Seeking Fairness at Work: Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement, Retention & Satisfaction

Seeking Fairness at Work by Hanna Hasl-Kelchner is a sharp, compassionate, and thoughtful exploration of what fairness really means in today’s workplace. The book opens with candid, real-life stories of people pushed to their limits by unfair treatment and builds a powerful case for why fairness isn’t just a “nice-to-have” but essential for high performance, trust, and retention. Hasl-Kelchner breaks the topic down in two parts: first, by giving voice to what employees wish they could say out loud, and then by offering leaders a five-part strategy to embed fairness deeply into workplace culture. It’s a mix of research, practical advice, and a wake-up call.

This book resonated with me, as I have worked for a corporation for a decade. I’ve been both an employee and a leader, and I saw myself on both sides of the page. The stories were so real, the writing down-to-earth and smart without being preachy. Hasl-Kelchner doesn’t mince words. She gets to the heart of the matter, like how people are treated, and how easy it is for leaders to become blind to the damage their silence or inaction causes. I especially appreciated how she tied fairness to things like health, motivation, and even workplace violence. It’s not just about equity, it’s about safety and dignity. She makes you feel the stakes. And she does it with empathy, never pointing fingers, just opening your eyes.

What I loved most is how actionable this book is. Each of the five steps: trust, empathy, accountability, cultural safety, and structure, is explained clearly and with examples. The “Fairness Factors” sprinkled throughout make you stop and reflect. This book doesn’t ask you to become a superhero. It just asks you to care, to be aware, and to do better. The book challenged me. I caught myself thinking things like “But we don’t have time for that,” or “That’s just how things are.” Hasl-Kelchner anticipates those reactions and gently calls them out.

I found this book to be one of the most honest and grounded management books I’ve read in a long time. I’d recommend Seeking Fairness at Work to anyone in a leadership role, especially those who think they don’t need it. It’s for HR professionals, team leads, executives, and entrepreneurs who want more than surface-level employee engagement. If you’ve ever felt the tension between doing what’s efficient and doing what’s right, this book is for you.

Pages: 226 | ASIN : B0D1GXVKP1

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The Literary Titan is an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors that have a passion for the written word. We review fiction and non-fiction books in many different genres, as well as conduct author interviews, and recognize talented authors with our Literary Book Award. We are privileged to work with so many creative authors around the globe.

Posted on July 28, 2025, in Book Reviews, Five Stars and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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