Equal Pay and Palin

Ryan Johnson's WorldAtWork blog says that equal pay will get even more play now with the Sarah Palin nomination as VP: click here

And indeed, Barack Obama's first shot at Palin came about because of this: click here

This is not the only issue for Human Resources that's at stake here...

Questions are floating around about whether she was picked because she was a woman and where she should be at this point in her life considering her special needs toddler and her pregnant teenage daughter. Whether you fall on one side of the issue or the other, these are legitimate questions to ponder...and to relate to as a Human Resource professional.

Are there double standards here? Would a male in the same position be examined in the same spotlight? Do you/others do this at your company? And how far do you think the Democrats can go in pursuing this line of thinking? Sexism has been a hot topic of the presidential race from Hillary Clinton to Sarah Palin and the issue is far from going away. This may be a good time to think about if it exists in your own company and how to combat that. And while politics don't always reflect real life, it'll be interesting to hear all the stories that come out in support or against Palin based on personal experiences people have had with this in the workplace.

UPDATE 10:45 AM EST: Politico has caught on and is saying the Senate Democrats are going to force McCain to vote on the issue of equal pay: click here

The HR Executive and the Election

We start off on this Wednesday smack in the middle of the convention cycle and with an article from Human Resource Executive Online saying to brace yourselves for whoever is elected president: click here

Human Resource Executive Online also wants to talk about where HR stands today and who Human Resources Executives want as president and why: click here

Next, the Business Ledger tells HR professionals how sloppy Human Resources adds to employers' benefit costs: click here

Human Resource Management Solutions by People Wise then asks when does a small business need an Employee Handbook: click here

The Courier Post Online follows up by saying that you should take time to think if job is lost: click here

The Hartford Courant ends our post with an article that tells us that sometimes, following your heart works: click here

Scott McClellan's Exit Interview

I wonder if the White House does exit interviews or this is how their employees express their displeasure (via MyWayNews): click here

This is Human Resources worst nightmare. A former employee not only decides to air his displeasure about his former boss and many former co-workers, but decides to do so in a very public and scathing way. And this is not just any boss and any form of public rebuking, but but the President of the United States and a very well-publicized book about his behavior as the Commander-in-Chief.

US News and World report writes the McClellan is just another Dilbert, a powerless employee with a lousy manager: click here

This is not a normal employee-employer relationship where it can be easier for the former to complain about the behavior of the latter. But this certainly brings to light that employees have a hard time expressing their displeasure of their bosses while in the job but after they leave the position, feel more free and easy to express their real feelings.

Maybe Scott McClellan should have just had a good exit interview...

Dissecting the Current News

Sometimes it's best to just dig into the current events and find out how it applies to Human Resources...so we'll get right to that..

First, the economy. A topic that should be the hot-button of the presidential race, especially if this downturn (read: recession) in the market continues, took another turn with today's job numbers, as reported by Bloomberg: click here

This is going to have a ripple effect on the entire economy. As people continue to foreclose on homes and pay higher prices for gas, one thing they certainly cannot afford is to be out of work. This will lead a lot more people to switch out of industries such as housing which are in a lull right now and cause even more competition in other fields. This, combined with a class of '08 graduation will create even more turmoil in the economy. So while we may not be predicting the next Great Depression...let's just say: hold on to your seats.

This next story from the New York Times has HIPAA violations written all over it: click here

HR Professionals should definitely check in with their health insurance plans to make sure that their employee's information is not leaking out to the world or they will have to start lining up at the courthouse for lawsuits

Lastly, in a story that doesn't seem to go away, sexual harassment in the workplace is not necessarily confined to just the traditional workplace. As People Magazine reports, this Rob Lowe story isn't going to end anytime soon with accusations and counter-accusations and claims of abuse and extortion: click here

The lesson to be learned here for HR is that even if you don't have a traditional workspace, there may still be sexual harassment issues and a proactive approach is always the best way...

Clinton and Obama as Managers

Leave it those Neanderthals over there at Harvard to bring in another aspect into the mudslinging of candidates in this political race between John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: click here

(Just kidding on that...I went to Brandeis so we have much love to our brethren down the Charles River...and even more love for their business cases)

Without getting into a real political discussion here, it's amazing that this hasn't been brought up more often. Especially the "Managing People" aspect. President Bush has done an unbelievably inept job at this in his time as President between "Scooter" Libby and his two Attorney Generals (the latter of which got into a lot of hot water over his "Managing People" skills) and the scores of other officials around him (don't forget FEMA and the whole Katrina disaster) who turned out to be incapable of handling their job, incapable of managing others, or just totally inept.

And lets not forget Bush hasn't done a great job at "Managing Money" either, as highlighted by this article in the New York Times: click here

Mr. Robert Hormats [vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International] mentioned Social Security and Medicare, saying that both could have been put “on a more sustainable basis.” And he cited the committee’s own calculations from last fall that showed that the money spent on the war each day is enough to enroll an additional 58,000 children in Head Start for a year, or make a year of college affordable for 160,000 low-income students through Pell Grants, or pay the annual salaries of nearly 11,000 additional border patrol agents or 14,000 more police officers.

We'll let that sink in.........

Ok...and let's also not forget the whole "Managing Expectations" aspect either: click here

So do I agree with the article? Not completely. Leaving McCain out of the article completely but instead referencing him in passing at the end was not exactly the most even-handed way to do it.

And I think that both Senators Clinton and Obama both have "Managing People" problems. Obama's have definitely shown up recently with his association with Tony Rezko and Clinton's are most prevalently with her own husband--which is another story completely (and could go towards keeping those under your watch under wraps and in control).

And while "Manager" may be a broader title, for the Human Resource aspect the money management realm, while important, is not really relevant.

But the idea is a good one--which candidate would make a good Human Resource Manager. Because those thirsty for change, don't want President Bushes running their country and those in charge won't want President Bushes running their companies.

Update: Yeah...about "Hilldog" and her ability to Manage People: click here

Still Have the Dream

Despite the fact that a Black man is a leading candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination, racial harassment is a still an issue in workplaces according to MSNBC: click here.

As Clinton/Obama campaign starts to turn this battle into a race/gender issue, they may be alienating more constituents and potential voters than they think. With gender and race issues in the workplaces still a great cause of concern for many people, one can imagine some distaste for two candidates to battle each other on those grounds for the White House. The Democrats have done well in recent years building a base of minority and women voters but one wonders if some irreparable harm will be done to the candidates after the latest banter...but I digress...

In other news, also from MSNBC, a look at which businesses hold up well during a recession among other recession questions in this Q&A: click here

Lastly, a blog suggesting that you should hire people that are better than you are: click here

Don't Make Work Your Primary

Although it may be Primary time, the New York Times starts us out by letting you know that making it's time to take a Secondary look at talking about your politics or wearing your campaign button at work, among other topics in this Q&A: click here

We go back to the New York Times for an old article still prescient about job growth fading fast: click here

The Business Review (Albany) has an article which says that telecommuting can hurt office morale: click here

From the Boston Globe's BostonWorks Ask The HR Expert we get some answers in this Q&A about Benefits and Compensation: click here

Next, from HR Daily Advisor, they post the question: Is coaching the new management? click here

Lastly, some HR Management news from Occupational Health and Safety has news that the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) President/CEO is about to retire: click here

Primary Colors

We're in the middle of the presidential primaries...and we're lobbying you to make Astron Solution's Blog your primary source for HR news...

First, a report from the Society for Human Resources Management says that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is having HR issues of their own: click here

Next, from blog "McArthur's Rant", a New Year's Resolution for Human Resources: click here

From the Dallas Morning News, word that as the government cracks down on workplaces, ID theft has increased: click here

Moving on to the Republican American, we find an interesting story about when the head of HR doesn't get a performance review: click here

HR Daily Advisor gives five key steps to HR professionals to avoid termination-based lawsuits: click here

Lastly, Collaborative Thinking has a blog entry that says that socializing at work is no longer a waste of time: click here