The CEO/owner wanted our team to exercise our bonds by discussing openly if we had abuse or mental illnesses, and wanting to know our failures in life. Mind you, I did not disclose information. Thoughts?

Rita Risser Chai replies:

This is completely illegal, and kind of sick and creepy. Information like this is inherently private, and asking for you to reveal it could violate general privacy laws. In addition, it likely violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and your state’s laws protecting confidential information. On top of that, it’s stupid. How is this supposed to build team bonds? Note to managers: if you want to engage employees to open up, make it work related. For example, you could ask employees to remember how they felt on their first day of work at your company, or what they like about their current job.

Posted 07-18-2017

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