Hello! How are you? I hope you and everyone you know and love are healthy in body, mind, and spirit.  

In the midst of the biggest health crisis in a century, Becky and I were blessed with the birth of our second grandchild. Our perfect angel, Mackenzie Grace, is happy, healthy, and safe at home with her parents and big brother. 

In a move Becky and I are convinced was intended to keep us from being with our new granddaughter, Gov. Cuomo extended NY on PAUSE until at least May 15. Although it doesn’t feel like it right now, there will come a day in the relatively near future when we’ll spend some time with Mackenzie…sorry, when our workplaces will reopen to our employees and others. Regardless of exactly which day that will be, today is the day employers should develop plans to keep employees and everyone who enters their workplaces safe and healthy when that time comes.   

To help you begin thinking about a plan, we’re going to start with a group exercise. (I hate group exercises, isn’t there a checklist you can give me?) Repeat after me: “I understand work can’t go back to the way it was before COVID-19, and I accept responsibility for making significant and necessary changes to our workplace.” Once more, and I want to hear everybody this time! “I understand work can’t go back to the way it was before COVID-19, and I accept responsibility for making significant and necessary changes to our workplace.” (OK, I said it; happy now?) Awesome!   Continue reading

Hello! How are you? I hope you and everyone you know and love are healthy in body, mind, and spirit.  

Earlier, I was cleaning up this site and saw an earlier post, which began, “It’s March, and I couldn’t be happier!” Clearly, I was a little premature with that celebration! (Ya think?)

I apologize for being absent last week. As some of you know, I’ve been sending a daily update email on everything  COVID-19 to a few hundred people for weeks. So, by the time last Friday came around, I needed a break from thinking and writing. But, I’m back! (We’ll see if that’s good news or not.)

 If you’ve had children home with you for a few weeks, I’m guessing you’ve heard, “that’s not fair!” a time or two. When our kids were young, and fairness challenged, I told them, “life is never fair, it’s just more obvious when you can’t have something you want.” (Right. I’ll bet that calms a screaming five-year-old instantly.) But, what is the appropriate response when adults feel shortchanged?

More than a few clients have called and emailed concerning CARES-envy. (I know you made that name up.) This soon-to-be wide-spread issue occurs when employees who are, and have been, working during the COVID-19 crisis learn that co-workers are being paid their full wages—or more—even though they’re not working. From my conversations, I’ve identified two forms of this malady: Continue reading