Connecticut Judge Dismisses Sandy Hook Massacre Lawsuit Against Remington

A Connecticut judge decides a lawsuit against gumaker Remington can’t be sued over the murders at Sandy Hook.

Guys, Do Not Listen to Donald

So this week everyone’s talking about pussy grabbing.

I’m not being vulgar; that is what everyone’s talking about thanks to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. By now you’ve probably heard snippets from the recording released Oct. 7 of Trump boasting to now suspended Today Show host Billy Bush how fame meant he could do anything he liked to women.

It’s an interesting conversation. Classy and quite matter-of-fact in delivery. I’m not at all serious – about the classy part. Though I must say its release is well timed considering we’re only a few weeks out from the November election.

But I’m not here to talk politics. Instead, I’d like to tell you a story. I was on the train speculating on whether the Donald had finally cooked his goose – you’re always on the train, girl! Well, yeah. I gotta get to work – and an older woman who works in HR in health care who I see now and then shared this tale with me. This is paraphrased because I didn’t record our conversation:

“When I was young I had a boss who was a grabber. He was a pig all the way around, actually. Always leering and wiggling his eyebrows and leaning way too close, you know the type. He developed a special tendre for me. I don’t know what I did to spark his attention, but for a while he made my work life miserable. I mean, I had two emotions for months, crying or pissed the hell off.

“I wanted to complain, but my mother told me to just deal with it. That if I told anyone about it, it would backfire on me. I’d get a bad reputation, and any chances I’d have for advancement would be gone because I’d be labeled a troublemaker. So, I bit my tongue and endured, but it turned me into a nervous wreck. After a few months of trying and failing to dodge this jerk, I was a mess.

“I couldn’t sleep so my face was a mess, and I was trying not to attract his attention, so I started dressing down. I even tried not to do my hair, and then, get this, I was called into HR about my appearance!

“This stupid woman sat there and chastised me about letting myself go, and how I shouldn’t look any different than I did when I first started.

“Your attire then was appropriate,” she told me.

I burst out laughing. “Appropriate?” I asked her. “What the hell would this company know about appropriate? You wanna know why I look like hell, lady? Because I’m trying not to attract the attention of this f- pervert you have as my boss!”

Then I burst into tears.

She was appalled, of course, and she apologized. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? We’ve been monitoring his behavior. You’re not the first woman who’s complained. He’s already on a performance plan. Now we can let him go.”

And not a week later, I had a new supervisor. A lady who was tough, but fair, and didn’t give too craps about my fabulous tits or the fit of my skirts.”

“Man,” I said, shaking my head. “That is crazy.”

“I’m not done,” this lady told me.

My brows met my hairline, and I waited with bated breath.

“Many, many years later that fool crossed my path again. He was looking for a job, and as a senior manager I was in on the interview process. I thought the name looked familiar, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions. But when I came into the room, there he was, fatter, grosser and much worse for wear. Looking at his patchy resume I deduced he hadn’t had much luck in his career after he was let go for being a lecher.”

“Did he recognize you?” I asked, laughing.

“Not at first. I played it cool, but I caught him looking at me a few times. Then after the interview, he stopped me and asked if we’d met before. I said, ‘Why yes. I used to work for you. I’m surprised you don’t remember, blah, blah, blah.’ The look on his face, girl!”

“Revenge is sweet,” I breathed, shaking my head in awe.

“Yup.”

Not quite. A better revenge would have been if she could have cussed his rude butt out all those years ago, for making her life hell on the job and forcing her to endure his pathetic Casanova bullcrap. But you know, they say it is a dish best served cold.

Anyway, I asked her about the actual interview.

“You kept quiet about your prior relationship. There was some implicit bias there, no? He could have tried to cause trouble later.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But for all I knew he could have changed. I interviewed him as thoroughly as I would have any other potential team member. He wasn’t qualified. He was as big a windbag now as he was then. And I was smart because I let the peer with whom I did the joint interview offer her feedback first in front of my own supervisor. Then I added my two cents, which I kept factual and professional.”

“CYA for today.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. But the bottom line is he wasn’t qualified. Nor would I have felt comfortable having him around the predominantly female staff I manage.”

So, how’s that for a cautionary tale?

I’ve had to check myself a time or two about putting a hand on a male coworkers’ arm or hand. Not because anyone’s ever complained, or because I’m trying anything sexual, but because it’s just not appropriate. It’s natural to touch someone casually with whom you enjoy spending time. But that’s a big no-no on the job. A no-no-no-no-no.

I remember one time I spilled wine down the front of a male coworkers’ shirt at a company gathering. I did my thing with club soda, and he was good humored about it. But when I recounted the tale later to a friend, she was like, “whoah. You should not have tried to scrub out the stain yourself, fool! You can’t be touching all up on your coworker’s chest.”

And she was right! I wasn’t leering or commenting on his pecs, but it was still out of line.

So, the moral of these tales? Be careful whose bits and bobs you’re grabbing without permission. If you wanna pet something, get a dog.

Kellye Whitney is the associate editorial director for Workforce. To comment, email editor@workforce.com.

Tags: Billy Bush, Donald Trump, human resources

The post Guys, Do Not Listen to Donald appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

This Is What Millennial Entitlement Does To The Workplace

The unexpected side effect of millennial entitlement.

The Wall Street Journal: SoftBank plans massive tech investment fund with Saudis

SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday that it is planning to invest in the technology sector through a fund that the Japanese internet and telecommunications conglomerate aims to make among the largest of its kind in the world.

Employee Education Is Key to Navigating Shifting Health Care Costs

Health insurance costs are a significant portion of total compensation ranging from 5.9 percent to 12.6 percent.

It’s no secret that health care costs are increasing across the board. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, deductibles rose 12 percent in 2016. The trend toward higher deductibles has been especially pronounced among employers with fewer than 200 employees, where 65 percent of workers are now on high-deductible plans.

This trend has significant financial repercussions for both employers and those they employ. Businesses who focus attention and resources on effective employee communication while attempting to align their interests with those of their workforce will be most successful in managing this fundamental shift in health care financial responsibility.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that health insurance costs are a significant portion of total compensation, ranging from 5.9 percent to a whopping 12.6 percent, depending on public vs. private industry, and yet historically, individual engagement in health care decisions has been low.

As recently as 2013 more than half of employees (54 percent) reported they didn’t want more control over their health insurance because they lack the time and knowledge to manage it (Aflac WorkForces Report, 2013). But now employees are responsible for an increasing percentage of health care costs and out-of-pocket expenses (OOPs) and are therefore more likely to engage in dialogue about their benefits. With this new structure, it’s essential to encourage proactive health expense management and improve benefit satisfaction by proactively educating employees.

As an employer, the general lack of knowledge around health care pricing and the financial implications of that knowledge gap presents a significant opportunity to strengthen relationships with employees. By staying informed on the health care landscape and relaying that information in a digestible and actionable manner to your staff, you can effectively improve worker satisfaction, productivity and retention. There are factors that consumers can and should control in regards to their benefits and it’s essential they have professionals to coach them through it.

One tangible example is price variance. Many Americans aren’t aware that health care pricing varies and that there are factors that influence it. As a plan sponsor, it’s your responsibility to not only be informed on health care pricing but also to be proactive in sharing that knowledge with employees.

The most notable driver in price difference is geography. The Health Care Cost Institute noted the startling differences in common medical procedures by location in their annual study:

The average price for a knee replacement in South Carolina paid by one of the three large for-profit insurers was almost $47,000; yet the average price of the same bundled procedure in New Jersey totaled only half as much – $24,000.

In Cleveland, the average price paid for a pregnancy ultrasound was $522. But just 60 miles away in Canton, Ohio, the average price was $183, according to the study.  

There are many other factors to consider regarding health care prices, including market size, volume of networks in a region, competition in a given market, and number of research institutions in the area, among others. By doing research and effectively communicating pricing factors like these, employers can build trust and provide real value. It’s not only making employees aware that they can and should do things like financially plan for medical expenses and deductibles, research prices prior to receiving care, and identify and resolve errors and overcharges, but it’s also giving them the knowledge and tools to do so.

In addition to building that awareness, employers can improve engagement by providing access to tools that will help employees make informed decisions. Such services have the potential to save time and money for employers and their employees, as well as cut down on the utilization of HR’s resources.

Pricing is only one component of developing a well-informed employee. By empowering your people with information and providing the tools they need to take control of their financial and physical health, you’re contributing to their overall well-being and the contentment of your workforce at large. Health care finance management is a real challenge today, and the challenge will only grow in stature and complexity as financial responsibility continues to shift further onto employers and their staff. Don’t underestimate the value of educating yourself and passing that knowledge on to your people.

Ellen FitzPatrick is the vice president of partner development at Copatient, a Boston-based company that reviews medical bills to identify savings opportunities and contain costs for plan sponsors and members.

Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health Care Cost Institute, health care costs, Kaiser Family Foundation

The post Employee Education Is Key to Navigating Shifting Health Care Costs appeared first on Workforce Magazine.

Digital Storage In Space Rises Above The Cloud

Cloud Constellation said that it planned to have the first phase of its space-based network operational in 2018 or 2019. Competing contractors bidding for the first phase of the SpaceBelt network include many of the world’s leading aerospace companies. The company filed a patent on its Space Based Electronic Storage and Transfer Network System with WIPO PCT (WO 2016/126888 A1) in August 2016. Soon many companies and organizations will have an option to store their data securely in outer space.

Learn From Their Awful Mistakes: The 5 Most Costly Media Mishaps of the Decade

Worried about a less than stellar media plan? Study and learn from these five companies’ public relations mistakes.

Earnings Outlook: Intel earnings: What to expect from the chip maker

Intel is expected to so an acceleration in its data center business, helping to offset PC weakness