http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork Mon, 19 May 2008 14:31:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here's an interesting site that scours the Web for references about a single name. Pipl.com is helpful if you'd like to find out what tidbits about you (or anyone) are orbiting out in cyberspace. This can be useful when you're searching for a job because more and more hiring managers ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/05/19/find-yourself/ The Rockford Chamber of Commerce has created a speakers bureau to provide presenters from its membership for local companies that want a presentation on a specific topic. There are speakers available in the following topic areas: Human resources and organizational development Sales and marketing Communications Finance Personal development Customer service Technology Continuous improvement The chamber's website has a full list ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/04/30/speakers-available/ The pension system for city workers in Illinois announced this week that it is 100 percent funded at the end of 2007, on a market value basis. The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund is the public pension that provides death, disability and retirement benefits to employees who work for cities, villages, libraries, ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/04/17/something-to-crow-about/ Times look tough for hiring in a number of industries, but there's one profession expected to continue growing; one that everyone wants to see more of: Lawyers. <insert canned laugh track here> But seriously folks, a recent survey of 300 attorneys in the U.S. and Canada found that 45 percent of law ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/04/04/a-recession-proof-profession/ Sometimes the Internet is like a used book store. You just amble around, poking through boxes and cubbyholes and occasionally you find gold. Like this Web site, Modern Mechanix. It's a blog full of old photos and advertisements, including one for a double-barrelled cigarette holder (from the days when smoking was ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/03/21/dont-believe-everything-you-read/ Ever wonder exactly what your employer can and can't do to you under federal labor law? Or if your boss' obnoxious comments qualify as sexual harassment? Or whether you should get paid for that 5-minute cigarette break? Well, there's a Web site that explains all the federal rules governing workers in ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/03/20/know-your-rights/ After four months locked out of brake foundry Gunite Corp., the United Auto Workers Local 718 went back to work today. Now that the ordeal is over, I just discovered a Windows Live Spaces page run by the union that was used to keep members informed during the work stoppage. Wish ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/03/17/union-used-social-networking/ The Department of Labor just proposed new rules for the Family Medical Leave Act, the 15-year-old law that was a centerpiece of President Bill Clinton's first-term agenda. The law was created in 1993 to give workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a sick family member or ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/03/03/family-medical-leave-act-changes/ I hope you're not reading this while you're at work. Because if you are, your employer could be watching. Actually, there's a two-in-three chance your company is looking over your shoulder. Sixty-six percent of employers say they're monitoring workers' Internet connections and 65 percent say they block access to certain Websites, ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/02/28/big-brother-and-other-workplace-surveillance/ Lots of companies are making it easier to work while raising kids, according to a survey commissioned by a staffing agency. More than three in five companies surveyed have made policy changes in the last five years to accommodate working parents, according to OfficeTeam. The survey was given to 150 randomly selected ... http://blogs.e-rockford.com/atwork/2008/02/05/making-work-easier-on-working-parents/