Keeping Good Hygiene at Work. While a seemingly odd topic, we have been inundated in recent days, particularly with the recent pandemic concerning the coronavirus, on keeping good hygiene at work. The below is the ultimate guide for both employers and employees on how to keep good hygiene and cleanliness in the workplace. When it comes to keeping good hygiene at work, there are a plethora of reasons on why you would want to take it so seriously. MORE

It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager, when I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. Should I ask my employer to take down a Blue Lives Matter flag? As many of your commenters realized, the company was forcing me out. I was asked to resign around the time the letter was published. MORE

Country music singer / songwriter Corinne Cook is no stranger to wearing multiple hats and assuming roles that others may question. On the empowering, anthem-styled title track to her latest single “ Yes I Can” , Corinne Cook sings about four American icons whose triumphs deeply impacted the way our culture viewed women – Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride. The chorus resounds like a personal mission statement: “I’m that kind of girl.To MORE

A reader writes: I joined an established nonprofit as CEO about 18 months ago. The former director was accomplished in many areas, giving the agency the appearance of success and stability (programs successful, but not so fiscally). After starting, I learned that the agency was not engaged in fundraising, and its methods for raising income were no longer viable. MORE

The Covid-19 shutdowns have struck the travel industry, and so it’s no surprise that Airbnb needs to layoff workers. What is surprising is the way Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky went about it. He released a letter to Airbnb staff , explaining the layoff. Here’s what he did right. Explained the situation. These are unusual times, and of course, every Airbnb employee knows that the business is not doing well right now. MORE

I talk about when things get back to “normal” all the time, but that’s never happening. We will be creating a new normal after all the stay at home orders are lifted. What will HR look like in this new world? Well, here are some guesses. More knowledgeable HR. Human resources is a multi-disciplinary field. You need to be everything from a finance expert to a therapist to a salesperson to a lawyer if you want to do everything right. MORE

It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager, when I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose needy boss tried to invite herself on the letter-writer’s vacations and nights out with her husband ? Here’s the update. Alison, thanks so very much for responding to my letter, and many thanks also to all the readers who shared their insights. MORE

In episode 13 of The HR Famous Podcast , long-time HR leaders (and friends) Jessica Lee, Tim Sackett, and Kris Dunn try to defeat boredom and come together to talk about quarantine listening habits, Airbnb’s hiring practices, unpaid internships, and Netflix doc American Factory. The team discusses their feelings and thoughts on Airbnb’s postponed hiring, unpaid internships and other working experiences, and the documentary American Factory. MORE

Going Through the Grind and Coming Out with Purpose. I was sipping on a hot cup of Kicking Horse Pacific Pipeline coffee when a tiny lesson this size of a coffee bean began to percolate in my brain about potential, purpose, and the grind. “Coffee beans are full of potential. But their true purpose is fulfilled only after they have gone through a grind.” MORE

Post-interview thank-you notes: You should be sending them! Not because you need to thank anyone, really, but because they’re a chance to build on the conversation you had in the interview and solidify the (hopefully positive) impression you made. Too often, though, people treat thank-you notes as a perfunctory duty. They’ve heard they’re supposed to send one, so they send something that’s literally … just a thank-you. MORE

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. Can I Zoom from my patio? What are the stipulations around Zoom calls and location? Weather in my area has been very nice recently and I enjoy working outside when I don’t need my full monitor. My apartment has a private patio space — not huge, but enough for my dog to run around in. I have furniture outside to work on. Can I take calls that don’t require note-taking outside? MORE