ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > October
October 2008
Are you taking off work to go vote?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Because of the massive early voting turnout, Atlanta companies are feeling the impact of their employees missing hours at work in order to vote.
Georgia law requires employers give staff up to two hours off to vote on Election Day, but employers can specify which two hours workers can use to vote and the provision doesn’t apply to people whose work schedule begin at least two hours after the polls open or end at least two hours before polls close.
If the massive crowds during early voting were any indication, the wait time to vote may be much longer than two hours on Tuesday. Is your company being understanding about allowing you time off work to go vote? Do you think the law should be changed to better protect a worker’s opportunity to vote, especially during record turnouts like this election has created?
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How far have women in the workplace come since 1943?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We are in the midst of a historical presidential election, one that featured Hillary Clinton putting up a tough fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, and one that could make Sarah Palin the first female vice-president in U.S. history.
So women have come a long way. But how far has the “fairer sex” come since 1943? Transportation Magazine published this incredulous Guide to Hiring Women 65 years ago. It is indeed true, according to Snopes. What were some of the more interesting recommendations on dealing with women in the workplace back then?
“Husky girls tend to be more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.”
“Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions.”
“Women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them but they lack initiative in finding work themselves.”
“Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. A girl has more confidence and consequently is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.”
Do you think there are any elements of truth in this hiring guide that still apply in today’s world? Has conditions for women on the job improved since 1943, or does today’s woman just face a different kind of discrimination in the modern workplace?
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How to outsmart on-the-job pranksters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just in time for the Halloween season, Chandra Fox gives tips on how to deal with those co-workers whose “tricks” are getting out of hand.
We all love the funny employee, but where do you draw the line? A comment to you from a co-worker such as “1960 is on the phone and want their clothes back” about your vintage outfit is funny, but not always. The jokes become less funny when it comes to your co-worker stealing your office supplies and rearranging your desk for laughs. There is a time and place for everything and when you are trying to close a new account or you have a lot of work to do, it may not be so funny.
Who wants to be the bad guy? Nobody! So you have to figure out how to handle the prankster at work without ending up with more pranks or seeming like “Goody Two Shoes.” Here is how. Talk to the prankster alone (they thrive in an audience) and let them know that you have a system to allow you to maintain organization and when all the things on your desk are hidden, it makes your job harder. Tell them you would really appreciate it if the prankster could leave the things on your desk alone. What do they think? Doable? If you speak up, the prankster is more than likely going to back off, simply because of the direct confrontation. Pranksters do not typically like being called on their pranks.
What if the pranks do not stop and you’ve tried everything? If you have tried directly confronting the prankster and it has not worked out, it may be time to involve the boss. Maybe you ask the boss if you could meet with them. In your meeting, let your boss know the pranks that have been played on you and how they have affected your work performance.
Document, Document, Document! It is important in today’s workplace that you document the conversations that you have had with the prankster and then the conversation you had with your boss when unfortunate situations arise at work. Date and time stamp each conversation. Then write a follow-up on what happened after each meeting - for example: “Bob” has not had pranks in 3 days. On day 4 - your stapler was in jello. Bob was laughing and asked what flavor of jello you like best.
So look on the bright side, your co-workers have a sense of humor, but now you must manage this sense of humor. Be sure that you take the proper steps to ensure the prankster and pranks are handled properly. Go as far up the corporate ladder to solve the problem. Nobody should have to bear that at work everyday.
What’s the worst prank a co-worker has pulled on you? Did you laugh or did it make you mad?
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Do you have a good boss?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In honor of today being National Boss day, let’s talk about what makes a good boss. Some common traits of good bosses includes the ability to communicate effectively, showing respect for employees and clients, and engaging the staff fully.
Do you have a good boss? For those that supervise others and manage companies, what characteristics do you think are essential in order to be successful?
And for those that don’t like their bosses, according to a recent Adecco survey, it sounds like most of them wouldn’t take their bosses job if it were offered to them. Would you?
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Office parasites on the prowl
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During these tough economic times, office parasites are on the rise. Freelance blogger Chandra Fox discusses how to handle those pesky office moochers:
We all know them. If you don’t know of a parasite in your office, is it you? Here is how you can identify the office parasite. These are the co-workers that take home leftovers from office parties, do not offer to pay for gas money when they carpool on any ride, always complain (stealing energy of others counts) and the tab is always short when this office parasite is in the mix.
Manage the Situation: To effectively handle an office parasite, there is not much to do about stopping them from taking home leftovers. But you can ask them for money before you drive anywhere, ignore the complaints and tell them you like to stay positive and not discuss office politics and proactively calculate each person’s contribution for a tab that comes up short. Manage the situation head-on so you don’t become a mark.
Be Professional: If you can handle the office parasite with class, it will stop happening. To confront the office parasite is never a good idea. Defensive won’t even begin to describe the situation you will find yourself in. People all know when one person is taking more than their fair share. If you just don’t allow the situation to involve you or your money, you will find yourself happy at work when it comes to co-workers. If you start arguments or gang the office up against the parasite, it will take too much of your energy.
Hang in there. After handling the office parasite with professionalism and class it should create less stress on you.
Have you ever had to deal with an office parasite? What worked in your situation?
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Should the government cap executive pay?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Wall Street bailout plan contains provisions that are intended to reign in the hefty executive salaries of companies who participate in the government’s bailout plan. While the wording is vague enough to allow for savvy corporate minds to exploit (look what the AIG executives did after accepting the bailout), the idea is to stop rewarding executives of failing businesses, something that seems to be quite popular with the general public who are struggling to pay their mortgages and buy gas.
Critics question the idea of the federal government imposing salary limits on employees from the private sector. As Steve Schippert states, “Laws on minimum wage are one thing, but putting a government imposed ceiling on earnings in a capitalist free-market economy smacks of class warfare and incremental socialism.” Derek Loosvelt, Vault.com’s global finance editor feared that there could be a domino effect, impacting salaries at companies that are not even participating in the bailout plan, and decreasing the earnings of those further down the corporate ladder.
What are your feelings about the federal government’s plan to limit the executive salaries of companies that accept the bailout deal? Is the federal government overstepping its boundaries, or do you support limiting the salaries for these executives who have allowed their companies to fail?
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Do you debate politics at work?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a recent ajcjobs cover story, two Atlanta lawyers who vocally debate politics at the office are profiled. As the election season heats up, so do people’s passions about the candidates or the party they support. For some, political convictions are as sacred as religion. At work, it is almost inevitable that water cooler talk will turn to politics. Problems arise when these types of discussions turn into heated arguments that can erode relations between co-workers and decrease job productivity.
Do you discuss political issues while on the job? How should management handle those employees with deeply held political beliefs that wish to express their opinions in the workplace?
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Are you a daylighter?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you work a second job on company time? Then you are a member of a growing segment of the workforce called daylighters. Some people squeeze in work on side gigs during their full-time job to have extra spending money. For others, the faltering economy has made juggling multiple jobs necessary.
I was a daylighter once, where I worked at a tedious cubicle job that nevertheless paid most of the bills. I took on a side gig that didn’t pay enough to do by itself, but allowed me to begin a career path more suited to my skills and desires. I mainly worked on it at home, during the evening and on weekends. But on slow days at my regular job, I would check emails and do other online work related to my side gig. The funny thing was, despite not exactly giving 110% on the regular job, I was consistently near the top of my department for quality and quantity of production. I did this for years, and never got caught. Eventually, because of my dedication to my side gig, I was able to find a full-time job in that industry, and gladly gave up being a daylighter.
What do you think of people that try to work on outside gigs while being on the clock for their main job? Would you report daylighters at your company to the boss?
