Archive for the ‘Work’ Category

Your Money Monday: Preparing for a Lay Off


08 Apr

I started this thread over a month ago, when I first strongly suspecting that I would receive a layoff notice. I was right, and at the end of March, I was told that my last day with my company would be May 3, but that I would not have to show up every day until then.

If you are being laid off, or just think you might be, head on over for great advice from the other posters about the type of things you should be looking at- what your rights are regarding current benefits, and planning for the future.

Your Money Friday: Does Your Life Have Passion?


22 Mar

The big question this week was Does Your Life Have Passion? In this case, the poster felt like he was missing out on something because he doesn’t have any all consuming passion in his life- not at work (he works with scientists who still come to the lab after retiring) or in his personal life.

As always, there were arguments of definition, but it still comes down to taking control of your own life. And learning to be happy with who you are as a person. Just because there is nothing you feel passionate about doesn’t make you a failure.

Wake Up! It’s Daylight Savings Time


11 Mar

For many people, the first Monday after Daylight Savings Time can be very hard. Even though the time officially changes on Saturday night, fewer people have set schedules for Sunday, and therefore end up feeling like maybe they missed an hour of their day, but don’t really notice getting up an hour earlier until their alarm goes off on Monday.

I have found that making myself get up on that first Sunday (and I do have someplace to be) really helps me with the transition to Monday. I’m tired enough Sunday night to go to bed at the right time.

Your Money Friday: FMLA


04 Jan

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) passed by the government many years ago is still confusing workers on a daily basis. This legislation protects a person’s job for up to 12 weeks out of a rolling calendar year if they have to be out for their own or an immediate family member’s medical care. But the exact nuances of the legislation can be confusing. If you need to go out on medical leave and are applying for FMLA protection, make sure you sit down with and FMLA expert at your company and ask questions. It is for your own protection.

Your Money Friday: Career Enders


16 Nov

Have you ever been fired for cause? Put on an improvement plan? How did it affect you? Would you react differently if it happened today, in your current career? Are you at a point where it would be a career ender? And what impact would all of this have on your personal life? Could you move upwards and onwards?

Given the current news cycle about top government officials having to step down for mistakes that really shouldn’t have been career enders, the questions of the day over at Your Money are about how you would handle that kind of situation.

Your Money Friday: Professional Dress for Women


09 Nov

This thread kind of veers off topic early on, but there is an important message here, anyway. This message goes out to all women, but young women especially- showing cleavage is never professional. It doesn’t matter if you are young and hot (you will still be hot, even without showing cleavage) or old and past your prime, cleavage isn’t professional.

I know that some women are larger or higher busted and that sometimes clothes that fit other women with no issues will still show cleavage. That doesn’t matter. You must dress for your body. Camisoles and layers are your friends.

Blog Feature: What Your Boss Really Thinks


20 Oct

This week I want to highlight a fairly new blog, written by someone I already adore. It is called What Your Boss Really Thinks. As someone in middle management- I am a boss and have a boss, I love this blog. In fact, I am having a hard time writing about it this morning instead of just going in and commenting on every single post.

The one I want to highlight today is about telling a manager you have gotten a better job offer, especially if what you really want is a counteroffer. Attitude matters, and you can’t have one.

Living in the Land of Spreadsheets


27 Sep

In case you haven’t guessed by the fact that yesterday and today’s posts have come at night, it’s been a crazy couple of days at work. I left work Tuesday night thinking our department was under budget and arrived Wednesday morning to an email from our VP asking us to cut over $XXXk. As the person with access to all the different budgets in our department, I’ve spent the last two days putting budget documents together and meeting with the members of the management team, in order to help them come up with a plan to meet the budget gap.

Vacations Unlimited


19 Jul

New criteria to look for next time I change jobs- unlimited vacation time. I know, you’re thinking that’s called unemployment. Or perhaps that I’m crazy. But some companies do, in fact, offer unlimited vacation time as one of their perks, including Netflix.

Staff have to coordinate their vacation with co-workers, as they likely have to depend on co-workers to get their work done while they are gone, which means that the “evil” peer pressure keeps people from abusing the system. And people end up working remotely during their vacation, but I know people who do that without unlimited vacation days.

Your Money Friday: Using Community Service as a Career Stepping Stone


06 Jul

It starts in high school. Kids are told that being straight A students isn’t enough to get them into a good college. Extra curricular activities are not enough. And work experience doesn’t count. But volunteer experience? That’s where the money is- or at least the scholarships.

That attitude is carrying over into the work world. There have long been organizations that do charity work where you could make professional connections, but now, many people feel that they need to have volunteer experience on their resume. Sadly, it does not always lead to good things for the organization they volunteer for.

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