When my wife and I began to gather receipts and other scraps of paper for our taxes this year, I called our long-time accountant with a routine request for an organizer to help us make sense of all the numbers. 'I already sent it to you,' the accountant hissed. But no matter how disorganized my wife and I may be, we knew we had not received that vital piece of mail.I called her back a few weeks later with a follow-up query. 'I don't really have time to handle individual tax returns this year. I've got all the business I need,' she snarled. 'I can't find any trained people to help me.'And so, w... view article details

Should Managers be Facebook Friends with Employees? Signs Point to No. How often do you check out your own page? You might be surprised by how many applications have permission to create updates on your behalf. Your employees can see the high score you got in Bejeweled and all the crops you watered in Farmville during the last staff meeting. They also know all about celebrity gossip you read on Yahoo hours before your lunch break. The manager and employee relationship can be precarious. Keep your subordinates off of your Facebook page if you don’t know how to deactivate your notifications. Fac... view article details

Let Common Sense Dictate Your Sick Leave Policy Depending on the philosophy your company takes, the issue of sick leave can be pretty contentious. Do you keep your sick days separate from other time off? Do you hire someone specifically to track it? Or do you lump sick leave and vacation days into one big bucket labeled “paid time off?" Do you allow workers to bank sick time and get paid for it, or is it “use it or lose it?” And that’s not even considering short- and long-term disability for workers with chronic illness. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? But the good news is there’s a solu... view article details

Damn, did ol’ Bagsy Boonswagler from accounting bring in that delicious Oreo pie again? Hey, you can’t blame him. It isn’t just Bagsy who’s contributing to the plethora of unhealthy, yummy – and free – snacks in the workplace. 22% of working adults consume an average of 1,277 calories per week through free food and drink on the job, according to a unique survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That accounts for 71% of all total calories consumed at work. It’s no surprise that the free goodies found in vending machines, common areas, at social events, and after meetings tend ... view article details

It’s almost time for our Canadian friends to grab some Mountain Dew and Little Debbies and dust off those DVDs of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle – recreational marijuana will soon be available nationwide. The Cannabis Act Bill-C45, more commonly known as The Cannabis Act, was passed in the Senate last week and is expected to go into effect on October 17th. The measure specifically allows the possession, growth, and sale of marijuana for adults, though some provinces have unique regulations. Quebec and Manitoba, for instance, are banning home cultivation entirely. Hiring Sprees: As the Mar... view article details

All Hail the Chief(s)! This article has been brought to you by the letter “C.” If you see a “C” next to somebody’s title on a business card, you’ve most likely met a person of some importance. But, have you ever wondered about how much C-Suite executives make? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of seven average annual “chief” salaries to give you an idea of how much these big wigs make annually, on average. 1) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Median Annual Salary: $754,713 CEOs are responsible for the short- and long-term profitability and growth of their company. They organize leadership and... view article details

Do you work in the retail industry? If you’re curious about various roles in the retail space and how much employees in these kind of roles earn on average, you’ve come to the right place. Using Salary.com data, we provided the average salaries of 10 jobs in the retail industry. We also provided job description summaries so you can determine if your skillset matches up: 1) Retail Cashier What you’ll earn, on average: $22,735 What you’ll do: Maintain cash register and rings sales in accordance with established procedures. This person also processes returns, refunds, and exchanges, and closes ... view article details

The American Time Use Survey was developed by the Department of Labor and conducted by the Census Bureau. Established in 2003, this study collects information about the things Americans do each day, such as work, household activities, educational pursuits and leisure activities and how much time we spend doing them. While the study looks at American households, Salary.com decided to take a look at this data from a different perspective – men vs. women – and some of the findings are pretty interesting.At Work According to the survey, employed persons worked an... view article details

When I talk with chief-chiefs of major-major corporations about joining my extremely expensive Partners in Fabulousness program, I know they will have just one question: How could we live without you?It would take more than generally accepted accounting principles to detract from my flair for making each individual corporate officer believe that of all the stars in my firmament, he or she shines the brightest. I just wear my Cazal sunglasses to the meeting so my prospective clients can admire themselves in the reflection, and before long even the most curmudgeonly executive is signing the cont... view article details

There’s a single, crucial skill that will prove incredibly valuable throughout your career. It’s not learning how to code, being a great public speaker, knowing how to dig into financials, or being blessed with the ability to sell anything to anyone. The key skill you need to have is the ability to adapt to change.Programming languages change, new accounting rules come out each year, and whom you speak and sell to fluctuates over time. But if you’re able to continually adapt to a new environment, you set yourself up for success throughout your career.The same goes for negotiating your salary. ... view article details