ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > September
September 2008
Has your 401(k) taken a hit?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With the ongoing meltdown on Wall Street, and the impending federal bailout plan, many employees are seeing their 401(k) earnings decrease in value. On top of high unemployment rates, the housing market collapse, the bank mergers and the gas shortage here in metro Atlanta, it’s just one more thing for local workers to be worried about.
Experts are offering tips on how to manage your 401(k) during a bad economy, but it’s still hard to watch your retirement nest egg dwindle as the stock market takes a nosedive. Find more advice on protecting your finances on ajc.com’s new resource called Your Money.
Has the faltering economy hurt your 401(k)? Will you keep contributing to your employer-sponsored retirement plan during these troubled economic times, or are you waiting until the stock market settles down?
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Atlanta gas shortage impacting your work commute?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC ran a story on Sunday about how many Atlantans are seeking job commuting alternatives in response to the current gas shortage impacting the metro Atlanta area. Because employers realize that some of their staff members may not be able to get gas in order to drive to the office, they are becoming more receptive to telecommuting and four-day work weeks.
Of course, not all jobs can be done at home, so those employers are encouraging the use of carpools and mass transit. The Clean Air Campaign has had to add extra workers just to respond to all of the alternative commute requests pouring in from frustrated residents. A recent ajcjobs cover story highlights Atlanta companies that have successfully implemented mass transit and carpool programs.
Have you changed the way you commute to work because of the current gas shortage in Atlanta? How understanding has your boss been about the situation?
Check out more money saving tips at Your Money
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Telling the boss you’re pregnant
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Having a child is an exciting time. The question after the fabulous news is how do you tell your boss you are pregnant when there is already too much work for you and the current staff to handle?
Radio Silence: Don’t tell employees you are pregnant before telling your boss, unless they are great friends and trust is not an issue. The worst way for a boss to find out you are pregnant is through office gossip. It is always best to tell your boss first.
Don’t Jump the Gun: Wait until your second trimester to tell your boss unless you are showing early. Then rather than office speculation you are being professional in how you deliver the news to your boss.
Due Diligence is Key: Know your rights. Pull out the old employee manual probably covered in dust and figure out what your company expects. Look over the local and federal laws associated with pregnancy in the workplace. You probably know how it has worked out with other women in the office in these situations. Knowledge is power.
Professionalism is key in these situations. Be sure you are confident, understand your rights and are positive. The nicest thing you can do for your boss is be realistic and honest.
Do you have any advice on how to make this a smooth and exciting time without drama or stress? How soon should you tell your boss that you are pregnant?
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Should personal e-mail accounts be used to conduct professional business?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the wake of the recent story about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s Yahoo! email account being hacked, there has been a heated debate about the use of private e-mail accounts by public officials.
It appears that Sarah Palin used her Yahoo! e-mail account for more than just sending photos of her children to friends and family. She also sometimes used the web-based e-mail program to conduct state business in her high-profile position as governor of Alaska. As the story has unfolded, it has become clear that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to hack into these types of e-mail accounts (with the help of an Athens-based anonymity service). Critics think Palin should have conducted state business only on more secure, government-based email services.
But with the widespread use of the BlackBerry and other PDA devices, as well as laptop computers, most of us are guilty of checking company e-mail accounts while in public places, where someone could easily peek over our shoulder and view confidential information.
Do you think there should be more restrictions on how employees view confidential information on their portable devices in public? Have you ever used personal e-mail accounts to conduct professional business?
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Get paid by your employer to perform community service?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The September 11th forum on national service that featured both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees raised an interesting question. With many American workers already putting in very long hours on the job, and then going home to meet the demands of their family, who has time for community service anymore?
Time magazine’s Rick Stengel suggested that perhaps employers should allow their employees paid time off to perform community service, like Timberland’s popular Path of Service program. The company offers 40 hours of paid volunteer time each year.
Would you take advantage of paid time off to volunteer? Do you think that more companies should follow Timberland’s example or do you think it will lead to a disruption in productivity?
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Should companies have to alter shifts for prayer breaks?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Colorado meatpacking plant is facing a clash with the union due to the company’s alleged failure to provide religious accommodations for some of their Muslim employees.
Earlier this month, some of the Somalian workers employed by JBS Swift & Company staged a walk-out during their evening shift because management would not allow them to take their breaks around their prayer schedule for the holy month of Ramadan, which includes a mandatory prayer at sundown. A substantial amount of those that participated in the walk-out were consequently fired. The company states that they had already altered the assembly line break schedule by an hour in an attempt to meet the religious needs of the Somalian workers.
The union plans to file grievances and lawyers representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations are involved in the case as mediators. Legal action may be pursued if mediation does not settle the matter.
How far should employers have to go in order to honor the religious needs of their staff? Do you think the Muslim workers are asking for too much in this case or did the company violate their rights under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
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Should employees be charged a “fat fee”?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Across the state line in Alabama, the state government will begin charging its overweight employees a $25 a month fee for insurance if they don’t make an effort to shed pounds and improve their overall health. The state will define obesity as anyone with a body mass index of 35 or higher. Alabama is the first state in the nation to actually penalize its employees for being overweight, though other states have began initiatives that positively reward staff who engage in healthier habits.
The move has caused quite a bit of controversy, especially those that are part of the fat acceptance movement, who feel that this kind of legislation is a form of discrimination. There is also concern of just how the state will go about judging who has made an effort to become healthier and who has not, leading some to believe that the initiative will be administered too subjectively to be effective.
Do you think Georgia should start charging its overweight state employees a “fat tax”? Is this a form of workplace discrimination or a tough love move to help save lives?
If you do want to shed the pounds, there are many success stories around. Check out some of them.
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No meetings and no work schedules: No kidding!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You go to interview for a job and the hiring manager states that there are no meetings, and no set work schedules. You can come and go from the office as you please, you can work from home or while on the beach as long as you get your job done. You are judged by your results, not the amount of hours you put on the clock.
No, you are not dreaming. Welcome to the world of ROWE, which stands for “Results Oriented Work Environment.” Best Buy is perhaps the best example of a corporate workplace putting this system into practice. This article in Business Week outlines the steps the company took to successfully roll out ROWE across corporate headquarters, and plans are to implement the system at stores as well. The article states that “Since the program’s implementation, average voluntary turnover has fallen drastically, CultureRx says. Meanwhile, Best Buy notes that productivity is up an average 35% in departments that have switched to ROWE.”
Proponents of ROWE state that by focusing solely on output and allowing employees more freedom to work the way that is most effective for them, management will see an increase in productivity and a boost in staff morale. Of course, more traditionally-minded bosses fear that by not being able to keep a physical eye on their staff, many may slack off and not get the job done, and that teamwork will suffer with a staff that is scattered geographically.
What do you think about ROWE? Would you like to see this system of working implemented at your job?
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Being nickeled and dimed by your co-workers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So you are keeping up with surging gas prices, plummeting home values and worsening unemployment rates, but your co-workers are already bringing in their children’s gift wrap catalogues. What is appropriate? Is it optional? OF COURSE IT IS OPTIONAL. Half of your answer is in how it is delivered. What if you don’t buy from your boss’s daughter’s class, does that automatically put you on the bad side of your boss? It is a difficult position to be hit up by co-workers and even more so when it is your boss to spend your hard earned money to support a High School or Girl Scout troop. We have all been sucked in a time or two, but what is the best strategy to support your friend without getting a second job to afford it? I think the answer is simple, you do not have the money and you support the Girl Scouts or the area schools in other ways. It is important to be professional and reject the newest offer with style.
Coworker plea: “Will you buy gift wrap?”
Your answer: “No, I buy gift wrap after each Christmas to save money.” This will let them know that you are cost-conscious.
Coworker insists: “This gift-wrap is so much better than the store-bought kind.”
Your answer: “It may be the best gift-wrap, but my budget doesn’t allow for these purchases without discussing these choices with the family. Maybe next year.”
The tough one: Girl Scout Cookies
How you should respond: How about you are watching your weight (or otherwise trying to improve your health) and you are not purchasing any cookies at this time. You cannot control yourself with Thin Mints, so you can’t buy them.
No matter the question, you should be nice and professional and explain that it is not in your budget. Most people respect that. It is not a good time to spend carelessly and most people will respect that decision.
Have you had to deal with co-workers who are constantly trying to help their kids sell stuff? How did you get out of it?
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Do good parents make good co-workers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sarah Palin’s choice to run for Vice President of the United States while being the mother of five children, including a special needs infant, has created a lot of discussion on AJC blogs this week. Yesterday, MOMania approached the subject from the mother’s perspective. But let’s now look at this from the opposite side. How does a working mother’s (or father’s) choice to balance their parenthood and their career impact those around them in the workplace?
I have worked at jobs where employees without children were constantly having to pick up the slack for those staff members who were parents. “Sue had to leave early because her son Timmy is sick, can you close the office instead?” Or “We have to reschedule the staff meeting, John is going to be late because he has to take his daughter to a doctor’s appointment.” Or an exhausted co-worker would show up late and say to their colleague, “You’ll have to do the presentation. I can barely keep my eyes open, I was up all night with the baby.”
These employees were particularly annoyed that they were always expected to cover for their absent co-workers without complaint, as if management never considered they would have anything important going on in their personal lives just because they were childless. The parent that skipped out of work frequently for child-related reasons seemed to think they were entitled to this privilege, and no one should question their motives. This crippled the teamwork and trust that is needed to make any workplace successful.
Have you had co-workers that seemed to abuse their parental roles in the workplace and forced others to pick up their neglected job duties? How should bosses confront these situations?
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Do you use your PTO wisely?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many U.S. employers have lumped all employee benefits (sick, personal, birthday, etc.) days into a single bank called “personal time off” (PTO) or discretionary days. This initiative was to help employees create a better balance between work and their personal life.
Before PTO, using your sick days for reasons other than being sick was an integrity issue. The real beneficiary were those who never missed a day of work for being sick.
PTO allows you take off from work to care for a sick child, spouse and parent or attend the parent-teacher conference, without being penalized.
It’s okay to use these days to clean out the garage or extend your weekend, assuming you don’t run out of days when you may really need them.
To keep your attendance record on track, be sure to bank those extra days and save them for the real emergencies. If you have PTO or discretionary days, use them wisely.
As an employee, would you rather have separate sick days, vacation days and personal days, or do you like all of your days off lumped together into PTO?
