Disintermediate. Recontextualize. Envisioneer. You’ve got to give business executives one thing: They love their jargon. Clinging to their buzzwords like Leo DiCaprio to a life raft, there are managers out there who seem to enjoy a squirt of dopamine every time they use a verb like architect (yes, as a verb!) or interface. Throw in some adjectives like constructivist, interdisciplinary, metacognitive or inquiry-centered, and then tack them on to nouns like bandwidth, convergence and methodologies and you’re well on your way to a minor stroke as you try to process the message lurking behind all... view article details

In 1982, the Village Voice started the trend of offering domestic-partner benefits, or benefits an employer voluntarily decides to offer to an employee's unmarried partner of the same or opposite sex, to its employees. The cities of Berkeley and West Hollywood, Calif., followed suit in 1985. And since then, about 3,500 employers - including nearly one-fifth of Fortune 500 companies - have offered domestic-partner benefits, according to Kim Mills, education director for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay and lesbian political organization.'[The trend] really took off in the IT sector in ... view article details

January is Prime Job Hunting Time---But You Might Be Surprised to See Who's Applying 'This year I will find a new/better job.'It is perhaps the most popular New Year's resolution, right up there with losing weight, quitting smoking and going back to school. Whether it's unemployed people trying to find their way back to the workforce or those who are currently employed attempting an upgrade to greener pastures, as the calendar turns to a new year many people set their sights on job-hunting.But before you start networking and hitting the job boards, check out the results of our recent ... view article details

How does the new generation of workers transform itself into leaders? In her new book, Becoming the Boss, Lindsey Pollak offers Generation Y readers advice to help them grow from team members to team leaders not only in the organizations they work for or the startups they run, but also personally, in managing their own careers. Pollak is here to share some of that advice, with special angles for introverts.NA: What got you to write Becoming the Boss?LP: I wrote my previous book, Getting from College to Career, to help young professionals succeed in landing their first jobs out of college. I ha... view article details

If we can take anything away from the world of marketing and advertising, it’s that the right spokesperson can make or break an organization. Enter Kayla Tucker Adams, a public relations executive with more than 13 years of experience. She began locally through education, expanded nationally through non-profit, and has now garnered global reach working with CNN, CBS, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Huffington Post, and Associated Press among others. She is the Director of Public Relations for T.D. Jakes Ministries, the second largest church in the country.Adams attended Prairie View A & M, a histor... view article details

The purpose of insurance is to protect people against financial disaster when they are unable to earn a living because of sickness or injury, or to give their dependents some type of income after they die. Whether to purchase insurance is an important financial decision about protecting one's earnings and lifestyle.Many companies pay the entire insurance premium, or pay up to a certain amount of coverage. Some employers require waiting periods, where for example an employee may receive limited benefits for the first year of employment and additional benefits on each anniversary of the start da... view article details

Are your workplace words and actions fun and harmless, or are you violating federal laws? Since people have various thresholds of what is appropriate and what is not, the answer is rarely black and white.This article explores seven scenarios that are at the very least inappropriate, but at their worst can eventually lead to loss of employment, an eroded reputation, and sometimes even legal action.Having a good time You like to knock back a few beers with colleagues after work.Having a few too many and donning the proverbial lampshade won't be good for your rep and it certainly won't p... view article details

Why Do Workers Jump Ship? “I’m so sick of this job. I swear, this year I’m outta here!”It’s a safe bet we’ve all been there at one point or another, as the decision to actively search for a better job at the start of a new year is a fairly common one – especially considering salaries only rose a total of 4% from 2008-2012. But have you ever wondered what kind of workers decide to leave, why they want to jump ship, and how often they’re out there beating the bushes for job leads?We surveyed more than 1,300 people to find out more about the current mindset and attitude of American worke... view article details

Don't Be Short-Sighted Life in 2013 moves fast. Some would say too fast. Our tweets are only 140 characters, social videos on Vine max out at 6 seconds, and we’d all like to get six-pack abs in just a few minutes. What surprises some job-seekers when they learn about salary negotiation, is that sometimes the entire conversation around your future compensation is wrapped up in just a few short minutes, but can have a lasting impact for years to come.If you’re not prepared, it can fly by in an instant. If you don’t have the right approach, you leave money on the table.Here are two cruci... view article details

Health benefits concern the physical well being of employees and their families. Broadly speaking, this could include such things as medical coverage, dental and vision insurance, prescription drug plans, certain types of disability coverage, and counseling services, often called employee personal assistance programs (EAP). You might also have a flexible spending account, which allows you to pay for certain medical and dependent care expenses out of pretax dollars.Dental plansDental plans come in almost as many forms as regular healthcare coverage. Basic dental coverage usually has categories ... view article details