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What I’ve Been Reading This Week

 

Another week down and another debate in the books.  Following last week’s debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden, Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris sat down on Wednesday to talk about several topics ahead of the November 3rd election.  While I will refer readers to other resources which dissect that debate in minute detail (including the cameo appearance by a particular fly), a recent podcast on social media posts and the 2020 election is relevant to this week’s political developments and Wednesday’s debate.

As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.


President Trump Issues Executive Order Banning Racial Sensitivity Training

At the end of September, President Donald Trump issued an executive order in which he banned training that involved race and sex based discrimination.  The executive order is quite far reaching as it applies to executive departments and agencies, the U.S. military, federal contractors, and federal grant recipients.  Although note, that this does not extend to private employers (so long as they do not have federal contracts.)  In his remarks following the release of the executive order, President Trump stated the ban was needed to do away with training that perpetuated stereotypes and division.  Critics have been quick to call this executive order as an attempt to whitewash America’s history and risks exposing minorities to an onslaught of discrimination in the workplace.  Regardless of which way you lean on this matter, I would suggest giving the text of the executive order  review and forming your own thoughts.


Conducting Performance Reviews in the Age of COVID-19 & Work From Home

Pamela DeLoatch over at HRDive recently wrote an article that addressed how employers can conduct performance reviews, given that many employees continue to work remotely.  The main takeaway:  Be flexible and willing to adapt, given that the work environment has changed.  With that being said, regardless of whether you are an employer or employee, this article is worth reviewing.


Employees, Social Media Posts, & the 2020 Election

Earlier this month, David Weisenfeld, Jon Hyman, and Robin Shea sat down to talk about the use of social media by employees during the 2020 election cycle.  While readers can listen to the podcast in their free time, there is a transcript of the discussion available for those that would prefer that option.  In short, while each situation is different and there is no clear cut rule to apply in all situations, generally speaking, employers can hold employees responsible for posts on their social media accounts (including during this election cycle.)  This podcast/transcript is well worth reviewing.

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