Hey y’all. I know that I’ve been really, really remiss in posting updates here. I do so apologize. But the good news is that you can find me at the blog Laughing Squid where I am currently working as a contributing writer and social media vixen. This is not to say I’m retiring my title of HRLori, just putting it on the back burner for a little while.

See you in the funny papers.

photo by Scott Beale

The Egomaniac
They love the fact that they’re your boss. Their ego is so big, it could travel around the world and back again. They love to be centre of attention. They always have to be right. And if they’re not? The toys will most definitely be thrown out of the pram.

The Solution: Of all the horrible bosses, this one is the easiest to deal with. All you have to do is stroke their ego. Allow them to be centre of attention and give them the impression that you hang on their every word. And that you think the sun shines out of their backside. Say their first name often, as psychologists conclude it’s the sweetest sound in the world to them. Feed the ego and the ego will leave you alone.

There’s also “The Politician”, “The Bitter Lemon” and “The Neglector”, all names that seem to recall Pre-Prohibition Era Cocktails.

Or maybe it’s just that you’ll need a drink after dealing with bosses like these.

Robby Leonardi, a multi-disciplined artist in NYC, created a résumé in the style of Super Mario Bros. that definitely stands out among typical résumés. And it’s fun too!

[via Laughing Squid}

This clip, posted by lexilegz, isn’t exactly comprehensive, but it is fun.

Today marks the first day of “Breast Cancer Awareness” month . While we’re being bombarded with pink ribbons, it’s good to understand how an employees with cancer function in the workplace. This infographic found in Cure Magazine is a great resource.

According to the report:

• There 12 million cancer survivors in the U.S., one-third are under the age of 65, the traditional retirement age.
• Almost half those surveyed continue working during treatment in order to “feel productive”.
• Cancer is classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• “60% reported they either did not take off work or only took off a few days after diagnosis.”

So what’s an employer to do? Of course, we all know how to follow the rules of the ADA, but flexibility is the key. Flexible hours, flexible workplace, flexible deadlines. Chemotherapy and radiation are incredibly tough on the body and the mind. A little compassion goes a long, long way. And it pays off in the end with employee loyalty.

Trust me. I know about these things. Below is a photo of my incredible co-workers who supported me through treatment in 2011.

I’m the one in the wig.

Thanks Cynthia!

Marina Shifrin quit her job as a writer for Taiwanese company Next Media Animation via an interpretive dance set to Kanye West’s “Gone“.

“For almost two years I’ve sacrificed my relationships, time and energy for this job,” she explains. “And my boss only cares about quantity and how many views each video gets. So I figured I’d make ONE video of my own.”

Ms. Shafrin’s attributed her need to resign to the company culture.

“During a Skype interview with the Huffington Post, Shifrin wrote that the Taiwanese work environment is very different from the American work environment. She got no lunch break and her boss was constantly changing her schedule and responsibilities. After her managers failed to help her, she decided to make the video.”

[via Laughing Squid]

I don’t drink coffee (unless it’s Sightglass), but is any cup of coffee worth a potential job?

Then again, it’s just a commercial.

In somewhat surprising, albeit welcome (and confirmed) news, Walmart will be offering benefits to domestic partners (including same sex partners!!) beginning January 1, 2014. Per a memo leaked to Towle Road, Walmart will be offering a “full suite of our benefits” in order to stay competitive in the marketplace.

We operate in 50 states, hundreds of municipalities, and Puerto Rico, and as clarified under the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) each of these states are developing different definitions of marriage, domestic partner, civil union, etc. By developing a single definition for all Walmart associates in the U.S. and Puerto Rico we are able to ensure consistency for associates in various markets.

In order to remain competitive in terms of attracting and retaining great talent to our company, we’re extending our benefits package to include domestic partners.“

Being that Walmart is the largest private employer in the U.S. with over 1.3 million employees, this is really, really good news. And while there is no shortage of employment issues with this company, it’s good to know that they are doing the right thing here.

[Via ThinkProgress]

Whether you are for or against unions is irrelevant. It’s a beautiful piece that is definitely worth watching.

[via Upworthy]

Sometimes the best of intentions are communicated so badly that they land with a thud heard around the world. Such was the case when Jhana Education sent an article to their clients entitled “What if a Male Colleague Gets the Wrong Idea?” and proceeded to advise women how not to act the seductress in the workplace.

This is quite the conundrum. Normally Jhana offers a wonderful service by providing documents online to educated assortment of HR/management issues. Their clients include Google, Groupon,Ask, ModCloth and Eventbrite.

Jhana is a hosted, secure and scalable online resource with original content and tools. We provide practical guidance on a wide range of essential business topics like delegation, productivity, running meetings, coaching and more. The important stuff that’s often overlooked but critical to business success.

We’ve developed hundreds of original and practical articles, videos and tools that are available instantly through a dead-simple online platform, ensuring your managers get the help they need, when they need it. And in the process we help you identify and address hot-button issues before they spiral out of control.

So far so good, yes? But back to the aforementioned thud. I’m not sure how this article made it past Editorial. It is condescending, outdated and frankly, insulting. The article has been removed, but in true Gawker style, Jezebel has the screen shots.

The problem with the piece — besides the fact that it treats its target audience like actual sex idiots — is that it once again implies that women are responsible for how men behave and what men think. Here’s a sampling of the advice doled out:

If you act the same way — always professional, but also always like yourself — around everyone, the problematic colleague will be less likely to get the idea that you’re coming on to him. One caveat: If you’re touchy-feely or flirtatious by nature, you might want to dial it back around him and any guys from whom you sense discomfort.

See what I mean? But this one misstep is just that, a misstep from which I hope they’ve learned.

[via The Huffington Post]

During the meeting, Mr. Armstrong made 3 very basic statements regarding the layoffs:

• He was fully accountable for all of the errors that were made under his leadership. “Blame it on me”
• Media leaks didn’t bother him. “I don’t care if you leak information…leaking information or anything around Patch doesn’t bother me…”
• He required employee re-dedication to the product. “If you don’t use Patch as a product.. you owe it to everybody else at Patch to leave.”

We all know that layoffs are very difficult for all parties involved, and Mr. Armstrong could have finessed the language a bit, but up to that point he was making valid business points. That is, until an employee took a picture.

Via Jim Romensko

“Abel, put that camera down. You’re fired. Out,” Armstrong said. After a pause of about five seconds, he then continued the call as though nothing had happened.

Then after about five more minutes of talking about whatever, he threw in “and the reason I fired Abel before was I don’t want anyone taking pictures of this meeting.” He invoked some kind of comparison to a sports team’s locker room.

This is curious for a couple of reasons. The first being that firing someone in front of a group of employees who are unsure of their own futures is like lighting a match in a kitchen with a faulty stove. It may or may not blow up, but why take the chance? Additionally, he mentioned several times that media leaks didn’t bother him, yet he fires a director for taking a picture? It’s puzzling to say the least.

But, as always, we may only have a small glimpse of what is probably a much larger picture.

You can listen for yourself here:

[via ValleyWag]

UPDATE: Mr. Armstrong has publicly apologized.

UPDATE 2: According to Jim Romenesko, 40% of the staff is being let go.

What a week it’s been! The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has been very busy this week. Some good and some very bad. But today was monumental.

At 10:00 this morning, SCOTUS handed down a 5-4 decision that invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). From the SCOTUS blog:

The federal Defense of Marriage Act defines “marriage,” for purposes of over a thousand federal laws and programs, as a union between a man and a woman only. Today the Court ruled, by a vote of five to four, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy, that the law is unconstitutional. The Court explained that the states have long had the responsibility of regulating and defining marriage, and some states have opted to allow same-sex couples to marry to give them the protection and dignity associated with marriage. By denying recognition to same-sex couples who are legally married, federal law discriminates against them to express disapproval of state-sanctioned same-sex marriage. This decision means that same-sex couples who are legally married must now be treated the same under federal law as married opposite-sex couples.

Aside from being a major, major victory in human rights, what does this mean for the workplace?

Under DOMA, there was no recognition of same sex partnerships at the Federal level. This included pre-tax deductions for the employee’s portion of health insurance premiums. So even though a great many companies offered the availability of benefits to the employee for “domestic partner” coverage (quotes intentional), the employee was not able to take advantage of the same pre-tax benefits offered to those employees who were in an opposite sex relationship. Now that DOMA has been deemed unconstitutional, these employees in states that recognize gay marriage (or marriage as I like to call it), have the right to pre-tax benefits along with other financial benefits.

What does that mean? Essentially, when Americans get health care through their job, their employer pays part of the premium for that insurance plan. Many of those Americans may opt for a family plan that also covers their spouse. Under the current federal tax code, Americans can’t be taxed on the amount of money that their employer puts toward covering the cost of their spouse’s premium. But, while DOMA stood, the federal government couldn’t count same-sex couples as part of that rule. LGBT couples who were legally married ended up being taxed more for their health care than straight couples who were legally married. Now that DOMA is gone, some married same-sex couples won’t pay the federal government more for sharing the same health plan.

The other items of which HR should be aware are FMLA rights (not yet in place) and Green Card Sponsorship.

Emergency leave: Present law does not offer gay and lesbian employees time off from work to tend to a domestic partner or that partner’s family member, according to the Human Rights Campaign. But the guarantees provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act will soon become available to same-sex spouses.

Green cards and visas: There are an estimated 28,500 binational same-sex couples — meaning one partner is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and one isn’t — but DOMA did not allow the former to petition for the latter to immigrate, according to the Williams Institute. But gays and lesbians may now lobby the federal government for green cards or visas for a non-American same-sex partner.

So, what does HR need to do now? The best thing to do is to speak with your insurance broker along with your payroll partner to ensure that the employees affected by this ruling have access to these benefits as soon as possible.

After all, these employees have already waited far, far, far too long.

We’ve come a long way, baby. But then again, there’s always further to go…

[via Business Insider]