Any politician worth his beans knows how to jump in front of a parade. With domestic violence headlines spilling out from the sports pages, legislatures across the county are bound to be following Massachusetts lead in enacting domestic violence leave mandates for employers. Obviously this isn’t to downplay the seriousness of the crime, but the… Read more »
BOLT Blog
Doing the City’s Business in a Democracy
Unexpected and unbudgeted projects are the bane of any well managed city. However, the demands of a vibrant democracy require nimble management to successfully execute the demands on policymakers. An excellent illustration is the current trend in progressive localities to regulate minimum wages. The City of Richmond (population 104,000) is poised to mandate the highest… Read more »
Attire: Business Casual vs. Professional
In the dark ages of the past business attire was a simple matter. Suits for men and women were assumed and there was no room for either deviation or confusion. Gradually the suit gave way to a sport jacket, then to just a tie, and finally to something called “business casual.” The change in dress… Read more »
Job Fair Yields Serious Talent
The simple economic realities of the 21st century offer employers a brief but extraordinary opportunity. BOLT’s Joanne Sanders and Lisa Scanlon were invited by the Santa Rosa Job Link to participate in a job fair on behalf of Brooks Automation employees. Brooks is relocating their cryogenic equipment manufacturing operations from Petaluma to Malaysia. As a… Read more »
2022: When 2 + 2 Will Equal 5?
In George Orwell’s dystopian 1984, the Party exerted so much control over people that they would readily agree that 2+2=5 if the Party demanded it. This was achieved by absolute control over individuals which in turn was achieved by absolute knowledge of each person by the Party. Pricewaterhouse Coopers interviewed 500 HR experts and 10,000… Read more »
The Half Full Side of Health Care, aka ACA
While tempers rise to the topic of health care and its associated costs, a refreshingly thoughtful piece about the upside of what the law offers employers appeared on Forbes.com recently. Jennifer Benz gives employers sound advice on how to use the law to enhance employees’ understanding and appreciation for the costs and benefits employers provide… Read more »
Flowing Downhill
It’s almost a cliche that organizations reflect the values and attitudes of their leaders. Conversely, leadership also embodies the values and attitudes of the organization. One of the obvious, if not always conscious, reasons for selecting managers is the degree to which they’ve internalized the values of the organization. A recent study looked at humility… Read more »
A Silver Tsunami Is Coming
Cue the music from the movie Jaws. It’s out there—it’s coming right toward us, and it could impact local government and its citizens as much as any other challenge that today’s cities and counties face. The “Silver Tsunami” is a borrowed term we’re using to describe the pending retirement tidal wave of California’s and the… Read more »
The "Silver Tsunami" – The Deck Gets Stacked Against Us
Part 2 of 4… When we last visited the question of the pending “Silver Tsunami”, the coming retirement tidal wave of California’s and the nation’s local government managers, the situation was at crisis level. Today, almost two-thirds of California and the nation’s local government managers are at, or are within, five years of retirement, with… Read more »
A New Tool, New Risks
Instagram is an online photo/video sharing and social networking service started in San Francisco in October 2010. Purchased by Facebook in April 2013 for approximately $1 Billion in cash and stock it is a testament to both the power of social networking and the wealth waiting to be tapped as our online lives continue to… Read more »