On Working While Black

Maintaining employment while Black, and trying to make sure you're not being mentally, emotionally, and physically harmed by white supremacy and bigotry while doing so, is...exhausting. And I'm going to stick with the word exhausting because other words I would use are considered expletives.

I'm Black and tired. Always.

Even when I'm at my most rested, there's always an underlying tiredness that comes from living and existing in a world that does not care about you and processing the generational and societal trauma in my Black body to be the healthiest version of myself I can be. And employment being a horrible reflection of the world we live in does nothing to abate that underlying tiredness.

Neither does knowing that what I'm feeling in my brain and body is amplified by five for Black queer folx and times-ten for Black women.

Capitalism while Black is [insert expletive here].

On Blackness and Being A Team Player

Being Black is being told you're not a team player for not allowing a workplace to place a metric ton of work and stress on your shoulders while you watch your “affable” co-workers of pallor do the barest of bare minimums while being lauded as great people.

Being Black is being told you're not a team player because you don't want to participate in work parties and picnics and prefer doing your job, doing it well, then going home to live the life you've worked so hard to create in a white supremacist capitalist society.

Being Black is being told you're not a team player because you have boundaries that you enforce and reinforce with co-workers who have none.

Being Black is being told you're not a team player because you don't want to be friends with every person of pallor in your office looking to capture a “Black friend” to co-sign their racist nonsense.

Being Black is being told you're not a team player and being subjected to oppressive actions and attitudes in the workplace that aim to break you and push you into assimilation or conformity as a fraudulent means of survival.

Being Black is being told you're not a team player so much that you start wondering if it's your name.

But real talk?

Being Black eventually comes with the realization that most of y'all don't know what a team player is because y'all are too busy being mired in the nonsense of white supremacist likeability politics.

But you know, keep telling Black folx we’re not team players while we're some of the only ones scoring points for the team.

This Week's Opening Thought: September 24, 2024

This week's opening thought: Here's your reminder to maintain your peace by maintaining your boundaries. Boundaries are healthy.

The folx who always have something to say about you having boundaries are not.

A case in point is Shark Tank investor and long-time unhealthy person of pallor Kevin O'Leary, who has too much money on his hands made off the backs of others and too many "opinions" about respecting people's peace and boundaries.

Australia recently joined the ranks of countries like France, Spain, and Belgium by passing a “right to disconnect” law enacted on August 26. This legislation allows employees to step away from work-related communications outside their official working hours, ensuring that personal time remains personal. O'Leary's take on this? Quote:

"This kind of stuff just makes me crazy. It’s so dumb. Who dreams this crap up is my question. And why would anybody propose such a stupid idea? What happens if you have an event in the office and it’s closed? Or you have an emergency somewhere, and you have to get a hold of them at two in the morning because it affects the job they’re working on?”

He then said that he doesn't hesitate to fire people if he can't reach them at any time of day.

Not answering your phone at some random time of day or night when you're not scheduled to work is a healthy boundary.

Calling people with "urgent" matters at random times of the night because you're up, so everybody should be up and working, and if they're not, they are somehow "less than"? That is an indicator of an unhealthy person.

Do you think Kevin is a healthy person?

Just sayin'.

Gon' 'head and cut that phone off when your shift is over.

Be healthy.

This Week's Opening Thought: August 26, 2024

This week's opening thought: I've worked in various industries and professions. This kind of experience comes with being in the workforce since age 13. But in my almost 30 years of work experience, human resources is the only profession I've ever worked in that seems to constantly be trying to rebrand itself. It's at the point of being ridiculous.

People and Culture. People Operations. Organizational Culture and Belonging. Human Support.

Who wants to tell them?

Yeah...it's still HR, y'all. People still know it's HR. New name, same actions.

Suppose your industry and profession must constantly rebrand because of people's longstanding issues with how your profession handles things in the workplace. Wouldn't addressing their problems and reimagining how people view your industry make sense? Wouldn't rebuilding, not rebranding, be the human approach?

However, that would encompass a level of accountability we have yet to see steadily reflected and implemented in human resources as a field and industry.

Y'all ready for that, HR Folx?

Why are y'all so quiet?

Damnit.

So...that's a no, isn't it?

SIGH.

People and Culture it is!

This Week's Opening Thought: August 19, 2024

This week's opening thought: If it's not a work-related function, event, conference, or speaking event that involves you being compensated in some fashion, you are not a representative of your organization.

Organizations love running with this idea that as long as you work for them, you represent the organization in all spaces. I cannot stress enough how big of a load of cow dung that is. That nonsense is the organization you work for overstepping the boundaries of the work agreement. That's the thin line between an employment relationship and an organization believing that they pay you so they own your time and energy.

When I'm at work? I represent the organization. When I'm at a work-related event? I represent the organization. In those moments, I am being paid to represent the organization in some way, shape, or form. But when I'm at an after-work networking event?

I'm representing me. I'm there for me.

When I'm attending a conference that the company wouldn't pay for, that will help me enhance my skill set and grow as a person?

I'm representing me. I'm there for me.

When I'm out in the community, living my life and minding my business?

I'm representing me.

You only owe a workplace 40 hours per week. That's it. That's what they pay you for. Anything outside of actual, legitimate work-related functions is free publicity and labor that most organizations do not deserve.

You are not a 24/7/365 billboard for the place you work.

They better go buy some ad space.