Category: EntertainHR

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

Learning from Orlando: addressing potentially violent employees

In the nine days since Omar Mateen opened fire in the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 individuals and injuring several others, a report surfaced that Mateen’s violent nature and potential to do harm to others was readily apparent to at least one of his co-workers. According to the Los Angeles Times, Daniel Gilroy, who worked with Mateen for about a year as […]

Show must go on: helping employees in crisis

ORLANDO — The 70th annual Tony Awards were held on Sunday night to recognize achievements in Broadway productions over the past year.  The excitement and enthusiasm of the occasion were dampened, however, as many presenters and award recipients gave words of tribute to the victims of Orlando’s mass-shooting that occurred earlier that morning.  I live and […]

Success through rudeness and hostility

Silicon Valley’s third season is in full swing on HBO, which raised a question in my mind: if Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin warranted an entire blog from the FordHarrison crew, isn’t the Hacker Hostel’s Erlich Bachman at least due his own post? My answer: Of course he is! For the uninitiated, Silicon Valley is a […]

Cooling hot political buttons

During every political campaign, I am reminded of the notion that if we speak about our co-workers or subordinates in the manner in which the American voter speaks about political candidates, we should expect some remediation by our superiors or human resources. For example, if we question the legitimacy of an employee’s birth certificate, criticize […]

No bluff: Wright demands equal pay on House of Cards

Actress Robin Wright, who plays the formidable Claire Underwood on House of Cards, is the latest in the entertainment world to speak out on equal pay. According to a recent interview, Wright demanded equal pay after statistics showed that her character was just as popular (if not more so) than that of her male costar, […]

ABC, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, and lessons on parting ways with key employees

What Kelly Ripa lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude. At just 5’3″, the petit daytime talk show star measures but a fraction of the size of her former co-host, Michael Strahan, himself a former New York Giants defensive end and Super Bowl champion. But Ripa’s actions since news broke of Strahan’s planned departure from Live! for a […]

Where’s that Goat?

Wow, is this tough. I really don’t know whether I can get the words out. Still, I know it’s true, so I have to say it—so, here goes . . . no, no . . . wait. OK, take a breath, calm yourself, and just let people know what’s on your mind: The Cubs are […]

Westeros might have benefited from recent trends in paid family leave

Game of Thrones, one of my favorite shows, most recently returned for its sixth season. Don’t worry, no spoilers here if you haven’t seen the first couple of episodes of this season. However, if you haven’t noticed, one of the recurring themes for characters in Game of Thrones appears to be daddy issues. In fact, […]

‘I was not told there would be math’

Saturday Night Live has made invaluable contributions to American humor, but the best may be the show’s political parodies. Chevy Chase was famous for mocking Gerald Ford’s clumsy reputation (undeserved, for sure, considering Ford was a standout athlete). Dana Carvey practically built a career mimicking George H.W. Bush, and Phil Hartman had Bill Clinton down […]

The Boss, your boss, and LGBT rights

North Carolina got itself a bit of attention recently when it enacted House Bill 2, which mandates that public restrooms be limited for use based on the individual’s “biological sex.” The effect of this bill was to take away from transgender citizens their ability to choose, based on their individual gender identities, which restroom they […]