Our team has returned to the office and one of the employees now brings his dog. He regularly lets him run around unsupervised. Is this what the new return-to-office norms are now? Why is this allowed?
Could be worse — could be a cat. (Yep, I went there. Expecting tons of mail on that one.) Is it one of those big slobbering dogs? Because that would be ruff. Or is it a yapping ankle biter?
Some companies that are trying to be cool will allow pets in the office, if the building and lease allow it. I think that’s trying too hard. That type of culture will only attract other people who appreciate working in a kennel or zoo.
Now, lest you think I’m a pet hater, I have a cat and a bird, and love animals, but they belong out in the fresh air, not on NYC sidewalks (hate that) or the office.
My employer said that all employees must be vaccinated otherwise they will be terminated. They didn’t require proof of vaccination at the time — they just asked employees to certify that they were vaccinated by a certain date. I told the truth and said I was not vaccinated and got fired. I know of several employees who lied and said they were, so they kept their jobs. So, I tell the truth and lose my job and can’t get unemployment benefits, while others lie and keep their jobs. Is that fair?
No, it’s not. The decision from employers who fired workers for not being vaccinated — and the states that denied unemployment benefits for not being vaccinated — will go down as the worst labor and workplace decisions in history. I’m glad that you didn’t lie, though.
That’s never the appropriate answer. What you can do is apply for unemployment anyway, or appeal the denial of benefits if you already have applied. Tell the agency that your former employer has not consistently applied the policy and they have allowed unvaccinated people to keep their jobs without confirming the vaccination status. That is unfair.
Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Weds. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. E-mail: [email protected]. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande