Ros Asquith on the art of maximising every moment
Posts Tagged ‘jobs’
Pushing Envelopes: Time saving
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009Britons on average incomes ‘failed by successive governments’
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009• Median earners ‘face job cuts and repossessions’
• Successive governments have failed them, says TUC
Britons on average incomes have been failed by all governments over the past 30 years and thousands have been left facing the twin prospects of redundancy and repossession, the Trades Union Congress says today.
Despite the widespread belief that people on middle incomes earn more than enough to support their families, the TUC says their average annual pay was just under £20,000 – a “long way” from the comfortable middle-class incomes associated with middle Britain.
The TUC says that most politicians have got middle Britain “badly wrong” and that the failure of successive governments to deliver for middle earners helps explain voter outrage with politics after the MP expenses scandal.
Brendan Barber, the TUC’s general secretary, said: “For all the talk of middle Britain, those on real middle incomes got left behind under the Conservatives, were left out of Labour’s boom that has now busted into recession, and are now fearing for their jobs and homes as unemployment bites.
“No wonder there is so much anger at a political system that has seen the super-rich soar away, while too many MPs look to be more interested in joining the wealthy rather than standing up to them.”
Thirty years ago the UK was one of Europe’s most equal societies, he said, but now it is one of the most unequal. “Far from the middle being unaffected by the growing wealth and income gap, they have slipped behind not just the rich but the better-off professional classes.”
The TUC said median earners have seen their income rise by less than average over the last 30 years. Since 1979 the income of median earners has gone up by 60%, while much bigger increases for the better-off have pushed up average earnings by 78%. Though the median income fell behind far more under the Conservatives, the gap has continued to grow under Labour.
Stewart Lansley, the report’s author, said: “This may stand as one of the big failings of the last 30 years. Given the political rhetoric – that the policies on offer would secure middle-income Britain a bigger share of growing national wealth and wellbeing – one might assume that the middle-income Britain of the 1970s and 1980s has genuinely been transformed into the well-to-do middle Britain of current imagining. In fact, this is not the case.
“Maybe because of this, middle-income Britain holds noticeably different values than those above them in the income hierarchy. They are more pro-state and strongly support government action to tackle inequality.”
- Trade unions
- Labour
- Conservatives
- Recession
- Work & careers
- Pay
- Redundancy
- Repossessions
guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Work: Women of an uncertain age
Friday, May 22nd, 2009Two women reveal how age crept into their working lives: one having to prove sceptics wrong by setting up her own business; the other coping with an office of twentysomethings
Whether it’s in the workplace or a labour ward, prejudice and discrimination can be part and parcel of daily life for women of a ”certain age”.
Elizabeth Adeney, a 66-year-old who runs a manufacturing business in Suffolk found herself in this week’s opinion columns after disclosing she is eight month’s pregnant and set to become the oldest woman in Britain to give birth.
So as a new report warns that older workers are more at risk of losing their jobs in this recession, we asked two working women how they rise above the banter, innuendo and skepticism.
Simeone Salik, 66 started her own company two years ago when her husband retired. “Some people like to work; others can’t wait to stop. I belong to the first category. And I wasn’t about to let a small thing like my age stop me when I spotted a great business opportunity not long after my 65th birthday,” she said.
“After leaving school at 18, I had a job and helped to support my then boyfriend – now my husband of 46 years – through university by working as assistant to the PR for Liberty’s of Regent Street and then with one of the first standalone PR agencies, Leslie Frewin. I then worked in the PR department of Masius & Wynne Williams, a large advertising agency, until my children began to arrive. All this was in the 1960s, when women stayed at home to look after their children and it was more unusual to leave them while you worked.
“My husband, an optometrist with several practices by now, was very involved in the administration and running of his business, so I was able to help him after work and at the weekends and learned how a business should be run properly – minimum expenses and maximum profitability, with good customer relations and after-sales service.
“But when the first of our three daughters went to university, I realised that very soon we would be ‘empty-nesters’ and encouraged my husband to sell his business and work from our home in his professional capacity. I became the receptionist and dispenser.
“As his retirement age loomed, I once again wanted a project and, more by luck than judgment, found a plot of land and we built our retirement bungalow. This took us three years to accomplish. After leaving ordering the curtains until the very end, I realised that there was a real gap in the market for temporary, inexpensive blinds, and asked a designer called Janice Dalton if she wanted to go into business with me to fill the gap. My husband, who had never wanted me to work before, was very supportive but my family was sceptical – after all, I was just their mother and at 65 probably not in the 21st century at all. What did I know?
“It took us more than 18 months to set up our business and after an introduction to Dominic Lawrence, who was sourcing the blinds from the far east, we asked him to join us as an equal partner.
“We built a website and even did our own video, with Dom shooting, Janice demonstrating and lots of laughter. We launched the website in November 2008, and to our surprise, started little by little to get orders from around the UK and even from the Irish Republic and Spain.
“One of the things I had learned from working with my husband was that if you keep your costs down you don’t have to borrow from the bank and, in fact, our set up costs were funded three ways from our individual savings or earnings. We spent no more than £3,500 each and the stock was ordered with a 60-day payment deferment.
“All this time the ‘credit crunch’ was becoming more and more real and suddenly banks, which had formerly been the rock of our society, were failing. We could not have launched a business at a worse time.
“However, our blinds, which are cheap, instant and temporary, are just the job for a recessionary period. My PR seemed to be working well and we had some really nice mentions in both newspapers and magazines.
“One Manchester paper called us ‘idea of the week’ and the Dragons’ Den production team in Manchester, who must have seen the story, contacted us to suggest we fill in an application form. At first we thought it a crazy idea, but after much discussion decided to send the form in.
“We were asked to go to pitch and have a screen test at the BBC studios in London and eventually after quite a few weeks, were asked to go to Pinewood to appear in the Den. Dom, to his credit, insisted that we rehearsed, rehearsed and researched so that we would be ready to field any questions.
“On the day, I didn’t feel too nervous. At my age, all I was worried about was making a fool of myself and giving my family ammunition to laugh at me forever more. We pitched for over an hour and were really happy when James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne decided to give us investment.
“They have guided us on a weekly basis and have helped us, by involvement with their other investments, with our distribution and the admin.
“By association with them, Blindsinabox is now a ‘real’ company and my eight grandchildren think I am a really ‘cool’ grandmother, especially when teachers in their schools tell them that they have bought the blind, and is it their grandmother they have seen on the TV?
“It has changed my life and I would recommend anyone who thinks they are too old to change or to start a new career to go for it. You will never regret it and will learn lots of new things, like using your BlackBerry to text your family: “C U 2NITE. SPK L8TR”.
Carol Cooke, 57 is a public accountability manager for the BBC.
“Last week I opened an email from a young woman inviting us to celebrate what she called ‘a significant’ birthday, by eating the chocolate cake on her desk. She was 25. As I mooched over, I realised I was the oldest woman in the office. I was surrounded by babies – I wanted to tie pelican bibs round their necks, and warn them about choking on crumbs.
“The Pensions Act decrees that I can’t retire at 60 but have to keep going a bit longer. I enjoy work but when I sit down at my computer, I am surrounded by people barely out of their babygrows, whose voices are still breaking, and whose chosen daytime drink is fizzy pop.
“Being the oldest woman in the office is odd. How did it happen? Was I not paying attention? One moment I was one of the kids, going out after work and drinking a lot. The next minute I am quietly responsible, find it difficult to function after three glasses of wine the night before, don’t want to go to clubs – even if I could find one without my glasses – and look forward to an evening self-medicating on Desperate Housewives.
“My terms of reference are different. I complimented one young woman on the flower in her hair. She explained she was ‘channelling Katy Perry’. I gave a knowing laugh and rushed off to ask the child sitting at the next desk for guidance.
“Then there’s exercise. What does the oldest woman in the office do when people are putting on running shoes and tiny T-shirts? And if I am prepared to put on shorts and just accept I look tubby, I get half way round the run and then collapse. I love the three-gate route – at least you get a break while someone opens the damn things.
“It’s not just the running kit. I have a penchant for clothes with bits of glitter, but conclude that if everyone around me looks as if they are back-packing round Europe during their lunch hour, then glittery tops are passé. The backpack look is popular but you have to possess flawless skin and swinging blonde hair to look good in tones of grey and khaki.
“When I wrote about my ‘oldest women’ problems on a BBC webpage, I received some great responses. One woman pointed out that ‘the traditional cauliflower head perm of our mother’s generation has been replaced by the blonde bob which tops the spreading torso’. Yep.
“Another woman classed herself as a ‘transitional woman’ but found the thought of the transition to being retired and, keeping your nose out of things, too difficult to imagine.
“So yes, I’m on Facebook, and listen to music via YouTube, but choosing the right clothes, and knowing what the fresh-faced babies working the urban guerrilla-look are talking about is something the Pensions Act forgot. And that’s a major omission.”
- Discrimination at work
- Work & careers
- Older people
guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
What can I do about a useless boss?
Friday, May 15th, 2009Problems at work? Our agony uncle has the answers
The boss is useless and we’re losing a fortune. Can we do anything?
For two-and-a-half years I have been a senior manager in a small, not-for-profit organisation. Just before I joined, an MD was appointed with a brief to stem ongoing losses and provide new leadership. The senior staff team gave full support and accepted the bumpy start as inevitable. It soon became apparent, however, that he lacks management skills, does not understand basic financial principles and does not know how to deal with increased losses. He repeats mistakes, wastes money, does not listen to advice or suggestions from senior management, dismisses customer complaints, ignores many creative suggestions for producing income, does not give staff clear directions and cannot delegate. He fails to respond to requests for decisions and information, making it impossible for senior staff to do their jobs properly.
However, he can be charming and persuasive, and presents himself very differently when in front of anyone he needs to influence. In his time, the organisation has lost lots of money. I have become aware other members of staff share my concern but there is no one senior to approach except the MD.
So I and a senior staff member approached two of the non-executive directors informally. We explained the concerns of the senior staff team and provided examples of the MD’s poor management. They admitted more could have been done to challenge the financial losses, but pointed out it would be difficult to deal with his poor management without seeing it for themselves, or getting an official complaint.
If I make this official, my working life will become impossible. As well as the stresses of dealing with the MD, I?have a heavy workload, and my physical and mental health are already under threat. Despite all this, I am committed to my job – leaving would be a last resort. I’m lucky to work with a dedicated staff team who make a difference to the community we serve. I know we have the potential to improve our financial situation and I’m frustrated and angry these people will lose their jobs if our situation does not improve.
If I did leave, I don’t know what I would tell a potential employer about my reasons for doing so, and I’m concerned about a reference, especially as I would be inclined to tell the board my real reasons for going.
There is always the risk, particularly in smallish, not-for-profit organisations, that a full-time but incompetent MD can outwit and outmanoeuvre a part-time board. It shouldn’t happen but it does – and in your case, it clearly has. But somebody (a subcommittee of the board?) must have appointed this man and somebody must be responsible for monitoring his contribution.
He was brought in to stem financial losses. Two-and-a-half years later, these have mounted. However remote and disengaged your board is, and however charming and manipulative the MD, it’s inconceivable the governing board doesn’t have serious concerns about his performance. The board should have acted, so its hesitation is probably due to a reluctance to admit it made a mistake, combined with a fading hope things may improve. I suspect your MD may be closer to the end than it seems, but you can’t count on it.
Your own predicament is painful and unfair. You’ve behaved responsibly and unselfishly. It would be utterly understandable if you felt you had to leave. But I’d urge you to make one more effort before you do so.
The purpose of your business is to serve a community – and you know that, efficiently run, your business could do a great deal more to help that community. The time has come for you and your senior colleague to commit your views to writing. But it must not be a catalogue of personal complaints about your MD; rather, a tightly argued and fact-based record of declining company performance and a list of recommendations for improvement. You should send this to your MD, with open copies to every board member. It should be signed by you both.
I know this is asking a lot and I wouldn’t blame you if you thought the resulting pressure would pose too serious a threat to your health. But it could be the trigger that’s needed to provoke that procrastinating board into taking action. And if you have to leave, I can think of no greater reassurance to a prospective employer than hearing the reasons for your reluctant departure and reading a copy of your positive but rejected recommendations.
Team morale has dived since this head of department’s arrival
I have been in a hard-working, experienced HR team in a large company for almost three years. Nine months ago a department head was appointed. Since he joined team morale has fallen hugely. He doesn’t communicate important information with us, cannot make decisions, distributes work unevenly – creating resentment – and is rarely available: he is on training or leave or simply in his office with the door closed. We have made suggestions about how we can work better together but it hasn’t worked – things are getting worse.
We are at the end of our collective tether – one colleague is considering going sick. What can we do?
Read the first letter in this column and my reply. No two cases are identical but there’s a common principle here. Complaints and criticism can all too easily be dismissed as personal sniping by whinging juniors. Positive and specific recommendations, though by implication exposing management inadequacies, can’t be so easily dismissed.
So you should put your collective suggestions in writing and send them to your department head, with an open copy to the chief executive. The more signatures, the better. It certainly won’t make you popular but it should have an effect.
Readers’ advice
• In response to your reader who is daunted at the thought of giving presentations if she returns to study (9 May); practice makes perfect. I strongly urge her to join a group dedicated to improving public speaking skills, such as Toastmasters International, where she will learn by watching and doing, as well as brushing up on her critical thinking, feedback and impromptu speaking skills: all useful skills for a student or worker of any age. Be warned though, the confidence she will rapidly gain from facing and controlling her fear might well turn out to be life-changing – it was for me. She can find a local group at Toastmasters International. Helena Lyons, president elect, Windsor Speakers
Did Jeremy get it right? Email us at work@guardian.co.uk and we’ll print the best reply
- Work & careers
guardian.co.uk ? Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Successful Home Based Business – Why Are People Searching?
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009Guest post by Christine Chow
We are living in a day and age where you are either your own boss, or someone’s slave. For those of you working under conditions where you are not happy, you know exactly what this feels like. People seek to find their own successful home based business because they are wanting something more. They know that life is not just made up of clock work. Feeling like you are slave to a clock can be physically and emotionally draining. Working from home opens up the door to ultimate freedom and gets you away from your dreaded 9 to 5.
The idea of having a home based business has been around for a while, and is now becoming more popular and much more of a reality for a lot of different people with different job backgrounds. You can basically pick whatever it is that you want to do, and go with that idea. You must stay focused on your dream, or it cannot grow into reality. You won’t get rich overnight, starting a successful home based business takes time and patience. In time, your business can indeed turn into a successful venture. Having a home based business is often very appealing for people who want to invest little to no money while still reaping the benefits of a large investment. Trying to start a successful home based business is smart.
It is for the mother or father who wants to stay home with their children. Not everyone has the money for the cost of daycare these days. It can be a real hassle for couples with numerous children. Daycare costs can add up to hundreds of dollars per week, taking literally over half of the family’s income. Working from home at your home based business can allow both parents to quit their day job, and focus on what is most important.
Having a successful home based business is often flexible enough to allow you to stay at your current position while still working from home to build your future business in your spare time. Most people usually only invest a few hours a week starting off. It can take up to two years for a home based business to grow and become successful. The more hours that you invest, the quicker your business can grow. There are certainly a lot of people out there who are willing to invest dozens of hours a week in addition to their current job because they really want to get away from corporate America. Who doesn’t?
You don’t have to worry about the high cost of gas. With the way the economy is going, it is no wonder that more and more people are reaching for their home laptops and searching for successful home based business ideas. More and more folks are losing their jobs of today, and fearing that there is no future for them tomorrow. Something has to happen, and it is happening at home. There are so many different areas of business to go into when you choose to do it your own way. You can even choose to have more than one if you would like.
Starting up a successful home based business is worth the time and work. But do not be deceived, there is a lot of work involved. There will be times in the beginning that you will feel like beating your head against the pavement. Just remember to relax and be consistent. A business takes time, patience, and a real effort. The harder you try, the more likely you will be to able to succeed.
More details about a successful home based business opportunity can be found on www.HomeBizTopEarner.com.
The Internet CEO – How To Make "Independent" Money Online
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009Guest post by Carael Knight
Making Money If You Do “Not” Have Your Own Website
What I have learned over the years is that you have to do a lot of small things correctly. One good way to make independent money online is to market your products and services on high traffic websites such as this one. You can accomplish this by having a link or banner (some advertisement of some sort) to your website from their website. For example: Just say if a high traffic website is getting between say maybe 100,000 – 200,000 visitors a month and you took 1,000 – 2,000 (this is on the low end) of their traffic a month, the numbers will quickly add up.
Another way you can make independent money online is to promote affiliate programs. If you have a website of your own that is already receiving a pretty good amount of traffic, you can promote it on your site. But if not, then I would suggest something like Pay Per Click or promoting it on high traffic websites that are on the same theme like the example above.
Making Money If You “Do” Have Your Own Website
You have to build your backlinks if you want to make money online for the long haul. You do not necessarily have to be at the very top of the search engines to make money online but it is crucial that you build a credible website. You have to build a “buzz”. One of the best
ways to do this is through building backlinks.
Making independent money online is not like regular internet marketing. It takes a lot more hard work and dedication to marketing on your own terms. This includes using your own avenues to get the word out about your business. You have to be creative as well as think “outside the box”. A better way to fully understand what making independent money online is this, ask yourself, “if my main source of traffic was taken away from me today, what do I have to fall back on for traffic and stability? This is why it is so important to have multiple streams of traffic going into your website. Since having a successful internet business is all about longevity, making independent money online is the only way.
The Beginner Guide to Setting Up a Freelancing Business to Make Money Online
Monday, March 30th, 2009If you are one of the many people who has planned to get into the Internet freelancing industry, there are some important things you must know. Outlined below are 4 necessary things you must have so that you can start your online freelancing business easier and be more successful when running the business.
Website
Even if you are just starting out with your online freelancing business or even if you simply wish to make use of bidding sites for freelancing, never forget the importance of having a website. Your freelancing website should contain information about yourself, what your credentials are, and what you are capable of doing. If you have a good website for your online freelancing business, it would be easier for potential customers to trust you with the work they require.
Portfolio
When starting a freelancing business over the internet, you would need to publish your own portfolio. If you already have a website, putting your information there is necessary. Potential clients will first be looking at this portfolio to get to know your skills as well as what your freelancing business has to offer. They would want to see your previous works in order for them to determine if your capabilities fit their needs. For this reason, you must be sure to publish your best works that exemplify exactly what you can offer to your clients.
Rates
Your website should contain all the pertinent information regarding what kind of services your online freelancing business can offer. Depending on whether or not you have standard rates for your services, you may choose to publish prices in your online freelancing website or advice your visitors to contact you so you can provide them with a quotation for the work they require. However, you must take into consideration that some people prefer to see rates and prices immediately rather than wait for a quote. If you do not have standard prices for your services, you can simply publish a price range for all the services you offer just to give your visitors an idea of what to expect. If the price range that you publish suits their budget, they will contact you for a more specific quotation.
Legitimacy
The World Wide Web is open to everyone and there are thousands of business websites that are not registered. However, it is better to have your business registered at least with your local government. Doing this will help you gain the trust of your potential customers. This will also allow you to advertise your freelancing services in your local newspaper. If you opt to do this for your online freelancing business, you will have more chances of gaining clients since more individuals would rather work with registered businesses especially for legal and accounting purposes. This will also help you develop a better reputation for your freelancing business and it will give your potential customers an impression that it is safe to do business with you.
Tips for Making Money Online with Cash Crate
Sunday, March 29th, 2009Guest post by Joe Soderlund
Cash Crate can be a great way for teens and adults together to earn money online. In this post I will talk about Cash Crate as well as the pros and cons of the site.
What is Cash Crate?
Cash Crate is a gpt site generally speaking where you get paid a certain amount to do little tasks such as fill out free offers or take surveys. These little tasks usually pay somewhere between $.50 to $8.00. Cash Crate makes money every time you complete an offer. When someone completes an offer Cash Crate is paid a certain of money, most of which they pass on to you. This is how Cash Crate is able to stay in business.
Pros
- Filling out free offers with Cash Crate can make you a lot of money in a short period of time. The offers don’t usually take more than a few minutes to complete as long as you stay on task.
- Cash Crate’s payout is $10.00 which is very low. This makes it easy for you to receive money from them very quickly. You also have the option to change the payout price to whatever you want. This is very convenient if you make tons of money with them and don’t want to be paid every week or so.
- You only have to be 13 years old to sign up with Cash Crate. This gives teens a way to make money online. Cash Crate is very friendly and is easy to use.
- Cash Crate does pay. If you don’t believe me type in “cash crate proof of payment” on Google Images and you will see dozens of checks from them.
Cons
- In order to complete the Cash Crate offers, you must give information like your email address and sometimes your address. While this can be partially avoided by making another email address just for Cash Crate, some people don’t feel comfortable giving away their personal info.
- If you chose to get paid by check, the payment takes a while to arrive. Usually 2-4 weeks.
Cash Crate Referral System
Cash Crate has one of the best referral systems that I have seen. For every person you refer, you get 20% of their earnings. You also get 10% of your referral’s referrals earnings. Another great thing about Cash Crate’s referral system is that once one of your referrals make $10.00, you are credited with another $3.00. If you are able to obtain enough referrals, you can make money just with Cash Crate’s referral system.