The Eye of the Beholder David's office looks like the interior of an English country house: oriental carpets, antiques, and walls covered in pale blue silk damask. "This environment is intended to resemble the types of interiors in which my clients live," said David, a dealer in Old Master paintings and drawings at a gallery in New York City. For window shoppers, the gallery maintains street-level showrooms. Collectors willing to drop from $250,000 to $12 million ring the unmarked doorbell and are shown upstairs to private viewing rooms to see objects selected just for them. "We find extraordi... view article details

Dear Jack,After 25 years working for same company, I still only get 2 weeks a year paid vacation. I take no sick days off and I work overtime, but this year no vacation? Or not one sick day and my four 10-hour workdays have turned to five 10-hour days -- sometimes as high as 14 hours -- and I don't get overtime? What are my rights here?? After 25 years do I get my vacation pay because I did not get a day off?? I'm not sure this is a matter of 'rights.' While two weeks vacation is almost universally acknowledged as the minimum vacation time, even that is at the discretion of your employer, and ... view article details

                        One of the biggest challenges facing employers is recruiting and retaining qualified, dedicated employees. Over the past decade, with unemployment levels low and the economy doing well, one of the ways businesses in many industries were recruiting the best possible talent and keeping those employees happy was by offering stock options. For the first time ever, the trend extended not just to top-level managers and executives, but to people throughout the organization.As a result, the ability to participate in an employee stock option plan became an integral part of many ... view article details

Going Out With a Bang We’ve all been there.You’re at a job you no longer enjoy. In fact, some days you can barely muster up the will to drive to work. The mere thought of having to deal with your awful boss and plod through the drudgery of Monday morning seems to loom over you and ruin your entire weekend. In short, you hate your job. And you’ve decided to quit.But how do you plan on doing it?Most people give the standard two-week notice in writing. But for a select group of employees who didn’t feel the bare minimum was good enough, quitting also became a matter of sending a message.... view article details

Employees versus independent contractors. Sometimes it's difficult to know what camp you fall into as a worker. But when you consider health benefits, compensation and tax purposes, knowing the differences between the two is an absolute necessity. But what exactly are the differences between employee status and being an independent contractor? Our salary expert, Jack Chapman, has your answers.Question: When am I considered an employee and when am I an independent contractor?Answer: You’re an independent contractor when you have services you sell to a company. The biggest difference concerns wh... view article details

It's mom appreciation time Of course there's no putting a value on the myriad responsibilities in a mom's day. Between all the listening, teaching, cleaning, cooking, driving, fixing, loving and lecturing she does on any given day, every mom is absolutely priceless.That said, it is nice to know one's worth, and we're not talking in messy kisses, macaroni necklaces, dandelion bouquets or Popsicle stick frames. We're talking in cold, hard cash.You might be surprised at what moms would be making if they received a paycheck every week.For all you do, this survey's for you At Sala... view article details

Gambling isn’t just for Las Vegas and Atlantic City anymore and that means the jobs aren’t confined to those two casino giants anymore either.You might say the casino industry is spreading the wealth.According to a 2013 study by the American Gaming Association, there are 39 states with some type of casino gambling whether its commercial casinos or Indian gaming. And there are other states, like New Hampshire, looking to deal themselves in.In 2012, the year covered by the AGA report, 332,075 people were employed in commercial casinos across the country accounting for $13.2 billion in wages. In ... view article details

Workers Are Negotiating Less Often We love all things salary negotiation. It’s our business, our passion, and the reason our company exists. But it’s not enough for us to love it, we need you to love it as well.Unfortunately, many of you aren’t convinced of the importance of negotiating your salary.For the last few years we’ve conducted a survey to determine how often people negotiate, when they negotiate, and why they’re afraid of negotiating. It culminates in our annual Salary Negotiation Week, in which you can pick up some great tips on salary negotiation tactics. This year, we sur... view article details

So, you taught your dog to catch a Frisbee and your parrot to squawk 'Loser!' when your brother walks into the room. Well done.The rewards of animal training are many -- ranging from the obvious advantages of a puddle-free house to the potential 15 minutes of 'stupid pet trick' fame on Letterman.  But it goes both ways. Our pets also model valuable behaviors worth emulating, such as loyalty, trust and affection. Are you learning, Teacher? Consider what pet traits are worth following and which demand avoidance in the workplace. Here are a few....Old dogs can -- and should -- learn new tricks ... 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