Ten years ago I wrote an article on ‘Michael Jackson & the Workplace’. Ten years later, it is still applicable to the workplace. In honor of Michael’s birthday this month, please check out this blast from the past:
As the world still mourns the death of Michael Jackson, how do we deal with the constant reminders of his life and demise while we are in the workplace? If you are anything like me, you danced to Michael Jackson at the company holiday parties, listened to his music at your desk when people at work got on your nerves and/or moonwalked at a meeting just to make your peers laugh.
So, should you offer bereavement, PTO or encourage the employee that says they are mourning the death of the King of Pop? Yes, yes and yes. As human resource professionals, it is important that we create a company culture that tells the employee we care about things that are going on in their lives. It is not for us to judge whether these issues are legitimate based on our views of the world, but we should make sure that we extend compassion to each other during our times of need. The death of Farrah Fawcett, Ted Kennedy, T.J. Turner may be what is causing your normally productive employee to be slacking. Ask questions, see what you can offer within your company’s guidelines and remember to look at the man in the mirror because a little compassion goes a long way.
