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Working from home with kids

 Back to work, home working, workplace  1 Response »
Jul 162009
 
the joys of working from home

Image by Ben McLeod via Flickr

Summer holidays are always a challenge for parents. Juggling the kids, summer camps, childcare, jobs and sundry other things is, frankly, exhausting.

When you work from home some of those things become easier… but there are a host of new problems to overcome. What do you do, for example, when you’re in the middle of a conference call with clients and your five-year-old erupts into your office bawling that her eight-year-old sister has whacked her? How do you meet pressing deadlines when you’ve got a seemingly perpetual stream of minor interruptions to deal with? Nettle stings, lost ferrets, sibling rivalry, outright warfare… you name it, it happens in the day of a work-from-home parent, and during the summer holidays it happens more.

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 Posted by Calvin at 11:30 am  Tagged with: , , , ,

Recognising workplace stress

 Employer, workplace  1 Response »
Jul 142009
 
Mental Health: Stress and Work

Image by xeeliz via Flickr

Life in the modern Ireland has become increasingly stressful. Stress, for example, recently overtook back pain as the single biggest cause of absenteeism in the Irish workplace.
For employers that’s a big thing. The Irish Small Firms Association (SFA) recently estimated that staff absenteeism alone could be costing small businesses in this country more than €800 million every year – pointing out that it was a conservative estimate and that the actual figure could top €1 billion. Stress also decreases the productivity of employees who make it in to work – so employers are hit by a double whammy.
For the individual employee increasing levels of stress in the workplace is also bad news. Although some stress at work is inevitable – even desirable, because the resulting adrenalin helps to keep us focussed, motivated and performing at our peak – too much stress has the opposite effect, and productivity tends to plummet. Another worrying aspect of stress is that it can, if left unmanaged, have far reaching implications not just for your performance at work, but also for your long term mental health.

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 Posted by Calvin at 1:59 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Starting a new job: your first few weeks

 Back to work, Career change, Employer, workplace  No Responses »
Jul 132009
 
05 Start Work

Image by 2create via Flickr

In the first article in the series we looked at a few of the things you could do before starting a new job to get things off to a flying start. This week we take a look at some things you can do over your first few days, weeks and months to help you settle in and become a valued member of your new team quickly.

  • Pleased to meet you: in an ideal world the person you report to on your first day will introduce you to everyone on your new team. If not, don’t sit back and wait for people to come to you – be proactive and introduce yourself. And don’t forget to smile!
  • Question everything: don’t be afraid to ask questions. When you start a new job you’ll have a lot more questions than answers. Remember that the only stupid question is the one that remains unasked. The quicker you can fill the gaps in your knowledge, the more confident and productive you’ll become.
  • The induction is your friend: formal inductions are usually part of the HR process in larger organisations. In smaller companies this varies, but you should make sure you get some kind of induction into the company, your new job and exactly what it entails. If there’s no formal induction programme in your organisation, try asking if you can shadow someone else on the team for half a day – you’ll learn much more than you will trying to work things through on your own.

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 Posted by Calvin at 5:17 pm  Tagged with: , ,

What is an EAP and why does your company need one?

 Back to work, Employer, Training, workplace  No Responses »
Jul 102009
 
My Work Space

Image by ForestForTrees via Flickr

Employee Assistance Programmes, or EAP‘s, are becoming increasingly popular in the Irish workplace, and are helping organisations to comply with new health and safety legislation, improve productivity and retain their key staff. But what exactly are they, where did they originate and how do they benefit the average employee?

In a nutshell a modern EAP is an independent, confidential counselling and referral programme offered to employees by their employer. In very basic terms the service provides an independent channel of support to helps employees identify and address professional and personal issues before they start to impact on their performance at work.

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 Posted by Calvin at 4:06 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Starting a new job – part 1

 Back to work, workplace  1 Response »
Jul 062009
 
New Job

Image by shaymus022 via Flickr

When you start a new job it’s only natural that you want to impress. You want to show your new employer that they’ve made the right decision in hiring you, that you’re a competent and productive member of the team.
But starting a new job, while exciting, can also be one of the most nerve racking things you’ll ever do. You’ll be well outside your comfort zone: the new kid on the block, entering an environment where relationships have already been forged, and where there’s a well established social as well as organisational hierarchy.
In any new job, the first few weeks will be as much about dealing with the unfamiliar and unexpected as they’ll be about applying your skills, knowledge and experience. Here are some suggestions to help you prepare for that all important first day.

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 Posted by Calvin at 3:10 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Ireland should focus on services for a brighter future

 Education, Future, workplace  No Responses »
Jul 062009
 
Image of euro coinage

Image via Wikipedia

(Written by Professor Ciaran Murphy (Business Information Systems, UCC)
edited for Career Moves by Calvin Jones

Per head of population Ireland has the unique distinction of being the biggest exporter of services in the world today by quite a margin. That may sound like an extraordinary fact, but it’s exactly what Forfas, Ireland’s national policy advisory body for enterprise and science, says in its report "Catching the Wave – A Services Strategy for Ireland", and is a testament to the efforts of Enterprise Ireland and the IDA in attracting investment in to the sector.

The services sector spans a gamut of service-based industries that include Financial Services; Computer Services and Software; Healthcare Services; Education Services; Tourism; Creative and design services; Maritime Services; Transport; Bloodstock & agriculture; Engineering, Environmental & Architectural Services; Business Services; Professional & Consulting Services; and Research & Development Services. Together these industries contribute a massive 63% of added value to the national economy.

In the decade between 1997 and 2007, the gross value added in the Irish economy almost trebled from €60 billion to €170 billion. Two thirds of that growth was attributed to the services sector, where the value added figure rose from €34 billion to €108 billion.

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 Posted by Calvin at 3:01 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Going green at work

 Technology, workplace  No Responses »
Jun 252009
 
Trasantiago in Chile .

Image via Wikipedia

With global warming and climate change making headlines on a practically daily basis, we’re all becoming more aware of the need to conserve energy. In general the more energy we use, the more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere. The more CO2 we emit, according to scientists, the more we contribute to the global warming phenomenon.
Faced with a global problem it’s easy to be dismissive of the seemingly trivial changes we can all make as individuals. But it’s important to realise that even the smallest change can have a significant impact if enough people make it.

Ways you can save energy on the way to work

  • Walk or cycle: the obvious one – but not practical for everyone. If it works for you, try cycling or walking at least part of the way into work. You’ll save money, reduce your carbon emissions and stay fit… so its a win, win, win scenario. Even taking the stairs instead of the lift will save some energy.
  • Use public transport: one person travelling in a car is one of the least efficient ways you can travel to work. If you live in the city, and public transport is a viable option, try to use it whenever you can.
  • Drive efficiently: When you do have to drive, accelerate and break gently. Anticipate the road ahead and avoid sudden changes of speed which increase fuel consumption, wasting energy and money.

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 Posted by Calvin at 2:34 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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