Coffee Break: Do You Go to Work on Bad Weather Days?
Photo credit: http://news.blogs.cnn.com
The Northeast is bracing for an apparently “historic” snow storm, and most likely a state of emergency will be in effect all throughout. However, there are many bad weather days when employees still have to trek through the snow, rain and other horrific weather to get to work. I remember talking to an ex-colleague of mine, who told me it took him 3 hours to get to his client in horrible winter weather, only to get there and be dismissed an hour later. All this because it was expected for employees to show up…
Do you brave the elements to go to work when the weather is bad and potentially threatening? Or rather, do you make a judgment call in case you are not given the option to work from home or use the day as a holiday? What do you recommend in those instances?
My $0.05: I’ve found myself in very flexible and comfortable professional environments where I could make the call to work from home in case of bad weather. I’ve also experienced environments where the expectation was, unless you were officially told to stay home, you were expected to show. In my opinion, it has to be a judgment call, no one should be putting themselves at risk to get to work. If that means you may have to use a vacation day, well, so be it. If the option is not available, consider discussing it with your manager in a fair, productive way, whereby you’d offer a compromise, such as working longer hours before or after, or working from home.
Thoughts?
The Corporate Sis.
Work It: Ruffle Shoulder Pencil Dress
Ruffle Shoulder Pencil Dress – $64.43 – Photo: asos.com
ASOS is having a great sale, hence toddy’s pick, this Paper Dolls ruffle shoulder pencil dress in a cream hue. I love the simplicity of this round neckline, V-shaped back dress, accented with statement ruffle trims. The high waist and slim belt are flattering (and forgiving), just as much as the slim fit is. It’s also available in green, but I like the versatility of the cream color. It’s on sale for $64.43 at Asos!
Speaking of pencil dresses, ASOS has a variety of these on sale, including this Plus-size Junarose color block pencil dress, and this maternity version with fold sleeve in ponte.
The Corporate Sis.
Dear HR, Whose Side Are You On?
Photo: http://hratach.blogspot.com
One of my commenters made a great point in one of their comments, about bringing up an issue they were having as a new associate on the job around a more senior employee making offensive remarks towards them. Human Resources was of no help, as it is very often reported in hostile or difficult to navigate work environments.
Many employees wonder, and at times rightfully so, if HR will help and/or protect them. After all, HR is hired and paid by the company. HR representatives are also more often than not stuck between a rock and a hard place, in the roles of employee advocate and company advocate all at once. Not to mention, Human Resources is always guided by the need to have everything documented and highly confidential, which can significantly muddy the waters when dealing with oral employee/manager reports. So, at the end of the day, whose side is HR really on?
From my experience, I don’t believe HR necessarily chooses a side. At the end of the day, they have a job, and a rather difficult one at that, to do. They are employees as well, possibly dealing with the same horror stories that are reported to them on a daily basis. Rather than asking whose side HR is on, both employees and management should be careful in how they approach any complaints brought to Human Resources, keeping in mind they not only have to provide objective evidence, but also have to put themselves into question in the process.
Do you think HR usually picks a side?
The Corporate Sis.
Spirit Sunday: If You Believe It, You Will Achieve It
Photo credit: http://thethingswomenlove.com
With the New Year just starting, many of us have dreams, plans and goals we’re hoping to accomplish. Whether it’s a promotion at work, writing that first book, or building a business, there are things you want to accomplish, places you’re planning to visit, experiences to be had and goals to be reached. Most likely, some will get scratched off your list, and others will remain there for another year. Have you wondered what sets apart those who turn their goals into concrete reality from those who keep hoping? Is their vision clearer than most? Or do they believe in themselves more than the rest of us?
I’ve asked myself the question for years, browsing through the profiles of overachievers on Forbes 30 under 30, or 40 under 40 list. I’ve read many a success story of seemingly ordinary people who started from scratch, pursed their dreams and achieved the extraordinary. One common theme throughout all these success stories, could always be summed up in one word: believing! Most of them had a crystal clear vision and focus. In the book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill writes “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve it”.
So how does one believe effectively, in a way that does not just merely equate praying and wishing, but in an active, result-producing way? In The Answer, John Assaraf and Murray Smith speak about the famous “Five Musts” which must exist to activate success:
- You must find something that stirs your soul;
- You must become excellent at it;
- You must recondition your mind to believe you can have and achieve it;
- You must understand how to make money at it;
- You must take daily action.
Are you believing effectively?
The Corporate Sis.
The Memo: Weekly News Update
Happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having a great week-end! It is snowy, wet and downright yucky in the Northeast, but the sun is out today, thank God! We’re in the throes of potty training our last one, and had to host an impromptu sleep-over last night (read noise, more noise, and even more noise), which definitely confirmed we are officially not seeking a larger family. As I’m struggling to differentiate my own thoughts from “hide-and-seek” screams, here is my weekly(noisy) news update:
- Last Monday, we celebrated MLK Day, and Apple honored Dr. King, its CEO’s hero, in a beautiful way, yet Fortune reveals its employees didn’t get the day off (and they’re not the only ones). After all, shouldn’t more companies observe MLK Day?;
- Speaking of MLK Day, Pop Sugar had an amazing report on how Oprah Winfrey and the stars of Selma celebrated MLK Day in a major way (by the way, read my review here);
- In other important news, the State of the Union this week had the middle class in mind (and we’re glad it did). CNN Money summarizes a few points we need to know;
- This week, women’s rights were definitely vindicated as we witnessed the GOP women take down their own party’s 20-week abortion ban bill, as reported by Slate;
- Her Agenda introduced Teresa C. Younger, new CEO of the Ms. Foundation, and pioneer of the women’s rights movement (very inspiring read), while revealing millenials stay at a job less than three years;
- Wondering what to do with your life? Cosmopolitan explains how 10 successful women figured out what to do with theirs, that may just inspire you;
- Great news for coffee addicts (like myself)! The Washington Post reveals the precious beverage may help lengthen your life and lower depression risk. Ready, set, coffee!;
- Being a woman in certain industries is tough, to say the least. Elle writes about what it’s like in the restaurant business, and also gives you a sneak peek into the 6 products that should live at your desk;
- Looking for a promising company? Forbes lists America’s most promising companies, and also gives us a peek into the world’s 50 most sustainable companies;
- In not so positive news, ThinkProgress broke the news this week about McDonald being sued for sexual and racial harassment allegations;
- I wholeheartedly agree with Inc‘s argument that more often than not, poor employee performance can be tied to poor management skills;
- New job? GM’s CEO Mary Barra gives you tips in Fortune MPW on your first 90 days on the job;
- Another first for women in leadership, as The Economist appoints its first female editor-in-chief editor, ever!
- I’ll finish this weekly news update with a hooray for Tupperware CEO Rick Goings, who just gained about a million brownie points from women all over, when he proudly declared “It’s a ridiculous economic decision not to empower women’! Yasssss!
On this newsworthy note, have yourself a ridiculously happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!
Would you like to add anything to this list? Any news you’d like me to outline? Let me know…
The Corporate Sis.
Culture: “Selma” Is About About Woman Power Too
David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo – Photo: vanity fair.com
At the risk of hopping a bit late on the “Selma” talk bandwagon, I finally was able to put some words on paper about the movie I went to see to commemorate Martin Luther King’s week-end. I wanted to go see “Selma”, I was intellectually craving, literally, this historical masterpiece that I, as a Black woman, ought to have seen in tribute to the late Dr. King. So last Sunday, I fluffed my ‘fro, picked up a few girlfriends, and on we went to go see Selma…
As I sat in a racially mixed audience, under the weight of my own experience as a Black woman, something happened, as I discovered, for the first time, not just the impressive, bigger-than-life MLK figure played by the talented David Oyelowo, the other main character of the movie: the women of “Selma”.The movie, produced by outstanding lady film director Ava DuVernay, opens with Oprah Winfrey’s character, Annie Lee, being unfairly rejected at the voter registration booth for the fourth time. It is said Annie Lee struck Sheriff Jim Clark to the ground after being attacked with a billy club.
“Selma” continues on to introduce us to the other women who, despite the lack of attention being given them through history, played a major role in the struggle. Women such as Diane Nash, played by Tessa Thompson, who was also one of the leaders of the Nashville sit-ins, later went on to be an organizer of the Freedom Rides, and is still alive today. Or Amelia Boynton Robinson, who turned her home into the movement’s central office after her husband’s death, and was brutally beaten during Bloody Sunday.
Last but not least, Coretta Scott King, played by actress Carmen Ejogo, reminds us all what it is to stand by a strong man. My heart ached during the scene when she tells her husband she can smell death everywhere, and can no longer live this way. Or when she asks him, in a scene filled with guilty silences and heavy meaning, if he “loved the others”. Or when she meets with Malcolm X in an effort to strategize and save her husband. Indeed, next to every powerful man, stands a powerful woman…
“Selma” is not just a piece of history for the books. It’s a reminder that the march continues for all, regardless of race, gender or affiliation. “Selma” is also about the women, the ones who’ve marched before, the ones who are still marching, in their homes, within their families, at work, within the highest spheres of power and at the lowest levels of economic progress alike. We salute them!
It’s about you and I. Period.
The Corporate Sis.
