The Tech Company Meat Grinder

Art by Henning Wagenbreth for NYT

Too many tech companies are comfortable with a culture that chews employees up and spits them out. The idea that tech workplaces are the modern “sweatshops” is a little dramatic, considering many people around the world work in sweatshops every day, but the conditions at tech companies like Amazon and Hub Spot are still abhorrent for workers. It’s not unfair to expect job security, a healthy work-life balance, and a workplace culture that doesn’t make you cry at your desk. Read a first-hand account by author Dan Lyons at The New York Times.

Whistleblower Retaliation at the TSA

Heather Callahan Chuck, one of the exonerated TSA officers, photographed by Kent Nishimura for NYT.

It seems to be a norm that whistleblowers are targeted by those they seek to expose. However, these specific cases are particularly unsettling. In an age where airport security is of the utmost importance, learning that the TSA punishes whistleblowers for uncovering security flaws or fund mismanagement is very discouraging. Many of the whistleblowers featured in this article are decorated military veterans, and they often have to spend thousands of dollars trying to win their Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints against their supervisors. Management wants to punish employees with impunity, when they should be embracing criticism for the safety of us all. Read the full story at The New York Times.

Thoughts After "A Time Of Bullies"

This is a beautiful piece of writing by Roger Cohen. Even though Cohen writes largely about being Jewish in the 21st century in the wake of the Holocaust, the underlying message is something we should all be able to appreciate. As he writes, “When societies leave many people feeling excluded, they grow volatile. Belonging is a fundamental human need.” This is a key point to remember about humanity and how we can relate to the concept of bullying. Everyone deserves the feeling of belonging, and throwing support behind dangerous ideas and disrespectful behaviors can undermine that feeling at its most vital level. It is a social responsibility for everyone to stand up against different kinds of bullies within their own lives, both on the macro-global level and in our day to day activities. Read the full piece at The New York Times.

Connecting Campus and Workplace Sexual Violence

Image Credit: CHAD HIPOLITO/THE CANADIAN PRESS via Globe and Mail

According to this discussion about sexual violence on college campuses, about 90% of incidents are not reported. A culture exists that discourages victims to step forward and report instances of sexual violence, and I assert that this culture doesn’t exist solely on college campuses. I believe that the 90% statistic would probably hold true in many work organizations as well. Tragically, while some schools at least try to have a functioning system that addresses these issues (with varying degrees of success), many businesses don’t have the framework in place to address sexual violence with the grace and empathy that victims may need. You can read more about this at The Globe and Mail. 

Are Fortune's "Most Admired Companies" Really Worth Admiring?

Image via Fortune: http://for.tn/1ID66n0 

After reading this list of the world’s “Most Admired” companies from Fortune Magazine, I have to wonder – who is doing the admiring here? In the short description of its methodology in picking these companies, Fortune states that companies are ranked by their peers’ perspectives on nine unidentified criteria (the only two criteria mentioned were “investment value” and “social responsibility”). One essential way that companies should and must be judged is by their workplace culture – and the people who should be making those assessments can’t just be those at the highest tiers of the system. According to this list, Amazon is the third most admired company on the face of the Earth right now – the same Amazon where, according to The New York Times, it’s commonplace to see employees crying at their desks. Companies can’t continue to be judged solely on their profitability or business practices – they should be judged on human factors as well. 

Whistleblower Retaliation at Korn Ferry

Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn/Ferry - Photo by Jennifer Weiss for WSJ

I can relate to what Robert Damon, formerly of Korn/Ferry, is going through. He was a high-level executive who was fired for whistleblowing against Korn/Ferry’s Chief Executive, Gary Burnison, who was allegedly mistreating several female colleagues. This parallels what I went through when I blew the whistle on a senior executive in a former position I held, because I went through some of the same experiences. Additionally, Mr. Damon was smeared by Korn/Ferry in an attempt to discredit him, which is typical tactic used against whistleblowers who sue for wrongful termination – something I had to fight through for 18 months in my past. While the allegations against Mr. Burnison have not been proven in court, but my sources in the organization have expressed total dismay with what has gone on and is still going on within the company. Read more on the case and the settlement at The Wall Street Journal.

The Effect of Temporary Workers on the Job Market

Photo: Sam Hodgson for NYT

The idea that the main growth of the American job market is composed of “gig” jobs – contractors and temporary workers – is troubling in and of itself. However, the added lens of ageism makes this notion more disturbing. By employing short-term workers, businesses are encouraging a culture that cuts out support for employees – especially workers over 45 with more than 10 years of service for their companies, who are exactly the people contracted employees are most likely to replace. This reminds me of a story from January about Disney employees who were laid off for contract employees that they were then asked to train for the jobs they were vacating. While that particular case may not be explicitly related to ageism, I would not be surprised if most layoffs in favor of contracted or temporary employees hurt older workers. Read the full story at The New York Times.

The Need for a Media "Mea Culpa"

On American television, the last few days have seen an unprecedented amount of conversations concerning the television media’s role in Donald Trump’s rise in the 2016 presidential race. These conversations, held on panel television shows by the same talking heads who couldn’t get enough of Trump a week ago, sound like excuses. This “mea culpa” from Nicolas Kristof of The New York Times is a good first step towards diagnosing how the media aided Trump’s ascendancy. However, as I’ve written before, it may be too late for the television news media to start standing up to Trump. He’s already captured the imaginations of a huge population of Americans. We can all hope that he won’t be the Republican Presidential nominee, but beginning to question him now may be too little too late. The news media should do all it can to rectify the damage it’s already done acting as “lapdogs” rather than “watchdogs,” as Kristof says. However, at this point, the purpose of the media acknowledging its role in Trump’s prominence should serve as a wake-up-call and a reminder to never allow financial concerns and audience building outweigh the duty of any news organization: to question, analyze, contextualize and inform. Read the full article at The New York Times.

Photo credit: Andrew Spear for NYT

Ghomeshi's Acquittal

Photo via CBC

Yesterday, former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi was acquitted in one of two sexual assault cases that have been leveled against him. I’ve written about him previously, but for anyone not aware, Ghomeshi was not fired by the CBC for the alleged assaults against him. He was fired for harassment (sexual and otherwise) and bullying at work, which was validated by an independent investigation conducted by Janice Rubin. In her report, Rubin highlighted a “host centric culture” where Ghomeshi, and possibly other hosts, were able to abuse others with impunity. In fact, the report concluded that “CBC management condoned [Ghomeshi’s] behavior.”

To date, the CBC has not taken similar action against any of their other hosts. Ghomeshi may well fight his termination legally, and he could successfully argue that the real reason he was fired was the negative publicity regarding his sexual assault charges, rather than his behavior at work – behavior that other hosts have echoed before him and may well be continuing at this time.

The CBC would be wise to dust off Rubin’s report and take action against other hosts implicated in the report, in an attempt to avoid any successful attempts by Ghomeshi to challenge them. This would be a tragic outcome for those he abused at work.

Check out my previous blog posts on Ghomeshi for more commentary: 

• CBC's Host-Centric Culture Protected Ghomeshi for Too Long
• The CBC Ghomeshi Affair, A Predictable Outcome
• Comparing Entertainment Scandals Through Time

Over Forty Five? You May Be Targeted.

Julianne Taafe, left, and Kathryn Moon, who are filing an age discrimination complaint against Ohio State University

Since the financial meltdown of 2008, ageism in the workplace has become an increasingly large issue. Organizations have systematically targeted employees who are perceived as “older” or “out of touch,” not because they cannot learn new skills, but because of age and tenure, which can be considered liabilities regardless of performance. Older workers can easily be replaced by younger workers who will work for less. Lower benefits and pension costs also factor into the equation. For many businesses, a policy of ageism is at least in part motivated by cutting costs. I assert that everyone knows someone who has been affected by ageism in some way, shape or form. This instance at Ohio State University is, unfortunately, evocative of a systemic problem. You can read more at The New York Times.

Photo Credit: Ty Wright for The New York Times