“Hindenburg,” “powder keg,” “Titanic,” and “apocalyptic.” These words probably
aren’t banned in your office, but General Motors instructed employees to avoid
using these and other words and phrases—68 total—in internal communications
about safety issues. Words like “deathtrap,” “widowmaker,” and “rolling
sarcophagus,” are out, as are phrases such as “This is a death trap waiting to
happen,” and “Unbelievable engineering screw-up.” GM calls these things “judgment
words.”
The company told employees that the list contained “examples of comments that do
not help identify and solve problems.” It suggested more beneficial phrases could be,
“Windshield wipers did not work properly. Would run for 3-4 seconds and then quit
for the next 7-8 minutes repeatedly.”
The company didn’t just focus on the more egregious examples of employee speak,
though. It also instructed employees to avoid words like “safety,” “safety-related,”
“defect,” and “failure,” because, it said, those words are vague and non-descriptive.
Eliminating workplace jargon that detracts from the point is a goal any office might
want to implement.
But GM has other concerns, too. As part of the company’s evaluation process for new
vehicles, employees often drive the vehicles before they go into full production and
share any problems they experience. But GM says that “there really aren’t any
secrets in this company,” and expressed concern that these employee reviews can
be revealed in the media. “For anything you say or do, ask yourself how you would react if it was reported in a major newspaper or on television,” the company said in
its presentation.
GM’s position has certainly been criticized, though, especially in light of recent
safety issues with the company’s products. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) Acting Administrator David Friedman criticized the
company during a press conference. Friedman said that GM was discouraging open
and free discussion of potential problems by telling employees to avoid certain
language.
GM responded in a written statement saying, “We encourage employees to be
factual in their statement and will continue to work with NHTSA to improve our
safety processes. Today’s GM encourages employees to discuss safety issues, which
is reinforced through GM’s recently announced Speak Up for Safety Program.”
The “Speak Up for Safety” program is designed to recognize employees who share
ideas to make vehicles safer or who point out potential safety issues in vehicles. Just,
apparently, only in so many words.
If employees feel like their voice is stifled—at GM or anywhere—by company policy,
it can be difficult to make changes and work with sometimes frustrating rules. But
there are ways to deal. First, communicate regularly with your supervisor to see
what he or she knows about certain situations. Also, try to gain insight into the
reasons behind the rules, which can help you to accept policies that may seem
unnecessary or unfair. If you’re in a position to suggest changes to higher-ups, work
on documenting examples that you can use to demonstrate new ways of doing
things. Don’t be afraid to speak up in a respectful way if you have a problem with a
policy.
Contact HKM
If you have any legal issue at work, the experienced lawyers at HKM Employment
Attorneys are here to help. Contact an attorney today.
