Greenline Blog

If you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work.   — Kahlil Gibran

The minimum wage will increase in late July, through a federal minimum wage hike, which will require employers in 26 states and the District of Columbia to raise their base to at least $6.55.

The increase of the current $5.85/hour minimum wage is the second of three consecutive annual hikes mandated by a 2007 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, known as the Fair Minimum Wage Act

The minimum wage is scheduled for its next 70-cent-lift in July 2009, when it will hit $7.25.

You know those people who are just "captivating?" They seem to effortlessly attract others — and opportunity — their way. Maybe you already have that quality, but if you don't, these tips, by Think Simple Now can help you develop the power of attraction and widen your appeal."Charisma" is one attribute the goes hand-n-hand with leadership, so likeability has strong professional implications. "In a job interview, you are more likely to be hired if the interviewer likes you as a person. In a business situation, you are more likely to get deals done and gain favors. In a personal situation, you are likely to gain trust and loyal friendships," the article states.

Practicing these techniques may not instantly turn on your charisma switch, but you will likely be more engaging, more memorable and more confident.

Mirroring: subtly mimic the other person's physical behaviors, during a conversation.

Remember names: this is an essential business skill and one that is not easy to master if it doesn't come naturally.

Be interested: ask questions of others and practice active listening.

Allow others to talk: someone once told me there is a reason we have twice as many ears as we have mouths.

Intention: forge an internal connection by wishing someone good thoughts.

Offer help: Find a need that an employer has and offer-up a solution.

Smile: this one action can quickly improve everyone’s day, so keep smiling.

Authenticity: keep it real for everyone.

Try to practice one new technique each week. Cheers for now.

The controversial issue of executive compensation inevitably leads one to explore the motivations for a talented business leader to accept a new management role and, over a longer period of time, what might get them to stay with the same organization.

ExecuNet research reveals that while better pay is a leading factor motivating executives to accept a new position, personal growth, company reputation and personal considerations such as location, work/life balance and promotion opportunities also help tip the scales.

Surprisingly, very few executives today consider onboarding support to help ease their integration with a new employer a major factor in their decision to take a new job, as the chart illustrates.

Claimant jobless up in June by 15,500 or 2.6% of the workforce. It’s the biggest rise in claimant counts since December 1992. It appears the labor market in the UK is loosening. The BBC stated“House builders have cut thousands of jobs in 2008 as the economy cools.”

Employers in June made cuts in jobs for the sixth straight month. It's much weaker-than-expected, payrolls decreased by 62,000 in May. The economy has shed 438,000 jobs this year, the worst start to a year since 2002. It appears that job seekers were finding it hard to find work with all the negative pressure from the housing collapse and credit crunch. The unemployment rate remained the same at 5.5% (8.5 million persons). Non-farm payrolls decreased by -62,000 jobs. Average hourly earning rose by 0.3%. Jobs strength came from the government which added  jobs, health care which added 28,000 jobs, retail sector added 9,000 and added 16,000 leisure/hospitality. Leading the jobs weakness was manufacturing, construction, and retail. The manufacturing sector lost 33,000 jobs and  the construction sector lost 43,000, in May. May job loss was revised from 49,000 to 62,000.

The top 400 U.S. taxpayers reported an average annual income of $214 million each….The median per capita income in the U.S. is $26,000.

As WSWS recently stated “the richest four hundred American taxpayers have amassed immense wealth, and that amount is steadily increasing, according to figures reported by the Wall Street Journal Wednesday.”

The best employees have the most leverage, in today’s market place. - Mike Thomas

With all the layoffs that are occurring in the economy these days, many people think they will be entitled to a severance, but you can’t count on that these days. In a slowing economy the old rules may not apply.

Remember severance is not a right; it is up to the employer’s discretion. Just because your employer offered a severance package to people last year, they may not offer the same package this year.

If you are an “At Will Employee” you do have some basic rights, when you are being laid-off, such as: you are entitled to your unused vacation pay and unemployment (if you are eligible).

With some companies a severance package may be offered for signing a separation agreement. Separation agreements have become very common with employers, basically you are signing your rights away, they typically state that you can never sue the company, that you will hold the employer harmless, some may not allow you to work for a competitor for 3, 6 or 9 months. If you see any of this type of language in the separation agreement, your employer should be offering you something to sign the agreement, such as 30, 45, or 60 days pay, if it is not offered don’t be afraid to ask for compensation to sign a separation agreement. So make sure you know what you are signing, before you sign….take the time to read the documents.

Employers in May made cuts in jobs for the fifth straight month. It's much weaker-than-expected, payrolls decreased by 49,000 in May. The economy has shed 324,000 jobs this year, the worst start to a year since 2002. It appears that job seekers were finding it hard to find work with all the negative pressure from the housing collapse and credit crunch. The unemployment rate jumped this month to 5.5% (8.5 million persons). Non-farm payrolls decreased by -49,000 jobs. Average hourly earning rose by 0.3%. Jobs strength came from the government which added 17,000 jobs, health care which added 34,000 jobs and leisure/hospitality. Leading the jobs weakness was manufacturing, construction, and retail. The manufacturing sector lost 26,000 jobs, the construction sector lost 34,000 and the retail sector lost 27,000, in May.