How much should a company's culture reflect its chief executive, especially one who prides himself on being a blunt and innovative -- some might say abrasive -- businessman?
If you're new Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell, the answer seems to be: A lot. At least that was the feeling workers got Wednesday with the distribution of a new employee handbook, a document that's nothing like the mind-numbing, lawyered gobbledygook in most corporate manuals. Consider the opening:
"Rule #1: Use your best judgment."
"Rule #2: See Rule 1."
In an e-mail to employees, Zell -- who took over the parent of the Los Angeles Times last month after taking the company private -- described the handbook as shorter and more direct than its turgid predecessor, reflecting trust "in your judgment, and in each other."
"I don't think a lawyer got their hands on it, and that's fantastic," said Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, a New Jersey recruiting and consulting firm.
The question is: Is that a good thing?
As companies compete for talent and customers, executives say they seek more open communication with employees, hoping to encourage them to innovate and solve problems.
But the plain language and direct, almost jocular tone of the handbook -- unusual in the corporate world -- may make it a legal minefield, some employment lawyers said.
At 3,663 words, the new Tribune manual is about a third as long as the dense, 11,519-word edition it replaced.
And in place of words like "pursuant to," "required minimums" and "appropriate documentation," the Zell model uses plain language -- and jokes:
* "2.5. Discrimination based on gender, age, race, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic not related to performance, ability or attitude, protected by federal or state law, or not protected (such as inability to tell a joke, the occasional poor wardrobe choice or bad hair day), is strictly prohibited."
* "4.5. Making the building too hot, banging on trash can lids or loud bagpipe music are annoyances you can complain about," but such actions don't constitute harassment on the basis of protected characteristics.
* "7.1. If you use or abuse alcohol or drugs and fail to perform the duties required by your job acceptably, you are likely to be terminated. See Rule 1. Coming to work drunk is bad judgment."
