Top 10 Ways to Get Ahead in the Global Workplace

1.   Know local.  One of the many things that companies prize is a solid knowledge of your locale.  This could be as simple as knowing the best places to take international clients for a lunch meeting, to more complex information such as trends in the local marketplace, distribution of demographics, or even how people feel about certain business practices.  This type of insider information is invaluable to corporations looking to expand into your local market. Read more

Ethical tradesmen: Spotlight on Home Security

This is a gust post from Locksmiths.

According to the UK’s Metropolitan Police statistics, a staggering 5000 burglaries occurred in London last year where thieves were able to enter private property through unlocked doors. As the end of daylight saving time approaches, a new campaign has been launched to remind homeowners to “Lock Before They Leave” to help guard against robberies which tend to go up as the evenings draw in. Many will be prompted to scrutinize their home security in more detail but, with recent warnings about locksmith scams making the press on both sides of the Atlantic, it’s important to be aware of the risks of allowing a “professional” into one’s home.
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Fatal Fashion: What You Don’t Know Can Kill

Perhaps you’ve noticed that a growing number of teens and trendsetters have been sporting a fashion that was popular about two decades ago: faded, worn, and torn jeans.  The resurgence of this fashion foible is more than just an affront to the sensible dressers amongst us; it is also a deadly epidemic.  But don’t panic if you’re one of the many Americans and Europeans lining up to support this trend.  It’s not your head on the chopping block.  Instead, it is the workers who produce these sandblasted jeans (mainly in Turkey, although factories are also found in China, India, and Mexico, just to name a few locales) that are feeling the burn.  And it’s all due to over-exposure to crystalline silica, which leads to a deadly disorder called silicosis. Read more

Provisional Workforce Growth

In case you hadn’t noticed, a huge shift in the makeup of the American workforce has been taking place over the last few years.  While layoffs, cutbacks, and overall downsizing are no surprise in an economy that fell rapidly and has yet to recover, what is shocking is how corporations are continuing to do the same amount of business (or more) with a lot less employees.  Naturally, outsourcing jobs to other countries has become standard practice (less pay, greater knowledge of local market).  But as it turns out, American companies are, in fact, continuing to hire Americans, as well.  They just aren’t hiring them as employees.  The provisional workforce, which is made up of contract workers, has grown immensely as the ranks of the unemployed seek ways to utilize their skills in a rapidly changing corporate landscape, and it looks to continue in a big way in the foreseeable future. Read more

How Much Do Americans Save

How much money does the average American have in their savings account, and how does that compare against other nations? How much do Americans put away each month, and is that better or worse than a decade ago?
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Reexamining Workplace Diversity: It’s More Than Just Skin Color

The topic of workplace diversity is an intriguing one simply because it is such a vast subject.  In the past, many companies have “diversified” by hiring a mixture of people that represent different genders, races, religions, and so on (in other words, the categories listed on a census form).  And while some have done so grudgingly and with much foot-dragging, many businesses are coming to understand that people from disparate groups bring a fresh perspective that can be useful in connecting to a broader range of customers, as well as in reexamining procedures and policies (and let’s not forget about promoting tolerance and change).  In any case, even those who have embraced the concept of diversity may not be aware of the scope of such an undertaking. Read more

The Global Workplace: Skillset Required

It may come as no surprise to those looking for work that many American jobs have lately been outsourced to China and India.  Despite the fact that customer service, engineering, and technology jobs have immigrated overseas to these growing employment markets only in the last few years, the unintelligible operator has already become a nationwide joke.  And yet, corporations that have chosen to hire non-traditional workers (not just overseas, but also in the form of temporary employees) may just be ahead of the curve on major changes to come in the future job market.  It seems that companies who are failing in the economic crisis, despite layoffs and cutbacks of all types, are suffering mainly from an inability to streamline the process in such a way as to keep more employees and hire for talent rather than headcount. Read more

Women and the Workplace: East Meets West?

During World War II, women in America took to the workforce, doing their part to support troops overseas.  Unfortunately, their taste of freedom didn’t last and they were unceremoniously returned to their kitchens as soon as soldiers set foot on home-soil, looking to reclaim their jobs.  And it would be another thirty years before women once again mobbed the market, en masse.  Cut to 2010 and you’ll find a different story.  Now that American women in the workforce are finally enjoying unparalleled successes, earning salaries on par with men, and gunning for top positions as industry leaders, many females admit that they long to return home to raise children and run a household.  Apparently having it all isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.  And yet, the world that working women created is now spreading overseas and taking root in India and China, where educated women are rushing to fill the gap in booming economies. Read more

What to Do When Your Boss Crosses the Line

Inter-office politics can sometimes leave you feeling like you’ve stumbled onto the set of a Russian spy film.  With intrigue around every corner and rules of engagement to be observed (not to mention a dicey social stratification), it can sometimes be difficult to determine when you’re being mistreated and when your boss is simply engaging in friendly jocularity.  But one thing is certain, you know the difference between interactions that put you at ease and those that make you feel decidedly uncomfortable (or even fearful).  And if meetings with your boss tend towards the latter, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and assess the situation to determine if you are being too sensitive or if your boss is really crossing the line. Read more

Climate Leaders Goes the Way of the Dodo

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to phase out their popular partnership program, Climate Leaders.  Since 2002, the EPA has used this program to work with businesses in various industries, helping them form climate change strategies that include tracking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reducing environmental impact, and then reporting back to the EPA.  The result is that participating corporations and small businesses receive government recognition as corporate environmental leaders (thereby doing their part to create a healthy atmosphere while garnering public goodwill).  And the wide array of partners covers a laundry list of industries across all fifty states, from utilities to retail to technology and health services.  So the question is: what could the EPA possibly have to gain by dismantling such a successful and productive venture? Read more

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