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Special Episode: Reopening From Coronavirus

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My Guest:

Lisa Brauner: Reopening From Coronavirus
My guest is attorney Lisa Brauner. We see the faint light at the end of the tunnel. We’re slowly emerging as we knew we would. But these things must be done delicately. What do you plan ahead for? How do you keep employees safe and can they refuse to return to work? What are reasonable accommodations? Lisa has answers. Lisa has advice. Lisa is a partner at Perlman+Perlman law firm in New York City.

 

 

 

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Transcript for 487b_tony_martignetti_nonprofit_radio_20200506.mp3

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[00:00:12.34] spk_1:
Hello and welcome to tony-martignetti non profit

[00:00:42.84] spk_2:
radio. Big non profit ideas for the other 95%. I’m your aptly named host. This is a short special episode of non profit radio to help you cope with the pandemic reopening from Corona virus. My guest is attorney Lisa Brunner. We see the faint light at the end of the tunnel were slowly emerging as we knew that we would. But these things must be done.

[00:00:44.94] spk_3:
Delicate, please.

[00:01:39.04] spk_2:
So, what do we, uh, what we planned for? That’s coming. How do you keep employees safe? And can they refuse to return to work? What are reasonable accommodations? Lisa has answers. Lisa has advice. Lisa is a partner at a prominent Perlman law firm in New York City, responsive by wegner-C.P.As guiding you beyond the numbers wegner-C.P.As dot com My Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund Is there complete accounting solution made for non profits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant mountain for a free 60 day trial. And by turned to communications um, PR and content for nonprofits. Your story is their mission. Turn hyphen two dot ceo. Thank you very much. Welcome back, Lisa.

[00:01:41.54] spk_0:
Thank you, tony. Thank you for having me.

[00:01:43.54] spk_2:
Alright. Thank you for doing another special episode with us. These are these are these are valuable for listeners. Thank you. You’re welcome. Everything okay? Looks ah. Looks bright and sunny in New York is it

[00:02:00.64] spk_0:
is right. Well, it was raining earlier, but looks like the being the son, maybe. Okay. Make its way through. Looks

[00:02:36.98] spk_2:
looks bright. We’ll call it bright and sunny. Okay. Even so, shining light on your beautiful artwork on your walls. Thank you. So you’ve been thinking a lot about what is ahead as states begin to ah, open up the reduced the restrictions on on work at home, our restrictions on work in the office requirements to work at home. It’s happening slowly. There’s, like, I don’t know, maybe half a dozen states or so, so far that if reduce the the restrictions on just on certain industries, So I don’t I don’t know if maybe, you know, Are there states yet that have office workers allowed back to go back that had restrictions before just on office work?

[00:02:49.54] spk_0:
Well, I mean, we hear about in certain states like Georgia that they’ve already started to reopen certain industries.

[00:03:04.44] spk_2:
Right? That’s just restaurants and dollars to point essential. You gotta have those but our people back in offices in Georgia.

[00:03:08.74] spk_0:
I don’t know that people are back in the offices.

[00:03:12.65] spk_2:
Yeah, so but it’s coming. It’s good

[00:03:14.38] spk_0:
calming you write.

[00:03:15.53] spk_2:
That was like

[00:04:23.24] spk_0:
the end of the tunnel on dhe estates air trying to use depending on the states in the measured approach or prioritising which businesses come back first. New York is already talking about the plan for which are the most essential businesses or industries with the least amount of risk, where they can start reopening construction and different and different things. So it’s it’s a kind of a faced approach. It sounds like it’s happening. In New York, for instance, the governor put in a 12 point plan of different things that he expects them would like to see happen. Ah, in order for the reopening to occur and specifically with respect to workplaces, at least in New York, and it may be may be different in different states. There’s an expectation in York that, uh, is part of this plan that employers are going to put into place implement the safety protocol for their

[00:04:37.24] spk_2:
I thought, This is This is one of things we need toe be planning ahead. So, you know, at this stage, we’re planning for returning. Um, you know, but there. I mean, there’s basics. Like, what’s the schedule gonna be? Who’s gonna come? Um, you know, walk us through some of that pre planning. But before we get to the

[00:07:41.34] spk_0:
sure exactly at this point, tony, employers should be pre planning for that day. Ah, and not not necessarily waiting to see what happens. They should be putting a plan in place, which involves things like who? Who is going to continue to work remotely? Who is gonna be actually in the office? How are we going to How are we gonna make that happen? And how we gonna ensure that employees are safe coming back? What could be looking at their finances? What is it that we can afford to do in terms of who we bring back our their employees? That we will not be able to continue employing that we may need to furlough. Who do we need on the ground? Are we going to need to cross train certain employees? So if there’s certain things that need to get done and the employees we need to do them. Can’t do everything. Mm. From home. Do we have other employees that are able to come in who can actually perform some of those functions? What do we need to do physically in our workplace to ensure that the workplace is is safe, for instance, Um, are we gonna have what we have? Sufficient? Will we have masks? Will we have gloves? Do we need to dio, Do we need to sanitize the workplace? In other words, that we’ve wiped down everything all the surfaces, computer keyboards and door knobs. What have we done to ensure to communicate to our employees that the works, the works space that you’re coming back to is actually is actually safe. So having a plan to communicate to employees about what’s been done in terms of safety precautions, considering what type of personal protective equipment or face coverings and things like that, the employer is gonna have figuring out whether they need to do some type of reconfiguration of the actual work space. So, for instance, it in workplaces where they might have more of an open plan where everybody’s together. Ah, what do we need to dio Teoh either reconfigure this space to make it safe so that we can still allow for social distancing. Do we need to put up plastic or plexi glass? But between the areas where employees are working, do we need to set up one way a one way hallway that, you know, this whole way? Everybody goes in this direction and the other hallway, Everybody comes in the opposite direction. In other words, that employers should be coming up with their post pandemic plan for how they’re going to logistically bring employees be back and who’s gonna come back. And also how how are we gonna bring employees back safely?

[00:08:12.17] spk_2:
Okay, that’s a ton of stuff to be thinking about. But you know, all good. So listeners will go back and start taking notes on, like, the 20 things that you just ticked off as a ZX items to be used to be thinking about, um, everybody talks about the PP do. Do employers have AH responsibility requirement or t provide? I don’t gloves and masks. Or is that is that governed by state law? Or just buy your own moral obligation that you feel what what what what guides them in making a decision like that?

[00:10:12.94] spk_0:
Mm. I mean, I think it’s I think it’s adhering to whatever the precautions are of the CDC and Osho, the Centers for Disease Control and on OSHA, Occupational Safety Ah, and Health Administration. In looking to those to that guidance and also any state and local guidance as to whether their directives right now, perhaps with the exception of the essential workers, it’s really being left to the employers to for the most part, unless there’s a state or local directive to do it, it’s being left to employers to make those decisions. But certainly if the CDC is advising that individuals wear face coverings in instances where they can’t social distance, it would be it would behoove an employer to say, You know, we follow the directives of the seedy city. Ah, in protecting our employees is an under under OSHA. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers have to maintain a workplace that’s free of any hazards. Essentially, they have a duty to to do that, too. Keep the employees safe, you know, pre from hazard. So in the workplace. So so that would extend Teoh. I mean, recommendation would be that employers do provide face coverings to their employees. And and also they may even consider having face coverings available to anyone who’s visiting the workplace. If they have something cups, someone coming on site, who’s gonna be cleaning the work area clients? Anyone who’s going to be coming into the workplace because those individuals could be, if they’re asymptomatic could be infecting one of the employees. So

[00:10:18.74] spk_2:
that would

[00:10:19.09] spk_0:
be, well, advice to do that.

[00:10:49.09] spk_2:
That brings up another issue about people coming to your office, those you’re serving or maybe just like you said. Maybe they’re just the office cleaners or just people routinely come in. You know the mail gets delivered. Ups comes, you know, et cetera. How do you treat people? Coming to your office is not just what do you expect of them? It’s not just what do you expect of employees and what you gonna do for employees but visitors to the office or your other facilities as well? You know, non profits may very well not even now have a second facility. It’s not in office, but it’s where it’s where they serve meals or serve clients in some other way. Those people have to be accommodated.

[00:11:45.08] spk_0:
Yes. So I mean, all those things there such excellent points and which really go to the point of pre planning now Because Because employers can’t they can’t just show up on the first day of work and say, Okay, now we’re you know, now we’re back to work. Ah, we’re going to do the best we can. They really have to plan out in advance. You know what is social distancing gonna look like And our work space. And it’s gonna be different for every non profit. Like in some instances, it could be, you know, setting something up like we see when we go into when we go into a pharmacy or when we go into a supermarket where they’ve actually designated, you know, spots for people who are waiting on line to understand their six feet between you

[00:11:51.05] spk_2:
because it was sitting on the floor.

[00:12:36.34] spk_0:
Exactly. So depending on the non profit, so I’m not gonna be appropriate in every setting, but depending on the non profit and what, who their servicing and what the layout of their workspaces, it’s gonna dictate what it is they need to dio from a social distancing perspective to keep six feet between people, but they have to. Employers should be thinking now, what is it based on who were serving on what we’re doing? And what are configuration is what kinds of changes do we need to make right now to ensure that our employees feel safe, that that the people that we serve that are coming to our work site also feel safe. Uh, you know that that they’re not going to get infected. So eso the pre planning is is, I think, crucial right now.

[00:12:44.75] spk_2:
Otherwise, you just compounding the crisis. If you’re leaving this until the last minute are you know, the week before or something. You know, it’s not gonna be enough time to look at all the guidance because so you said, CDC, OSHA, and you also have to look to the your state whatever state guidance there may be. And even potentially, your city could have guidelines around requirements for businesses.

[00:14:00.84] spk_0:
Absolutely, absolutely on social distancing. But here’s some other things that I wanted to mention that employers could think about. Two. Is there as they’re planning? Um, I mean, the goal is to to continue the social distancing for now until we know that the threat is over, and so they could consider things like staggering of start times that employees start work staggering in the end times, particularly where people are in larger urban areas. And they may be Trent, you know, traveling by bus or subway where they’re gonna be congregated with a lot of people. And so to reduce that from happening. If employers consider maybe staggering the time that an employee comes to work to avoid Rush Hour or to stagger the time that the employee is going home from work to avoid rush hour, that could be a possibility or changing the day. So we’re

[00:14:16.45] spk_2:
thinking maybe I could get a work day that’s like 10 to 2. Can I squeeze Shoot 10 and leave around two, or maybe to 30 with, and I’ll reduce my lunch to an hour and 15 minutes from an hour and 1/2 That that that is not considered a reasonable accommodation?

[00:14:27.64] spk_0:
Well, a reasonable combination isn’t another context.

[00:14:43.54] spk_2:
I know. Yeah, no, I’m being unreasonable a za potential. But I could never be an employee because that, you know, there are a lot of reasons I couldn’t work for um, so, yeah, I mean, even staggering weeks, maybe. Maybe right 11 team works off site for a week and then comes into the office and the other team, and they rotate it, rotate around that way

[00:15:18.91] spk_0:
absolutely. Or having someone working on a weekend day as opposed to a weekday as a substitute, as a way to to stagger, first of all, so that you are helping the employees reduce the risk if they’re gonna be traveling by mass transit or in a large group. Secondly, er, to reduce the number of people just in the office together at one time. So

[00:15:34.93] spk_2:
there’s a potential, you know, in being flexible like this, there’s a potential to actually, you know, toe help families who, you know, maybe it’s ah, it’s a couple. And it helps them that one of them works on a Saturday or that one of them has, you know, unusual hours tend to six or something. Maybe that helps the family. And so you can build f have that flexibility and also be good to your employees at the same time.

[00:16:17.54] spk_0:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I would say one of the kind of key takeaways from all of this is employers should be flexible in the solutions that they are coming up within this time. That’s so unprecedented, but should should just be flexible on the possibilities of what exactly they can provide and what they can offer in terms of bringing the workers back to work and doing it in a way, that’s that’s Ah, that’s safe. Um, so yeah, well,

[00:16:20.11] spk_2:
I was gonna turn Teoh reasonable accommodations, which I perverted a couple of minutes ago. But, um what what do we need to be thinking about that? What does that phrase mean? And how does it apply here?

[00:22:28.34] spk_0:
So reasonable accommodations. So under the law, employers have a reasonable have a duty to reasonably accommodate employees for because they have a disability for religious practices. Ah, in New York for pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions. And so the types of things that one needs to reasonably accommodate an employee for may depend import on your jurisdiction and what that jurisdiction recognizes as being entitled to a reasonable accommodation. But for employers who have 15 or more employees, they are covered under a federal law called the Americans with Disabilities Act. And they have a legal obligation to reasonably accommodate employees who have a disability so that that an employee can perform the essential functions of their job. Unless doing that, we would pose an undue hardship on the organization. So how that looks here in in this cove, it situation is if you have somebody who has a disability, they may set a. My doctor says that I need to continue working from home. Ah, nde working from home, maybe a reasonable accommodation. And for that person, it’s also going to be more difficult for employers to say that doing so would pose an undue hardship in view of the fact that so many people have been working from home because of the situation. So somebody has disability, uh, in New York, for instance, if there pregnant or because of childbirth related medical conditions, they may need to. It may be that they that they need to work from continuing work from home is a reasonable accommodation that could be an example working from home or leave of absence or things like that. So where it gets where it now gets trickier, here is the situation where somebody has an underlying condition. Well, let me first say that the E O. C. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the federal agency that enforces the A d. A. Has has not said that Cove in 19 is a disability, said it may be good state and city and a human rights laws like New York City. Human rights laws have said that, yes, this this, uh, is a disability and those laws, this is one of most important things is that even if there’s not a requirement into the federal law, state and city laws maybe much more liberal and protective of employees, then what What the a d a provides. So even if a certain reasonable accommodation may not be required under federal law, it may be required under state and sitting law. And so that brings me to the next point about the sister of reasonable accommodations. And that is one of the wrinkles here. Interesting aspects is that we know that people with certain underlying conditions are more susceptible to contracting the virus, right? So individuals who have diabetes, uh, who have, uh, who have respiratory ailments who have auto immune honestly, maybe may be more vulnerable, uh, or susceptible and so So the question comes up. What about somebody who has an underlying health condition? Um, you know, can they, uh, can they refused to come to work, right? I mean, that’s one of the questions, and it’s an open question. I think employers, they’re gonna have to they’re gonna have to consult with legal counsel about what the state and local laws are with respect to that. Um, but the person has an underlying condition like, for instance, in New York City, New York City just issued guidance. Ah, New York City’s Commission on Human Rights just and that’s the agency that enforces the New York City Human rights Law. They just issued guidance around this issue of underlying conditions that employers may need to reasonably accommodate ah, individuals who have an underlying condition in New York City. And it could be in other jurisdictions to having an association with somebody who has a disability is illegal protection. So let’s say an employee has a family member who has a disability that employer can’t discriminate against, or treat that employees less favourably simply because that person has an association with a person with a disability. So depending on the state and city jurisdictions. There could be greater protections for individuals, depending on whether someone there associated with has a disability, whether the employees themselves has an underlying condition. When that employee says to the employer, I want to continue working from home or I need to take time off or something or something to that effect. So it’s kind of it. It’s another aspect of this that employers need to be thinking about. Not just what is the federal Lost A but one of the state and local law say about how I need to accommodate this person and whether they can refused to come to work because of ah, of the of the fear of, uh, of contracting the virus and they might be entitled to. I’m sorry, Go ahead.

[00:22:48.84] spk_2:
What about if it’s just a fear? But there isn’t un underlying, um, underlying diagnosis that makes them more vulnerable either themselves or someone there associated with suppose. It’s just a generalized fear of traveling and returning to work without any underlying medical issue.

[00:25:14.47] spk_0:
Generally, they wouldn’t be able to refuse unless there is Yeah, generally, I mean, once the stay at home order has lifted. Ah, and e No employers are clear to reopen their workspaces. Someone’s general fear isn’t gonna be illegal. Generally gonna be illegal. Ah, excuse provided legal excuse from them not to return to work. I mean, if they if they’re entitled to paid sick leave or paid extended family leave for one of the reasons under the families first grown of his response act, That’s one thing. Generalized Fear, uh, is not going to give them a legal claim for refusing to come back to work. That said, uh, to the extent that employers can reassure their employees as to number one, the efforts of the employers taken in the workplace, them safe. I’ve heard situations of employers who they hire a private van or bust or something where they’re going to bring employees into work to avoid having to deal with mass transit. So employers can be creative and ways in which they can support their employees on reassure the employees about the safety of both being at the workplace and coming to the workplace and being flexible and accommodating, even when there may not be a legal obligation to do so. But for reasons of employee morale and motivating employees finding creative and flexible ways to support employees coming back to the workplace. You know, alternative ways for them to get to work. Ah, and reassuring them that we’re providing face coverings and and gloves so that you feel safe when you’re here. We have protocols for people who are visiting the workplace so that we know you know, that they’re taking precautions when they’re gonna be interacting with you as an employee. Those things go a long way for employees to feel reassured that they that they’re gonna be that their safety concerns are being addressed.

[00:26:18.91] spk_2:
A lot of a lot of what you’re suggesting today is consistent with what you said in the very first. You and I did the very first special episode together, which was probably five weeks or so ago when when we were on the other. We’re talking about other things, just planning for working at home, and a lot of your advice there was be flexible. Um, be thinking ahead. What’s it gonna look like when you, when your workforce is distributed back to home, are after their homes communicate? That was a central message then, and it still is, and this is exactly what you’re saying. Now, you know, communicate with your employees about what you’ve done about what you’re going to do, um, to help them just be reassured. So I mean, the details are different because we’re going from home to back to the office is But your overall messages about be flexible, communicate, um, have some empathy. You know, those air plan ahead. Those are the same things you were saying five weeks ago about the opposite situation.

[00:28:13.44] spk_0:
We are on the other side. It’s true. But those those values and those tools I think are the same because those are the things that give employees reassurance that everything gonna be okay on dhe on dhe. People may have fear about coming back to the office coming into the office again. So to the extent those things can be done, you know they should be done on employers, you know, because we’re in the pandemic. They have also some more flexibility in terms of certain things that otherwise might not be able to do under the Americans with Disabilities Act like taking employees temperatures, although not everybody who has Cove in 19 has a fever, but employers can do that? They can scream. Okay. They can. They can. They can ask employees whether they have the, you know, particular symptoms that have been identified specifically with covert 19. Uh, they can insist that employees self report to them. If those employees start exhibiting any of those symptoms to let them know, uh, employers could do that. Now, of course, they have to keep any any medical information, which includes the results of temperatures and things like that. If they were to do that, they have a legal obligation to keep that information confidential. So whether they decide they’re gonna take the temperatures and record those temperatures or they decide, we’re only gonna look to see if somebody is above a certain threshold. And we’re only going to indicate on a form that they were either below or above the threshold. They can make those determinations themselves about how they they want to administer it. But whatever the results are, they must keep that information confidential. Um,

[00:28:29.31] spk_2:
yeah, I want todo Did you have more than you wanted to say on that? Uh, I thought that what employers? How much further? Employers can go now with questions. And then you know, you still got to or cause I was gonna ask, I was gonna start asking something else, but

[00:28:34.19] spk_0:
I’m sure I know. Go ahead. OK,

[00:28:35.88] spk_2:
OK. The, um

[00:28:37.74] spk_0:
what do you do

[00:28:51.64] spk_2:
in the case where someone is, um, is happier on unemployment because, you know, there’s, ah, there’s that federal bump of $600 a week. Um, plus, whatever the state is paying unemployment benefits, Um, what if you have You just have a recalcitrant employees who is happier receiving the unemployment than then they would be going back to

[00:29:35.05] spk_0:
work. So that’s an excellent question and something that we actually see. And I think first of all, the bump ends on July 31st. That’s the first thing the $600 additional, Uh, so that’s the first thing that the second thing is typically to be eligible for unemployment insurance. The person has to be ready, willing and able toe work. And if they’re being offered a job back, they may be in a situation where they end up being disqualified from unemployment insurance.

[00:29:40.28] spk_2:
You have to certify right that you, I guess, includes that you turned down employment. If you did right, I don’t have to certify. I mean, I know in North Carolina, you have to certify each week it’s probably routine, uh, about white Look for a job, you know, things like that. So it just if you turned down your existing employers offer of returning to work, Um, that’s that would disqualify you for unemployment.

[00:30:15.76] spk_0:
They may. They may be depending on the state deemed ineligible to continue receiving unemployment. If they were then offered hope so. Yes. Oh,

[00:30:19.64] spk_2:
I’m happy here.

[00:30:21.24] spk_0:
It is this way until

[00:30:35.64] spk_2:
July 31st. I’m very content right here. Right. OK, so there’s a mechanism for dealing with that on the on the unemployment insurance state level. Yeah, hopefully. OK, alright. We could dismiss that hypothetic. But you said you ve seen that, or you’ve heard it already.

[00:30:41.64] spk_0:
They were because they’re making more money at this point. So it

[00:30:45.27] spk_2:
was a purely hypothetical. You’ve heard

[00:30:47.20] spk_0:
I exactly. Yeah.

[00:31:24.46] spk_2:
Okay. Okay. Well, not all employees air lazy and not all employers or scruple. Unscrupulous. So, you know, make that z ensure we, uh, fair to both sides. Um, And on this, by the same token, there’s enough blame to go around for everybody. Um So what do we have? Toe? You know, you’ve talked about so many different things. Do we have to have written policies about You know what the expectations are gonna be when you return? We’re gonna be standing for fever. Will be issuing PPS. Um, here’s our policy for visitors to the office. Now you need to comply with this. If you see a visitor, you welcome a visitor. Do there’s always need to be in writing.

[00:34:17.69] spk_0:
Um, not everything needs to be in writing, but certain things should be in writing so that everybody is on the same page. I think I think employers can communicate just again. It depends on the size of the employer as well. In terms of whether something will be in writing or not. I think that you know more long term, longer term policies, uh, and protocols. I mean, you could have you number one. If you do have people continuing to work remotely, definitely want to have a policy on that. You want to have an agreement with that employee so everybody understands what is being expected. What? The terms are what you’re expecting with respect to employees to record their time for those that air covered by the overtime pay laws. You want to make sure that everybody understands about the importance of confidentiality and protecting the data security and and all that for employees in accounting to work remotely for paid sick leave on pay, extended paid family leave under the families First Law. You certainly want to have policies addressing those and the interplay with your other paid time off policies for absolutely for protocols on visitors to the workplace and things like that. Uh, depending on the size of the organization, you you will. You would want to have a policy addressing that particularly things are now changed in terms of how you’re gonna be interacting with visitors to the workplace, does it all the things that you would want to to have, uh, you would want to have policies on for sure. Andi would also want to train your managers and your employees about what these new policies are. So have a chance to address questions, but particularly the managers who were gonna be enforcing these policies. I mean, it’s ultimately in many cases, gonna be a to the managers who will be enforcing the social distancing who will be addressing, you know, safety concerns. Who will be, um, who will also be may be involved in decisions about who’s coming back into the workplace and who’s not. And you want to be careful about that as well that there isn’t, uh, discrimination happening either. You know, people are paying, being desperately treated or you have some type of neutral policy that’s disproportionately impacting older people. Pregnant women, etcetera. And also there’s been a noted increase in in bias against Asians, Um, during this pandemic, um, both in the workplace and outside the workplace.

[00:34:23.65] spk_2:
We talked about that five weeks ago.

[00:34:25.16] spk_0:
We did so

[00:34:26.40] spk_2:
the possibility of that. Yeah,

[00:34:55.34] spk_0:
exactly. So it’s It’s really important that employers are reminding all their employees about their policies, prohibiting discrimination and doing any supplemental training that they feel is necessary to ensure that there aren’t derogatory comments. Remarks directed at Asians Has everyone returns to the workplace. So increased training. I would say a lot of

[00:35:02.56] spk_2:
love can be done in advance. You can be absolutely obviously developing the policies, but also training about the policy discussing them before the first day back.

[00:35:08.51] spk_0:
Absolutely. Yeah. Uh, could be doing that now.

[00:35:13.69] spk_2:
So planning, developing and communicating than training that stuff could all be done in advance. Virtually

[00:36:00.88] spk_0:
yes, yeah, all that could be done. So and also just you know what the employers planning to do exactly. From a safety perspective, you know that they’re adhering to the CDC protocols and directives and what OSHA is recommending and just reassuring their employees about what they’re doing to keep them safe on dhe and also what the mechanism is for employees to bring forth any issues. Like if an employee in a particular work site feels that their manager hasn’t been, Ah hasn’t been acting consistently with what the organization says it’s being done or that there isn’t social distancing happening or the people they feel. The people aren’t taking precautions to keep them safe. Employers want to make sure that they hear from those employees so that it can be addressed, so they want to make sure they communicate whatever the mechanism is for employees to to bring those issues forward.

[00:36:38.37] spk_2:
Okay, Lisa, I think that’s pretty comprehensive. That’s enormously comprehensive. Um, I mean, I was like my takeaways are planned. Be flexible, communicate train, You know, on all these dozens of different things that we talked about. What? That’s that’s what I That’s what I’m thinking. Like in the end. What do you want to leave people

[00:37:51.63] spk_0:
with? I think those air I think those air perfect takeaways. Actually, all of those things be flexible in solution plan. Now for what reopening is gonna look like whose whose ableto continue to work from home. Who on Who needs to come back to the office? Are we being Are we making these decisions for lit? Legitimate, non just discriminatory business reasons. Is it gonna have a disparate impact on a particular group? Older people pregnant, you know, take a look at your decisions and what the impact potentially could be, uh, or will bay in making your decisions plan and, uh, and and the and be flexible in your in your solutions on a train train your employees train your managers to make sure that they’re following the protocols that you’ve put in place and that they have awaited to raise any grievances or complaints or concerns eso that those get can get addressed.

[00:37:57.33] spk_2:
Okay, Incredibly comprehensive. Thank you very much. Lisa,

[00:38:01.00] spk_0:
you’re very welcome. My pleasure, tony.

[00:38:31.86] spk_2:
Thanks for doing it responsive by wegner-C.P.As guiding you beyond the numbers. Wegner-C.P.As dot com by Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund Is there complete accounting solution made for non profits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant in for a free 60 day trial and by turned to communications, P. R and Media for non profits, Your story is their mission turned hyphen. Two dot CEO. Creative producer

[00:38:47.11] spk_1:
is My Half Shows Social Media is by Susan Chavez Mark Silverman is our Web guy. His music is by Scott Stein of Brooklyn, New York Many thanks to Susan and Mark for helping get this special episode out very quickly with me next time for non radio, big,

[00:38:49.86] spk_2:
non profit ideas for the other 90

[00:38:53.74] spk_1:
5% go out and be great.

Nonprofit Radio for May 8, 2020: Data Privacy Practices

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My Guest:

Jon Dartley: Data Privacy Practices

Let’s have a romp through the fields of data privacy and cybersecurity, musing as we frolic on just how important the right practices and policies are to your nonprofit. My guest is Jon Dartley, Of Counsel at Perlman+Perlman law firm.

 

 

 

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[00:00:12.00] spk_0:
Hello and welcome to tony-martignetti non profit radio

[00:02:19.07] spk_2:
big non profit ideas for the other 95% on your aptly named host. This is our second non studio show produced using a dizzy audacity and zoom Oh, I’m glad you’re with me ID break out in Wall Dyer’s ring If I had to say the words you missed today’s show data privacy practices Let’s have a romp through the fields of data privacy and cybersecurity, musing as we frolic on just how important the right practices and policies are to your non profit. My guest is John Darkly of counsel at prominent Pullman law firm tony. Take two. Take another breath were sponsored by wegner-C.P.As. Guiding you beyond the numbers wegner-C.P.As dot com by Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund. Is there complete accounting solution made for non profits? Tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant Mountain for a free 60 day trial? And by turning to communications, PR and content for non profits, your story is their mission. Turn hyphen two dot ceo. It’s a pleasure to welcome John Darkly to the show he founded and operated involve the Web application, development and design firm that pioneered online peer to peer fundraising list building and advocacy campaigns for non profits involved was acquired by Can. Terra. John probably made a lot of money there when Cantero was acquired by Blackboard John probably make money again, but he was also named senior deputy general counsel and information governance chair. Besides all that, he has more than 15 years experience representing nonprofit organizations. He’s of counsel at Perlman and Perlman law firm in New York City. The firm’s at Perlman and perlman dot com. And at tax exempt lawyer John Darley. Welcome the non profit radio.

[00:02:21.64] spk_5:
Glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

[00:02:23.19] spk_2:
Good to have you. That was, uh, that sounds like it was quite a run with involved in terra and black bod.

[00:02:29.54] spk_5:
It was definitely an interesting path. I like this day. It gave me a lot of kind of real world experience. Great to work on. Both sides. Both work on the software side now, back on representing clients. Yeah. Yes, it was interesting.

[00:02:43.11] spk_2:
How many years was that from? Like from the time from founding involved to being appointed senior deputy general counsel at Blackboard,

[00:02:52.74] spk_5:
right? About seven or eight years. And when I start with the ball off again, we working with some very large, not pop. It’s doing Web applications. This was like the first kind of friends asking, friends type approach on. Then we just kind of built out organically, like working with a non topic clients and eventually bought and bought again, as everyone knows a lot. Elation.

[00:03:26.39] spk_2:
Yeah, good, Wonderful. It’s a good trip. So it isn’t practicing law now. Boring. Without all that, you don’t have a let’s start up excitement and challenge and all those obstacles and frustrations.

[00:03:27.92] spk_5:
The grass is always greener. So, you know, when I was at that sign, it seemed like just being a lawyer would be very comforting. Now you’re like sometimes you miss the excitement. But I hope my clients and we have some smaller clients that are building, you know, interesting brands that you’re saying. All of this s o. I feel like I’m so not sure. I’m just advising my clients

[00:03:46.69] spk_2:
without without All the agita is the once removed once room from, uh, from rounds of rams of financing, et cetera,

[00:03:56.25] spk_5:
where you are like wearing having to pay painful, easy,

[00:04:32.40] spk_2:
right, Get back and I make right. Can I make the Yeah? Can I make salaries this week. Right? Right. So, um all right. Data data, privacy, cyber security. I think people probably understand, in our current environment, I’m not having to do with Corona virus, but just living in 2020. I think a lot of people are conscious of at least cybersecurity issues. Maybe not so much data data, privacy. But But let’s make sure, you know, give us some, uh, motivation for why data, privacy and cybersecurity should be paint paid attention to

[00:05:16.39] spk_5:
Yeah, I’m often accused of scaring people, and I think that’s a good thing, you know, frankly, I work with four profit stonework with non puppets now primarily. And from, you know, I was a non profit yourself 5 to 6 years behind the for profit world and taking privacy of cyber security. Seriously. Just, you know, in the for profit world is now a C suite. You know, job is open, it’s cheap. Obviously, Officer, there’s teams of people working on things, not hop it, and they are starting to learn the importance of taking the practices and putting these policies in place. But a lot of times is an infrastructure is do. The manpower is too but just to kind of take a context every year, the amount of breaches grow. Last year, $2 in 19 the amount of damages increase by about 17%. And just in the context of what that costs, the average reach across an organization almost $4 million now, given there are some very large reaches, so that kind of skews the results. But in terms of a per record, So think about donors. How many donors you have, Basically an average of $150 for every record loss is what you’re gonna pay in regulatory fees and other finds. Another kind of charges. So that’s, you know, a real real thing.

[00:05:44.28] spk_2:
Now, what about the comparison between, you know, corporate and non profit breaches mean? Well, I’m thinking off the top of my head of, ah, Marriott. Uh, you know, I don’t 100 million records or whatever. West maybe was only 10 million. I don’t remember, but many millions of records um, there have been other big corporate breaches, but have there been breaches? Maybe they’re just not as, uh as publicized on the non profit side.

[00:06:21.42] spk_5:
You’re actually exactly right. Uh, small and mid sized nonprofits are actually being increasingly target if they don’t have to sophisticated protocols in place to kind of to protect against some of these of these hacks. We don’t hear about the malls and not the big build. Another Facebooks of the world on an ID only they’ve been. Actually, some studies done is not evident. It totally they’ve been some studies done that, not pump it actually hurt more than four profits for data breach. I’ll give you an example. You know, Facebook gets breached. How many people actually got off Facebook and stop using it, right? Not pop it in a way, are more fungible. Some donors with donate more to more than one organization, studies have shown. If there’s a data breach at a non profit, donors are less likely to come back next year. Donate. I’ll just choose another organization. So in some ways, the bar and the risks are even higher for nonprofits,

[00:07:03.52] spk_2:
right? All right, right. I’m I’m more committed. I’m pretty committed to my Marriott Marriott Bon voy points. No, I don’t. I’m gonna keep using the brand because I’ve got a couple 100,000 points with them.

[00:07:29.30] spk_5:
Exactly. The reputational harm I have to say, tony, ITT’s organizations don’t think about that. But these days, I think we all were all more sensitive to write. Our data’s being treated. Yeah, they’re a lot more regulations out there which out there they will talk about. But the reputational harm can last for years, especially when organization is seen as either not doing the right things, not taking kind of, you know, appropriate precautions that could really be devastating.

[00:07:40.49] spk_2:
All right, since you mentioned regulations, um, uh, you know, we heard a lot about GDP. Are when? When that was knew. What was that, like, two years ago or so that

[00:07:50.44] spk_5:
that May of 2018 will into effect.

[00:07:53.86] spk_2:
Okay, pretty good. Usually I’m bad about the estimating time. All right, so it was two years ago this month. All right, um, so GDP are But you can acquaint us with that. What? I mean for a U. S. Charity? What? What do we need to be conscious of their

[00:08:44.74] spk_5:
Yeah, it’s funny when you came. In fact, it seemed like a few months, like just everyone was talking about it. Remember, a Woody Allen movie would talked about. He said soon will be, the Renaissance will be painting. Thing is like, I think soon it was like That’s all we’re talking about a CPR. It’s like literally a few months s. The only emails I got from clients was like, What is this thing with GDP on what I need to do now? It’s two years later, we’re still talking about it, But there are other regulations ever come into a factory plucked out as well. A general data protection regulation does affect not Klopp, which came into effect in 2018 and has very specific department. So does it affect your not profit? Some of listening? If you have a website, it probably does right. Judy PR affects anybody collecting any information from someone residing in the European Union between the UK, including Switzerland. So B e a, uh, and you know, if your only collecting a few names from from those countries I wouldn’t be is concerned. But if you collect a little bit more than that, then it probably makes sense to comply with GDP. Are

[00:09:39.37] spk_1:
it’s time for a break? Wegner-C.P.As. They have a bunch of covert 19. Resource is on their site. Tax questions related to Cove in 19. We received RP PP funding. Now what? Developing your 13 week cash flow forecast. Internal controls. Covitz style. What about cash? How are you controlling cash in a virtual environment? This is all at wegner-C.P.As dot com. Click resource is

[00:09:45.17] spk_2:
Okay. So, John, it’s only it’s only if you’re collecting data. Not not if you citizens or Swiss citizens are visiting your website merely visiting your website.

[00:09:55.14] spk_5:
But really, it is because what he has done has lowered the bar. What personal information is right? We all care. We were going to use the term sometimes P I I personally identifiable information. And so Jeannie pr is concerned about is if you collect P II. According to Judi pr and I key address. Right. We’ll have computers. We access a website. We have an I P. Address a stash. Consider P I So, technically, anybody accessing your website if you collect their i p address with, most people do automatically. You’re you’re technically subject that GDP are

[00:10:27.29] spk_2:
okay. Wait. All right, So you’re saying most web? Most websites automatically preserve the i p address of a visitor.

[00:10:36.34] spk_5:
Most do through, like, Google analytics or, you know, at least. Yeah, All these the analysts people use automatically get life he addressed with someone visits your website.

[00:10:43.64] spk_2:
Okay. And that then is an entering argument for GDP are to apply to your your website your your non profit

[00:11:34.01] spk_5:
Exactly. Just counsel our clients that you should really only be concerned if you’re collecting and be getting. Don’t you collecting information more than I p addresses to get it? It’s kind of Ah, it’s a risk reward. Be only getting a few I p addresses. You’re not doing anything with it. The odds are of GDP are becoming an issue on the regulators Looking at your not profit. Probably small, but okay, a lot not talk. But in this country that either have offices early, you or have people access routinely. So I’ll give you an example. We worked with a large, well known museum and when people come from your they often want to visit this museum in Manhattan. So they have ticketing and they’re having thousands of people not really least used to when people are travelling but museum tickets. Judy pr squarely applies. They have to comply.

[00:11:48.48] spk_2:
Okay, So beyond the beyond the this sort of perfunctory the i p address else. So if we don’t have ah location that people are buying tickets to come to, what other kind of data would would trigger the GDR for us?

[00:12:30.11] spk_5:
Any name and email address, you know, collecting that anybody resigned. And when I say the word residing, you don’t have to live there. So, technically, tony, if I went Teoh London and then made a donut, patients were not topping the US JD. Power applies to me with that trip is action. I’m now residing in the EU state token of somebody from the U is in the U. S. Exit donation to a non profit. Even though there are you sitting this in a transaction takes place in the U. S. GDP. Ours doesn’t apply. It’s a little bit complicated, but like I said it that today those

[00:12:30.46] spk_2:
those those are the exception. So let’s just deal with

[00:12:33.43] spk_5:
that at

[00:12:33.87] spk_2:
the mainstream. You got a new resident transacting from from the European Union. Um but let’s just assume all that you residents are in the the European Union for this conversation, right? None of them, they’re here. So

[00:14:01.36] spk_5:
So yeah, so replies just kind of get the kid like some of things you want to do. I say, like the low hanging fruit fidgety you are applies. The first thing is website privacy policy. I’m gonna talk about that a little bit more later in terms of a general privacy policy, the importance of it. But Virginia PRD is separate. Basically, GDP are notice that needs just list specific information. Uh, two people from the EU learning them of their rights. And some of the remedies they have, I’ve tell organizations of GDP are applies. The first thing you do is put a put a speeding car notice on your website. That’s something a regulator is the first thing they don’t look at. If you have, that is already one box check. That’s great. Thea. Other hurdle for a lot of non profit we work with is how to get, uh, what when someone wants upped and there’s no more opt out. Everything has to be in Upton and has to be a very specific and home up then, and this is probably the biggest challenge for a lot of non profits. It’s a much higher bar for consent. I’ll give you an example. No longer than you have to have a check. The box and the box says we are signing up to get email campaigns, periodic newsletters and other promotions, even if they check that box. Wegner Judy PR Let’s consider too broad, right? Every request for permission need to be very specific. You need to be clear and affirmative and very moment, one of the biggest challenges for Not

[00:14:10.45] spk_2:
question. So give me an example of of a consent that is properly worded.

[00:14:21.74] spk_5:
I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the price Rose Christ or period, not email newsletter, not general marketing purpose for a specific purpose. A price store. You could also say I’m I’m a I hereby consent to the processing of my data for your monthly newsletter. Now let’s say three months later, you have a new newsletter or different what you can no longer send them both newsletters. You don’t have to stand for that. You now have to go back to get the scent. You get one try. They don’t respond. You can’t go back to them again.

[00:14:47.79] spk_2:
Cannot. You can’t go back to them again.

[00:14:49.92] spk_5:
No. Cannot. And there’s no grandfather clause either. So you know a lot of people. At least couple years ago, I had all these names. They were wondering, what do we do? And you got one shot Thio going going to these folks and say, Hey, GDP, our allies way like to use your names. This way, please respond. Have you to get a response That said you can no longer market to these folks.

[00:15:30.84] spk_2:
Okay. All right. So you get one chance per each channel. Sort of. You don’t have to do it for each individual newsletter. I mean, individual mailing of the same newsletter. But But as you said, if you if you start a second newsletter on a different topic related to a different program, you’d have to get permission for that

[00:16:00.79] spk_5:
exactly right. And then the people that you do have kind of on your roster that you’re allowed Teoh work with the U there certain rights they have and these rights have to be passed on to the benders that not puppets work. With these age, everything’s in the cloud off. The odds are they’re using other folks that kind of help processes data. But anybody from the EU has the right of access. They have the right to know what you have about them. They have a right to a racer. They’re gonna ask you to delete their data at any time. You must comply with a certain period of time. They have the right to restrict processing. Yeah, you can use my data eat to give me a newsletter. But I don’t want to be in a cooperative where you’re sharing my name. Uh, they have the right the right to data portability. Give me everything you have and provide. Give it to this new provider on. They have the right to object to anything you’re doing with their data. And when we talk about the Jodi or notice the privacy policy, the privacy policy needs to kind of lift all these rights for EU people. You usually

[00:16:28.40] spk_2:
all right. And that policy needs to be on your website.

[00:16:31.95] spk_5:
Yeah, just like a regular privacy policy. But it needs to be a separate notice. It needs to be on the website prominently displayed.

[00:16:48.14] spk_2:
Okay. When you get consent for the processing of data around a particular purpose, do you need to remind people about their rights? Give them all these reactions, toe portability and the ratio, et cetera, or just one time on the website.

[00:16:55.11] spk_5:
No, No need to be part of your privacy notice. You don’t need to remind them proactively, but it needs to be listed in your GDP are profit privacy notice

[00:17:02.48] spk_2:
Privacy notice on your website.

[00:17:04.34] spk_4:
Yeah, right. Okay.

[00:17:05.86] spk_5:
And the fines are extremely high again for small missiles. Nonprofits to a very low interaction. I’m not concerned. Larger non puppets should be a little bit more aware and look concern. And, you know, one of the things you also need to be aware of. 1/3 party vendors GDP are now makes nonprofits directly responsible and liable for the axe or or emissions of the vendors that holding the state on your behalf. So you now need to give all these vendors specific provisions. Your mandated by GDP are specific. GDP are provisions that buying these benders to basically support your efforts to comply with GDP are so this is another hurdle.

[00:17:52.44] spk_2:
Okay. Um, all right, I would presume the largest vendors are acquainted with this by now, but you

[00:17:53.35] spk_5:
must have their own. Yeah,

[00:17:55.63] spk_2:
but you need to be proactive about ensuring that your vendors all do, whether small or large,

[00:18:00.84] spk_5:
Yeah, a lot profit use. It’s more of the small amount outside vendors, and they may have one in place, and the one they have a place might not be. You know, listen, that everyone takes a different approach. The vendor who supplies they’re all will be much more friendly towards them, so they should still be reviewed and negotiated.

[00:18:16.79] spk_2:
All right, so you’re asking, Are they GDP are compliant when you’re querying your vendors?

[00:18:23.40] spk_5:
Exactly. That May should also bishop. There needs to be the denim toe. Any contract that you have in place just not to get too technical, but the non profit who collects it. Who’s collecting? The data is called a data controller, right. They control the data, their vendors who helped process the data. So maybe a C. R M system, a black box, for example. They would be considered a data processor. Ben should be processing the data on behalf of the non profit who owns the data. So I’ll pop. It is data controller has kind of a much higher bar of requirements to me.

[00:19:03.14] spk_2:
All right. As long as you defined your terms, you keep yourself out of jargon. Jail on. All right. Um uh, Okay, well, there’s a New York law, but, you know, New York Shield, But our listeners are nationwide. So you want to just be much briefer about New York Shield just for our New York listeners?

[00:19:49.27] spk_5:
Yeah. Although New York still, tony, just like today PR, it doesn’t make a difference where you are. You collecting information from New York residents? It applies to you And I would argue is actually, it’s more important because the Jeep car that’s still question how the you will force it against a non profit who does not have offices in the U By how that happens. Nobody has seen yet. But but let’s put that aside, the New York Shelled Act gives the attorney general a public right of action. And certainly in New York, the New York Attorney General has a much further reach to go after not profit, whether they’re in New York or anywhere in the US, because we’re talking about the same country. So I would be as a non profit, more concern about New York Shield at this moment. First import most and then worry about you need your necks.

[00:20:01.72] spk_2:
Oh, all right, do other states. California is a pretty activist state. Do they have something similar that applies to all their residents?

[00:20:33.26] spk_5:
California has one called CCP A, but right now it does not apply to non profits. It only would implicate non profit ever have a four profit wing or Division A? Are there working with a four profit where, for example, be getting data from a company that’s getting from messages in CCP? A. The non papa should be concern at that vendor. Who’s providing you That data has complied with CCP A. But other than that, it doesn’t really apply to non profits.

[00:20:35.61] spk_2:
Okay, any other states.

[00:21:29.34] spk_5:
Massachusetts has had something for a long time, not too dissimilar from New York. But you need me. I think people are kind of and there are other unless there are other ones in the works. Colorado has won about us looking to pass something at some point. That’s in Kobe. 19 is for a lot of things on the back burner, but at some point we could have federal legislation, and you know what I counsel with non clap? It’s even which university BR came out and they said it doesn’t apply to me. I said, Even if it doesn’t, it probably makes sense of trying to comply his first ball. Everything’s moving towards greater accountability. Donors. Employees are getting more sensitive about Heather Data’s being used and starting to follow some of these protocols. Just make makes the non hop. It’s better stewards of the information they collect another day. We want to do like by these donors wanted to do right by our employees. The data were collected. So following somebody particles and they don’t apply is a smart practice because nothing wants unauthorized access to their systems.

[00:21:37.88] spk_2:
Okay, Okay. Um, the Massachusetts law is that limited to credit card information?

[00:22:05.54] spk_5:
No, let me call it. It’s a lot of different kinds of personal information, but has not been. I have not seen it really in forced on. A lot of organizations already have policies in place that kind of meet somebody obligations. And certainly if you’re if you start to meet the New York Field Act, which I think will be will be unless they enforce more vigorously, you’re probably OK on the on the Massachusetts

[00:22:10.22] spk_2:
front and the messages from Okay, so Yeah, that’s that’s true. In a lot of cases, like if you can comply with the New York law, you’re covered in a lot of other states because New York is so stringent. Um,

[00:22:22.40] spk_5:
I always say that you can make it here. You can make it anywhere. That was

[00:22:28.69] spk_2:
okay. Uh, yeah, but hey was intact. Think Sinatra was intending much more favorable. And the privacy compliance. All right, so what about New York Shield? You want toe? Give us an overview of that. What? What we should be concerned about this thing, This is if we’re collecting data from New York residents, that right?

[00:24:00.98] spk_5:
Exactly. Yeah, but I would argue I would take my most nonprofits to do any kind of real online access and gather data or getting donations. You probably have a, you know, at least amount from New York. But you know, many what may have a lot So certainly ones working on the East Coast would probably have a lot of New York residents accessing about side and giving information. So that’s about one of things. It expands. What constitutes a data breach, Uh, basically lowers that bar as well. So in terms of when you have to report a data breach, let’s put that piece of side. But this happened the most important thing for nonprofits to keep in mind. Now where? Why was them that says it may an individual one. Employees are pleased to coordinate data security program. This is key because most organizations don’t have one. This is the old saying. If you don’t know where you’re gullible, roads will take you there, and I’ve always counselled we have my non profit clients. If you don’t have somebody in charge of privacy, odds are nothing’s really happening on that front. So that’s good. This is a great example of even if you’re not collecting information of New York residents, you shouldn’t have a point person. Um, and what that point was it needs to do is he needs to look at, based upon your size and attack the information to collecting uh, that they have played a physical security tech technical security attacks, a compliance programs doing training were supposed to looking at Bender agreements and assessing risk. And now New York requires you to have certain provisions. Reasonable provision in every vendor agreement that makes me binds those vendors for doing the right things, that appropriate things in terms. Protecting the data you collect euros exposes, sensitively destroyed data when you no longer needed. And again, I know for many clients this ridiculous some of my clients and many non prop assistants in daunting. It’s not as hard to comply as they might think. And for some of our clients, I’m acting as that point person. It doesn’t have to be. And employees. It just needs to be somebody. So I’ve come in organizations. I’ve looked at the left look of the vendor agreements. Let’s see how things are being protected. Let’s look, if you’re doing training, just let’s look at the your overall approach to privacy and even and give a kind of annual advice that would get them a long way to comply. Europe show.

[00:25:04.84] spk_2:
Okay. Okay. Um, all right. And you know, good point also is you know, you said a few times Ah, it’s worthwhile to comply with these to the extent you can, even if you feel it doesn’t apply to you that the law may not apply, but it’s gets good practices.

[00:25:17.34] spk_5:
Yeah. I mean, listen, reaches typically happen from third party vendors That’s usually the case, because these days most people are using cloud providers or using third party vendors to kind of hold this data. If a breach occurs, a vendor’s Onley obligation is to tell you their client that the breach occurred. Your obligation under law. Is it now? No. Divide all the donors who stayed it might have been compromised. They could be credit monitoring costs. There could be legal costs that could be certain regulatory fines. So it’s it’s so example. New York, she’ll requires you to look at these vendor agreements and have certain terms in there. That’s just a smart thing to do. Third party vendor agreements are woefully one sided in favour of the vendors. They’re the ones drafting it on. And it just makes sense to review negotiate these agreements. We can certainly talk about you like five or six, uh, terms that should be in every vendor agreement you

[00:26:10.88] spk_4:
have. All right,

[00:26:11.21] spk_2:
You’re not gonna get to two. Ah, legalese on this. Are you mean I haven’t practiced? I haven’t practiced law since 1994 so

[00:26:19.35] spk_5:
I’m not

[00:26:20.09] spk_2:
gonna get technical for the non lawyer. The 99% of listeners who are not lawyers, right? Okay.

[00:27:12.94] spk_5:
You know, I can keep it. Very simple, just like. And I actually have a great checklist. I’m happy, you know, share with you, tony. People could reach out to me of things to keep in mind. But again, when you instill Ryan, you know, hopefully 98% of time, everything felt swimming. Well, it’s never an issue, but what they still wrong kind of pull out the contract. And again, these contracts very one sided, I joke because I mentioned before I used to work for a very large software company where I drafted a portion of their their client agreement. And then lately, I’ve had the opportunity to negotiate that agreement on behalf of clients. And I wind up rewriting the entire agreement and adding an extra 10 pages and and general counsel at this one company said, John. But you wrote the agreement, your last changing. But I’m on the other side of the deal. It’s a whole, uh, so it’s not just what’s in the agreement. That count

[00:27:20.67] spk_2:
doesn’t. That doesn’t make you That does not make you a hypocrite. People need to understand your allegiance at that time was different than your allegiance at the second time when you were rewriting the agreement that you were drafted in the first time. You’re not a hypocrite.

[00:27:29.68] spk_5:
No, no, no. We’ve fallen advocacy,

[00:27:31.74] spk_2:
advocacy. That’s what we call it. I have forgot that.

[00:27:34.82] spk_5:
Yeah, I’m advocating, but recognizing. I

[00:27:59.74] spk_2:
mean, you’re advocating. Okay. All right. Wait. So let me before you start taking these things off, just tell listeners eso if they would you want to reach you? If somebody wants to get this this checklist that you have He’s John J O N at Kerman and perlman dot com. And Perlman is p e r l m a n not like the, like, the gem or the stone. Whatever that. Whatever pearls are, it’s not like that. Okay, John, at prominent perlman dot com. Okay, you got 45 whenever five things, six. And

[00:30:18.68] spk_5:
get that quickly. Yeah, The 1st 1 is just the privacy of charity. You know, typically will be one of two sentences. We’ll take commercially reasonable practices, know in this day and age and with New York Shield when GDP are there apartments that they need to get a lot more meat on the bone in regard to how company will protect your information. So one of the elements you want to do is simply insert a lot of language that raises the bar again of what we spend it’s supposed to be doing and that they don’t do that. And there’s a breach. Now you have some kind of remedy, uh, to go back from limitation of liability. Every contact has it typically limits what a non topic can get. If there is any kind of loss or damage, anything goes wrong. So open just six months of these. Can’t you have to always negotiate that? They kind of data breach a date of event that we should be untapped direct at Mage is a but not profit is fully covered. The’s terms old Ausubel. I open get it, But you have to ask for it. You don’t ask for your not getting getting it. Uh, uh, rich notification really important. So if there’s a breach, I always put a section in that gets you both quick notification and get you all the credit monitoring and all the other costs. Regulatory fines cover. I’ve never had a better save. Noted that in the end it may take a few back and forth, you know, negotiations. Always a dance, but having a breach notification and uncovered cause it is essential to be two more transition service is when you want to leave the vendor. It’s very hard to leave fried when you’re working with somebody like relationship kind of know who who see the is added. That might broker but becomes very difficult. But transition service’s basically bond and surrender toe work with you for six months and with your new better of choice to make that transition seamless, very important to have that obligation in there. And finally, I would say, is, You know, during the court, in stage with when you’re working with a vendor, you get a whole types of promises. You’ll get lots of marking material. Here’s how the functionality hero features you got everything spray when you signed the contract, you’ll notice that almost there’s no mention just nowhere to be found. One of the biggest things I find my clients about difficulty with is where someone over promises and under delivers. How do you prove that it was not part of the contract? So all those kind of shining marking materials. All those handouts, all those things that give you. You have to attach that to the agreement reference, is it? So when I get things, don’t work out his plan. Now you can show why there’s a beach and what you can get out of the agreement. Very important.

[00:33:11.64] spk_1:
We need to take a break. Cougar Mountain Software. Their accounting product Denali, is built for non profits from the ground up. So you get an application that supports the way you work that has the features you need an exemplary support that understands the way you work. They have a free 60 day trial on the listener landing page at tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant. Now time for tony. Take two. Take another breath, doubling down on my advice from last week that you take some peaceful time. Um, whatever it is for you if it’s napping, if it’s walks. Um, I’m not thinking of exercise. Exercise is important, but I’m not thinking of runs right now or home workouts. I’m thinking of peaceful, relaxed, calm time putting your mind at ease. I’m talking like I’m tryingto get bring you down right now. I’m not. I’m just trying to give some ideas. This is not a meditation. That’s not a meditation minute. I did try meditation class. I loved it, Actually did something online with a woman who’s giving free meditation classes. Um, and for an hour, I was I was under hypnosis. Almost at almost. I was, uh, focused on breathing where the breath comes in, where I feel it very valuable. Eso maybe for you. It’s meditation, and I have never done that before. So that was unusual experience for me. But I loved it, and I hope to do some more with her. Whatever it is for you, you know you know what it is. Take it, Do it. Take the time for yourself. There’s a lot being asked of us that is unusual. And even if it’s more routine now than it was 456 weeks ago, it’s still stressful. We’re out of our routines, so be good to yourself. Self care, right self care. Take care of yourself. Do it each day. You deserve it. Please do it. That is tony. Take two Now back to data privacy practices.

[00:33:22.92] spk_2:
All right, if you were on both sides of this arguing because you said it’s a dance right so suppose you were on both sides. Which side would you? Which side would you give in and which side would win?

[00:34:09.68] spk_5:
You know, it’s funny, because I do represent, we have. We have clients that are often vendors. I think I’m very fair in Middle Road. I think, you know, given eight hours of myself come help with very for both sides. But you, tony, that’s a great example of Give you an answer. The limitation. Liability. I always think there should be reasonable carve outs. It shouldn’t be a car about unlimited liability again. It’s what offended would owe you. Something goes wrong. It shouldn’t be that anything goes wrong no matter what, Even if it’s not their fault, they should pay you. So, for example, a visit data peach. But they did everything they were supposed to do when they were so got hacked. That should not be uncapped. But I wait at my rivers, my clients, I I agree with that. But if they do something wrong and there’s a reach, their full, that’s beyond cat. What side of the Delamontagne? I’m always gonna push for both those.

[00:34:25.18] spk_2:
Okay. Okay. Eight hours with myself. I don’t know. I don’t know where I would go. I don’t want Oh, it’s not for public consumption, I’m sure. Um all right, so so is it. Is that what you say?

[00:34:36.09] spk_5:
I was thinking apocalypse. Now, that’s what happens when you have too much time on your

[00:34:44.04] spk_2:
OK. All right. Well, I was only r rated. All right, um, so it sounds like the difference. Maybe I’m getting too legalese now. It sounds like a different dream. Negligence, gross negligence and recklessness or something like that.

[00:35:21.99] spk_5:
Yeah, way. We’ll definitely end illegally. So I won’t go there. But those things are just sink. Since the name that contact get the most important thing for anybody listening is you need to have somebody review these agreements. Just don’t sign them. They’re always negotiable. Hopefully, you want somebody. And here is my biggest right. When I was at a black bond. Other companies that sometimes a lawyer who did not know understand technology, I wouldn’t really know what to ask, wouldn’t know had a mark up the agreement, make sure whoever you work with understands, right? They need to know what you’re getting. What the solution is to hopefully kind of protect your interests. So that would be like, he just have somebody who knows what they’re doing with you negotiating on your behalf.

[00:35:37.56] spk_2:
Okay. Cool. All right. Um, what else could we be looking at in this in this arena that can can protect us.

[00:37:17.21] spk_5:
Yeah. I’m gonna get you less than every non profit. If they don’t have, they should do immediately. That you have to think about updating. Are just checking in One is a plot privacy policy website. Privacy policies. Still a lot of non profit don’t have them if you have them. They’ve all from two drafted years ago. They have been updated. So the number of persons do is looking a privacy policy. Make sure it’s been updated. Last year, I would say it’s the transparency is the most important key. Do when you say it. Say what you do. Uh, in terms of the data you collect, you could almost almost do anything you want with it. If you’re transparent about it, you want to add you want oh, care with advertisers? Sure. You want to do you a cooperative? Fine. You want to even sell it? That’s often be possible. But you need to disclose that when somebody gives you the data, so having enough today, privacy policies really key if something goes wrong and people looking for privacy policy and you didn’t just close some of the ways you were sharing, and that’s where the data was lost to be a very big not only legal ramifications. Bobby CPR head. Andi even if we have a privacy policy and they need to be updated because things change all the time. What you were doing for years to the day, both in the back again in terms of how you’re analyzing in the front end has changed GDP. Ours would be an example in Europe shield. A lot of these things require certain statements in the privacy policy. Is your number one. Get a privacy policy. Make sure it’s updated. Make sure it’s accurate. Number two. You should also, in terms of use, terms of service that basically protects the organization, the views and don’t sweep it, then join your website. Very important, Uh, you know, what does that come from? Our what

[00:37:19.77] spk_2:
does that cover in terms of use in terms of service for website were just what does that cover what kind of

[00:37:24.71] spk_5:
anything anybody might do on the Web site in terms of making donations. When the rules, if you have a block, people post content. Or they can take your content, things that can and can’t do in the protection organization from a lot of different kind of legal planes. Just a kind of a standard document every non profit should

[00:37:40.00] spk_4:
have. Okay, Okay. Is that

[00:37:42.11] spk_2:
public to Is that on the website turned

[00:40:12.61] spk_5:
to use an exit privacy policy. Okay. Okay. Now a lot of charity navigator, uh, recommends that you actually have a separate donor profit privacy policy. Just why I read their privacy policy typically only covers when you collect online, they recommend to get the four stars that you have a separate donor privacy that speaks specifically to the information you collect from donors both offline and online. So some might want Consider whether it makes sense to have a separately for a daughter policy and a separate link for a privacy policy. Just like just why there, uh, we talk about bad nerves being an issue. So way kind of crossed that box. Look, pull out all your vendor agreements, see if you’re covered. It’s not when they come up for dual negotiate, I would say annually, no. Once a few years, you should do a privacy audit That’s more formal process where I typically even organization lots of different questions. All their different practices later the cyber security and privacy. And we see where the gaps are. But, you know, one thing I do is kind of a simple one is kind of member. The five W’s in the h. You’re kind of doing news. Recording the five question the six questions asked. They call the five W’s. What? Remember the what? Why, who, where, when and the how. So what is what data we’re collecting? A lot of organizations don’t understand all the data they’re collecting, so get a handle. What data is your collecting? Why, why? You clicked on the state of more many organizations like more David, I need more data. You have the work more risk. You have rights. Onley collected data you need who has access to the data again. People should only have access to the P I. I personally identifiable information you collect who need to have that access. More people have access. The more things that could go wrong. Where? Where’s a dork? Data store. It’s an offline. Are they locked in? Cabinets are there, you know, with vendors. Have it. Are there volunteers? You have access to it. So where is the data stored? When? When is the day to delete it? We’ll talk about that a couple minutes. But you should only keep dating for Florence. You needed and know lots of non profit clients get data for years and years. Even if somebody, for example, is and donated 10 years. The more data you key, the more risk of presidents a loss. And then how House of Data being protected, like in terms of all that, when the data’s being kept, How is it being protected? Really important question You kind of answer all those questions is initial step. You’ve already gone a lot further than a lot of organizations and and kind of being better stewards. That information you collect, uh,

[00:40:13.35] spk_2:
on the, um made 12th 7 dubbed 17 70 on the May 12th 2017 show, I had a guest on talking about cybersecurity insurance.

[00:40:27.61] spk_5:
Yeah,

[00:40:35.61] spk_2:
so now, so listeners could go back to that 5 12 17 show. You can get a lot more detail there because we spent the whole half hour talking just about insurance. But what? What are some key things you want to say about what cyber insurance could protect you against?

[00:42:00.94] spk_5:
You should definitely have a cybersecurity policy with two things. You should make sure your vendor has a cyber security policy. It should be large enough to protect you if something went wrong. So for these bigger vendors, that should be a minimum five million anywhere from 10 to 20 million. You should be named as what they call an additional assured on the benders policy. So you have a direct right and claim against their policy. Putting that aside you non toughest wanna have their own cyber security policy. Okay, they won’t have a policy that basically match the company’s risk that organizations risk that kind of work. They do. You need to make sure has the specific terms that that cover that organization. I’ll give you a great example. We have one plane, very large non profit. Had a head of non had a cyber security policy. They were paying over $100,000 a year for I read through it my joy is released. Things it didn’t apply to them. It was a sign of security policy for a service provider, not for a organization using service providers. So they had to get a new policy. Has something happened? They would have been covered. So I know people hate these policies along their involved, but somebody should read them before you sign them. Work with a good agent that have your attorney be the policy. But every organization listening should have their own cyber security policy a minimum of one million up to depends on the amount of data collecting, uh, you know, on an annual basis in the kind of transactions were doing.

[00:42:23.60] spk_2:
We all hate insurance, but you know, whether it’s auto or homeowners air, I got flood and wind, and but, you know, it’s peace of mind. So and all the you know, all the headlines we see. I mean, this stuff can apply to you as well. Like like we’re talking about. So, uh, you’re not You’re not. Yeah, you’re not. You’re not free because you’re not profit or you’re not, uh, safe.

[00:43:15.62] spk_5:
Yep. It’s all over. When There That you should have one is a data retention and destruction plan. And, you know, this goes back to some of the questions we’re talking about. A data audit you only want keep Davis, or as long as you need it and you want to make sure get rid of it the right way right away. That really destroys the data. So if you have your organization doesn’t have one. You really want a formal data retention destruction plan? By the way, if I didn’t mention it to your killer app requires you that have that a place. So again, you need to think about it. It’s a good practicing of New York shoulders, and if I every organization should have it. Also, business continuity plan. You know, this has come up a lot with Kobe. 19. You know, organization should have a plan in place when something China’s for profit happens, it would. You know, this pandemic was challenging forgiven organizations who had a plan. And I think now we’re over advising plans to take into account the sites of things. But you should have a planet. You know, one of your critical providers goes down. If there’s a data breach, who do you call? You know. How do you respond? New York Shield activity are required Response in a very short period of time. Tony, Order Gate to kind of mitigating organizational damage is the damage that can occur. You need to do the right things early on. So having that in place to support

[00:43:43.94] spk_2:
is this is this the same is a disaster recovery plan. Is that what

[00:43:47.66] spk_5:
you say? Yeah.

[00:43:48.11] spk_4:
Okay.

[00:44:07.99] spk_1:
Time for our last break. Turn to communications. They’re former journalists. So you get help getting your message through it is possible to be heard through the Corona virus cacophony. They know exactly what to do to make it happen. The turn hyphen two dot ceo we’ve got but loads more time for data Privacy practices.

[00:44:51.06] spk_2:
I had a whole show Are I have to show half an hour on disaster recovery plans. I don’t remember the date, but, um, the guest was dar d a r v vor ca v e v e r k a dar viveca choose from one of the non profit technology conference shows. So if you go toe tony-martignetti dot com when you’re looking for the 5 12 17 show on cyber insurance that when I did. I did get the date on that one. This? Ah, this one don’t have the date. But the guest was Dar v Barca on disaster recovery plans, including including sometimes that alternate locations. Even depending how bad the disaster is. You might need a backup location. Do you have that in place?

[00:44:59.89] spk_5:
Yeah, and usually that’s for the benders. Using someone hosting they should have that in place. But released are non profits. It’s more cola called when something bad happens. You know what the weather sex you take to mitigate into remedy.

[00:45:16.49] spk_4:
Okay. Okay. Um

[00:45:17.46] spk_5:
and then, tony, one other thing I’ll add is, you know, a lot of people in this goes to people working from home. It’s even more important. But a lot will use their own devices. Your own PC, sometimes accessing work stuff. You want to have what they called the wild, deep policy. Bring your own device to work one of the views. And, Jones, if you’re accessing information from your personal phone from your computer, what are you allowed to do when you What is it you shouldn’t do? A lot of this is just good training.

[00:45:53.59] spk_2:
Yeah, whether right. Whether even allowed to use your own device. But then there has to be a non profit provided advice and all right, what about? So this is you mentioned that? What about other? We have other data privacy concerns. I’m sure we do around, ah, distributed workforce. And, you know, I think they’re gonna be changes to do work life, and there may There may be a lot more remote employees going forward Then we’re accustomed to just two months ago. So what about this? Having a more distributed workforce and around data privacy?

[00:47:38.88] spk_5:
Yeah, exactly. I kind of when I think about over 19 have been speaking about There was a philosopher and physicist, Thomas Kuhn, and he had a term paradigm shift that, you know, once in a while once a couple 100 years is that is a paradigm shift that changed the way we think of the world. You know, Not Newton Newton’s right. What was a paradigm shift? Mechanics. The paradigm shift and you don’t usually know is a paradigm in ship until after it happens. Kind of like a recession. You can’t look back. I certainly think over 19 at least in the short term and made the lumber could be, you know, paradigm shift The way we’re approaching work when we approach our our lives outside of work has changed dramatically. And there’s challenges with that. Sure, only people working from home, uh, heightens the risk associated with with data breach and unauthorized access. I’ve talked to my colleagues that been studies. The amount of research that happened have gone up dramatically. I don’t know about you, tony, but literally every week I get emails from CBS Chase Bank Wal Mart over Me gift card. Tell me to click on a link. It looks like it’s CBs dot com, but look, the sub tomato. It’s nothing like that. Exactly. When people working from home, they’re not. They just can’t be a safe. So there are a lot of things digital kind of a 10 to Now that we have a remote workforce, Uh, like what? What’s that?

[00:47:39.46] spk_2:
Yeah, OK, I think we’re gonna go onto something else. Yeah, Like what?

[00:48:06.94] spk_5:
I don’t know. I can tell you. So you want to review if you have policies in place, review them. You don’t have policies in place. You need to kind of tell folks what’s expected of them when I’m working from home. Uh, need to communicate. You can’t over to communicate on these types of things. Training annual training would be helpful, but you’re a few of the things that could go wrong. Ah, lot of folks transfer, transfer organizational data to their email accounts and seventh and cells. A commercial email pound has a lot more protections in a personal email account. If they’re sending things from the from of the organization and downloading from emails, they should delete that email as soon as they get the day that they no longer need it. So don’t keep that in your emails that that could be hacked later on, uh, using personal cloud stores storage. Is that not all the same? Make sure the ones they’re using our secure physical document management. You know, we always think about digital data, but a lot of people bringing things from their office home and as a physical document, how is that being capped it when it’s all over leading houses being destroyed, it should be left in a car to be shredded. So let’s not. Let’s not forget about the security of physical documents, unsecured connections to employers if they’re not using BBN, that could be a problem. You need to make sure that people are accessing organizational information in a smart way.

[00:48:56.27] spk_4:
Yeah, that one.

[00:48:56.95] spk_2:
That that’s you. That’s where you have to look to your Internet service provider, right for the for the security that they’re providing on on your connection.

[00:49:42.97] spk_5:
Well, here’s the thing. That’s that’s about your home router. Personal public routers. Let’s talk about personal people have personal. Rather, you come into my home and you access trying to access my Internet. You need a 13 digit pass code. Most people don’t do that when they’re working from home. A lot of people keeping unsecured network. So would you recommend anybody work home should basically activate their round of firewall and, you know, and utilize malware on their computers and and make make everything password protected. So that’s a great example of you. Don’t people think I’m hold? Who’s gonna access my information? That could be easily hacked your home router?

[00:49:48.43] spk_2:
Yeah, okay. On our malware protection so that I mean, that’s something that the employees would have to subscribe to.

[00:49:55.27] spk_5:
Well, yeah. So we’re talking about non working shooters, right? Way are Yeah. You’re

[00:50:12.35] spk_2:
in your home? Yeah. I’m not writing home. I have next ride to where the company has got. The organization has to pay me to subscribe to, uh, malware bytes or something. One of the malware protection companies. Well, we’re in three Norton, 3 60 policies. Something like

[00:50:16.50] spk_5:
that. Yeah, well, working organization. But some of these things, like every router, comes to the ability to put put a password on it. So some of these things are just reminding employees and training them on best practices. Are you working from home here? Like the 10 tips you should be keeping in mind Remind them about from time to time. A lot of a lot of unauthorized access and data breaches. A large percentage could be avoided with just some kind of smart polluting practices.

[00:50:58.80] spk_2:
Okay. Okay. Yeah, there’s I think they’re gonna be a lot more people working from home. Ah, year from now than there were in 2019. Um, I mean, including on the employee side. I’ve heard from a few people that they like working from home. No. And there have been there. I just saw. I just saw study some research like yesterday or something, but were more productive when we’re working from home

[00:51:08.93] spk_5:
back. I

[00:51:45.12] spk_2:
don’t. Well, there’s a lot of reasons. Plus, it’s better for the environment. You save commuting costs, you save gas or public transit. We’re keeping people off the roads. It’s safer. Better for the environment. Yeah, there’s a lot of advantages. All right. Um, I’m you know, I’m a neo fighting all these things, but I know how to read. I can read and regurgitate. I’m like, I’m, like, a like a billboard that you put something on my forehead and then you can read it off my forehead. That Z that’s my role. Um, all right, so we got, like, another three minutes or so, Roughly. You want to leave us with? Yeah, I think you have some. Some resource is tools you can recommend.

[00:51:51.86] spk_5:
You know, I actually I have a lot of different checklists. You said you’re a billboard on a checklist maker s. So I have a variety demand check checklist related to both data data. Privacy on its GDP are policies which should be in there. Your privacy policy. What elements should be in there? No. People always ask me tony can you just give me privacy policy and, like, know who’s that? Privacy policy describes what you do. You know the worst thing that you take somebody else’s privacy policy from another wet side. A is copyright infringement, but it never fits where you’re doing. So I can give you a list, for example, elements that need to be every province in policy. But how you address those, for example, depends upon what your organization is doing with the data. How is it looking at in the back? It? How is this sharing what third party better is really working with? So a lot of my re sources are kind of best practices and tips. I’m happy. I know you get my email just before I’m strictly looking access. But what’s like? I’m happy to kind of, you know, give me some people toe, depending on their needs. Anything we talked about today, there’s a checklist for that.

[00:52:51.88] spk_2:
Uh, these aren’t on the check the silent on the Perlman website, though

[00:52:56.55] spk_5:
I don’t think we posted on the website. Typically, I like to hear what the client needs. Just before, I kind of threw out checklist because, you know, sometimes a lot of information to be overwhelming.

[00:53:14.11] spk_2:
Okay, so, John, at permanent perlman dot com. Um, all right, John. I mean, uh, is there anything you want, toe? I’ll give you a chance to close. And you want to close with?

[00:53:20.65] spk_5:
No, this is again. Thank you for the opportunity I started. I think our conversations saying that you know what I’ve seen? It’s not profits have really kind of lagged for profits and kind of, you know, taking some of these precautions. A lot of things you talk about are simply achieved. It takes a little time, little commitment, but taking some of these small steps, go a long way and come and you know you can never take it. You know, data breach on the north rise access off the table. But you can certainly kind of mitigate risks and be better stewards of the data you’re collecting on behalf of her donors. So I hope this was helpful again. And I love kind of counseling our clients on these types of information the sets of policies of because I know it puts them in better stead.

[00:54:46.34] spk_2:
Yeah. All right. John Janet Perlman and roman dot com. Thank you. very much for doing that, John. Thank you for sharing my pleasure. Next week. Maria Simple returns, plus a 20 NTC panel. If you missed any part of today’s show, I beseech you, find it on tony-martignetti dot com were sponsored by wegner-C.P.As guiding you beyond the numbers. Wegner-C.P.As dot com by Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund Is there complete accounting solution made for nonprofits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant Mountain for a free 60 day trial and by turned to communications, PR and content for nonprofits, your story is their mission. Turn hyphen. Two dot ceo Creative producer

[00:55:27.10] spk_0:
is clear. Meyer off. I did the postproduction. Sam Liebowitz managed The extreme shows Social Media is by Susan Chavez. Mark Silverman is our Web guy, and this music is by Scott Stein of Brooklyn. You with Me next week for non profit radio big non profit ideas for the other 95% Go out and be great talking alternative radio 24 hours a day.

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Lisa Brauner: Coronavirus & Nonprofits
My guest for this special, short episode is attorney Lisa Brauner. We cover the laws that govern your organization and the policies you may need to enact. Staying level-headed, how do you handle travel, your workplaces, parent employees, freaked out employees, and keep all your stakeholders safe? Lisa is a partner at Perlman+Perlman law firm in New York City.

 

 

 

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[00:01:55.44] spk_2:
Hello and welcome to tony-martignetti non profit radio big non profit ideas for the other 95%. I’m your aptly named host. This is a special short episode of non profit radio Corona virus and nonprofits. My guest is attorney Lisa Bronner. We cover the laws that govern your organization and the policies you may need to enact staying level headed. How do you handle travel your workplaces? Parent employees freaked out employees and keep all your stakeholders safe. Lisa is a partner at Permanent Perlman Law Firm in New York City, were sponsored by wegner-C.P.As. Guiding you beyond the numbers wegner-C.P.As dot com My Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund Is there complete accounting solution made for nonprofits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant Mountain for a free 60 day trial and by turned to communications, PR and content for nonprofits, your story is their mission. Turn hyphen to dot CEO. It’s a pleasure to welcome back to the Cheryl Lisa Brauner. She’s an attorney and partner at permanent Perlman Law Firm in New York City. From dedicated to working with nonprofits, her practice focuses on employment law, advising and representing employers in workplace law related matters. She has extensive experience preparing employee handbooks and policies. The firm is at Perlman and perlman dot com and at tax exempt lawyer Lisa, welcome back to the show.

[00:01:57.24] spk_5:
Thanks, tony. I’m delighted to be here.

[00:02:25.31] spk_2:
Thank you. Um, and we’re talking about a special topic, which it’s like the elephant in the room that needs no introduction. We all know Corona virus is running all over the globe. Um, just for context. Yesterday, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. So we want to talk about what nonprofits need to keep in mind. Let me just start with what? What advice are you giving clients is, you know, broadly

[00:04:37.70] spk_5:
so broadly? Uh, well, first of all, the situation as we’re hearing is changing on a daily basis. So even advice I gave a few days ago, maybe changing, as as the situation develops in terms of what in terms of what non profits should be doing in their workplace, I think one of the really key things is that because things were changing so rapidly that nonprofits are speaking on a daily basis with their employees about whatever information the nonprofits may have, and also providing resource is to them. So one of the first things that I and telling non profits is, have both a written communication plan with your employees. And if the employees are all in one location, if it’s a smaller non profit where they can ah, you know, have a a phone conversation or in some way speak with them about what the plan is for the workplace. So definitely they should be thinking about having a written communication to their employees that they should be having written communications to their managers. That may be a separate communication on how managers are supposed to, uh, effectively communicate what needs to happen and keep everybody Come on. DDE not panicking about the situation. I think employees want to know in this time of uncertainty what they can expect in terms of what their work is gonna look like going forward, whether they can be working remotely, whether they should be working remotely. So having a written communication plan is a good first step for nonprofits communicating to their employees. What information do we have? Um, how is this gonna affect the workplace? Ah, kind of is a broad general matter. Uh, non plucked profits are providing to their employees information about what the employer is doing, too sanitized the workplace. What are the proper hygiene things that employees should be doing? Like you know, the things that we’re getting from the CDC and information that we’re getting from state and local public health agencies about how to stay safe covering your off Employers are posting posters in the workplace, reminding and reminding employees about about hygiene about, uh, you know,

[00:05:02.76] spk_2:
for further good

[00:06:30.29] spk_5:
cough etiquette if they feel sick to stay home of those kinds of things. So preparing written communications to their employees, letting their employees no regularly. What’s happening if there’s a plan for remote work, what that’s gonna look like? Employers need to be implementing infectious infectious plans like, How are we gonna address this in our office? How are we gonna ensure that we know who’s coming to the office in terms of, you know, visitors? How are we ensuring that what the policies were putting in place to ensure that if somebody is sick they are staying home? They’re not coming into the workplace. So putting essentially putting policies and plans in place and communicating them two employees putting policies and nice about communicable diseases and how employees, if they’re you know what they should be doing in terms of they are experiencing symptoms of this novel Corona virus or, if they’ve been exposed, dealing with having policies in place for employees who may have returned from Travel Thio countries where there’s been a widespread outbreak or a community spread and things like that. So most importantly, the communications to the employees about what the plans are for controlling and containing infection on how work is going to be handled. What

[00:06:31.02] spk_2:
about communications to other stakeholders? Like I’m thinking of the board but actually even put a head of the board before the board, the people that were serving If it’s, ah, service oriented, program oriented non profit, what about keeping in touch with those folks?

[00:07:00.38] spk_5:
That’s important, too, and you know, it’s It’s a thing about communication because there’s so much uncertainty. It’s really regular communication as well as two. Here’s what we know here, the precautions that we’re taking

[00:07:02.28] spk_2:
it’s reassuring. It’s reassuring to hear from the organizations that are important to you in your life.

[00:07:09.29] spk_5:
Exactly. You know that we’re following this, that we’re on top of this, that you have any questions um, here’s what we know. So for here, the sources that we’re looking at, the CDC

[00:07:22.54] spk_0:
and the and and

[00:07:32.54] spk_5:
OSHA and, uh, the World Health Organization, the CDC is usually CDC, and also state and local public health agencies are often are often good. Resource is CDC

[00:07:44.16] spk_2:
website is really is broken down very well. It’s got different different types of industries. It’s got for for people, for offices. No, it’s it’s very well organized.

[00:07:59.51] spk_5:
Yeah, they have. They have guidance for different for different categories for schools, for universities, for interim guidance, for business s O. They’re all different categories that they try Thio address. And also there are state and local agencies,

[00:08:06.27] spk_2:
your state health, state health agencies

[00:08:26.44] spk_5:
and they provide information to so in terms of, you know, communicating with stakeholders. It’s something that can be communicated that, you know, we’re on top of this. Here’s what we know here the things that we’re putting in place to make sure that our that our stakeholders are are kept in the loop about what’s happening

[00:08:30.45] spk_0:
and then the you know,

[00:08:32.26] spk_5:
the changes that that we’re making. And I think even at the local level like New York City, for instance, and other municipalities, they may have ways for people locally to stay in touch with them. Like, for instance, in New York City. If you text a certain number, you can get you get updates on whatever it is the city’s putting out there about about the you know about the latest spread, about certain safety measures that should be taken, certain hygiene measures and things like that. So I think it’s important that nonprofits are communicating with their stakeholders, including airport members, and using up please

[00:09:08.44] spk_2:
and using the resource is that you’ve got you ticked off. A whole bunch of different resource is C. D. C from the world, the country and, you know, state and local. Um, do we have to be concerned about specific laws that that we need to stay on the right side of?

[00:10:27.93] spk_5:
Yeah. And employers need to be aware of whether federal laws that deal with disability ah, the Americans with Disabilities Act that applies to employers of 15 or more employees and states and municipalities also have their own anti discrimination laws relating to disability. So those air some things to be careful of in terms of what kind of enquiries can we make about employees? There’s also, you know, what, the At the outset of this, there were concerns about, um that there might be some stigmas or or prejudice towards towards Asian employees because of the of the origin of the virus coming from China. On that, managers really needed to be alert thio and aware of and responsive to, um, any type of any types of discriminatory comments or disparaging comments about Asians or about others that could be that could be directed to somebody because of their race or national Arjuna door or their ethnicity. You

[00:10:33.11] spk_2:
gotta you gotta nip that quickly, right? Like supposed There’s someone who’s, um, who’s Chinese and they come into work wearing a mask all of a sudden,

[00:10:52.64] spk_5:
right? Exactly. So also understanding cultural differences and managers communicating that as well, so that to prevent, you know, to prevent an employee from feeling stigmatized or ostracized because of their race or national origin or ethnicity. So that so those are some of the other issues that have been coming up actually in the workplace to be alert Thio and for those are some of the laws.

[00:11:23.75] spk_2:
What about, um I’m thinking of a parent employees. Their child’s school is closed and they need all kinds of work flexibility that they didn’t need yesterday because their kids are home now. How flexible Doesn’t employer need to be around the work scheduling?

[00:12:55.94] spk_5:
Well, I mean, I think that be public health agencies or generally our public health agencies air generally recommending that employers try to be flexible in in the policies that they have, that they apply it in a uniform way but that, you know, they should be communicating if they have. If it’s a different issue, I guess, than a paid sick leave policy, but that they should be, ah, with respect to paid sick leave if somebody sick that employers should be communicating to their employees. We have these policies paid sick leave or other policies that may be relevant, I think, to answer your question directly about that about this issue, uh, I’m seeing more and more employers who are implementing remote work policies, even if on a temporary basis, so that, first of all to help contain, spread and prevent it for safety reasons. Ah, but you do have the logistical. You do have logistical issues with, ah, with schools closing. And I think it’s really just gonna be on a case by case basis in terms of how employers how employers are going to deal with that and also different. Different municipalities also may have particular laws that deal with caregivers believe there’s our municipalities in California, for instance, where caregiving there is a legal obligation to reasonably accommodate a caregiver. So there may actually be in certain jurisdictions lost that address caregiving directly on require accommodation and why, While that may not be the case in most jurisdictions, it may be in some. And so employers need to be non profits have to be aware of where their employees were working and what laws may governed those types of situations and have and have some flexibility where they can with respect to allowing remote working. Uh, at this time way, all

[00:14:03.26] spk_2:
gotta be reasonable, right? It transcends whatthe law requires. I mean, this is Ah, this is extraordinary. So, you know, to the extent it’s possible t be flexible. I mean, shouldn’t shouldn’t you try to be, you know, without without breaking the bank or anything. But if someone’s work lens that lends itself to being done remotely, you know, Let’s try to figure out a way to facilitate that.

[00:15:01.51] spk_5:
I think I think employers are. I’m seeing more and more of it and and reviewing more and more remote work policies, particularly at this at this time, with everything that’s going on for safety and health reasons. Aside from the caregiving, the safety and health reasons. And Andy and the health agencies are encouraging that everywhere we hear that the health agencies air saying, if your employees can work remotely, let them work remotely. If you can stagger the time that your employees start to reduce, you know, to reduce their traveling at rush hour. Do that. Uh uh. So s so different, so different kinds of things. So they’re encouraging different types of different types of things. Cross train your employees so that if somebody is out sick or somebody can’t get to work, you have You’ve got someone else to cover. I’ve

[00:15:25.51] spk_2:
also heard um, uh, organization that was having people bring their work laptops home and try them out before, before we before the organization needs to say people start working from home or before the city. This was in New York or before the city maybe shuts down public transportation or something drastic like that. So figured out now how to get your tech to work from home so that it doesn’t become a crisis when you can’t get you can’t get help from the office.

[00:17:57.84] spk_5:
Absolutely. I mean, one of the things that I’m really I’m advising clients on about a lot is plan. Now, do your pre planning from your written communications to your employees to What are we going to do if somebody who you know who does have Cove in 19 comes into the workplace? Make your plans. Now, make your plans now also, what you said about the computers, even if there, even if you don’t yet have a remote situation plan now and figure out not just that, you’re gonna be sending people home with computers. But what are you going to do to ensure that your data is secure? I mean, the that your data is secure as you. All of your work now is transferred to laptops. Do you have data security and data data protection measures in place to prevent that? If you’re gonna have far more people now working remotely as opposed to in the office. Have you locked down those computers? Have you ensured that they’re not gonna be that they can’t be hacked if you have, you know, confidential your confidential information. Obviously, uh, there’s a greater chance of that of that information getting exposed or disclosed, even inadvertently. If you have lots of people out with computers as opposed to have in your office. So it’s there has to be some pre planning on how we’re gonna set this up rather than just sending people off with the computers. What data security measures do we have in place? What time keeping measures do we have in place? Right, there also questions you asked about what laws? Certain employees, non employees that are that are not exempt from the overtime pay laws. They have to track the hours that they worked. So if you have people working remotely, do you have a system in place where you’re gonna be able to track those those employees work hours? It’s important that you’ve you’ve developed that system that you’ve thought about. How does this remote work and I’m gonna work? Do we? Are we set up for videoconferencing? How Are we gonna have these? How are we gonna have the conferences that we ordinarily has, as in person meetings? Um, there are also employers are talking about not just remote work. But what are we gonna do about travel? Should we be limiting travel and all of the public health agencies air recommending that employers are limiting non essential travel for work on?

[00:18:14.52] spk_2:
All right, so So, uh, yes for work. Are you allowed to go so far as to say in your office that it would be so much better if you didn’t travel for personal reasons, like, you know, it’s better to stay home? Me. So can you encourage people to not travel at all, including for their own personal travel? Can you say that in office?

[00:19:37.52] spk_5:
So there are there certain laws insurance, certain jurisdictions like New York, for instance, where you can’t discriminate against individuals, employees for lawful recreational activity treatment less favorably. But I don’t see that there’s a reason why, in view of this certain of the, you know, the current pandemic that employers couldn’t say to employees in view of everything that we’re hearing and the restrictions on travel from Europe and who knows where else things will be locked down? Um, we discourage. We discourage travel at this time. It’s obviously up to you in terms of what travel. You take personal travel, and but it’s kind of it’s kind of a hard thing to That’s kind of a hard thing to control, because we we have We have this virus spreading throughout the United States on. We don’t know the scope of it right now, so we don’t really know all of the places that are infected or even the extent or scope. Ah, that different places are, are, are are infected so we don’t have enough tests now to even wrote test to test everyone who should be tested. So so that’s a difficult thing to do. But people will hopefully use their common sense about travel in view of whatever news that we’re hearing on a daily basis. You know, people are now going to fewer events because of just changes, things that are happening. We all know if events that we were gonna attend that have now been canceled, so things were kind of changing rapidly on a daily basis, and so there may be, you know, individual employees may decide that they’re not going to

[00:20:57.41] spk_2:
may decide on their own. And and that the change of circumstance, um, is another reason for for being open and communicating. And you know what you opened with and and doing it frequently because the situation does change and and even, you know, even if there’s not a change from day to day, it’s just reassure. Like I said, it’s just reassuring that all the all the, uh, constituents, whatever you call them, all the all the year agencies and offices in your network that are important to you are staying in touch with you again. I know I said it earlier, but it’s just it’s just reassuring. I mean, let’s not lose our humanity in all this. It’s good to be communicating about. You know, when there’s something bad happens, you know, it’s it’s good to be talking about it and not ignoring it, because that’s, you know, you become trivial and irrelevant. I just Let’s not use our lose our humanity around all this.

[00:21:09.91] spk_5:
I agree with you. I think it’s I think it’s so important that we are regularly in contact with employees and stakeholders to to reassure and to let them know that we’re thinking about them and that we will keep them apprised of any developments we learn about that we think could could impact them or service

[00:21:22.26] spk_7:
is to them or,

[00:21:24.04] spk_5:
uh, for employees the way in which they’re working, anything that we feel could impact them or be important so that with respect, what’s happening? What if it

[00:21:58.44] spk_2:
comes down to, you know, this is gonna be evolving it. We know it’s going to get much worse in the US than it is right now. We’re recording on Thursday, March 12th. It’s gonna get much worse before it gets any better. What about someone just, I don’t know, sort of freaks out in the office and says, I’m not coming to work anymore. I can’t do this anymore, You know, Leaving my home scares the shit out of me. I can’t I can’t get out. What? What? What do you What do you say to somebody like that who was just freaking out? Whether it’s with their home or their in the office, and they say they’re not coming in again or if somebody just gets really worked up in panic,

[00:23:19.48] spk_5:
I think it’s I mean, I think it’s going to depend on a case by case basis. And I say that because the reasonableness of whatever their fear is may depend on actually what is actually happening around them. So, for instance, that they’re in a place that’s a containment area like New Rochelle. Ah, and they have certain fears about leaving their house or something like that. Those fears may be greater than if they’re in a place where there isn’t such widespread. Ah ah, widespread community spread. One say so, Um, I mean, e. I think you just have to deal with the situation on it on a case by case basis, and you, like I said before, if there’s a way for not every position is gonna be amenable to remote or but if there is a way where an employer can work with someone whose position is amenable to remote work and the person is anxious about about working outside their home, then they I would recommend that they try to find a solution where the person can work remotely, if that’s a possibility, and I think also just the issue again of reassurance just continuing to keep employees aware of what information, what information

[00:23:37.21] spk_0:
be, uh, the

[00:23:52.34] spk_5:
employer has about any what they’re getting from the CDC and state and local authorities about the safety of coming to work. You know, the pope authorities haven’t said that it’s unsafe to come to work. It’s entered, In other words, that were following the guidance. Employers are following the guidance that’s being given to us by the public health authorities in our locality, in our locality, specifically because what I tell somebody in New York City or someone in Los Angeles may be different than I tell someone or in Washington state than what I what? What an employer tells someone who was in a place that has not been hit yet by the by the virus.

[00:24:59.54] spk_2:
You mentioned some That’s interesting. What about, um, people whose work does not lend itself? Thio Remote work. I’m supposed there’s they’re on site nurse’s aides or nurses or social workers. They go to people’s homes, and that’s how they that’s. That’s what I get paid for. Their work does not lend itself to being remote, um, or even. But let’s you know, maybe that’s not such a good example, cause those air their health care workers so they would have the peopie the personal protective equipment. So that’s not a good example. All right, so I stuck with a mediocre host. I’m sorry. Um, think of an example that you

[00:25:01.24] spk_5:
could have somebody work. Yeah. Really? Yeah.

[00:25:15.54] spk_2:
Their work just doesn’t lend itself. It has to be done in an office. Do they have to be paid? If if the let’s say that the locality does say, you know offices were closed in this town, do they need to still be paid? How does that work?

[00:26:10.38] spk_5:
So how it works if someone is non exempt from overtime pay laws meaning they’re entitled to overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a work week, they’re only entitled to be paid when they for the hours they actually work. So in answer to your question, if they’re not working, they’re not getting paid for exempt employees. If they work any portion of a work week, then they have to be paid for that week. But if they’re not working, you know, so that’s another. That’s another situation. But I think what’s gonna happen is or what is happening is, uh, employers. Employees will either use paid leave if they have it. You’re some employers say we’re gonna pay you anyway because of the situation of what’s happening. So it’s just gonna depend on the employer, But legally, you know, with a nonexempt employees, if they’re not, they’re not working.

[00:26:14.12] spk_0:
Then they’re not than they. There’s not

[00:26:16.72] spk_5:
a requirement for them to be paid. They get paid for the hours that they were

[00:27:40.74] spk_2:
okay, and it comes back to let’s not lose our humanity. Let’s you know, I potentially I see a lot of fundraising around this. Um, not not immediately, but sort of after the after effects of it. Um, for nonprofits, you know, I’m I’m thinking of one organization. Ah, well, in 10. And I know they’re not gonna mind being mentioned. They just canceled a conference, which is gonna cost them a lot of money in cancellation fees with the venues with hotels and all kind of, you know, I foreseen I don’t want I’m hesitant to say, fundraising opportunities, fundraising needs for for nonprofits to fill the void. And part of it may very well be because they compensated employees that maybe they didn’t need to legally compensate. Or maybe they could put them on 50% pay for the weeks that they that they ran out of PTO or didn’t never had enough to start with. You know, they did something. They made grants off some type Thio, thio, nonexempt employees, um, to help them, and and they may end up having to fundraise toe to make that up. But they kept their humanity. I mean, they did what was right for employers. I mean, for employees, for their staff. Um, I think I think we’re gonna see some of that when this. When? When the worst of this is over.

[00:28:27.25] spk_5:
It’s a good point for for organizations that that have made decisions too close or that or have to close, uh, and want to, you know, I want to still do right by their employees. I think I think that’s a good point. And I think we are seeing I’m seeing as well you know, organisations dealing with the situation of we you know, we need to cancel into that. We need to host an event because ah, because we can’t do it now or people aren’t gonna come. The people who we want to come have been told that can’t go toe large gatherings or we can have, Um we’re just We can’t do it at this time. So So you know, So I’m seeing I’m seeing a lot of that as well that that is a real issue for nonprofits.

[00:29:30.34] spk_2:
And I think people are gonna recognize that the need to when we get to that stage of fundraising toe meet these extraordinary expenses wherever they might be, whether their conference cancellation fees or grants toe employees that didn’t have PTO. Um, I think people are gonna hear that need. Um I don’t think I’m naive. I I just haven’t optimism that people in the U. S. Will will come through for the organizations that are that are important to them that did the right thing and and did cancel meetings, conferences or or compromise themselves in some other ways to meet the health crisis. I think donors will recognize that need and will step up to it. When when we get to that stage, which we’re not, we’re not near, but I think it’s coming. Um, Lisa, we still got a couple minutes left. What else? Anything. You want to leave people with that we haven’t even talked about.

[00:30:37.84] spk_5:
Well, I mean, I think one of the things that around this also is that they should really should be thinking about what are their plans that they’re putting in place? What are the policies that they’re putting in place? How are they going to communicate with their employees about what’s happening and and kind of keep the employees abreast of the changes that are happening? What are they gonna do with their contracts going forward into Prince of making sure that they’re protected if they did have to cancel the event, making sure that the force majeure and their contracts which which allows cancellation, is going to protect them in the event something like this, uh, we’re toe happen again to be thinking about their contracts to be thinking about remote work agreements that they need with employees and really having plans in place to be prepared. I mean, we think of also all of these universities and schools that are closing and do they have plans for remote education? There has to be, I would just say to employers, Do you make preplanned, make plans on right up your plans and communicate some two employees on what you’re gonna do in this emergency and think about emergencies going forward. And what aspects of your organ what aspects of your organization and the running of your organization. Could this impact your contracts? You’re you’re the staff that you need the supplies that you need to get. Ah, and all of those things. And, uh,

[00:31:07.77] spk_2:
and, you know, for this emergency, it’s not too late. I mean, we still have time to put these plans in place. Okay?

[00:31:14.33] spk_5:
Exactly. Maybe maybe

[00:31:20.79] spk_2:
a little remedial A rushed, Um, it may not be the best. It may not serve you 10 years from now, but you know, you’ll have that time to figure it out after this crisis. But it’s again. It’s Thursday, March 12th. There still is time to be rational and plan and put these things in place that you’re talking about. There’s still time.

[00:32:22.94] spk_5:
Absolutely. And I think so. I would say I would say, Tom, yes, they come and get on it and start planning. Make sure that you’re doing these plans and that you are and also the employers air staying alert to what the public health agencies air saying on dhe to communicate that to employees. So, absolutely. As you know, somebody had said, uh, keep calm and wash your hands and and and and make your plans. It’s not too late for employers to be planning. And I think that’s what they need to be focused on making these written communication plans to their employees, reassuring their employees. I’m keeping them employees Ah aware of whatever the latest developments are with the public health agencies at the federal, state and local levels.

[00:32:30.84] spk_2:
It’s not too late, but the time is here.

[00:32:33.84] spk_5:
The time is now. If they haven’t done,

[00:32:49.94] spk_2:
isn’t this thing isn’t going away? So it’s not too late, But the time is now get going exactly at least a brother. We’re gonna leave it there. Thanks so much. At least there’s an attorney and partner at Perlman and Perlman Law Firm. You’ll find the firm at Perlman and perlman dot com. It’s p e. R l permanent perlman dot com and at tax exempt lawyer Lisa. Thanks so much for doing this on the fly. And ah, well done. Thanks so much.

[00:33:04.04] spk_5:
You’re welcome. Tony. Take care and be with

[00:33:47.74] spk_2:
you. Our creative producer is clear Meyerhoff sama. Liebowitz is the line producer. The show’s social media is by Susan Chavez. Mark Silverman is our Web guy, and this guy’s this music you may not be hearing, but you might be. I’m not sure whether we’re gonna get music in the post production, but anyway, our routine music that you almost always here is by Scott Stein of Brooklyn. Many thanks to Sam and Susan and Mark for helping me get this special episode out to you in short order My thanks again to Lisa Brauner and prominent Perlman for doing this on the fly You with me next to me next time for non profit radio big non profit ideas for the other 95% go out and be great.

Nonprofit Radio for March 13, 2020: Sexual Harassment In Nonprofits

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My Guest:

Lisa Brauner: Sexual Harassment In Nonprofits
It’s everywhere. Our community is no exception. In this week when the Harvey Weinstein sentencing is scheduled, we return to the perspective from late October 2017, when the allegations against him had just gone public. Attorney Lisa Brauner provides legal perspective for women and organizations. She’s a partner at Perlman+Perlman in New York City. (Originally aired October 27, 2017)

 

 

 

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[00:00:14.44] spk_2:
Hello and welcome to tony-martignetti non profit radio

[00:01:04.16] spk_3:
big non profit ideas for the other 95%. I’m your aptly named host. Oh, I’m glad you’re with me. I’d be forced to endure the pain of Sarko Sisto sis, if you infected me with the idea that you missed today’s show. Sexual harassment in nonprofits it’s everywhere. Our community is no exception in this week when the Harvey Weinstein sentencing is scheduled. We returned to the perspective from late October 2017 when the allegations against him had just gone. Public attorney Lisa Bronner provides legal perspective for women and organizations. She’s a partner at Perlman and Pearlman in New York City. In this originally aired October 27th 2017 tony Stick to 20 NTC were sponsored by wegner-C.P.As, guiding you beyond the numbers wegner-C.P.As dot com But Kudo Mountain Software Denali Fund is there complete accounting solution made for nonprofits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant Mountain for a free 60 day trial and, by turn, to communications, PR and content for nonprofits, your story is their mission. Turn hyphen to dot CEO here. Is this a broader and sexual harassment in nonprofits?

[00:03:46.96] spk_4:
Sexual harassment, The most recent revelations and national attention started with producer Harvey Weinstein, then the California State Legislature, where 115 legislators, staffers and lobbyists signed an open letter of complaint. The next I saw was screenwriter and director James Toback, who has over 300 women accusing him. I know one. Last October, the Access Hollywood tape embarrassed candidate Donald Trump. About two years ago, many women came out against Bill Cosby. Bring it back to this week. A celebrity chef John Besh and a celebrity journalist, Mark Halperin, are incriminated. Both resigned their positions. It’s everywhere. I think we need to talk about this in nonprofits. The guardian dot com has a piece dated 10 2017 titled, He was a senior manager in a global charity. I was 18 when he assaulted me here in the U. S. A Los Angeles Times article is USC Fundraising executive leaves post amid sexual harassment investigation. That’s from 10 11 17. His name is David Carrera. I’d like your stories and comments to be part of our conversation today. You can call the studio at 8774 Aito for 120877 for a tow for 120 or treat us with the hashtag non profit radio hashtag non profit radio were also on Facebook live on the tony-martignetti non profit radio page. Working on getting that up right now. Let’s bring in Lisa Bronner, my guest for the hour. She’s an attorney and partner at prominent Perlman Law firm in New York City. Her focus is employment law advising and representing employers in workplace law related matters. But she also has advice for employees, volunteers and board members. The firm is at Perlman and perlman dot com. It’s p r l P R L Their brothers spelled same way. Could be different. One within you won with the aid, but it’s not p e r l

[00:03:51.05] spk_2:
and they’re at tax exempt lawyer Lisa brother. Welcome.

[00:03:52.43] spk_0:
Thank you. Thanks for coming to the studio. I’m delighted to be here, tony.

[00:04:10.14] spk_4:
Thank you very much. Um, what What? What’s your sense of the prevalence of sexual harassment in non profit? So matter no necessarily numbers, but, uh, as somebody practicing in the in the area. What? What, uh, what’s your feel for this?

[00:04:36.60] spk_0:
I think the issue effects nonprofits justice, it effects for profits. The issue of sexual harassment is an issue dealing with an abuse of power. So when you have ah, you have situations of power dynamic. There are potentially situations where sexual harassment may arise.

[00:04:39.65] spk_4:
Yeah, it’s exploitation of power in a relationship, right? Is unequal power in the relationship?

[00:05:21.73] spk_0:
Yeah. There can be co worker. There can be there can be co worker. Ah, sexual harassment. There can be conduct that’s unwelcome. But what? The things that you were describing Our situations where there is a power dynamic and an abuse of power and justice for profit organizations may not have policies addressing the issue. Non profits as well may have situations where they do not have policies or procedures that address that addressed the topic and that provide a mechanism to address it.

[00:05:48.74] spk_4:
Okay. Okay, um, we’re gonna We’re gonna be talking from the organization perspective. Also, the individual perspective. I did get some comments on the website and by email. Um, so I’ll be sharing those throughout, you know, But let’s, uh I’d like to start with, um, prevention on. I know you do a lot of training in that area for nonprofits. Um what? Let’s Let’s talk about the policy. There ought to be a policy on sexual harassment.

[00:06:01.05] spk_0:
Yes, what

[00:06:01.34] spk_4:
should be in it? What tell Tell us

[00:06:16.20] spk_0:
so a policy regarding sexual harassment should, first of all, not be limited to sexual harassment. But all kinds of unlawful harassment investment that’s based on someone’s legally protected category could be race religion categories that various laws recognize as worthy of legal protection,

[00:06:22.49] spk_4:
orientation, sexual orientation,

[00:07:07.52] spk_0:
orientation, different things like that. So the policy should set out examples of what sexual harassment, what kinds of conduct could constitute sexual harassment. Welcome physical conduct, verbal conduct, unwelcome visual conduct, visual things that could be pictures. Posters could be pornography in the workplace. So the policy should set out what kinds of things give example so that employees and their supervisors understand about what kinds of things could caught could constitute sexual harassment to give examples of the type of behavior that the organization prohibit.

[00:07:08.01] spk_4:
Yeah, what are we talking about? Basically, this is what I’m not asking. You mean essentially, What are we talking about? What kind of conduct behaviors are we talking

[00:07:15.74] spk_0:
about? Okay, so the posse should give examples of what it is. Okay? The policy should also have a complaint procedure and tell employees where they need to go, who they should contact

[00:07:32.80] spk_4:
specifically. Like here’s the phone number. Here is the address of email, maybe address. If it’s an off site location. Here’s the person’s name. I mean, not just contact a supervisor that’s sounds inadequate.

[00:08:24.24] spk_0:
Well, it may be. Contact. Contact a supervisor or contact your supervisor and contact. Human resource is okay. Sometimes the policies will include a phone number or an email, but not always the case. It may be contact wth E. Contact the human Resources Department or contact the director of Human Resource is okay contact in the event it’s It’s your supervisor who’s engaged in who you believe has violated the policy. Contact another supervisor and and or contact human resource is. So in other words, you’re giving your giving the position or the title of the of the person to be contacted and where to go and what the avenue is in order to make a complaint. So it’s important to have the complaint procedure, and it’s also very important that there is a policy that prohibits retaliation. The law prohibits retaliation.

[00:08:39.84] spk_4:
We’re gonna talk about that right now, find to bring it up because part of policy. But, yes, we’re going to get to a situation where someone feels that they were retaliated against on That’s illegal,

[00:08:52.54] spk_0:
right? Okay, that’s illegal. And it’s a very important, very important area to train on and to have a policy about because sometimes the complaints itself, maybe meritless. And what ends up happening is theirs, then retaliation. And that’s also unlawful. And that can also get an organization.

[00:09:09.01] spk_4:
Yeah. Now devolving the situation is devolving badly, right? Okay,

[00:09:10.84] spk_5:
um um,

[00:09:47.60] spk_0:
so that there should be policies. And also there should be postings in the workplace regarding the various agencies at the at the federal and state level. And if the organization’s covered under the federal laws that prohibit discrimination, there should be postings in the workplace letting employees know what their what their rights are with respect to filing a complaint. Externally, the hope is that the organization has a policy that prohibits sexual harassment and a complaint procedure so that it can be addressed internally and early before before an issue escalates. How

[00:10:03.09] spk_4:
prevalent are these policies? I’m hoping I’m sure 100% e I know. Should I? No, that’s the normative. What’s the reality? what do you do? You see that there rocking a lot of places. Uh,

[00:10:33.04] spk_0:
I see that there can be gaps that that there may not always be policies in place and or they haven’t been kept up to date with changes in the law. They’re also should be a policy that addresses even bystander obligation. So if you see something even apply, see something, even if even if they don’t feel that they are that the conduct is directed towards them that they should be reporting it, they should be reporting it using the complaint procedure that it’s an important thing for others who observe violations of the organization’s policy to report it, because that’s a way to prevent these things from occurring.

[00:11:12.91] spk_4:
Your escalate if your witness to something that’s a lot of what’s in the press is a lot of people who are aware stood by Oh, you know, we’re quiet about it, And rumors were, you know, circulated. But never anything official. Uh, don’t I’m thinking of the cases in Ah, in Hollywood, especially, um Okay, um let me, uh Let’s Ah, let’s take a break.

[00:11:37.00] spk_3:
It’s time for a break, wegner-C.P.As so that your 9 90 gets filed on time so that your audit is finished on time so that you get the advice of an experienced partner. You each tomb and ah, whole firm that has a nationwide non profit practice with thousands of audits under its belt. Wegner-C.P.As dot com. Let’s hear more of sexual harassment in nonprofits. Now

[00:11:57.81] spk_4:
back to Lisa Broner. She and I are talking about sexual harassment in nonprofits. You want to join the conversation? 8774804120 is the number, or treat us with hashtag non profit radio. And we’re also on Facebook live. Thank you, Lisa.

[00:11:59.04] spk_0:
You’re welcome. Okay. All right. Yeah.

[00:12:01.08] spk_4:
All right. You don’t go anywhere.

[00:12:02.53] spk_0:
I’m still he

[00:12:03.30] spk_4:
Excellent. All right.

[00:12:04.50] spk_5:
Um, I

[00:12:05.37] spk_2:
want to get

[00:13:59.64] spk_4:
our I want to get our first, um, communique in first story for story this one came from And email. Um, this woman is a professional fundraiser. Once I partnered with the dean and a visiting alumnus who was also a dean at another university for a cultivation dinner. He put his hand on my hand when we were at the table alone. It was very uncomfortable. I must have been barely 30. The next day we had meetings set up for him to meet with other university officials, and I was alone in the car with him. He put his hand on my leg. I really don’t remember the details, but I do remember thinking he was a pig. Another time, an alumnus asked me out during a cultivation meeting. Of course I declined and steer the conversation back on topic of supporting his alma mater. And finally I was working with an alumnus who agreed to make a six figure gift and asked that I pick up the check at his apartment at 5 p.m. I wasn’t thrilled with his request, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I went. He offered me a drink. I accepted, and then we went to dinner. The following week, he contacted me and asked if I wanted to meet him again and said that quote, I seemed sad and that he would cheer me up. End quote. It felt so dirty and like he believed I owed him somehow for his gift to the institution. He didn’t like it when I declined and said he was wrong, that I was happily married with one with a beautiful daughter. This raises a couple of things for me. First is is one woman three times three stories. So, you know, we had me to think we hear these numbers, uh, one woman could experience ah, harassment abuse at the hands of multiple guys. Um, Lisa, this race is also an interesting relationship. The fundraiser donor. I mean, the donor obviously has vastly greater power than the fundraiser.

[00:14:05.37] spk_5:
Um,

[00:14:20.07] spk_0:
you raise you raise an excellent point, and that is that as the and sometimes that organizations may not be considering. That’s the issue of non employees, harassment of of employees and that employers can still be liable for harassment that’s committed by non employees against their employees.

[00:14:27.86] spk_4:
Employers can be liable.

[00:14:29.21] spk_0:
Yes. Yes. Okay. Employers can’t be liable. So it’s very important that the policy the sexual harassment policy that we were talking about, that it addresses specifically that the organization prohibits that they’re prohibition off against sexual harassment includes harassment of their employees, the job applicants and employees by non employees.

[00:15:02.61] spk_4:
So interesting. You just brought in job applicants to yeah, have nuances that the laws here. This is why we have experts. Okay. Job applicants are covered as well as employees. Okay. I’m sorry. God, I want to point that out. Guys.

[00:15:06.34] spk_0:
Yeah, uh, and, uh,

[00:15:07.95] spk_4:
could be volunteer’s board members.

[00:15:19.16] spk_0:
It could. It could be board members. Could be donors. It could be other non employees. That could be it could be a vendor who comes on premises who’s who’s sexually harassing an employee.

[00:15:25.88] spk_4:
All right, so our policy needs to make sure that it’s covering not only harassment by employees,

[00:15:42.00] spk_0:
exactly against other employees, but also that it’s covering harassment by non employees against employees and that the organization has a plan for how they’re gonna address those situations. Okay, depending on what the situation is.

[00:15:44.78] spk_2:
The other thing, this

[00:16:44.88] spk_4:
raises for me now, and I want to make explicit that, uh, for purposes of tony-martignetti non profit radio. Today, we are assuming 100% truth and validity in the stories that I’m gonna be reading. That’s not how the law works. That’s not how an investigation would work, but, um, it’s my show. So for the for today, we’re taking these all at face value as truth. Okay. Um, so that raised that because I’m gonna like nit pick a little bit and I want to see if this makes any difference to you. Um, some of these three stories that the woman shared were pre gift, and one was post gift. The gift I already been made. It was a week after the gift had been made. Uh, does that Does that make any difference to you in a analysis of whether the power still exists, whether they could still be sexual harassment,

[00:16:46.65] spk_0:
it doesn’t. It doesn’t. It doesn’t make a difference. And you raise a good point. Are allegations for over

[00:16:53.68] spk_4:
this year’s all I could do a spot them like a student in love, But I can’t answer any of them. That’s why you’re here.

[00:18:28.56] spk_0:
So s Oh, yes, allegations. That’s allegations. And you’re asking whether there’s difference between what pre gift or posted three ideas is that we recognize that the nature of the relationship has a has a power imbalance, uh, and that the donors in a position of giving or taking away and and the employees although their employment is not, is not ah is not governed by that, so that when we talk about the power dynamic, we’re talking about a supervisor and employees. But the employees may be feeling well. Ah, this is a donor. It’s a big donor for the organization. It puts me in an awkward situation when really, what the employees should be saying, whether it’s a donor or or a vendor coming on premises, because it’s not really about the power and balance. When you’re dealing with non employees is it’s if that employee believes that they’re they’re being sexually harassed, that it’s an unwanted, unwelcome sexual advances, then they should be telling their employer about what the situation is. Okay, this is what happened to them. Your question was, doesn’t matter whether it’s pre gift or post gift. It doesn’t matter. The point is, is that if it’s unwelcome conduct, that’s really what the focus is. If it’s unwelcome conduct, then that’s something they should be reporting to their employer so that them employer can address that with the donor.

[00:18:29.64] spk_4:
Okay, very good. Excellent. Thank you. Setting the second spot, the issues, But I’m not, uh

[00:18:35.35] spk_0:
it was good. That was a very good question about after

[00:18:43.90] spk_4:
passing. And we think that woman for sharing for sharing her stories. Thank you very much. um,

[00:18:44.86] spk_2:
let’s talk about some

[00:19:04.64] spk_4:
training. So we we we have a policy that you leave. We have, ah, Lisa broader approve policy, All right, It’s It’s bona fide has everything. It should, um, training on boarding employees on boarding board members again, all all focused on prevention. We want to stop these things from from happening what we were doing. Our training.

[00:19:43.21] spk_0:
I think training is probably one of the best investments and non profit can make training for its for its employees, for supervisors separate training for supervisors because the supervisors, the actions that the supervisors take can result in the organization being strictly liable. So separate training for supervisors and also and training for employees. And I don’t see this, but I think it’s a very good idea for organizations to be providing us part of their on boarding for board members, providing training on what the organization’s policies are regarding sexual harassment and retaliation.

[00:20:18.85] spk_4:
Okay, you said you’re not seeing that, but it’s a good idea. Yeah, All right. So, Well, there’s a lot of good idea it. So this is important. So, um, organizations, you know you’re getting you’re getting free advice here. Ah, have on boarding your board. Members include training on the not only the organization sexual harassment policy, but prevention recognition of the of the, uh of what’s inappropriate. What’s that? That is part of the policy.

[00:20:20.50] spk_2:
What about from the board member of perspective? How about if, let’s take a

[00:20:45.00] spk_4:
small organization? There isn’t an HR person, um, small organization 45 people. And it’s the CEO who, uh, someone a woman believes is is, uh, engaged in harassing behavior. It doesn’t feel that she can reported anywhere in the office, goes to a board member. What’s a board member? How does a board member react to that?

[00:21:16.47] spk_0:
I think the board should should have. There should be some mechanism. As I said, there really needs to be a policy for a small organization on on how how to address that. Maybe the board decides they’re going to bring in a They’re going to bring in a consultant, someone to investigate someone with experience investigating such claims and then report to the board that person’s findings.

[00:21:19.73] spk_4:
So that would be a part of your policy. I guess how it’s going, how the investigation is going to be conducted.

[00:22:05.03] spk_0:
Absolutely. The sexual harassment policy would indicate that not only here’s our complaint procedure, but once you complain how we’re gonna handle it, there’s gonna be a prompt and thorough investigation which an employer has a legal obligation to dio both a prompt and thorough investigation. There’ll be an investigation, doesn’t need to be done internally and and often times an organization will decide to go external so that they have an independent person who’s investigating the complaint. And then the results of that investigation will be reported to that. Employees the employees always also has the right to go externally. There are government agencies where they can make complaints of sexual harassment. Whether they go, if they’re covered by the federal law, that can go to the e o c. On if they’re if the organization is covered, I should say, if the if the organization is covered by the federal law because there have to be 15 or more employees, they could go to the federal agency that enforces certain Equal

[00:22:55.24] spk_4:
Employment Opportunity Commission, and we’re gonna get into some of that on the state and local also, Um what? How about in the moment? Okay, I I want to cover the employees and also the person to whom it’s reported. What say it is the CEO. So in the employee, in the moment it’s happening in the workplace, something inappropriate has just happened in the lunch room. It just happened right now, and I feel that I’m the female who feels that I’ve been abused, harassed. What do I do right now? It’s happening right now.

[00:23:26.74] spk_0:
Well, really. The best thing for someone to d’oh when they feel that there’s unwelcome conduct is to let the person know who engaged in that conduct, that the conduct is unwelcome immediately, immediately. Sometimes, sometimes the person isn’t aware of what they said. Maybe they are, but sometimes they’re not, that whatever is being said is unwelcome, and the employees should tell that person it’s always that’s the best. First step is to tell the person that the conduct is unwelcome.

[00:23:31.39] spk_4:
Just using those words what you just did.

[00:23:34.89] spk_6:
What you just

[00:23:46.18] spk_4:
said is really inappropriate. And I don’t like it. Yeah, it’s it’s okay, okay. I’m trying to empower people, all right, in that moment. Okay? So call it out immediately.

[00:23:47.86] spk_0:
Called out immediately, or sometimes if somebody’s processing it and is taken aback.

[00:23:53.49] spk_4:
Yeah, I read a lot. That right? I didn’t know how to react. I was frozen. I didn’t Yeah, okay,

[00:24:36.14] spk_0:
then when they are able to be in a emotional state toe, have that conversation to tell the person that it’s unwelcome and it needs to stop immediately so that that’s a first, best step and then to follow whatever the complaint procedure is about how to report that those kinds of things. What is what is the organization’s complaint procedure? Sometimes they don’t feel comfortable. Person doesn’t feel comfortable going to that person directly. I mean, the best way to to have something stop is to tell that person that it’s unwelcome,

[00:24:48.74] spk_4:
right? But that could be hard going back. Let’s say she was frozen in the moment. Five minutes later, the last person she wants to see is that guy. So So Then go to the next step, which is Follow the complaint procedure.

[00:24:52.16] spk_0:
Yes.

[00:24:54.53] spk_4:
Okay. What if there is no complaint procedure?

[00:25:13.68] spk_0:
Thank Goto. Go to another supervisor. In other words, if it’s your supervisor, if it’s an employee supervisor who’s engaging in the conduct, go to another supervisor, find any supervisor to address it and have that supervisor step in to stop to stop the behavior.

[00:25:35.24] spk_4:
Okay. Excellent. Now you’re the supervisor. You’re the You’re the import. Yet you’re the supervisor in the office. Someone has just come to you. It just happened three minutes ago. I didn’t know what to do. I got myself out of the situation. I mean, I can’t remember all the details, but I do remember that he touched me this way. What do you as the supervisor do? What do you say? What do you do in that moment? It just happened.

[00:25:48.74] spk_0:
So the supervisor, it’s going to depend again on this on the particular fax of of the organization. And what? How big they are in terms of what what other resource is they have. So in an organization that has a human resource is person and where the policy and procedure is contact human contact. Human resource is they will go to human resource. That supervisor should go to human resource is immediately immediately. And tell them this has been reported to may.

[00:26:16.92] spk_4:
Okay, um, I want you to hold that thought we’re gonna come back to see because I take a little break, cause I gotta take care of my sponsors. Okay, so

[00:27:38.33] spk_3:
we need to take a break. Cougar Mountain Software, Their accounting product Denali, is built for non profits from the ground up so that you get an application that supports the way you work. That has the features you need. And the exemplary support that you’ve heard about that understands you. They have a free 60 day trial on the listener landing page at now. It’s time for tony Steak, too. 20 NTC The 2020 non profit Technology conference coming up. Baltimore, Maryland. I hope you’re going. It’s an outstanding conference. There are a lot of very wise speakers there, and as you’ve heard many times, it is not only four technologists by any means. It’s for anybody who uses technology, which is all of us. I’ll be there on the exhibit floor in Booths 3 16 and 3 18 capturing lots of smart interviews for the show Coming months in the show we’re sponsored, thereby Cougar Mountain software so you’ll see us in a booth. Oversized booth double booth together. Um, thank you to Cougar mouth and software for sponsoring us at NTC. Come

[00:27:38.57] spk_2:
by, Come by, Say hello

[00:27:43.41] spk_3:
if you’re there. Come see us in Booth 3 16 and 3 18 Um, we’ll be the ones making a lot of noise doing interviews because I have an external speaker so you can hear it all in the video on this is that tony-martignetti dot com. And that’s tony Steak, too. Let’s go back to sexual harassment in nonprofits.

[00:28:28.86] spk_4:
Lisa Brauner were back with her. She is, uh ah. Partner, attorney and partner at Perlman and Pearlman in New York City. Um, if you want to join the conversation about sexual harassment in nonprofits 8774804120 is the number 8774804120 tweet us with hashtag non profit radio were also on Facebook live on the tony-martignetti non profit radio page. I give you a little homework assignment, but actually, I do remember where we were,

[00:28:30.72] spk_0:
but when I say I’m sorry, let your mom.

[00:28:53.11] spk_4:
Oh, thank you very much. Thank you. A lot of times I don’t remember. So you’re off the hook In case you forgot. I remember. We’re now in a smaller I know you do. We’re now in a small organization um, without a policy, and the employee has just come right now to you as a supervisor. What do you say first? What do you say to her?

[00:29:12.64] spk_0:
I think the supervisor would express concern about what the employees had expressed to the supervisor and let the employees know that they’re going to address it if there’s not. If there’s not an HR person

[00:29:16.17] spk_4:
from their isn’t

[00:30:12.60] spk_0:
they will. They will. They will bring it to the and is still is your hypothetical still that it’s the CEO who had engaged in the conduct or just another supervisor? Okay, so another supervisor. So then there’s no policy. But I think the logical step would be that the supervisor then brings it up the chain of command and the absence of a policy. Yeah, it would make sense to bring the complaint up the chain of command, meaning that the supervisor then goes to the CEO and addresses it with them and the CEO and the absence of having an HR person that would be a conversation, then with the board. And there may be a determination. They’re gonna bring in an employment attorney to investigate the complaint, and there will then be some discussion about the fact that there needs to be a policy that I was going back to the policy because it’s really a baseline is that Polish

[00:30:16.11] spk_2:
should have won. For God’s sake, I have get one. If you don’t have one, get one. For Pete’s sake, just have it. What? What you

[00:30:21.76] spk_4:
know. But we have to cover the contingency because I’m sure it’s not 100% coverage of these things. As you’re well aware, the policies are not 100% of nonprofits,

[00:30:29.05] spk_0:
right? And I would also say, Get insurance, get GPL insurances, employment practices, liability insurance.

[00:30:43.98] spk_4:
Pl thank you for defining that. Otherwise you’d be in jargon jail, e p l employment practices, liability insurance. Talk to your insurance carrier about E p L coverage. Okay,

[00:32:15.32] spk_0:
yeah, so that’s a good idea to. And the training is really it’s essential, and not just about preventing sexual harassment but really preventing retaliation, training for employees on the issue of bystander being a bystander, and obligations to report violations of the policy that they see even if they are not personally affected by what’s going on. So the training on those issues, this really critical sexual harassment prevention, other kinds of preventing other types of unlawful discrimination, harassment in the workplace and preventing retaliation, which is an area that really is it is, ends up getting a lot of organizations in in trouble. A National, a large national nonprofit organization, recently settled a retaliation case for close to $2 million earlier this year. The allegations were, and it was it was a case that was settled. So these allegations thes were just allegations. The allegations were that the organization had fired the HR director and the in house counsel after those individuals reported to the organization that they believe there were complaints of discrimination not by them but by others. And the allegation brought by the E. O. C. Was action brought by the E. O. C. Was that that those two individuals had been terminated in retaliation for having brought forward complaints by

[00:32:20.72] spk_4:
having done their job.

[00:32:31.51] spk_0:
Yeah, settlement was $1.95 million. So the issue of although these were allegations the issue off claims of retaliation are very important for organizations to take seriously and to prevent those those claims from arising by offering by having training for both their board and their employees.

[00:34:20.69] spk_4:
I want to bring in another story I got This is, uh, on the website tony-martignetti dot com Comment. I was working for three years in an embassy of a foreign country in the U. S. A. And during those same three years, I was sexually harassed by different diplomats and employees who were locally hired. I wasn’t the only one suffering from this treatment. Many of my co workers would complain to me about this behavior and there were never any consequences. Even after talking to the perpetrators immediate supervisor or to the administrator of the embassy, we were cornered in offices. Minister would measure our breasts in front of other people. Nothing doing it private makes this behavior justifiable. But there were even witnesses of this behavior, and no one did anything about it. We’d receive sexual propositions, or cat called in the office. And we were all too afraid to speak up because this could have consequences against us women and no consequences against the perpetrators. After three years of silence, I had had enough. So I decided to speak to the administrative Minister in charge of the personnel about my problem. But although she behaved as an ally, I wasn’t comfortable enough to give her names because in the list I would have had to include my boss. I told her I was willing to start a campaign with workshops to train men about appropriate workplace behavior with female co workers. She told me to follow up and write an email with my ideas. Needless to say, she never responded to my email. Um, all right, this raises a few things. Doesn’t sense non non profit so foreign to Foreign Embassy in the U. S. I. C. A resident of resident non citizen. Do they have different standing? If you if you’re not a citizen of the U. S. Does that matter?

[00:34:24.64] spk_0:
Well, I don’t know. I don’t know whether there are particular laws that apply to embassies better located in the United States and the rights of those individuals.

[00:34:35.73] spk_4:
All right, well, let’s put it in a knot

[00:34:36.78] spk_0:
of us. If it was US organization is different. If it’s a different, it’s a different situation.

[00:34:45.60] spk_4:
Okay, let’s put it in a U. S. Non profit. Uh, it’s a resident non citizen. Do they have any lower level of standards?

[00:35:41.34] spk_0:
they have. They’re working for US organization. That’s my hypothetical here, you know, here in the United States, then they would still be protected by our law by their own employees. And our the laws prohibit discrimination against employees, depending on. Like I said, they’re federal. We didn’t really go into it. But their federal, state and local laws and those laws in terms of who’s covered which employers air covered, may depend on the size of the organization. So we there’s a federal law called Title Seven, and that applies to employers with 15 or more employees. So and then states and localities have cities have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination, and they may have, ah, lower coverage. So, for instance, in New York, both state and New York City human rights laws require generally that you have. You have four or more employees in order for that organization to be covered by the loss.

[00:36:00.38] spk_4:
Okay, Another thing I see here is ah, retaliation, potential retaliation. But we talked about that illegal.

[00:36:29.80] spk_0:
Oh, retaliation. This is retaliation to talk about retaliation. What it is is if if if somebody, if an employer takes some action against someone for engaging in legally protected activity. And what that means is complaining of discrimination or participating, even as a witness in a complaint of discrimination. Opposing discrimination, those kinds of things air protected by the law, those kinds of complaints and participation investigation. So if some action is taken against an individual because they engaged in legally protected activity that’s considered retaliation

[00:36:43.55] spk_4:
would raise a claim of retaliation.

[00:36:52.59] spk_0:
Yeah, putting it quite simply, I mean, there’s a little bit of a different standard, but that’s if if something happens to them because they did that, then that’s generally considered unlawful retaliation.

[00:36:57.08] spk_4:
That’s a that’s a good level for for us. Okay, I don’t wanna get into Ah ah. See Ellie course legal legal education course.

[00:37:04.62] spk_2:
OK, the other thing I

[00:37:18.23] spk_4:
see here is what if the organization isn’t taking action? Suppose there is a policy and they’re not following the policy as the employees. As the aggrieved employees, I don’t see anything happening now. You said I have the EOE see the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I could go there

[00:37:27.29] spk_0:
if if the organization’s covered you talked about, this may not be covered.

[00:37:40.75] spk_4:
It may not be, um, where just help me out where I’ve been aggrieved and I don’t see my organization doing anything that are following the policy. Wegner following their own policy, and it’s a bigger organization over 15 employees. What do I do?

[00:38:03.51] spk_0:
So employees have the right to file a claim of discrimination either with the federal agency. If the organization is covered, has 15 or more employees or with their state or local But state or city agency government agency that enforces the laws of that state or say we’re varies from state to state or not Every city may have

[00:38:31.97] spk_4:
right. The smaller cities are not gonna have a human rights commission. Um, what about hiring your own attorney? Is there any value in that as the employees it’s been, It’s been three or four weeks. I haven’t heard anything back. I don’t see anything happening. Nobody’s talked to me value in the hiring an attorney to help you enforce your rights,

[00:38:49.97] spk_0:
and employees could. I mean, as an attorney for organizations, I think it’s best for employees to to try to use the the processes that are in place and if they’re not able to, if if if they’re not able to avail themselves of those avenues

[00:38:57.16] spk_4:
where they availed themselves, but they’re

[00:39:13.22] spk_0:
not getting back. You’re not getting a response. They may not be satisfaction, but they’re not getting response to the allegations. There’s not. There’s not an investigation being done, and it’s not proceeding in the manner in which the policy has said then they certainly are within their rights to tiu contact an attorney.

[00:39:22.60] spk_4:
Okay, Okay, um, you got take another break again, hanging with this

[00:39:42.97] spk_3:
time for our last break turn to communications their former journalists so that you get help building relationships with journalists so that your call gets answered when there’s knees. When there’s news that you need to comment on so that you stay relevant in your work, including a former journalist at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, they understand our community there at turn hyphen to dot CEO. We’ve got butt loads. More time for attorney Lisa Bronner and sexual harassment in nonprofits.

[00:39:58.88] spk_4:
We are continuing our conversation. Ah, with Lisa Brauner in

[00:40:04.61] spk_2:
studio and I’d like to turn

[00:40:20.25] spk_4:
to another another avenue. This is, uh, this is from Vanessa Chase. Vanessa Chase election and her sight is the story telling non profit dot com and she says at a conference. One of the facilitators used his session to talk about how, when people make mistakes, they should be welcomed back into the community. His

[00:40:38.47] spk_2:
reason for choosing this topic was self serving. He disclosed that he sexually harassed women at this same conference the year before. You believe that you believe somebody and was essentially forcing everyone to welcome him back.

[00:41:14.41] spk_4:
Unfortunately, the conference organizers did not know one that this had happened, and to that he was going to use this moment to essentially give himself a second chance without any consultation with the conference organizers or the broader community. As an attendee, I immediately felt unsafe. My whole body tensed up and was like that for the remaining two days of the conference. I resented that I was in voluntarily put in this environment and that there was no way for me to easily leave because we were at a retreat center. Then, of course, there were the women who were harmed by this facilitator who were in the audience and some who were not in the audience, and

[00:41:17.21] spk_2:
they had no idea that this

[00:41:44.51] spk_4:
was going to be publicly aired. This conference had no clear, transparent policies in place for people to report sexual harassment. This meant that nonprofits who may have clear internal policies for this unintentionally put staff in unsafe environments where the policies were not consistent with the organizations Lisa brought her. This is interesting. One conferences. You send your employees to a conference. Let’s say you have the employer. You pay all the expenses. What’s the situation here?

[00:41:45.72] spk_0:
It’s very interesting, very interesting issue that’s being raised. And I ended the I think we talked about that. There is There was one conference or one organization that created a way about

[00:42:04.51] spk_4:
that. Yeah, we’re gonna get to that.

[00:42:05.87] spk_0:
Okay, so it’s It’s a very interesting issue, and

[00:42:27.70] spk_4:
their employer liability is that. Is that possible? Employer liability. Again, let’s take my hypothetical. We approve the conference. We’re paying for the expenses for travel and meals and lodging while you’re there. It definitely is related to Europe. Your employment. Obviously those would have paid for it. Is there potential employer

[00:42:28.95] spk_0:
liability? Courts have ruled differently on the issue of when and employers liable outside the workplace, certainly where there can be things outside the workplace and organizations sponsored event and something like that

[00:42:41.68] spk_4:
off outing

[00:42:42.36] spk_0:
where Gala, Where there could be open

[00:42:44.34] spk_4:
house in the office. Well, I’ll be in the office, but we’re you’re thinking off site

[00:43:06.45] spk_0:
outside the four walls of the office. And I think in a in a situation like that, where an employee feels that they’re in an unsafe situation, they have to tell there employer about that because that’s not something that the employer could have anticipated.

[00:43:09.47] spk_4:
Agreed? This is that it was a bizarre one.

[00:43:21.90] spk_0:
Yeah, so? So it’s it’s really kind of outside outside the scope of something that an employer may have envisioned as the courts have gone differently about, you know, how far that how far the workplace extends.

[00:43:30.49] spk_4:
Okay, um, what if you are on a conference organizing committee?

[00:43:47.88] spk_0:
And I’d also say one of things that she was alleging not that she was sexually harassed, but simply that she felt uncomfortable by by being in the presence of someone who had who had a certain that he that he sexually harassed others

[00:43:59.46] spk_4:
right at the conference in the year before, right? Okay, you know, You know what? I’m not even gonna I’m not going to get into the issue. Could she allege? Well, she could certainly allege Could should be successful in a claim of sexual harassment. She the woman who wrote the blood post Vanessa Chase election.

[00:44:08.83] spk_0:
She’s not asserting anything. I know

[00:44:30.73] spk_4:
she’s here. Yeah, it’s interesting. Maybe legal question for me, but let’s not get into it. It’s gonna get too detailed. Let’s take this. What If you’re a volunteer or you’re a conference organizer? You’re in a F P association of fundraising professionals. You put on him conference every year. Do you have an obligation to have a policy around this around? Harassment discrimination for your attendees?

[00:44:47.74] spk_0:
Well, it’s not an employer. It’s on an employer obligation is more of a question of is the environment that you want to create for your attendees, one in which everyone is acknowledging that they’re gonna abide by certain rules when they attend that conference?

[00:44:52.30] spk_4:
Well, I think that yeah, they’re certainly unwritten rules,

[00:45:10.16] spk_0:
but what are they going tohave? Are they going to have written rules? Do they wanna have everyone agree that when you when you come to our conference, you’re going thio agree to certain behavior in certain conduct, And if you don’t then we reserve our right to to not have you attend our conferences anymore. But it’s a different question than an employer. Sure. Okay, All

[00:45:19.39] spk_2:
right, well, I’m testing the bounds of the law. Okay, so it suddenly it’s at least

[00:45:26.16] spk_4:
an issue for conference organizers.

[00:45:27.95] spk_0:
It’s an interesting issue. It’s an interesting issue that blogger races. Yeah,

[00:45:32.30] spk_4:
absolutely on. And if you’re in, this is from again, this is from Vanessa Chase Election, she suggests. If you’re a conference attendee, exercise your agency to attend conferences that are doing their best to create safe environments for women. Ask conference organizers to share their policies publicly and use part of the opening session to make sure all attendees know about the policies. Seems reasonable.

[00:46:02.26] spk_0:
I think I think her hers talking about employers making enquiries particular

[00:46:04.48] spk_4:
is making me incredibly,

[00:46:28.23] spk_0:
particularly where particularly where let’s say, an employee had raised if an employee raised an issue and said I felt uncomfortable because there was this person who admittedly sexually harassed attendees at the conference. It would be interesting for an employer to pursue whether or not there there, that conference organizer has a code of conduct the conference organizer. It might not have crossed their mind, even that there, that there that there should be one. But it’s an interesting issue there now,

[00:47:16.87] spk_4:
all unnoticed because it’s on non profit radio. So every every non profit conference organizer is now on notice. You can play this for them, and any reasonable conference organizer would be listening to non profit radio. So play this. They are unnoticed on dhe. That’s going to, uh, you know, not that we’re trying to help you. I mean, I would like to help you after the fact. I’d like to prevent it to begin with, but conference organizers, ifyou’re non profit, uh, you’re on notice. Case case closed. Okay, Read. Stockman tweeted. Hey asked where would folks find a sample policy for ideas and related to this? Exactly. Read is the non profit ah technology network and 10 which I’m a member of a B sample. Ward is the CEO, and she’s our monthly social media

[00:47:21.38] spk_2:
contributor and they do have

[00:47:32.55] spk_4:
a code of conduct on it. Includes the non profit technology conference as well as I think. I think this would pass Lisa broader muster, but I’m not gonna put you on the spot to say for sure. But where Where is it? Apply a lend 10 spaces again in 10. The non profit technology network, including, but not limited to and tens online

[00:47:39.66] spk_2:
community, platform, online community, social media, right? Yes, webinars and

[00:47:43.90] spk_4:
trainings, they explicitly say Social media, non profit technology conference, non profit tech, ground up snot and 10 labs, et cetera. What What are they talking about? Discrimination Is the unjust er prejudicial treatment of others related to gender, gender, identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, euro, typical ality or atypical ality, physical appearance, body size, age, race or religion that sound pretty comprehensive to you.

[00:48:13.55] spk_0:
It includes categories that, ah are not legally protected in New York, but it may vary from state to

[00:48:20.88] spk_4:
state. They’re being very going beyond that. This is, of course, that they’re entitled. Have anything they want in their policy, right, and

[00:48:25.83] spk_0:
they can put go beyond what’s required. They can put with what they would like in their policy,

[00:49:03.25] spk_4:
And then it goes on t mention behaviors that harassment includes, which I don’t have time to take off, but so you can find an example, um, and then also includes how to report. Uh, there’s an email talk to an intent community team member and how you identify them by their lanyard. Or you could make an anonymous report. They have a WUFU site platform that you could use for anonymous reporting. So it does cover that. And the answer is you can look att en 10 you go to, uh, and 10 dot or ge slash ntc slash at a glance with hyphens between the words slash code of conduct with hyphens in between the words Thank you and 10 for that contribution. And Lisa brought in. We have just a minute. Why don’t you leave us with the last bit of advice, Please?

[00:49:38.86] spk_0:
I think that if you’re gonna have ah takeaway from today is the importance of having policies that prohibit sexual harassment that prohibit retaliation, prohibit unlawful retaliation and that you do trainings for your supervisors and your employees on preventing discrimination, preventing unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace

[00:49:45.13] spk_4:
and for individuals. Call it out because it’s not going to stop.

[00:49:50.57] spk_0:
And for individuals, it’s important to to call it out and address it. If the conduct is unwelcome, you let the person no employees should let the person know who is engaging in that conduct, that the conduct is unwelcome.

[00:50:03.83] spk_4:
We have to leave it there. OK? Lisa Broner, attorney and partner at Perlman and Pearlman in New York City. There, Perlman and Perlman dot or GE and also at Tax Exempt Lawyer.

[00:50:12.11] spk_3:
Next week, Jamie burst with your organization’s health. If you missed any part of today’s show, I beseech you, find it on tony-martignetti dot com were sponsored by wegner-C.P.As guiding you beyond the numbers. Wegner-C.P.As dot com by Cougar Mountain Software Denali Fund Is there complete accounting solution made for nonprofits tony-dot-M.A.-slash-Pursuant Mountain for a free 60 day trial and by turned to communications, PR and content for nonprofits, your story is their mission. Turn hyphen to dot CEO

[00:51:26.15] spk_2:
creative producers Claire Meyerhoff. Sam Liebowitz is the line producer. Shows Social Media is by Susan Chavez. Mark Silverman is our Web guy, and this music is by Scott Stein be with me next week for not profit radio. Big non profit ideas for the other 95% go out and be great talking alternative radio 24 hours a day.

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