News

Are Half-Day Fridays Good or Bad During a Recession?

by Rigel Celeste on Aug 6th, 2010

The tradition of checking out early on Friday afternoons, especially in the summer months, is still going strong in many offices, but it's a habit that has started to annoy some bosses as layoffs and cut-backs have left companies running leaner even while the recession makes business so much more competitive.

But although early Fridays might not always be great for business they offer something valuable to staff: extra time off to recharge and the feeling that they're getting something back in exchange for all their hard work. But is the trade-off worth it? Some bosses are banning half-day Fridays in an effort to boost productivity while others are continuing to support the tradition for the very same reason. It's a conundrum with no easy answer.

How do Fridays work at your office? Has anything changed due to the recession?

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Wallstreet Cracks Down on Profanity (Poll)

by Rigel Celeste on Jul 30th, 2010

Goldman Sachs has issued a warning to its employees (all 34,000+ of them) that swearing and profane language in company emails is not okay and will no longer be tolerated. The crackdown was prompted in part by one infamous email written by Thomas Montag in 2007 that was used as evidence in a Senate hearing and contained the sentence "[B]oy, that timberwo[l]f was one s- deal." That's hardly the only example of profanity in company communication, though, as swear words and vulgar language are surprisingly commonplace among Wall Street execs.

I knew they were amoral and greedy but I had no idea they were so unprofessional. Letting a swear word slip during a casual conversation with a colleague is one thing, but typing one out in an email? That's just immature.

Goldman Sachs has installed screening software to enforce the new "sanitized communications policy" and even naughty words spelled out using asterisks and other symbols will be off-limits. What are your thoughts on this issue, should it be okay to swear at work or not?

Should swearing be okay at work?
Yes. A swear word here and there is no big deal and everybody should just relax.	9 (40.9%)
No. Profanity is unprofessional and has no business in the workplace.	13 (59.1%)

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News

Business is Better, So Why Are People Quitting in Record Numbers?

by Rigel Celeste on Jun 11th, 2010

In February of this year the number of people who voluntarily quit their jobs outnumbered those who got fired or layed off for the first time in 15 months, marking the end of the longest streak since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking ten years ago. So why the sudden switch? Experts cite two causes: first the turn-over that naturally happens when people move on to explore new opportunities and further their careers was put on hold due to the recession, and second the lay-offs and penny-pinching measures that many companies adopted during the recession has caused low morale and high job dissatisfaction. Basically the recession caused a backlog of dissatisfied, unhappy employees waiting for the even the slightest improvement in the market to signal it's okay to finally strike out and try something new.

It's a trend that will likely continue as confidence builds and people feel they have options -- in a strange twist of logic the more business improves the more people will be quitting their jobs.

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Intern-al Division: Interns and Your Job Stability

by Stephen Lytle on Apr 5th, 2010

Hypothetically you are a manager, work is backing up, your division's budget is being cut, and you still find that you need to bring in more talent to keep up with demands and meet expectations. What do you do?

Well, if you are one of many managers being criticized across the country, you "employ" college students and unpaid interns to earn college credit at your company while completing menial tasks and earning no actual pay. In a recent article by The New York Times, Steven Greenhouse delivers the details of this shake down and uncovers that many employers are being investigated by the Labor Department for violating minimum wage laws and illegally using unpaid internships as free labor.

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Career Advice News

As the Recession Continues So Does the 'New Graduate Curse'

by Rigel Celeste on Mar 16th, 2010

It's no surprise that new college graduates are having trouble finding work -- everybody is. But what might come as an unpleasant shock to some is just how long that trouble could last. It's called the "new graduate curse" and in a recession this severe it could mean those entering the job market for the first time will be stuck making less money not only now but well after the recession is over -- maybe for up to a decade or more. The problem comes when new grads are forced to take lower paying, less skilled positions as they wait for the job market to improve, which leaves them wasting valuable months and years on menial tasks instead of staying sharp and developing the important skills they'll need when a good job eventually comes around. Recessions effectively stunt the growth of new graduates and can leave them running to catch up for years to come.

There's no one good solution for avoiding this phenomenon, although some go to graduate school and 'skip' the recession job altogether while others go into public service or a volunteer type position where they might not make much money but gain great experience. Either way, wish our 2010 graduates good luck.

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Career Advice News

Drug Store Giant Walgreens Will Purchase NYC Duane Reade for $618M

by Barbara Safani on Feb 18th, 2010

The corner of Duane Street and Reade Street in New York City will never be the same now that Walgreens has announced plans to purchase Duane Reade, a New York-based drug store chain for $618M. While Walgreens plans to operate Duane Reade stores under their current name and keep their senior management team, they do plan to merge the two brands and that could mean layoffs for some employees. Now's the time for Duane Reade employees to start evaluating their future with Walgreens and making some decisions about their career. If a layoff is in the cards for Duane Reade employees, or others faced with similar M&A activity, here are some things to consider.

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Job Hunting Tips News

Distraught Job Seeker Kills Employment Agency Owner

by Barbara Safani on Jan 29th, 2010

A man who was looking for help from an employment agency but was turned away, was recently accused of fatally stabbing the agency owner in her apartment in Flushing, New York. According to the police, the suspect previously served time for assaulting the victim and had multiple restraining orders taken out against him. Police believe that he held a grudge because he was unable to find a job.

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Average Salary Increase for 2010 Drops to 2.5 Percent

by Barbara Safani on Jan 21st, 2010

According to a recently re-released World at Work Survey, the average annual salary increase is down to 2.5 percent, .a 0.3 percent decrease from the original forecast of 2.8 percent a few months ago. So how will employers continue to reward performance in light of these paltry merit increase budgets? Here's what you can expect to see.

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News

Cool Jobs in IT/Engineering

by Barbara Safani on Jan 7th, 2010

Just found this cool new job posting with Major League Baseball Advanced Media Group in New York! What could be more fun than iPhones and baseball? Check out the description below.

Job Description

The Senior iPhone Engineer will work with a group of engineers responsible for mobile client applications on platforms including iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry. Initially this engineer will have a concentration on the iPhone platform, but the right person for this role will be deeply comfortable with technology and willing and able to move between domains.

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News

First Day, Where's Your Desk? If This Was It, You Would Know

by Stephen Lytle on Jan 5th, 2010

So you went through the extensive interview process, landed the job, and now you are looking for you work station. Maybe you are a fresh grad stuck in the cubicle oasis or possibly a higher level candidate with a plush office with some extra cash to spend from that signing bonus. What better way to make an impression on your first day of the job then to provide your own state of the art workstation.

I am pleased to announce the discovery of the mother of all Workstations, The Emperor 1510 will set you back about $5,000 not including shipping , but oh God is it worth every penny. Emporior Scorpion shape, adjustable keyboard tray, LED lighting, adjustable foot rest, steel frame, tilting capability, the list goes on...

If you are going to work some long hours, then do it in this and make a statement.