With the downturn in the U.S. economy, workplaces are becoming more and more diverse age-wise. Older workers are working alongside younger workers as people at every stage in their career are getting laid off. [photo:65315] With this generational gap among workers widening, there’s a lot of potential for miscommunication or differing perspectives. Though many people will absolutely deny that they ...

Most of us at some point have woken up in a cold sweat after a horrific nightmare about work. Whether about showing up naked at the office or missing a career-changing deadline, each of these dreams could have a deeper meaning about how you feel about your job. Wonder what your work dreams are telling you about your relationship with ...

They might be lurking in the cubicle next to you or lounging in a cushy corner office. They could be e-nagging you daily or haunting your dreams at night. That’s right, the people you work with have the power to influence, annoy, inspire, and scare the living daylights out of you (work nightmares, anyone?). Since you’re stuck with them 40 hours ...

As an HR professional you're used to talking to people when they've just lost their job. You may know all the right things to say, but when it comes to your friends, it's a whole different ballgame. You want to be supportive. You want to help them see the positive side of their misfortune. You want to buy them a ...

Work isn’t perfect, right? But if you are lucky enough to have a job right now it pays to remember that millions and millions of Americans don’t think you have a thing to complain about. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nation’s unemployment rate is hovering around 10%. Even more troubling, The New York Times reports that ...

You spend most of your day at work, right? Why not make some friends while you're there? You won't just have more fun — you'll work better. Gallup research shows that developing close friendships at work boosts employee satisfaction by almost 50%. And while we don't always choose our friends with career success in mind (company happy hour, ahem), there are ...

Everyone has something (or someone) that annoys him or her at work. It could be faulty equipment or coworkers who don’t pull their own weight. But nobody’s complaining about you, right? Not so fast. Even though your mom, friends, or significant other may worship the ground you walk on, there could be some people you work with who are far ...

If you’ve ever begged IT to stop a sent email in its tracks, or wasted an entire morning sifting through an unruly inbox, it might just be time for an email refresher course. In this age of BlackBerry-toting professionals connected by email around globe, it's crucial to abide by the written (and unwritten) rules of email communications. You don’t want to ...

How we fight sometimes says more about us than how we got into a fight in the first place. Living a conflict-free life, especially with a loved one, sounds nice but in reality is impossible. Not only that, but it's unhealthy. Disagreements from time to time, if dealt with maturely and with the requisite kindness, can actually help to strengthen the ...

If you've ever worked in an office environment — and as an HR professional you probably have — you've probably dealt with some kind of bad boss. Micromanagers, control freaks, and selfish tyrants ruin lives at all levels of organizations, their destructive powers wreaking havoc in on their subordinates. In fact, employee-employer relations are major stressors for even the savviest HR ...

It’s always exhilarating to quit a job you hate. You think of all the perfect ways to tell your boss to shove it — but have you thought about the consequences? Do you know what you’re going to do after the big event? Are you prepared to just leave your job? Pause before you take any action. Go ahead and ...

We’ve all had bosses that we’ve either loved or hated. The boss who helped you get that promotion, or the one who clipped his toenails at his desk. Some help us advance our career, while others seem to hold us back. Different leadership styles can lead to different results for each employee. But certain styles seem to be good or ...

[photo:72632] Every year, April reminds us about the season for office pranks. Whatever type of funny business you choose for April Fools' Day, make sure never to cross the line and get yourself fired or involved in a lawsuit! Follow these guidelines when thinking up your practical jokes to protect your career, and possibly, your colleagues. - Consider the level of ...

Being laid off is an emotional event that can leave you feeling wronged. Knowing the difference between an illegal layoff and an unfair layoff can help you decide whether to fight or move on. “It’s difficult for employees to see layoffs from an objective perspective,” says Marilyn Conyer, vice president of Accord Human Resources, an Oklahoma City HR consulting firm. “Many ...

Mad that you were passed over for a big promotion again? Livid that the bootlickers always seem to get ahead in your organization? Perhaps it's time to consider whether the anger itself, however legitimate, is holding you back. Evidence suggests many of us are walking around the office feeling resentful, though we may be unaware of the cumulative toll bitter actions ...

Workplace romances are hardly uncommon. After all, you're probably clocking in more hours at the office than at home. It's easy to develop close on-the-job relationships that can take a romantic turn. But what often starts as a titillating romp in the supply room can quickly turn into a train wreck, endangering your career and your future. Are you willing ...

A reader writes: I have been working at the same company (my first post-school job) for about 2 years now, and I've been moderately to very unhappy for most of my time here for a variety of factors (different working style from my boss which has lead to clashes in the past, public belittlement if something goes wrong, a team that ...

There's a lot of talk about the pipeline -- that magical conveyer belt that calls a select few up toward the top of organizations. The pipeline is critically important for women, who in most organizations are notably absent from it. This underrepresentation of eligible females is often cited as the excuse for everything from pay inequity and the shortage of women ...

I'm trying something new -- seven short answers to seven short questions, all in the same post: Company Won't Hire Former Employees of Competitor I applied for a job at a staffing agency and was told the particular company who was hiring wouldn't accept applicants who worked previously for their competitor even though I no longer work for them. Is that ...

A reader writes: I work for a company that has the FDA (Food and Drug Admin) come in often for audits. Every single thing every employee does can be audited. Therefore, procedures are put into place that must be followed. A co-worker takes many shortcuts and does not follow these procedures. I have pointed this out numerous times to my team ...