Pre-employment Drug Testing

Recreational drugs are chemical substances that alter the mind and affect the body, and are taken for enjoyment and leisure purposes. While some states are legalizing certain recreational drugs, reducing government costs and raising tax revenues, it is sure to increase substance abuse. There is the notion that use of marijuana can lead people to experiment with harder drugs, and as a business owner, that’s a risk I would not want to take.

There are benefits to drug testing that I take into consideration when I agree with the importance of pre-employment drug testing. Though it brings a wave of debate, the most popular argument against drug testing states time-consumption and costs. It costs about $75 per applicant and the time it takes to put policies in place and conduct extra training is a small price to pay when I compare it with the time it takes Human Resources to bring corrective action against an employee as a result of the types of offenses that become more common when employees are using drugs.

Understandably, it depends on the size of the organization and the type of effort demanded by its employees, nonetheless I do believe that drug testing reduces absenteeism, accidents, workers compensation claims, loss of productivity and employee turnover. Lost time is more costly as it is the scarcest resource and if I take time and spend money to recruit, train and hire new employees, the cost of the drug test is completely justified. Moreover, legislation across all of the U.S protects companies that choose to drug test, as long as drug testing plans are laid out in advance to employees.  

Ironically, the legalization of marijuana might actually hurt most those who depend on it for their current livelihood and support its consumption. Additionally, making people pass a drug test before receiving welfare and government assistance justifies pre-employment drug testing. 

Corporate Social Responsibility

The task of corporate social responsibility is to prevent morally reprehensible practices, which can weaken society, damage companies and hurt employees. More and more companies have realized the relevance of moral practices in the business, even though they have not always sufficiently implemented CSR, yet. Concrete preventative measures are often labeled ‘risk management,’ a term more commonly used for avoiding financial risk and damage to a company’s reputation. Thus, companies define clear rules, so-called ‘compliance’ or ‘value-management’ systems. However, those are only one aspect of corporate social responsibility: CSR is not just about preventing ‘bad practices,’ like corruption and fraud and so on. 

There is no doubt that compliance management could be an efficient control mechanism in organizations, but companies can contribute to a good society through good business practices. CSR is about how companies make profits, not about how they spend them and it demands systemic changes in a market economy. Companies most not only become economic, but also moral actors. It requires an important and strong integrative perspective: Social and ecological criteria must be taken into consideration. We need employees of integrity at all levels of the company, and we also need organizational structures and clear rules. CSR is concerned with both individuals and institutional structure and ethics through questions of justification and implementation. 

Hire a Scrapper: Hire Me!

Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume by Regina Hartley. 

Your company is launching a search for an open position. The applications start rolling in, and the qualified candidates are identified. Now the choosing begins.

·      Person A: Ivy League, 4.0, flawless resume, great recommendations. All the right stuff.

·      Person B: State school, fair amount of job-hopping and odd jobs like cashier and singing waitress.

Both are qualified.

Who are you going to pick?

Terms to describe two distinct categories of candidates:

·      A, ‘the Silver Spoon,’ is the one who clearly had advantages and was destined for success.

·      B, ‘the Scrapper,’ is the one who had to fight against tremendous odds to get to the same point.

            A resume tells a story, and people’s experiences read like a patchwork quilt that makes us stop and fully consider them before tossing their resumes away. A series of off jobs may indicate inconsistency, lack of focus, unpredictability. Or, it may signal a committed struggle against obstacles.

At the very least, the Scrapper deserves an interview.

Getting into and graduating from an elite university takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice. But if your whole life has been engineered toward success, how will you handle the tough times?

On the flip side, what happens when your whole life is destined for failure and you actually succeed? I want to urge you to interview the Scrapper.

As I met successful business people and read profiles of high-powered leaders, I noticed some commonality. Many of them had experienced early hardships, anywhere from poverty, abandonment, death of a parent while young, to learning disabilities, alcoholism and violence. However, during studies of dysfunction, data revealed an unexpected insight: Even the worst circumstances can result in growth and transformation. A remarkable and counterintuitive phenomenon has been discovered, which scientists call Post Traumatic Growth.

Entrepreneurs who experience post-traumatic growth, view disability as a desirable difficulty, which provided them an advantage because they became better listeners and paid greater attention to detail. They don’t think they are who they are in spite of adversity, they know who they are because of adversity. They embrace their trauma and hardships as key elements of who they’ve become, and know that without those experiences, they might not have developed the muscle and grit required to become successful.

Scrappers are propelled by the belief that the only person you have full control over is yourself. When things don’t turn out well, Scrappers ask, ‘What can I do differently to create a better result?’ Scrappers have a sense of purpose that prevents them from giving up on themselves.

Moreover, Scrappers know that humor gets you through the tough times, and laughter helps you change you perspective.

And finally, there are relationships. People who overcome adversity don’t do it alone. Somewhere along the way, they find people who bring out the best in them and who are invested in their success. Having someone you can count on no matter what is essential to overcoming adversity.

Focus on the future and don’t dwell on the past.

Companies that are committed to diversity and inclusive practices tend to support Scrapers and outperform their peers.

Choose the underestimated contender whose secret weapons are passion and purpose. Hire the Scrapper.

Given the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance. As someone who grew up with adversity, Hartley knows that those who flourish in the darkest of spaces are empowered with the grit to persist in an ever-changing workplace.

Fearless Activists: Katharine Hepburn and Harvey Milk

Katharine Hepburn, A woman before her time.

Katharine Hepburn was an icon on screen and an inspiration in real life. Known for her fierce independence and quick wit, stage and screen actress Kate Hepburn was an unconventional movie star who did not keep her views quiet. She was very independent in her thoughts and actions and she holds a special place in American film and popular culture.

            A true artist and an unlikely Hollywood star, Kate Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut on May 12, 1907. She was the second of six children. Her father was a surgeon and her mother was an early feminist: They educated their children about important political and social subjects and they encouraged her to speak out. The Hepburn’s were leaders in radical causes that were not popular in conservative Hartford. Neighbors threw bricks through their windows and the children were frequently forced to defend themselves in fights.

Kate Hepburn acted on and off Broadway before landing a role in the 1932 film A Bill of Divorcement, opposite John Barrymore. She is a theatric veteran and appeared in over 50 motion pictures. The characters Hepburn played were usually wealthy and intelligent, often strong and independent. She liked to play the roles of strong women, yet these tough characters tended to be humbled in some form and revealed to have a hidden vulnerability.

In a career lasting several decades, Katharine was an iconic figure of twentieth century film. Her lifestyle was unconventional for the time and through her acting she helped redefine traditional views of women’s role in society. She was acted in the suffrage movement, leading the Connecticut fight to win voting rights for women. Kathy frequently accompanied her mother passing out brochures and marching in parades. She embodied feminine beauty but also an inner strength and reserve. She was an important cultural icon and a forerunner for women of the 20^th century who lived with greater independence and freedom of action.

Hepburn is one of America's most celebrated actresses, and I had never thought of her as a political person. Turns out, Katherine Hepburn was an extreme liberal, pro abortion and openly atheistic: A mind so clear, opinionated, unafraid, Kathy lived life somewhat reclusively but she lived it the way she wanted. She was truly an American original and one of the most admired women of her time. Hepburn was an icon and I think it’s time that people began to appreciate her political impact.

Hepburn wanted to face the movie industry in her own way, and she was known for being fiercely private and would not talk to fans for much of her career. She often displayed a standoff attitude to the media.  While she was demanding, she retained a sense of humility and humanity: She distanced herself from the celebrity lifestyle; she wore casual clothes that went strongly against convention in era of glamour. She was dismissive toward other female actresses and reluctant to sign autographs or give interviews. She even turned down an offer to run for the US Senate. However, Katharine’s relentless energy and enthusiasm for life with a headstrong independence became key to her celebrity status. She was famously blunt and outspoken and critics either loved or hated her.

In Hollywood today, leading men are permitted to age on screen while their female colleagues are required to keep at least one toe dipped in the fountain of youth, Katharine Hepburn defied sexist ageism. Liberalism is a political philosophy, a worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality for all. Hepburn’s dream for a better tomorrow and her hope for equality, was soon shared by a man who symbolized the freedom to live with authenticity.

At a time when homosexuality was considered a mental disorder, a liberal activist found his voice as a leader. Harvey Milk became the city’s first openly gay officer to be elected to office in the United States. It was a time when being gay was illegal and there was widespread harassment and victimization of homosexuals. Milk influenced our social perceptions and human sensibilities. The story of Harvey Milk represents his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights. His desire for identifying genuine cultural differences and similarities across difference lines, Milk pointed his supporters in the direction of the desperate young person struggling in isolation with his sexuality.

A visionary civil and human rights leader, Harvey was born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, New York. Harvey and his one sibling came from a small middle-class Jewish family. He knew he was gay by the time he attended high school, where he was a popular student with wide-ranging interests. His courage, passion, and sense of justice rocked a country and stirred the very core of a put down and pushed out community, bringing forward new hope and a new vision of freedom. Harvey showed us all what one person, standing up loudly and clearly, against a fierce societal fear and prejudice can accomplish. He created a rich and vivid message of hope and an enduring dream, teaching us how to create our own and leaving them for us to realize.

In the 1970s, people regarded gays and lesbians as very different and dangerous people, and the public and media treated them as a scourge. He suffered intolerance and unfairness, and the fate of a figure like him is destined to be fallen. But Milk was a skilled politician and a kind man: A Simple publicity stunt came to define Milk’s career as a official, not only because he knew how to garner media attention for his cause, but also because it represented his desire to solve everyday problems.

Harvey’s election in 1977 took San Francisco politics by a storm when the groundbreaking leader was elected to the Board of Supervisors. His ability to mobilize gays and straights alike resulted in the defeat of a statewide proposition to severely limit gays’ employment rights. The media labeled Harvey Milk as someone who belongs to a minority group as ‘First gay on board,’ The world’s first openly gay elected officials, and its most visible one, contributed to the freedom to millions of LGBT women and men around the world.

Unfortunately, Harvey served less than a year in public office before his brutal assassination. However, his life profoundly changed a city, state, nation and a global community. His legacy of fighting for gay rights has inspired a new generation of civic activists across the United States, fighting for sexual equality and the expansion of civil liberties for gays and lesbians.

Activism and change come in a variety of venues. Katharine Hepburn and Harvey Milk are among a few fearless people who tried to create social change in areas of sexual discrimination. Anyone can make a difference in this world, whether it’s locally or nationally, it can happen in small everyday actions as well as creative large-scale venues. The media plays a critical role, but the most important steps we can take are simple and can make a big difference.

                                   ‘Hope will never be silent.’ – Harvey Milk

The Manipulation of Advertisements

            

We are exposed to 5,000 advertisements a day. They come at us in many different ways, and we should know what they’re trying to do to us.

             Advertisements aren't essentially bad, but many use manipulative tactics that influence us in ways we don't even realize, despite how much we think we ignore them and how little we may believe they affect us. They use sexual imagery to hook us chemically. They attach themselves to causes we already care about; it’s called ‘cause marketing.’ Brands seem human and caring, when in reality they are often less generous than they appear. They use ways to manipulate us and they make us feel insecure about ourselves.

Therefore, I don’t watch a lot of commercials, but I am glad I found this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwb0VeYmP9Q

            Advertisements aren’t simply for interruptions. Luckily this is funny. I am suddenly craving chocolate, and I really want to find that chocolate in particular.

            While the concept of advertising isn't inherently problematic, we've moved on to cinematic messages that are designed to create significant memories of a product, whether it’s good or bad. And ultimately, that effects how we think and the choices we make. The woman sneezed with her eyes open. And it is a fact that eyelids snap shut when a sneeze comes on because it is a natural reflex. A piece of chocolate distracted her from breaking a new world’s record. It must be significantly delicious.

            There are all kinds of ads, but in general they all aim to keep you from thinking and, instead, make your buying choices based on an emotional response.

‘The whole world has its eyes on this one Asian woman.” Race is detected with the use of an Asian woman. It is a fact that the current world record for not blinking is 24 hours and a guy named Milad Khakbazan holds the title. 

             There are stereotypes of Asians that often manifest in media. For example, we often categorize Asians as over-achievers, so I wasn’t surprised that they chose and emphasized ‘Asian’ in this commercial. Another stereotype describes Asians to have small eyes. Asians don't really have "tiny" eyes; they simply have a patch of an epithelial fold above their eyes. All of our eyes are really the same size. I found that very amusing in this commercial, but how will Asians interpret it?

            Finally, she bit the chocolate, and she immediately experienced pleasure in a sexual behavior. And suddenly this ugly wide-eyed creature became a beautiful and sexy woman. This is a form of sexual harassment. Is that why they selected a female to promote their product?

            In today’s business world, women are used as an object to attract consumers’ attention to the products firms sell. They are exploited as a marketing instrument in a wide range of firms’ activities. Companies will find any reason to show some skin, even if their product has nothing to do with it.The use of women as a sexual object has a great number of negative effects on individuals and societies. The fundamental views and attitudes of society can lead to sexual assault. 

            There are effective prevention strategies that address the issues underlying these problems. They promote positive advertising that does not reinforce confusing messages and harmful gender roles. Stereotypes have mainly negative repercussions for people.  We can avoid the negative effects associated with so much of what we passively experience. We have to be careful in putting our money where our mouth is.

            In a society that profits from your self-doubt and insecurities, loving yourself is a rebellious act. Personality begins when comparison ends. Love yourself first, so you know what you deserve. You have to love yourself because no amount of love from others is sufficient to fill the yearning that your soul requires from you.