Tips At work

How to balance work life and personal life

October 1, 2012|employees, Tips At work| No comments yet

Working is something that most people simply have to do. Your job brings in the money that you use to pay bills and support your entire family. Unfortunately, your job may seem a bit overwhelming and you may find yourself bringing all of your problems home with you at the end of the day. There are some ways that you can balance work life with your personal life. Using these tips will help you to be happier and more productive at home because your family will not have to worry that you had a bad day at the office.

The first tip to balancing work life and personal life is to live by a mantra. The mantra is that your employer does not pay you to worry about work at home. If you really use this mantra, you will find that it is easier for you to relax at home because you are simply wasting energy by worrying about your job on days off.

Another great way to balance your life between work and family is to unwind as soon as you get home. Try your best to come home and relax for at least one hour. Whether you choose to exercise or watch your favorite television show with your loved one, there are many things you can do to get your mind off of work.

You can also try talking with a loved one for just a few minutes about your day. You will find that this gets the stresses of work off of your chest, but you are not spending hours talking about your job while you are in the comfort of your own home. It may also help to schedule vacations and day trips with your family so that you do not feel like your entire life is revolving around your job. Instead, you will feel like your life is revolving around spending quality time with your loved ones.

One thing to look for is that all-too familiar feeling that most workers get on Sunday. They spend their last day off on the weekend worrying about going to work the next day. Instead of doing this, you should try your best to enjoy the day off and relax knowing that you do not have to work for the entire day. If it helps, you can schedule to get a massage or to play miniature golf with friends.

If you find that your job is completely overwhelming and you can not do anything but think about work, it may be time for you to find a new job. If your current job is stressful to the point where you can not sleep, you need to send in some new resumes to potential employers. Unfortunately, no amount of relaxation or vacation will make up for having a bad job. It is important for you to recognize the difference between working a job that is not right for you and just not wanting to go to work because you would rather stay home.

How to deal with a nightmare boss

September 24, 2012|employees, Tips At work| No comments yet

There are many ways to deal with the nightmare boss when trying to secure a new job. Whether a boss is a nightmare or not, many times that same boss will want to keep a current employee because the employee is one of the best. That nightmare boss may even believe that the way they handle their employees is the reason that they are performing so well.

One of the things that a nightmare boss may attempt to do is refuse to give a good reference whether the employee deserves one or not. The best thing to do on a resume is to leave that contact information blank or to use the phone number and name of the superior to the nightmare boss. It is assuming that remainder of the resume is more than sufficient to secure an interview and that gives the person a chance to explain any issues that may be occurring on the current job.

There are legal limits to what a boss can say during a reference phone call. To begin with, the boss cannot offer any information that is not asked for by the caller. In addition to that, the boss cannot give specifics about anything other than the number of days an employee missed and tardiness. Most of the time, depending on the state, it is also acceptable to state whether that employee is eligible for rehire.

If someone believes that they are going to have difficulty getting a letter of reference, it is advisable to go to the boss’s superior and advise them that the request will be made. This make them aware and they may even pull that persons records to see what kind of reference will be made. When that reference letter is either refused or is not what is expected, then the employee has sufficient recourse to go back to the superior and file a complaint.

Larger companies have an HR department that handles things such as reference letters and reference phone calls. This makes it much easier for an employee that is trying to circumvent the nightmare boss.

The HR department goes on more than the opinion of one boss. There will be records of attendance and various supporting documents that show what kind of employee a person really is.

There are also very few companies that will base a hire upon the opinion of one nightmare boss when there are multiple references in a resume. This is not the end of the line that some people may feel like it is. There is always a way to get around such issues as problematic boss. The last resort may be some legal advice, but there is rarely a need for that and it can make things worse sometimes in the end.

There are always ways to deal with issues such as these built into a company. A good place to start is the HR department. A person can also look for a bulletin board that is in the break room. It legally as to have various posting of phone numbers from state and federal agencies that are developed for issues such as these.

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.

Resume ethics- a critica staffing issue

September 11, 2012|employees, Tips At work| No comments yet

work experience. However, it appears people are increasingly being tempted to fudge key resume details or concoct outright fabrications to embellish their personal stories. Some experts put the instance of inaccuracies on executive’s resumes at upwards of 20%, while the FBI is on record stating that approximately 500,000 Americans claim college degrees they have not earned. A recent high profile technology company CEO was abruptly terminated for the transgression of lying on his resume. Here are some examples of resume falsehoods that are under increasing scrutiny from employers:

Education
Job seekers often lie about the level of education they have attained, perhaps stretching a Bachelor’s degree into a Master’s, or even claiming a college degree where none exists. While it is possible a prospective employer will not verify the accuracy of educational achievements, it is extremely risky to make that assumption. Another common example of educational truth stretching is dressing up one’s grade point average, or claiming honors (Dean’s List, etc.) that the individual didn’t achieve.

Job Responsibilities
There is a often a fine line between putting oneself in the most favorable light and fudging past achievements. Certainly the job seeker should be willing to market themselves aggressively via their resume, but falsifying skills and experience levels can come back to haunt an individual if they wind up getting hired and can’t deliver against the job requirements. The unethical job seeker may win in the short term by getting hired, but ultimately their long term employment marketability will be diminished if they’re terminated quickly for poor performance.

Salary
Lying about compensation at previous jobs is also common among job seekers. People are tempted to embellish previous salaries in the hope that the inflated numbers will provide them with leverage when negotiating pay levels with their prospective employers. However, an increasing number of employers are now requiring that job seekers back up their salary history claims by providing W-2 copies.

Professional Licenses
Some unscrupulous job seekers try and claim professional licenses they have not attained, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), nursing board certification, and Certified Financial Planner (CFP). There are also a myriad of certifications for special skills within disciplines that are erroneously claimed by unethical job seekers. The bad news for these dishonest applicants is it’s relatively easy for employers to check with the accrediting agencies to ensure the veracity of their claims.

Avoiding the temptation to take liberties with a professional resume is clearly in the best long term interests of the job seeker. Today’s employers are doing much more due diligence on applicants by verifying resume information data. Taking the high road and maintaining your personal integrity is more important than attempting to exploit a short term employment opportunity.