Michael Hargis has always been entrepreneurial; as a fifth-grader he sold condoms to the upperclassmen. He would later produce parties, raves and music events like Sacramento’s 2012 Electronic Dance Festival. Then came food. 

After 16 years in the same office space, and just six months before our lease came up for renewal, my senior VP turned to me and said, “Now that the pandemic is behind us, what do you think about moving to a new office?”

A brand-new HR director discovers that an employee earns $13K more than her director, who oversees a team of 10. What should she do after the manager requests a pay increase?

The pandemic saw millions of workers rethinking their jobs and wanting to strike out on their own. The Census Bureau reported 5.4 million applications to start a new business in 2021. And most U.S. business owners started their own business. There are many reasons to leave a big firm and start a smaller firm, and my experience fell into the most common reason — I wanted more control.

What do you do when an intern isn’t working out? Well, with an employee, you’d probably put them on a performance improvement plan and tell them to shape up or ship out. But should you be so harsh with the intern? The answer: Yes, with caution.

In times of crisis, CEOs, business owners, government officials and other public figures have a responsibility to effectively convey important — and sometimes life-saving — information to the public. Understanding how best to deliver that information could make or break your reputation and your organization.

People often neglect the HR aspects of their jobs, even failing to take these tasks seriously. From one HR pro to another, Evil HR Lady tells how to rally employees and coax leadership onboard — and when to let it go. 

In an age where yoga pants and T-shirts are acceptable work attire in many organizations, what does professionalism look like? 

A newcomer inquires how to get ahead and advance in their field. Evil HR Lady offers advice for how to become valuable to coworkers and bosses, and how to identify a mentor.

Last year, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls invested in women-specific research and produced the California Blueprint for Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery. Here is some of what they learned.