While today, December 6, 2018, does bring a significant change to drug laws here in Michigan, this does not make it ok to have, use, or otherwise be under the influence while working. While legal in Michigan for those over 21, marijuana remains an illegal controlled substance under Federal Law and as a recipient of Federal funding, we are subject to the Federal laws dictating a Drug Free Workplace.

The newly enacted state law says, in part,

Isn’t it OUR time, Mr. Hand?!?

“This act does not require an employer to permit or accommodate conduct otherwise allowed by this act in any workplace or on the employer’s property. This act does not prohibit an employer from disciplining an employee for violation of a workplace drug policy or for working while under the influence of marihuana. This act does not prevent an employer from refusing to hire, discharging, disciplining, or otherwise taking an adverse employment action against a person with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of that person’s violation of a workplace drug policy or because that person was working while under the influence of marihuana.”

The District has several Board policies that deal directly with this issue. One clear example is Policy 3122.01:

“The Board of Education believes that quality education is not possible in an environment affected by drugs. It will seek, therefore, to establish and maintain an educational setting which is not tainted by the use or evidence of use of any controlled substance.

Employees are prohibited from reporting to work under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.

The Board shall not permit the manufacture, possession, use, distribution, or dispensing of any controlled substance, alcohol, and any drug paraphernalia, by any member of the District’s professional staff at any time while on District property or while involved in any District-related activity or event. Any staff member who violates this policy shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with District guidelines and the terms of collective bargaining agreements.”

So the bottom line, nothing has changed when it comes to the workplace and marijuana.

What class (in high school, college, or grad school) influences you now in a way that you did not anticipate at the time you originally took the class?

I know I need to think on this one for a bit. I hope you do as well!

My answer comes in my next post! Feel free to chime in.

As the HR social media community gathers again on-line to honor one of our own, the well-deserving recipient is NYC’s own Victorio Milian.

In honor of a great HR person! Thank you Victorio!

I’ve had the honor of meeting and learning from Victorio and while we celebrate him in the HR world, I am always impressed with his commitment to family and his capturing of the beauty that exists in his city. Through his stories and photographs, Victorio is able to share some of the big city experience with those of us who live in “fly over” country.

So, I am privileged to know Victorio and hope that this day of celebration brings him the recognition he so richly deserves!

Psychiatrist and author of the book Play, Stuart Brown, provides some tips on how we can incorporate more elements of play into our lives.

Change how you think about play. Remember that play is important for all aspects of our lives, including creativity and relationships. Give yourself permission to play every day.

Take a play history. In his book Brown includes a primer to help readers reconnect with play. He suggests readers mine their past for play memories. What did you do as a child that excited you? Did you engage in those activities alone or with others? How can you recreate that today?

Surround yourself with playful people. Brown stresses the importance of selecting friends who are playful and of playing with your loved ones.

Play with little ones. Playing with kids helps us experience the magic of play through their perspective.  What could be better than that?

Have fun and PLAY!

Any time you think play is a waste, remember that it offers some serious benefits for both you and others. As Brown says in his book, “Play is the purest expression of love.”

Those attending the SHRM conference next week in Chicago have an opportunity to play and contribute to a great cause.  Come to Grant Park next Sunday night at 7:00 to see some HR rock stars playing kickball and doing good for No Kid Hungry.  Knowing the people involved, I’m sure fun will be had by all.  Even if you can’t be there, you can donate to the very worthy No Kid Hungry cause and be a part of playing a role in helping end childhood hunger.  After all, play is the most important thing a child can do! Let’s give all of them a chance to worry only about play, and not from where their next meal may come.

Watching the reunion of parents with their kids in the midst of chaos certainly made me squeeze my two a little tighter this evening.  Please do the same with those you love and care about.  That is the most relevant thing you can ever do!

The ones I love!

The stories being conveyed cover the range of good HR tales.  As often happens when HR folks gather, we are able to talk to others who live and understand the daily challenges that come into our world.  In many ways, it’s even a bit therapeutic to know that the weird event that happened at your workplace last week is not unique and that your reaction is considered normal in the typical human experience.

This provides a valuable lesson for communicating on a larger level as well.  So often, we are afraid to show some vulnerability to those around us.  Using stories as a tool can benefit organizations to incorporate others into an organization’s culture, its practices, and as a way to share information.  When using storytelling in an organization, there are three elements that can ensure we are being as effective as possible:

Does the story integrate some portion of your own story?  People need some personal connection so that they can incorporate the lessons into their personal meaning.

Does the story have an element that links the organization to others?  This builds on the larger sense of belonging that we have.

Does the story talk about the situation as it stands right now?  A story must tie the organization’s past to the present day and the current situation it finds itself facing.  It’s an opportunity to remind people that today’s challenges are often similar to those faced previously.

So, what’s your story and how does it convey your sense of the organization?

Image credit - http://www.readersdigest.co.in/

So, having accomplished the cleaning and organizing of the office and the home, I am now setting aside time to clean the mind.  Now, it’s not necessarily my dirty mind (well, ok…) that needs work, but as I approach a milestone birthday, the memory banks are filling up and I want to find ways to better use the mind power I have left for purposes that are good and noble (or at least fulfilling).  Since I love technology, I’m using tools like Evernote and Google Drive to record things that I might otherwise lose in a purge of the mental databank!  I remember well the days when I would have numerous phone numbers memorized so that I could call my friends.  Sadly, I know very few of my friend’s phone numbers anymore.  Now, it’s as easy as pulling the number up on a cell phone and hitting the green button.  While that’s good and quite convenient, part of me wonders if we are losing something valuable by cleaning out our minds of such information.  What say you, is this a positive trend or should we grasp onto keeping as much in our mind as possible?

The concept of trust is often a difficult one to embrace when running a business.  There is a tendency to set in place rules and regulations to compensate for every possible contingency that may happen and in doing so we place a box so tight around people that asking someone to “think outside the box” really means “just think for yourself instead of allowing the organization to do it for you.”  It’s difficult to let go because “someone may mess something up.”  I hate to tell you this, but you’re right and it’s going to happen anyway!

Start building the trust

So, trust your people to embrace the goals of the organization and provide incentive for them to get there.  Can the energy of the people in your organization be best used when it is directed by others or can we rely on our people to direct themselves to achieve the best results?  Although it will not work every time and there will be instances of failure, the ability of people to do the right thing is not simply about doing things in only one right way.  Opportunity for diversity of thoughts and actions will bring unexpected results that can exceed expectations.

Trust those around you to do good work.  If you can’t do so, then the questions you should ask are why are they there in the first place and what does it say about me that I can’t trust them to do what needs to be done?  Go ahead, do something amazing in 2013 and start trusting others – who knows, maybe they will start trusting you too!

I was fortunate enough to be chatting with one of our employees this morning. This is someone who has been employed by our organization for about 12 years. Back in May, while sitting at her desk, she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Because of quick medical intervention and treatment at one of the nation’s leading trauma centers (just a 25 minute and $7000 helicopter ride away!) she has been able to recover and has now returned to work on a full-time basis. Although she is still having some struggles, her being here at all is fortunate.

During our conversation this morning, she remarked to me how much she realized during her absence that our organization truly cares about the people here. Our health insurance worked for her, she received her short-term disability without a hitch, and we ensured that everything was set for her upon her return. Beyond those basic things, we never once expressed anything but caring and concern, even when asking for forms or getting periodic updates. She came to the conclusion that the people side matters as her husband, after being out a 2 weeks taking care of her (a protected leave under FMLA,) was given grief by his employer.

To me, when someone who has worked hard and been dedicated to the mission of the organization for so many years needs some compassion and basic kindness, it really seems appropriate that it’s allowed to come from the workplace. Being human shouldn’t be optional and surprising, but expected and appreciated. Show good will in the bad times; you will likely make someone’s life all the better for doing so.