Editor's Note
Atley Jonas
Welcome to autumn! I don't know about you but it seems like when I went to bed last night it was still March, and when I woke up this morning it was October. Of course a large part of the whirlwind and reason why 2015 has been zipping by so quickly has been the incredible SHRM Conference that punctuated the summer months and took Las Vegas by storm. I hope you get a chance to read about some of the after-effects of this industry-leading event.
Just to prove that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas, in this issue we have a great summary of some of the things that went on there, as well as an original article written by one of the many talented speakers who we met at the conference, Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP. She is a thought leader in the area of workplace bullying, and author of the book, “BACK OFF! Your Guide to Ending Bullying at Work.” We were very fortunate to have Catherine agree to give us her thoughts on bullying as an HR issue, and not just in Japan or the United States, but globally.
Elsewhere in this issue, you'll find some great AskHR tips on how to build a more diverse workplace, and our editorial, courtesy of our own Legal Clinic expert Vicki Beyer, looks at this question in a bit more depth. Plus, an expose on violence in the workplace. Does it really happen? Is it a problem? And what can you do if you're caught in a situation like that? While it's easy to think that such things would never happen in Japan, it's not as far-fetched as one might think. In an interesting twist of recent political events mid-September, we saw firsthand how even the normally calm, quiet and reserved Japanese Diet members could reach a boiling point over a major issue that they felt so passionately about. And while I would hope that the vast majority of us would not have to worry about a fist to the face from someone at work anytime soon, it's clear that one would be mistaken if they thought that it could never happen.
For a somewhat more lighthearted approach to this question, and as a segue into our theme for this issue, I actually interviewed a number of SHRM conference attendees while we were in Vegas, and asked them the exact question: What would you do if your boss slapped you? If you haven't seen this clip yet, be sure to stop by the JHRS YouTube channel page and have a look. The answers may surprise you indeed.
The very last bit of news that I have to share with you all, is a reorganization at The HR Agenda. While our Managing Editor Jun Kabigting will provide most of the details regarding this and other structural changes to the magazine in his Publisher's Message, I would like to announce at this time, that our current deputy editor in chief, Hilda Nartea, will be ascending to the role of editor in chief of The HR Agenda, effective November 1. This of course means that I will be leaving the publication at that time. I've enjoyed my time with The HR Agenda very much, as well as working with some truly amazing people and great HR minds. I have decided at this time to pursue other projects. As one of these, I have accepted the role of editor in chief at a brand new community interest magazine in Victoria, Canada. A great part of the excitement and challenge for me, and indeed a large part of why I accepted the role, involves the promise of building a completely new publication from the ground up. And I must admit, that is something I've wanted to do for a very long time.
On that note, thank you to all of The HR Agenda's readers, contributors and sponsors. I hope you continue to enjoy all this magazine has to offer, well into the coming years. I am confident that under the careful leadership of Hilda Nartea as well as the continuing hard work and guidance of Jun Kabigting, you will have lots to look forward to. Until then, from my desk: Arigatou gozaimashita and Sayonara!
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Atley Jonas joined The HR Agenda staff as editor-in-chief, in 2014. He has a Master’s in business administration, and spent 11 years living and working in Japan. He actively writes and edits for a number of U.S. and global business publications, while also pursuing several entrepreneurial ventures. |
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