Employers
Is nursery at work a good thing?
September 20, 2012|employees, Employers, Interesting Facts, Tips At work| No comments yet
Just like any supposedly cure-all for a social problem, on-site nursery for employees does not necessarily always work. It does, however, solve some problems for both employers and employees. Depending on the individual employers and employees involved, an onsite child care facility may be an answer that solves many problems associated with an out of balance work-family balance.
On-site day care reduces anxiety many parents have about putting their children in child care centers where they are not nearby. Being able to visit during lunch hours or breaks can be a significant relief to a parent. Nursing mothers are also able to return to work sooner and still be close to their infants. On-site nurseries are also often licensed by a governmental authority, which further eases parents’ worries that their children are not receiving age-appropriate care and safe supervision.
Employers also benefit from on-site nurseries in many cases. While it is not feasible or practical in all cases, those employers who do offer child care at work have typically seen a significant reduction in the amount of money they spend on labor each year. In the book Kids at Work: The Value of Employer-Sponsored On-Site Child Care Centers by Rachel Connelly, Deborah S. DeGraff, and Rachel A. Willis, two companies included in an approximately 1,000-strong employee survey that offered on-site nursery saved $150,000 and $250,000 per year in wages.
Moreover, employers with on-site nursery report reduced absenteeism and turnover. They are also able to recruit and retain workers they may not have otherwise been able to entice to work for them.
Furthermore, employees were very willing to help subsidize childcare costs out of their paychecks, even those without children. They understood that on-site nursery would improve morale and productivity among workers with children. That would make the work environment generally more enjoyable for everyone. Furthermore, they were willing to help pay for on-site child care because they liked that the employer was willing to help its employees. Workers were willing to pay between $125 and $225 per year, on average, to help pay for work site child care.
On the other hand, it is true that in American society, about 27 percent of women work in blue collar jobs, and many of their employers would not consider on-site child care. Also, child care responsibilities in American society typically fall to women. Employers are also not offering health care services as often as they used to. Asking them to provide child care on-site is not likely to happen.
Perhaps a better alternative would be to provide longer maternity and paternity leave for parents. Flexible work schedules would also be a good option for many employers compared to providing on-site nursery. Nursery workers cannot take children to the doctor or care for them when they are ill, and school-aged children still require care between 3 and 6 p.m.
So, depending on a particular employer’s situation and the attitudes and financial situations of the people it hires, on-site child care may offer a good solution to labor problems like absenteeism and tardiness. Still, other employers may find similar benefits in more flexible work schedules and paid leave for both male and female new parents.
Assertive techniques
September 18, 2012|employees, Employers, Tips At work| No comments yet
Assertiveness is a personality trait that some people are born with or may acquire throughout life experiences. Some people have to work at being assertive while others have to train themselves through practice. Individuals with an assertive personality often develop opportunities and gain advantages more often than those with a passive or aggressive personality; however, some people often misconstrue the meaning of assertive as they often associate it with aggressiveness. It is essential to understand the difference to avoid exuding undesirable traits that may be associated with being aggressive.
Understanding the Trait of Assertiveness
Being assertive in the workplace can be beneficial for both the company and the employee. People with an assertive personality often have strong communication skills and self-confidence. Job positions that require face-to-face interaction with customers or clients can be performed efficiently and effectively with these types of skills. Assertive individuals often display a caring personality while showing others respect and being attentive to their needs while modestly requesting the same in return.
Passive people are often afraid to say no to others while people with assertive personalities do not typically have a problem with refusal. Assertive individuals can often clearly explain the justification behind their choices although rationalization is not essential in many cases. Assertive individuals often know how to explain their actions and decisions to others with confidence and respect.
The Benefits of an Assertive Personality During the Job Search Process
Individuals with an aggressive personality often come across as offensive or hateful. Assertive personalities can effectively express feelings without coming across too harshly. A person who clearly communicates their wants and needs during an interview with a potential employer can demonstrate to the interviewer that they have the skills that may be necessary to do the job effectively.
An assertive personality can even be exuded on a resume. Accomplishments and personal achievements should be listed to market the skills of the writer and how those achievements can benefit the company they are seeking a position with. A potential employer will be dissuaded by a resume that implies the company is inferior to the applicant. The employer is more likely to call the applicant who can clarify what the applicant can do for the company and how they can do it efficiently.
What Employers Like About an Assertive Employee
Individuals who apply assertive techniques in the workplace are often the most proficient and productive. They often have the ability to provide constructive criticism without offending anyone. In turn, they are also likely to receive criticism from others without getting offended. Honesty is a characteristic that can be invaluable to many employers. Assertive personalities typically have the ability to avoid conflict while remaining candid and respectful to others.
5 ways to overcome fatigue at work
September 7, 2012|employees, Employers, Tips At work| No comments yet
Everyone has days here and there where they just can’t seem to wake up, but if you find yourself tired at work every day, you may be dealing with fatigue. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can fight fatigue and keep yourself at the top of your game for your work day.
1. Smarter snacks. Food can be a good way to jump-start your body when you’re running low on energy, but don’t reach for cookies or greasy potato chips. Fruit, veggies, and cheese are all good options to help give your body a little boost of energy in the afternoon. Pretzels and baked chips can also be good (in moderation).
2. More magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that has many functions in the human body, one of which is breaking down glucose and turning it into energy. If your magnesium levels are low, so is your energy. To make sure you’re getting enough, make sure you’re including some magnesium-rich foods in your diet, such as almonds, bran cereal, or fish.
3. More active movement. If you’re tired, it’s tempting to move as little as possible on your way to work and at work, but the more you move around, the more oxygen flows through your body, and the more energetic you’ll feel. Exercising in the morning is a great way to get some energy for the rest of the day, but if you start feeling fatigued in the middle of the day, try getting up and walking around on a break.
4. Less technology. If you’re at a technology-heavy job, this can be difficult, but multitasking with technology means your brain never gets a break from constant electronic interaction. Try to set aside at least an hour a day where you don’t use technology at all. Turn off your cell phone during lunch. Read for an hour in the evenings instead of checking up on emails.
5. More variety in routine. This helps keep the brain active and keeps you on your toes. Change up your travel route or exercise routine, or take an evening class to give you something new to look forward to once or twice a week. Stimulate your brain by presenting it with new challenges, and you’re less likely to feel fatigued at work.
If none of these options work, you may want to get checked for an underlying medical cause to help fight your fatigue, but most people find that changing just a few simple things about their day helps them feel like a whole different person. You’d be surprised at how just a little thing like more movement or better snacks can drastically improve your work productivity!
Use your time wisely
September 3, 2012|employees, Employers, Tips At work| No comments yet
It is important to use your time wisely during your daily routine; this is especially true when it comes to the office environment. How can you hope to get more accomplished in the long run? What should you keep in mind? The information below may help send you down the right path.
1. Use Extra Time to Tackle Unfinished Tasks
No matter how busy the work day may be for you, at some point you will run into extra time. Perhaps you finished a report early; maybe a meeting did not take a lot of time. When you have time that is not assigned to something, do not allow yourself to get lazy. Instead, look around your desk. You may need to organize files or clear your desk of clutter.
2. Come to Work Early and Avoid Long Breaks
Some people believe that it is acceptable to come to work a few minutes late; this is a poor choice. If you wait too long, you may miss out on crucial working time. When you come early, it is possible to settle before the chaos begins. You can also take the time to learn the layout of the building if you are new. Long breaks are also a bad idea. You should not push your break allotment time over the limit; this may get you in trouble with your boss, and you will lose time usually dedicated to working on projects.
3. Create Lists to Help You Plan
You may find that it is difficult to use your time wisely if you do not know what you should do. What should you tackle first? What is most noteworthy? Create a list that discusses what you should do. When you have it down on paper, you can get everything done. You will not forget something critical. You can create the list with a pen and a piece of paper, or you can use your computer. Cross something out when you are ready to move on to something else. Keep the list close to you so that you will not lose it.
4. Organize Your Work Area As Soon As Possible
People that wish to use time wisely should ensure that their work area is clean and clear. You cannot hope to get something accomplished if your assignments are under a pile of paper. You need to know where you can find something. Go to an office supply store and purchase things that will help you organize. If you are still unsure, ask a coworker to provide assistance. Try to make the organization process fun; reward yourself when you hit a milestone. Do not be afraid to try something new or different.
If you wish to succeed in the business world, it is important to use your time wisely. You should not wait until the last possible moment before you drive to work; you should not use any extra time to read a book or chat with coworkers. When you learn how to organize your time, you will benefit.
Cancel unproductive meetings!
August 29, 2012|Employers, Tips At work| No comments yet
Whether you are very secure in your job or you are brushing up your resume for its next adventure in the world, you know that you want to be seen as efficient. We all see efficiency as being an important end goal for any business venture, but sometimes, we have to watch helplessly as any hope for timeliness and good progress goes up in smoke. One of the biggest enemies of efficiency is the unnecessary meeting. How can you kill this monster in your midst?
First, weed out meetings that are just rehashes of something that most of the people know. It is tempting to call everyone in for a review of a certain policy, particularly if there are new people on board, but the truth is that if most of the people know the information, the meeting is worthless for them. Use memos and private one-on-one meetings to get everyone up to code. The fewer times people have to hear information that they already know, the better off they are.
Assign someone to keep the meeting on task. The problem with meeting is that they derail so very easily. Someone brings up a salient point, someone else counters with something that is only partially related, and a third person springs off of that point into a completely different direction. Make sure that each meeting has a person who is assigned to keep the people on task. This person should not be shy about saying that a subject is off-topic. This may be a human resources employee, or it might be someone who is simply given the task.
Limit the meeting times. A long meeting, particularly one that is poorly planned, can stretch on and on. Think about the last time that you sat in a two-hour meeting and ask yourself if you got anything done. The truth of the matter is that the longer a meeting is, the more likely it is that its value is dropping. A fast meeting is an efficient one. If your meeting is relatively small, keep the time limit down to something like half an hour. A larger meeting might be forty-five minutes or an hour, but it should not be any longer. If you keep the meeting short, everyone will have one eye on the clock, and things will get discussed with a great deal more rapidity.
Read off the goals for the meeting. What is the point of the meeting for the people assembled? Do they have to make a decision? Do they have to be informed of a policy change? These are the biggest goals of most meetings, and you will find that if these are not the point that the meeting should be reconsidered. Once you understand what the meeting is about, make sure that you announce it at the beginning. This gets everyone focused, and it also pulls people together.
When you are building a resume, the last thing that you want to do is to look inefficient. Practice your abilities of management and efficiency by killing those non-productive meetings.
