COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

LAT Column One Hit send then hit the door

From the Los Angeles Times

COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

Farewell e-mails become an art form in this age of pink slips. Some are funny, some are sad -- and some are just plain furious.

It was not the most eloquent subject line for a farewell e-mail to 5,000 co-workers: "So long, suckers! I'm out!"

But Jason Shugars worked at Google, whose off-center corporate culture is more forgiving than that of your average buttoned-down investment bank. In the rest of his goodbye, Shugars, a senior sales compliance specialist, reminisced about workplace moments that included putting cake down his pants at a sales conference, stealing a boss' $8,000 leather couch and singing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" in a miniskirt and braids.

[…]

That's a good question these days, now that thousands of people are finding themselves with pink slips and the need to let colleagues and contacts know they are moving on and -- perhaps more important for job seekers -- how they can be reached.

The farewell e-mail has suddenly become commonplace, a new art form in the electronic age. Yet like so many aspects of the Internet era -- how to unfriend on Facebook, how much to reveal on a personal blog -- the technology has gotten ahead of the etiquette. There are, quite simply, no rules.

[…]

In May, lawyer Shinyung Oh was let go from the San Francisco branch of the Paul Hastings law firm six days after losing a baby. The seven-year associate, who said she was told her previous, glowing evaluations may have been "overinflated," composed a blistering e-mail to the partners and fired it off to about 1,000 colleagues around the world.

She accused the firm's partners of "heartlessness" and of blaming her for failing to generate business "that should have been brought in by each of you."

"If this response seems particularly emotional," she wrote to the partners, "perhaps an associate's emotional vulnerability after a recent miscarriage is a factor you should consider the next time you fire or lay someone off. It shows startlingly poor judgment and management skills -- and cowardice -- on your parts."

Within an hour, Oh said, her e-mail was posted on a widely read legal affairs blog, then made its way into the mainstream media.

[…]

Will Schwalbe, coauthor of "Send: Why People E-mail So Badly and How to Do it Better," said the farewell e-mail was a reflection of two intersecting trends: the universality of e-mail and the confessional spirit of the times, which have resulted, as he put it, in "the democratization of the process."

In the pre-computer world, Schwalbe said, "Personnel wrote something -- a memo, Xeroxed -- generally, you didn't get to do it. They did it. But what had been an HR function is now a personal function." That, he said, leads to a different sort of message.

Read the entire article here: COLUMN ONE: Hit 'send,' then hit the door By Robin Abcarian February 23, 2009

20090223 LAT Column One Hit send then hit the door

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-farewell-emails23-2009feb23,0,4893360.story?track=rss

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Governors To Discuss Transforming The Nation’s Workforce At National Governors Association Winter Meeting

Governors To Discuss Transforming The Nation’s Workforce At National Governors Association Winter Meeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2009

Contacts: Jodi Omear, 202-624-5346

GOVERNORS TO DISCUSS TRANSFORMING THE NATION’S WORKFORCE AT NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION WINTER MEETING

WASHINGTON—The nation’s governors are set to discuss transforming America’s workforce to compete in a global economy during the upcoming 2009 National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting, which begins in Washington, D.C., later this month.

The discussion, titled “Transforming the Workforce System: Upskilling American Workers,” will occur during the NGA Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee meeting on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m. at the J.W. Marriott hotel.

“Given today’s difficult economy, it is especially vital for us to ensure our workforce is equipped with the skills for the jobs of the future,” said Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, chair of the committee. “This discussion is a chance for governors to talk with their colleagues and business leaders about helping Americans get back to work.”

“The rising unemployment rate, increased demand for skills and a rapidly expanding global economy are all placing unprecedented demands on America’s workforce,” said Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine vice chair of the committee. “This session is an opportunity to examine ways to ensure workers have the necessary training, skill sets and education to remain competitive.”

Governors will be joined at the session by Steven Lockard, CEO and president, TPI Composites and Pamela Passman, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, Global Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Corporation.

This committee will focus on the national skills shortage and its impacts. Panelists will explore business investments that strengthen the competitiveness of American businesses by training workers with the skills to successfully participate in the 21st century.

###

20090212 SDOSM Govs To Discuss National Workforce At NGA Winter Mtg

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/