma of workplace bullying — and what you can do about them. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Abuse at work can trigger feelings of shame from authoritarian or passive parenting. Once we process the pain from childhood that we deserved to feel seen and heard, we can detach from shame pushed onto us and reinforce our own moral codes. In this episode. I talk about these parallels and more resources to help you heal from workplace abuse. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates and the video company Twitch both dealt with workplace abuse in the past two weeks. But these two organizations handled it quite differently. In this episode, I detail what happened at each company and which steps are either key for change or promising. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Hollywood and the medical industry. We know they're both rampant with bullying, but now they're addressing it. In this episode, I talk about what's happening behind the scenes — and what still needs to be done to actually move the needle on the issue. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

The Dignity At Work Act is THE strongest piece of legislation I've seen to hold employers accountable for abusing workers. And to change the status quo, we need a bill with teeth. In this episode, bill author and professor Jerry Carbo and I explain the need for the bill and how it fills gaps in the law — especially for those who suffer from discrimination but can't prove it. Learn more at DignityAtWorkAct.org. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

This week alone, I read or saw three stories in the media detailing workplace bullying (one in the form of discrimination and the other in the form of alleged sexual assault and worse). While the third story didn't use the term "workplace abuse" or "workplace bullying," I was glad to see the media give attention to this hidden epidemic. In this episode, I describe the stories as reported, talk about which aspects are textbook abuse, and share how you can get involved in holding employers accountable. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

How do you know if you've been through workplace bullying? What does it look like? And what's normal in the healing process that surprises targets of workplace abuse? In this episode, I walk you through both interpersonal and organizational bullying tactics designed to break you down — plus two unexpected steps of the healing process and what you can do to take your power back. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

We know politics on both sides of the aisle is full of toxic behavior. But during this week's events around the election, we saw blatant abuse tactics. In this episode, I talk about some of the more obvious tactics and how they compare to workplace bullying. They're tactics so obvious that they show the bully playbook in a simple form — and that we're not the problem. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

When we've been abused at work, our bullies and employers control the narrative, leaving us feeling voiceless and isolated. But when we advocate for ourselves, especially collectively, we own our narratives, take our voices back, and climb out of isolation by connecting with others who've gone through similar experiences. There's a third effect when we speak up collectively: we give others permission to speak up too, growing our movement. Join us on Saturday, October 22 at Lives Lost to Workplace Bullying and Mobbing at a location near you (or start an event near you) to honor 15 victims who lost their lives after abuse at work and publicly let targeted employees and legislators that we're not backing down from fighting for protections for workers: https://actionnetwork.org/events/lives-lost-to-workplace-bullying-and-mobbing/ If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Workplace abuse recovery can feel like a hopeless roller coaster of grief, mistrust, and despair that often eventually lead to hope and purpose. In this episode, I spoke with blogger Janice White of The Empowered Employee (https://theempoweredemployee.com/) about the top ten things that sucked the most about workplace abuse recovery, based on her blog post of the same name: https://theempoweredemployee.com/2020/04/11/3903/ If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

In the U.S., we're in a culture where white, straight men still dominate the vast majority of power positions in the U.S. workforce. In other words, white, straight men are most likely to have power to abuse in the first place, leave everyone else more likely to suffer on this receiving end. In this episode, I talk about the group MOST likely get bullied at work — and why. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Sharing your workplace bullying doesn't just help other targets understand they're not alone when it's published. It helps you heal, even if you burn it afterwards. In this episode, I talk about why writing out your story helps you and other targets and how to construct your story for bloggers or reporters in 1-2 pages, including: Where’d you work? What did you do? How did the bullying begin? What tactics were used? How’d it escalate? How did you feel? How did your employer react (or not react)? What was the impact on you? What was the impact on the organization? Why do you want workplace bullying legislation to pass? What advice do you have for others going through bullying at work? If you'd like to share your story anonymously on DignityTogether.org or DignityAtWorkAct.org, email me at info@dignitytogether.org. If you'd like to share your story with reporters, even anonymously, find area reporters who've written about workers' rights or discrimination and email them your story. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

The Karpman Drama Triangle is a tool for healthy communication. It can take you from persecutor/bully to challenger, victim to survivor/thriver, and rescuer/savior to coach. In this episode, I take you through the points of the triangle what you can do to move into healthy communication in each one. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

October is National Bullying Prevention Month! Find out what campaigns organizations are running across the country and what the National Workplace Bullying Coalition is doing for workers: http://www.workplacebullyingcoalition.org If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

If the Dignity At Work Act is the solution to moving the needle on creating safer workplaces, how do we pass it? In this episode, I reveal three major ways you can take a stand to pass workplace bullying legislation — and take it at any level of commitment either publicly or behind-the-scenes. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

What's your idea of justice after you've been bullied at work? In this episode, I'll break down what justice looks like in discrimination cases — and what justice can look like for targets of workplace bullying in a rigged game. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Life is all about relationships, and int his episode, Leadership Coach Lynelle Trigalet talks about how to put yourself in a healthy mindset. Lynelle works with individuals and organizations and can be reached at lynelle@lynelletrigalet.com. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

When is blame toxic and when is it useful in helping you heal from a toxic environment at work? In this episode, I talk about Dr. Karin Huffer's 8 steps for avoiding the traumatic stress caused by the justice system and how those steps translate to traumatic stress caused by a workplace. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Sometimes the nuances of workplace bullying are hard to see. If it's not yelling, lying, or some other obvious form of abuse, the subtleties can leave you feeling confused. In this episode, I'll crack the code with 8 major signs your toxic boss is trying to wreak havoc on your life. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

We've heard about the idea of #QuietQuitting, the concept of not going above and beyond in your job to avoid burnout. But that narrative is the employer's narrative — not the employee's. Luckily, TikTok has seen a backlash to #QuietQuitting called #QuietFiring, calling out how employers create toxic work environments that leave employees checked out or pushed out. In this episode, I talk about how TikTok users have taken back the narrative and what's involved with #QuietFiring (hint: we call it workplace bullying and mobbing or workplace psychological abuse). If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Employers say they uphold values, but when push comes to shove, they often do what it takes to avoid liability. We're talking abuse of power, and it undermines rights, gives the law not much teeth, and reinforces the very hierarchy that led to the claim in the first place. In this episode, I'll walk you through eight ways the authors of Rights on Trial say we can fix the "re-inscription of ascribed hierarchies." If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Marty, Thomas, and Malika are three Black workers who felt they were on the receiving end of racist and other discriminatory behavior at work. In this episode, they reveal the details of their versions of the mistreatment — and what's happened (or hasn't happened) in the aftermath. If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Abuse of power didn't end for Boston police officer Brenda James on June 8, 2012 when her supervisor wrangled a loaded firearm from her retention holster, putting her life on the line according to Brenda. Members of the police department allegedly sabotaged Brenda through a series of errors and omissions over the course of eight years and counting. The worst part: not a single authority stepped in to hold those white officers accountable. Not one. Learn more: https://www.dignitytogether.org/blog/police-officer-endured-series-of-abuses-for-eight-years-after-management-error If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Boston police officer Brenda James began her career in the male-dominated, dangerous field in 1994. Her district was changing, becoming more inclusive and diverse. The police department adopted a different model of policing — “community policing” — developing partnerships and relationships with community members. Officer James was assigned to help carry out that mission. She was recognized for the work she did as a community service officer and then became a juvenile officer, a liaison between the police department and community – school officials, clergy, business-owners, social service agencies, and programs. She was involved in roundtable discussions, interventions, mediation, individual educational plans for students at risk, court advocacy for juvenile delinquents, and relationship-building with probation. She became certified to mediate and earned a masters degree in criminal justice from Boston University. But all that work went down the drain when a higher-up targeted Brenda in 2011 and escalated the abuse to a traumatic event on June 8, 2012. Learn more: https://www.dignitytogether.org/blog/police-officer-endured-series-of-abuses-for-eight-years-after-management-error If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

There's one MAJOR factor that keeps mostly white men in power and the rest of us out of it: stereotypes. And they're not just reinforced at work. They're reinforced in the courts, rendering discrimination law not powerful enough to disrupt social hierarchies at work. That power results in a distinct hierarchy along demographics and income — aka how we as a culture value work as it relates to racial and gender stereotypes and how much comfort groups can experience with their incomes. Authors of the book Rights on Trial report this hierarchy of median incomes by demographic in 2014: Asian American men, $59,766 White men, $58,712 Asian American women, $48,419 White women, $44,236 African American men, $41,167 African American women, $35,212 Latino men, $35,114 Latina women, $30,329 (yes — that's about HALF the median income of Asian American men) If you've been abused at work related to your race, gender, disability, age, or other demographic and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

If we look at the word "responsibility," we see it literally means ability to respond. That ability to respond to situations that serve or don't serve us is where our power lies. And if we take 100% radical responsibility for that power, we more clearly see our choices where we once had tunnel vision, focused on the injustice and the grief. In this episode, I talk about what it means to take radical responsibility for our lives. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

What does justice mean, even for those whose abuse falls under illegal discrimination? The authors of Rights on Trial took a deep dive into the wide variety of outcomes for plaintiffs and defendants in discrimination cases — and how the legal system is rigged to keep hierarchies at work intact. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

If we took passive approaches to our careers and lives, we'd look at job postings and see what we fit into. But if we took assertive approaches, we'd ask ourselves what we want to accomplish in life, where we want to be, what we want work to look like for us, and what first step we can take to get there. In her book Reinvention Roadmap, author Liz Ryan calls this step "getting altitude" — and it's a key step in taking back your life. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

How do we re-train our brains to process an attack? What root belief systems and thoughts can we shift to deflect mean comments? Emotional Intelligence Specialist and Founder of Positive EQ Kirsti Gwynn reveals the inner work we can do to not internalize others' projections. http://www.positiveeq.com Kirsti leads the Unlocking Inner Strength: 3 Practices to Build Emotional Resilience mini-course in the six-month Healing Speaker Series: https://redefineourselves.com/healing-speaker-series/ Kirsti is dedicated to helping caring people to overcome anxious thinking so they can feel calm and content. She holds a masters in applied positive psychology and coaching psychology, with a background in counseling, and is passionate about using evidence-based positive psychology interventions in her work. Kirsti has worked with various charities, businesses, and schools to improve mental health and well-being. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Toxic employers pile manipulation onto manipulation. If they allow abuse to happen, they say they're against it but then vilify the target as soon as they know the details of the complaint. And they know courts will eat up this common and awful tactic. It's a disgusting way of getting rid of liability. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Stories of workplace abuse are going public more and more — this time with the Phoenix Suns. In this episode, I talk about the reported abuse from Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, what the investigation found, and Sarver's consequences for his abusive behavior. Are they enough? If you've been abused at work and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at http://www.dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

When Dollar General marketing planning analyst Daniel Stone questioned the needs of frontline workers amid COVID-19, he found a target on his back. His speaking up ultimately led to his firing, but Daniel continues to mobilize workers to fight for their basic fundamental rights to dignity. In this episode, Daniel shares his story and his views on the cultural shift that's happening across the nation. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

When one demographic occupies the majority of power positions in the U.S. workforce, abuse of power through "othering people" becomes a tactic for retaining that power. In this episode, I talked about the culture of abuse of power with Dr. Tonisha Pinckney. Dr. Toni shares her experiences at work as a Black woman and her views on how race, gender, and other ways of "othering" play out in a hierarchical system. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

One way of healing from workplace abuse is advocating for what we value. Advocacy around the Dignity At Work Act (http://www.DignityAtWorkAct.org), workers' rights in general, and any issue that fires you up around abuse of power helps us heal from it. Legislation isn't about eradicating an issue (though that would be nice). I mean, murder still happens. It's about moving the needle on our work cultures. Ask a woman who worked before 1980, when the Supreme Court finally recognized sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination, what workplaces were like. She'll likely describe an environment where groping was acceptable, even normalized. Our vision is to make abuse at work equally unacceptable so we can make a dent in creating a more fair culture. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Self-care isn't just about bubble baths and massages. So what exactly is it, and why is it so important? Expert Ellen Rondina guides us through what it REALLY is and why we need it. Take her self-care assessment to see where you stand with self-care: http://www.ellenrondina.com/ Find out more with her free e-book: https://www.amazon.com/SELF-CARE-REVOLUTION-Sustainable-Resilience-Professionals-ebook/dp/B07D3LFHRG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=MJ7LJT1RBIKW&dchild=1&keywords=the+self+care+revolution&qid=1589470426&sprefix=self-care+revol%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-3 If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Dignity At Work Act author, president of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition, and university professor Jerry Carbo has spent years researching workplace abuse and what laws abroad help protect worker dignity. On this episode, Jerry shares insights into what his vast experience taught him and how he's bringing that knowledge to fight for psychological safety for workers. Advocates in more than 15 U.S. states hope to introduce this bill in 2021. If you'd like to introduce the bill in your state, email info@dignityatworkact.org to be part of the growing movement. You'll will receive support every step of the way. Read more about the bill, including the bill language: http://dignityatworkact.org/ If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Amazon higher-ups fired Staten Island warehouse supervisor Chris Smalls after he spoke up about lack of protections for workers amid COVID-19. According to Smalls, higher-ups required all workers to report to work without PPE or take unpaid sick leave — leaving them to choose between a paycheck and their health. Infected workers risked infecting others, and healthy workers risked getting infected and spreading the virus. Amazon's decisions beg the question: WHO exactly is standing together to flatten the curve? In this episode, Chris shares his version of the story, despite Amazon higher-ups trying to make him look badly since the firing. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/02/dear-jeff-bezos-amazon-instead-of-firing-me-protect-your-workers-from-coronavirus If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Termination for wearing personal protective equipment in hallways. Lip service about protections in grocery stores. Lack of paid family leave, sick leave, or hazard pay. These tactics are just some of the ways employers ignore the well-being of their front-line workers amid the global pandemic. The sad part is that these views were always there. They're not simply exposed on a grand scale that's creating a class war. If you've been abused at work related to COVID-19 and would like to share your story anonymously, email info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

"I've always been driven by the idea that life is a state of mind. That's not to say that we don't have forces within us or that act upon us that can make life challenging. The idea is that, despite our circumstances, we always have the power to at the very least change our mind, change our perspective. When it comes down to it, we are the ones manufacturing our reality. Just like the choices that face Reagan in this show, sometimes we need to gather our courage and make the decisions that serve us best, even if that goes against status quo.” — Rebecca Kopycinski Artist Rebecca Kopycinski created the immersive theater show Thotbot Implantation Center as a way to question our reality and our control over that reality. On this episode, this singer, filmmaker, and multimedia performance artist talks about her inspiration, the premise of the show and what we can learn from it, and how you can check it out for yourself. Read more: https://www.wbur.org/artery/2019/06/26/is-your-thotbot-glitched-you-might-already-be-in-rebecca-kopycinskis-dystopian-extravaganza Thotbot.me/ Reaganesthermyer.com/ Instagram: @ReaganEstherMyer If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

At-will employment means you're at the will of your employer. So your employer doesn't need just cause — or any cause at all — to terminate you so long as they don't discriminate against you. That's a pitiful foundation of rights for employees (meaning almost none). Find out what two Massachusetts legislators are doing to change the status quo and which single state already banned at-will employment (I would never have guessed). If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Children's book author Chad Hunter wrote Zack & the Zombie – No Bulliez Pleaze! as a way to open up the conversation about bullying with kids in a safe way. Find out what motivated him to write this book that led to his inspiring journey of sharing his message in his bullying-prevention, pro-empathy program “No Bulliez Pleaze!,” presented to more than 6,000 students and faculty in the Midwest. Chad's able to deliver his message remotely. Contact him through ZackandtheZombie.com and find videos you can watch with your kids to start a discussion with them. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

Fifty years of research are behind the need for workplace anti-abuse legislation in the U.S.. In this episode, I talk about those findings, how they shape our direction with the brand new Workplace Psychological Safety Act, and how you can learn about the collective action we're taking by introducing and advocating for this bill across the country. You can signup for this upcoming training simply to learn if it's a right fit for you on Tuesday, September 20 at 7pmET: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoceqorjoiGtxNPXQJOGkTfPmxvaWURpey If you want to learn about upcoming trainings, sign our petition to get on our email list: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/pass-the-workplace-psychological-safety-act

While the COVID-19 outbreak shows a dire need for worker support, it exposes a need that's been there all along. Global crises aren't the only types of crises that shake up our lives. Personal and family crises can put us in critical situations that require more support. Find out what support through proposed legislation (and some passed, but no more than 22 percent of the nation on any given bill) is important for all of our well-being — support we should've had all along. State bills Contact your state legislators to ask them to move the bills forward in your state. If pro-employee bills have been proposed in your state for these topics (and more: at-will employment, bereavement leave, and paid FMLA), let us know by emailing info@endworkplaceabuse.com, and we’ll get the word out. Abusive waivers A provision in a contract waiving a right or remedy relating to a claim of discrimination, nonpayment of wages or benefits, retaliation, or harassment in employment shall be void and unenforceable. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.1049. Email tovah.miller@masenate.gov and alexandra.kliger@masenate.gov to ask to move the bill forward. Credit reports A person shall not use a consumer report in connection with or as a criterion for an employment purpose, request or procure a consumer report for employment purposes, or require an employee or applicant to answer a question about the contents of a consumer report or the information contained in it regarding credit worthiness, credit standing or credit capacity. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.2310. Email tovah.miller@masenate.gov and alexandra.kliger@masenate.gov to ask to move the bill forward. Injured workers Protects injured works from unfair hiring and firing. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.2401/H.4174. Email tovah.miller@masenate.gov and alexandra.kliger@masenate.gov to ask to move the bill forward. You're invited to attend a briefing tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10, 1:30-2:30pm, Room 222 of the Massachusetts State House to learn more about the need to clarify and strengthen the workers' compensation anti-retaliation law. Presenters include injured workers who've suffered from employer retaliation, worker organizations and lawyers who represent workers denied access to medical care and workers' comp benefits, and workers' comp experts on how workers are shut out of the workers' comp system due to unscrupulous employer behavior. Minimum wage Increases the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Rhode Island: S.2147. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs — used to silence targets and versions passed in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington, while legislation has been proposed in Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) Would ban the use of non-disclosure agreements. Details vary by state. Iowa: H.110. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Kansas: H.2324. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Massachusetts: S.929. Email Joan.Lovely@masenate.gov to ask to move it forward. New Mexico: H.21. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Rhode Island: S.2140. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Texas: S.159. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. West Virginia: H.2050. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. One fair wage (for tipped workers and versions passed in Alaska, California, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington and proposed in Connecticut, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Vermont) Would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers incrementally to require they're eventually paid the full minimum wage. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.1082/H.1617. Email samuel.larson@mahouse.gov to ask to move it forward. North Carolina: H.366. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Rhode Island: S.2143. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Vermont: H.429. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Overtime Updates salary thresholds for overtime work. Massachusetts: S.2313/H.4025. Email tovah.miller@masenate.gov and alexandra.kliger@masenate.gov to ask to move the bill forward. Scheduling (for hourly workers and versions passed in Oregon plus a few major cities) Across the country, retail, food service, and hospitality workers are notified too late of their schedules, forced to work on-call and "clopening" shifts (closing followed by opening), and have their time outside of work repeatedly disrespected by their employers. This bill would allow workers the chance to build stable lives for themselves and their families. Fair Workweek legislation will ensure that workers in restaurants, retail establishments, and the hospitality industry would for the first time have the right to 14 days advance notice from the employer of scheduled hours, request specific hours without retaliation from the employer, a minimum rest period of 11 hours between shifts, be offered any additional available hours before an employer can hire a new employee to fill them, and collect unemployment benefits when an employer’s failure to comply with Fair Scheduling practices is the worker’s reason for leaving a job. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.1110/H.3809. Email samuel.larson@mahouse.gov to ask to move it forward. Paid sick leave Mandates employer-paid sick leave. Details vary by state. Pennsylvania: S.13. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Wage theft (versions passed in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Oregon) Intended to discourage and penalize wage theft (not paying workers wages they’re owed). The bill would empower the attorney general and workers to hold accountable employers who commit wage theft or look the other way while it's happening by issuing stop work orders in wage theft cases and bring civil wage theft violations to court. It also provides workers greater protection from retaliation and allows workers and whistleblowers to also bring forward public enforcement actions in court. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.1066/H.1610. Email samuel.larson@mahouse.gov to ask to move it forward. Workplace abuse Creates a legal claim for targets of workplace abuse who can prove they were subjected to abusive behavior and provides defenses for employers who act preventively and responsively to discourage frivolous claims. Details vary by state. Massachusetts: S.1072. Email tovah.miller@masenate.gov and alexandra.kliger@masenate.gov to ask to move the bill forward. New Jersey: S.633. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. New York: S.2261/A.7366. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Pennsylvania: H.1693. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Rhode Island: S.2092A. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org and email these legislators to move it forward: sen-ciccone@rilegislature.gov, sen-cano@rilegislature.gov, sen-lombardi@rilegislature.gov, sen-delacruz@rilegislature.gov, sen-goldin@rilegislature.gov, sen-lawson@rilegislature.gov, sen-lombardo@rilegislature.gov, sen-miller@rilegislature.gov West Virginia: HB2062. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Utah: HB12. Ask your state legislators to move this bill forward. Find them at OpenStates.org. Know of any other pro-worker bills? Email me at info@dignitytogether.org. Federal bills We can also push for other pro-employee bills with federal legislators. BE HEARD Act (HR 2148) Bringing An End To Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination in the Workplace Act Current law doesn’t do enough to stop discrimination, particularly for the most vulnerable workers. To address the issue, the ACLU drafted Principles and Priorities for Legislative Action to Eliminate Workplace Harassment for Congress. The BE HEARD Act strengthens and broadens discrimination laws, removes barriers for targets, and helps employers create incentives and accountability for safe workplaces: It extends protections to all. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act doesn’t address workers in small businesses. This law would cover all employees regardless of business size plus independent contractors, volunteers, interns, fellows, and trainees — and add LGBTQ workers as a protected class. It gives targets a fair chance in court. Case law requires that harassment be “severe or pervasive” to win in court, often unattainable and that groping may not even fall under. The bill outlines what conduct is and is not unlawful to give guidance to the courts who’ve historically excused abusive conduct, blocking justice, and preventing others from speaking up. It promotes transparency. Acts of discrimination are most often kept private, furthered with agreements that mandate arbitration rather lawsuits upon starting jobs. The bill would ban mandatory arbitration and non-disclosure agreements upon accepting a job. It restores protections for workers harassed by supervisors. The bill would make holding employers liable for supervisor harassment easier. It assists employers in creating harassment-free workplaces. The bill authorizes research and data collection and gives employers template policies, trainings, and surveys plus best practices. Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7) An effort to address the gender pay gap, the Paycheck Fairness Act holds employers accountable for retaliating against workers who share wage information and places the burden on employers to justify pay gaps. Workers can then sue for wage discrimination. PRO Act (HR 2474) The PRO Act will empower workers to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions while preventing employers from interfering in union elections and other workers’ rights violations through penalties. It will also override “right-to-work” laws that prevent unions from collecting dues from the workers they represent. (Unions are force that drives gender equality, higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces, but union membership is only 10 percent of the country’s workforce.) Know of any other pro-worker bills? Email me at info@dignitytogether.org. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

The legal system is a game that favors employers over employees. Listen to four major ways in which there's a huge asymmetry of power that give plaintiffs far less control and less support from their attorneys compared to employers. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy

What do your values have to do with whether or not you'll keep your job at a company? I sat down with Janice White, blogger and founder of The Empowered Employee, to go over Cynthia Shapiro's book Corporate Confidential. In her book, Shapiro reveals insights about what your employer won't tell you about how they really feel about you, what can kill your career, and how to become indispensable. Janice adds her "employee confidential" insights about what's missing from the equation when employers take specific approaches. If you feel like you need more help, I have a free guide to recovery steps at dignitytogether.org/targets and a signup for daily boosts through your inbox at the same place. Facebook: @HierarchyPodcast Twitter: @ScrewHierarchy