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The Man and the Mooning

After a Chicago investment analyst learned of a colleague’s termination, he took matters into his own hands. He went to a conference room where he knew the firm’s chief operating officer and chief investment officer were meeting. There, he expressed his anger by turning his back on the officers and dropping his trousers and underwear. […]

Textbook on How NOT to Deal with Racial Harassment

The “N word” was in common use at Utah construction company Holmes & Holmes, and management—and unfortunately HR—not only permitted it, but participated. The judge called at least four strikes. The judge in the case wrote that the conduct was “constitutionally offensive in any setting” and concluded that this “is a rare case where there […]

Holiday party

Share Your (Strange) Holiday Stories

The holiday season can bring out the best—and worst—in workers. Over the past few years, we’ve reported on Strange but True! holiday stories making the news, such as employees behaving badly at company parties, a survey of the most unusual gifts for coworkers, secret Santa in the Senate and, last but not least, Santa getting […]

Office Decor—Company Eschews Minimalist for Funky

Are you stuck in a neutral-colored cubicle with no view of the sky? Does your company ban personal pictures and mementos from your work space? Does all the furniture match? Excessive blandness has been known to lead to lethargy at the least. Well, Etsy is in the forefront of bucking the minimalist trend in office […]

Are Your Employees Minding Their Own (Safety) Business?

As a 30-year veteran of the safety profession, Marc Gomez, assistant vice chancellor for facilities management and environmental health and safety at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), has given plenty of thought to the causes of injury. “We do follow-ups and look closely at the root causes. And we see the main cause of […]

So What Are You Doing Later This Week?

Maybe you’ve got the usual lined up: a few (probably more than a few) meetings, some “repeat offender” employees who need to be whipped into shape yet again, piles and piles of paperwork, questions from above and below about all kinds of matters big and small.

Transgender Bathroom Battles–Coming Soon to Your Workplace

Yesterday’s Advisor covered many of the issues around bathrooms and transgender employees. Today, some guidelines and tips, plus an introduction to the all-HR-solution-in-one website, HR.BLR.com. Bloomington, Indiana’s Human Rights Commission issued guidelines regarding gender identity, restrooms, and dressing rooms. (See yesterday’s issue for details.) Here’s what they say: If you have single occupancy restrooms, designate […]

Investment Fee Disclosures Leave Most Participants Unmoved

A “snapshot” survey conducted in October found the start of disclosure of fees from retirement plan service providers spurred little change in the behavior of either plan participants or sponsors. A total of 176 defined contribution plan sponsors responded to the Plan Sponsor Council of America’s survey, launched a few weeks after sponsors began disclosing […]

How do You Train Employees To Stay Focused on Safety When Their Work Becomes Routine?

Gomez is assistant vice chancellor for facilities management and environmental health and safety at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The university is known for a strong commitment to undergraduate education and top research and graduate programs. Its new school of law graduates its first class this year. According to Gomez, safety is increasingly integrated […]

North Dakota employers need to be ready for new smoking law

by Lisa Edison-Smith North Dakota employers need to take steps to comply with a new antismoking law that will take effect on December 6, 2012. On November 6, voters approved Measure 4 by a 2-1 margin. The law “prohibit[s] smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices, in public places and most places of employment […]