Eye on Faith

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Lack of Fit

Given the Boot! (Public Domain)

Relatively few employees are fired by U. S. presidents or on national TV. For most it is a hushed affair, punctuated by slippery phrases such as “lack of fit.”

"Lack of fit" does not mean "unfit." It simply means that an employee’s skill set and/or personality does not align well with the company’s mission and/or culture. This could actually be good news if the company is not ethically sound.

Robert, a social worker, is particularly concerned with human rights. He works at an institution that places profit over people. Knowing that his job might be in jeopardy, he nevertheless goes to bat for those caught within the corporate clutches.

Although an excellent counselor, Robert is soon called into the front office. He is warned about “lack of fit,” which is boss-speak for “you’re causing too much friction here.” Write-ups are placed within his HR file.

Pretty soon, it’s out the door. “Lack of fit” becomes the “magic potion for dismissal,” simply because its subjectivity is hard to dispute.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/3-phrases-bosses-use-when-they-want-to-fire-you/ar-AAzQpLv?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=BHEA000

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Face of Racism

Bricks on the Loose (Photo by Thegreenj)

A 91-year-old permanent resident of the United States, originally from Mexico, was taking his customary evening walk when he accidentally bumped into a little girl.

Her alleged mother brutally attacked him with a brick, while yelling “Go back to your country!” A neighborhood gang then joined the fray, kicking the man and stomping on his head.

A woman who was driving by caught this all on camera. The man suffered broken ribs, a broken jaw and broken cheekbones. The media flashed images of this bruised and bloody face of racism.

Resources

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rodolfo-rodriguez-91-year-old-man-beaten-brick_us_5b44628ee4b07aea75437ce1

Monday, July 9, 2018

Insuring Overall Retirement Health

Ahhh! (Photo by Christian Barrow)

Health insurance is very much on people’s minds when it comes to retirement planning. This generally focuses upon medical coverage for physical concerns.

There is far less planning for overall retirement goals. What will be done to fill those days that were formerly spent at the office? What incentives will there now be to get up and go? What sense of purpose and meaning will now prevail?

Such questions are key to planning for overall health. Pondering them within a realistic framework of physical and economic possibilities is even more important than checking the daily stock reports. It is even more important than deliberating whether to claim social security sooner or later.

The Motley Fool reports that “retirees are 40% more likely than workers to suffer from clinical depression… feeling isolated, restless, and unfulfilled in the absence of a job.” Preretirement vision quests can go a long way toward reversing this unhappy trend.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/the-1-retirement-danger-no-one-warns-you-about/ar-AAzJtj2?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=BHEA000