With the ever-growing popularity of blogs and social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster, it's becoming easier for companies to find out everything they would ever want to know (and might be afraid to find out!) about current and potential employees. Despite the truly public nature of the WWW, many internet addicts don't seem to grasp the idea that their personal online business might adversely affect their professional lives.

Imagine you're the HR Director of a prestigious law firm looking to hire an Administrative Assistant. In walks Sally Sweet - a mild-mannered, intelligent young woman armed with a stylish suit and a fabulous resume. She seems a shoo-in for the position, but after she leaves your office, you decide to Google her. Much to your surprise, you find Sally's personal weblog which reveals all the gory details of her dating habits and many references to her penchant for "getting wasted" every weekend. After plugging her email address into MySpace's search function, you find her personal page, providing plenty of pictorial evidence of her fondness for alcohol along with sexually explicit comments from a variety of "friends." Sally's resume is still impressive, but does it matter? Sure, she graduated with honors and can type 75 wpm, but what about her character? Is this the kind of person you would want representing your organization? If you're like most hiring managers, your answer is a resounding "no."

Some would argue that this kind of online snooping is unfair. After all, many people use their blogs and MySpace pages as an escape from the real world. It allows them a little bit of "fame," and a chance to bring out other sides of their personalities. However, there is nothing wrong with a prospective employer doing a little digging. And if you've spread dirt all over the internet, it can easily be found. Fans of the web need to realize that their personal business online is anything but personal. And depending on the image being presented, something as seemingly insignificant as a MySpace page can derail career plans - fast.

It's possible that many bloggers don't even realize that they are sabotaging their own job-seeking efforts. Obviously, most employers who uncover unflattering information about applicants simply won't call them back. Since most folks on the job hunt are used to a certain amount of rejection and disregard, they might just think not getting the call is all part of the process or assume that they weren't qualified. Just a word of advice to all you web nuts - if you've been on more than 5 interviews and not one employer has bothered to call or write you back, you might want to think about retiring your "I Hate Work" blog or deleting your X-rated Friendster account.

Online shenanigans can't only prevent you from finding a new job - they can just as easily get you fired from your existing one. Terminations resulting from employees' internet activities have been popping up in the news left and right. Some examples of this rising trend include:

• The Automobile Club of Southern California fired 27 workers this month for posting messages on Myspace that were deemed defamatory to other staff and the business overall.
• A police officer from Watauga, TX was dismissed in May 2006 after an internal affairs investigation uncovered that his MySpace page contained adult humor, racial slurs and embarassing pictures showing the officer intoxicated.
• An Editor for The Palladium-Item, a small-town Indiana newspaper, contends that he was let go because he was caught checking his MySpace messages on company time and had created mild adult-humor content for his page.
• A Starbucks in Toronto fired a barista who posted a profanity-riddled post about an unnamed boss on a personal, supposedly anonymous, blog.

Not all companies have such harsh punishments for employees who maintain blogs or use popular social networking sites. Many still believe that there is a line between personal business and professional life. But these days, with businesses more and more concerned about brand positioning and public awareness, it comes as no surprise that bloggers behaving badly find themselves unemployed more often than not. It's easy for a company to replace an employee. It's not so easy to replace a client who might happen upon that employee's blog and take offense. Respecting an employee's right to blog is not worth losing business over.

There's nothing wrong with having a little online fun. If you love to blog, then blog. If you're addicted to MySpace, then space out. It's okay. Just use your brain. Think about the type of career you're in and whether or not your web presence portrays you in a positive light; one that is acceptable to your employer, your clients and your personal network.

To Not Fun in the Summertime (or anytime).

Why are these chairs empty?
AKA- I Know you Worked All Summer AKA

The Demise of the American Vacation.

The reports are in and the vacation has seen better vacation days. The Conference Board found that 40% of all consumers had NO plans to take a vacation over the next 6 months. Gallop confirmed with their telephone intervews of 1,000 adults who had NO summer vacation plans.

What is UP with that?

According to an AAA spokesman, it seems that work is getting in the way of play? American's can't leave their jobs anymore.

And it is Americans (25% of whom do not get any paid vacation time) because I can assure you that the rest of the world is still off all of August!

Having just come back from my own 10-day family fun-trip (believe me, work is much easier and less stressful-- and I can bring toothpaste into the office) I will say that there is some value to days off. At least it gives other people in the office a chance to talk about you while you're gone.

Anyway, great companies such as BRANDEMiX and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have created a solution-- mandatory office closings. (We close the week of Christmas through New Years.)

Other firms are sending reminders via email and putting posters up in and around the halls to remind people of how relaxing some time off can be.

I'd love to help create some catchy vacation campaigns.. just give me a ring.

Hi everyone,

Long time no blog. Just back from vacation and Client Visits and catching up on my reading and thought I'd say hi. Looks like I haven't missed too much judging from this list compiled by HR Solutions on the recurring themes in employee surveys:

1. Higher salaries – pay is the number one area in which employees seek change. Duh! And change doesn't mean downward!
2. Internal pay equity, particularly having concerns with “pay compression” (the differential in pay between new and more tenured employees). Isn't it true that this is the age of the free agents? Why don't those concerned just find a new job and keep up?
3. Benefits programs, particularly health/dental, retirement, and Paid Time Off/vacation days. Specifically, many employees feel that their health insurance costs too much, especially prescription drug programs. Ok, here's where a bit of communication can really make a difference. This is a national crisis and not just a case of bad benefits from the evil employer.
4. “Over-management” (A common phrase seen in employee comments is “Too many chiefs, not enough Indians”). My thoughts on this one is that companies find value in more experienced talent but can't support the rise in salaries and the cost of Indians.
5. Pay increase guidelines should place greater emphasis on merit. Duh!
6. The Human Resource department needs to be more responsive to their questions and/or concerns. Guys-- c'mon.
7. Favoritism. Always was, always will be, it's time to grow up.
8. Improved communication and availability (both from their supervisors and upper management). What they really mean is "hey, listen to me... I matter-- they don't mean more memo's"
9. Workloads are too heavy and/or departments are understaffed. That's because the Indians are missing.
10. Facility cleanliness. Finally- the one thing I was surprised by.


Well, that's about it for now. Go take care of number 6!

… male and female, it now includes a wide spectrum of groups such as lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender (L.G.B.T). The most flourishing companies recognize the benefits of embracing a workforce with a broad variety of language skills, cultural backgrounds, age and physical disabilities.

According to Out & Equal, Fortune 500 companies are extending their diversity programs and initiatives further than the customary race, sex, sexual orientation, national origin and religion. Progressive companies are expanding their diversity plan to include their vendors and suppliers, who demand that diversity be an integral part of how companies do business. Today, the most successful company will be those that recognize the power of diversity in their workforce and product mix, and effectively create products and services that appeal to their increasingly diverse customer bases.

Recent statistics show that a growing number of Fortune 500, 100 and 50 companies are leading the way in creating an equal workplace for all regardless of sexual orientation, sexual identity, expression or characteristics.

Of Fortune 500 companies:

•82% include sexual orientation in their EOE policy
•10% include sexual identity and/or expression in their EOE statement
•46% offer domestic partner benefits, up from 4 percent in 1995
•17% offer spousal-equivalency benefits

Data also supports the notion that corporate leaders are leaders in equality:

•76% of Fortune 50 companies offer domestic benefits
•69% of Fortune 100 companies offer domestic benefits
•98% of Fortune 50 companies include sexual orientation in their written nondiscrimination policies
•96% for Fortune 100 companies includes sexual orientation in their written nondiscrimination policies.

Nationwide, 8250 employers including private employers and state and local governments, government agencies and colleges and universities provide domestic partner benefits. Although there are no federal laws in the U.S. that protect L.G.B.T’s, 15 states and District of Columbia have laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In the coming years, diversity will become even more important and the leaders in this category will be those best reflecting the increasingly diverse marketplaces they serve.