Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/632328
Upfront > 12 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m THINKSTOCKPHOTOS The Office DW Hot List Dear DW, What is my accountability if someone on my staf or a colleague makes a racist remark in the workplace? Signed, Trying to do the Right Ting Dear Trying to do the Right Thing, Te path you need to take is clear, though you may not fnd it easy. First, you need to speak up and let the per- son know that the comment is unacceptable. Second, your organization should have a policy in place that forbids this kind of behavior and requires that a formal person- nel action be taken against any employee who says something racist. It is important to be familiar with your company's policy and fle the appropriate complaint, says Bettina Deynes, vice presi- dent of human resources and diversity at the Society for Human Resource Management. Sure, you're likely to feel uncomfortable taking these steps. But acting as a leader requires the emotional intelligence to set your own comfort level aside and do the right thing. Any awkwardness you might experience from speaking up is minor compared to the damag- ing efects of racist behavior that goes unchallenged: it is hurtful to those who experience it, and it sends a message that racism is acceptable. What's more, it could make your organization vulnerable to legal liability under federal harassment laws. "Zero tolerance is the only way to go with racist be- havior," Deynes says. If you don't act, you undercut the trust that all employees need to have in the organiza- tion and its leadership. And if your organization doesn't have a clear policy on this issue, she adds, getting one in place is long past due. Zero Tolerance for Racist Remarks DROPBOX f e at u r e s : 2 gigabytes (GB) free storage; apps for Linux, Windows phone, BlackBerry, and Kindle Fire b e s t f o r : Users who want easy sharing across a wide range of devices d o w n s i d e : Less free stor- age than available with other plans GOOGLE DRIVE f e at u r e s : 15 GB free stor- age; fles can be as large as 5 terabytes; access to other Google services such as spreadsheets b e s t f o r : Chromebook users; Gmail account hold- ers, who can access Drive with minimal setup d o w n s i d e : Total storage space is shared with Gmail; if your inbox is big, your cloud storage space will be limited C loud-based storage makes it easy to store lots of data securely and to access it from just about any device, anywhere. But which service is best? We've checked out fve top contenders. All of these plans allow you to access your fles via the service's website or to download a desktop app for either Mac or PC that syncs your fles to the cloud. They also all have mobile apps for iOS and Android. The amount of free storage varies according to the plan, but all of the plans offer more storage for a modest ($2 to $10) monthly fee. Head in the Clouds BOX f e at u r e s : 10 GB free storage; apps for Windows phone and Black- Berry b e s t f o r : Business users who want to collaborate and control access to fles d o w n s i d e : Privacy settings can be cumbersome if you don't need to regulate access tightly COPY f e at u r e s : 15 GB free storage; Linux-based desktop app; no limits on fle size b e s t f o r : Teams who need to share large fles d o w n s i d e : Website interface can be a bit cumbersome ONEDRIVE f e at u r e s : 5 GB free storage; app for Windows phone; access to Out- look and other Microsoft services b e s t f o r : Windows users d o w n s i d e : Files are not always put into the correct folder