Valentine's Day at Work: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue -- Keep Both of Them to Yourself on Feb. 14 Valentine's Day is a Double-Edged Sword Valentine's Day. Perhaps no other holiday evokes stronger feelings from both the lovesick and those entirely sick of love. Sure the celebration of holidays at the office can be fun. After all, you're still sporting that certificate for "Best Costume" at Halloween. But if management wanted you to make a big deal about Valentine's Day at work, they'd have handed out a list of names and asked you to decorate a card box for your desk just like in the fourth... view article details

13 Best Business Books to Boost Business Acumen Think you need an MBA from a top school to gain business smarts? What follows is a list of the 13 best business books, some old, some new, to have you thinking like a top business major in no time. Even if your career isn't focused on business or entrepreneurship every employee can use tips and advice from business experts and thought-leaders to be a better worker. Check out these titles to boost your business acumen and possibly improve your life. 1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. C... view article details

Taking a business trip is often part of the job. You may even enjoy the trip, but that doesn’t make it a vacation. Business travel is considered work time. And when thinking about the business travel compensation and reimbursement you’re owed, you should understand what you’re entitled to. Responsibility for Reimbursing Business Travel Expenses When employers think about business travel compensation, they typically begin by putting reimbursement guidelines in place so employees know exactly what they can (and cannot) expense. Business travel expenses can fly out of control in a hurry, and empl... view article details

Putting Interests Like "Alligator Wrestling" Helps You Stand Out & Land Job Interviews Standing Out is Key Like many hiring managers across the country, several years back I was faced with a common scenario: A stack of resumes a mile high for a single job opening (in this case, an entry-level QA technician). First of all, the stats you hear are true -- you really do only have a few seconds to make an impression with your resume. As I quickly scanned the resume of an applicant named Joe, things were looking good. He had held jobs that were relevant to the position, he had a strong educationa... view article details

You've Gotta Want It! Has your gym lock been repurposed for use as a paperweight? While it might be quite effective at holding down all those 'must read' memos, it looked better dangling from your gym locker. Remember? The gym? You first wandered in months ago. Hopeful. Resolved. You made promises. Signed papers. And bought a lock.Sure, it’s tough to fit in fitness. Especially in the dead of winter with crowded gyms full of people clinging to their New Year's resolutions and temperatures that make working out outside more than a little icy. Not to mention the fact that your job may re... view article details

The start of a new year is always a good time to set new career resolutions. No matter where you are in your career -- entry level, mid-career, or nearing retirement -- there are always new challenges to tackle and goals to meet.Make this year the year you shine at work and make some long awaited changes. Here are 15 resolution ideas to help make this the year you get ahead.Resolution 1: Conquer a fear Is there a pesky fear that's holding you back at work? Think about what that may be costing you. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking, it may be costing you opportunities to... view article details

Is Transparency Good or Bad? Transparency is one of the most misunderstood concepts in executive circles. Clear to all ranks however, is the notion that a perceived lack of it can have a crippling effect on a leader’s reputation.Consider both current U.S. presidential candidate and incumbent, on the issue. When the latter, Barack Obama, took office, his Administration promised that it would be 'the most open and transparent in history.' All evidence to the contrary, say prominent critics who point to the government’s alleged disappointing track record in processing Freedom of Informat... view article details

Is it time for a tablet? Think about how much paper you use at your job on a daily basis. You print out emails and spreadsheets, take notes during meetings and fill out forms which are then shipped across the office.But all three tasks can now be accomplished using tablet computers which saves time, increases productivity and ensures at least a few more trees will remain standing.Top Productivity Apps for Going Paperless Apps like Documents To Go and Quickoffice® Pro allow you to open Microsoft Word (doc) files or Microsoft Excel (xls) files. You can also “print” to an Adobe ... view article details

Last year, a Boston-area high-tech company saw its stock plunge from a record high of $58.75 on January 20, to a low of $1.13 exactly 11 months later in November. One employee, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, exercised 1,000 options at $10 a share when the stock reached its peak. With April 16 nipping at her heels, she still owns the shares. Imagine her terror upon learning that the spread of $48.75 multiplied by the 1,000 shares - a total of $48,750 - is subject to a parallel tax system called the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, at a rate of up to 28 percent. Even though her ... view article details

With sites like Salary.com employees have access to the equivalent of a Kelley Blue Book for jobs. The availability of online compensation information has leveled the playing field between employer and employee when it comes to negotiation and job offers. Employers who are confident in their pay practices should welcome these new data sources, as they provide external validation that their compensation is competitive with the market.Before there was online salary data for everyone, disappointments and disconnects like these were common.* The irrelevant request. Employee: I need 10 percent more... view article details