I…did not. (Although I did give American Idol a shot because I heard Neil Patrick Harris was going to be a guest judge. It was legen…wait for it…dary.) But this morning I read a bunch of news stories about it.

Sounded like the State of the Union offered a lot of hope for job seekers. Very good news.

Interestingly enough, Obama also made reference to repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. This is the policy that forbids military officials from asking the sexual orientation of anyone in the military, but also disallows gay men and women to come out while they’re enlisted.

President Obama

Now, here’s where I think HR has it right–or at least on the right path. Companies have to announce that they are equal opportunity companies, regardless of a job candidate’s race, religion, or sex. While sexual orientation isn’t a protected class–yet–many states have policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

An HR law site, www.hrhero.com, reports that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is currently being introduced to Congress. This would ”prohibit employers from making decisions about hiring, firing, promoting or compensating an employee based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” (Read the post here.) 

After all, business is business. Who cares who a person dates during his or her personal time if the job gets done while on the clock?

I’m going to turn it back to you: What’s your opinion on the proposed ENDA bill? Do you think sexual orientation should be a protected class against discrimination in the workplace?

Actually, maybe you should be afraid of some things.

Inspiring words, of course spoken by newly-sworn in President Barack Obama. (As if you didn’t know, you sly fox, you. I’m sure you were sitting in your cubicle, watching Obama’s inauguration on your computer as it happened.)

This really resonated with me. We can’t go through our days being afraid–afraid of companies collapsing, afraid of being laid off (if you are though, read this article about the negative effect of the fear of firing), afraid of clowns.

I completely agree with President Obama: We need to choose hope. But this is not enough. We can’t just hope. We have to act too. And I think this country is ready to do just that.

So anyway, what did you think of Obama’s speech? (Stirring!) Of the new First Lady’s outfit? (Jackie-O-esque!) The First Family? (Adorable!) This blogger? (Awesome!)

I hope you will leave your comments below.

Jessica Livingston
Editor
jessica.livingston@e-bim.com

Matt Leinart: One Cardinal that won’t poop on your coat. Probably.

And yesterday there were the final two games before the Super Bowl! Awesome! Go Steelers! Actually, I don’t really care which team wins. I’m not much of a sports person. I picked Steelers because, while cardinals are pretty birds, a steeler–whatever that is–has never pooped on my jacket (to my knowledge, anyway). Although I was told that I’d probably like the Cardinals because Matt Leinart is super cute. I’m at a quandary here, people!

Anyway…

Of course, the big reason for all the excitement is Barack Obama’s inauguration. If you’re one of the lucky ones going to this historic event, I envy you (and hope that you don’t have anything to drink all day–I have a feeling the bathroom lines are going to be terrible!). But even if you’re not going, you’ll probably be watching it on TV or online. Talk about a united country!

Mr. President!

And, since the inauguration is during work hours, most people will be watching during work hours. So, I was wondering, as a human resources professional, what is your take on this? I’m assuming watching TV at work is usually frowned upon by HR. (Unless you work in TV–lucky people.) But this inauguration is a once-in-a-lifetime event. With the recession and our economy going to pieces, we’re all looking to our new leader for change. Plus, Barack Obama is our first African American president. That’s momentous in and of itself!

So are you going to make an exception to the no TV, no YouTube rule at work? What are your plans for the inauguration? Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? Write your thoughts below.

Jessica Livingston
Editor
jessica.livingston@e-bim.com

Want to go to the inauguration? You’re livin’ on a prayer. Get it?

I think it’s a good thing that this country is finally interested and involved in politics. Especially Gen Y, which has never come out to the polls in droves until this year.

Tuesday’s inauguration marks a huge transition in leadership for this country. As we are all unfortunately aware of, companies across the United States are also facing transitions in leadership due to layoffs.

Obama has promised us change. He pledged to create new jobs and work towards getting us out of our economic recession. And, right about now, we could certainly use some change. (And, of course, you can check out Human Resources IQ for articles on handling leadership transition, such as this one.)

Perhaps our country’s new leader will be able to make the economic situation better. Perhaps not. The only thing we can do is be optimistic for the future.

Unless, of course, you haven’t gotten your tickets to the inauguration yet. I wouldn’t be too optimistic about that.

Jessica Livingston
Editor
jessica.livingston@e-bim.com