The nature of something serious lends you to believe that that thing will be handled seriously, with calculated, methodical decision-making in its orchestration. Company-wide layoffs are a bit like that; the wide-sweeping impact made on people's lives means you'd expect each and every decision to be made with careful thought. Well, that's not always the case. At the end of the day, there's some administrator somewhere handling the clerical work through some management system, and both people an…

Increased remuneration during your time at a company and throughout the course of your career is usually considered to be given due to your own increased contributions owing to your growing knowledge and experience. The off-the-cuff expectation we have is that generally, our earning potential will only go one direction, and while this certainly won't be the case for all of us thanks to the possibility of layoffs and a shifting job market, we certainly wouldn't expect our pay to decrease whilst…

Attitude is important when it comes to the workplace. Still, the workplace itself is largely responsible for your attitude when you're at work. You can't just demand that your workers be happy and have that be the solution to what is an otherwise miserable job. Yet, one of the first things you're taught in retail is that you should always smile and “greet” “guests” as they walk in the door, setting the stage for an enjoyable experience for them during which they're more likely to fork out more…

The clock strikes 5, and you zoom out of the office. You don't even look back when your boss yells out sheepishly, ‘Wait, are you leaving?’. Yes, you're leaving! Right this instant, actually. Every day in the office feels like stepping into a weird, alternate dimension. The fluorescent lights flicker ominously as you shuffle past coworkers, half expecting your awkward boss to greet you dressed in royal garments. He is quite the character. Some might compare him to Michael Scott from the Office.…

There's this thing that happens in some organizations where upper management knowingly sets policies that they know infringe (or come close to infringing) on their legal minimum obligations to their workforce. Then they act all surprised when said minimum obligation isn't being upheld because it's simply not possible to do under the constraints they've created. A perfect example of this is employee breaks, of which there are usually laws where you're working around when, how long, and how often…

Being particular about something is all well and good… to a point. You can want something done a certain way with good reason, but overly inflicting your pedantic ways on other people isn't going to make you any friends, and when you're managing a team, it certainly isn't going to win anyone over or inspire loyalty. No, it's always better to have a little flexibility and give your team members agency over their respective roles; letting people do things they're responsible for in their own way…

There are plenty of times in life where things just don't make sense and where people try and lead you to believe that 1+1=3 which doesn't really line up with the figure that you might have expected or the actual truth of the situation. A lot of these situations will probably take place at work under the supervision of someone who has no business being in charge. Let's do a little math equation as an example. I know—I know…. you didn't think you were signing up for homework when you clicked on…

I was fired before, and let me tell you, it is not a good feeling. The knot that forms in your stomach makes you want to bend over a toilet, and you dread the moment your boss invites you into their office for a ‘discussion’. In my case, it happened via a phone call. I was waitressing at a tiny restaurant in my hometown, and granted, I wasn't very good at it. The reason I got fired was because 2 days in I had failed to inform the kitchen that one customer's steak was ‘too well done’. The custom…

Overtime, by definition, is still time on the clock, and voluntarily staying to work that time doesn't automatically mean that your employer is now a charity. You can't just “volunteer” for your employer. The very premise itself is silly. Sure, if you're on a salary that is exempt from overtime pay, you'll probably have to work some extra hours during times of high workload, but it's expected that, in turn, during times when there is less work to be done you'll still get paid your full salary.…

As you go through your years as an employee, sometimes, you've gotta learn things the hard way. From work-life balance to advocating for better working standards, we don't always know what's acceptable and what's not when we're new to the workforce. It's good to look back and reflect on how much you've changed since you started working. Maybe you used to try and put on a performance during a job interview, but now you're interviewing the employer, too. Or maybe you used to accept whatever...

Typically, when working a shift job that relies on a schedule, you'd expect your obligations simply to be present when that shift starts until when that shift ends—nothing more and nothing less. Yet, it's common in many industries that rely on the “almighty” schedule for managers to expect you to be present and ready to work (sometimes even actually working) before your shift starts. Usually, this expectation will be somewhere around five minutes before the start of the shift but occasionally w…

There's nothing that will make someone miss you more than your absence, and sometimes, you need to make yourself out of the situation in order for them to fully appreciate you… Especially when that someone is your coworker who has been making you do all their work for them. If you're not around, who's going to do their work? This employee wasn't about to put up with being pushed around for too long, and after putting up with their coworker pushing their workload onto them for the first two mont…

"People who work hard work more hours…" This is probably something you've heard before and probably from your boss who wants everyone to know how many hours a week they work, wearing their overworkedness like a badge of honor—a testament to their dedication. The thing is… Is this even true? Where did this idea that sitting at your desk for more hours mean you're working harder even come from? It's not as if the simple amount of hours you work actually has any bearing on how much work you've don…

Tipping culture has become a topic of discussion lately, as a lot of companies now offer tipping options on their card readers, even if they did not previously participate in tipping. Tipping used to be reserved for workers such as servers, but now it seems like any corporation can request a tip. Some customers find it ridiculous, while others participate in tipping because they sympathize with the low wages many people in the service industry face. However, what if an employee added a tip to y…

Waiting for the weekend

Appearances are important—in any part of life. The first impression someone makes of you will largely be based on how they perceive you before you've ever even had any interaction with them. This, of course, is one of the first things that you'll be told by your parents, guardians, or other older persons who have a vested interest in your life and success. You'll likely hear and read this advice repeatedly throughout your life from teachers, bosses, strangers—and even in short introductory para…