President Obama has insisted that schools close if there is any sign of swine flu in students. He also says parents can’t just take their out-of-school kids to a day care center. That could make matters worse. Ideally, parents should keep their children at home.

A good boss is a mentor, a coach, sharing philosophies that can be guiding principles for one’s entire career. Consider the philosophies of David Brent (Ricky Gervais) in the British version of The Office.

We’re all familiar with the principal protected classes under federal employment law: race, color, sex or gender, pregnancy, national origin, religion, age and disability. Some state statutes and municipal ordinances add others: sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, family status, creed, and ancestry, just to name a few.

In today’s Los Angeles Times, there’s an informative and practical article about what’s going on with the current swine flu problem. Though not a workplace article, it’ll give you helpful information on trying to deal with this problem in the workplace.

Last week, George Bernard Shaw provided us a quote on the government. This week, we turn to Will Rogers, one of our best humorists and political philosophers. The government gave him plenty to write and talk about:

Even if you’re not one to panic easily, it’s a bit difficult not to have some concern about the outbreak of swine flu. It’s not yet an epidemic, not a pandemic — but troublesome. If you have close contact with fellow employees, there’s no reason to panic. Just be alert.

I’ve poked fun at Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for his failure to properly pay his income taxes for five years before being nominated to be Treasury Secretary. I’ve even expressed amazement that we actually have someone like this heading Treasury, which is, after all, in charge of making sure Americans properly pay their income taxes.

Eclecticity provides a timely, thought-provoking cartoon for us today. What a difference one word can make!

M. Lee Smith Publishers offers each year the the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (click here), one of the premier national conferences for human resources professionals and in-house counsel. This year marks the 14th AEIS, and I again have the pleasure of serving as the event’s moderator.

Wall Street was late telling us that we had entered a recession, but it’s ahead of the curve in announcing that it’s over. If you haven’t heard about this breathtaking turnaround, read the latest from the New York Times.