Advice
Today’s Moms: Caught Between Two Extremes
Editorial TeamIn light of a new study reporting that men have it pretty good these days — many wives earn more than they do — Petula Dvorak says millennial moms are now expected to bring home the bacon and wear an apron like the 50s uber mom. “There is no excuse for her not to succeed at work…(she) has to feed her kids all organic, homemade food. No more frozen chicken patties and Hamburger Helper late, late at night, right?”
Boosting Your Career During a Holding Pattern
Editorial TeamMore than half of 900 workers surveyed between last October and December plan to pursue new job opportunities when the economy improves, The Wall Street Journal reports. There are a number of ways to bolster your resume to prepare for when the job market ramps up, including volunteering, networking and moving into a parallel position within your company. “You don’t have to be stuck,” one expert says.
Starting Over Again in Midlife
Editorial Team 9Last year brought setbacks for many people. In this essay in The New York Times, lawyer Beverly Willett writes that in 2009 she ended her 25-year marriage, watched her savings disappear in divorce litigation and faced a mountain of bills. To make ends meet, she accepted an online job taking web and phone orders for T-shirts, mugs and teddy bears. She has never worked harder. “It might turn out to be the best job I’ve ever had.”
‘The Office’ — A Comedy Suitable For HR Training?
Editorial Team 1The Office, the TV comedy about a jumble of oddball workers trying to get along in a claustrophobic environment, is a phenomenon of our times, a period when the American workforce is more diverse than it has ever been, National Public Radio reports. Though the show is clearly a caricature, there are grains of truth in the dysfunctional conflicts that drive its humor, which some people think make it suitable fare for HR training.
Employers Take Extra Steps to Make Staff Feel Valued
Editorial TeamAs the recession lingers, business owners are taking extra steps — regular gripe sessions, creative new titles for exceptional employees, even weekly breakfasts — to make their staffs feel valued. With all the doom and gloom out there, The Wall Street Journal reports that some employers realize that when staffs feel valued, they work better.
Companies Find Benefits in Managing Moms To Be
Editorial Team 1With the proportion of pregnant women in the labor market edging higher for most of the past three decades, companies are finding benefits from managing expectant employees. Sue Shellenbarger reports in The Wall Street Journal that the “nimbleness required to handle multiple pregnancies in the short term can give rise to cross-training and teamwork that deepen their bench of talent in the long term.”