It's Showtime, Folks! Picture yourself in your office, feet up, remote in hand, watching a movie on your company-provided, state-of-the-art entertainment center. Are you goofing off? No, you're doing your job. For film studio executives, watching movies on the job is just the beginning. Studio executives live and breathe movies, day in and day out. They read scripts every night and take home as many as ten or more every Friday in a ritual known as Weekend Read. Their meals are paid for, because they dine out morning noon and night with agents, managers, other executives, writers, directors, a... view article details

Is it a dream of yours to have a job that pays over six figures? While many say money doesn't buy happiness, it can certainly alter a person's lifestyle. Although it depends on the location of the job and other factors, certain occupations are known for paying much more handsomely than others. According to Salary.com data, here are 10 jobs that pay out the "big bucks." We've also provided job descriptions for each one so you can decide if any of these jobs sound right for you to pursue.   1) School Principal: $103,217  A School Principal directs and oversees education and teaching programs for... view article details

Will Increasing the Minimum Wage Hurt or Help Employees & Businesses? For many American workers, minimum-wage employment was a temporary, teenage condition, as we bussed tables or answered phones or cleaned rooms for tiny paychecks before moving on to more financially rewarding work. However in 2011, 3.8 million American workers -- most of whom were out of their teens -- earned the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour or less, according to estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And recently, debate has heated up about whether the government should raise the minimum wage, increasin... view article details

"Insourcing" Means Employers Are Finding It Less Expensive to Have Employees Stateside It's a familiar story: labor costs get too high, so management decides it will be best, in the long-run, to send jobs to another country. Only this time, the story has a twist ending. It is China – long considered an oasis of exceedingly cheap workers – that is losing jobs and the United States that is gaining them. Over the past two years, several major and not-so-major companies that had been outsourcing work to China have decided to bring some of the jobs back to the U.S. The trend -- often called "reshor... view article details

As pay equity becomes an increasingly pertinent topic in HR circles and American culture at large, pay transparency has received particular attention as a way to help eliminate the gender and racial wage pay gaps. In the U.S., aside from federal laws pertaining more broadly equal pay, pay transparency statutes differ by state and are relatively underdeveloped. Since pay transparency is still uncommon in American jurisprudence, folks may be surprised to learn about pay transparency trends overseas. Here are four initiatives occurring in some of the most affluent countries in the world: Norway, ... view article details

Pay Yourself Right When Being Your Own Boss The dream of working independently is a reality for almost 10 million people in the United States, or roughly 10 percent of the workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rewards of self-employment include independence from supervision, the ability to set your own hours, and the satisfaction of knowing you are writing your own ticket. And yes, if you want, you can often work in your bathrobe. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you go. With an up-front investment of a few thousand dollars in a computer, bandwidth (telephone,... view article details

Performance reviews present an opportunity for employees to demonstrate their accomplishments and distinguish themselves and their value to the organization. It is important to maximize use of this critical tool, as it has significant impact on pay, professional development, and job security. Here are ten tips to make the annual performance review work best for you, while also making it easier on your boss to write you a terrific review: 10. Know Your Role During Performance Review If you are uncertain about any aspect of your job, seek clarification. A great place to start is a detailed list ... view article details

Performance reviews present an opportunity for employees to demonstrate their accomplishments and distinguish themselves and their value to the organization. It is important to maximize use of this critical tool, as it has significant impact on pay, professional development, and job security. Here are ten tips to make the annual performance review work best for you, while also making it easier on your boss to write you a terrific review: 10. Know Your Role During Performance Review If you are uncertain about any aspect of your job, seek clarification. A great place to start is a detailed list ... view article details

The modern war for talent is marked by competition for highly-skilled workers. Companies know that a robust vacation package, remote work flexibility, and summer Fridays can appeal to all those darn millennials. But perhaps organizations shouldn't draw the line at these common work-life initiatives. Psychological evidence widely shows that shortening the 40-hour workweek altogether will increase productivity and employee engagement. Organizations Breaking with Tradition Earlier this year, New Zealand-based trustee company Perpetual Guardian took the working world by storm when it experimented ... view article details

Discouraging predictions of lower salary hikes coupled with a tough job market have increased the already growing number of people returning to school. Numbers have been steadily growing because of increased educational requirements in the job market and the fact that on average a higher level of education translates into a higher annual salary. Salary.com's calculations for 2003 placed bachelor's degree holders at an average salary of $43,000, and master's degree holders at $53,000 (see earnings chart below). Therefore many professionals assume it is logical to go back to school, just as many... view article details