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Top 10 Office Party Don'ts

Is your employer throwing a holiday party? You should go, but don't check your reputation at the door. Follow these tips and you'll be able to return to the office with your head held high.

More About the Holiday Season

Dawn's Career Planning Blog

Workplace Privacy Case Reaches the Supreme Court

Monday December 21, 2009

The U.S. Supreme Court will review the case of a California police officer who took his employer to court over his personal use of a company-issued wireless pager. John Quon used the pager, which was issued by the Ontario Police Department, to send text messages to his mistress. Some of those messages were sexually explicit. When his employer decided to review those texts, Quon protested that his privacy rights had been violated. Legal experts will offer much better coverage of this than I can, so I won't get into all the specifics of it. If you want details, please read Supreme Court Takes Texting Case) on NYTimes.com.

What do you think? Take the poll and post your comments below.

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Electronic Monitoring at Work

Surfing the Net on Your Boss's Time

The Emotional Toll of Job Loss

Thursday December 17, 2009

Depression, anxiety, shame, insomnia. Many people who are unemployed may experience all of these according to a New York Times / CBS News poll, the results of which were published December 14 on NYTimes.com. The poll surveyed 705 unemployed adults between December 5 and 10. It asked respondents about the emotional toll job loss has taken on them asking questions such as "are you more stressed than usual, less stressed or is your stress level no different," (69% said they were more stressed) "have you had any trouble sleeping," (55% answered yes) "have you experienced emotional or mental health issues, like anxiety or depression," (48% reported they have) and "how often have you felt embarrassed or ashamed about being out of work." (46% responded that they have some or most times). The poll also examined the financial toll of job loss. For more details see Unemployment's Emotional Toll.

More About Job Loss:

Weekly Career Profile: Pharmacist

Wednesday December 16, 2009

Pharmacists dispense prescription drugs to patients and provide information about those drugs. They help patients understand the instructions their doctors or other health practitioners provided. Pharmacists also monitor their patients' health and progress to make sure their medications are working effectively and safely. To be able to work as a pharmacist one must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) which generally takes four years after at least two years of undergraduate study.

Now comes the opportunity to learn more about becoming a pharmacist. First you should obtain facts about this occupation. Get detailed job descriptions and information on compensation and job outlook in Pharmacist: Career Information. Next, a first hand account of life as a pharmacist can help you see beyond what this description can provide. See what some of our readers who work in this field have to say by reading our Real Life of a Pharmacist submissions. Finally, if you are are considering whether to pursue a career as a pharmacist, the Should You Become a Pharmacist? quiz can help you find out if you have the characteristics necessary to succeed in this career.

Getting an Employer to Look Past a Disability

Monday December 14, 2009

Imagine there's a career you've dreamed of pursuing. You work hard and come thisclose to getting hired. Then the employer who is about to hire you learns you have a medical condition and worries that it will interfere with your work. They decide not to hire you despite your insistence that you are in control of your condition. What would you do?

When Anna Balogh faced this situation she decided to fight back. She sued the U.S. Department of State for denying her a job as a Foreign Service officer because she has Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes, reports Boston.com (Diabetic to Begin Career as Diplomat). Last week Balogh and the U.S. government settled the case out of court shortly before it was to go to trial. She got the job she wanted, on a trial basis, and will be compensated for lost wages.

Unfortunately there are some employers that can't see past someone's disabilities. They make assumptions based on what they think they know without ever giving a qualified candidate the opportunity to do the job they know they can do. Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act protects workers from this kind of discrimination. Learn more about the Americans With Disabilities Act.

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