Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER October 31, 2016 18 INSIGHT MILE-HIGH-JINKS THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS — While the mile-high club might be popular with some fl ying customers, apparently cabin crew are also keen to join. at's according to a legal case being decided in the Hague, in which a fl ight attendant is seeking to block her husband from serializing a sex diary she wrote about her dalliances with fellow crew members. e 46-year-old Transavia employee kept the diary on a computer but when her husband discovered it, he promptly leaked it to the press in Holland. But when the airline, owned by KLM/Air France, was approached for a comment, it tried to have the diary blocked, according to the Daily Mail. "We take everything very seriously. An internal research has shown that the safety of passengers was never in doubt," said a spokesperson. e low-cost Dutch airline is also said to be unhappy with the fact the husband was sharing emails his wife sent to other staff . FUTON FOR SALE – CUSTOMER INCLUDED CHINA — Ikea has 21 stores across China, fi lled with its usual make-it- yourself furniture including sofas and beds. But those sofas and beds may also be fi lled with sleeping customers as many have no qualms about taking a quick nap while at the store, according to the New York Times. And while snoozing is not allowed at other Ikea stores, the Swedish retailer permits Chi- nese customers to take advantage of the comfy digs, rather than alienate potential customers in a country where sleeping in public is commonplace. NO TIME TO REST LONDON, U.K. — A law fi rm's billing practices came to light re- cently — and faced considerable mocking on social media — when it was revealed lawyers there were encouraged to charge clients for breaks from their work of up to six minutes — meaning bath- room breaks could be included. "Any short break" was cited by the fi rm Nabarro in London, U.K., in a leaked memo, according to the Daily Mail: "(For) eg. a coffee break of up to six minutes should still be recorded to the matter you are currently working on, on the basis that you would still be think- ing about it." Leading commercial fi rms in the city now bill clients up to £1,000 (C$1,600) per hour so a six-minute break could add up to £100 (C$160). BASKETBALLS WITH BLING CLEVELAND, OHIO — rilled that his team the Cleveland Cava- liers won the NBA championship in June, majority owner Daniel Gilbert decided to celebrate with a bit of bling — one million U.S. dollars' worth, to be exact. But the expensive trinkets weren't for himself — they were being distrib- uted to Gilbert's more than 1,000 employees throughout the Cava- liers and Quicken Loans Arena organization, including star play- ers LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, according to Cleveland.com. While a diamond-crusted ring wouldn't be given to everyone, ticket takers, seat ushers, security guards, hot dog sellers and police offi cers were to be rewarded. It was the fi rst ma- jor sports championship a Cleve- land team had won since 1964. W EIRD ORKPLACE THE Vol. 29 No. 18 – October 31, 2016 PUBLISHED BY Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Rd. Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 ©Copyright 2015 by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. CANADIAN HR REPORTER is published 21 times a year. Publications Mail – Agreement # 40065782 Registration # 9496 – ISSN 0838-228X Director, Carswell Media: Karen Lorimer - (416) 649-9411 karen.lorimer@thomsonreuters.com EDITORIAL Publisher/Editor in Chief: Todd Humber - (416) 298-5196 todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com Editor/Supervisor: Sarah Dobson - (416) 649-7896 sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com News Editor Marcel Vander Wier - (416) 649-7837 marcel.vanderwier@thomsonreuters.com Employment Law Editor: Jeffrey R. 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Address changes and returns: Send changes and undeliverable Canadian addresses to: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Canadian HR Reporter One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Rd. Toronto, ON M1T 3V4 CUSTOMER SERVICE Call: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5082 (Toronto) (877) 750-9041 (outside Toronto) Email: carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com CHRR reserves the right to edit for length and clarity. Todd Humber EDiTOR'S NOTeS Donald Trump: A bully, not a leader I love Uber. It's convenient, it's (mostly) reliable and it can be downright entertaining. Like the time I was in Washing- ton, D.C., trying to get to the airport, and the driver asked if I would mind taking the wheel. e reason? She needed to talk to her adult son. He was having a complete meltdown because his mother had thrown his Monster energy drinks in the trash — he had been consuming them by the case for years, and a neighbour suggested this might not be healthy for him. He was freaking out to a level I had never heard from an adult. As I write this, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Anaheim, Calif. I hopped in an Uber to go for din- ner and had a lovely chat with a born-and-bred Californian named Jason. e conversation behind the wheel of his Lexus quickly turned to the U.S. elec- tion and he wanted to know my thoughts, as a Canadian. If you've travelled to the Unit- ed States in the last couple of months, you'll likely have been asked the same question. Ameri- cans seem to be fascinated, for a change, about what the rest of the world thinks. Jason wasn't alone in his query. When buying a bottle of water at the National Safety Council's con- vention (my raison d'être for being in California), the cashier spotted by nametag and the fact that I'm from Toronto. "You're Canadian?" she said. "You know everybody is moving there if he wins, right?" "He" needs no introduction. I've yet to type his name and you know I'm talking about Donald Trump. e objective journalist in me wants to introduce him as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But I can't. is isn't a news article. It's an editorial. So I can say this: Trump is not a leader. Forget his policies, they're irrelevant for this conver- sation. Just look at his leadership characteristics. We spend a lot of time discussing great leadership qualities in the pages of Canadian HR Reporter. If you're not sure what makes a great leader, here's a handy acro- nym to remember: WWDTND. Or What Would Donald Trump Not Do? Look at what he does and, odds are, the opposite behav- iour is what makes a good leader. It's not hyperbole and it's not po- litically motivated. There are so many sad ex- amples, I don't know where to start. But how about belittling? When was the last time you saw a leader you respect belittle another person? Mocking is a sign of weakness and small-mindedness. There's not enough money in my ink bud- get to list everyone he's mocked. e New York Times did the heavy lifting and found 274 people, plac- es and things Trump has insulted on Twitter since declaring his candidacy. He's called Rosie O'Donnell a "pig." He called out Huffi ngton Post founder Ariana Huffi ngton as being "unattractive inside and out" and said he didn't blame her husband for leaving her for anoth- er man. He called New York Times journalist Maureen Dowd "a neu- rotic dope." He mocked a reporter who had a physical disability. He engages in Twitter flame wars. Following the fi rst debate, he went on a late-night tirade against Alicia Machado, the 1996 Miss Universe title holder (a competi- tion Trump owned). He suggested there was a "sex tape" and a "dis- gusting… past" for Machado after Hillary Clinton brought her up. He has no sense of humour, which mixes very poorly with his mean streak and notoriously thin skin. Saturday Night Live has done a brilliant job with Alec Baldwin playing a hilariously accurate ver- sion of Trump. SNL has a long his- tory of mocking politicians of all stripes. But Trump couldn't laugh it off . Instead, he tweeted that the show did a "hit job" on him, said Baldwin stunk up the joint and called for the cancellation of the "boring and unfunny show." Did Trump forget he hosted the show just last November? And did a presidential candidate seriously just call for the end of a comedy show he doesn't like? He can't let things go. In 1988, Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair called Trump a "short-fi ngered vulgarian." Carter still gets en- velopes from Trump containing a picture of his hands circled "in gold Sharpie in a valiant eff ort to highlight the length of his fi ngers," he said. And then there's that video of him discussing — no, bragging — about being able to sexually assault women because he's a ce- lebrity. It's not locker room talk, it's indefensible in any realm. He owns the words and ideas — kissing women without consent. Touching them. Assaulting them. is is all OK in his world. So, my Uber-driving California friend, I can tell you this about your election: I'm not aghast, I'm not angry, I'm just sad a man with these traits has gotten this far. He inspires by bullying and ap- pealing to the lowest common denominator, by pitting groups against each other and through the systematic tearing down of others. ese are not the qualities of a decent person, let alone a true leader. Trump is acting like the child of that poor Uber driver who had to deal with her tantrum-throwing adult son. And I'm not taking the wheel. NO FUNNY BUSINESS OAK BROOK, ILL. — Once a beloved mascot for a popular fast- food chain, Ronald McDonald has been relegated to the sidelines thanks to the recent "creepy clown" phenomenon, according to the BBC. "McDonald's and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and, as such, are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's par- ticipation in community events for the time being," said a company statement. e trend for individuals to dress up as scary clowns and frighten people has spread around the world, including Can- ada, the United States and Australia. In the United King- dom, for example, a 19-year-old student was arrested after dressing up as a chainsaw-wielding clown and chasing students on a university campus. Credit: Sorbis (Shutterstock) ORKPLACE NO FUNNY BUSINESS OAK BROOK, ILL. — food chain, Ronald McDonald has been relegated to the sidelines thanks to the recent "creepy clown" phenomenon, according to the BBC. "McDonald's and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and, as such, are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's par- ticipation in community events for the time being," said a company statement. e trend for individuals to dress up as scary clowns and frighten people has spread around the world, including Can- ada, the United States and Australia. In the United King- dom, for example, a 19-year-old student was arrested

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