Where admins would like to lend a hand
An OfficeTeam and IAAP survey of 4,415 administrative professionals asked: “In which of the following areas would you like to assist at your company?” Their top choice: event planning.
Year: 2012
Make the most of your failures
Failure and weakness are painful, but can be harnessed to your advantage, says Kevin Daum, a successful entrepreneur.
Health reform: After Supreme Court vote, compliance scramble begins
If you took a wait-and-see approach to implementing health benefit changes until the Supreme Court ruled on the health care reform law, it’s time to kick your planning into high gear. Several short-term deadlines are approaching that require HR’s immediate attention.
It’s the company’s dime: Spend wisely
When you’re on company business, sometimes you might not be sure what the protocol is for how much is too much when spending company money. The following tips will come in handy:
Secondary axis charts in Excel
If you know what a secondary axis chart is, then you know what a challenge it can be to show disparate values on the same chart. This used to be somewhat cumbersome in older versions of Excel, but with Office 2007 and Office 2010 it’s a piece of cake! For those unfamiliar with the term, a secondary axis is useful when you have to display whole numbers and related percentages, like cost, price and profit percentage.
Keep your comments professional
Keep your comments professional, even during a disagreement by avoiding the phrase, “I couldn’t disagree more.” It makes the discussion a personal attack rather than an idea exchange. Instead, say, “I see your point. I also see another side.”
The case for being yourself at workÂ
Many of us put on a “game face” when we arrive at the office. However, being superficially conservative has been linked to lower levels of job satisfaction, according to new research.
Get a tidy tax credit for housekeeper
Do you need someone to watch your young kids while you and your spouse work? There are usually several options for double-income couples to consider. Don’t forget to factor in the dependent care credit (commonly referred to as the “child care credit”).
Google offers alternative to Excel
Google Docs’ Gadgets feature gives its spreadsheets an edge on Excel for some tasks. Users can create animated pie charts, produce QR codes and more. Helen Bradley of PCWorld explains how.
New manager squares off with toxic employees
Question: After being promoted to human resources manager, I discovered that I have been assigned to the most toxic division in our agency. The employees here constantly gossip, backbite and complain. I’ve heard that this is why the last HR manager left. I would love to play a major role in “cleaning up” this group, but I have to move carefully. Some of these people have been here more than 15 years and are protected by civil service regulations. Any suggestions? HR Crusader