Category: EntertainHR

Posts focus on what not to do in the workplace, based on examples from television, film, and other popular media.

Think before you joke so you don’t have to litigate what’s ‘funny’

Studies show that laughing boosts immunity, eases anxiety and stress, improves mood, decreases pain, and can even prevent heart disease. Socially, laughing strengthens relationships. In addition to the value of humor in our personal lives, we cannot underestimate the power of humor at work. Humor aids in learning and memory retention, increases our ability to […]

Harvey Weinstein: beauty and the beastly mogul

Over the last week, the fallout from a New York Times article regarding Harvey Weinstein has been swift and significant. On October 5, the Times published an explosive story about Hollywood producer and media mogul Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment spanning decades. More and more women have been coming forward since the story broke to accuse […]

Providing grief relief in age of mass shootings

The headlines rang out early Monday morning as many of us were preparing to leave home for work: DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN US HISTORY. Coffee. IT WAS MADNESS. Toasted bagel. 50+ KILLED, MORE THAN 500 INJURED. Orange Juice. THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE. Sunday night at the highlight concert of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, 64-year-old […]

What’s your salary? Apparently none of my business

We all know that movie stars make a ton of money. I mean, a ton of money. How much? Well, last month Forbes published its list of the world’s highest paid actresses and actors for the previous year so you can see for yourself. There are certainly some surprises on the list. No offense, but […]

Magnum, SMH

Who could possibly sully the sainted memory of Thomas Magnum, fictional private investigator and iconic 1980s bon vivant? All 45 of these guys, apparently.  Here’s a quick hit in case you don’t want to follow the link: Bachelor partygoers decided they would take in a baseball game in Detroit between the Tigers and the Chicago White […]

Train ’em up

If you’re a poor soul who’s followed enough of my posts to spot patterns, you’ll spot one here. Maybe I’m a broken record, maybe I’m simple-minded, or maybe I really like baseball.  Baseball speaks to me. The U.S. is still a blip in the long course of human history. We cobbled together our identity from […]

In honor of Labor Day, some time sheet tips to beat FLSA off-the-clock claims

Ah, Labor Day. Family barbecues, a trip to the beach, your last chance to wear white, time spent napping and binging on Netflix, or just a simple day of relaxation. However you spent the long weekend, I hope you enjoyed some rest from your labors. As an employment lawyer and a mother, the word “labor” […]

HR Issues that Arise when Natural Disasters Hit

Natural disasters raise a host of issues for employers, regardless of whether these employers have a direct presence in the affected areas or whether they have employees residing in or telecommuting from them. Sometimes employers are forced to close or are able to remain open in some capacity, but employees are not able to travel […]

Solar eclipse guide for employers

Today’s solar eclipse is expected to be an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with people from all over flocking to the path of totality.  While this will likely mean considerable economic benefits from tourism, it is also expected to be quite costly for employers.  According to an estimate by outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, this afternoon’s […]

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen—best practices from Top Chef

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” That’s essentially what a group of Teamsters told Top Chef host personality Padma Lakshmi back in June 2014 outside of Steel & Rye restaurant in Milton, Massachusetts. This “episode” is now at the center of a lawsuit brought by the federal government against four […]