Inclement weather policies should prioritize safety over productivity

Snow day! Norah went to bed with PJs on backwards last night (and received her wish; now please use your time wisely to work on homework). Donovan is going to be pissed because tonight’s Mathmagic night at school (which he was really looking forward to) will be cancelled. And me? I’m enjoying some flexibility by working from the comfort of my kitchen island. If the storm forecast holds as predicted, however, I'll be giving myself lots of extra travel time tomorrow morning for a court appearance. #lawyerlife

What about your business?

The 7th nominee for the “worst employer of 2017” is … the “trump”ed up termination

Last Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked for the resignation of 46 U.S. attorneys. Those that refused have been fired.

The fact that the current administration is cleaning its Justice Department house by turning over personnel appointed by the prior administration is not notable. Washington bureaucracy is run by the party-in-charge, and right now that means that President Trump is calling the shots on whom he employs and doesn’t employ. For example, Attorney General Janet Reno took similar steps in the early days of President Clinton’s administration.

WIRTW #452 (the “coffee house” edition)

Do you like acoustic guitar, Green Day, and a 10-year-old girl that is way too cool to be my daughter combining the two? If so, then this video, recorded last week at my kids’ school, is for you.


Here’s what I read this week:

The 6th nominee for the “worst employer of 2017” is … the double-booked recordkeeper

Yesterday’s nominee for the Worst Employer of 2017 may not end up as the last employer standing when I tally the votes at year’s end (at least according to some of the comments and tweets I received). Today’s nominee, however, should receive more universal support (or disgust, as the case may be).

How many sets of time and pay records should you keep on your employees? For your sake, I hope your answer is not any number greater than “one”.

The 5th nominee for the “worst employer of 2017” is … the no-pets-for-vets policy

The EEOC recently sued a Florida trucking company for disability discrimination, alleging it failed to accommodate, refused to hire, and retaliated against a job candidate because he used a service dog. (Complaint here [pdf])

So far, so bad. But it gets worse. From the EEOC:

SCOTUS reverses decision to review transgender bathroom case

Yesterday, the Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision that would have heard the appeal of a 4th Circuit opinion granting a transgender boy the right to use the bathroom of his identified gender.

The decision comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s policy change [pdf], which revoked the Obama administration’s guidance that protected the bathroom rights of transgender students in public schools.

Lessons from a ransomware attack

CNN reports that a ransomware attack has locked the computer network of the Pennsylvania Democratic Caucus. This is what we call a teachable moment.

What is ransomware? Ransomware is malicious software that locks one's computer or network until a sum a money is paid, at which point the cybercriminal provide a code to unlock the system. If the ransom is not paid with a set timeframe, they will wipe the data. And, any organization that relies on access to data, and cannot afford to lose access to that data at any time, is the prime target of a ransomware attack. Does that sound like your business?