Here Are Some Things Your Boss Never Needs to Know About You or Your Life Keep Personal Info Personal Discrimination in the workplace is illegal. It's also despicable and certainly not anything we condone. In an ideal world, the details of our personal lives wouldn't matter nearly as much as our performance and productivity on the job. But the cold, hard truth is employers may still make decisions based upon details of an employee's life. From judging workers based on Facebook photos to thinking twice about promoting someone with kids or a chronic illness when another employee is free of ... view article details

Some Situations Present a Compelling Case for Taking Less Money Less Can Be More Just a few decades ago, the thought of taking a pay cut was preposterous. A history of a steadily climbing paycheck as you advanced through your career, gaining experience and promotions, was seen as proof that you were on the right track. The idea was "more, more, more" and if the number of zeroes dropped, so too did your standing. Times have changed. Today, salary ups and downs are seen as par for the course. Given the unsettled economic environment, the only rule about salary is that there are no rules. In a... view article details

There are many reasons for wanting to quit a job. In Salary.com’s 2007/08 Job Satisfaction Survey released earlier this year, respondents who were unhappy in their current job felt they were underpaid, not given opportunities to advance, not adequately recognized, bored, and not given access to learning opportunities leading to career advancement. Given individual circumstances, these may be legitimate excuses. But when do you know you’ve really reached the breaking point? How do you know that the time is right to say good bye? Here are six possible scenarios:You really are underpaid! ... view article details

'Thank you for your Salary Wizard. I had no idea what people in my line of work made until I checked out Salary.com. I used the info on your site to ask for a raise and I got it. Thanks!'We get a lot of emails like that one from people who use our site to find out what their job pays. That information allows them to better negotiate a starting salary so they can earn more money. Money which then gives them the ability to do things like buy a house, get married, start a family and begin saving for retirement. And it all started with our free Salary Wizard.But don’t thank us. Thank Brian.Brian C... view article details

How do you promote yourself while adding value to others? How can you do so successfully across generations?I just had the pleasure of chatting on Twitter with personal branding guru Dan Schawbel, bestselling author and managing partner of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm. Schawbel and I tweeted about what he describes as “the new rules in the new workplace” in his latest book.Check out what he says about taking your career into your own hands, differentiating yourself, and targeting your audience.(In case you don't use Twitter, the @ symbol before our names is just th... 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

Job descriptionParalegals are responsible for handling a variety of tasks and providing support for the lawyers they work for. Under the direction of an attorney, they work to resolve routine legal issues. They help lawyers to research laws, judicial decisions, articles, treaties, and other legal documents that can be applied to cases. They may also be responsible for preparing written reports to assist lawyers in handling cases. Paralegals hold an organizational role in coordinating the activities of the law office and its employees, and also in the filing of financial records and case docume... view article details

It’s your cubicle. You even have a nameplate. So it’s your personal space, right? Not really. It’s more like a seat at the dinner table than a room in the house.In other words, any sense of privacy is an illusion. Treat your office space with respect if you want to be taken seriously in the workplace. You want to keep your job? Avoid doing any of these 15 inexcusable activities at your desk.Personal grooming As annoying as that little snag in your fingernail or chip in your polish may be, resist the temptation for an on-the-spot fix. Oh sure, it will just take a moment. But before you... view article details

Be Sure to Consider Your Entire Compensation Package When Negotiating Employer Won't Budge on Base Pay? Try Elsewhere You’ve gone through several rounds of interviews and have finally landed the job of your dreams. The problem is; your dream job doesn’t come with a dream salary. But before you pass on the position, there are many non-salary benefits that you can negotiate. Combined, they might make your potential position seem quite palatable. The good news is these benefits come at a low -- or no -- cost to your company. Here are the top ten benefits that you can and should ask for during ... view article details

These days, when organizations are downsizing in an effort to 'right size,' it's more important than ever not to melt into the crowd at work.Whether your goal is to keep the paychecks coming at a steady rate or to advance your career, you'll have a better chance of being successful if you're viewed as indispensable.This article explores 14 ways to ensure your organization can't live without you.1. Be noticeable Introduce yourself to others, say hello and ask how co-workers are doing, and never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone on a deeper level. You're d... view article details