I’m always so irritated when HR issues are covered by the mainstream media. Cynthia Sharpio was on CNN, this afternoon, where she discussed the nature of employee severance benefits, separation agreements, and searching for a job in this crazy employment market.
I can just envision her initial conversation with the segment producer.
- TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LOSING OUR JOBS IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES. GO!
Ms. Shapiro had lots of great information to communicate (i.e., signing a separation agreement and the issues related to negotiating a severance package) but Ali Velshi, in his true hyper-ADHD style, did most of the talking. He seemed shocked that there are no standard severance plans and no templates for employers to use when laying off employees. In true MSM form, CNN wanted Ms. Shapiro to provide easy answers to complex questions.
It was almost too painful to watch.
Cynthia Shapiro was calm, thoughtful, and very clear: don’t wait to start a job search and don’t assume that a severance package given to colleagues who previously left your organization will be available to you upon termination.
Now let’s move on to solving the global climate crisis in the next 90 second TV segment!
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Thanks for your commentary. I wasn’t surprised by the issues Ms. Shapiro raised. In fact, we booked this segment because we knew these are issues (though we are not experts on workplace/HR issues or many other things.). I try to ask questions in a way that doesnt suggest we already know the answer. I do that so that the guest doesnt have to start with “That’s right…” and they can frame the answer in their own words. I would love nothing more than to have a half-an-hour or longer discussion on HR issues. But our viewership patters indicate that people take these things in in small bites. Despite what you do for a living, our viewers tune in for a very broad look at money: debt, real estate, markets, jobs, inflation, and we need to offer them a buffet. We plan to tackle career matters on an ongoing basis – there was no attempt on our part to try and get everything we “need to know about losing our jobs in 3 minutes”. We just wanted to understand some of it, and we’ll take on more another time. Our segment producer is particularly thorough. She read Ms. Shapiro’s book and had several discussions with her. It is remarkably challenging to take highly complex issues and give them ANY relevance in under 5 minutes – but this is the challenge that we in the “MSM” have taken on. We do this for the millions of people out there who can use the information but dont know where to go for it.
You seem to want to be disappointed by the “MSM.” I thought we were being helpful by beginning to do segments like these. Your opening line, “I
Is this for real? Somebody’s segment producer has a LOT of time on her hands! Good points but no sense of humor whatsoever.
Linda, it’s totally real. The IP address is valid. More on this LATER. It’s been on my mind!
Hee hee! Go you! He is totally ADHD. Sometimes it works to his advantage though- he made a really good counter point in about 30 seconds yesterday regarding the whole gas price stuff that’s going on. INTERESTING… watch this space I guess!
Maybe he has the hots for you and wants to be Mr. Punk Rock HR?I retract the last question in my post…
Linda, don’t retract it. Who doesn’t want to be Mr. Punk Rock HR? (Answer: my own husband and Ali Velshi.)
“I try to ask questions in a way that doesnt suggest we already know the answer.”
Well, there is – obviously – the first mistake. Of course you know the answer – the trick is to make them think they’re dreaming up the question for the first time.
I like Ali Velshi.
Hyper-ADHD is cool. It leads to lack of sleep. And that insomnia to bursts of forgetfulness. Which amnesia to opportunities to bill again for the same work.
Ka-ching!
Oh, wait amount, that’s standard executive behavior.
[Note to self: Build Statement of Work for potential “Hyper-ADHD is cool”
Hey, BC, I have a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 license. I want a piece of the commercial action of Hyper-ADHD is Cool