Climbing Mount Corporation fitting in at your job. The Dilbert Blog.
5/1/2008
The MTSG View
On
business, the workplace and employee relations
May, 2008
Climbing Mt Corporation
There may be two types of people in the corporate world:
those who get ahead by jumping from one company to the next and those
who stay at one firm and navigate through the ranks Either way, some days it'll
feel as though you're pushing a large rock up a steep hill as you try to reach
the pinnacle If you've stalled, see if this checklist can get you back on the path
Figure out where you
can improve in your current role Do you have suggestions on how to improve
a specific process? Bring up your comments at your next staff meeting Managers
generally will embrace workers' decisions to voice questions or concerns
because doing so can lead to a positive dialogue about how to tap into the
team's skills to boost productivity and how to keep the team happy It also
sends the message that you're not simply thinking of yourself, that you have a
firm grasp on the bigger picture and that you're not afraid to speak up These
are fundamental traits that most high-level workers - including managers -
possess
Don't punch the clock
Get in a few minutes early and leave a little late if you're working on a
time-sensitive assignment Employers notice when workers put in a little extra
effort and that little extra could mean the difference between keeping you in the
loop on future projects and writing you off as someone who can only handle a
set amount of work Keep in mind, too, that having a ‘can do' attitude also
demonstrates your ability to work effectively with minimal supervision That
too is a key trait that managers seek when elevating a workers' status In
addition, demonstrate that you're a team player by offering to help out
coworkers and your manager if you have down time
Look for challenges
If you have the chance to become involved with something that is out of your
comfort zone, embrace the opportunity The benefit of learning a new skill is
two-fold: It illustrates your ambition to your current employer and it boosts
your resume, making you even more marketable for higher-level positions
Look like a professional, act like one too Your employer will notice when you dress well It sends
the message that you take yourself seriously and that you expect others to do
so as well Also, try not to engage in workplace gossip Maintaining decorum at
all times goes a long way toward demonstrating that you could very well become
a high-profile face of the company
Fitting in At Your New Job
You've landed a new job and you want to assert yourself so
your boss knows that you're ready, willing, and able to take on a number of
different projects But you realize that if you come off as being too
assertive, you run the risk of alienating your coworkers and your manager So,
what should you do?
Start by taking some time to learn the ins and outs of your
new job before offering to help on other assignments Once you're comfortable
and competent in performing your daily tasks, meet with coworkers on a casual
basis Join them for lunch and discuss the work climate, talk about projects they're working on and learn a bit about their background By
engaging coworkers, you should get a better sense of your new surroundings, how
workflow occurs and how changes are implemented
Just as important as learning your new job and the work
culture is paying attention to any potential roadblocks you might encounter
along the way For instance, if there is a project coming up that requires the
application of specific software that you're not familiar with, talk to your
manager about taking a class This will show that you plan ahead and that you're
serious about meeting new challenges
In addition, learn the corporate structure Ask your new
employer to provide you with its organizational chart This will give you a
good idea of who the players are and how they fit into the business It may also
help you to see where you fit in today and where you could potentially fit down
the line
Once you have a sense of where you'd like to go within the
company, list your short- and long-term goals What short-term projects are
essential to your job growth and what long-term opportunities could lead to a
promotion or other notoriety? Then devise a strategy to achieve those goals Finally, make it a point to attend career-development
seminars that your employer may offer and don't be afraid to ask about
mentoring opportunities
‘Religious accommodation'
in the workplace
When an employee requests a day off because of his or her
religious observations, must you as an employer grant the request? Like most legal-related
matters, the answer is it depends
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC), most complaints about religious discrimination concern requests for
time off or to wear religious garb in the workplace Under Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), an employer must reasonably accommodate
an employee's requests for religious accommodation unless doing so would place
an "undue burden" on the business For example, if
the employee's absence would create an unreasonably heavy workload for his or
her colleagues, the employer may deny the request for time off If a worker
asks to wear a robe instead of a company uniform, the employer can say no if
the company's brand identity would be compromised by granting the request
Title VII applies to employers
with more than 15 workers Smaller businesses may have greater leeway when it
comes to denying requests for religious accommodation But even if federal law doesn't
apply, state law might mandate the manner in which employers handle requests
for religious accommodation Before making any employment-related decisions
concerning religious accommodation, employers should check with their state's
labor office on the applicable law, as well as seek the advice of a local
attorney A company generally isn't obligated to pay workers for their
time off, so employers should make workers aware that they may dip into their paid
time-off bank to cover their absences
Other questions to avoid include inquiring about the
religious beliefs of a job applicant; requesting proof of their beliefs from a
member of their church And rather than ask job applicants if they are prohibited
from working any shifts because of their religious beliefs, detail the hours
and days of the shifts that need to be filled and fully apprise applicants of this
information
For answers to frequently asked questions about requests for
religious accommodation, visit the EEOC at http://wwweeocgov/types/religionhtml
Mom Inc
Mother's Day arrives this month and that means it's time to make sure that
the stay-at-home mom in your house is being fairly compensated - $90,000 per
year salary, another $25,000 on top when overtime is factored in
That's the most recent figure that a team of compensation
experts at Salarycom have for stay-at-home moms The dollar amount was devised
after considering the many jobs that are included in taking care of the kids
and running the house and what would be paid to hire people on the open market
to do the same services
Salarycom estimated that women who leave the traditional
workforce spend about 90 hours per week in their stay-at-home job, in addition
to being on call 24/7 If that's the case a $90,000 salary doesn't sound like
very much Below you'll find a list of some of the 15 job titles and their
annual salary estimates included in Mom's workday Of course there are
stay-at-home-dads, but they're outnumbered 11 million to 189,000 according to
the US Census Bureau
- Day care worker - $20,260
- Facilities manager - $73,200
- Short-order cook - $27,500
- Laundry attendant - $18,000
HR Blog Watch
The Dilbert Blog http://dilbertblogtypepadcom/
We
interviewed Dilbert creator Scott Adams once He predicted that one day people
would wear their cubicles at work in the form of four small walls that boxed in
your head Good luck finding a place for the family photos
