January 2016

Almost everyone has a social media account these days. Whether you’re a loyal Facebook fan or write a regular blog, you need to know how your social media activity affects your job.

First Amendment Rights

According to your First Amendment rights, you have freedom of speech. This basic right protects you from the government, but it does not offer you protection from a private company. Your employer has the right to tell you what you can and cannot post on your social media accounts and to discipline or fire you based on your online activity.

Legal Rights

You’ll need to turn to laws other than the Constitution to defend what you say online. When you post to your blog or on social media, consider these laws that some states have passed.

• Off-duty conduct laws protect you from being fired for something you do on your own time.
• Protections for political views allow you to express your political views and affiliation.
• Concerted activity protections fall under the National Labor Relations Act. You and your coworkers can communicate about your job or working conditions online or offline and join together to express your concerns to your boss.
• Prohibitions on retaliation laws assist you when your rights are violated because you post about an incident of discrimination, harassment, wage violation or other illegal action.
• Protections for “whistlebloggers” can assist you when you write about safety concerns or illegal occurrences in the workplace because you are performing a public good.

How to Stay Out of Trouble

While these laws can protect you, consider ways you can avoid trouble as you maintain your social media presence.

First, be nice to your coworkers. Posting hateful comments, criticizing someone’s weight or harassing a coworker is mean and could be ground for dismissal.

Second, leave racism and bigotry offline. Whether you’re joking or serious, racist or bigoted comments reflect poorly on you and on your employer.

Third, keep secrets. Confidential information, trade secrets and other private details about your company should not be shared in any way on social media.

When you file a Workers’ Compensation claim, you may need professional help. A lawyer can assist you in making sure you receive the medical treatment and financial compensation you deserve after you are injured at work.

*Your workplace injuries are minor.
*Your injury does not cause permanent bodily function loss.
*You can return to work after resting a few days or weeks.
*You feel comfortable returning to work after treatment.
*You are willing to sign the settlement with your employer’s Workers’ Comp insurance company and release your right to file in the future for compensation or medical care for your injury.
You will need a Workers’ Comp lawyer if:
*You need surgery because of your injury.
*You have pre-existing disabilities.
*You will no longer be able to work regularly in any job.
*You cannot return to work at your current job but are able to work in a different capacity.
* Your health will remain compromised because of your moderate to severe injury, and you will qualify for permanent partial disability.
*You want to dispute the claim decision made by your employer, the employer’s insurance company or the Workers’ Comp division in your state.
*You wonder if you are receiving the correct benefits or if you qualify for additional benefits.
* Your medical benefits claim is denied.
*Your employer disputes the decision of your state Workers’ Comp division.
*You want assistance understanding and navigating the Workers’ Comp process.

Workplace trust plays a role in your team’s success and productivity. It also improves client relations and boosts resiliency after a challenge. You and your team can build trust in six key ways as you improve performance and camaraderie at work in 2016.

1. Be Honest

Telling the truth every time lays the foundation for trust in your office. Your coworkers won’t have to guess if you’re telling the truth or if they can trust what you say.

Even if being honest places you at a disadvantage or could have painful consequences for you, a coworker or a client, always tell the truth. Remember that the truth will come out eventually, so it’s better to be honest upfront.

2. Avoid Stealing

Stealing photocopies, paper clips or time gives your coworkers an opportunity to doubt your credibility. Make every effort to avoid stealing as you demonstrate that you can be trusted.

3. Exercise Good Judgment

There’s a time and place to share information. Use good judgment as you decide when, where and how much to share.

This truth-building step can be used to protect coworkers’ and clients’ private information and competitors’ proprietary information. It also prevents you from speaking or sharing unsolicited or blunt judgment before you know all the fact.

4. Watch Your Body Language

Even though you’re not talking, your body language works for you as it invites people to talk to and trust you. Practice looking your coworkers and clients in the eye when you interact, and stand with an open posture instead of with your arms crossed or your hands clenched.

5. Look for Ways to Exhibit a Mutually Beneficial Attitude

Anyone who looks out only for him or herself will not earn a reputation as someone who can be trusted. Genuinely care about your coworkers and client, and work hard to nurture relationships that are two-sided. Be gracious about giving and receiving constructive criticism, too, as you create a mutually beneficial culture of trust.

6. Be Consistent

When you live a consistent lifestyle of truth, you don’t have to worry about getting caught in a lie or remembering which story you told your coworkers. Your constant performance at work also builds trust since it shows your coworkers that they can count on you. So be on time and stay until your shift is over, perform your best on every job and do what you say every time.

Are you ready to build trust and a safe working environment at your place of employment? Taking these steps will improve relationships, productivity and success for you and your company in 2016.

Are you planning to look for a new job in 2016? Job interviews can be intimidating, especially when you know you’re up against stiff competition. Interviewers also sometimes ask personal questions that can be uncomfortable to answer. There are guidelines that determine which questions a potential employer can ask interviewees. As you anticipate landing a new job this year, understand which questions an interviewer cannot ask and how you could potentially respond.

Which Questions are Off-Limits?  

Title VII is the portion of the Civil Right Act that addresses employment discrimination. While it doesn’t include a specific list of off-limits questions, it does stipulate that employers cannot ask anything that could be used to discriminate against someone. Here are a few questions that are too personal for job interviews.

*What is your race, color or ethnicity?

*How old are you?

*Are you disabled?

*Are you married?

*Do you have children or plan to have children?

*Are you pregnant?

*Are you in debt?

*What is your political affiliation?

*What is your religious affiliation?

*Do you drink or smoke?

How Can You Respond if You’re Asked a Personal Question?

Despite the guidelines, interviewers do want to get to know you and may inadvertently ask a personal question as you chat. Getting angry, threatening to sue or storming out of the interview are in bad taste and guarantee you won’t get hired. However, you can handle the situation in two ways as you maintain your dignity and retain the relationship.

Consider this example of two ways you can respond when a hiring manager asks you if you have children.

1. Tackle the personal question head-on. Respond by affirming that you are committed to your job, will put in long hours and can work from home if necessary. Remind the interviewer of how you handled responsibilities as a parent in your past jobs, too.
2. Bring the conversation back to your qualifications. Despite the discomfort of the question, you’re really at the interview to discuss why you’re qualified for the job. Point out your sales record or leadership success as you gently steer the conversation back to why you deserve to be hired.

If a potential employer insists that you answer these questions, politely end the interview and walk away. You do not want to be caught in a situation that could hurt you in the future or work for a company that disrespects you.

Be prepared for your next job interview when you know some of the questions you cannot be asked and ways to respond. Being ready could actually help you get the job you want.