Mark Swartz · Dec. 7, 2018
It may be legal to use marijuana at company festivities but do so inoffensively. ‘Tis the season to be merry-juana. So should you partake of herb at your office party? Everyone else is getting sloshed; it only seems fitting. Thing is if you’re going to get stoned there observe the etiquette. Being buzzed among coworkers and bosses poses some different perils than boozing.
Sasha Johnson · Dec. 3, 2018
This winter, don’t let office-appropriate dress codes stand in the way or your sartorial stardom. While it’s true, even confident dressers approach the morning ‘what to wear?’ routine with dread, facing your closet doesn’t have to feel like a walk to the boss’s office. This season’s key new styles are workwear saviours. Think sophisticated fabrics like tweed, heritage prints, and voluminous wide-leg trousers. Whether you’re in a buttoned-up boardroom or a casual start-up, they’re the hero pieces that will polish in a pinch. Plus, they don’t require any extra effort so you can focus on what matters. And of course, look great doing it.
Mark Swartz · Nov. 22, 2018
Non-disparagement clauses hold workers back from criticizing the company, during or after employment. Or do they? So I’m reading a U.S. magazine, and my eyeballs pop at this headline: Staffers at Company X Can Never Say Anything Bad About the Employer Ever Again. Say what? What dropped my jaw was “Ever Again.” Seems staff were asked to sign a “non-disparagement” clause, hardly rare. But this one forbids public dissing till earth stops whirling. Even if they’ve treated you like scum. Struck me as savagely restrictive. So I checked into Canada’s rules. Found out that if included in your employment contract, this kind of clause might – or might not – be enforceable here.
Mark Swartz · Nov. 19, 2018
Your next raise, promotion or review might rely on data analytics. Know what the algorithms are watching for. Notice anything sketchy about your latest performance review? Maybe for the first time, it gave you crap for the “sentiment index” of your Slack messages. Or praised your “time to task ratios.” WTF? Say hi to AI in gauging your worth as a worker. Reduced to numeric stats. Watched and reported on like rats in a lab. Brave new world my ass. Starting in corporations and working their way down, analytics are encroaching in a big way. A big data way, where neural networks parse and report on your activities. Knowing what’s stirring gives you a chance to catfish the algorithms.
Neil MacIntosh · Nov. 13, 2018
If bosom buddies transmute into evil enemies, deal with ‘em before they ravage your mojo. Just another day at the office: your former same-sex love interest forsakes goodness, starting an unholy reign of terror to rule earth by dark magic. Oops, that’s the plot of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2.” In this sequel, ex-besties Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald have a falling out. Just like workplace pals often do. Though in their case the world’s fate is at stake.
Steve Mahoney · Nov. 12, 2018
Turn your tendency to take the high road into a competitive advantage at work. Don’t you hate it when a-holes get rewarded? Makes ol’ Machiavelli seem bang on: All’s fair at work and war.
Mark Swartz · Nov. 6, 2018
Free job search coaching, funding, and donated interview clothing: there are resources for low-income folks in need. Job hunters with low incomes have some extra hurdles. Some can’t afford proper clothes for interviews. Lots of others would never get good search help if it weren’t subsidized. Thank goodness there’s a whack of resources out there. Whether paid for by our taxes or charitable giving, being jobless doesn’t have to mean being penniless.
Mark Swartz · Nov. 1, 2018
Bet you didn’t know the real name of Queen’s late frontman is Farrokh Bulsara. Canada also has famous crooners born of newcomers. Immigration rocks! And rolls too. Where would Queen have been without its genre shattering lead? Who knows, had Mr. Bulsara and parents not schlepped from Zanzibar to Britain. Canada too boasts music celebrities whose forebears come from away. There’s Able Tesfaye, slightly better known as The Weeknd. Nelly Furtado is of Portuguese descent. And who can forget worldwide rap star, Aubrey Graham? (He’s sometimes called Drake, btw.)
Steve Mahoney · Oct. 10, 2018
An NHL season’s plotted in stages, with goals, resources and managed expectations. Sound familiar? Go Canucks go! Carry on, Canadiens! The 2018 NHL season’s in force. With it comes valuable lessons on how teams design their tactics, gather resources and leverage collaboration. Seems a hell of a lot like project planning. Your own projects won’t start with a puck drop in October, or end with a Stanley Cup in June. Yet no matter if yours takes a few days or more than eight months, follow the steps Canada’s hockey squads do.
Mark Swartz · Oct. 4, 2018
Go Gaga when going after a passion career, but don’t look away from this movie’s messages. Love Cinderella? A Star Is Born’s latest remake pays homage. Complete with evil meanies (no stepsisters though) and a fairy-tale rescue, its core’s about wishing for a dream job, This time Lady Gaga (aka Ms. Stefani Germanotta) plays Ally, an unknown bun-nosed waitress, plucked from obscurity into music’s dizzying heights. Her prince is Jackson (Brad Cooper), a broke down fabled singer. Aside from retelling an enchanting story, the film shatters plenty of myths about pursuing your passion career.