As we move into the holiday season, it appears that no one is indifferent to holiday office luncheons and parties.  Twitter has begun to flood with snarky comments on the subject.  Some of us enjoy planning and participating in these events while others dread them like the plague.  We recently asked a few colleagues what they like and dislike regarding holiday gatherings in the office.  This little survey was then translated into the following two top 10 lists just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday! 

Top Reasons We Love Holiday Office Gatherings

1. I love the way everyone comes together to plan a great meal and time together.
2. Where else can we get a great Thanksgiving meal without doing anything but paying my $3?
3. I love the homemade pumpkin pies and desserts! 
4. It’s so nice to be able to interact with the boss in an informal setting. 
5. The diversity of our staff always ensures a delicious variety of foods. 
6. I love the camaraderie amongst the staff.  
7. Making our own decorations is a lot of fun.
8. It’s nice to hear what everyone is thankful for this year.
9. Everyone looks so festive in their fall colors!
10. It’s unpatriotic to not celebrate Thanksgiving! Even the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving!  

Top Reasons We Hate Holiday Office Gatherings

1. I volunteered to organize this luncheon because I thought it would be fun. It isn’t – no one is interested in helping. Do they think these luncheons just magically happen? 
2. Three people signed up to bring dressing and no one did.  How can we have turkey without dressing?
3. I get so tired of grocery store pies and cookies.  Doesn’t anyone know how to make a real dessert?
4. I always get stuck sitting next to the boss. He’s a messy eater and I never know what to say to him.
5. All those vegan dishes are more than I can handle.
6. It’s enough that I have to work with people I don’t like. I shouldn’t have to share a meal with them too.
7. Did a kindergarten class make our decorations this year? These are pathetic!  Who knew pilgrims looked like Shrek?
8. If I have to listen to one more person say how thankful they are to be working here, I’m going to get sick.
9. Bedazzled appliqué sweaters make me feel I’m watching the Quacker Factory lady on QVC.  Frightening….
10. I don’t like my job.  I hate turkey and I’m Canadian. Our thanksgiving was last month.

Kenneth, the Page

One of the few shows that I watch on television is 30 Rock and I looked forward to a new season of clever writing and off the wall humor as I sat down to watch the season premier last month. 

Maybe it was having just come from a certification prep session, but throughout the episode, the lack of basic HR knowledge seemed to be shouting at me. 

The season began with Jack Donaghy at lunch telling the staff their new corporate mission statement was to “get in touch with the real America.”  There was no strategic planning – just the initiative to show head writer Liz Lemon to find new talent.  Liz and show producer Pete began bungling through the recruitment process to find “the right person” for TGS with Tracy Jordan.  I wondered why they didn’t have HR help them. Surely the network has an HR department.

Just a few minutes into the show, Kenneth , everyone’s favorite Page, came to see Jack with his timesheet and the new policy that “pages cannot work more than 16 hours in a day.” Budget cuts were being made and pages could no longer collect any overtime.  “But Mr. Donaghy, I always work more than 16 hours in a day – it’s not right that I not get overtime” “I can’t lie on my timesheet!”  Jack told him he could only record 16 hours a day and to lie on his timesheet. 

I found myself talking to the television. “Kenneth – go see your HR Manager! Jack can’t do that – haven’t you all heard of the Fair Labor Standards Act? Where is your HR Manager?”  

The same budget restraints resulted in the Payroll Department being downsized to one worker and an envelope stuffing machine. It was no surprise when issues with payroll resulted in checks being distributed incorrectly.  Kenneth, who was already upset that his salary was being reduced, mistakenly received Jack’s bonus check which contained “lots of zeros” and he confronted Jack again. Jack ignored his concerns and Kenneth organized a “page strike” with picket lines outside the studio. HR was no where to be found.  

In the midst of recruiting talent, payroll errors, FLSA violations and striking employees, Jenna, one of the stars of TGS with Tracy Jordan, was in desperate need of someone who knew something about Employee Development.  I was speaking out loud again “Where is your HR Manager?”

Then it occurred to me – if fictionalized NBC network on 30 Rock had an HR Manager to keep everyone out of trouble, Jack, Liz, and crew would not be nearly as funny.  So much of what an HR professional does is not noticed unless it is left undone.  Our job is to keep the Jack Donaghys and Liz Lemons of our worlds out of trouble.  As important as it is, the fact that we do it well can sometimes make us feel invisible.  Next time you are feeling like your work is unseen, watch this year’s season premier of 30 Rock and imagine it is your office without you. Laugh and realize your value! 

I have a birthday coming up next month.  It is not a traditional milestone birthday, but as I have gotten older, I tend to look at each birthday as a milestone and they become a time of celebration and reflection.

The Beatles

I am of the generation that reveled in change.  We went from the Cuban Missile Crisis and “duck and cover” drills to the Beatles, bellbottoms, and protesting war. We were going to change the world and, in so many ways, we did. 

Last year around this time, I began a list to remind me of how much there is for me still to learn and do.  It is my “Firsts after Fifty” list and it grows monthly.  Some of the items on the list are career oriented, such as earning my SPHR certification. Others are more personal, such as beginning to study piano or meeting George McGovern. All of them represent my need for growth, development, and change. 

The generation of change is now watching the world change around us. Retirement funds have diminished with the economy and many of us will not be able to retire at the age we had hoped.  We will work more years than we planned, but we are less certain as to where we will be working and what we will be doing.  Some of us have lost our jobs due to no fault of our own. Others have seen their career growth slow down or stall.  Many of us are searching for new jobs and wondering if we are too old to find one. We have another 10+ years to contribute to the workforce, but will we be doing something we enjoy and working where our contributions will be valued?  

Growing up in change, we are resourceful and resilient and it is still our mission to change the world.  In order to do that, we “fiftysomethings” need to sharpen the image of older workers.  Let it be known that we are not resting on our laurels and counting the months and days to retirement.  We are not unwilling to learn new technology.  We are a valuable resource that is too often left untapped.  

HR professionals need to be looking at ways to engage and develop our “seasoned” employees.  There is a need to nurture and use our institutional knowledge and mentoring/coaching skills, and better train supervisors to ensure that employees of our generation continue to not only give valued service, but feel valued. 

We still have a future, but only the present is ours to change.