Triple Take Tuesdays -- The $500K lawsuit that "neutral" HR could have prevented

TAKE #1 -- STORY: An HR manager told me she stays "neutral" in workplace conflicts. Last month, her silence during a harassment complaint allowed the behavior to continue for three more weeks. The victim quit. The harasser got promoted. The company got sued for $500K.

TAKE #2 -- LESSON: Neutrality in conflict isn't wisdom—it's cowardice disguised as professionalism. When you refuse to take sides between right and wrong, you've already chosen the wrong side. Predators count on your "neutrality" to operate freely.

TAKE #3 -- APPLY: Stop hiding behind neutrality. Start standing for what's right. Your job isn't to be Switzerland—it's to protect people and preserve workplace culture. Sometimes that means picking sides. Usually, it means picking the side of basic human decency.

KEEP IN MIND: True neutrality is knowing when not to be neutral.

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Let's pick up the pieces together.

L. Therese White 

Employment Mediator 

Workplace Conflict Resolution Coach

ThereseWhite.com