Do I Get Paid If We're Closed For The Blizzard?

Your entitlement to pay for snow closings depends on state law and whether you are exempt from overtime

Donna Ballman

You get the good news that your office is closed due to the big (if not as big as expected) blizzard and you don't need to cross country ski your way in. While it's great to have a snow day, it's tough if you're living from paycheck to paycheck. Do you get paid if the office is closed due to snow?

Whether you're entitled to be paid when the office is closed depends on whether you are "exempt" salaried or not. I normally say it's best to be hourly so you can get overtime pay. Many employers intentionally misclassify employees to avoid paying overtime. While it's great to get overtime pay, in the case of weather and emergency closings, it's probably better to be exempt. Here's what you need to know about getting paid during a weather closing:

Exempt employees: If you're exempt and you worked any portion of the work week, your employer has to pay your entire salary, whether or not the workplace is closed for a natural disaster such as snow, hurricane, or flood. Fair Labor Standards Act regulations state, "If the employee is ready, willing and able to work, deductions may not be made for time when work is not available." This would include natural disasters, so if you are able to work after a blizzard then you must be paid even if you didn't work any portion of the week. If you can't get there on time or have to leave early due to the blizzard but the office is open, they can't deduct for any partial days you worked.

Vacation time and PTO: The company can deduct from your vacation time or PTO for the time taken. However, if you have no accrued vacation or PTO time available, they still can't deduct from your pay if you're exempt.

Non-exempt employees: If you are non-exempt, then your employer doesn't have to pay for the time the office is closed. However, if your company takes deductions and you're a non-exempt salaried employee it may affect the way overtime is calculated. If you report to work after a natural disaster, only to find out that the workplace is closed (assuming they didn't notify you), then your state law may require some pay.

State by state: New York law and District of Columbia law require the employer to pay you at least four hours of wages. Massachusetts and Rhode Island require three hours of pay. New Hampshire requires two hours minimum pay for showing up. New Jersey and Oregon laws require the employer to pay you at least one hour of wages. Other states that have some requirements for pay if workers report for duty as scheduled include California ( 2- 4 hours) and Connecticut (only certain industries, 2 – 4 hours). If your state doesn't have such a requirement, maybe the arctic blast is a good time to talk to your state legislators about protecting employees.

Who Is Exempt?: You're not exempt unless you fall into very specific categories. For more about whether or not you are correctly classified as exempt, check out my column, Salaried Workers, Do You Get Overtime Pay? Odds Are You Should!

If you're stuck in a blizzard, contact your supervisor or manager as soon as possible to find out whether or not you're expected to go in to work. If you can't get in touch with anyone, then only go in if it's safe for you to do so.      

The Three Colors Of A Job Hunt

Why grey is more than just a pin-stripe suit

Rhona Bronson

There are essentially three ways of being in a job hunt – actively looking for a job, not looking for a job, and inactively looking at what's out there. Most time and attention is spent on the first two, but it's the third – inactive job seeking - that can yield the best, most surprising and awesome job opportunities.

Of course when you're unemployed, laid off, in a bad work situation, or in a train wreck industry you should be actively seeking a new job. This is the time you're registered on job boards, writing and rewriting your resume, tailoring cover letters, and constantly scanning options. Then, there are those of us lucky enough to be in good jobs, happily employed, or those who have decided to be out of the work force, or given up the search. These people are not looking for a job, even if they sometimes fool themselves into thinking they are.

So who are the third type of job hunters – the inactive seekers? These are people finishing up their first or second or third year in a first job, those who have hit a ceiling in their current jobs but still want to grow, or those who feel bored by now doing the same job again. Many are happily employed, but would welcome an opportunity to do something new if the opportunity presented itself.

But opportunities rarely just pop up out of the blue, so how do people inactively seek a job? A few ways:

Regular Scanning of Job Listings. Even after I became employed in my latest position, I never stopped all the automated job feeds that came to me via email. When I was actively looking I got several feeds daily. Now that I'm happily employed, I get 1-2 of my favorite feeds weekly. The exercise keeps me sharp about what's available, the currently requested skill sets, and how I need to continue to grow in my current position so I'm always employable should the worst ever happen.

Selective Networking. When unemployed, active job seekers go to many networking events. Once employed, smart career professionals continue to network, just less aggressively. They can be more selective on the networking sessions, and pick the more expensive seminars that truly help them improve themselves, provide skill training or updates. This again positions a person to have a stronger network when and if they become unemployed and need to start actively asking for references, leads, and ideas on new employment.

Association Profiles. Recruiters look for employees several ways including association rosters in both professional and trade associations and by digital profile searches. Smart employees keep their profiles up-to-date including latest wins on major projects, and make sure they stay affiliated with active clubs and professional groups.

Seminar Attendance. Similar to Networking and Associations, seminar attendance puts you out in the world speaking to people interested in the same things. It helps keep you fresh in your current job, and sometimes even leads to a new one. I once lost one of my best young employees when he went to a seminar in Philadelphia on a detailed programming topic. After asking a few pointed questions, a few managers from a hot publishing firm made sure to swap business cards with him. Several phone conversations and one interview later he was offered a new job that paid much more and gave him new challenges that I couldn't match. He didn't go to the seminar looking for a job. He went to improve his skill sets, but his passion for the field and thirst for knowledge made him stand out in the crowd to his next employer.

Opening Side Comments. When you meet someone at a cocktail party, networking event, or any type of meeting, engage with your fellow participants. Just by commenting to someone that their job "sounds interesting" can lead to new opportunities. Frequently the other person might respond, "Wow, I had no idea you even liked this stuff." Just by admitting that you're happy but interested in new things can open doors you never thought existed.

Taking the Meeting. One friend was recently asked to consider a job at a competitive company. He's happy where he is, but he took the meeting, because as he admits, "You never know." He quickly stopped the interview process when he confirmed the competitive company was not for him, but not before exploring what they might offer and thanking them for the consideration.

The old saying remains that those employed are in the best position to be offered the next job. The unsaid part is that the next job offer is likely to go to someone who wasn't even "officially" on the market,but was curious enough to hear about a new challenge. In some fashion, they were inactively keeping job ideas and opportunities in their peripheral vision.

Job hunting, like most things in life, is never just a black and white endeavor –not looking at all (black), or actively looking (white). Instead, many jobs are found in the grey areas -- meetings, seminars, through unexpected, dropped comments, or a reference by someone who just sees you in a new spot they've seen. Never ignore the grey areas. Sometimes the rosiest and most amazing positions are hidden and can be found there.    

Bag The Commute, Work From Home

Telecommuting jobs are going mainstream at last

Carol Kopp

Don't try to read this while you're stuck in rush-hour traffic, but we've got good news for you: The decades-old promise of bagging the commute to work from home may be a reality at last.

FlexJobs, an online job search company which focuses on telecommuting opportunities, reports a 27 percent increase in the past year alone in the number of postings for remote jobs.

And, it has a list of the top 100 companies to watch for remote opportunities in 2015. Predictably, tech companies like Amazon, at number 4, take up a fair number of slots in the top 100. But the range of skills in demand for remote work, and the companies that need them, is surprisingly wide.

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Health Services Professionals

With increasing demand for home health care visits for the disabled and elderly, companies that provide them are looking for people to work in the field, and from home. Insurance company Humana, with over 50,000 people on staff, has offered telecommuting jobs to licensed registered nurses, home care providers, social workers and related professionals. Other big companies including Aetna, UnitedHealth Group, HealthFirst, Health Net and CVS Caremark are on the list, too.

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Educators

The growth of online education is providing opportunities for instructors who want to work from home part-time. Kaplan, number 6 on the list, has a million students on its rolls worldwide and employs more than 30,000 teachers to coach them, many of them working remotely on flexible schedules. At the higher-education level, Western Governors University, number 35, offers courses that are "independent of time and place" for instructors as well as students. Several other institutions of higher learning, including the University of Maryland, make the list, too.

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Government Work

Even the federal government is catching up with the trend. The U.S. Department of Transportation offers telework opportunities for air traffic, railway and highway safety inspectors as well as desk-bound jobs in finance and analytics. The Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture also look for flex workers.

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Customer Support

In today's world, "customer support" covers a wide range of tasks, from hand-holding buyers of new gadgets to direct sales to debt collection. Those jobs increasingly are available with a remote option. Number 2 on the FlexJobs list is Convergys, a global management company that serves big clients seeking to outsource some or all of those functions. The venerable Kelly Services has branched out from its temp-secretary roots to provide short-term services in a wide range of professions. It's number 5 on the list for remote job seekers.

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New Tech

Well, duh! America's biggest technology companies are practicing what they preach when it comes to home office productivity. It's no shock that Amazon is a top innovator, at number 4 on the list. The company has customer support specialists working from home as well as from its many fulfillment centers. IBM, at number 8, hires people around the globe to provide its technology consulting services.

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Executive-Level Jobs

Clearly, many companies are getting over their need to keep their employees under management eyeballs at all times. In fact, another study from FlexJobs, of the most surprising work-from-home job listings of 2014, is littered with high-level titles like chief operating officer, chief executive officer and senior staff attorney. They may have to offer telecommuting to get the best candidate. A report from Inc. magazine indicates that eight out of 10 people would work from home at least occasionally, if given the chance.

Words To Remember

If you're looking for a job that allows telecommuting, there are certain search terms that you should keep in mind. If your skills fit the bill, any of the following job titles could trigger a response, according to FlexJobs: consultant, case manager, sales representative, engineer, marketing manager, account executive, interpreter/translator and developer.

In case you're wondering, FlexJobs practices what it preaches. It's a "virtual" company, and all of its employees work remotely.

Want to see the top 10 companies hiring remote positions? Click through below.

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10. Westat

1/10

Westat is an employee-owned statistical survey research corporation in Rockville, Maryland, providing research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments.
Sample job titles: Senior Study Director, HR Generalist, Clinical Research Associate
> Find a job at Westat

10. Westat

1/10

Westat is an employee-owned statistical survey research corporation in Rockville, Maryland, providing research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments.
Sample job titles: Senior Study Director, HR Generalist, Clinical Research Associate
> Find a job at Westat

Put Google to Work for Your Job Search

Learn to speak Google's language

Susan P Joyce

Google can find job opportunities with specific employers. It can also help you find additional employers who might be good places for you to work.

Google searches and indexes millions of web pages every day, but it doesn't index the whole web every day. So, doing your search every day can show you very different results.

Speak Google's Language

Google is very smart when you know how to help it understand what you want. Here are some tips on speaking the language called Google.

To search on a phrase -

Often your query will include a phrase, like a job title. When that happens, enclose those words inside a set of quotation marks like these job titles:

"medical assistant"
or
"guest services representative"

Without the quotation marks around the words in a phrase, Google will think that you want results with the words scattered anywhere on the pages it finds.

To request pages containing more than one term -

To require Google to find more than one term or phrase on a webpage, add the word AND, in all capitals, in front of each additional term.

So, assume we want to find a job as a medical assistant. To find medical assistant jobs, use this query:

"medical assistant" AND job

Then, Google's search results will include pages that have the phrase "medical assistant" plus the word "job" on them.

If we wanted those medical assistant jobs to be in New York City, we could combine our query terms like this:

"medical assistant" AND job AND "New York City"

To have Google eliminate pages which contain a specific term -

Perhaps our search results contain many part-time jobs, and we're interested only in full-time jobs. So how do we eliminate those part-time jobs? We put a minus in front of the phrase "part-time" like this:

"medical assistant" AND job AND "New York City" -"part-time"

Or, if you want New York City but not the island of Manhattan
"medical assistant" AND job AND "New York City" -Manhattan

As usual with Google and punctuation, don't put a space between the minus sign and the term to be excluded.

To have Google choose pages which contain one term or another term -

Sometimes a job title or skill or location can be described using more than one term, and you want to see all the pages that might contain any of those terms. Or perhaps you are considering two different jobs, and you want to see every page that contains one job or the other job.

For example, the job title "medical assistant" may be spelled completely or abbreviated as "medical asst" on a webpage. Or, possibly you are considering jobs as a "medical assistant" and as a "medical coder" which are completely different jobs.

Use Google's "OR" function -- all caps, again -- and clearly show Google which terms you want by putting your "OR" statements inside a set of parenthesis. Your search query would look like this:

("medical assistant" OR "medical asst") AND job AND "New York City
or
("medical assistant" OR "medical coder") AND job AND "New York City
or
("medical assistant" OR "medical asst" OR "medical coder") AND job AND "New York City

You can combine several terms, as in the last example above, before Google gets confused.

To have Google help you find target employers -

It's smart to have a list of employers where you might want to work, and Google can help you with that too. Start with an employer you know you want to work for. For example, assume you want a medical assistant job at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.

To have Google search one specific website -

If you want Google to search an employer's website (or your favorite job board), add the word "site" followed by a colon and the site's domain name, with no space between the word "site:" and the search term!

To search for jobs only at MGH, first we need to find the domain name for the hospital.

So, we do a search on the hospital's whole name, like this:

("Massachusetts General Hospital" OR mgh) AND Boston

When we look at the search results, we see that the hospital's domain name is MassGeneral.org.

Now we can tell Google to look only on the MGH website by doing this search:

site:massgeneral.org AND "medical assistant" AND job

Again, no space between "site:" and "massgeneral.org."

To have Google find similar websites -

If, as in our example, MGH was one of your target employers, Google can help you quickly find similar employers, too. Simply type in this query:

related:massgeneral.org

Type in "related:" followed by the domain name of the site you want Google to use as an example of the websites you want it to find. Again, no space between "related:" and "massgeneral.org."

Now you can apply the site: search to those sites, too, to find even more jobs.

For more help fine-tuning Google searches, check out the options on Google's Advanced Search page. Google can be much more useful than we think -- when we take the time to learn its language.    

How To End An Interview On A Strong Note

Learn the art of questions that leave them wanting more

Rhona Bronson

There are many tricks to a strong interview, but the one most frequently overlooked and underutilized is the final question. This is rarely the question an interviewer asks you. Instead, it's the question you ask the interviewer. Unfortunately, in many cases, prospects make the classic interview mistake of missing this opportunity to make a strong, lasting impression.

Here's how many interviews end. The hiring manager's last question is:
"Do you have any questions for us?"

An all too common reply is: "No, you answered everything. Thank you for your time."

Wrong response.

Here's why: You just shut down the conversation. The only thing left is a handshake. Instead, if you could have used the opportunity to to learn more about your fit with the company and better position yourself to be the candidate of choice.

Great post-interview questions can serve many purposes. They allow you to:

Show Your Research. Businesses like people who are interested enough to know something about their industry or marketplace. You can start a question by making a statement such as: "I saw online that your company is looking to expand into ..... Do you see this position being involved in any way, and if so how?"

Show Interest. Interviewers want to know that you understand the challenges ahead and are able to meet them. One way to use the last question is to dispel any questions about your fit. This could start with repeating something mentioned in the interview. "We discussed XYZ earlier, could you expand on that problem a bit and let me know what skills you feel are most important to meet that challenge?" Then, when they list the skills wanted, you have another follow-up opportunity to let them know you have those very strengths!

Gain Insight. You don't want to accept a position that is doomed for failure. You can ask a question that gives you insight into potential success. Here's how: "What do you think are the most important things to accomplish in the first 30 days of the job?," or "A year from now, what would have happened for you to feel that the new person in this job was very successful in accomplishing your most pressing challenges?"

Display Expertise and Exude Enthusiasm. Similar to other questions, this type of ending lets you make a statement before asking a question. "I'm very excited about the job as presented, particularly because of what you said earlier about ... I faced a similar challenge when.... and approached the situation with a collaborative management style. Do you feel that type of style would be effective here, or would you prefer a different approach?"

The ending interview questions -- the ones you ask the interviewer instead of vice versa -- allow you to leave a strong lasting impression. Have more than one question in your quiver and never wing it. You should go into every interview with at least 3-5 questions that can be mixed or matched as needed. Just because you have a list doesn't mean you need to ask them all, but it gives you flexibility to decide which question is most appropriate given the tone of the interview to that point. For instance, if one of your questions was completely answered in the interview, your list of backup questions can easily be put to good use.For ideas on end-of-interview questions, check out How to Make a Lasting Impression at Job Interviews Using Questions.

Experts note that last impressions are important due to something called the recency effect, where people remember what happened last over any earlier impressions. As fellow AOL Blogger Jeff Lipschultz, wrote on recruiter.com:      

5 Tips If You're Job Hunting For the First Time in Years

Advice from a woman who did it successfully in her mid-50s

Next Avenue

By Beverly Mahone

In September 2013, I made a tough decision to return to corporate America after a seven-year hiatus, since trying to make it as an entrepreneur didn't quite turn out as I hoped it would.

When I left the news business, I was in my late forties. Now that I'm four years shy of 60, I see that so much has changed and I am learning how to adapt.

I chose not to return to my chosen career of "established media" because, quite frankly, I no longer have the stomach for breaking news that starts out with a lot of half-truths and stations always trying to outdo the competition. Furthermore, I was no longer interested in going toe-to-toe with younger, less-talented journalists who seem to have the advantage because of their "blondeness" and their desire to work no matter how little the pay.

I prefer not to say where I'm employed now, but I will tell you it is a position that is totally out of my comfort zone. As I travel through this leg of my journey, I am learning a lot about getting back in the game.

5 Tips From a Successful Midlife Job Hunter

Here are five things to consider if you are considering returning to the workforce and looking for a job for the first time in years:

1. Have a clear objective. By that, I mean: know why you are returning to the workforce. To make ends meet is one thing, but you should also be thinking about what you would like to accomplish.

Just going through the motions of working from 9 to 5 (or whenever) will ultimately make you unhappy and could lead to your untimely termination.

Once I was hired for the position I'm in, I decided to set a goal and am now striving towards it.

2. Understand that the job market has changed. If you're 50+, not only are many employees half your age, but some may end up being your supervisors. That is the situation I am currently in.

My managers are just a few years older than my 24-year-old daughter and, honestly, it is hard to appreciate and to see them as my superiors but they are and if I am going to succeed, I am going to have to accept that fact and act accordingly.

3. Learn to be humble. I've always been a take-charge person, so it isn't easy for me to sit back in a subservient role, as I currently must do. Quite frankly, humility as an employee is something I'm still working on.

But I do keep my devotional reading with me at all times to remind me who I am so I don't get it twisted and end up saying things I will live to regret.

If you have aspirations beyond the job, you will have to learn to swallow your pride and avoid an "I can do it better than you!" attitude.

4. Be willing to accept less money. The job market today is an "employers' market." They can get away with paying less money for employees because the market is saturated with young, hungry professionals who just want to get a foot in the door so they can begin to navigate their way throughout the company.

Many boomers like myself have been accustomed to nice, comfortable salaries that afforded us the opportunities to have beautiful homes, a sizable bank account and to take fabulous vacations. That is no longer the case.

You must be willing to accept the going rate but I would caution you to never accept minimum wage, because it devalues your skills and abilities - especially if you have 20 to 30 years of talent and skills to bring to the table.

5. Have a clear exit plan. Going back to work is serious business for those of us who are more mature than the average employee. Know why you are returning and have a plan for an exit. Working indefinitely without a plan or purpose only leads to frustration.

Good luck!    

How To Dress Professionally During The Cold Snap

Your worst enemy: Pants. Believe it.

Meredith Lepore

In case you hadn't noticed, it's getting quite cold outside. Plummeting temperatures have turned much of the U.S. into giant walk-in freezer--but barring all public transportation being shut down, you are going to have to make it to work somehow. When you get there, you need to look professional even though it's absolutely freezing. Here are some tips on how to look good at work even when the weather outside is frightful.

Embrace the tights. For the ladies, this may seem counterintuitive, but pants can actually be your worst enemy in the winter--especially ones you can't easily tuck into boots, like skinny jeans or leggings. If you're wearing a pantsuit, the cuffs will drag and get bad salt stains. A skirt with tights (like these "dig-free" opaque ones from Commando) and a pair of boots are the way to go.


Scarf it up. This season, it's all about the scarves--and we're talking big scarves. Blanket scarves are all the rage right now (and double as a blanket for your legs in the office). Opt for a colorful scarf or a fun plaid pattern. You can keep the rest of your outfit pretty plain, with a lot of blacks and grays.

Long underwear is the way to go. Professional style blogger Kelly Larkin of Kelly in the City says it's all about the thermal underwear: "It adds warmth to my outfits without the bulk, and it allows for versatility. Who wants to wear a wool sweater every day?" She recommends Uniqlo's HEATTECH line (which is for both men and women). "I've tried the leggings and long-sleeved shirts, and I'm hooked. They're super soft and stretchy, and designed to absorb moisture and retain heat," says Larkin. She also loves Anthropologie's fleece-lined leggings, which are perfect for wearing under work pants.

Opt for a wool coat instead of a puffer. Yes, those huge puffy coats do keep you warm, but they aren't always the most professional looking. Unless it's literally the coldest day of the year, try a beautiful wool coat like this one from J.Crew (or this one for men) along with the layering technique discussed above.

Turtlenecks. Lucky for us, turtlenecks are all the rage this winter. "Turtlenecks are everywhere, and completely acceptable in the workplace when paired with wool pants and statement necklaces!" Larkin says. "I'm a big fan of J.Crew's Tissue Turtleneck, especially in the striped pattern."

Prepare for a quick change. Another approach: be prepared to do an outfit change when you get to the office. You're going to want to take off your wet boots anyway, so consider bringing a different pair of pants or a skirt to change into once you get to the office. Then change back into your boots when it's time to go home. After all, you never know what will happen in this kind of weather going back and forth to work.      

13 Suggestions for Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions

Change your habits, change your life

Gretchen Rubin

It took me a long time to realize that what I thought of as "resolutions" could almost always be characterized as "habits." Most often, when people want to make some kind of change in the New Year, they want to master some kind of habit. (If you want to know the Essential Seven of habits, look here.)

Since I started working on my habits for my book on habit change, Better Than Before, and since my resolutions-based happiness project, I've hit on many strategies to help myself stick to resolutions.

Here are just a few:

1. Be specific. Don't resolve to "Make more friends" or "Strengthen friendships"; that's too vague. To make more friends as part of my happiness project, I have several very concrete resolutions like: "Start a group," "Remember birthdays," "Say hello," "Make plans," "Show up," and "No gossip."

2. Write it down.

3. Review your resolution constantly. If your resolution is buzzing through your head, it's easier to stick to it. I review my Resolutions Chart every night.

4. Hold yourself accountable. Tell other people about your resolution, join or form a like-minded group, score yourself on a chart (my method) - whatever works for you to make yourself feel accountable for success and failure.

5. Think big. Maybe you need a big change, a big adventure – a trip to a foreign place, a break-up, a move, a new job. Let yourself imagine anything, and plan from there.

6. Think small. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that only radical change can make a difference. Just keeping your fridge cleared out could give you a real boost. Look close to home for ways to improve and grow.

7. Ask for help. Why is this so hard? But every time I ask for help, I'm amazed at how much easier my task becomes.

If you have an especially tough time keeping resolutions, if you have a pattern of making and breaking them, try these strategies:

8. Consider making only pleasant resolutions. We can make our lives happier in many ways. If you've been trying the boot-camp approach with no success, try resolving to "Go to more movies," "Entertain more often," or whatever resolutions you'd find fun to keep. Often, having more fun in our lives makes it easier to do tough things. Seeing more movies might make it easier to keep going to the gym. Remember, we must have treats!

9. Consider giving up a resolution. If you keep making and breaking a resolution, consider whether you should relinquish it entirely. Put your energy toward changes that are both realistic and helpful. Don't let an unfulfilled resolution to lose twenty pounds or to overhaul your overgrown yard block you from making other, smaller resolutions that might give you a big happiness boost.

10. Consider keeping your resolution every day. Weirdly, it's often easier to do something every day (exercise, post to a blog, deal with the mail, do laundry) than every few days.

11. Set a deadline.

12. Don't give up if something interferes with your deadline.

13. "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Thank you, Voltaire. If you break your resolution today, try again tomorrow. Although some people assume that strong feelings of guilt or shame act as safeguards to help people stick to good habits, the opposite is true. People who feel less guilt and who show compassion toward themselves in the face of failure are better able to regain self-control, while people who feel deeply guilty and full of self-blame struggle more.

What else? What are some strategies you've discovered, to help you stick to your New Year's resolutions?      

8 tips for juggling part-time jobs

Hear what career experts, as well as people who’ve dealt with such a work schedule, have to say about how best to juggle multiple jobs.

Working any type of schedule can require some juggling between your job and your other personal or professional commitments. This is especially true for workers who are employed in multiple part-time jobs. Not only do they have to balance work with their personal life, but they have to manage and coordinate various workloads and schedules.

Some workers take on multiple part-time jobs by choice; they like the variety and the idea that no day is ever the same. Others find themselves working several jobs out of financial necessity.

Whatever the reason, finding a way to juggle each job and be successful while doing so can pose challenges. Hear what career experts, as well as people who’ve dealt with such a work schedule, have to say about how best to juggle multiple jobs.

1. Stay local
Isaura Gonzalez, licensed clinical psychologist, board certified coach and CEO of Hudson Psychological in Staten Island, NY, says that if you need to work multiple jobs, try to stay within an easy commute when possible. “It helps reduce stress, frustration and maximizes the amount of time you are using.”

2. Maintain a schedule
“Maintaining a schedule is crucial when multitasking or multi-working, Gonzalez says. “When [and] where you have to be becomes a blur and confusing when you are bouncing around from location to location.” Gonzalez suggests using a weekly appointment calendar with 15 minute time slots. “Using highlighters to mark different locations [and] jobs helps tremendously [in] keeping things organized.”

3. Make a checklist
Another helpful organizing tool is as easy as having a pen and pad of paper. “Balancing two or more jobs gets distracting, which can make it easy to forget tasks,” says Erik Episcopo, a career adviser and resume expert at Resume Genius. “Organization is key to successfully juggling part-time jobs. Begin each day by writing a checklist of things that need to get done for each job.”

4. Choose jobs strategically
Molly Celaschi, executive director at Malena Public Relations, says, “Keep various jobs different if you get bored easily, need a challenge, want a varied skill set or are considering a career change. Or, keep the jobs in the same field if you want to specialize in one field and gain experience and knowledge the fastest.”

5. Communicate effectively
If you’re working in a consulting or freelancing role and are juggling multiple clients, you may want to make it seem as though each client is the only one that’s getting your attention. But, you’re usually better off being transparent, so you can manage expectations as needed. “I think the most important part of balancing multiple jobs is being communicative with your clients [and] employers,” says Lynn Maleh, writer, editor and creative consultant. “Make sure they know you have other projects going on, and always give yourself more time than you think you need for completing projects. I prefer to undershoot than overshoot.”

6. Resist overlap
“Eliminate overlap,” Celaschi recommends. “Do not work two jobs at the same time, i.e., be logged in
online to a telecommuting job while sitting in the office for another position. It's not in the company's best interest, or yours. You'll mix projects and make errors.”


7. Take breaks
“Ending a shift just to start another right after can be demoralizing,” Episcopo says. “That's why it’s important to schedule a three or four hour period between shifts to allow you some time to take a breather, get something to eat or even take a reenergizing nap.”


8. Set limits
You may think that the more jobs you take on, the better off you’ll be, but if you stretch yourself too thin, you’ll end up burning out and may even jeopardize the quality of the work you produce. So, it’s important to set some boundaries. “Set limits often and redefine as necessary. Otherwise, you will be overextended on your time, leaving you open to frustration and stress,” Gonzalez says. 

Resist Making A Resolution For A New Job

Instead, try the "three words" technique

Rhona Bronson

Each New Year, a spate of articles appears on resolutions for improving something or several things in your life. If you're unemployed, under-employed, or unhappily employed, you may be tempted to make a resolution to get a new job in the new year. Don't.

It's not that I don't want you to find a new job in the new year. I do. It's why I'm writing this post. But there is much about getting a new job that is out of your control, from the economy to the availability of jobs, as well as the generally competitive landscape. A better use of your time is to find things within your control that better position you for ultimate success.

Finding a job and being gainfully employed is, in fact, so important that I don't want you to relegate that effort to a lowly resolution--especially when research continues to show that resolutions, like diets, don't work. New Year's Resolutions can run strong for up to 60 days, but invariably fail by February (if not after a week).

More importantly, it can be devastating to set a timeframe for a resolution, e.g. lose 10 pounds by Valentine's Day, or get a new job by the end of Q1. Life is on its own time management regime, and like so much else, time is largely out of our control. So as bad as setting a resolution can be, putting a timeline on a resolution can be even worse, as it can set you up for failure. It's why some pundits recommend keeping resolutions vague.

So if a resolution is out of the question, what can you do to create a successful mindset for the new year? One idea is to try Chris Brogan's concept of three words. The concept is simple. Pick three words that resonate with you on whatever you want to focus on throughout the year. Brogan, a respected digital expert and entrepreneurial motivator, and his collaborator Rob Hatch have been practicing it since 2006, and Brogan annually publishes his words. Just Google "Chris Brogan Three Words" to see past lists.

Last year, I joined a digital learning community, a small group of likeminded individuals that meets weekly for an hour to discuss various topics. As a group, we agreed to each adopt three words as personal mantras for the year. I had the hardest time choosing three words, and kept changing words throughout the year. This month, after an in-person get together for the holidays, the group, pleased with how the three words concept worked for them, decided to give it a go again. I'm now in the process of selecting three new words for the new year.

Can this work for you if you're struggling with work issues? Give it a try. Here are some word suggestions to get you started:

Focus. Certification. Professional. Move. Forward. Gratitude. Optimism. Risk. Commitment. Punctuality. Learning. Study. Stamina. Sleep. Routine. Coaches. Mentor. Volunteer. Patience. Clarity. Form. Design. Enrich. Visibility. Steps. Faith. Fishing. Digital. Footprints. Asks. Connection. Community. Ownership. Responsibility. Accountable. Assured. Growth. Practiced. Patience. Confidence. Experience. Motivation.

I could make a case for any of them, and there are thousands more. There are no right three words and no wrong. And, if you're like me, they don't have to last all year long--just until a different word comes along to pull at your heartstrings. Each word can mean something different for different people. The only thing that's important is what the word means to you.

Even with three words, however, focus can fail, just as it does with resolutions. The reason may be in your support system. One common theme in resolution articles is the need for a buddy system or support group. It is why many advocate for job clubs similar to the value of Weight Watchers for dieters. More a fan of going it alone, I'm not an advocate of either concept, but I have to admit that my weekly digital learning group is certainly a type of support system.

In the group, we committed to collectively review our three words monthly. Like most resolutions, we faltered in the monthly reviews, but we did discuss our three words several times during the year. One member clearly credits the three words with his success in achieving a long-desired goal.

The truth is that January 1 is like any other day, and January is like any other month. If you were unhappy in your job in July, you'll likely be unhappy in January, unless something changes. The beauty in each new day is the possibility of reinvention and new things happening. The phone can ring any day of the year and offer you the chance to take a leap into a new unknown. January is as good a time as any to rethink how you're going to approach making change happen. It's not magical, but it is an opportunity to consider how you can position yourself to see open doors rather than closed windows.

For me, words are powerful. Not only because I'm a writer, but because I believe words are sacred. Biblical references abound in the power of words and prayers, which can be defined as a series of words sent to the heavens. New Age forums similarly expound on the value of "thoughts becoming things" and affirmations, also words strung together to create positive thoughts. Words are how we communicate with each other, and increasingly we're shown how we might now also use words to better communicate with ourselves.

My wish for you for the new year is to find work that provides value to you and those around you. It may be a new job, a new promotion, or a reinvention of your current job. Regardless of position, may you find the words that help you move yourself forward for to achieve three words I hope become really true for you: Happy New Year.      

How to be a great career wingman

careerbuilder

Step up your professional development with the help of a career wingman.

If you’re just starting out in your career or don’t have much of a professional network to utilize, it can be tough to make progress in your professional life. While it can be helpful to find a mentor, or work on your social media presence, some people—like recent graduates—really benefit from having a career wingman on their side.
So what is a career wingman, and how do you excel at it? Instead of a mentor, or somebody who’s likely more mature and established in his career and can pass on the benefits of their experience to you, a C.W. is often somebody at the same age and experience level in his career as you are. And because you’re both in the same spot, it can be equally beneficial to serve as career wingmen for each other because you’ll be able to offer personalized support for what the other is working through.
As for how to be a great career wingman, here are the three rules to get you both ahead in your careers.

Rule No. 1: Know each other’s strengths and weaknesses
Just like when you’re setting a friend up with a date, it’s helpful to know personal details about your C.W. that will entice others into meeting him. Be sure to know their professional goals, past experience, what they’re currently working on and their personal working style. These are professional basics that employers want to know, as well as others you’ll be networking with or encountering along your career path.
On professional networking sites, vocalize the skills and expertise that your fellow C.W. possesses, as well as the proof and results you’ve seen of their work. For instance, you might endorse their skills on social media, or leave a review of them on their professional website. Employers don’t mind if a potential employee is missing a few of the requirements for a position if they can demonstrate that they have great potential and have already established some success in their life. By backing up your C.W.’s work ethic and professional experience, you’re giving the potential employer a boost of confidence that your C.W. is capable of getting the job done.

Rule No. 2: Network together
Most people don’t enjoy networking, and younger professionals often find the process intimidating since they don’t have many bargaining chips to use when meeting others. But if you have a C.W. on your side, a networking event may begin to feel like any other social event you’ve attended. The key is to have fun, be outgoing and play a support role to your C.W., just like they’ll be doing for you.
For networking events, prepare ahead of time and research who else might be attending, and also look into recent industry news for conversation starters. At the event, people are much more likely to be attracted to your conversation if it’s clear that you and your C.W. are enjoying yourself and being social. And because you and your C.W. already know each other’s strengths and accomplishments, it will be easy to introduce them to networking attendees who may be a good connection, and share why your fellow C.W. is someone they need to meet.

Rule No. 3: Work on professional development together
From public speaking and persuasive writing, to tax forms and nonprofit organization standards, whatever profession you’re getting into, there are some areas you’re going to have to master in order to get ahead. Whether it’s a professional certification you need to study for, or simply a presentation that you want to practice for, having a C.W. means having somebody to bounce your ideas off of, somebody to study with and somebody to review your work.
The biggest benefit to having a career wingman is that you’ll always have somebody that’s invested in your success, and will be there to help you achieve it. A C.W. is different than a spouse or family member who wants to support your happiness, because your career wingman should be a source of honest feedback, informed advice and inspiring ambition. While family and friends will often encourage you to take a hit in your career if it means personal happiness, your C.W. should have better insight on how to get ahead in your career, even if it means working through some unsavory parts of your professional development. The good news is that no matter what, your career wingman will be there to make sure you come out on top.

Ask Jack Holiday Work Dump Older Job Seekers Job of the Week

Co-workers clogging your in-box right before the holiday break! Well, can you read this too before you leave today? OK thanks.

Jack Silbert

Ingrid's co-workers have her in a bah-humbug mood. She explains....

The deluge is relentless at work as everyone scrambles to dump their stuff in my department before they take off for the holidays. One of the worst things about this time of the year for me. What can I do?

Uggh, everybody is sending me questions so I have to write this column right before the holidays. Oh wait, but then somebody else has to find a photo for me, and somebody else has to code it, and schedule it for posting, and share it on Twitter.... Ingrid brings up a really important point: All too often, we think the world begins and ends with just ourselves. I can't even tell you how many freelance assignments I've received on late Friday afternoons. Hey, I'm thankful for the work, but I like weekends too. Especially this time of year, let's practice some of that "goodwill towards fellow people" stuff we like singing about.

But until the world does become a better place, Ingrid, your department will need to set its own boundaries. In early November, send out a group e-mail explaining when different members of your team will be taking time off, and that to have work back by Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, they will need to turn it in by such-and-such dates. When someone inevitably drops something off at the last minute, calmly and kindly explain that you'll do your best to meet normal turnaround times, but you can't absolutely guarantee they'll get it by 4:59 on December 24th, and that, yes, you too hope to get home for the holidays.

AOL Jobs reader Roy submitted his question in the comments section below. (You can too!)

I was a Sr. Computer Analyst (mainframe) for over 20 years. My last company was bought out, then we merged with another company, and finally was outsourced to a very large computer company. I sat in the same chair, doing the same job, with the same people -- but worked for four different companies in five years before finally being laid off in 2008. I couldn't find another mainframe analyst job (I was in my early 50s at the time), so I decided to get my Masters in Information Technology degree -- not that I needed it, but I thought it wouldn't hurt me trying to get another job in the technology field. Boy, was I wrong. I spent over $30,000 getting the degree, and not a single offer, after sending out over 100 resumes. So here I am, eight years later, having worked in two jobs that are below my experience and skill level, making approximately 1/3 of what I used to earn, thousands of dollars in debt, no prospects for anything decent because my skills and knowledge are old, dusty and rusty, and all my investments and retirement plans gone. I'll be 60 on my next birthday. What did I do wrong? I've given up hope of ever living a decent life (financially) again. Is there any hope? Thanks.

Roy, hang tough, and thanks so much for writing in. What you describe is, sadly, not an uncommon situation for those who have been in the workforce for an extended time. And it can be particularly challenging in technology jobs, with the non-stop changes in that field. I wanted to bring in a specialist to answer your question: my fellow AOL Jobs contributor John Fugazzie. John is the founder of Neighbors-Helping-Neighbors USA, a free, national, job-search support organization. He says:
"Roy, you didn't do anything wrong; you have been caught up in this unfortunate economy that is much worse still than anyone will admit. Age can be an issue too. Today you need to network and meet people who can help connect you with jobs. Supply and demand of jobs is in the favor of the employers today, which has lowered salaries substantially. And, many industries are converting full-time jobs to contract work to avoid having to pay medical benefits and to increase their flexibility. Unfortunately, the longer you are out of work, the less likely you are to be seriously considered for jobs. Please review our website, nhnusa.org, and join our LinkedIn group. Look for project work and temp assignments too that are closer to the work you want to be doing; in many cases these can lead to permanent positions."

Last week's Ask Jack questions

Do you have a work-related question for Jack? Write it in the comments below (better answers to this week's questions are also welcome!) or tweet it @AOLJobs with the hashtag #AskJack.

Jack's Job of the Week

Santa, I don't want much this year, but maybe you could fly Roy down to Tampa for this Vice President of Information Technology job? They do want someone with 15+ years of experience, after all. To the rest of you, maybe take a day or two off from your job search, and spend some more time with family and friends. When you're ready, a search on AOL Jobs is just a click away. Happy holidays, everybody!

Do I Get Extra Pay For Working Holidays If The Office Is Closed For Holidays, Do I Get Paid

Don't get fired by demanding extra pay to which you're not entitled

Donna Ballman

AOL Jobs readers have lots of questions about holiday pay. Most think you get paid extra if you work on the holidays. Here are some questions I've been asked:

On my job here in Illinois I worked on the holiday and was paid regular time. My boss said she gave me two days off doing the week so working on the holiday gave me 40 hours and I don't get paid double. I explained to her that it if you work on the holiday you get paid double pay. I went out on an appointment with a patient and stayed out 4.5 hours over and was told I had to leave 4.5 hour early so my time adds up to 40 hrs. that week. My question is this legal?

My employer has several "policies" that are unfair at least if not illegal. This is a construction job out of NJ. Among other issues, there are no paid holidays. Is this inconsiderate, immoral or illegal?

I work in a NY hospital. I worked a 6 pm to 12 pm shift, on New Year's Day. The day shift got paid time and a half for their hours but I was told that my shift did not qualify for holiday pay. I thought the holiday is a 24 hour day. Did this hospital do anything illegal by paying some employees and not others for the same work performed?

So, are you entitled to time and a half or double time if you work on holidays? Does the employer have to pay if you don't work on a holiday because the company is closed? Here's what you need to know about holiday pay:

Extra pay for working on holidays

There is no federal law requiring any extra pay for working on a holiday for non-government employees who aren't working on federal contracts. Not double time. Not even time and a half. What the federal law requires is that if you work over 40 hours per week, and you aren't exempt from overtime, you must be paid time and a half. So if you work Christmas Day as a favor to a coworker who wants time off, and you already worked 40 hours this week, you have to be paid overtime if you aren't exempt. But yes, if you work on Christmas and that takes you to 40 hours, your employer can demand you take the rest of the week off to avoid paying overtime

If you don't know whether you are exempt, check out my column, Salaried Workers, Do You Get Overtime? Odds Are You Should. My column 10 Tricks Employers Use To Cheat Workers Out Of Overtime might help too.

I haven't found any state laws requiring extra pay for holidays for private sector employees either, so if your state has such a law, let me know in the comments section. (By the way, Rhode Island has an interesting law, saying employers can't make you work on holidays, and can't discriminate against you if you refuse.)

If you have a contract, union agreement, or if the employer's policy says you get paid holidays, then it may also require extra pay if you have to work on a holiday. Some employers offer incentive pay to encourage employees to voluntarily work on a holiday. However, they can designate all or part of the holiday for paying that incentive pay. If the employer's policy or the contract designates the entire holiday for extra pay, then the entire 24-hour period probably qualifies for that extra pay.

Otherwise, you probably get regular pay for working on a holiday.

Holiday pay if the office is closed

If you're exempt from overtime, and you worked any part of the week, then you must be paid if the office is closed. If you aren't exempt, then there is no federal law requiring any paid holidays for non-government workers who aren't working on federal contracts. I haven't found any state laws requiring any paid holidays in the private sector either. If your state has such a law, let me know in the comments section. So, is it inconsiderate and immoral not to pay employees for holidays? Yes. Illegal? Probably not.

If you don't work for government, then you may have a contract or union agreement requiring paid holidays. Many companies offer paid holidays, but private sector companies can change their holiday pay policies whenever they want.

Working on government contracts

Two federal laws address holiday pay as benefits for employees who are working on federal contracts: The McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act and the Davis-Bacon Act. These laws mandate certain paid holidays. How much extra you get paid under these laws for working overtime depends on whether you are full-time or part-time and some other factors. The details on holiday pay for McNamara-O'Hara are here. More information on Davis-Bacon Act holiday pay is here.

Happy still-employed holidays

So, have a wonderful holiday season, but don't get yourself in trouble demanding extra pay you aren't entitled to, or by refusing to work unless you get extra pay. This is a very bad time of year to get fired.

10 Tips to Stay Productive at Work Around the Holidays

Because it's not Christmas yet.

CareerBuilder

By Deanna Hartley, CareerBuilder writer

As you glance over at the festive decorations and empty cubicles around you during the holidays, trying to stay awake and productive can feel like trying to compete in a triathlon.

Here are 10 tips to help you stay productive at work around the holidays when no one's around.

1. Set daily goals for yourself. Write down a list of tasks that you need to accomplish for the day. Keeping something tangible by your side may increase your motivation to cross all the items off your list before you leave for the day.


2. Remember: It's OK to take a break. Try taking a lap around your office building to get some fresh air or making a quick run to a coffee shop for a dose of caffeinated goodness. Don't think you're doing anyone any favors by staying in your cubicle and sleeping with your eyes open.


3. Clear your desk. Holiday decorations are cheery, but they can also be distracting if they're taking up a bulk of the space on your desk. A little tidying up or clearing away can go a long way toward putting you in the right frame of mind to knock out a few tasks.

4. Put your blinders on for increased concentration. As you're about to start working on a task or project, close out all your entertainment tabs - that includes YouTube and other social networks, and possibly even email if you think it will be distracting. Putting your smartphone away or turning it off for a while can also help eliminate unnecessary distractions.


5. Reach out to others in the office. See who else is working around the holidays and invite them out to lunch. This is probably one of the best times to try to get to know your co-workers better because they'll likely have more spare time and be more laid back than during regular stressful work days. Plus these outings could double as informal brainstorming sessions for projects in which you might have hit a wall.

6. Prioritize your tasks. Not everything is top priority - especially around the holidays when almost everyone is out of the office. Try breaking out your tasks into "must-do" and "nice-to-do" piles so it's easier to tackle them one by one.


7. Hit the gym. You could try putting your lunch break to good use by squeezing in a good workout. Not only will it help in your desperate quest to stay awake, but it will also do wonders for your mood and stress levels.


8. Treat yourself. It works just as well on you as it would on a 5-year-old. Promise yourself various treats throughout the day - coffee, candy, social media breaks, etc. - as you stop procrastinating and cross items off your to-do list.


9. Seek some solitude. If it helps, choose pockets of time when you need to really concentrate. Then, lock yourself in a conference room - they will probably all be vacant and available around the holidays - and try to knock out your assignment in much less time than they'd normally take if surrounded by distracting co-workers.


10. Make sure you're getting enough sleep. Tempting as it is to stay up till the wee hours watching holiday movie marathons, it's important to try as much as possible to stick to a regular sleep schedule lest you mess up your body's rhythm and find yourself constantly nodding off throughout the day.>

4 Dos and Don'ts For Your Office Holiday Party

You never know what opportunities may arise

Jill Jacinto

Office holiday parties are a great place to mix and mingle with your co-workers, clients and bosses. They're not a great time to slug down shots, make out with a coworker, or wear an embarrassing outfit. Yet for many, these things happen every year. Here's how you can avoid the office holiday trap and have a great time.

When the boss behaves badly... Oftentimes people think the partygoers who act the most disastrously are the employees. But what happens when it's your boss? In a previous job, I directed charity events and enlisted friends to help out during the event. Towards the end of the night, after many tequila shots, one of my superiors started getting chummy with one of my friends. He asked me across the bar if he "had my blessing."

He was twice her age, she was tipsy...he didn't, but what could I say? They stumbled out together shortly thereafter, with most of the company watching. Fast-forward to the next morning, when my friend gives me the play by play before having a chat with my boss. He apologized for his actions and came clean as soon as he saw me. I admire him, but it gave me an impactful lesson that when you are a boss, you need to set a different set of standards – including during the company party. You don't need your firm seeing you in a negative light.

Set a two-drink max. We've all been there. The top shelf open bar and tiny apps = danger zone. Before any holiday party, make sure you have a hardy lunch/snack, because chances are that the tuna tartar and caviar are going to enhance any alcohol you might consume. It's fine to drink amongst co-workers, but give yourself a limit of two drinks and switch to seltzer after that. I'll never forget seeing a much older co-worker who got so drunk she stumbled down a flight of stairs and needed to be escorted home, or the co-worker who tripped and blew out the whole sound system for an event. Don't be that person.

Don't be a Christmas tree. It's fine to dress up in the holiday spirit, but keep it tasteful. This is your time to shine and rub elbows with people you don't always come in contact with, i.e. the big boss and clients. Don't wear a hilarious ugly Christmas sweater and reindeer ears – save that for a family party.

On that note, don't wear too many sequins or a low cut dress – you want to wear something that gets you noticed but not glared at. A former intern of mine literally wore a Christmas tree one year. Sure, it was hysterical--but wrong place, wrong time.

Avoid being a wallflower. Holiday parties are often the best place to get in touch with people with whom you're ordinarily unable to chat. Are you interested in working with the marketing department? Get to know the team and ask them about their projects.

And be sure you make time to chat with your boss. Need some conversation inspiration? Log into LinkedIn and check out what's been going on in your industry. Recent product launches or acquisitions by your competitors? Pick his or her brain and add your two cents on the topic.

While the rest of your co-workers are indulging in the open bar, try and chat with at least five people with whom you're not as close. I've seen many opportunities arise from holiday parties: freelancing gigs, promotions, raises, projects. This isn't the time to chat with your cube mates--it's the time to learn about your company and see how you can add more value to it.

Obamacare, Handbooks, Benefits And More: Your End-Of-Year Career Checklist

Everything you need to know to make 2015 great

Donna Ballman

As things slow down at the end of the year and you're maybe taking some time off from work, now is a good time to do a checkup on your career. Do you know everything you need to know to make 2015 a good year? Is there a benefit or policy you're missing out on that could make or break you at work or financially?

Here are six things you should be checking up on to make sure your 2015 is the best year at work ever:


1. Obamacare/Affordable Care Act: Yes, I know it's Affordable Care Act or ACA and not officially called Obamacare, but most people still know it as Obamacare. What you need to know, especially if you're on COBRA, is that now is the open enrollment period, which ends February 15. If you've lost coverage at work, then you can qualify for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. If you needed coverage effective January 1, you may have missed your deadline, although a number of states opted to extend it Monday--so it's worth checking if yours is one of them. If you are looking to switch ACA plans, enroll for the first time or switch from COBRA, you have until February 15 to enroll.

2. Check your benefits: Your company may have an open enrollment period for benefits. If you haven't done so already, review your health insurance and other benefits, ask HR what other benefits may be available, and find out when you can enroll or switch. Now is also a good time to get copies of your Summary Plan Descriptions, which describe, supposedly in plain English, your benefits and rights. You'll have a Summary Plan Description available for your health care, pension, 401K, and most other benefits. If it's too late to enroll or switch this year, calendar your deadline for 2015. Find out if your benefits like pension, stock options and 401k employer contributions are vested. If not, when do they vest? If you have options, when can you exercise them? Check the value and see if you might profit by exercising them now. What you don't know about your employee benefits can hurt you.

3. Check your handbook: When was the last time you read the employee handbook? If yours is from 1980, ask HR for the latest version. Your handbook contains important information, such as how to report when you're sick, what to do if you're going to be late, how to apply for medical leave and when you qualify, how to seek accommodations for a disability, how to report discrimination or sexual harassment, information about vacations and PTO, any severance policy, and the company's rules and procedures. You might be surprised what's in your handbook, such as ways the company is spying on you. Read it and be informed. It's the company's manual on how to survive your job, so it's important.

4. Get copies of your contracts: Do you know whether you have a noncompete, confidentiality, nonsolicitation, intellectual property, arbitration or other agreement with your employer? Most people are surprised to learn what they signed when they started their jobs. If you don't read what you sign, or don't keep copies, now is a good time to check with HR to get copies. While some employees are afraid to ask, for example, for a copy of their noncompete agreement because it might alarm HR and make them think you're looking for a job, here's your excuse. Blame me. Print a copy of my article and tell them you're doing your end-of-year checkup. I've never understood HR departments that don't insist you keep copies of what you signed. How are you supposed to know what you're allowed to do if you don't have a copy?

5. Gather evidence: If you think you're the victim of race, age, sex, national origin, disability, religious or other discrimination, whistleblower retaliation or some other legal violation, do you have your evidence where the employer can't grab it? If not, make copies of any evidence you need (don't take trade secrets home, please), get your notes out of your desk drawer or the company computer, update your witness lists with any new contact information and take it home. Put it in a safe place. If you have a notebook where you're keeping notes, put it in your briefcase, purse or someplace where the employer can't grab it. A locked desk drawer, your company locker, and your company laptop are all places you may be denied access to if you're fired.

6. Report it: If you've suffered from sexual harassment, racial, age, religious, national origin, pregnancy or other illegal workplace harassment, think about reporting it, in writing, to HR. Don't wait until you're disciplined or get a bad year-end review to report it. They'll just assume you're disgruntled and making it up if you don't report it promptly.

If you've done everything on this checklist, then you're well prepared for 2015. You know your workplace rights and responsibilities. So relax and have a wonderful holiday season.

One more thing, on another note: I need your vote. My blog, Screw You Guys, I'm Going Home, was named one of the American Bar Association's Blawg 100, representing the top blogs in the legal community. Mine is the only employee-side blog listed in the Labor and Employment category. Now they're asking for votes for the top blog in each category. It only takes a minute to register and vote. I'd sure appreciate your vote. Voting ends Friday.

How Calling In Sick Saved This Woman's Life

An attentive colleague and lucky medical treatment advance let her beat the odds.

Erik Sherman

Sharon Dajon had a headache and hadn't felt well most of the day. Dajon knew she was healthy -- training for the October Marine Corps Marathon should have put doubts aside -- so the president and managing director of American Health Consulting wrote it off as the luck of the draw. "I just brushed it aside," she told WTVR-TV, and called in sick.

That single call saved her life. A co-worker who took it noticed something strange about Dajon's voice and got her to treat the situation as potentially more serious. It was. An emergency trip to the hospital revealed a brain aneurysm.

An aneurysm is a "balloon-like bulge in an artery" that carries oxygen-rich blood to a part of the body, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. A brain aneurysm happens in a blood vessel in the brain. As the Mayo Clinic explains, if the brain aneurysm leaks or ruptures, the person has a stroke, which can lead to long-term problems or death.


Most brain aneurysms don't leak or rupture and show no symptoms. They're stealth problems and doctors usually come across them by accident. Dajon had one: a previously-hidden brain aneurysm that suddenly ruptured. A fifth of people with a ruptured brain aneurysm die before they can get to the hospital, Dr. John Gaughen, a neuro interventional surgeon with the University of Virginia Medical Center told WTVR-TV.

Luckily for Dajon, she was taken to Bon Secours St. Mary's hospital in Richmond, Virginia. The hospital had been working with UVA Medical Center on a new type of aneurysm treatment only approved by the FDA since 2011.

The treatment involved a minimally invasive technique, notes the Bon Secours website. Rather than literally opening part of the skull to perform open brain surgery, the new technology involves a small incision on an artery. A catheter is inserted and routed up to the damaged vessel in the brain.

In Dajon's case, Gaughen inserted the catheter with a flow-diverter stent, which can bypass the weakened wall of the blood vessel, into an artery in her hip. The medical team then threaded the catheter up to the brain and positioned the stent.

It's been six months since the procedure. "We're going to consider her cured," Gaughen told WTVR-TV. "That the stent is going to be open, and for all intents and purposes will be cured of this, and she can go on and live the life she was living before."

Speaking of going on with life, after a short recovery, Dajon plans to get back on the road to train for the Myrtle Beach Marathon on Valentine's Day. She told the station, "I like that endorphin high."

How to Get Ahead of a Layoff

Don't get caught up in the hysterics

Susan Ricker

During the Great Recession, it felt like every company in every industry was experiencing drastic layoffs and reducing its headcount. Though the economy is recovering, layoffs are still a concern as companies merge, business changes or markets fluctuate.

Cheryl E. Palmer, owner of Call to Career, says frequent closed door meetings with executives, budget shortfalls, reassignment of tasks and company mergers are some examples of red flags, which can indicate that a layoff may be imminent.

But, if you think it's a hopeless situation when talks of layoffs start circulating in the break room, think again. There are measures you can take to get ahead of a layoff, and also steps to take if you unfortunately are let go.

Securing your current position
If you're concerned you may be an employee getting laid off, there are steps to take that may help. "Align yourself with the direction of the company," Palmer recommends. "Having worked in outplacement for a number of years, I have found that it is not necessarily the unproductive workers who are most vulnerable to layoffs and downsizings, but rather those who are not in sync with the vision of management for the company. My advice to employees is, pay attention to what is said in company meetings, and even what is not said. This kind of information can help you determine where management is trying to take the company."

In addition, Palmer recommends showing your contribution to the bottom line. She says, "Even if you are not in sales, you should still be able to articulate how the work that you do is valuable to the company. As far as possible you should be able to quantify how much money you saved, what time-saving measures you instituted, and how you improved processes. Management tends to cut those positions that do not have a direct relationship to the bottom line."

If you are laid off
If these measures haven't been enough to prevent you from getting laid off, there are still steps to take to make this career transition go smoothly. "Distribute your resume to people in your network and tell them what you are looking for," Palmer says. "Particularly for people who you may have worked with a few years ago, you need to give them a resume so that they can see what you have done most recently. This is also critical for references so that they can speak knowledgeably on your behalf."

Beyond that, expand your network. "Join or become involved in a professional association," Palmer adds. "A professional association is the best place to find people who are already in your field who have connections to organizations that hire people in your field of expertise. You can raise your visibility in an association by taking on a leadership role. Virtually all associations are looking for people to volunteer to serve on committees. Taking on such a task gives you deeper connections with others in the association that go beyond merely passing out a business card at a monthly meeting. People have an opportunity to see your work ethic and will be more inclined to recommend you for openings that they know of."

When it comes to your future job interviews, it may seem embarrassing or negative to say that you were laid off from your previous job. However, employers will likely understand. Palmer says, "Put it in perspective. You should let the employer know that you were one of 100 people who were laid off. You should also tell the employer that it was a business decision. You never want to leave the employer with the impression that there was a layoff, and you were the only person laid off. That is an indication that the company was just trying to get rid of you."

When a company is reviewing and possibly reducing its headcount, it can be easy to get swept up in hysterics and make matters worse for your job. But by staying level headed, taking preventative measures and keeping things in perspective, you can come out of a layoff fine, or even better than before.