You may have heard about the blizzard in the Northeast. A genuine bombogenesis blizzard with nearly two feet of snow and hurricane-force winds. The storm was so big that on the satellite it looked like a hurricane swirling toward land.
The National Weather Service said there were whiteout conditions that will make “travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Travel should be restricted to emergencies only.” The governor said it was “critical” for people to stay off the roads. The mayor said they need “everyone to stay inside to let the plows do their work.”
What did the head of HR of a major employer say? “The offices will be open, and we will be operating as normal.” What?!
Note that this is offices, not a hospital or essential service. No message of “stay safe” or any display of empathy. Just get in here or take a vacation day. What they gained (if anything) in productivity, they lost in how they (mis-)treated their employees.
If you can’t muster the willingness to care for your employees in normal times, at the very least, try to do so when there are extenuating circumstances. “Monster” doesn’t just describe this storm.
