by Evil HR Lady on June 27, 2017
I’ve never considered myself a risk taker. I drive the speed limit (albeit in the right-hand lane), I go to church each Sunday, and I don’t take any drugs stronger than ibuprofen. I would have been perfectly happy to live in my hometown of St. George, Utah, my entire life. But, opposites attract, and I married an adventurer. In fact, he just got a yellow fever vaccine for an upcoming trip to Rwanda. (I’m not going; It’s for business.)
This is how I landed in Europe, and while it’s pretty vanilla as far as adventuring goes, living in a country where I didn’t speak the language (I do now) and trying to figure out a culture that places an extremely high priority on proper scarf usage, all while trying to build a career and care for a family here was extremely challenging. Here are just a few of the challenges:
To keep reading, click here: Moving From Utah to Switzerland as a Freelancer Was Tough–but It’s Still Better Than a Corporate Job
by Evil HR Lady on June 27, 2017
Addressing recalls is something that any office or facilities manager needs to have on the brain. Businesses don’t want to have unsafe products in the office, even if it’s just hand soap in the bathroom.
As an employer, how should you handle these recalls, and should you then continue to buy products from the companies that sold the recalled item?
To keep reading, click here: Addressing Recalls for Products in Your Office
by Evil HR Lady on June 26, 2017
Digital health coaching plans are personalized, online coaching tools that help your employees make better lifestyle choices and improve their well-being. Better health is better for everyone, as it lowers your insurance costs, decreases absenteeism and increases productivity. For instance, Anthem offers a coaching plan that can be synced with many health plans. Should your company invest in one? Here are some things to think about.
To keep reading, click here: How Employees Benefit from Digital Health Coaching Plans
by Evil HR Lady on June 23, 2017
The New York Times recently ran an article about horrible helicopter parents who hover all the way through college and then into the workforce–citing an example of a father who applied on behalf of his son and even showed up with the interview, and moms who joined in for a Skype Interviews.
Here’s the thing: most parents are not this awful. They truly are not. But, enough are. And why are they? Because they’ve been helicoptering for years and years and have had great success with it. In fact, the schools reward students whose parents hover and punish those who don’t.
This is not a new phenomenon. When my brilliant and talented younger sister didn’t get a starring role in her high school play, she accepted it. That is until the drama teacher pulled her aside and asked her to act as a coach to the girl who did get the lead. When she asked why she didn’t get the part if she was a better actor and singer than the girl who did, the teacher responded honestly, “Her mother will make my life a living hell if she doesn’t have a starring role. Your mom is nice.”
To keep reading, click here: When Helicopter Parents Crash the Workplace
by Evil HR Lady on June 23, 2017
Sooner or later, someone will have a health emergency at your office. Whether it’s an employee who has an allergic reaction or a visiting child who attempts to jump from the table to the chair and cuts her chin open, there could be an office emergency. Here’s what you need to do to be prepared:
Don’t be Afraid to Call 911
Err on the side of caution when a medical emergency comes up, according to the National Emergency Number Association. This is especially important if it involves a stranger, such as a customer.
To keep reading, click here: How to Handle an Office Emergency
by Evil HR Lady on June 23, 2017
July 4th is a federal holiday, so lots of businesses close. US law certainly doesn’t require you to close your business, nor does it require you to pay your employees extra if they do work on the 4th, but most likely, your company considers it a holiday. This year, the 4th is on a Tuesday, so I’m going to make a radical proposal: Treat the 3rd like a holiday as well. Here’s why:
An Awesome Four Day Weekend
Instead of having to work Monday, have Tuesday off, and then come in on Wednesday, your employees could have a great four day weekend. That allows people time to travel, relax, or get some summer yard work done. For those of us who throw awesome Independence Day Parties, having an extra day to do the work makes our parties even better.
To keep reading, click here: Should You Declare July 3rd an Additional Holiday This Year?
And note: I do throw an awesome 4th of July party, only it will be on the 1st, because, you know, I live in Switzerland. If you’re in the area, you’re invited. Email me.
by Evil HR Lady on June 22, 2017
Healthy office perks are big business, even for small businesses. When deciding what’s best for your company, it makes sense to look at what will actually make your employees happier and healthier — not just things that are more fun.
Employees Want Options
You may think your employees want free lunch or yoga classes, but it’s not the case. According to a report from Glassdoor, 40 percent of employees consider health insurance the top benefit they want from their job.
To keep reading, click here: How do your office perks stack up against the competition?
by Evil HR Lady on June 22, 2017
June Y. Chu, the Dean of Pierson College, one of Yale’s residential colleges, was placed on leave a month ago after her rude and inappropriate Yelp reviews came to light. Yale announced that she has permanently left the position. Chu officially resigned, but this resignation undoubtedly wouldn’t have happened had she not written the offensive Yelp Reviews.
Chu’s problems began when the Yale News published screenshots of her Yelp reviews. Chu wrote, among other things, these things:
- I guess if you were a white person who has no clue what mochi is, this would be fine for you.
- To put it quite simply: if you are white trash, this is the perfect night out for you!
After these reviews came to light, Chu apologized saying, “My remarks were wrong.There are no two ways about it. Not only were they insensitive in matters related to class and race; they demean the values to which I hold myself and which I offer as a member of this community.”
To keep reading, click here: Yale Dean Just Lost Her Job for Rude Yelp Reviews
by Evil HR Lady on June 21, 2017
he natural order of things is that you work hard, become proficient in what you do, and then get promoted to management, right? That’s how companies often work, and while sometimes it’s an effective strategy, it fails miserably in many cases. Why? Because “managing” is not like “doing.”
What does that mean? Well, let’s say you’re really good with customers—have a great rapport, and they trust you. You work quickly and accurately, and people praise your work. You’re reliable and hard working, and the business would be better off if everyone in the field worked as you do.
Different Jobs, Different Skills
But, are you good at training others? What about paperwork? What about handling sensitive issues, like requests for leaves of absences and coaching someone through a performance improvement plan?
To keep reading, click here: Don’t Promote Your Best Techs, but Give Them a Raise
by Evil HR Lady on June 20, 2017
