Dear Annette,It's about the office refrigerator. What can I do?EwDear Ew,Thanks to the artistic and janitorial exertions of an army of excruciatingly fastidious People, my kitchen refrigerator is an illuminated heaven of champagne, caviar, and assorted nail colors, plus the occasional foil sculpture concealing a savory ort for my dog Dickie. Naturally, his water bowl must be chilled before use as well.Refrigerators were an excellent idea in their day, but really, do we still need them in this economy? These days, I wouldn't be caught dead eating groceries. Even when I entertain, the food is fr... view article details

Achoo!Dear Annette,Our manager keeps coming into the office when he is obviously sick, such as when he has an awful cold. We don't want to get what he has. How can we get him to stay home?Sick of ItDear Sick of It,Ah, the miracles of droplet infection. Just one tiny sneeze gone awry, or a revolting tissue placed for nary a second on a common surface, and all of you will be singing the same song, complete with a chorus of choking gasps, honks, and other noises. It is never fabulous to contaminate others, particularly if the company is planning to institute a 360-degree review process soon.Your ... view article details

Q. I've accidentally come into possession of a confidential printout of my fellow employees' pay rates. After reviewing it, I've come to the opinion I am being well underpaid. In the near future I am up for review, which always is nothing more than a formality for a decision already made. What are the possible legal ramifications of possessing this information? How, if at all, may I ethically use this information to my advantage?A. Above all, be very careful.Since you found the information, I would not use it when discussing your salary with your manager nor your HR department. Unless your cow... view article details

How to Quickly & Easily Implement a Remote Work Policy You’ve read all the stats about telecommuting. You know that while it’s a crucial component of creating a work-life balance for your workers, allowing them to work from home is an even bigger benefit for you as the boss. But if all of your employees have worked in the office up until now, you may need a little assistance in order to get your program in place. Here’s how to create a work-from-home program within your company. Work From Home Policy 1: Trust Your Employees In theory, you know that allowing your staff to telecommute is ... view article details

Everyone's had mornings when they'd rather stay in their bunny slippers and gloat at the traffic reports while sipping coffee and working from their "home office." But in the past (let's call it the dark ages), some bosses considered "working from home" a euphemism for "doing errands" and only allowed it in the event of major plumbing or medical emergencies. Fortunately, progress in technology has made it possible to stay in your PJs and also be productive. Here's a surefire way to get even the most stubborn boss to let you give "teleworking" a try. Staying home is not just for snow days anym... view article details

Did you know employers sometimes pay a premium for the right education and experience? Or that you might be able to earn more by doing the same job in a larger company? In fact, these could be some of your strongest negotiating points in your next performance review, job interview, or request for a promotion. Employers typically adjust their market data when determining how much to pay a specific employee to do the job. In other words, they price the "space" - the position in the organization - before they price the "face," or the person doing that job. After they determine the value of the p... view article details

The rise of technology has led to growing concern over surveillance in the workplace. Monitoring employee productivity is not a new trend, but tech has given new breath to Orwellian skepticism about who is watching and listening – and to what extent. In many cases, surveillance policies are addressed in the onboarding process, but it’s important to be aware of the basic legalities and modern trends involved. Workplace Privacy: Legal Basics In the U.S., The Federal Privacy Act and Electronic Communication Privacy Act each address privacy rights at large, but there are no federal laws which expl... view article details

Salary Benchmarking Is a Vital Tool When Hiring Employees Salary benchmarking, also called compensation benchmarking, is the process by which internal job descriptions are matched to external jobs with similar responsibilities to identify the market rate for each position. When creating a new position complete with job responsibilities and a corresponding salary, it is important for those working in human resources to perform these market assessments and salary comparisons efficiently and accurately. Many factors such as geographic location, company size, and education level factor into th... view article details

Awkward But Necessary It may be one of the hardest conversations you’ll have to have with your boss.Asking for a recommendation can certainly be stressful, awkward, and a bit unpleasant. After all, you never know what your boss’ reaction might be to the news that you’re essentially looking to leave the company. But if you’re in the market for a new job, you’ll inevitably need a referral from your current jefe.Here’s how to ask your boss for a recommendation.4. Be Realistic If you’ve been showing up to work day in and day out and being a model employee, asking for a recommenda... view article details

You Only Get One Chance to Make a Good First Impression Finding a great job can be a challenge. But once you land that dream job, you need to realize the real challenge is still looming in the distance.Sure, take a moment to pat yourself on the back and celebrate getting hired. Good for you! But if you want to lay the groundwork for short- and long-term job success, you can’t relax and become complacent.It’s possible to get your future co-workers to take notice of you before you even start your new job. You can confirm why you were chosen for your position without stepping foot in the... view article details