If You're Fired, Will Past Employers Keep Your Secret?

Despite what some job seekers think, it is not illegal for former employers to tell reference checkers that you were fired. They can say anything they want as long as it's true.

But many companies do have policies that limit what they will reveal about past employees.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I was watching an episode of CBS's "60 Minutes" recently (hmmm, maybe I watch too much TV; no wait, this is "research," so it's OK). They had a shocking story about a male hospital worker who is suspected of killing more than 40 patients in several different hospitals during the past decade. He pleaded guilty to two of the murders. 

That is very disturbing by itself... but what makes this story so incredibly worse is that his employers unwittingly helped him do it! This guy had been fired many times for a variety of reasons -- hoarding potentially harmful drugs, illegally administering unprescribed treatments, being negligent with patients -- and other alarming actions. He'd even been convicted of something (I can't recall the charge).

Yet he never had a problem getting another job at another hospital. Why? Because his former employers all had policies that prevented them from providing any information about past employees, other than job titles and dates of employment.

Apparently the hospital's lawyers were trying to protect them from lawsuits that could possibly result if something negative (and not proven as fact) was said about a past employee which prevented that employee from obtaining another job.

So even though references were checked, they revealed nothing about this criminal's activities. And he was passed along from one hospital to the next, allegedly killing patients in each one until he was finally caught.

This is a very extreme example of how such personnel policies are, in my opinion, doing more harm than good. This sword cuts both ways, after all. If you've done a truly exceptional job for your past employer, wouldn't you want that employer to be free to confirm your glowing accomplishments during a reference check?

Things are changing, thank goodness. According to the Society of Human Resource Management, employers are conducting more criminal checks than ever before. The need to provide a safe workplace is helping to drive this increase. Plus companies that were once worried about being sued by a former employee over a bad reference are now more concerned about being sued by an employer who wasn't warned about a bad employee! 

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Email Tips For The Job Seeker

Most people take the power of email for granted. For most people that is okay, but for job searchers, your email form and content is an expression of yourself. Its IMPORTANT that you cover the email basics. 

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FACT
The days of job searching using postal mail are vanishing. Some experts even say initial telephone correspondence during the job search process is being replaced by e-mail or "electronic mail". Mainly because its easy, inexpensive, and you can reach a large audience with a few keystrokes.

During the job search process you may be using e-mail more than you imagined. Before you know it you will be e-mailing recruiters, employers, previous co-workers, sending resumes back and forth, etc.

The following eight tips will help make sure that your e-mail looks professional and get the attention of the reader.

8 Tips To Make The Most Of your E-Mail

#1 - OBTAIN A SEPARATE (job search only) E-MAIL ACCOUNT:
Use this e-mail address on your resumes and for corresponding with recruiters, contacts and prospective employers. Do not give this out to your friends and family or your favorite on-line shopping sites. The purpose of this career only account is to help you stay focused on your job search. By setting up an e-mail account for only career purposes you minimize the potential for distraction.

#2 CHECK YOUR E-MAIL REGULARLY:
This means at a minimum three times a day (morning, afternoon and evening). It is highly recommended that you log on more often as recruiters often use this medium to inform you of potential leads and possibilities. Ignore this rule and you may find that your golden opportunity has passed you by.

#3 - ALWAYS RESPOND PROMPTLY:
How would you feel if you left someone a phone message and he/she did not respond promptly? Offended because he/she did not take the time to respond back? Worried that maybe the message never made it to him/her? It’s no different with e-mail. The rules of common courtesy still apply. Whenever possible, reply within the same day. Make sure that you respond to all e-mail with-in 24 hours at the latest. Do this even if only to say that you received the original e-mail and will need more time to do what is requested.

#4 - UTILIZE THE SUBJECT LINE:
The subject line is the first thing that a person sees when he/she checks his/her e-mail. Make it worthwhile. Best practice is to summarize the overall purpose/objective of the e-mail in the subject line. “ACME Brick position” will work. However, “Follow-Up: ACME Brick Fin Mgr Position” is better. Keep in mind that the person that you are e-mailing may receive dozens of e-mails each day. When short on time, he/she will scan the subject lines of his/her e-mails and answer the ones that seem most important first.

#5 - SPELLING AND GRAMMAR RULES STILL APPLY:
Poor spelling and grammar can make you appear at best careless and at worst poorly educated. Neither characterization is appealing when worn by the job seeker. Read over and spell-check each e-mail before you send it. If you don’t have access to spell-check, then utilize the services of a friend or your trusty dictionary. The extra few seconds won’t break your schedule and might make all the difference in your job search.

#6 - KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET:
Think back to all the English papers you wrote in high school. Now make sure that your e-mail correspondence does not look anything like that (except as mentioned in the previous point). E-mail is a casual and direct form of business correspondence. As a general rule, try and keep your e-mail under a page. Do not waste time with fancy words or flowery phrases. Make your point using the smallest amount of words reasonably possible. Remember that your target audience is often short on time. If they open up your e-mail and it looks like an essay, they may become frustrated and not bother to read it at all.

#7 - FORGET BEING CUTE:
Never forget that you are looking for a job. Save the smiley faces, colored fonts, exclamation points, etc. for your friends and family. For the most part, they do not belong in your job-search e-mails. Also, e-mails may be informal business communication, but do not throw all rules of etiquette out the window. Always be courteous in your writing.

#8 - Your Sign-off:
You should close each e-mail with a proper sign-off. It may be as simple as “Thanks-Jeff Smith”. Often times, it is useful to include contact information as well as any certifications in your sign-off. Many e-mail services (i.e., MS Outlook) have an auto signature function that allows you to set up a customized sign-off that can be inserted at the end of your e-mail. 

Boost your career

Unique talentsIf you know where you're distinctive, and in your job does not feel that you're working, you have found your unique talents. If you use your unique talents you will be able to continuously develop your practice in areas with a high added value, and also have energy all day long at work to be.

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Discover your talentsPeople often find it difficult to express their talents. Soon we then limited to subject areas and qualifications. But talents are broader than that. Think of things like organizing, presenting, analyzing, managing, negotiating, persuading or write. Features that do not easily learn in school, but often by nature possesses. And these are qualities that many in your career could come in handy. So make a list of these things once and do not be modest. Can you imagine anything so quickly, think about your previous jobs or other situations such as internships, school, volunteer. Where were you good at and where you excelled off. Ask others.

How to Construct a CV for a New Job

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee

When it comes to applying for a new job, your CV can be one of the most important parts of the whole process. It is the first thing any employer will see about you and will steer their opinion on you as a potential employee. If it's good your CV can get you an interview every time, if it's not up to scratch then you could find it difficult to get past the first step.

A CV is your introduction. It is what you're all about in a nutshell. Therefore you need to be succinct and make sure your best features are highlighted effectively.

So what needs to be included?

Career history - Whether this is your first full-time job or you're a seasoned professional, it is important that you demonstrate the kind of work that you have been doing previously. Therefore include the names of your past/current employers, the amount of time you've been there and an overview of the role and your responsibilities.

Employers like to see that you have the skillset that matches what they're looking for or that you have shown progression. With this in mind it can be beneficial to re-write or tweak your CV to match individual job applications. This way you can make sure that you are showing off your specific strengths and not just general ones that you might usually feature.

Always put your most recent role first and then work backwards though. Don't feel like you have to include all jobs either. Your new employers probably won't be too concerned about where you had a paper round.

Education history - Again, this is all about getting your most important and recent education up front. So if you have earned a career, don't bury it beneath your GCSEs. Equally, if you have done further education, you shouldn't feel the need to include all your school grades. Simplify them and show what you got and how you fared in the key subjects - English, Maths, Sciences.

Personal profile - Employers will want to understand a little bit more about you, so feature a short explanation of who you are, what you enjoy and just give an insight into your personality. This should be tailored to each application, although many things will remain constant of course.

All of this information should really be contained within one sheet of A4 - one side or two. If you find that you're getting carried away with describing yourself, get somebody to objectively review it and ensure they are critical. It's best to get some opinions from a friend or family member rather than going straight to an employer - it can save you a lot of wasted effort.

So keep it short and sweet, make sure layout is clear and in some form of chronological order - with the newest experience first. If there are any holes in your education or work experience make sure you say what you were doing during that period. Also, if you have done some voluntary work, gained experience away from work or are a member of any professional bodies, be sure to flag these up.

Handle the Group Interview

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Facing a group interview or multiple interviewers can be a stressful ordeal if you haven't prepared for it. Here are some tips and suggestions for you on how to deal with multiple interviewers at once.

Be Prepared:

It's critical at a group interview to be prepared. There will likely be a panel of interviewers from different areas of the company that will quiz you. Each person will probably have a particular interest. An HR manager might want to know if you are a good fit for the company, the team leader of the office you are interviewing for might want to see your personality and if it fits with those currently working for him or her, and a supervisor's goals for the interview might be there to assess your skills.

By keeping this in mind, you can make sure that, during your interview, you showcase your skills, your personality, and your ability to be a part of the team.

Do Your Homework:

Because you will be interviewed by multiple people, it's critical that you've prepared. Make sure you fully understand the job description and what will be required of you should you get the job. Make sure you know your skills inside out and how they can be tied back to the position being offered. You should also know how the company works, its culture, and how they are structured. 

Be Confident:

Being interviewed by a panel of interviewers is stressful stuff and the company wants to know if you can handle it. Practice a panel interview with a few friends before you have to do the real thing. Simulate the type of questions you might be asked and get a feel for how it is to be interviewed by different people. This is your opportunity to be interviewed by everyone at once. It could actually save you time and stress. By being confident and having the right mindset, you can turn this into a positive experience.

Focus:

While at the interview, make sure you make eye contact with everyone. Take the time to respond to every question with thought and concentration. It's easy to be distracted with others there. Look directly at the person who asked you the question, but take the time to also make eye contact with the other interviewers. However, your attention should be predominately focussed on the person who posed you the question.

Things to Remember:

It's critical at a group interview that you treat everyone with the same respect. You don't necessarily know who the person making the final decision will be and it's just good manners. The goal is to appeal to as many people as possible, so bring your smile, your positive attitude, and be prepared (bring extra resumes too.) By being able to handle everyone's questions with poise and skill, you can overcome the stress surrounding group interviews and turn your interview into a job offer.

Compromise Agreements Tax Implications

By Fiona E Martin

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

Compromise Agreements are legally binding agreements between an employer and an employee, sometimes referred to as a termination settlement. They allow for a clean break of the employment relationship where the employee waives their right to bring claims in return for compensation.

The first £30,000 of compensation is generally tax free. However, this is not the case with every Compromise Agreement. How much of a payment is taxable depends on the basis on which it is paid. So if you are giving or receiving compensation in a Compromise Agreement it pays to look at ways to make it as tax efficient as possible. Here are some of the options.

Salary and benefits to date
All payments made up to the point the contract of employment ends are subject to normal tax and national insurance deductions.

Payment in lieu of holiday
Payments in lieu of holiday are taxable.

Pay in lieu of notice
Where such payments are allowed for in the employee's contract of employment or employee handbook they are taxable. Where they are not, they may be paid gross and count towards the £30,000 exemption.

However, where an employer routinely makes payments in lieu of notice - even if it is not part of the employment contract - HM Revenue & Customs may consider tax should be deducted.

Payments for restrictive covenants and confidentiality obligations
An employer may restrict an employee from acting in competition, or approaching customers or employees after they leave. If the contract contains enforceable restrictive covenants, the employer can rely on these if it has not breached the contract when terminating the employment.

However, if the contract does not have these provisions, or they are unenforceable, the employer can seek new restrictions. To make these binding in law a "consideration" must be paid - usually a small sum of £100-£200. This is taxable and liable to national insurance contributions. The same applies to payments associated with a confidentiality clause.

Compensatory and ex-gratia payments
The first £30,000 of compensatory, ex gratia (non-contractual) payments for loss of office or employment is tax exempt.

Redundancy Compromise Agreement
Statutory and contractual redundancy payments fall within the £30,000 exemption.

Pension contributions
Direct payments into a pension scheme are not taxable unless they exceed annual and lifetime contribution allowances.

Outplacement costs
Contributions to the cost of outplacement counselling or training are not taxable. Usually paid directly by the employer, they do not count towards the £30,000 exemption.

Legal costs
The employer usually pays the employee's legal costs. This does not count towards the £30,000 exemption as long as the fees are solely in connection with termination of employment.

Sums exceeding the £30,000 exemption
If the Compromise Agreement compensation exceeds the £30,000 exemption, tax is deducted at basic rate on the additional amount.

Team Building Activities - Increase Employee Motivation

By Meadows Leland
  
Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy  

In the corporate world, the most pressing problem is employee attrition. People are switching their jobs very rapidly. From a company's point of view, this is rather detrimental to progress. This is because over a period of time, you tend to invest a lot in terms of training and tacit knowledge in an employee. Thus, when he leaves your company, you lose a valuable resource. Also the problem arrives when you need to hire new employees to replace the older ones. They will have to be hired, selected, trained and then assigned to various responsibilities. All these things have a cost attached to them. This is the reason why companies these days are trying very hard to increase the motivation levels among employees, and to inculcate in them a sense of loyalty and belongingness towards the company.

Corporate events for team building

Corporate events are all about this these days. If your company is planning to organise some, you must ensure that they are conducted extremely smoothly, without any glitches. This is the reason why you must consider hiring the services of a good event management company. These companies are professionals in organising various corporate team building events. These events give your employees a break from the hard work they have to do routinely. They also teach employees the value of working as a team, and inculcate in them a sense of loyalty and trust for the company.

Team building activities

Team building exercises organised by these companies aim at inculcating among the teams a sense of commitment and understanding. These exercises help members of a team break the ice between them, and understand each other better. They also help employees understand the value of working as a team, and what can happen if people give their individual egos and needs more importance. This is accomplished with some amazingly creative team building challenges, like obstacle courses which teams have to accomplish together. Only when they work together and synergise, they will be able to win. It is a lot of fun, and your employees will enjoy every minute while they learn a lot.

Fun team building games and parties

Team building games, which mainly aim towards ice breaking and try to teach employees the importance of effective communication, are very well loved by all kinds of employees. Your employees will be asked to play simple games and perform group activities which will require them to work together. Some examples for this include developing a collage. A corporate team building exercise like this is extremely effective, because of its innovative and non-pressurising, non-boring style.

The most loved are themed parties. Simple themes may be given to employees, which are hilarious and fun. These parties help employees become more comfortable with their superiors, and enjoy some light moments. These activity days will be extremely well loved by your employees, and they will look forward to it each year. With such innovative team building ideas, you can improve the productivity of your employees very greatly.