Lindsey Lohan and homelessness

OMG!! Did you hear that Lindsey Lohan is suing E-Trade for mocking her in one of their clever baby e-trader commercials? You know the commercial – a girl baby asks the boy baby e-trader if “that milkaholic, Lindsey” spent the night with him. Be honest – did that make you think of Lindsey Lohan? Drinking milk? Onterested in the stock market? Really?

Of course, it may be that Lindsey (the older one, not the milkaholic) and her dad are following that old rule that any publicity is good publicity. But, really: even publicity that makes you looks like an idiot? And now I will think of her every time I see that commercial, which really makes me mad. That was one of very few commercials I didn't speed past with my TIVO.

So I contrast this “news item” with another I came across on the same day: the 2009 San Luis Obispo, CA, County Homeless Enumeration Report. Now here is some information worth our attention.

What does this report have to do with employee-employer relations? Almost 20% of the county’s homeless have jobs. I don’t know if they are part-time or full-time or what, but 9% of respondents said they live in San Luis Obispo county because they have a job. Not because of the great homeless services, not because of the weather, but because they have a job. So, stereotypes be damned.

Some local employers have workers with no place to go at night, and the impact this one fact has on productivity, absenteeism, and morale can be significant.
Almost half of the homeless respondents with jobs work in construction: that can’t feel very secure about now. A third work in retail: not the best pay around, even though the great majority of our homeless have at least a high school diploma and a third have attended college.

I guess I would know if one of my employees did not have a home to go to. Wouldn’t I? What would be the signs? Dress and grooming? Sure, if they are one of the 46% who sleep in a vehicle or outside at night. Lack of engagement? Easy to believe they would have things other than work on their minds, especially if they are part of the 29% who are responsible for one or more children. (Of the 1372 children and teens counted on this January day in 2009, 384 were not in school.)

What are their special needs? I can’t expect them to advance any business expenses and wait for reimbursement, so does that limit which position they can fill? If you don’t have an address can you get a driver’s license? They can’t drive for me if they can’t afford insurance. That means they can’t run company errands: another limitation to their employment? What about a phone?

And what are my obligations as an employer if I do know that an employee is homeless? Nothing legal as far as I know. That milkaholic Lindsey certainly has a sense of entitlement, but homelessness is not a “protected class”. That’s for sure.