If you review all my posts on The Man Gene (and you really should), you’ll find a few indicating that science is beginning to support the existence of such a gene. For those who still doubt, consider the recent news that scientists have discovered a liberal gene. If The Liberal Gene exists, there’s a good chance that The Man Gene does, too. Stay tuned.

Rarely has an instrumental been used as the song of the week. The title of this instrumental drew me to it. It’s by David Bowie and is supposed to represent his move from Europe to the U.S. There are lots of people who would like to start a new career in a new town, but they can’t sell a house, and the job market most everywhere is terrible. The thought of this possibility keeps people going, and the upbeat sound is hopeful. Bowie plays the harmonica in this piece.

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Given the media coverage infidelity receives, it’s legitimate for spouses, particularly wives, to worry about straying husbands, particularly those in high-powered jobs. When Eliot Spitzer’s sexual indiscretions forced his resignation as governor of New York, I analyzed his situation in the context of a previously little known medical phenomenon: The Man Gene. With my subsequent Man Gene posts, it seems all I’ve done is make women mad at me and make others conclude that I’m mad. I remain undeterred. The Man Gene exists, and it wreaks havoc everywhere, including the workplace.

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It’s a rare workforce that hasn’t received some form of sexual harassment training. Most training is pretty fundamental — about do’s and don’ts. It’s  sometimes boring. It sometimes reviews actual cases that have occurred. It can even be counter-productive. There are always innovators, however. Think about using this video as part of your sexual harassment training:

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Once a hot employment law issue, drug testing has been cool for quite some time. Most courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have ruled that there’s nothing wrong with testing for unlawful drugs, particularly in the private sector. So, for two decades, an increasing number of employers do drug testing routinely. The types of drug testing most commonly done are pre-employment, for cause or reasonable suspicion (for example, when an employee is involved in an accident at work, seems to be under the influence of something, etc.), and random.

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Freedom of speech is one of America’s tenets. It’s always discussed during political campaigns, and the firing of Juan Williams by NPR for saying something he believed has focused additional attention to the subject of free speech. Although the freedom of speech is part of the American foundation, it’s not absolute. So, for example, Juan Williams could be fired for saying something his employer found offensive. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. is often quoted from one of his opinions while he was on the U.S. Supreme Court that free speech does not give one the right to shout fire in a crowded theatre even if it’s true. Samuel Johnson, speaking figuratively I’m sure, put it another way:

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The recent hubbub over Virginia Thomas asking Anita Hill to apologize to her husband, Justice Clarence Thomas, got me to thinking. Almost 20 years had past since the original Hill/Thomas conflict. It’s still referred to occasionally, but it hasn’t been an issue for a long time. After the substantial media coverage of Mrs. Thomas request for an apology, Thomas’ long-time former girlfriend decided to come forward with allegations that her relationship with Thomas made her aware of Thomas’ addiction to pornography. More media coverage.

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Much has been written on this subject, and I’m not sure I can add much. It seems that most people are outraged; want Juan Williams rehired; and accuse NPR of wrongful termination. A firing always gets people upset. The more public the firing of a well-known person, the greater the chance for outrage. It’s not like Juan Williams is the first person to ever be fired for subjective reasons.

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Citizens are angry. They’re angry with Democrats and Republicans. Some say there’s no difference between the two parties. Both are interested in power, not results. Right now, candidates from both parties are saying that this has been true in the past, but it won’t be anymore if whoever is talking is elected. Washington is the problem. Send outsiders, and change for the better will occur.

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No one was disciplined or fired in connection with the Christmas day (2009) attempted airplane bombing. No supervisor of Major Nidal Hasan (the Fort Hood shooter) was disciplined or fired in connection with their failure to act on clear signs that Hasan was a danger to himself and others. (Here) And now (here and here), no one is being disciplined or fired in connection with the suicide bombing in 2009 at an Afghan base, which killed seven CIA employees. It’s clear now that critical warnings about the suicide bomber simply weren’t reported to other CIA.

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John Rich stops by a New Jersey radio station, talks about Nashville’s “music mafia,” and sings Shuttin’ Detroit Down a few days before he actually records it. As expressed in the song, he’s no fan of the bailout, the billionaires on Wall Street, their bonuses and private jets. But he is a fan of hard working people to whom this song is dedicated.

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An analogy between Macbeth and one of the most bizarre, polarizing, and deeply personal confirmation hearings ever conducted by the U.S. Senate in 1991 on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court may not seem clear. Not the first time my analogies have been off the wall. But there’s a legitimate HR or employment point here.

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Roommate pranks, April Fool’s pranks, and office pranks are fairly common. Some pranks are harmless. Some have unintended consequences. Some can be vicious. Most are intended to be funny. But in the workplace, one needs to think through what the prank could cause, not just for the target but for the entire workplace. Take the following video. It’s funny, but in a workplace today, it could cause sheer terror. So, maybe another “funny” sound for the computer would be more appropriate.

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China is much in the news these days and has been for quite a while. It’s a major world power, and what it does or doesn’t do affects the global economy. There are Chinese workers in this country, and there are American workers in China.  Almost any global decision takes China into consideration, whether we know it or not. Long ago, Napoleon Bonaparte said something about China that resonates today, for China has awakened.

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November 2 is just two weeks away. The mid-term elections are almost here. It’s predicted that there will be a lot of new faces in Congress next year. Remember, it was generally believed that the 2008 elections would usher in all kinds of new labor and employment laws. That hasn’t happened. It’s generally believed that the results of the mid-term elections will mean very little activity on the labor and employment front. It will be interesting to see if we are as wrong about the mid-term elections as we were about the 2008 elections.

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