Happy New Year!
Weird topic/question for the group: Does your company have a "see something, say something" policy? (Abuse, neglect, etc)In CA , PM employees are not considered mandated reporters(per extensive research).
What is your company approach?
TIA for your sincere thoughts on this. It is a big debate and I want to offer real solutions.
Of course you report it. If someone is being potentially harmed, please tell your supervisor right away. Human beings come first no matter what. I'd notify the police too.
Absolutely...but attorneys say not to report as an employee for liability reasons. Its murky at best. I am in affordable housing and we work with vulnerable populations. My on site teams want to be human and help, but corporate team sees liability. I am just trying to determinr an industry best practice.
You don’t have to research if you are a mandatory reporter. You don’t get that responsibility and have it hidden from you at the same time. If you are then you absolutely know if you are.
Fortunately our company isn’t hiring at a level we need to create a policy for that. Contextual common sense should be able to thrive.
I think you are missing the point. No one has anything hidden from them. We researched this heavily because there is a vast definition of who is a mandated reporter. It seems common sense to report, but there is some liability associated with it and I am simply trying to determine industry best practice from this platform.
I have contacted the authorities when I have witnessed abuse, seriously dangerous situations, criminal activity, and violence. Abuse and neglect should be reported. Just make sure you are correct in your perception. Kids get bruises and scrapes just being a kid. Contacting CPS for a minor reason does more damage.
Its pretty broad to say. “If you see something, say something “. That could mean a whole lot of things and I think gives way too much leeway. We mostly hear that term in airports pertaining to suspicious activity that could be potentially dangerous to the wellbeing of passengers and people in the airport. But what does it mean in regards to property management? Terrible housekeeping with children in the home? Signs of child abuse? Gang signs sketched in the walls as graffiti practice? Guns and drugs on the living room coffee table? 10 mattresses in a two bedroom with no other furniture and one person on the lease? Nothing in the apartment except one sleeping bag and a huge lego structure of the twin towers. A bedroom full of boxes and boxes and boxes of brand new flip phones, like approximately 200 new phones .
These are all things right off the top of my head that I have come across and reported in to local police, social services or FBI in my 25 years.