General

Most of us have heard of the infamous $600 toilet seat or how the Army spent $250 on an ordinary wrench. If the government can spend $600 on a toilet seat or $700 billion on Wall Street’s debts, I can only imagine how frugal they are when it comes to decorating the oval office. Regardless, I thought it might be fun to compare what your (I use this term loosely) office has to offer versus what the White House’s Oval Office does. You know, because it will make us feel better about our workspace AND how our tax dollars are spent…. Your office: Let’s start with the basics: does your office have a door? A cubicle door does not count. Sorry. Oval Office: This office has a total of four doors: one opens to the Rose Garden, another to the secretaries, another to the West Wing, and the last one opens to a dining room and private study. Your office: How many windows can you claim? Feel free to include hand-drawn windows you constructed to spruce up the cubicle. Oval Office: The three main … [Read more...] about Your Office vs. The Oval Office

CheckPoint HR has released five steps to establish an eco-conscious business environment, starting with a movement towards a paperless HR department.The eco-conscious "green" movement encourages employers to reassess business methods to reduce office waste and decrease energy emissions. According to The State of the Paper Industry, a 2007 report by the Environmental Paper Network, if the United States cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases -- the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road. By reevaluating paper usage, an organization can simultaneously benefit from cost-savings of supplies and labor while helping the environment.1. Sign up for direct deposit and eliminate the printed pay stub and payroll reports.  With an online portal such as CheckPoint HR's human resources management system, current and past paychecks can be viewed at any time, anywhere from a Web browser. Data is never purged and delivery fees … [Read more...] about How HR Can Go Green

Although the stereotyping of individuals into particular categories can sometimes have adverse effects, it is also sometimes necessary. Humans are not great at remembering specifics, details, or raw data. However we are extremely good at generalizing, simplifying and abridging.  The problem with this process is that it is deductive and therefore not completely accurate, even though there may be some underlying truths. For example, do certain nationalities tend to do the same type of jobs? Are the majority of taxi drivers from Pakistan or India? Are a lot of cops or bar owners Irish? Do Polish people tend to work primarily in the building trade? Do a lot of people from the Philippines tend to work as nurses? Now, the problem here is that some of these points may be the general consensus even though in reality they may not be true. In this case the stereotype may be bordering on racism. If you agree with some of the points above then you are probably racist on some level. Don’t … [Read more...] about Stereotyping Jobs

Last week was a tumultuous one; a financial roller coaster ride filled with government bail-outs and promises of more of our tax money going to Corporate America. Nightmares of disappearing 401Ks, IRAs, and other investments consume many of our daily thoughts. Just when it looked like a downhill slide, the clouds parted and our prayers seem to have been answered. The Dow Jones rocketed up 400 points only after reports were leaked that the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is considering a long-term solution similar to one utilized in the late 1980’s- early 1990’s for the savings and loan crisis. This plan is potentially looking to create an independent agency (similar to the Resolution Trust Corporation) to take over the bad debt from these failing banks. Don’t get me wrong, this apparently solved the financial pitfalls in the past. I am a huge supporter of bringing back a booming economy. But does anyone else feel like this is a fancy name for “DO OVER”? WHITE-OUT? BACKSPACE? If … [Read more...] about Government to the Rescue?

OK, you are on a call with a potential client, whom you are desperately trying to get on board. He is about to give you a time and a place to meet, his personal cell number, and other important information. The adrenaline starts to pump as you envisage yourself at the meeting with the client as he scribbles his signature onto the awaiting dotted line. You then look for a pen, and low and behold, there are none on your desk, even though you swore you put one there 2 minutes ago.  Not to worry, you put the client on hold for a moment and go to Ken, the womanizing, niftily dressed, closet alcoholic in the next cubicle to fetch one. However, Ken is on a call and there is no sign of a pen anywhere. You feel a slight rush of anger but subdue it instantly, and briskly walk to the next cubicle...  Marie resides here. Marie is unbearably happy on this rainy Monday morning and probably suffers from some sort of a personality disorder, most likely borderline, and inquires into the … [Read more...] about Where Are All the F*cking Pens?

It seems that every survey that comes out about companies that "pay well" or have ridiculously "awesome" perks and bonuses, have always included Lehman Brothers. I guess those days are over.  But when people with less than one year of experience are earning close to $60k and many jobs shoot to the six-figure range after only a short amount of time, should it come as any surprise that Lehman is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection? The American public loves reading outlandish lists on the Internet about overpaid CEOs and zany perks.  However, they are no laughing matter. If you have a 401k account, you could be adversely affected by this mess. As the S&P 500 tanks and impacts index funds, your retirement balance(s) will dip.  While you need not panic, as you are only royally screwed if you're pulling your money out in the immediate future, it is infuriating that these fat-cat companies are lining up to get bailed out by the government. Chairman and Chief Executive … [Read more...] about Where's That $22 Million Bonus Now, Lehman?

As Hurricane Ike nears the Texas coast, we can at least thank him (among his other friends of the 2008 season) for the reminder of natural disaster preparation. Even though we’re rounding out the end of hurricane season, the dangers don’t fade so much as change their form as we move on to the potential for other disastrous storms. Each landscape comes with its own natural disaster threats, be it floods, snow storms, tornadoes, or hurricanes. No matter what disaster your work site may be prone to, it is inevitable that weather will affect work in some way. Be sure to check into your company’s disaster policy and procedure to know what to expect. For example, does you company have a phone line to call into to see if work is closed when a disaster hits? When are you expected to be back to work after the dust settles (auto insurance companies may require employees back sooner to assess and help with the damage)? A time like this reminds us that being prepared is not only practical, it … [Read more...] about If Nothing Else, Thank Hurricane Ike for the Reminder

 I don’t know about you guys, but I have had it up to here (if you could see me you would observe that I’m standing up on my tip toes, with my hand stretched up high in the air) with the lack of personal cleanliness around the office. At first I thought I was being anal about the whole thing, but then I spoke to some colleagues, and they too are concerned. Here are the findings of my slightly neurotic observations...Not everyone washes their hands after using the toilet! Due to this I have now developed an aversion to handles on toilet doors, and refuse to touch them. After all, what’s the point in taking the time to wash your hands if the door handle is covered in the residue of somebody’s piss? This is of course only with regards to the male sex, as I have not had the privilege of using the ladies bathroom...yet.Along the same lines is food-related hygiene. At my last job, I noticed that in the workplace restaurant it is necessary to touch money before eating your food. That is, … [Read more...] about Workplace Hygiene Run Amok

The 2008 Jobacle Resume Writing Challenge is officially underway, with my resume distributed to 12 top-notch resume writers.  Over the next few weeks you'll learn more about the process of choosing and hiring a resume writer.  And in the end, YOU will help decide who produced the best resume.I must admit that I can already tell that I underestimated the amount of work the resume owner must but forth.  Often, we think of hiring someone to perform a service so we don't have to.  When it comes to resume writing, the final product will only be as strong/directed/beneficial as the information you provide.  I'll leave it as this: At the extreme least you will be forced to take a long hard look in the mirror and figure out exactly what you want out of the document. That’s an exercise that is advantageous to you.Now let's meet our contestants.  Read their own words below and visit their Web sites for more information. From seasoned professionals to industry … [Read more...] about 12 Resume Writers Enter the Ring for Battle

You are sitting at your desk pouring over numbers and reports and…your loquacious coworker walks up. You oblige the polite “how are you” and the “how’s project XXX going”. Apparently this person doesn’t get much attention at home because they are eating up your inquisitiveness like it is a famine and you are the only one offering bread. You know these people, right? It certainly is a nice feeling to truly connect with coworkers, not just on a work level but on a personal level as well. I am fully a proponent of not only making allies at work but for racking up at least one or two real friendships at work too. Let’s face it; some of the non-work conversations that happen at work make it bearable to be there (and sometimes to face those personal issues). But then there are those “other” people. Those other people prey on the kind and good listeners of the workplace. Those other people that essentially use the good listeners as their personal garbage can when the spouse, family, … [Read more...] about Just Shut Up Already.