Category: Beyond Work

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative outside, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work.

  • A Pound of Prevention

    A Pound of Prevention

    “A pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure” is a phrase I heard for the first time this week.

    I was at lunch with an attorney who specializes in employment law, and she said that phrase as we were talking about clients who don’t see the benefit of proactive, preventative measures and instead just hope everything turns out alright. I immediately wrote it down and googled when I got home, and the internet says it’s a Benjamin Franklin quote. Apparently, Franklin wrote an anonymous letter to his own newspaper in Philadelphia in 1735 about the importance of preparing for possible fires ahead of time versus waiting until the fire is burning to make a plan. 

    How many of us have waited until the metaphorical (or literal) fire was burning to actually do something? 

    One of the common “fires” companies face is invaluable leaders retiring or leaving for other opportunities. Many organizations do not spend enough time proactively planning for succession, and then they find themselves without a VP or other critical leader and have to scramble to find a suitable replacement. We speak to this in our recent blog post “Who Is Your Successor?”

    Another fire that can burn quickly is non-compliance – knowingly or unknowingly failing to comply with employment law. This is common for small businesses who see rapid growth and suddenly find themselves crossing the FTE thresholds for various legislation (e.g. the Affordable Care Act typically applies at 50 FTEs). As a business owner and/or leader, you are responsible for ensuring that your organization complies with federal, state, and local employment laws. If you operate your business in more than one state, you may need to take another look at your policies. Having an updated employee handbook – and actually having every employee read and agree to it – is a pound of prevention that every single organization needs to take seriously. 

    We don’t wait until the fire is burning to buy an extinguisher. Let’s not wait until there’s trouble to protect our organizations and our employees.

  • The Confusion Over Cannabis

    The Confusion Over Cannabis

    Written by: Lorrie Coffey, Horizon Point Consulting

    Ten states plus DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Thirty-four states have legalized it for medical use. And CBD oil is readily available in most states. 

    But marijuana is still classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it is still illegal to grow, buy or sell, possess, or use under federal law. 

    Oh, and while CBD shops popped up on every street corner as soon as the Farm Bill was signed back in late 2018, the Farm Bill did not legalize the general production, sale, or use of CBD oil. It only legalized it under certain circumstances outlined in detail in the Farm Bill. It is still classified as a Schedule 1 substance and thus is in general illegal under federal law. (The possession or use of CBD oil is reportable against federal security clearances.) 

    According to a 2017 study conducted by Statistical Brain, 56% of U.S. employers surveyed conducted pre-employment drug screens. 

    What does all of this mean for those employers that drug test? How can marijuana be both legal and illegal at the same time? Should employers continue to maintain a drug-free workplace policy? And what’s the legal liability if they do? 

    Unfortunately, the answer isn’t necessarily clear cut. While many states have legalized marijuana use in some form or another, very few states have offered any guidance to employers on how those laws impact drug-free workplace policies. So how do employers navigate through what I’ve come to refer to as the cannabis conundrum? 

    1. Do your research. Understand the laws in your state regarding marijuana use. Don’t believe everything you hear. For example, medicinal marijuana is NOT generally legal in Alabama. Yet. A bill was signed in June by Gov. Ivey to create a commission to study legalizing medical marijuana. Their findings are due in December. Look up case law to see if your state has set any precedents through court decisions regarding employers and employees. Find out if there is a state-supported drug-free workplace program (available here). 
    2. Get in line with your state. If your state does have a drug-free workplace program, make sure that your program is in line with state guidelines. Most states that have a program provide very detailed information on how to get your organization’s program approved or certified. Most states that do have a program offer a discount (usually 5%) on your Worker’s Compensation insurance if you are a certified drug-free workplace employer. And once you get certified, make sure you stick to the program. If you do, you’ll ensure that you are within the state law with regards to drug testing and how you handle positive tests. 
    3. Multi-state employers beware. If you have locations in multiple states, be sure to research each state. What’s acceptable in one may not be in another. You’ll also need to take into consideration if the employee works and lives in two separate states, if they travel extensively for work, or if they telecommute. 
    4. Evaluate why your organization drug tests. Here’s my unpopular opinion. If an employee enjoys marijuana on their own time in most cases it isn’t impacting the organization. Now, if an employee enjoys marijuana on their own time on their way to work and shows up to work under the influence, that can impact the organization. It may impact productivity, brand image, and most importantly could pose a safety risk to the employee or others. Understand why your organization drug tests when they test and ask yourself if the reasons are bona fide. If the answer is no, it may be time to rethink your policy. 

    While many states have legalized marijuana, they have not restricted the rights of employers to maintain drug-free work environments. However, that doesn’t mean that you as an employer don’t still need to be cautious before acting. And don’t be afraid to seek outside assistance if you’re still not sure how to maintain your drug-free policy or how to handle an employee situation. That’s what the experts are there for. 

     

  • 3 Quotes to Consider When Leading Volunteers

    3 Quotes to Consider When Leading Volunteers

    Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to lead volunteers as a staff member as well as a chair of an all-volunteer board. It can certainly be a challenge, but it is also a great privilege and offers surprising rewards!

    I remember planning an awards event several years ago that went awry. We had more than a dozen people show up that did not RSVP. My first thoughts were: where will we seat them & will there be enough food? As I look back, I am so thankful for the volunteers who jumped in to help. That was one of the first times I truly thought about the importance of volunteers and the impact of leading others.  

    These 3 quotes are some of my favorites and certainly ring true for leading volunteers.

    If you are leading a group of volunteers and have the opportunity to help select them, remember this quote. Look for individuals that are willing to share their unique talents and gifts, but who also share similar values and believe in the mission and vision of your group.

    Always, always, always appreciate others! A simple thank you gift, note or text can go a long way. Since volunteers don’t receive a paycheck, showing your gratitude can have a major impact.

    Great leaders, regardless of who they are leading, should have a servant’s heart. I’ve had the opportunity to serve alongside some amazing servant leaders and can only hope I reflect a servant’s heart while leading volunteers.

     

    Where can you volunteer today? 

  • Killing the College Misconception

    Killing the College Misconception

    Did you know that Alabama has a “College Application Campaign”? A statewide initiative with the goal of having EVERY high school senior in the state apply to at least one college. I found this out last week thanks to the high school guidance counselor’s weekly email blast. I’ll be honest, as an HR professional, I had to hold myself back from sending her an email outlining the negative impact of such a campaign. I’m still tempted to. 

    I graduated high school many moons ago, in an era when high schools still had classes like shop, mechanics, and electrical design. I still have a lamp I made in Mr. Roberts’ shop class when I was in sixth grade (and it still works!). My high school had a separate vocational building that housed these classes and the students put their talents together each year to build a prefabricated home on the school grounds that they auctioned off; the proceeds going to charity and to the next year’s project. If students had issues with their cars, all they had to do was drop it by the garage at the school and the mechanics students would take a look at it. 

    I also graduated high school at a time when the push to attend college was ramping up. Students were told that college was a necessity if they wanted to get a good job. Vocational schools were starting to be looked down upon and going straight into the workforce after high school was deemed disgraceful. 

    And 20+ years later, we are seeing the impact of that push. 

    • According to data from the Huffington Post in the 20+ years since I graduated high school, student debt has almost doubled, going from approximately $18,000 up to almost $32,000. All while the median wage has barely budged, going from $39,000 to $43,000. We constantly hear about the rising cost of college and the increasing impact on those graduating these days. 
    • Based on a 2012 study conducted by EMSI, 53% of skilled workers were 45 or over, with 18.6% being between the ages of 55 and 64. Our skilled workforce is aging out and we’ve known it for years. But we aren’t doing enough to replenish that workforce. 
    • According to a 2016-17 US Talent Shortage Survey conducted by Manpower Group, the hardest jobs to fill in the US are those in the trade industries. 

    Our skilled trades are dying out as a result of our education system thumbing its nose at manual labor. Yet we continue to push high school students towards college and away from trade careers. We still trick them into believing that a college education is the only way to be successful, to earn your top salary potential, and to be happy in the career you choose. 

    My father has owned his own construction company in Virginia for almost 50 years. He is 68 years old and still works five to six days a week, still flips homes on the side, and still enjoys his passion for woodworking on the weekends. He never went to college. Yet he has made a great career out of something he has always been passionate about and he is well known, respected, and sought after for the work he does. Growing up I spent a lot of time helping him and in the process learned to love it too. 

    Local school systems are starting to see the need to revive vocational courses in education and are focusing on establishing Career Technical schools. But these efforts are not enough if we are continuing to push students to go to college and continuing to turn our noses up at trade careers. Instead, we need to encourage students to take their own path, whether that’s college, a technical school, or going straight into the workforce. 

    Some schools across the country are starting to do it right, like Connally ISD in Waco, TX or Powhatan High School in Richmond, VA, who both participated in the first National Signing Day sponsored by SkillsUSA and Klein Tools. It was designed to recognize students who are signing letters of intent for job offers, accepting apprenticeships, or attending technical schools after graduation. 

    And employers aren’t exactly helping either. The majority of jobs posted today require a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree to even be considered. Yet when I speak with clients, many of them say they don’t care what major that degree is in, just that the candidate has one. What does that say about the requirement? The response I often get is “it shows the candidate has initiative.” But does it really? Or does working hard and advancing in a career show initiative? Does being self-taught, seeking out education through training courses, certifications, or apprenticeships not show initiative? We as employers need to rethink our requirements as well. Does a position truly require a degree? Or do we need to give more consideration to experience over education? 

    What will happen in the next twenty years if we don’t shift our way of thinking if we don’t encourage students to explore alternatives to college and continue pushing them into thinking that a Bachelor’s Degree is the only way to be successful? 

     

  • Can I Get Your Attention?

    Can I Get Your Attention?

    I’m the mother of three boys. Two teenagers and one about to hit that “preteen” stage. Most days I want to bang my head against the wall. I feel like I need a support group for moms of teens. I miss when they were little and hung on my every word. Now I’m lucky if I can get them to take the earbuds out long enough to hear anything I say. 

    We recently went on vacation and I forced them to put their phones away and engage in conversation with me. That request got me dirty looks and eye rolls. Then we started playing twenty questions on our four-hour drive to our destination, which led to lots of laughs, some light-hearted banter, and even some great conversation. And the best part, they even ASKED to play again on our way home a few days later and voluntarily put their phones away! 

    I will readily admit that I hate technology. I think that while it’s a necessary evil and has definitely advanced our society and most of the tasks we do daily, it has also created a disconnect between us as people. We struggle in every aspect of our lives just to get someone’s attention, to get them to look up from their phones, computers, video games, or whatever screen they are glued to. According to a 2016 Nielsen study, adults spend over ten (10) hours per day staring at a screen! 

    A Careerbuilder study showed that 55% of participants surveyed said that their cell phone was their #1 distractor at work, followed closely by the internet and social media (both of which can be accessed on a cell phone). Is allowing employees to have cell phones on their person during work hours costing your organization, both in productivity and in lost customers? In just the last few weeks I can count multiple times when I went to a retailer or fast food restaurant and had to wait because the employee was distracted by their cell phone. 

    This inability to give and receive undivided attention extends into leadership as well. In his blog post Attentiveness (One of the Overlooked Leadership Skills), Jason Barger talks about the distracting times we live in, the expectation to always be multi-tasking, and valuing the individual moments. Those leadership skills that are most valued are those that tie back to leaders who give their undivided attention, who truly listen, and who show interest. 

    Steven Madenberg’s compares our lack of attention to how Charlie Brown and the gang always heard their teacher, Mrs. Donovan (who knew she had a name?!) in his blog post Leaders and the Gift of Undivided Attention. How often do we walk away from a conversation and realize we only heard half of it because we were distracted?

    I recently had a manager come to me upset that during a candidate interview another manager on the panel was visibly texting on his cell phone. We talked through coaching that manager on appropriate interview etiquette. A couple of weeks ago while eating lunch at Panera I heard the gentleman at the booth behind me talking on the phone. He was conducting a phone interview and ended up having to end the call because he was distracted by the lunch crowd in Panera. He didn’t set himself up in a position to be able to provide that candidate with his undivided attention and as a result, may have given the candidate a bad impression of the organization. 

    Think back over the last few weeks, what are some situations in which you realize you were distracted? What could you have done differently to ensure that you were giving your undivided attention?