Every day should be a holiday. Yet, at work, only certain days are. At the end of the year, many employees look forward to extra wages, or paid time off, around the holidays. Let’s discuss how employers calculate holiday pay accurately so they can compensate you fairly. Every Day Should Be a Holiday In the United States, employees are not required to be paid during holidays. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employers as a whole provide compensation to their employees for an average of 8 holidays per year: New Year’s Day Easter Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day... view article details

Earning a promotion is one way to move up the career ladder -- but it's not the only way.Even if an upward move is not in your near future, there are steps you can take to increase your earnings.This article explores 14 ways that can help you collect a bigger paycheck.Increase your education Earning a certificate, an advanced degree, or taking classes in your field can translate into higher earnings.Check out classes and programs at your local colleges and universities, as well as online distance-learning programs that allow you to earn while you learn.Also be sure to check out Salary... view article details

Doing More With Less Many Americans work more than one job – either because they want to or because they have to make ends meet. But when we asked more than 800 people if they worked multiple jobs, we meant something a little different.As part of our ongoing effort to keep our finger on the pulse of the mindset of American workers, we wanted to determine if employees are being asked to do more these days. With most companies still recovering from the recession and subsequent layoffs, the workers who survived were asked to do more than ever. And even though hiring has improved in many ... view article details

Being Able to Name Your Own Salary Might Sound Good, But It's Harder to Do Than You Think Picture yourself in the final stages of your job interview. Everything so far has gone fantastic. You've passed the screening of HR in the first round, met your future manager and totally connected, and have spoken with several other team members. The job is a great match for both your skills and your personality. The executive across the desk from you is thrilled, saying you're their ideal candidate, and is ready to make you an offer. The only thing left to talk about is salary. The mere thought of the c... view article details

You Can Be Introverted & Excel at Public Speaking Recently, after I gave a presentation, a few audience members came up to me and insisted that I couldn’t possibly be an introvert (could, too!). Why? They said I was “on fire”—fully engaged with my audience. I was giving a workshop on public speaking, and had a ball helping make such a universally feared activity accessible, and even fun.Like many introverts, even though I need my quiet time to get fueled before and after a presentation, I enjoy being in front of the room, engaging with audiences. How can you do that? The trick is to t... view article details

Engagement is King Whether your audience is a roomful of caffeinated convention-goers or a lone gatekeeper to potential employment, your first task is engagement. Those initial seconds will either open a pathway or lay the first bricks of a wall — and unfortunately, it's easy to unwittingly build barriers.So how can you better forge connection with your audience instead?As a reformed speech class dropout who grew into public speaking and radio/TV interviews, I'm prime proof that engagement skills can be learned and improved upon. Presentations and interviews represent high-pressure co... view article details

Can You Learn from Your Cell? Back in the dark ages when cells were molecular and phones were for spoken communication, it may not have been simple but it was predictably segmented. Tasks were sequential, not simultaneous. People could disappear for minutes at a time and emails could languish undetected for whole afternoons when a recipient was off grid. Smartphone technology created expectations for increased and untethered productivity, because they allow us to engage in extreme multi-tasking. But, how well do you do it? Is your smartphone-ish office efficiency truly effective?Find ... view article details