Should Salaries Be Made Public?

The radio show Here and Now on NPR station WBUR in Boston had an interesting segment today. It discussed the pros and cons of "salary transparency". Here's a summary of the discussion:

"Some researchers say most of us think we are underpaid and that colleagues are making more money than they actually are. Is salary transparency the solution? We speak to Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu, which compiles a list of what it calls the most democratic workplaces..."

The best part comes at the end. The host asks the proponent what her salary is, and she chooses not to share that information. Telling perhaps, but there may be certain work situations where this could help. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more widely adopted.

You can listen to the full audio clip online here.

Photo credit: su.bo

How to Protect Your Job in a Stormy Industry

The New York Times 'Career Couch' includes some very topical Q&A. While the questions are targeted at the financial services industry, the advice is broadly applicable.

The bottom line? “Just because financial services is down, don’t believe that there are no opportunities and lose hope in the process,” he said. “It only takes one job. Keep your perspective.”

Read the full Q&A here...

10 ways to survive office politics

TechRepublic author, Calvin Sun, writes: "Office politics will never go away. It’s a fact of company life. However, destructive office politics can demoralize an organization, hamper productivity, and increase turnover. Here are some tips, applicable for both staff and management, on dealing with office politics..."

The article then goes on to list ten suggestions. Here's a summary:

1. Live at peace with others
2. Don’t talk out of school
3. Be helpful
4. Stay away from gossip
5. Stay out of those talk-down-the-boss sessions
6. Be a straight arrow
7. Address the “politics” issue openly when appropriate
8. Document things
9. Set incentives to foster teamwork
10. Set an example for your staff

Read the list in full detail...

Red Ditto offers "100 Ways How NOT To Run a Business"

Red Ditto is an interesting blog written by a "previous manager" of startups. Topics are varied, and include workplace gems like:

"Mistake # 41: Is there a reason for your employees to discuss their salaries amongst their coworkers?

Mistake #23: Walk in and tell your boss you are worth it (without proven results)

Mistake #13: Evil bosses!" (13 - can't be a coincidence)

Anyway, check out the blog as they count their way up to 100.

Coworkers.com Facebook App available

The Coworkers.com Facebook app enables you to easily display a badge with your Coworkers.com rating information. Choose from different styles, some more detailed than others. If you are a Facebook user, add it to your profile!

Best Corporate Practices 2008

businessweek.com: "Sometimes the difference between the best and worst company policies comes down to one thing: trust. Learn how to use it..."

This is an interesting article. The best stuff is in the 'slideshow' that covers "The 10 Best Corporate Practices, 2008 - A lot of these good ideas have been around for a while. It's time for employers to put them into practice before they lose their best workers..." Here's a summary of the 10 trends:

1. A Real Vacation Policy
2. Spot Bonuses
3. Instant Seniority
4. Community at Work
5. Pooled Sick-Time Banks
6. Customized Benefit Plans
7. Peer Mentoring
8. A Room of Her Own
9. Flex Time and Flex Place
10. Word of Mouth Recruiting

Read the full article...

Working together: Teambuilding seminars gain popularity

Birmingham Business Journal: "Unique seminars are popping up around the area to unite employees. Most managers would equate the thought of their staff banging on drums in a circle with other inappropriate office behaviors, such as excessive e-mail usage or gabbing with unproductive co-workers who just won’t leave your desk.

But one local “teambuilder” sees things a little differently. He’s even taking drumming to another level by using its rhythm to bring coworkers together..."

An interesting angle on team building activities. What do you think? Are these promising alternatives, or just 'same seminar, different day'?

Coworker Competitiveness Going Up

"A new survey by Office Team, finds that 46% of executives interviewed, believe competition among their employees has gone up in the last 10 years...

To accumulate the information, executives were asked, "In your opinion, are employees more or less competitive with their coworkers than they were 10 years ago?" Their responses:

• Significantly More Competitive- 12%
• Somewhat More Competitive- 34%
• No Change- 24%
• Somewhat Less Competitive- 23%
• Significantly Less Competitive- 3%
• Don't Know- 4%"

Read the full article

Trouble at the Office?

Business Week launches special "Business @ Work" report. This is a insightful collection of articles covering topics such as:

• Toxic Bosses: How to Live with the S.O.B.
• Rigid Bureaucracy: Breaking Out of the Box
• Count Results, Not Hours
• Staying Creative: Success on a Shoestring
• Are You Being a Jerk? Again?
• And other great topics
  

Network Your Way to Job Security

getrichslowly.org guest author Brandt Smith shares his perspective on the importance of cultivating your work connections so that you can respond to unexpected changes in your career. His "Seven keys to a strong network" include:

1. Build it before you need it
2. You must make a deposit before you have the right to withdraw
3. Give more than you receive
4. Be open and genuine
5. Follow up and stay in touch
6. The devil is in the details
7. Your network doesn't end with your contact

Read the full article...

(thanks to The Consumerist for this link)