Don't be afraid to ask for a raise Even in this time of economic uncertainty, there might be money in the budget for raises -- but these often go to the people who ask for them. "Research shows that our asks need to be optimistic, specific and justifiable. I would pick the largest number that you absolutely, credibly can stand behind and use that," says Alexandra Carter, director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (9/19)
POLL QUESTION: Do you expect to get a raise this year?
To get the big promotion, focus on the small things Getting ahead in your career isn't about the big projects but more about focusing on getting the small tasks done right and with dependability, says sociologist Tracy Brower. "Disciplined action is a paradox because when you're doing it well, it won't get much notice, but if you fail to follow through, people will think less of your performance overall," she writes. Full Story: Forbes (9/20)
A spy game conducted by the CIA in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks uncovered some interesting information about how groups of people work together. Brains and talent weren't predictors of the best teams. Rather, teams that communicated well and were perceptive performed at a level that exceeded the sum of all the members' individual talents. Full Story: Wired online (UK) (9/18)
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What to do when employees start sharing pay details Employees within firms and across industries are increasingly sharing their compensation details with each other via crowdsourced documents and HR experts warn companies against taking retaliatory action and instead advise transparent discussions around pay. "We've already seen this move to transparency in pay equity, and extending to pay ranges, pay philosophy and career opportunity," says Mercer's Tauseef Rahman. Full Story: HR Dive (9/17)
40% of working parents cut hours or quit amid pandemic A survey from FlexJobs finds 40% of working parents have either had to quit their job or reduce their hours due to the pandemic and 38% of those who have left a job don't intend to return to the workforce. Some 58% of working parents say a flexible schedule would help them the most to balance their work, childcare responsibilities and distance learning. Full Story: Human Resource Executive (9/18)
Sleeping, eating and exercising routines have been altered in most households due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it's time to get back on track, says Fahad Zubair, director of obesity and clinical nutrition at Allegheny Health Network. Psychologist Kathryn McCarthy agrees: "The thing to do is to target the behavior first, and mood improvement follows," she said, adding, "Put exercise back on your schedule." Full Story: Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh) (9/20)
In 2011, the Pentagon wrote a preparedness plan called CONOP 8888 as a training exercise in case of an invasion of zombies -- well, really in case of invasion by "pathogenic life forms, organic-robotic entities, or 'traditional' zombies." Jumping on the zombie craze, in 2018 the CDC released ads and disaster preparation plans in case of an invasion. Full Story: OpenCulture Blog (9/16)
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