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Don’t Get Distracted When Your Workplace is Called Home

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You have the comforts of your living room to call your workplace, yet you find yourself more stressed out than if you were in an office space filled with varying personalities.

So, how can you better the situation so that you’re both productive and happy at the same time?

For many people who work from home, their days are littered with distractions – computer, Blackberry’s, phones, children, clutter, annoying family members and/or friends who think that your time is their time too.

Before you begin that new job from home, follow some of these guidelines to make for a better and more prosperous situation:

  • Set up strategy – Lay down the ground rules for all those who you will or may come in contact with during the hours you’re supposed to be working. If you have a significant other and/or children, set aside the necessary time daily for them, but make sure they know that your 9 to 5 hours are for work, not play. It is very easy to get distracted in such an environment and fall behind on the work that needs to get done.
  • Make the environment – If you’re working from your home in pajamas, are you really working or pretending to work? Many people who go from an office environment to a home working environment will note that they keep a similar routine. They get up at the same time five days a week, they tend to work the same hours each day, they get dressed as if they would be in a public workplace, etc. While lounging in your PJ’s and slippers may seem like a relaxing way to do work, it doesn’t always lead to productivity.
  • Have the look of a productive office – When you are working from home, you want the “office” to look and feel just like an office. That means buying the necessary equipment like a computer, printer, fax machine (if needed), etc. It is also good if you’re going to have clients coming by that you entertain them in a professional setting and make it so they feel like they’re actually in an office environment.
  • Record your equipment needs for tax purposes – While working at home may work for some and not others, there are some financial benefits to such an arrangement. First, you do not have to worry about commuting expenses and wear and tear on your vehicle. Secondly, you can deduct a number of items when it comes to doing your taxes. Many of the purchases you make for your business can be written off as expenses the next time around when doing taxes.
  • Understand working from home comes at an expense – While there are a number of advantages to working from home, some find such an arrangement to be a lonely experience. Even though you may enjoy the lack of stress that often comes with working from home, it can come at the expense of feeling isolated.
  • Take needed breaks – Given today’s world of instant communication, it is very easy to get distracted while working at home, especially in the arena of social media. Clients, co-workers, friends and family can be tweeting, texting, sharing and more, leaving you feeling like there is no end. If social media is an important part of your job requirements, know when to take a break and turn off the cell phone, Blackberry’s, computers etc.

Working from home can be a very positive experience; making it work is oftentimes the job in itself.

Dave Thomas, who has authored a number of articles regarding digital copiers writes extensively for www.business.com an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

Are Women Getting a Fair Shake in the Workplace?

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A co-worker and his wife recently brought three new lives into the world – triplets – two boys and a girl.

After all the congratulatory remarks were passed along, I stopped for a minute to wonder how the trio would be treated a couple of decades now when they go out into the working world. Trust me; their parents are likely asking can we at least enjoy them as little ones for a bit longer?

Will this young girl and millions like her find a working environment that is warm and receptive down the road or will it be cold and intimidating?

Challenges for Women at Work

While many young females are not stepping into 9 to 5 situations just yet, that day will come for millions of them and lead to an age old question, do they get treated differently than their male counterparts in the workplace?

As many successful women have worked their way up the corporate ladder, many others find themselves being left behind, whether it is salaries compared to men, opportunities for advancement or just plain respectability from their male counterparts.

As a woman in the workplace, have you found yourself the victim of?

  • A lesser salary than a male counterpart doing the same work;
  • Getting passed over for advancement opportunities;
  • Verbal or physical harassment.

While there are rules in place that are supposed to protect women against harassment on the job, the salary and advancement issues are two items that women have little power to fight. As even some males discover along the way, office politics can play a big role on who gets raises and the opportunities to move up the corporate ladder.

According to a recent study from CareerBuilder, 38 percent of female workers indicated they believe they are paid less than their male counterparts sporting the same skill set and experience. The study goes on to note that 39 percent of women employees think men have additional advancement opportunities within their companies, a jump of 13 percent from 2008.

Other interesting tidbits from the survey include:

  • 45 percent of males note they make $50,000 or more, with 24 percent of females claiming the same;
  • 10 percent of males make $100,000 or more compared to only 3 percent of females;
  • 30 percent of males note they are in a management role compared to 21 percent of females;
  • 36 percent of females claim that males receive more kudos for their achievements within the organization than they do.

One interesting fact from the survey was the responses males and females gave to what bothers them most with in the workplace.

Men noted that women oftentimes gossip or are too emotional or sensitive, while women claim men can be arrogant, make inappropriate comments or don’t take women at work serious.

Interestingly enough, not a lot of men claimed that women use their beauty to advance their careers along. Oftentimes, an attractive woman in the workplace must overcome misconceptions that she used her looks, flirting skills or charm to work her way up the corporate ladder.

For those men who assume that some women in their office rose up the corporate ranks with anything other than their intelligence, keep in mind that many of these same women are holding down two full-time jobs – employee and mother.

Harassment on the Job

One of the biggest challenges women face in the workplace is harassment, oftentimes in a sexual manner.

A recent AOL Jobs Survey pointed out that one in six employees has dealt with harassment on the job. Nearly 50 percent of women are more apt to report it, compared to 21 percent of men.

For those women harassed on the job, which are oftentimes females working in blue collar type jobs, the issues can include: Unwanted jokes or offensive language, inappropriate touching or other contact with a male co-worker, being asked out on dates, and being subjected to suggestive pictures or objects.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in 2010, more than 11,700 charges were brought by workers against co-workers or bosses (83.6 percent from women).

While lower pay, fewer opportunities for advancement and sexual harassment issues do persist, many women have overcome these and other obstacles to work their way up the corporate ladder.

To their credit, they overcame the naysayers who for years thought that women could be nothing more than secretaries and/or administrative assistants.

And for those males who think the secretary is a worthless position, who do you think gives the outside world its first impression of your company, handles myriad of duties and oftentimes holds the business together?

Women continue to make positive strides in the workplace, a workplace whose scenery has changed for the better in the eyes of many women and men.

Photo credit: kristisiegel.com

Dave Thomas is an expert writer on items like online marketing and is based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.