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Businesses today are seeking to remain eco-friendly like never before. Getting rid of the old ideas and adapting those that are newer and fresher, ensures that they are able to get a green office that is reasonable and functional. With all the various initiatives and benefits of a greener office, why not join in and create a more eco-friendly office? After all, the world that is set today will be in motion for the generations to follow, which does include any children or grandchildren you may have along the way. Helping to create a better world for the future includes getting in the trend of green operation, which can be done through these 10 ways to a truly green office.

1. Recycled supplies. This is very important in getting a greener office, as the supplies you use each day can be great and they are all obtained through plants such as trees and other materials that can destroy the environment as well. When you use recycled office supplies, you are helping to conserve the resources of today, while preventing pollution.
2. Recycle. When you are getting ready for trash day, make note to observe recycling as it is one of the most effective ways you can really achieve a green office. Sorting trash and recyclables isn’t difficult in the office, especially if you are utilizing appropriate containers to discard various items based on recyclability.
3. CFL or LED lights. When it comes to your office’s lights, you would be surprised just how much energy is generated to power them non-stop throughout the day. If you switch your lights to CFL or LED lights, however, you can save up to 85% on energy costs from the bulbs alone. These are both great examples of energy efficient replacements for older technologies.
4. Lighting motion sensors. Why should the lights be on when you aren’t in the room? With lighting motion sensors, they don’t have to be, as they only light up when there is movement detected within the room. Once you leave the room, the lights will turn back off, allowing the office to only utilize the energy that it really needs for adequate function.
5. Turn everything off when not in use. If you aren’t using something, there is no reason why it should be on. In fact, you should be trying your best to keep anything that isn’t in use turned off to save as much energy as possible.
6. Use laptops instead of desktops. The great convenience and benefit of a laptop is you are using only a very small percentage of the energy you would use with desktop computers. A desktop generally is plugged in and running all day from electrical current, while the laptop utilizes battery power.
7. Brita filter or large water supply. A large portion of office costs can be associated with the need to consume water during the weekday. Using bottled water is a preference for higher water quality, but that can be a high pollution risk and will create a bit of a rift in your plan towards a green office. Using a Brita filter or a large water supply of filtered water can ensure that the bottles are left out of the office.
8. Reusable plates and mugs. Many times within an office, employees are known to utilize throw away supplies such as cups and mugs, as well as other types of eating supplies. Instead of using that which can be thrown away it is a great idea to use reusable plates and supplies that allows you to save on costs and reduce your environmental footprint.
9. Green power options. With many states, there are various options for green energy, including incentives and rebates that help to afford various green energy sources, including solar and wind power. This is a great way to lessen office costs while greatly reducing your carbon footprint and helping to establish a more eco-friendly power grid.
10. Programmable thermostat. This is one of the most common methods of reducing costs and energy consumption, with many electrical utility companies offering energy efficient programmable thermostats to install for greater decrease in energy use.

Establishing a greener office is done very easily and with low cost. There are some options that may cost a great deal upfront, but after the benefits begin to show, the costs are well worth the savings in money and energy used each month and year. The actual savings can greatly profit you in the long run, while helping you create a truly green office.

In this negative economic climate with high unemployment rates, there are still several professions that are still in high demand. The greatest majority of these high demand jobs are in construction related trades but there also great needs in the medical field. In general, teachers are not in great demand but there are a couple areas where there is a shortage of applicants.

1. Carpentry Even with the construction industry in a slump due to the economy, carpentry is still a great field to get into. The trade schools are not graduating enough students from their carpentry programs to replace the great number of carpenters who are now close to retirement.
2. Masons This is another construction trade still has a great demand for skilled workers. Mason’s are bricklayers and blocklayers. It is a physically demanding occupation that also requires apprenticeship to learn the craft.
3. Plumbers Plumbers and pipefitters also have been dwindling in numbers over the last few years. These position usually require vocational training in addition to apprenticeships to become licensed to work as a plumber.
4. Electricians There never seems to be enough applicants for these job opportunities. Their skills are not limited to construction but are largely tided there. This is another profession that requires a few short years of vocational training and then an apprenticeship before being fully licensed. The pay and benefits for these jobs can provide a good living for anyone.
5. Painters This is a profession that usually is learned on the job rather than through educational programs. It is also a profession that is not totally dependent on new construction. Painting is just as needed for ongoing maintenance of buildings as it is at the beginning of the project.
6. Heavy Equipment Operators This profession is one of the best paying positions among the construction trades and crosses over between building construction and highway construction. A short training school can pay off in big paychecks in this trade.
7. Welders This profession is utilized in a variety of ways. Welding is needed in many different types of production plants. It is also used in steel construction, ship building and the construction of pipelines.
8. Nurses All medical positions continue to need workers but the need for nurses is always at the top of the list. Nursing, just like many other professions, is becoming more specialized. Having experience and training in a variety of specialized care centers can provide many open doors.
9. Truck Drivers It is hard to look at job listings without seeing ads for over-the-road truck drivers. This is a job which requires an excellent driving record and the willingness to spend a lot of time away from home. Pay rates fluctuate with the economy and the amount of expenses that cut into the profits. It is one of the professions that also allows you to either be an independent operator or an employee of a trucking company.
10. Math and Science Teachers Although teaching in general is over saturated with applicants, certain areas are lacking in applicants. Teachers of math and science are still in great demand at all levels of education.

The great need of workers in the construction trades is considered to be an issue more of perception than of pay scale. High school students are continually encouraged to aim for a college education and that is then translated into a ‘higher’ education, leaving vocational training with the concept of being of lesser value. More years of education doesn’t always translate into higher pay or a better opportunity of employment.

To decorate or to not decorate… it’s actually one of those politically charged issues that come up in office meetings all around the World.  It used to be a no-brainer, you just did it period.  Now, we have to be careful to not offend people so it can be a challenge to find the right amount of holiday spirit without being over-the-top.  It’s also important to represent multiple cultures when you are deciding how to decorate.  One of the safest things to do is to simply stick with Santa and commercial Xmas decorations (this should take care of most religious and cultural concerns).  Why do we do all of this?  That’s the topic of this article as we look at 10 reasons to decorate your office for Christmas.

1. Respect for those who observe the holiday. As Christmas is one of the most observed holidays of the year, most offices will decorate in order to respect those in observance. With the high number of people that celebrate the holiday, it is important that businesses show that they care about the beliefs and traditions of their employees.
2. Keep the office cheerful. When the holidays come, the best thing for an office to do is keep the office as cheerful as possible. Not only does it keep the employees going at work, but it keeps them in a state of joy that helps the season continue even in the work place.
3. Keeping employees happy. Employees pretty much make the business what it is;   it is important to keep the employees as happy as possible. Otherwise, production decreases and the employees are just ready to go home so they can feel like it is Christmas again.
4. Embrace the season. The season is a great one to embrace and when it is Christmas, there is nothing better than being surrounded by all the wonderful decorations of the season. Many offices will start decorating for Christmas as early as the day after Thanksgiving, bringing the holiday in as quickly as possible.
5. Enjoy the festivities. With the holiday decorations surrounding the office, it is easy to enjoy the great festivities surrounding Christmas, and all the great fun and joy it brings. All businesses should be more than eager to put up the decorations and enjoy the festivities that come.
6. Keep customers engaged. Customers come into the office and when it is drab, they feel drab about the services and products they are receiving. When they enter the office to find that there are decorations to invite Christmas in, they seem to stay engaged and are more than willing to be loyal to the business.
7. Showing personality. A business is only as good as its personality, and with Christmas decorations, the office shows its true personality. There are many businesses that will go as far as to put up the tree and offer great giveaways for the holidays in order to show that they too are greeting a great holiday into the place.
8. Inexpensive. Decorating the office for Christmas is inexpensive and should be done for that reason. If it was a costly expense, then it could harm the business, but with many decorations able to be used over and over again, the costs can be so little to decorate there is no reason not to.
9. Encouraging attendance. Many employees aren’t going to want to go into work during the holidays because it can be a bit depressing in most cases. With Christmas decorations strewn throughout, however, many employees will be more than glad to come into work for a long day of work.
10. Improving seasonal production. There are a lot of businesses that lose production during the holiday season because they aren’t bringing in the season correctly. Employees are actually motivated by the decorations as they feel as if the business truly cares about their surroundings, allowing the decorations to improve production during the season.

Layoffs are never pretty, and for the employees involved, they can be downright devastating. Most employees aren’t represented by a union that can fight for their rights, while those who are only find themselves frustrated at the ridiculous retirement plans that are laid out for them. In most cases, these employees can even begin to wonder whether the job market was created to provide jobs or take them, with many questions as to the true intent of the layoff and why they were chosen. In 2010, the recession was definitely not over, even showing a great deal of strength in demolishing an economy that was already frail. While there was improvement in jobs, there were still layoffs, leading to these 10 worst layoffs of 2010 that left many shook and scared for their own jobs.

1. Hospitals. Of all the economic troubles that have loomed within the U.S., it was quite surprising to find just how many layoffs happened in the health care industry during 2010. Within an industry that has pretty much remained bolstered through tough economic times, it was just a shame to see how many jobs within hospitals were lost, although the demand remains high in comparison to other business sectors.
2. AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca recently faced a great turmoil, with the marketers of another popular brand rocking the very foundation of the company. Inadequate lawyers helped to bring the company down, as well as thousands of jobs with the company as a whole. The layoffs weren’t very sudden as the case was open for a while before the company finally began giving the boot.
3. Law Firms. 2010 marked the year of the demise for many law firms, with layoffs extremely prominent within the field. For many within these law firms, they were left hunting the job market in a field that was slowly losing slack, as surprisingly as it may sound. It just seems as though lawyers aren’t as needed as they once were.
4. Verizon. With nearly $653 million in costs for layoffs during the year 2010, the massive layoffs within the traditional phone side of the company really shook several employees as they were left no longer with a position within the company. The great loss to the company doesn’t seem to have had any major effects on the business itself, but those who have lost their jobs have greatly felt the impact.
5. Florida State University. It isn’t often that you hear of a great layoff plan within a large college, but for Florida State University, the plan was very real. In fact, there were 12 tenured professors laid off during 2010, following a decision to deal with budget cuts and deficits that were harming the school greatly.
6. Casinos. You would think that all casinos are sitting high, but for many 2010 was a very terrible year. In fact, there were several layoffs within casinos throughout the nation, with many people left without employment due to cut backs in costs.
7. Public Schools. Schools are a great issue in the nation, with the top priority remaining within the highest education possible. Well, the high quality education is taking its toll on the public school system that has found itself compounded with recent layoffs for 2010.
8. Los Angeles and California. This is one of the worst layoff states for the year 2010, with Los Angeles comprising many of the layoffs during the year. The state has sadly been performing better during the year, but had to cut over 10,000 jobs after a recent growth in October.
9. Courthouse. There have been many courthouse closings that have resulted in many layoffs during the year that really took a toll on the public and governmental sectors within several cities and states. The issue is grasping many areas that are striving to prevent further closings and layoffs through strategies that aren’t working for some.
10. Blockbuster. Blockbuster marked one of 2010’s most terrible layoffs in the nation, closing many stores and taking thousands of jobs. Not only did the economy suffer from the blow to employment in the nation, but these employees were left, many without skills to grasp better opportunities, and others without a clue of where to go.

2010 was a very terrible year within the economy for several industries and businesses within the U.S. Following closures and cost control plans, so many people during 2010 were left without employment, with layoff rates continuing to rise throughout the year, even with the massive growth in some industries, offset in most cases by further employment loss.

Missing work is too many times is frowned upon, but there are times when you can just want to forget all your worries and take the risk of losing your job, or at least get a demerit to your work record with your employer. There are many people that use these 10 good excuses to miss work because, well, they seem to be the most appropriate reasons for blowing off work and taking in some different activities. If you have that really cool boss that is a bit more lenient than others, you can definitely get away with these excuses, but you do want to try to make an excuse for your boss that can explain the logic behind your missing work for whatever reasons you may have.

1. Family gathering. When there is a large family gathering, it can be extremely depressing to spend the day in work, as all your loved ones have a great time together on a very rare day. It always seems like these are the days that come few and far between, and who can blame you for calling in on these days?
2. Sick. This is a great excuse for missing work, although you may not always like the day it brings. However, even if you aren’t that sick, as long as you feel under the weather, you are well warranted to miss a day or two to recuperate.
3. Trip out of town. A trip out of town is a great way to spend the day, especially when you are able to blow of work and take some time with yourself and your loved ones. You shouldn’t have to miss out for work, and this is one of those things that you don’t mind missing work for.
4. Funeral. This is another great excuse for missing work, however, can be the saddest. Although you don’t enjoy losing a loved one, it is an excuse to get out of work, especially if you need a bit of bereavement in the meantime. This is also one of the best excuses in that you won’t get penalized if you are able to bring in a note.
5. Super sale at the mall. Okay, no one is going to pass up a super sale at the mall, especially if it is near the holidays and your Christmas shopping is a little late. You have to get the deals when they are available, so a little white lie won’t hurt when it comes to getting out of work.
6. Great show. There are many people that enjoy a great show from their favorite artist, group, or theatrical group. When the best shows are in town, why miss them just to go to work? After all, there are many people that can take your place, many of which have nothing better to do.
7. Party. There aren’t many parties on a weekday, but those weekends can be chalk full, and the night time parties deserve a bit of recuperation the next day. So when you are planning a weekend party or just attended a great blow out, you definitely need a day off of work to take some time to heal.
8. Relaxation. Stress is a high risk factor in many health issues, believe it or not, and dealing with stress on a day-to-day basis is going to do nothing but drag you down and make you feel old. When it comes to relaxing, there aren’t many options for you within the workplace, but if you call in from work, you can get a great day of relaxation without anything to worry about.
9. Beach day. Have you ever planned a great day with the pals at the beach? If so, you know that it can be great fun and relaxation, while being a day you never want to miss for any reason. Taking a day out of work to enjoy a day at the beach is definitely a great excuse.
10. Birthday. No one wants to work on their birthday, and those  who do should be applauded, as this is one of the best excuses for missing work, allowing the birthday girl or boy to enjoy their special day. Celebration is always included and can be done in the form of a party or event, and you don’t want to clog the day up with work.

Missing work is something that has been done since the dawn of time, but there are definitely good and bad excuses for missing out on a day of work. Although you may miss a day of pay, unless you have vacation or sick hours, you can definitely benefit from a day off here and there.

Nobody may want to admit it, but nearly every employee in the world has stolen at least one thing from work, but not something so substantial that it would make a big difference. Due to the fact that the items are seen as so unimportant, employees often feel as if it is okay to take these things, and most times they are never caught or no one really thinks twice about it. When it comes to stealing from work, the obvious is definitely a no-no, with cash off limits and not the main target for most decent working individuals, in fact the 10 common things employees steal from work are very nonchalant and could go unnoticed altogether.

1. Pens. Pens are possibly the most common thing taken from work by employees day after day and nothing is ever really done about it. Most people sneak them off after using or just pick up out of the tray, even if they aren’t special in any way. Pens are also perhaps the most useful of the things taken as they are actually used, even if they are taken to amass a large collection.
2. Post-its. When it comes to stealing knick-knacks from work, many people prefer to take those wonderful small square pieces of paper, especially when offered in a color other than yellow. Employees that find their favorite color in these great post-its will definitely try to grab a few to add to their personal collection.
3. White Out. White out is another of the useful things that are stolen from work by employees, as sad as it may sound. Many employees find the white out to be just the right size to sneak into their pockets while they can get some great use out of whiting out the various mistakes they make in their own work at home.
4. Stapler. A stapler is often stolen by employees that have their own work schedules at home and have some use for it. Or those that just want to complete their home office with a company stapler, saving them a few bucks. The stapler is also one of the most commonly stolen items by employees, especially when employers aren’t looking.
5. Someone else’s lunch. How many times have you had a great lunch set in the refrigerator at work only to find that later when you are ready to eat that the lunch is gone? Well, this is one of the common things employees steal from lunch, especially when they enjoy a taste from someone else’s kitchen every now and then.
6. Tablets. Having writing paper to use when you need it is important, which is why many employees commonly decide that stealing tablets from work is a great idea. These are one of the common items stolen from work, especially when there is some sort of stationary or a special type of paper used at work.
7. Clipboard. A clipboard is one of those things that you generally don’t go out in search of to buy, but find them to be excellent when you do use them. If you are at work and see a fellow employee taking his or her grab at those that are available, don’t be surprised as these are commonly taken from work.
8. Food. Employees that work within restaurants or any type of business that sells or distributes food are often getting their hands on their own plate for free, which is a form of stealing like it or not. Although you feel that the meal is yours and should be, your employer might not feel the same.
9. Cake. If ever there is a party at work, watch the cake. You will find that no matter who buys it or who it is for, there are many employees that will steal a piece or two. Every now and then you will find that a really greedy employee will help themselves to a few pieces or even the entire cake because, well, everyone loves a good piece of cake that they didn’t make or buy.
10. Toiletries. It may make you laugh, but toiletries are definitely one of the most common things stolen from work by employees as they try to fit their own bathroom into the wages. Toilet paper, paper towels, and even soaps and perfumes are often stolen when put in the line of theft, which can be a bit odd but is extremely common.

Getting to work on time, working on the grind, and doing all the things that are asked of them do take their toll on employees. This may be why so many think that they deserve enough to steal these insignificant items from work whenever they want.

No one ever said that holiday office parties couldn’t be a bit awkward, whether they are planned to be awkward or just end up leaving everyone a bit uncomfortable. There are several reasons why the holiday office party is so popular, mainly because everyone is waiting to get that free day at work where they can get paid to do nothing, however these parties can be extremely awkward for some, even leaving employees ready to leave with no way to get out. It’s no secret that the boss can sometimes be a bit much to handle in large doses, with some managers not the most popular of people, and co-workers not always the companions you wish to have when it comes to partying.  However, with these 10 awkward office holiday party ideas that flourish during the Christmas season, the people involved can be just the tip of the iceberg.

1. Secret Santa Party. This is the typical Secret Santa gift-away, but can be a bit awkward around co-workers. In many cases, employees are so strapped in finances that they aren’t able to really get anything substantial, while those that are better off do great. This can be extremely awkward, especially when it’s found out which Santa you were.
2. Raffle Party. A raffle party goes the same way with the great prizes and the suspenseful raffles. However, when you are with co-workers that you work with every day, it can be a bit awkward to watch them get great prizes without winning a thing.
3. Pick A Partner Party. When you are in the office, the last thing you want to do is partner up with someone else in the office, especially when you have a spouse. Well, with a pick a partner party, employees pick a partner from the office to attend the party with and will party together for the night.
4. Mistletoe Party. Have you ever seen this type of office holiday party where there is mistletoe from one end to the other? Well, imagine if you are surrounded by co-workers, and with a date! This could be one of the most awkward of all office holiday parties ever.
5. Cookies and Milk with Mrs. Claus. This could be one of the most awkward of holiday office parties, where each employee gathers to enjoy some type of talent, such as a play or a group of skits, while eating cookies and drinking milk. This can still be a riot, but is awkward for most nonetheless.
6. Karaoke Party. Karaoke is great, but mostly when you are surrounded by strangers that will probably not see you anymore. You really don’t have much face to lose as these are strangers that don’t even know you. Well, with a holiday office party themed with karaoke, it can be a bit awkward for employees to let loose around their co-workers they see each day.
7. Whole Family Party. This is the office holiday party where the entire family gets together and attends the office event as a whole. Well, this can be awkward, not because of your family, but because you typically don’t want to do much with the co-workers when it comes to your family that you enjoy more to yourself.
8. Bingo Party. Everyone has been to a holiday bingo office party, and everyone has felt the awkwardness as they desperately want to blow the joint, but just feel too bad to leave. This is common in many companies that rather have more subtle events with employees each year.
9. Gifting Party. The gifting party is much like the Secret Santa party, but without the secret. In this case, you choose a co-worker to gift and they know who you are. Not only do you end up spending more than you want, but you also end up feeling uncomfortable about the situation.
10. Catered Lunch Party. The catered lunch holiday party is extremely awkward because many employees don’t want to dig in around other co-workers, especially when it is some messy grub. These can be great parties however, once you are able to get past the eating.

Having an office holiday party is a great idea for any business that wishes to ensure that their employees know just how valuable of an asset they really are. These parties can also have pretty awkward ideas around them, but what do you expect from a company you work for. It becomes tradition to attend the awkward parties, soaking up the fun, food, and laughter, as well as friendship.

While job boards advertise millions of jobs in your area, the sad truth is that most of them are showing just otherwise. Job boards of today are no longer adequate to meet needs of job seekers, and although they offer great features, it proves to be not enough. While job seekers are searching these job boards, there are several ways they are just not adding up to substantial resources for finding today’s jobs, and are becoming a breeding ground for spammers and those seeking to deceive and mislead the unemployed into opportunities that either don’t exist or are devious in some manner. Understanding where these job boards are going wrong means learning the 10 reasons most job boards are terrible.

1. Long registration and sign in. When it comes to searching job boards, most job seekers are trying to get to a quick passage towards employment offers without having to sort through several pages of registration. However, job boards today can lead you through an extremely long registration followed by extended log-ins every time you are ready to search the boards.
2. Spammers. Spammers are perhaps the most annoying and terrible factor of job boards today online, with most positions offered not even genuine. In fact, you will find that many of the positions you follow from job boards will lead to advertisements for employment services and other types of offers that can even be fraudulent.
3. Little coverage of area. So many job seekers today are highly disappointed in the job boards they find that can void out various areas that aren’t so large, even showing job offers for as much as 50 miles away instead of anything in the locality searched. There are some areas that don’t even have any jobs listed, leaving these employees without a clue of where to start.
4. Positions outdated. There are many times when job seekers are left with outdated sources to follow, often following job listings that no longer exist or aren’t open anymore. This is mostly because these job boards aren’t expiring positions when appropriate, leaving these seekers without a real lead to follow.
5. Misleading offers. There are many job offers today that really mislead job seekers into believing that they are applying for a job when they are really doing some miniscule task that really has no relevance to their employment search. This can be extremely aggravating when looking for a job to survive from, which can be discouraging.
6. Too many school offers. Many times when job seekers are getting into job boards or selecting positions for more details, they are instead routed directly to a mob of school offers that can be a bit redundant to job seekers that have already taken care of the education element of their credentials. In fact, the many school offers can be downright ridiculous, leaving job seekers too annoyed to sort through job boards.
7. Not enough information. Whether you are searching through classified job boards, national job boards, or company website job boards, you will find that today’s job boards are just not providing enough information to make the best informed decision. In fact, in some cases you aren’t even given the wage possibilities or the implications of the position, leaving you in the dark with your decision.
8. Unresponsive. For some reason, a lot of positions on job boards today are just plain unresponsive, leaving job seekers waiting for a decision or response that never comes. There are many employers or positions that are posting without any real credence to the availability at all.
9. Not a lot of options. Today you can get in a social network and upload anything, sharing files, and even talking through video chat. However, job boards aren’t evolving the way they should, not offering many options and features that you would think would be available in today’s day and age. Getting the organization of positions, alerts, and matching services offered just aren’t proving to be as effective as they may be intended.
10. Vague contact details. When you are applying for a position, you generally want the direct source instead of just a small form and you want to know who to contact in order to check on the application. With most job boards today, this just isn’t possible, making them a terrible source for the search.

Job boards could have evolved into great resources for job seekers. After all, there are many educational options out there, as well as job options that have evolved greatly through the past decades. Unfortunately, these are the reasons why job boards are just terrible and haven’t stood the test of time at all.