Suzanne Lucas

Back Writer

Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers and double-checked with the lawyers. Read more at www.evilhrlady.org. On Twitter @RealEvilHRLady.

(illustration: John Chase)

(illustration: John Chase)

By this person

Dilemma of the Month: What Happens When a Leader Gets Demoted?

I have an employee, Jeff, who is high up in his role at a very large company. He is among the top leaders of the organization. However, he is being slightly demoted due to his behavior and inability to meet the expectations of the role.


Nov 9, 2023 Suzanne Lucas

Dilemma of the Month: What Should I Do About My Boss’s Memory Loss?

Our new CEO has been at our nonprofit for approximately six months. As the director of HR, the vice presidents and I went to our board with concerns regarding our new leader and his memory issues. He can’t remember the decisions he makes. I know there’s such a thing as a fitness-for-duty test, but these are usually centered around physical fitness. Where do I go from here?


Oct 18, 2023 Suzanne Lucas

Dilemma of the Month: Should WFH or WIO workers get paid more?

I have a weird problem. We have some jobs that can be done remotely, and some must be done on-site. Several employees who can work remotely moved during the pandemic, so they couldn’t come in without moving back. But the problem is that both the WFH (work from home) and the WIO (work in office) think they deserve salary increases because of their working conditions.

Sep 7, 2023 Suzanne Lucas

Dilemma of the Month: Can My Boss Hold ‘Boys Only’ Work Events?

I currently work for a small mom-and-pop company of only 11 employees, including the owners. The owners are husband and wife, 65 and 75 years old. The co-owner (husband) keeps having “boys only” events, such as weekly happy hours and trips on his boats; women are not invited.

Aug 16, 2023 Suzanne Lucas

Dilemma of the Month: Can I Fire an Intern?

What do you do when an intern isn’t working out? Well, with an employee, you’d probably put them on a performance improvement plan and tell them to shape up or ship out. But should you be so harsh with the intern? The answer: Yes, with caution.


Jun 6, 2023 Suzanne Lucas

Dilemma of the Month: Why Do My Employees Feel Picked On?

A manager who follows the adage ”praise in public, punish in private” is finding that employees are starting to feel singled out for their bad behavior. Evil HR Lady offers some advice on how and when to dole out feedback.

Feb 2, 2023 Suzanne Lucas