On the 12th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, 9 paid statutory holidays, with the costs completely covered by the company, without cost or implications to me.
On the 11th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, four percent or more of vacation pay, also completely covered by my employer.
On the 10th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, friends and a social environment, where I get to meet and mingle with co-workers, laugh, and share.
On the 9th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, a chance to increase my skills, to learn and to grow.
On the 8th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, an additional year to put on my resume.
On the 7th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, a better understanding of cultural diversification and humanity. I will be more compassionate of others because of working here.
On the 6th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, a paycheck!
On the 5th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, some references for future work opportunities.
On the 4th day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, some good days, some bad days, some frustrating days, some scary days, some truly joyous days, but every day filled with some kind of emotion.
On the 3rd day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, the opportunity to better myself, if I choose, in various ways. I will make positive choices to be a better person because of working here.
On the 2nd day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, the ability to be creative, logical, skilled, friendly, intelligent, and whatever else I excel at and was hired to do and be.
On the 1st day of Christmas my workplace gave to me, hope for next year, to set goals for myself, make plans, and look forward to a new year at work.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Christmas party woes
The face of workplace Christmas parties is changing.
Last year, and the many years before it, the company Christmas party was the event of the season! The extravagant locations filled with banquets of food and lavish decor were the norm this time of year. Famous music bands were brought in to delight the workers all night long at outrageous costs to the company, with expensive gifts given, and glamorous outfits planned well in advance. Such extravagance has all but disappeared in 2009!
Company Christmas parties for this year have been brought down to a poverty level for some, and even cancelled for other workplaces. There are two fears this year, fears we have never had here before. Some parties have been forced to cancel due to the threat of H1N1. The chance of this illness spreading through an entire workforce and their families is real, and companies trying to protect their employees are canceling any social event that brings people together to hug and laugh and share space! Bosses are so terrified that the doors at work will be shut for weeks, with perhaps the vision of yellow “do not cross” tape blanketing the entrance, due to quarantine, instead of visions of sugarplums of the past. And we have the economic year from hell to add to the ghost of Christmas present.
Where did all the money go? Just last year we had tons of it in our city, and the many years previous, to spend on big bonuses and fun parties. We could book whatever we wanted for Christmas to celebrate our fantastic-ness.
So, we celebrate Christmas at work this year, with a donation to the food bank, or a Friday lunchtime potluck. There are no bonuses or surprises; no Christmas presents for all. Expensive bands are replaced with “rock band” where everyone can participate, while others companies resort to good old fashion karaoke!
I think we kind of deserve to have a cheap but creative Christmas party this year. Maybe that way, an extravagant Christmas in 2010 will be more appreciated.
Last year, and the many years before it, the company Christmas party was the event of the season! The extravagant locations filled with banquets of food and lavish decor were the norm this time of year. Famous music bands were brought in to delight the workers all night long at outrageous costs to the company, with expensive gifts given, and glamorous outfits planned well in advance. Such extravagance has all but disappeared in 2009!
Company Christmas parties for this year have been brought down to a poverty level for some, and even cancelled for other workplaces. There are two fears this year, fears we have never had here before. Some parties have been forced to cancel due to the threat of H1N1. The chance of this illness spreading through an entire workforce and their families is real, and companies trying to protect their employees are canceling any social event that brings people together to hug and laugh and share space! Bosses are so terrified that the doors at work will be shut for weeks, with perhaps the vision of yellow “do not cross” tape blanketing the entrance, due to quarantine, instead of visions of sugarplums of the past. And we have the economic year from hell to add to the ghost of Christmas present.
Where did all the money go? Just last year we had tons of it in our city, and the many years previous, to spend on big bonuses and fun parties. We could book whatever we wanted for Christmas to celebrate our fantastic-ness.
So, we celebrate Christmas at work this year, with a donation to the food bank, or a Friday lunchtime potluck. There are no bonuses or surprises; no Christmas presents for all. Expensive bands are replaced with “rock band” where everyone can participate, while others companies resort to good old fashion karaoke!
I think we kind of deserve to have a cheap but creative Christmas party this year. Maybe that way, an extravagant Christmas in 2010 will be more appreciated.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
How employers should deal with flu season this year
It is in a company’s best interest to implement a plan to ensure business continuity during this influenza pandemic season. Companies must take a multi level approach, rather than just one or two simple solutions when planning for this flu season.
The first step is to identify the work related risks to the employees and then educate them on those health risks. Create policies around protecting the employees from reprisal for missing work. All jobs need to be secure for the flu season; no one should be fired for missing work due to illness.
Companies should look at options for flexibility, like working from home while sick or working staggered shifts to care for ill family members. Of course these type of flex options are not always appropriate, but perhaps all companies can look at various options for doing business off site, or differently.
Companies need to look at which jobs are essential and which ones can be cross trained, in order to protect the company and its jobs. Companies should look at including a physical distance policy, where suppliers, customers, and co-workers can work at a physical distance needed to protect them from the virus spreading.
Keep the soap flowing, wash often, cough into your sleeve, and use antibacterial wipes on keyboards and phones. Some companies have already suspended non-mandatory travel, and are choosing to Skype or similar instead.
Finally, the most important key for businesses to survive this flu season is to communicate. Create forums for staff to talk about getting sick, or if they are sick, making them feel comfortable in letting others know.
Bosses need to plan for employees taking sick days, planning for others to cover these positions for the short term, and keeping the working staff healthy. No one wants to lose their jobs, and no one wants to get sick. So, keep the communication lines open between all levels and all people. Check on each other and keep people informed.
These steps should get us through this difficult flu season.
The first step is to identify the work related risks to the employees and then educate them on those health risks. Create policies around protecting the employees from reprisal for missing work. All jobs need to be secure for the flu season; no one should be fired for missing work due to illness.
Companies should look at options for flexibility, like working from home while sick or working staggered shifts to care for ill family members. Of course these type of flex options are not always appropriate, but perhaps all companies can look at various options for doing business off site, or differently.
Companies need to look at which jobs are essential and which ones can be cross trained, in order to protect the company and its jobs. Companies should look at including a physical distance policy, where suppliers, customers, and co-workers can work at a physical distance needed to protect them from the virus spreading.
Keep the soap flowing, wash often, cough into your sleeve, and use antibacterial wipes on keyboards and phones. Some companies have already suspended non-mandatory travel, and are choosing to Skype or similar instead.
Finally, the most important key for businesses to survive this flu season is to communicate. Create forums for staff to talk about getting sick, or if they are sick, making them feel comfortable in letting others know.
Bosses need to plan for employees taking sick days, planning for others to cover these positions for the short term, and keeping the working staff healthy. No one wants to lose their jobs, and no one wants to get sick. So, keep the communication lines open between all levels and all people. Check on each other and keep people informed.
These steps should get us through this difficult flu season.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
How to stand out in today's competitive job market
How does a job seeker stand out from the pack, stack, or inbox in today’s competitive world?
I don’t mean submitting your resume on fluorescent orange paper, or emailing your resume in some exclusive font that most companies do not have. But let’s face it, with thousands of applicants going after the same top jobs, what will an employer really care about, what will they take the time to read, and how will they eventually decide who to interview?
It seems that many job seekers are desperately seeking work, so they are blanketing their resumes out to every possible job opening. Tip number one: apply for appropriate jobs that are suited to you; don’t just blast your resume out to every job posting out there. I see many resumes, thousands in fact, and most of them via email, and the ones I look at first have a message in the subject line. Words like “referred”, or job posting #?”, or “flexible and available”, all jump out of the subject line. Once I am attracted to the subject, I will then go on to read the resume.
One way to stand out – the wrong way – is to having spelling or grammatical errors. When I see such errors, it’s an instant toss or delete. I would suggest having someone else, a friend or family member, look over the resume before submitting it to double check spelling and grammar.
When I review resumes, I look for actual important information in the resume. I don’t need fluff; I need to know whether the candidate can do the job or not. I need facts, including past work experience and job duties, accomplishments, education, and interests! The reason I want interests is because it gives me an idea as to whether or not this person will be a fit with the team, but also, what kind of person this is, and would they love doing this job or not.
Next, make sure to personalize the cover letter or email to the person doing the hiring. Not only is it flattering and proper business etiquette to write to the right person, but it will also set you apart from the group of applicants who are too lazy to find out the correct person to send it to.
I must confess that I do not always read cover letters; I usually just skim them as I am only interested in a couple key points and I want to read these points in the first few lines! Why are you looking for a job and why do you want this one? The rest is whipping cream but cutting out the fat is better. I
n summary: go after the jobs you really want and which are most suited to you, personalize your application to the person doing the hiring, keep your cover letter and resume simple and to the point, make sure to explain why you are the best person for the job, and watch out for spelling or grammar errors! Cut the sugar, cut the fat!
I don’t mean submitting your resume on fluorescent orange paper, or emailing your resume in some exclusive font that most companies do not have. But let’s face it, with thousands of applicants going after the same top jobs, what will an employer really care about, what will they take the time to read, and how will they eventually decide who to interview?
It seems that many job seekers are desperately seeking work, so they are blanketing their resumes out to every possible job opening. Tip number one: apply for appropriate jobs that are suited to you; don’t just blast your resume out to every job posting out there. I see many resumes, thousands in fact, and most of them via email, and the ones I look at first have a message in the subject line. Words like “referred”, or job posting #?”, or “flexible and available”, all jump out of the subject line. Once I am attracted to the subject, I will then go on to read the resume.
One way to stand out – the wrong way – is to having spelling or grammatical errors. When I see such errors, it’s an instant toss or delete. I would suggest having someone else, a friend or family member, look over the resume before submitting it to double check spelling and grammar.
When I review resumes, I look for actual important information in the resume. I don’t need fluff; I need to know whether the candidate can do the job or not. I need facts, including past work experience and job duties, accomplishments, education, and interests! The reason I want interests is because it gives me an idea as to whether or not this person will be a fit with the team, but also, what kind of person this is, and would they love doing this job or not.
Next, make sure to personalize the cover letter or email to the person doing the hiring. Not only is it flattering and proper business etiquette to write to the right person, but it will also set you apart from the group of applicants who are too lazy to find out the correct person to send it to.
I must confess that I do not always read cover letters; I usually just skim them as I am only interested in a couple key points and I want to read these points in the first few lines! Why are you looking for a job and why do you want this one? The rest is whipping cream but cutting out the fat is better. I
n summary: go after the jobs you really want and which are most suited to you, personalize your application to the person doing the hiring, keep your cover letter and resume simple and to the point, make sure to explain why you are the best person for the job, and watch out for spelling or grammar errors! Cut the sugar, cut the fat!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pandemic wreaking havoc on business
This flu pandemic is really wreaking havoc on businesses. I am not sure which is worse, the fear of getting sick, or getting sick.
Many businesses have had to create health and safety plans around employees getting sick, covering for every position for up to two weeks, and having up to 25 percent of the workforce not being able to work. I read recently that this type of pandemic has not occurred for 35 years, but is normally expected every 25 years. We should count our blessings for the past 10 years I guess.
Companies have also had to plan for employees taking substantial time off to get the vaccinations, care for loved ones who are getting sick, and for those who are just too scared to go into work!
Many companies have created healthy environment plans, including having alcohol wipes on all desks, cleaning all handles, hard surfaces, and keyboards daily, and putting up “wash your hands” posters.
Should a company pay an employee for not working? Some companies are paying employees full wages for staying home sick but that hurts businesses financially, as they still need the work done, and someone else has to be paid to do it. Some companies are not paying at all, while others are paying staff partial wages when calling in sick. Some have maximum sick days allowed per year, which can all be used up during this flu season. Some companies will pay their sick employees, with the condition that the employees owes back the time to the company, by way of overtime, or some other additional hours option.
No one wants the flu, and no one wants to be around sick people. But, this H1N1 is very scary, especially when the media keeps tallying up its death toll. A pandemic means most of the population will be affected by it in some way. Businesses will suffer, employees will suffer, and families will suffer. Prevention will certainly help, but everyone needs to be aware of how to avoid getting sick and what to do if you think you have contracted the virus.
The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that if an employee is sick, they need to stay home. Stay away from the workplace at any cost!
Many businesses have had to create health and safety plans around employees getting sick, covering for every position for up to two weeks, and having up to 25 percent of the workforce not being able to work. I read recently that this type of pandemic has not occurred for 35 years, but is normally expected every 25 years. We should count our blessings for the past 10 years I guess.
Companies have also had to plan for employees taking substantial time off to get the vaccinations, care for loved ones who are getting sick, and for those who are just too scared to go into work!
Many companies have created healthy environment plans, including having alcohol wipes on all desks, cleaning all handles, hard surfaces, and keyboards daily, and putting up “wash your hands” posters.
Should a company pay an employee for not working? Some companies are paying employees full wages for staying home sick but that hurts businesses financially, as they still need the work done, and someone else has to be paid to do it. Some companies are not paying at all, while others are paying staff partial wages when calling in sick. Some have maximum sick days allowed per year, which can all be used up during this flu season. Some companies will pay their sick employees, with the condition that the employees owes back the time to the company, by way of overtime, or some other additional hours option.
No one wants the flu, and no one wants to be around sick people. But, this H1N1 is very scary, especially when the media keeps tallying up its death toll. A pandemic means most of the population will be affected by it in some way. Businesses will suffer, employees will suffer, and families will suffer. Prevention will certainly help, but everyone needs to be aware of how to avoid getting sick and what to do if you think you have contracted the virus.
The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that if an employee is sick, they need to stay home. Stay away from the workplace at any cost!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day lands on a Wednesday next week. We used to focus on a moment, a minute of silence, to remember those who served our country, and lost their lives protecting our freedoms.
I assume the idea behind making November 11th a holiday was to plan to take the family to Remembrance Day celebrations, watch the Veteran parades or honorary functions in our community. Certainly, some people do take the time to attend these important events and remember those who made us who we are today.
Many of the workforce I spoke to are still working this Wednesday, and taking a day off in lieu at Christmas. A longer paid holiday lumped in with Santa is seemingly more important than those who fought and lost, for the good of the nation.
We tend to complain a lot in North America, too much really, and about everything! We complain about our jobs, about working too much, or too little. We complain about our clients, our co-workers, and our bosses. We complain about the price of everything and how we don’t make enough money to pay for stuff we don’t need. Our war heroes don’t complain much though. They don’t complain about the conditions they chose to work in; that is right, chose! They are saddened by losing their co-workers, not because of lay-offs, but because of death!
Next Wednesday, we should remember how great we have it here at home, whether we are working or not. We should still take the minute of silence regardless of what we are doing that day. We should wear our poppies with pride and attend the events that are created for remembrance! We should take one day, holiday or not, to be thankful for those who have chosen the difficult jobs overseas, to ensure our freedom. We should take the day to not complain about one thing, because we all have choices, and most of ours are safe and comfortable.
I assume the idea behind making November 11th a holiday was to plan to take the family to Remembrance Day celebrations, watch the Veteran parades or honorary functions in our community. Certainly, some people do take the time to attend these important events and remember those who made us who we are today.
Many of the workforce I spoke to are still working this Wednesday, and taking a day off in lieu at Christmas. A longer paid holiday lumped in with Santa is seemingly more important than those who fought and lost, for the good of the nation.
We tend to complain a lot in North America, too much really, and about everything! We complain about our jobs, about working too much, or too little. We complain about our clients, our co-workers, and our bosses. We complain about the price of everything and how we don’t make enough money to pay for stuff we don’t need. Our war heroes don’t complain much though. They don’t complain about the conditions they chose to work in; that is right, chose! They are saddened by losing their co-workers, not because of lay-offs, but because of death!
Next Wednesday, we should remember how great we have it here at home, whether we are working or not. We should still take the minute of silence regardless of what we are doing that day. We should wear our poppies with pride and attend the events that are created for remembrance! We should take one day, holiday or not, to be thankful for those who have chosen the difficult jobs overseas, to ensure our freedom. We should take the day to not complain about one thing, because we all have choices, and most of ours are safe and comfortable.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The masks we wear
We will soon be adorned in costumes, wigs, and makeup, becoming characters we would otherwise avoid. We wear masks on Halloween, and take them off when the day's over and go back to our regular selves. Or so we may think.
Truth is, most of us wear invisible masks in our everyday lives, especially in the workplace. We hope to live our lives being who we really are, but for some reason most of us get up, put on our cloaks, and as we walk into work, we put our masks on. “Good morning, how are you?” we hear, and “great” is how we answer, even if we are not. Or, we ask how the other person is, when we have too much on our own minds to care.
We pretend everything is great, when our home lives are stressful, money is tight, the kids are fighting, or we have the flu. We meet customers and figure out how they will buy from us; our motive is clear, but we don’t dare ask for the sale. We don’t shake hands or hug anymore, because we might get sick from any type of human contact, even though many of us are not planning to get the flu shot. We mask our fears about getting sick and our fears of being anti social.
We pretend we know what we are doing, even if we are not that secure, because that is what professional workers do. We pretend to be busy when we answer emails, chat in the lunch room, or Facebook message our friends. We mask the things we don’t want our co-workers and bosses to realize about us, like insecurities or fears. We mask our home lives from our work lives, and we mask some of the really awesome things we do, so others will not be jealous of us.
We all wear masks, of varying kinds, in all jobs, and all facets of our lives. It would be too scary to take our masks off altogether, but hopefully we are able to remove these masks somewhere, without fear of retribution.
The masks we wear at work are there to protect us in some way, perhaps from the truths about ourselves, or perhaps from others who judge. We all wear them!
But maybe, as we put together our costumes for another fun filled Halloween, we at least acknowledge the masks we wear in our everyday lives, and maybe, we learn to take off these masks a little more often.
Truth is, most of us wear invisible masks in our everyday lives, especially in the workplace. We hope to live our lives being who we really are, but for some reason most of us get up, put on our cloaks, and as we walk into work, we put our masks on. “Good morning, how are you?” we hear, and “great” is how we answer, even if we are not. Or, we ask how the other person is, when we have too much on our own minds to care.
We pretend everything is great, when our home lives are stressful, money is tight, the kids are fighting, or we have the flu. We meet customers and figure out how they will buy from us; our motive is clear, but we don’t dare ask for the sale. We don’t shake hands or hug anymore, because we might get sick from any type of human contact, even though many of us are not planning to get the flu shot. We mask our fears about getting sick and our fears of being anti social.
We pretend we know what we are doing, even if we are not that secure, because that is what professional workers do. We pretend to be busy when we answer emails, chat in the lunch room, or Facebook message our friends. We mask the things we don’t want our co-workers and bosses to realize about us, like insecurities or fears. We mask our home lives from our work lives, and we mask some of the really awesome things we do, so others will not be jealous of us.
We all wear masks, of varying kinds, in all jobs, and all facets of our lives. It would be too scary to take our masks off altogether, but hopefully we are able to remove these masks somewhere, without fear of retribution.
The masks we wear at work are there to protect us in some way, perhaps from the truths about ourselves, or perhaps from others who judge. We all wear them!
But maybe, as we put together our costumes for another fun filled Halloween, we at least acknowledge the masks we wear in our everyday lives, and maybe, we learn to take off these masks a little more often.
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