Survey Results Show Employees Crave At Least Some Structure When It Comes to Dress Codes Dress codes are, and always will be, a hot topic that gets fairly contentious in a hurry. Employers need to spend considerable time pondering office dress codes---whether or not to have one, what is permitted/prohibited and how to implement it---and consider the kind of work environment and image to project. Depending on your company and your personality, there are many factors to consider. For instance, if you're opening a beachside surf and skate shop your dress code will likely be much more informal tha... view article details

Dear Annette, One of my colleagues stutters. How should I handle this with him in the office? What if we are making a presentation together or doing an important conference call? Hesitant Dear Hesitant, For all you know, your coworker may be staying late at the office, composing his own letter to Me, far more worried about your discomfort than about his level of fluency. If my People were that ... view article details

They Didn't All Win Oscars, But These Work-Related Movies Hold a Special Place in Our Hearts And the Oscar Goes to... The nominees for this year's Academy Awards feature whimsy and fantasy, wartime adventures and family dramas. These movies may be praiseworthy, but they largely lack any perspective on the things that occupy most viewers' daily lives: impersonal cubicles, tedious commutes, the chances of promotion. We, therefore, have assembled an alternate list of deserving films that offers a peek into what it is to be a worker, striving for career advancement and negotiating all the hurdl... view article details

Tips on Utilizing Alcohol to Sterilize Your Working Place The coronavirus has been threatening people's physical and mental health for the past few (and predictably following) months. As of March 26, 2020, there have already been over 82,000 cases in the United States. While some cities in serious situations have mandated workers to work from home, people in other areas still need to go into the office to work. People in the United States have started to take various protective measurements to keep themselves safe. Alcohol is a very commonly used weapon against the coronavir... view article details

Identify Bad Employees Before They Become a Major Problem Coworkers will occasionally have arguments. This is unavoidable and most of the time can be worked out with minimal effort. But if a formerly stellar employee is suddenly the subject of multiple complaints, and you hear his/her coworkers constantly grumbling, then you may have a problem employee. As a business owner and/or manager, you work hard and spend a considerable amount of time and money on hiring the right people. Prior experience, references, and whether or not the person will fit into your company's culture are all thing... view article details

Looking for a job depends on where you start. You do things differently if you are looking for work while you have a job than when you don’t. You use one approach if your employer is hitting a rough patch. It’s a whole different story when you’ve just graduated from college (and which college seems to really matter). It’s another story when you are reentering the workforce or shifting careers. Where you are in your professional development plays a role. While it’s wonderful to think that recruiters will come hunting for you while you are gleefully enjoying your current gig, that doesn’t often... view article details

The old adage says that curiosity kills the cat, but luckily, it won’t kill your co-workers. Unfortunately, not all employees agree that curiosity is encouraged and rewarded on the job. According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review which surveyed more than 23,000 individuals – including 1,500 C-Suite leaders and 16,000 employees – there is a discrepancy about the frequency and perceived value of curiosity among C-level executives and lower-level employees. The following chart represents the estimated percent of C-Level employees (red) and other employees (blue) who agreed wit... view article details

The only way to truly get the life you want is by taking positive risks and planning a strategy for doing so.'Unlike negative risks, which are typically impulsive and emotionally driven, positive risks are calculated,' says Gail McMeekin, a nationally recognized creativity and HR career coach (www.creativesuccess.com). 'You must think them through, and anticipate what could happen,  before you jump.'Choosing to find a mentor to help accelerate your career is one way of taking a positive risk.  Develop “a road map” by first deciding if you want the mentor to be someone inside the company... view article details

The California budget crisis has been a headline fixture for a while, but now that higher education students and faculty are beginning to feel the heat of the latest budget cuts, education has jumped to the front of the news. Because of the cuts in the higher education system, many are acting out through protests to show their anger, while others are wondering what their next option could be. The New York Times reports that in the past two years, California has made over $30 billion in budget cuts, one of the largest cuts has been higher education. The California state schools have seen $2.8 ... view article details

Beautiful? Brilliant? Bathing? Though he won't disclose what the B stands for, the secret of Philip B. is Botanicals. This 37-year-old, self-described medicine man turns ordinary and extraordinary ingredients into deliciously scented luxury liquids for hair and body.As an aspiring hair expert, Philip suffered a childhood injury chasing the cat down the stairs for a 'haircut.' By 14 he was already working at a salon, and it wasn't long before his name started gaining recognition. But it wasn't enough.'I wanted to live in LA and be a hairdresser to the stars,' he said. With two twenty-dollar bil... view article details