Sometimes It's a Good Thing NOT to Negotiate Salary There Are Times to Play It Safe A common misconception about negotiation is that it is all about winning -- always asking for more money at every opportunity, always getting the largest possible salary, always getting the highest possible job title. While devising intricate strategies, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, and determining a plan of attack can make the process of negotiation seem very much like going to war, the reality is that it is a series of battles throughout your working life. As the general in char... view article details

Getting Respect from Bullies to Bosses Ever feel like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield -- that no matter what you do at work you just 'can’t get no respect?'From the bully in the cubicle next to you to a boss who seems oblivious to your accomplishments to the people reporting to you who are loathe to make any tough decisions themselves, your day at the office carries more baggage than the annual Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws. Yet every moment of the day when we are interacting with other human beings, there is an opportunity -- if not a pressing need -- to assert our influenc... view article details

The REAL Reasons You're Not Getting Hired On average, resumes are received 200 seconds after being submitted. Once a hiring manager lays eyes on it, he/she will spend anywhere from 5 to 7 seconds reading it before making a decision to pass it on or trash it. If you haven't been getting any callbacks, it's likely you're ending up in the trash. But why?Look, let's start by admitting the hiring process is an imperfect and sometimes unfair science. Companies could see hundreds of resumes for a single opening, and since time is of the essence hiring managers have no choice but to quickly w... view article details

What If Moms Were Paid? Maybe it’s an increased commitment to battle the gender wage gap, the rise of female breadwinners, or women heeding the call to “Lean In.” But whatever the reason, Salary.com’s annual “Mom Salary” survey was more popular than ever and created some great insights in 2014.But before we begin, we need to stress something. This is not an exact science, nor is it meant to be. We understand no one survey could ever truly encapsulate what a parent does, and many mothers disagree that what they do is a job. We don’t do this to demean or devalue mothers – quite the oppo... view article details

Q. As a salaried exempt supervisor, I have been given more than 40 hours of work per week, had pay cuts, and not been treated well in general. Now my employer is requiring all the salaried exempt employees to use the time clock. My understanding is that when you punch a timecard, you become an hourly employee. Is that true?A. Use of a time clock does not make a job nonexempt. A job's exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is based on a number of criteria, such as job content, scope and responsibility, latitude, and the job's impact on the organization.Before a job changes exemption... view article details

Q: Should there be a difference in wages between a part-time employee and a full-time employee doing the same job?A: In general, there should be little to no difference in pay between part-time and full-time employees, particularly when the employees are performing the same job with the same skill sets.It is possible for a full-time employee to make more money if the person has more experience than a part-time employee. And often, employers expect more from full-time employees than they expect from employees who work less than 40 hours a week. Even if a full-time employee is paid more money, i... view article details

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

Here's Everything Your Assistant Wants to Tell You But Can't Administrative assistants (aka executive assistants, or secretaries if you're stuck in the Mad Men days) are essential for any successful business to run properly. They epitomize the phrase 'in the trenches' because they're the ones getting their hands dirty by doing all the things that need to be done that no one else can do quickly and efficiently. All the creative planning and brainstorming is great, but it's the administrative professionals who turn pie-in-the-sky pipe dreams into reality.But because they're so reliable ... view article details

Men and Women, Work and Life As we enter the time of year between Mother's Day and Father's Day, Americans also find themselves caught in the middle of shifting norms when it comes to gender, work, and life.Men still earn more money than women, but more women than men are graduating with college degrees. The last few years have seen vastly more men laid off from their jobs due to the economy, while more women than ever before are entering the workforce. On the homefront, stay-at-home parenting duties are no longer strictly relegated to women. The number of stay-at-home dads is rising ... view article details

Our Office Dress Survey was Revealing We asked about office dress codes and boy did you answer. Loudly. Nearly 4,600 people responded to our survey and proved dress codes are, and always will be, a hot topic that gets fairly contentious in a hurry. Dress codes---whether to have them, what clothing should be allowed/prohibited and how to implement them---will all vary depending on the atmosphere of the individual companies. A small beachside surf and skate shop will likely be more informal than three-piece suits worn by employees at a Fortune 500 company. But whether yo... view article details