You are an entrepreneur and your company is you.  Your paycheck is the revenue generated from the services you provide your employer.  Like any successful business, you want to maximize your revenues and retain the customer – in this case, your employer.  This is achieved by providing high quality service and charging a fee that is competitive and worthy of the value provided.  Put simply, you want to get paid what you are worth. To accurately assess your fair market value, start with reliable employer-reported pay data like that found on Salary.com and follow these three steps: Match your... view article details

There was a great episode of Cheers long ago where the dim-witted Woody was duped into accepting the higher title of “Senior Bartender” over a pay raise. (For those under 30, Cheers was a sitcom in the 80s and Woody was played by Woody Harrelson … you know… that guy from True Detective and Hunger Games).Maybe it’s because I somehow saw my future-self helping others negotiate, but even at the young age of 19, that scene really struck with me. After all, who could possibly want something as insignificant as a higher title, when the bottom line of money is what they were clearly looking for?Well,... 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

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

I sometimes tell a story in my presentation about the sales guy who persisted over several months to get an appointment with a corporate buyer. Regardless of how hard he tried he could not get this woman to make the time to see him. She was a 'Master of the Universe' in the cosmetics industry based in New York City, and doing business with her could do wonders for any company or career.Sales Guy (yes, it was a man and his gender is important to the story) managed to get through to the gatekeeper who, after all his months of trying, came to appreciate his persistence. And from this gatekeeper, ... view article details