Good Afternoon, thank you for calling Westbury Target, Andrew G.R speaking, how may I direct your call today?I DON'T work at Target. But that didn't stop my boss from recently calling me out for the way I pick up my phone. We don't have Caller ID but there's a different ring depending whether the call is internal or external.This was my standard greeting:Internal: Department NameExternal: Company name, Department NameApparently, not good enough for the Boss Man. He thinks every phone greeting should be uniform, regardless of where the call is coming from.I don't know how things roll at your office (though I'd love to hear in the comments below) but this pissed me off.1) I don't work at a call center or in customer service2) My company is not that large. If someone calls my department, they KNOW who they're calling.3) Long greetings are irritating. They are bad for first time callers and a hundred times worse for people who call you multiple times a … [Read more...] about Office Phone Greetings From Hell
70% of Workers Abuse Technology at Work
Do you live on the edge? We're not talking about trekking off on a bungee jumping expedition in Costa Rica. We're talking about the seven out of 10 office workers who use office equipment for personal reasons, blatantly ignoring their employer's warnings not to do so. Yes, we're talking to YOU.Lawyers.com had Harris Interactive conduct a survey that yielded the following results:55% send/receive personal e-mail on their work accounts69% use the Internet for non-work purposes45% of respondents said they ignore their company's warningsAnd it gets even worse (or better!) for younger employees. Folks between 18 and 24 are taking even greater risks:72% of workers send/receive personal e-mail on their work accounts.77% use the Internet for non-work purposes71% of workers maintain a personal Web site13% visit dating Web sitesIf you are unsure of your company's electronic policy you have the right to ask for it. Depending on what you signed when you were hired, … [Read more...] about 70% of Workers Abuse Technology at Work
Play Office Ninja
If you're one of the 217 million people who play games online, you'll definitely want to waste some company time playing Office Ninja.Your mission is to navigate your way through each floor of the office building using your stealth and stapler to distract your enemy co-workers. Be sure to gather new weapons and look out for open elevator shafts. The game, part of a viral campaign from Overland Storage, requires Flash 9. Maybe I'm just in a gaming mood given my impulse purchase of the Nintendo Wii over the weekend. Any good game recommendations?! … [Read more...] about Play Office Ninja
The Worst Career Move Ever by Amy Jacobson
A silly, silly reporter named Amy Jacobson (hold the blonde jokes) from WMAQ in Chicago used some of the worst career judgment I have ever heard about.Here's the deal. On her day off she laced up her bikini, put her sons in the back of the family car and headed to a pool party. So far, so good, right? Here's the twist: Ms. Jacobson went swimming at the home of Craig Stebic - a husband whose wife has been missing since April - and SHE was the one covering the story.Nothing like a quick dip with a possible wife killer to get the adrenaline flowing, eh? I'm sure the reporter's husband was thrilled.Nice way to cross the lines of journalistic ethics lady! I'd be shocked if she holds onto her job. To put this in perspective, this would be the equivalent of FOX's Greta Van Susteren going rollerblading with Joran van der Sloot. Read the idiot's bio before they take it down and inevitably fire her. Unless of course we start hearing about how she was … [Read more...] about The Worst Career Move Ever by Amy Jacobson
WorkHack: Make Your Own Office Emergency Kit
Get this widget! The latest thwarted terror attacks in London serve as a reminder that there are still plenty of sickos out there that want to kill innocent people. It's impossible to know where, when or how a disaster could strike, but there's a good chance you will be at work when it happens. If you think your employer has all of your safety concerns covered - you better think again! At the end of the day you need to look out for you (and your fellow workers). Aside from having your own evacuation plan and a family-meeting plan, it would serve you well to keep a small and portable "disaster kit" at your desk. There are companies that sell these kits, but you might want to customize and build your own. Here are some suggestions: Mini Flashlight Foil Blanket (thermal) Package of Water High energy foods A Few Dollars Whistle Spare House Key Iodine Pills Aspirin AM Radio Prescription Drugs Out-of-State Contact Rope The money you spend will be well worth it god forbid you ever need … [Read more...] about WorkHack: Make Your Own Office Emergency Kit
Mid-Week Holiday Is Just Plain Odd
I hope you and yours had a great Fourth! Quite frankly, my entire week has been thrown by having a Wednesday holiday. I even had to limit my hot dog intake at around 6pm yesterday - just knowing that I'd be crawling into my cube today.Anyhoo, the randomness of a mid-week holiday has thrown me off my A-game and led to my first period of blog inconsistency since we launched. This makes me think that it might be time to recharge the batteries and come back fully refreshed on Monday.Sound like a plan? Good.On Monday I'll be dropping the newest episode of the Working Podcast. It's an important one - in fact, it could save your life. I'm not kidding. Please subscribe now.Enjoy the rest of this abridged work week! … [Read more...] about Mid-Week Holiday Is Just Plain Odd
The Consumer Is Always Right, Right?
Hidden Lessons in Chris Benoit Tragedy
I might not watch wrestling with the same fervor I had as a kid, but I won't lie, when I channel surf, I often find myself stopping on Raw, Smackdown or any other squared-circle event.There's no need to recap the grisly details surrounding wrestler Chris Benoit and his family, at least not here on a career-related blog. However, deep down in the monstrous mess, there are several tiny career lessons that I feel are worth pointing out. By no means am I down playing the tragic events, but the fact that Chris Benoit was a virtually model employee is undeniable. "He commanded respect""Forced others to a higher level""Quiet leader""Perfectionist""Loyal""Polite and passionate"They all sound like traits every human resources professional prays the next candidate through the door possesses. That brings us to the first of several reminders:You don't know squat about your co-workers. We all wrestle with demons and … [Read more...] about Hidden Lessons in Chris Benoit Tragedy
CEO's Internal Memo Exposed
One of the greatest things about writing the Jobacle blog and cranking out episodes of the critically-acclaimed Working Podcast, are YOUR e-mails. From the humorous to the downright scary, you guys always keep me on my toes with the messages you send in. Today I want to share an anonymous e-mail that was sent in from an employee at Sage Software. We here at Jobacle can't vouch for the authenticity of the document below but have no reason to doubt it either. First you'll read some facts, then an internal memo, and then an employee's suggestion. Again, everything after this sentence was sent in by a reader...Mr. Ron Verni's compensation:ANNUAL COMPENSATION*Salary $693,000Bonus $744,000Total Annual Compensation $1,437,000STOCK OPTIONS*Exercisable Options Amount 658,842Exercisable Options Value $824,213Unexercisable Options Amount 512,195Unexercisable Options Value $451,055Total Options Value $1,275,268Total Options Amount $1,171,037TOTAL COMPENSATION*Total … [Read more...] about CEO's Internal Memo Exposed
YOUR Job on a License Plate?
Once upon a time, license plates were used simply for identification purposes. A numeric or alphanumeric code uniquely identified your vehicle within the issuing region's database. Now I feel like license plates have to tell your whole life story: what team you root for, what county you live in, how you feel about abortion and so on. They've become harder and harder to read as more colors and holograms and logos are added - defeating their entire purpose.One aspect that I feel has grown in volume are the license plate abbreviations that indicate your profession. We all know about the highly coveted "MD" plates. But aside from getting folks a prime parking spot before tee time, I don't really understand the importance. Maybe in an extreme emergency I can see you flagging down a member of the "emergency services." However, what are the odds that you'll notice the tiny letters on the back of someone's car when you're under duress? I don't … [Read more...] about YOUR Job on a License Plate?