Should I take a job in California when its new laws seem untenable?
My employer has offered me a promotion to work in California. However, I just read that California is considering making it illegal for a boss to regularly contact employees after hours, and can face a fine of $100 per offense. I don’t know if I can manage in California with this in place. Any advice
Are you sure having to move to California is a promotion? Or is it an assignment that no one really wants? Maybe you want to test your patience with everything that is frustrating about trying to do business in the least employer-friendly state in the country. (Keep those cards and letters coming, folks.)
The proposed legislation — like many well-intentioned but misguided employment laws — was created by people who have never worked a real job outside of politics.
What are “normal working hours”? Your boss shoots you a Slack message at 7 p.m. on a weekday — ding, $100 fine? Your boss is catching up on email late at night. Ding ding ding ding … $500.
This nanny state wants to legislate everything Instead of asking adults to have conversations, set boundaries and seek employment elsewhere if they don’t like their boss or company culture.
If you think this is a good career move, then don’t let the local employment laws dissuade you.
If a native New Yorker can make it as a manager in California, then you can make it anywhere. Except maybe France.
I’ve hired a new leader who acts like a collegial, collaborative team player when the team is together. However, one on one, he acts completely differently, like an egotistical jerk. Everyone on the team agrees. So, how do I address this without throwing the other people on the team under the bus?
You don’t. You tell him exactly what you are observing and what others on the team are telling you. You don’t need to give names, but each person on the team needs to back this up with their constructive feedback, if confronted by this individual.
It’s never too late to hit the reset button, provided there’s a genuine attempt to correct the behavior that’s causing discomfort.
Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Wed. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. Email: GoToGreg@NYPost.com. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande
