Category: Philanthropy
SHRM 2009 Voluntourism Sponsored by CareerBuilder: Rebuilding New Orleans
June 28, 2009
It has been almost four years since Hurricane Katrina, and thanks to the dedication and hard work of residents and volunteers from all around the globe, downtown New Orleans is flourishing again. Despite this progress, though, there are many residential neighborhoods outside the downtown area still in the process of rebuilding. This year SHRM offered its attendees the opportunity to work on a service project helping those in need, sponsored by CareerBuilder.
Roughly 75 SHRM attendees, including 20 CareerBuilder employees, teamed up with Beacon of Hope, a non-profit organization founded by Denise Thornton, whose entire Lakeview neighborhood flooded after the levee at the 17th Street Canal breached in the aftermath of Katrina. Beacon of Hope’s mission is to coordinate and facilitate the infrastructural repairs needed to be done in order to make a neighborhood viable.
- Categories: Events, Philanthropy
Who’s Letting the Dogs Out (and Into the Office) for “Take Your Dog to Work Day” Tomorrow?
June 25, 2009
Tomorrow, if you were not already aware, marks the annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. (And yes, that’s more than enough reason to blast this gem from the year 2000 on full volume). According to a Web site dedicated to Take Your Dog to Work Day, the day was first celebrated in 1999. Take Your Dog To Work Day, the site says, “was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs. This annual event encourages employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace for this one special day to promote pet adoptions.”What a great concept, eh? You can register your support for the recognized day –and there’s Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace efforts you can join.
The site even includes the Top 10 “Things to say to convince your boss to take part in Take Your Dog to Work Day,” including:
- Wagging tails work great when the a/c is on the fritz
- Meetings end as soon as Rover starts staring at the conference room door
- Finally, someone at your office will actually be working like a dog
Doggone it
Despite the good intentions of this reserved day in which the greatest of human companions may roam the halls among us or take a swig from the water cooler when no one’s watching, however, controversy abounds as to whether dogs should be allowed in the workplace at all.
Are dogs allowed in your office — and if they normally are not, should you bend the rules, even just for this one occasion? That’s what the Marine Industries Association of South Florida has been doing.
Even The Obama family’s Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, has apparently been spotted hanging out during White House meetings. However, what works for one (oval) office doesn’t necessarily work for another, as the writer of a blog on the Sun-Sentinel contends. The decision often depends on the office environment and the dog itself. Business owners who allow dogs into the office on a daily basis stress that it boosts employee morale. But employees who aren’t comfortable with dogs may feel trapped, and obviously, some dogs are more “office-friendly” than others. On the other hand, you may work in a very dog-friendly office — and share a mutual love for dogs and acceptance of their co-habitating in your workspace.
Tips for bringing your favorite canine friend to work
- Be respectful to your co-workers. Be sensitive to those who are allergic, scared of, or otherwise uncomfortable with dogs in the office. Check with your co-workers before bringing your fine fluffy friend with you to ensure that everyone is on board with it. If bringing your dog in presents a problem, work to find an alternative that works for everyone — or find another way to give back to the canine community — like The Humane Society.
- Use your best judgment. If you know that Ruggles is an out-of-control 3-month-old who has yet to master the art of bladder control, it’s probably not in your best interest to bring him along to roam the cubicles (and will probably also score you a lot of lunches alone in the near future). Your dog should be trained, well-behaved, and have the ability to keep the barking and tearing up the carpet to a minimum (unless your co-workers are okay with that).
- Keep your dog happy — and it’s likely everyone else will be happy. Little things like bringing your dog’s favorite blanket or treats to make him or her feel at home and occupied can make a big difference. The Examiner offers some tips for your dog’s big day out.
So the question remains: Will every dog have its day? That’s for you — and your dog-fearing or dog-loving co-workers — to decide. What are your plans?
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Philanthropy
When Life Hands Your Employees the Winter Blahs, Make…Snow Candy?
February 4, 2009
The snow is falling outside, and the morale of your employees is falling fast inside the doors of your workplace. It may just be due to those ol’ “winter blahs,” or it may be an aftereffect of recent company layoffs. It may even be a mixture of both — or something else entirely.
If your employees are moping around the water cooler, sleeping at lunch, or sobbing during meetings, it’s likely not a good sign. You need to get your employees excited about coming into work again — like, now. It’s important to remember that just because employees are on your payroll doesn’t automatically mean they love their jobs or wish to stay with you for the long-term. As an employer, your responsibility for their well-being is just as important as it was six months or a year ago – if not more important.
But when things are so bad, how can you make work fun again? You may be surprised to find that a lot of little things can add up quickly to thaw out your employees’ frozen hearts.
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Going Green, Innovation, Philanthropy
Philanthropy: Are You Making it Your Business?
January 19, 2009
Happy Martin Luther King Day, everyone. As I sat at my desk this morning, reading through various articles and blogs discussing the historical significance of this holiday, I began to think about Martin Luther King Jr.’s immense contributions to philanthropy – and the various ways in which people are contributing their service to others today in remembrance of him. According to a Washington Post article, Americans are participating in 11,000 service projects around the nation today.
My friend Chris, for example, is in D.C. for the inauguration activities (yes, I am jealous) and is spending his time today at RFK stadium for a day of service. Barack Obama, who will be sworn in as the nation’s 44th president at noon tomorrow, did his part by visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center this morning to meet with wounded troops, then going to the sole D.C. homeless shelter for teens, Sasha Bruce House, to help with the facility’s renovation efforts.
- Categories: Economy, Philanthropy
Hiring, Open Jobs and the Economic Crisis
October 2, 2008
Like most people in the U.S., I’ve been watching the news and wondering what all the economic craziness means. What’s interesting for me right now is that I’m taking a couple of economics courses as part of an MBA program, and I also have access to data that provides a different perspective on the economy than you’ll see on the nightly news.
With just a few minutes of research, I discovered that there are literally hundreds of thousands of open jobs in cities all over the U.S. There are even thousands of open jobs in some of the cities where you’d expect it to be impossible to find a job. Seriously, there are more jobs open than most of us can fathom. The challenge is connecting the available workers with the open jobs. To do that, job opening information needs to be where the job seekers are looking.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Philanthropy
Managing During a Fuel Shortage
September 22, 2008
Although my frugal soul would detest paying more than $3.99 for a gallon of gas, I started to question that gas prices were only $3.99 in Atlanta this weekend. When the first local gas station ran out of gas, I thought it was a little odd. But when I saw stations with 30+ cars waiting in line, and many others running out of gas, I knew we had a problem. As the weekend progressed, most of the stations in our community covered their pumps with plastic bags, and removed the price numbers from their signs. I realize that hurricane Ike didn’t impact other parts of the U.S. like this, but it could happen to anyone. If our employees are distracted, wondering if their managers have a plan for dealing with this kind of issue, they are not likely to be as efficient as usual. We need to be ready and have a plan for weeks like this.
What are options does a manager have at his/her disposal in a time like this? Here are some of the things that I’m doing or considering for this week. Please post your comments and ideas below. Read the rest…
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Philanthropy
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