This is a guest post by Matt Tanner from Same Page HR. It first appeared in his newsletter, Working Theories. If your small business needs fractional HR support, give Matt and his team a holler.

Imagine your boss pulls you aside one day and breaks the news that your company is in financial trouble. Word has come down from management that spending must be reduced and jobs are going to be eliminated.

You’ve been a model employee, so you’re given a choice: keep your job and take a 15% pay cut, or pack your things and leave with a one-month severance package.

Which would you choose?

So you need to come up with rules for the workplace. Or maybe you’re updating your existing policies and you’re trying to make those final decisions about the perfect wording. Or maybe you’re trying to nail down your list of company values or virtues.

A background in ethics, morality, and the philosophies that aim to guide how we as humans should behave can give you a baseline to work from (in addition to, you know, what your laws say). It can also provide frameworks you can use to make decisions. Don’t know which way to go with the wording of a policy? Stress test it against this background and the right answer becomes evident.

But who has the time for a “background in ethics, morality, and the philosophies that aim to guide how we as humans should behave”? Not you! Well, you’re in luck. I recently read How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur and I’ve turned what I learned into a cheat sheet, just for you.

Did you know that “dumpster” is a generic trademark, falling into the same category as words like Kleenex or Band-Aid? In 1937, the Dempster brothers of Knoxville, Tennessee, patented a system called the Dempster-Dumpster, which mechanically emptied standardized metal containers. Over time, these metal containers were simply referred to as dumpsters, and the Dempster brothers’ brainchild became a household name.

Your phone chimes, alerting you to a new email. You quickly discover it’s from a former coworker and read the first few lines: “I am participating in a fundraiser for [insert cause]. Will you donate?” Though you don’t delete the email immediately, you close the message because you know its exact purpose: to get you to donate. You’ll think about it, or, more likely, you’ll start thinking of rational-sounding reasons not to contribute.

Imagine, instead, if you open the email and you’re greeted with the following introduction: “June 5^th started off like any other day, but it ended with a life-changing diagnosis.” ‘Whoa, where is this going?’ you think. As you continue reading, you learn that your former coworker is fighting a serious illness and is raising money for the cause. You reach for your wallet, inspired to support an old colleague.

What exactly was the difference between the two messages?

Blissbook feels like the best way to present a handbook to employees … but why? Does it really reduce risk and help employees feel valued? If so, how does it work?

We use a variety of techniques rooted in behavioral psychology to reduce the risk of litigation, improve compliance, and encourage employee engagement.

Funny seeing you here. After wearing our thinking caps and racking the brains of HR professionals and employment attorneys, we created an expansive resource on how to write policies and procedures. And, if that wasn’t enough, it even comes with a companion workbook. Now we’re talking!

Anyway, enough about us. To keep your HR, leadership and policy management game strong, check out the articles we found over the past couple weeks.

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Article of the Week: Whoops, back to us. Normally we bury the Article of the Week and have you hunt for it by looking for the ✦. However, we’ll make it extra simple this time:

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It’s Juneteenth, aka Freedom Day. On June 19, 1865, almost two-and-a-half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Texas were officially declared free. Learn more about the importance of Juneteenth.

To stay as savvy as possible, take a look at some of the best HR, leadership, and policy management articles we found over the past couple weeks.

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Article of the Week: Sticking with the day’s theme, consider ways you can incorporate Juneteenth into your company culture. Though your workplace might look different this year, the Article of the Week can help you get a head start on Juneteenth 2021 (look for the ✦ below).

Welcome to Friday! Did you know The “Truman Show” was released 22 years ago today? You know what they say: time flies when you’re getting older. If you need an escape, consider watching it this weekend.

Before you call it quits for the day, take some time to read the best HR, leadership, and policy management articles we found over the past couple weeks.

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Article of the Week: You’re not alone if you find yourself feeling heartbroken and/or powerless. The Article of the Week includes some suggestions if you find yourself wondering what you can do to combat racism (look for the ✦ below).

Happy No Socks Day! Feeling restrained? Toes looking for fresh air? You’re in luck, folks, because it’s No Socks Day. Put on your favorite tunes and do some barefoot dancing, or maybe even feel the grass between your toes. At a time when the days blend into each other, we’ve got to put our best foot forward.

Check out some of the best HR, leadership, and policy management articles we found over the past couple weeks.

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Article of the Week: It can be difficult to keep up, but it’s also challenging to slow down. The Article of the Week reminds us what the virus-imposed speed limit can teach us — and it could be eye-opening (look for the ✦ below).

Another week is [almost] in the books! It’s an unusual time for employers and employees alike. Sometimes disrupting the routine can lead to innovation, so we hope you’re stumbling upon some discoveries within the uncertainty.

Below we’ve included some of the best HR, leadership, and policy management articles we found over the past couple weeks.

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Article of the Week: In the workplace, training can be a necessary evil. This week’s featured article provides helpful information to turn attendance into engagement (look for the ✦ below).