Sunday, December 29, 2019

Four ways for you to have a healthier holiday season

Four ways for you to have a healthier holiday seasonFour ways for you to have a healthier holiday seasonTrigger warningtodays episode of the podcast touches lightly upon dietary considerations that may be triggering for some.Tis the season for quality time with family and friends. But between holiday travel, shopping, and oodles of face time with family, it can be a stressful time of year, too.And while I absolutely love how my familys holiday traditions tend to center around delicious, decadent food, Im bedrngnis a big fan of the sedentary nature of so much celebrating.But with a little bit of foresight, we all can have a healthier holiday season.Heres what Im doing this year to have happy, healthier holidays1. Schedule outdoor family funThis is a great time of year to sign up for family fun runs and 5k races. Theres a hugely popular turkey trot race near my hometown in Manchester, CT that I missed out on this year (Brad and I hosted our first Thanksgiving for a change), but its alw ays such a fun and feel-good way to abflug off your day.I like to find a nice spot for a family hike on holidays, especially on those days that end with hours and hour of eating amazing food. I feel so much better indulging when I know Ive really worked up an appetite and can lounge without feeling like Ive been lethargic all day long.It might be as simple as getting outside to toss a frisbee or football with family members, an inter-generational form of fun youll often see us partake in when Im home for the holidays. If youre in a snowy climate, making a snowman or going sledding gets you up and moving just the same. Even just taking a walk around the block with the dogs is better than nothing, and will get your body moving and still provide some quality time for connecting with loved ones.2. Move before mealsEven if you cant seem to get your family members on board for some outdoor fun, I always try to give myself time to move my body before big meals. I have to remind myself that my hyperactive nature means I crave the stress-busting benefits of fitness more than some of my family members do. And giving myself permission to sneak away for a quick jog or fitness class isnt rude. Im not breaking from the pack or abandoning family time. Im ensuring that I can show up as my best, most patient and kind version of myself.While carving out solo exercise time when Im home for the holidays isnt easy when your family has a pack mentality like mine does. But its a form of self-care And Ive realized over the years that martyring myself to be with my family 24/7 while Im home can tischset me up to explode like stress-filled ticking time bomb.After even a quick 20-minute sweat session, Ive worked up a big appetite, revved up my metabolism, and can now benefit from the mind-clearing calm that I need before a big holiday feast.3. Get in on the greensWhile Im not one to dish out dietary advice, holiday meals are so delightfully decadent that its easy to over-do it. This is especially true in my moms house where delicious rich food is part of our family values. But poor Brad, whos more of a daily PBJ kind of simple eater, welches once home with me for a week of my moms cooking and ended up waking up in the middle of the night with stabbing back pain coming from his very-overwhelmed gallbladder. His body was justnotused to the amount of buttery goodness that was coming out of my mothers kitchen.So my rule of thumb is just to be mindful about having something green on my plate. Whether its something fresh like a salad, or even if its a rich take on vegetables like green bean casserole, making sure that somewhere on my plate veggies are in the mix can help me from feeling completely weighed down by those delicious fried latkes, Christmas ham, and decadent desserts.4. Dont set big new health goalsFinally, the key for me is to not over-do it with any kind of restrictive eating or lofty new health goals during the holidays. For me, food, friends, and family are what this season is all about. Not calorie-counting.Instead of setting yourself up with a restrictive diet, just aim to maintain something close to your usual daily health and exercise regimen. After all, plenty of research shows that the sensation ofdeprivationultimately leads to major rebound. So lower the bar Dont set crazy-ambitious new fitness goals save that ish for the New Year and give yourself permission to indulge during this festive time of year.Because personally, depriving myself while sitting down in front of an amazing spread of holiday delights sounds like the worst way to spend the holidays.This article was originally published onBossedUp.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Payroll Specialist

7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Payroll Specialist7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Payroll SpecialistCandidates for payroll specialist positions come with varying skills, expertise and work history. They also work in different roles, from entry-level payroll clerk to payroll administrator and payroll supervisor. As a manager, you know you need operational support staff to process payroll, distribute paychecks, prepare statements and ensure governmental einhaltung. But as you scroll through the job postings and resumes, you may wonder about the best practices for finding payroll professionals, the key interview questions to ask and what, specifically, you need to look for when youre filling these roles.What are the key attributes of a payroll specialist?Education and experience may be clearly defined, but what about other qualifications? Here are seven key features to look for when hiring a payroll specialist.1. Payroll certificationsThe American Payroll Association (APA) offers two types of certification the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) and the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP). The FPC is for entry-level staff, and the coursework for this certification gives a thorough introduction to this field. FPC holders are ideal candidates as payroll clerks or other mid- to entry-level positions.For managerial positions and more complex payroll roles, look for candidates with a CPP. This advanced certification requires previous experience in the field and in-depth knowledge of core concepts such as employment taxes, employee benefits and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). CPP holders have also demonstrated their knowledge of paycheck calculations, payroll systems and payroll administration.2. Payroll software experienceMost payroll platforms are complex. There can be quite a bit of variation from one system to another, and those skills arent always transferable. For example, a person with extensive experience in ADP Workforce Now may not be comfortab le with Kronos.In an ideal world, its better to seek candidates with direct experience in your departments particular software rather than those who might need in-depth training to get up to speed. But because hiring in this field is highly competitive, it pays to consider candidates who havent worked with your companys particular platform but show an aptitude for learning new software.Find out more about the positions we place in payroll.WORK WITH US3. Other software skillsBeyond ADP, Kronos, Workday or Intuit, look for knowledge in a variety of other software. These must-have programs include Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and Outlook. Some payroll experts roles overlap with accounting, especially in smaller businesses, making proficiency in QuickBooks or Quicken an asset. And of course, because so much of reporting and payment processing has moved online, your new staff member should be comfortable with cloud technology.4. Understanding of complianceThe regulatory lands cape surrounding payroll and benefits is complex. Besides FLSA, theres the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), Affordable Care Act (ACA), data protection rules and a host of state and city ordinances to consider. While payroll software platforms can help you stay compliant, theyre not foolproof. The best protection is to have staff who understand the rules and know how to put them into practice. At the interview stage, ask candidates questions about compliance and gauge their level of familiarity with the recent legislation.5. Attention to detailPayroll staff members cant afford to make mistakes. For some roles in the company, you can overlook minor errors such as typos in a resume or a failure to follow the applications instructions. But when youre assessing payroll candidates, their attention to detail is paramount. Make this a non-negotiable attribute.6. Customer tafelgeschirr abilitiesPayrolls clients may be internal, but your team st ill needs a finely tuned customer service mindset. Payroll specialists should provide prompt and courteous responses to phone and email queries. They should be able to offer assistance when employees have trouble navigating the self-service portal. A dedication to customer service includes the related traits of confidentiality, diplomacy and problem solving.Ask interview questions that delve into candidates customers include How do you deal with an employee whos angry about garnishments? and Would you say youre more of a numbers person or a people person?7. Analysis and data skillsSoftware systems handle functional and routine work for most finance teams, which frees up people to spend more time on data analysis and business strategy. And this comes just in time. Todays accounting and finance teams are actively involved in researching and evaluating new systems and software, collaborating with IT on final purchases, and implementation. Its true in payroll, too. Thats why your ideal hires are professionals with expertise in payroll and technology. Future-proof your team by bringing in people with a background in or aptitude for working with data.These seven attributes are not etched in stone, and your company may have other requirements, such as knowledge of multistate payroll. Use this list to help you hone in on your ideal payroll specialists, and then make a job offer they cant refuse.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Using 123RF.com to Get Royalty-Free Stock Photos

Using 123RF.com to Get Royalty-Free Stock PhotosUsing 123RF.com to Get Royalty-Free Stock PhotosThe digital stock agency 123rf.com provides royalty-free and low-coststock photos, vectors, video clips, and audio files for a variety of professional and personal uses. The company adds up to 90,000 new creative works to the site each day and offers a 100% money-back guarantee on purchases. You must register with 123rf.com before you can buy stock content from the company, but registration is free. Before you make a purchase, be sure to read up on the types of licenses and products that are available so that you know what youre getting and how you can use it. Types of Content The 123RF website offers royalty-free content, which means you can purchase content for a flat fee, and after that, you dont have to pay again each time you use it. Buying royalty-free content is usually more affordable and flexible compared to rights-managed licensing, which often restricts how often, when, and where you can use content once you buy it. Content available on 123RF includes stock photographs, vectors (illustrations, clip art, graphics), video footage, and audio clips. The majority of the stock content is ready to use, scalable, and appropriate for use on professional or personal websites, or in commercials and promotional materials. The website also offers editorial images, which are different from stock royalty-free images. These types of images depict newsworthy events or celebrities and cant be altered significantly or used for advertising. Types of Licenses 123RF offers several different levels of licensing and copyrights. The basic license is the Standard royalty-free license. With the voreingestellt royalty-free license, you can buy an image one time and use it multiple times. This makes purchasing images affordable if you plan to use an image more than once, and youre not using it for mass production or on items or merchandise for sale (see below). With a royalty- free license, you do not have to worry about renewals, as you do with some other services. The Extended license is for content that meets one or more of the following conditions It has become an integral part of the product, and it adds value to the product itself.It is being distributed as a part of the product offering.Its being used as part of a product that is being given away for free but has a money generation model attached to it, such as third-party advertising. An extended license would apply to prints for sale, prints on merchandise for sale, design elements in packing material, and design templates or elements for sale. Types of Plans Three main types of plans are available on 123RF, as well as customized plans on request. The prices and plans featured here were effective as of August 2018. On-Demand This type of plan allows you to purchase a certain amount of credits to download voreingestellt and editorial images, vectors, video footage, audio clips, and extended-li cense content. The most popular package is 40 credits for $39 packages of 90, 200, and 400 credits are also available. You can also choose to buy a custom amount of credits, but the minimum is 10. Single pieces of content range from two to 10 credits and are based on license type, size, file type, and resolution. All unused credits expire after one year. Subscription Plans There are two image subscription plans available on 123RF. The first plan includes 150 images per month, with a daily download limit of five images, for $79 a month. The second plan includes 200 images per month, with no daily download limit, for $139 a month. The company touts these options as its best value. Download Packs With this option, you can download a specific number of standard, editorial, and vector images any time within a year of purchase. Five images cost $39, and 25 images cost $169. Free Images You can also find some free images on the 123rf.com site, but the selection isnt nearly as big as that f or the images you purchase. You can download and use them as long as you attribute them appropriately.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Questions to Ask If You Are Laid Off or Fired

Questions to Ask If You Are Laid Off or FiredQuestions to Ask If You Are Laid Off or FiredWhen you walk into what you think is a normal meeting with your boss and are surprised with a pink slip, its devastating. Even if you absolutely, positively hated your job, when your boss yanks it out from under your feet, it hurts and you cant think straight. You should, however, ask a series of questions even if you feel your brain cant handle it. You can always call or arrange a later meeting to ask these questions. Your employer will generally provide a stack of paperwork that you can go through on your own, so you may bedrngnis need to ask some of the questions I recommend. But make aya you know the answers to all of them before you sign anything other than an acknowledgment that you have received information. (If youre an employer, these are the questions you will need to be prepared to answer in an employment termination situation.) Here are questions you need to ask to help you with deci sion making, planning and to consider your legal options. Questions You Should Ask How much severance will I receive?Severance isnt required by lawexcept in certain situations, such as a union contract or when a high percentage of workers are let go without 60 days notice (see the WARN Act), but severance is common in layoffs. Make sure you know how much severance is coming your way.Will I Be Eligible for Unemployment and Severance at the Same Time?Severance is a company decision and unemployment is a state decision. The company cant deny you unemployment, but they can say if you are receiving unemployment, we wont give you severance. Some companies require you to complete your severance payments before applying for unemployment. Their hope is that youll get a job and wont ever need to apply for unemployment. What happens if I get a job internally?Are youeligible to apply for internal positions? What happens to your severance payments if you get a job internally? Is there a poss ibility of repayment if you take an internal position? Ask, If Im offered an internal position do I have to take it?, If I dont take it, can I still receive severance? and What if its for less money or at a lower level?What happens if I get a job externally?Can I still receive my full severance? Do I need to get a release from the company to take a job elsewhere? Do you still consider me employed while receiving severance? What do you consider my termination date? If Im receiving severance and someone calls to verify employment, is the answer employed or terminated?What happens to bonuses/commissions?Will I see the annual bonus, even if Ive been terminated? When will you pay out final commissions?Will you prorate the bonus? How?What happens to my health insurance?Does it stop immediately? The last day of the month? Is it extended for the period Im receiving severance? Do Iimmediately need to apply for COBRAor independent insurance? Am I eligible for rehire?Some companies dont allow the rehiring of anyone who was laid off. Others encourage everyone to apply for internal jobs. Some have a six month or one year waiting period between the termination and when you can apply for a new job.What will the company say is the reason for the termination?Is this a straight layoff or are there performance issues involved that will affect my reference? If a reference checker calls and asked why I left, what will you say?Is my manager allowed to give me a complete reference or is she required to stick to dates of service?Company policy dictates this, but sometimes its formally written into the documents that the manager can only verify dates and titles. Understand that recruiters can often get managers to break the policy and speak up, but the policy is important. Who else are you letting go?They probably will not answer this directly, but you should be able to figure it out. If you are 40 years or older, you should receive a list of job titles and ages of the employees in yo ur area and if they are terminated or staying. If its a group termination and you dont receive this, ask for the ADEA(Age Discrimination in Employment Act)disclosure.If the termination date isnt today, what happens if I quit before the end date?Will I still get severance? Do I receive a stay bonus for staying to the final day? Am I responsible for training someone to replace me?This is often the case in a situation involving outsourcing.What are the training goalsand what is the timeline? What happens if timelines arent met? Do I still receive my severance/stay bonus on the last day even if the outsourcer isnt ready?What rights am I required to give up in exchange for severance?This should be in the General Release that youll have to sign to receive money. Read it very carefully. Youre most likely giving up your rights to sue for almost anything, except things that are strictly prohibited by law. That can vary from state to state, so read the document carefully. Can I have my attorn ey look at this agreement before signing?If they want you to sign right away, its generally a sign that its a bad deal for you. Any reputable company will not care that youre showing it to an attorney before signing and will, in fact, encourage you to do so. If you have an attorney review your documents, please make sure that the attorney you consult specializes in employment law.If I have a non-compete agreement, does this layoff void that? If I dont have a non-compete, is a non-compete required to receive severance?How long does the non-compete restrict my employment options? What are the restrictions? Whats the geographic restriction? What happens to tuition reimbursement for courses Im currently enrolled in?Can I finish the course and have the company pay?Am I required to pay for current courses? Am I required to repay for courses that Ive completed? Your goal is to avoid any repayment.What happens to any relocation assistance that Ive received?Most relocation contracts have a o ne to two-year repayment clause if you leave before the time is up. Make sure your termination documents waive any requirement to repay.Is outplacement help available? What company? What services are provided? Must I use the services immediately, or can I use them later? How long do I have to use the services? Is it only good in this town, or can I move across the country and still use the outsourcing help? Who can I tell about my severance?My attorney? Financial planner? Spouse? Neighbor? Newspapers? Lots of companies require you to limit who you tell to your attorney, financial advisor, and spouse. You cant even tell your kids the terms of the severance. Find out the terms of the nondisclosure agreement before you speak up. Make sure that you have the answers to all of these questions before signing anything, otherwise, later you may regret your choice.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Skills to Put in Resume at a Glance

Skills to Put in Resume at a Glance The Basic Facts of Skills to Put in Resume There are some unique schools of thought in regards to deciding where to distributions-mix the skills section on your resume. Needless to say, each job will call for unique abilities and experiences, so make certain you read the job description with care and concentrate on the skills listed by the employer. You have to mention the skills which are required for a particular position. Your skills are an overview of what you could do for the possible employer if you were offered the work at this time. The skills section of your resume must encompass all your finest qualities and attributes in a brief summary. Soft skills are the skills that are relevant to every job. Although the skills you put in will vary based on the job youre applying for and ought to be relevant to the recent requirements for a specific job, here are a couple essential ones that will help you out. As stated earlier, assessing sof t skills is far mora difficult. The Hidden Secret of Skills to Put in Resume Using resume developer software may also make sure that your resume makes the appropriate impression. Your capacity to listen helps them understand that youre customer focused. If youre terrified your skills might be insufficient completely free certifications are there to assist you. There are some programs you may utilize to create presentations, including PowerPoint. Finding Skills to Put in Resume Naturally, there are a lot more courses on various topics that will earn a change in your resume. Its also advisable to check their social networking pages and take note if theyre frequently citing specific hard and soft skills that are desired by the provider. Meanwhile, others are going to extend on-the-job training. Depending on the help of our expert sources, here are a number of broad sorts of skills your resume could include, together with unique approaches to express them. Needless to say, certain skills can assist you almost in any position. Training is necessary for any candidate, but theres a point where self-learning is the very best approach to solve job troubles. There are a lot of things you want to take into account if you would like to compose a position resume. Of course, you might ask whether or not a new resume for each new position is needed. Which is vital part of your professional Resume. Finding the job of your dreams is only a resume away, but a lot of job seekers dont realize the significance of a well-written CV. It isnt essential to record each and every job which youve stated before, especially if it is not applicable to the present position or sector youre focusing on. When youd like to do a job resume, the first thing you should consider is what it really is for. Of course if you know what sort of job that you want, its going to be better to create your resume. Thus when writing down your job skills take some time to strategize and find out the very best approach to organize them in your resume. Hard skills to put on a resume are things which you can do that are especially linked to the job in question or the industry youre going to be working in. Despite the fact that you dont need to learn how they all work, you do have to have a good comprehension of several of them. Theres 1 problem, though. For instance, if youre interested in work that revolves in the computer science industry its advised to have a better comprehension of how certain programming languages and software work. For example, if you try to apply for a Chinese-English interpreting job, you have to be fluent in both languages otherwise you would not really qualify for the position. Want to Know More About Skills to Put in Resume? The resume maker ought to have the ability to supply several samples. If you ought to be requesting for work away from the usa, start by means of a template to acquire a CV as an alternate to a resume. If one of t hese categories is a region in which you excel, visit its particular page to learn how resume skills may be used to your benefit. In reality, there are particular jobs in which its important to place a skill section at or close to the top of the resume. Most standard resume formats incorporate a skill section at or close to the bottom of the resume. While resume publishing software can be rather useful, you should place some effort into the process. Life After Skills to Put in Resume At the close of the day, the choice of the skills themselves (and ensuring that the perfect skills are chosen) is the most significant thing. To begin with, deciding on what skills to put on a resume is much more important and probably a little more complicated than you believe. To begin with, if youre seeing a great deal of hard skills that you just dont have, it might be far better move on to the next position. Soft skills are a little bit more vague and open to interpretation. Look through t he work description and see whether any soft skills are mentioned. They are more subjective and harder to quantify, and are often grouped together by what we know as people skills. Mainly because they cannot be easily taught. Hardware skills allow you to physically operate a computer.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

The Importance of Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume

The Importance of Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume - the Story There is an assortment of opinions on the sort of resume and which one will fit your requirements. Because there are a lot of resume types and variations, have a quick glance on different types to determine which one would be the most suitable fit to serve your goal. Basically youd have a distinctly different resume with respect to a sizeable part of your content for each kind of job that youre applying for. Youll find more details on various sorts of skills for a resume in the previous section. The Supreme Strategy to Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume If youve decided that. Rather than having a work history section at the very top of your resume, you could have an expert experience or accomplishments section that lists various skills you have developed through the years. Therefore, there are various kinds of resumes which means you can just have a glance at them and decide which the one appropriate for you according to needs is. New Step by Step Roadmap for Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume Understanding your sort of unemployment is able to help you focus your energy in the directions which are most productive for your job search. The Advantages Disadvantages The keyword is fit for specific conditions specifically in the vorstellung the employer would like to minutely scrutinize through your CV. There are a lot of standard kinds of resumes you may use to submit an application for job openings. Therefore, it isnt fit for you if youd like to exhibit all of your knowledge, skill and experience to the employer whilst putting in an application for work that wants all your prior data in detail. The Appeal of Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume Its fast and simple to use. There are various templates available for creating resumes and several distinct types of colored paper. There are a couple co mmon kinds of resumes, and were likely to evaluate when (or if) you ought to use every one of them. Theres an abundance ofdifferent kinds of resumes and it can be challenging to pick. It is essential to also emphasize on your prior experience of work about the particular field. Finding a new job a can be a lengthy procedure and there are lots of stages and all of them are important and need careful consideration. Winning an award for giving a presentation at college indicates that you own a range of unique varieties of communication abilities and its a lot more convincing than simply stating that youre a great public speaker or have good communication abilities. For example, your time management abilities or knowledge of specific computer programs would be helpful in most any position. How to Choose Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume Active folks usually become involved in different sorts of freelance work. For the interest of writing a resume, the 2 words are in terchangeable. If your work asks for particular certifications, degrees or education, think about the combination resume. For instance, you could just be searching for a change in career, and a way to transition to another field of work. The Supreme Approach for Different Types of Writing to Put on a Resume A persons unique set of skills is among the many aspects of a resume. At the peak of the resume is a list of somebodys skills and qualifications. Dont simply compose the keywords in, consider the times when youve demonstrated the necessary skills. Double-check if youre utilizing the ideal abilities and experience keywords.