Last summer, my 16-year-old son entered into a Swiss program designed to help him find a career. It allowed him to spend one week in school, the next week doing a mini internship (Schnupperwoche), and then lather, rinse, repeat. I’m pleased to announce he’s decided on a career
Do you need someone to do something for you for free? I get lots of requests to do things for free. Sometimes, I say yes. Sometimes I say no. Now, while I believe in paying people whenever possible, a lot of things do need free time and labor
It’s holiday party season! You know what this means? It’s okay not to drink alcohol. It’s also okay to have employees who don’t drink alcohol. I realize this may be the stupidest thing some of you have read because you’re thinking, “Duh. Drinking isn’t required!” But as a
In September, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Midland, Texas, to speak at the Permian Basin SHRM conference. The PBSHM people have so graciously allowed me to share my speech with all of you! Also, don’t forget to register for HR Vision ’25! Get your registration
I’ve heard a rumor that there is an election in the United States coming up. didn’t even know there was an election going on. as a registered voter in the state of pennsylvania, i wish someone could text me 12-15 times a day in an increasingly desperate tone
How important is honesty when giving feedback? One thing HR professionals hate is when a manager comes and says, “I can’t take it anymore we have to fire Tiffany!” And the HR professional pulls Tiffany’s file and finds that her last performance review rates her as performing above
Happy Swiss National Day! I’ve been in Switzerland for 15 years. I planned on staying two or three. Alas, life happens in unexpected ways. In honor of 15 years in this country, here are 15 things about Switzerland you might not know. 1. It’s Switzerland’s 733 birthday today!
Twelve years ago, I wrote a rather pompous viral article titled “Why my child will be your child’s boss.” Granted, the headline was designed to get hits, but I truly believe the principles the Swiss schools espouse, namely independence. The child in the article graduated from secondary school earlier
After 18 years of being Evil HR Lady, I decided it was time for a change. From now on, this blog will be known as Elvis HR Lady.
I work for a company that has employees under a US umbrella org with a “parent” company overseas. Many decisions are influenced by the parent company, sometimes without regard for US customs/practices. The most recent is a trend of “just fire them,” “we can replace them,” or “if
