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It is always disappointing to read this kind of review. The HR team and the head of the referenced department would have welcomed the chance to talk with the employee and address the concerns raised. Conversations do take place frequently between our staff and HR or their managers, and we strive to listen and find solutions.
We place a premium on work/life balance at PLI. As a result, we tend not to utilize OT. That does not mean it is unavailable if the occasional need arises, such as meeting a deadline. If the reviewer believes the workload is unreasonable, we strongly encourage him/her to speak to his/her manager or the department head. The last thing we want is for any employee to feel stressed at work. We try to demonstrate this every day with our wellness programs, generous paid time off and Summer Fridays.
Making mistakes is something we all do, and PLI certainly does not condone managers treating staff in an unforgiving, disrespectful manner when they occur. We take this commitment seriously, and have spoken to managers about their approach when this issue is brought to our attention. Unless we know this behavior is occurring we cannot properly address it.
Salaries are something we constantly review. Many positions have been adjusted in the last year, and more are being evaluated as we begin our annual appraisal and merit increase program. Our benefits are outstanding, including a generous retirement savings plan, and we frequently ask for and apply employee input on a host of topics. Recent examples include ideas for employee events, professional development and benefits.
As posted earlier this year on Glassdoor, nearly half our employee group has been promoted at least once while at PLI. We anticipate several more promotion announcements in January. While we cannot guarantee every employee will find a satisfying career trajectory, we certainly make an effort to encourage professional growth in many ways (including learning about the law, as the reviewer mentioned).
Sometimes issues at work (as in life!) are caused by miscommunication or the lack of it altogether. To that end, we are keeping our doors wide open and welcome hearing from our staff often.
Sincerely,
Joan D. Sternberg
VP, Human Resources
Practising Law Institute
