Category: EntertainHR

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

Making a Slam Dunk in Hiring and Promotion Decisions

Here in O’Town, we are thrilled that the Magic made it to the NBA playoffs. In basketball, of course, it’s easy to determine who’s the best of the best—just look at the scoreboard. At your business, however, making hiring and promotion decisions is less objective and more complicated, so here are some tips—brought to you […]

For Employers, Sitting on the Throne Can Be Harder than Winning It

Warning: Contains Game of Thrones spoilers. Ye be warned! April is a big month for Game of Thrones (GoT) fans: GoT’s eighth and final season is set to premiere on April 14. From Entertainment Weekly publishing an all-GoT, 78-page issue to HBO hiding 6 different thrones across the world and challenging fans to go on […]

The FLSA Exemption Question Everyone Is Asking About This Is Us

Warning: Contains This Is Us spoilers. The Pearson couple, Beth and Randall, from This Is Us is one of my top two favorite married TV couples (the other being Tami and Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights). The Pearsons are relatable to me—Randall’s character specifically—for several reasons: Like the Pearsons, the Reeds are an African-American […]

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Proceeds with Equal Pay Fight

On March 8, 2019, all 28 players on the women’s national team initiated a proposed class and collective action in federal court against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Their action alleged discrimination based on sex in violation of the Equal Pay Act (EPA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title […]

[Expletive] My Coach Says

For all their recent excellence and success, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have developed something of a tedious routine.  They seem to pull punches during the regular season, occasionally lose games that leave everyone scratching their heads, and go through stretches of apparently disinterested and uninspired basketball.  Come play-off time, though, the engine revs and […]

Jussie Smollett’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Salary Negotiation

Did anyone else watch On Our Own, the 1994 TV series in which six real-life siblings co-starred and were raised by their eldest brother (who posed, Madea-style, as their long-lost Aunt Jelcinda and was apparently not one of the real-life siblings) after the death of their parents? I remember this series, not for the tearjerker […]

Who’s Watching the Robert Kraft Situation Closest? NFL Players

You can be sure that, other than the inspirational underdog story of someone beating the odds or overcoming insurmountable obstacles, nothing garners more media attention than the fall of a prominent public figure. This is not a critique, but simply a fact of life, particularly in a social media driven society.

Ben Affleck’s Batman is Retiring His Cape: What About Your Employees?

I waded through a slew of this week’s entertainment, past a bunch of Kardashian-related bunk, and noticed an announcement that Ben Affleck is retiring from playing Batman. Of course, Batman, and his long-suffering pals Robin and Alfred, are fictional characters who never grow too old to work. Still, I could not help but imagine the […]

Dead in the Water: Below Deck Med Star Called Out for Fudging Resume

Unless you are lucky enough to live in SoCal or the Sunshine State, you likely have been hit with below-zero wind chills, freezing rain, and/or snowstorms. During the bitter cold months of winter, watching old episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean (or, as the cool kids say, Below Deck Med) reminds me that sunnier, warmer days […]

Surviving R. Kelly Raises Potential Issues of Employees Aiding and Abetting Abuse

Over the holiday break, my wife and I watched the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly. In six hour-long episodes, alleged victims of R&B singer Robert Kelly (known by his stage name “R. Kelly”) provided first-hand, detailed accounts of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by Kelly. In addition to adult women, Kelly preyed upon teenage girls, […]