Corporate Idealist

photo credit: Jasmic

Looks like Apple is the latest company that has chosen to end its affiliation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the Chamber’s stance opposing legislation aimed at controlling greenhouse gas emissions and other factors in climate change. On the one hand, the Chamber’s position makes a certain kind of sense: as an organization whose primary mission is to serve its member businesses, working to prevent oppose legislation that would be difficult and/or costly for members to effect seems as if it would be the default position. And yet, according to a post at Forbes.com:

That stance isn’t sitting well with some members of the chamber, one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington. In the last week of September, three major energy companies left the organization: PG&E (PCG), PNM Resources (PNMPRA) and Exelon (EXC). Two days later, Nike (NKE) resigned from its board. Other members, like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and General Electric (GE), have complained about the chamber’s positions on the issue.

It’s an interesting day for ecology when large, influential companies are taking bold actions in support of it. Granted, a lot of the incentive for change still probably boils down to money, no matter which side you’re on, but it’s encouraging to see green issues winding up with some allies in their corner, whatever the reasons.

Updated to add: more on this story at Mother Jones.

photo credit: roland

Matthew Rochte wrote a great post at the Opportunity Sustainability blog about Red Herrings in Bicycle Commuting:

Last summer, when gas prices were hitting $4/gallon I had the fortune of attending a fantastic presentation on bicycle commuting [...]. Kevin Ishaug, owner of Freewheel Bike Center in Midtown Minneapolis (on the Midtown Greenway), talked about the “Red Herrings” nature of arguments against bicycle commuting, especially in the Northern Climates.

The excuses he discussed in the article were:

• “It’s too far”
• “I’m not in shape”
• “It’s too cold”
• “What about the snow”
• “My clothes will get ruined”
• “Where do I shower?”

The first commenter quipped that it was too much work to bring the bike out to ride the distance to her home office.

I also work from home, so while I certainly don’t need to bike in to my primary place of work, I really do have a need for transportation nearly every day since my work involves consulting and meeting with clients. My main red herring is that my meetings are too unpredictable and the logistics too uneven to try to bike to client meetings.

Besides, there is another red herring lurking right behind that one: the perception issue. I’m sure I’m not the only person who wonders how professional it would seem to a client if I rode up for a meeting on a bike. And I’m lucky enough to be known for being a bit of a non-traditionalist anyway, so while I think I could pull it off, there’s some cost in having to explain and wondering if there’s any loss of credibility and respect from the less progressive (but still important) clients.

What are your thoughts on these obstacles? Do you commute by bike occasionally or regularly? If not, what are the obstacles holding you back from bike commuting?

photo credit: tyger_lyllie

Most employee handbooks probably don’t forbid being too serious on the job… but maybe they should. Then again, they also probably don’t explicitly forbid humor, unless it’s of the “inappropriate” variety. But a laugh among colleagues can relieve tension, deepen relationships, and make dull days seem brighter.

In short, it can make the workplace fun. And what’s more motivating than a job you actually like doing?

There’s definitely a way of taking it too far. I’m not recommending anything that risks crossing the line into harassment, although I have worked in some environments where there was almost a sense that unless you were risking HR wrath, you weren’t pushing the envelope hard enough. But that isn’t most workplaces, and that isn’t necessary for a healthy release of tension.

And it needn’t be distracting. Spending 15 minutes of every 30 minute meeting cutting up is probably a bit excessive unless you write comedy for TV. But a light comment now and then, a shared laugh with colleagues, or a running gag the whole office is in on can be the kind of thing you wake up in the morning with a smile thinking about, eager to go to work.

Is there much humor in your office? Share a laugh in the comments.

[Editor's note: Please welcome this delightful guest post from kidd redd, co-founder of Paramore|Redd Online Marketing, writer, wiseacre and former director of sawdust management for Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey.]

I received an email recently from a friend here in Nashville, who works at a significantly-sized healthcare company. I paste:

“Our CEO sent out a company-wide e-mail saying every employee had to get a flu shot or if for religious reasons we didn’t want to, we’ll have to wear a mask. If we choose not to comply he’s considering that our resignation.”

Say what?

In the midst of the media powervomit and alleged angst about healthcare reform in America – beyond the pissed-off placard slogans and “should Obama be killed?” poll – comes an opportunity to try a little reasoned discourse on a healthcare matter we can all wrap our hankies around. Since most of the government, medical and insurance language surrounding healthcare is impenetrable to even well-read folks, a discussion about the flu, fever and getting poked with a syringe is comforting, in an ass-backwards kind of way. So let’s talk about it.

I’ll withhold my two cents on it until the end (or you can just skip to it here), while we haul this out into the sunlight and take a look at it.

While we all agree that coming into the plant or office (or anywhere you’re breathing my air, buddy) and spreading communicable, bad mojo  is irresponsible, we also all do it. Notwithstanding our temptation to take a day off and watch another Mackenzie Phillips story on tabloid TV, all of us go to work sick. Maybe it’s because of some deadline, maybe it’s because we think, “Oh, it’s just the sniffles,” or maybe we used up our sick days being really sick from too many Hendrick’s martinis – but we’ve all done it. The more thoughtful of us say: “Don’t come too close – *sniffle, hack* – I think I’m dying and I don’t want you to get it,” but there we are, scaring the crap out of our co-workers, sneezing into monitor screens and using the company bathroom.

So let’s stipulate that it’s the responsible thing. Get a flu shot, so you can avoid using sick days, infecting your co-workers (ever notice the asshole who you’d love to imagine hacking his or her vocal chords out never gets sick – only your friends?), and do your part to keep the company ship churning on its merry way.

Fine. On the other side of the gurney, consider: what about all the other irresponsible health choices folks make that affect the company? Like the aforementioned martinis, going out to smoke in 12-degree weather, and eating heaven-knows-what-and-not-exercising until you wheeze on the way to the vending machine? You’re making my health insurance more expensive, mon frere, and the first ittybitty cold virus that flits by is going to kick the daylights out of you. We have a presentation tomorrow! I may have the flu, but I run 15 miles a week, eat tree bark, and I’m healthy as a Budweiser Clysdale the other 51 weeks a year.

From a practical standpoint, there’s also this. Flu shots are a crapshoot. That’s because they only inoculate you against about three strains of flu, which they guess at months in advance. It’s even money that they miss, because flu viruses like to stay alive, just like you. So they mutate faster than teenagers.

And now, the last, obvious point. This healthcare company is pretty much forcing its folks to get pricked.

Boo. It ain’t right. Even if your religion has an injunction against modern medicine, who wants to walk around wearing a mask all day? You think coming back from the bathroom with toilet paper stuck on your heel is embarrassing, try looking like you’re from the cast of Lawrence of Arabia all day. If Bill’s retro Vargas girl calendar is making this a hostile work environment, making Susan wear her religion on her face is even worse. Hey, would you like a really big cross to go with that?

This is America, baby. We invented Vick’s Vapo-Rub, acetaminophen, and sour mash whisky. We work. We don’t tell people what to do with their bodies. We take our sniffles with the sweet. Good to see you, Lenny. Stay the hell away from me and go back to work. Love ya, here’s some Kleenex.