Bossiness Is Not a Leadership Trait, No Matter What Sheryl Sandberg Says

by Evil HR Lady on February 22, 2019

Note: This Sheryl Sandberg quote keeps showing up and I have strong feelings, so I’m re-running.

“I want every little girl who someone says ‘they’re bossy’ to be told instead, ‘you have leadership skills,'” said Sheryl Sandberg. The COO of Facebook says she was told this, and look at her now! This quote keeps showing up on my Facebook feed, and while I love my friends, this quote is driving me nuts.

Bossy is not leadership. In fact, bossy is the opposite of leadership. Being bossy is a skill that every 2-year- old has mastered. Bossy is “shut up and do it my way; I know best!” Leadership is the opposite.

Bossy girls are sometimes queen bees–with their little minions following after them. This mimics leadership, but it’s not. Queen bees attain their positions of power by tearing other girls down, by instilling fear, and by being the prettiest, or the one with the best clothes. These girls are masters of manipulation and persuade the adults that they are just that–leaders. But anyone who has ever been a victim of one of these “bossy” little girls knows that it isn’t leadership.

What’s more, bossy women like to keep other women down.

So what is leadership?

To keep reading, click here: Bossiness Is Not a Leadership Trait, No Matter What Sheryl Sandberg Says

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Walmart Changes Will Force a Disabled Employee Out

by Evil HR Lady on February 21, 2019

For the past 10 years, Adam Catlin has worked as the store greeter at the Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania Walmart. Catlin has cerebral palsy which affects his ability to walk, lift, and even hold a pen. But, he was able to greet people, which was the primary function of his job.

However, according to store officials, on April 26, the job is changing–to include things that Catlin can’t do, like lift up to 25 pounds and be on his feet for a good portion of the day.

Illegal discrimination or simply a job change?

At first glance, this could look like a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Catlin has clearly been able to do the job successfully for the past 10 years. So, when the company comes back with a new job description that requires tasks that weren’t a part of the job before, it can look a little bit suspect.

To keep reading, click here: Walmart Changes Will Force a Disabled Employee Out

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Why You Should (Almost) Always Offer Severance Pay

by Evil HR Lady on February 19, 2019

A severance package can seem somewhat silly. Why should you offer money to someone who will no longer be working for you? The reality is that any time you terminate someone, you should offer severance pay — or at least strongly consider it.

Remember that before you initiate termination, you always want your employment attorney to double-check that you’re in compliance with all laws and that your documents are in order. You also want to be consistent in when you offer severance pay.

With that in mind, here’s when severance packages make sense.

To keep reading, click here: Why You Should (Almost) Always Offer Severance Pay

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The Viral Tweet that Explains the High Cost of Expertise

by Evil HR Lady on February 18, 2019

Davy Greenberg summed up the feelings of a lot of us out there who make our living offering services directly:

If I do a job in 30 minutes it’s because I spent 10 years learning how to do that in 30 minutes. You owe me for the years, not the minutes.– davy. (@davygreenberg) February 15, 2019

The tweet went viral (with 36,000 retweets and 123,000 likes at this writing) and evoked a lot of emotion. This is something a lot of us can relate to.

Because I freelance, I’m always talking with new people for potential jobs. Often the conversation goes like this:

Potential client: I need someone to do A, B, and C by next Thursday.

Me: Okay, I can do that for you. It will cost $300.

Potential client: Great!

But sometimes the conversation goes like this:

Potential client: I need someone to do A, B, and C by next Thursday.

Me: Okay, I can do that for you. It will cost $300.

Potential client: What???? I budgeted $25 for this!

To keep reading, click here: The Viral Tweet that Explains the High Cost of Expertise

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Happy Valentine’s Day: These Jobs Increase Your Chances of Divorce

by Evil HR Lady on February 14, 2019

On February 14 we celebrate love in the name of St. Valentine, who was beaten, stoned, and decapitated because of his support of marriage. So, basically, it’s always been a bummer of a holiday, which brings us to divorce. 

Here are, according to a 5-year study, are the professions most prone to unhappily ever after.

  1. Gaming managers 52.9 percent
  2. Bartenders 52.7 percent
  3. Flight Attendants 50.5 percent
  4. Gaming Services Workers 50.3 percent
  5. Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, metal and Plastic 50.1 percent
  6. Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service 49.7 percent
  7. Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 49.6 percent
  8. Telemarketers 49.2 percent
  9. Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Operators 48.9 percent
  10. Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 48.8 percent

To keep reading (including the 10 positions least likely to end in divorce), click here: Happy Valentine’s Day: These Jobs Increase Your Chances of Divorce

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Bad HR Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

by Evil HR Lady on February 13, 2019

Recruiters and hiring managers regularly ghost job candidates. You know how it works–candidate comes in, interviews, sometimes multiple times and then the recruiter never, ever gets back to the candidate again. Emails are unanswered. Phone calls are ignored. And no one in Human Resources cared.

Employees have started ghosting their employers. Managers are shocked when someone just stops showing up. 

Human Resources requires people to attend diversity training that, Peter Bregman CEO of Bregman Partners, not only doesn’t work, it makes the problem worse. Instead of learning how to get along with people, we learn to put people into boxes. 

To keep reading, click here: Bad HR is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

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How HR Can Use Performance Reviews to Help the Whole Company

by Evil HR Lady on February 12, 2019

It’s not hard to understand why an increasing number of companies are choosing to do away with annual performance reviews: according to one study, over 94 percent of employees would prefer their manager address feedback in real time rather then wait until the end of the year.

But annual performance reviews aren’t all bad. Formal ratings provide a macro-view of performance and engagement levels across the company. If the results of any group (department, experience level, etc.) stick out—it can indicate a bright spot or potential problem worth looking into.

And that isn’t the only benefit of an annual performance review. They key to their success is to utilize them not just at year-end but throughout the year, as well.

Here are three ways to use your performance reviews to ensure your employees have the skills they need to succeed.

To keep reading, click here: How HR Can Use Peformance Reviews to Help the Whole Company

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5 Cost-Effective Employee Benefits to Complement Your Health Plan

by Evil HR Lady on February 11, 2019

A strong benefits package is one of the most effective ways to bring in talent and keep your best employees where you want them — that is, at your business, helping your bottom line. Some benefits are more attractive than others, of course. Almost 90 percent of job applicants say they would consider accepting a lower salary for better health benefits.

A strong benefits package is one of the most effective ways to bring in talent and keep your best employees where you want them — that is, at your business, helping your bottom line. Some benefits are more attractive than others, of course. Almost 90 percent of job applicants say they would consider accepting a lower salary for better health benefits.

But creating a compelling benefits package doesn’t stop there. Whether you’re able to provide robust insurance or you’re only budgeted for a basic plan, a whole slew of simple cost-effective employee benefits can help take your offerings to the next level. Here are five ideas to get you started.

Food

Free food makes people happy. You don’t need to cater a fancy breakfast every day to make a difference in your employees’ moods. Having a Monday lunch, for instance, can start everyone’s week off with a bang. Keep snacks that people like in the break room.

To keep reading, click here: 5 Cost-Effective Employee Benefits to Complement Your Health Plan

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Knowing this One Truth Saved My Friend’s Job (and It Could Save Yours)

by Evil HR Lady on February 9, 2019

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a friend. She was in a panic: her husband’s boss told him he had the option of being bumped down to an intern or resigning. The intern job came with intern level pay and responsibility, of course. They placed a legal document in front of him and begrudgingly gave him 24 hours to sign it, or he would be fired.

Now, this took place in Switzerland, and my friends are also expats. I don’t know much about Swiss employment law, but I do know this: any time someone wants you to sign a legal document without giving you enough time to review it and consult with an attorney, it’s not in your favor and you should walk away. 

Now, this is scary, because their immigration status depends on his job and if he were to be fired, they would have to leave the country within three months. 

To keep reading, click here: Knowing this One Truth Saved My Friend’s Job (and It Could Save Yours)

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Swiss Saturday: The Passive Aggressive Note

by Evil HR Lady on February 9, 2019

A couple of days ago, a neighbor placed the above note in our mailbox. Here’s a rough translation (as I’m not a professional translator).

Dear Lucas Family,

Is it too difficult to walk through the house before you go to bed (and turn all the lights off)?

Neighbors, animals, and the environment (subject light pollution!) thank you! 🙂

And more money will stay in your wallet.

Electricity is not infinitely available. Your son will also need energy in 50 years.

Friendly greetings

[unintelligible signature]

Now, the unintelligible signature isn’t an accident. It’s part of the Swiss art of passive aggressiveness. You see, there’s nothing the Swiss like better than rules, and if there isn’t a rule about something and they want there to be, they’ll pretend there is and shame you for not following it. We’re foreigners, so obviously we need to be told what to do at all times. But, they don’t actually want confrontation, so the note works!

Now, if our light was actually bothering someone, they could have knocked on our door and spoken to us directly, but that defeats the purpose, because they might find out there was a reason for the light being on in the night. (There is.)

Many expats share stories of their Swiss neighbors doing the same to them. Not parked right? Anonymous note. Laundry not done to the proper Swiss sensibilities? Anonymous note. Child’s toy left in the back yard “too” long? Anonymous note.

Passive aggressive anonymous notes aren’t unique to Swiss culture, of course. As far as I know, lots of cultures engage in this, and it’s a terrible thing to do. Don’t try to manipulate people into behaving the way you want (are you so lazy you can’t walk through your house and turn out the lights?). Just be direct and straight foward. “Your light bothers me at night. Can you please turn it off?”

The same thing applies at work. “Can you run your emails through spell checker before sending them out?” is a lot better than, “I know you went to a state university, but many of our clients are Ivy Leaguers who expect better quality emails.”

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