Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Job Doc chat with Pattie Hunt Sinacole @ Boston.com on July 27
This week Pattie answered questions about what to tell your current employer when you go for a long interview elsewhere, should you quit one job before you have another one lined up, does an organization have to pay salaried workers more than once a month, how to highlight special experiences that are not necessarily work-related, and more. Read the full transcript here: http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2015/07/monday_noon_job_doc_chat_with_31.html.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Burned Out and Miserable
Q: I am 50 years old and miserable in my job. My commute is long. My coworkers are negative. The work is repetitive. I feel like there is no meaning in what I do, other than making money for my employer. Is this it? Is this what the rest of the working world feels? I am burned out and miserable.
A: Oh no. I am sorry you are feeling so crummy about your current role. Although we all have our horrible days, this sounds like more than just one bad day here or there.
The rest of the working world does not feel like that, or I refuse to believe that most do! There are days that many of us want to tear our hair out, but it is not each and every day.
You need to develop a plan. Instead of feeling trapped, think about where else you would want to work and what else you would like to do. Is there anything you like about your current role? It sounds like the commute, the work on your desk and your colleagues are all areas that may need to change. Begin researching options.
Look at opportunities within a reasonable commuting distance or those which permit some type of telecommuting. Sometimes we never know if we will land with positive or negative colleagues but it is important to ask questions about culture during the interview process. Ask about employee turnover and if the company posts jobs and moves employees internally into new roles. Also you can visit sites like Glassdoor which sometimes can provide information about the inner workings of a company. Current and former employees can also share information about how the company works and the company culture. Do you have skills which may be transferable to another role or even another industry?
Developing a plan means writing it down. Committing to action items with deadlines attached. It means taking a critical look at your LinkedIn profile and making sure it has a professional photo and key words embedded in your experience and summary. Start connecting with new contacts every day.
The rest of the working world does not feel like that, or I refuse to believe that most do! There are days that many of us want to tear our hair out, but it is not each and every day.
You need to develop a plan. Instead of feeling trapped, think about where else you would want to work and what else you would like to do. Is there anything you like about your current role? It sounds like the commute, the work on your desk and your colleagues are all areas that may need to change. Begin researching options.
Look at opportunities within a reasonable commuting distance or those which permit some type of telecommuting. Sometimes we never know if we will land with positive or negative colleagues but it is important to ask questions about culture during the interview process. Ask about employee turnover and if the company posts jobs and moves employees internally into new roles. Also you can visit sites like Glassdoor which sometimes can provide information about the inner workings of a company. Current and former employees can also share information about how the company works and the company culture. Do you have skills which may be transferable to another role or even another industry?
Developing a plan means writing it down. Committing to action items with deadlines attached. It means taking a critical look at your LinkedIn profile and making sure it has a professional photo and key words embedded in your experience and summary. Start connecting with new contacts every day.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Addressing Smokers Near a Workplace Door
Q: I work in an office park where most everyone parks in the rear parking lot of the building. I have asthma and cigarette smoke is a problem for me. When I leave the office mid-day for lunch, I have to walk by a group of smokers. This group usually keeps their distance from the building but they huddle near the back door if the weather is bad. We have told our HR Rep but she doesn't seem to do anything. Unfortunately our HR Director is one of the smokers. I am not the only one bothered. My employer is one of three tenants. What can we do because they are not smoking IN the building, just NEAR the building?
A: In Massachusetts, there is a law called The Smoke-Free Workplace Law. The law addresses smoking at entrances and exits of workplaces.
Smoking is permitted in an outdoor space if the space is physically separated from the enclosed workspace, if the space is open to air at all times and if smoke does not travel back into the workspace. The state law does not require smokers to stand at a specific distance from the workplace although there may be some local ordinances which may have such a requirement.
In your situation it sounds like smokers who "huddle near the back door" might be creating the most significant problem because smoke is likely traveling back into the building. Since your HR Rep has not been that helpful, I would contact your property management company. If your company is a tenant in the building, this would be the firm that maintains the building and ensures that it is a safe building for all. Secondhand smoke exposure is not just a nuisance but a safety issue. Explain to the property management company that there is an issue with employees standing too close to the back door while smoking. They may post a notice that requires people to stand a certain number of feet from the building. They may have their security team patrol the back door and be watchful of any problem behavior, asking them to smoke elsewhere.
For nonsmokers, it is difficult to be "hit" with that wall of smoke when you enter or leave a building. I find it happens less often than it did even 10 years ago but it still happens.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Smoking is permitted in an outdoor space if the space is physically separated from the enclosed workspace, if the space is open to air at all times and if smoke does not travel back into the workspace. The state law does not require smokers to stand at a specific distance from the workplace although there may be some local ordinances which may have such a requirement.
In your situation it sounds like smokers who "huddle near the back door" might be creating the most significant problem because smoke is likely traveling back into the building. Since your HR Rep has not been that helpful, I would contact your property management company. If your company is a tenant in the building, this would be the firm that maintains the building and ensures that it is a safe building for all. Secondhand smoke exposure is not just a nuisance but a safety issue. Explain to the property management company that there is an issue with employees standing too close to the back door while smoking. They may post a notice that requires people to stand a certain number of feet from the building. They may have their security team patrol the back door and be watchful of any problem behavior, asking them to smoke elsewhere.
For nonsmokers, it is difficult to be "hit" with that wall of smoke when you enter or leave a building. I find it happens less often than it did even 10 years ago but it still happens.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Monday, July 13, 2015
"Slimy" co-worker needs a reference
Q: I received a reference call on a former co-worker. I
don't know for sure but I think the guy was fired. He was very slimy
and I think he used the company credit card for personal expenses. What
is the protocol for returning such a call? Do I tell what I know? Do I
just say he was a suspicious person but I have no proof? I wish he had
told me he was going to list me as a reference. I would have asked
that he not shared my contact info as a reference. We were not that
close.
A: Your former co-worker has put you in a difficult situation. It
sounds like his track record at your company was less than stellar. It
is wise to ask a potential reference if they are willing to serve as a
reference. Some people are not comfortable providing a reference, even
for colleagues who are good employees.
You should determine if your company has a policy on providing references. Most employers request that these calls be directed to Human Resources (HR) and that you not return the call. This is particularly important if your former colleague was terminated. If he was stealing from your company, your employer may be filing charges against him. I would suggest that you pass the reference caller's information to HR and ask them to handle it. If you receive another reference call on him, I would suggest that you share your HR department's telephone number and explain that you are not able to provide a reference. When an employee steals from their company, an internal investigation is often launched to better understand what has been stolen, if others are involved, what controls should have been in place as well as how to prevent future thefts. If this former employee was given a company credit card and he used it for personal use without authorization, that is theft. Often times, if an employee steals once and is not caught, the theft continues.
You are smart to ask the question.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
You should determine if your company has a policy on providing references. Most employers request that these calls be directed to Human Resources (HR) and that you not return the call. This is particularly important if your former colleague was terminated. If he was stealing from your company, your employer may be filing charges against him. I would suggest that you pass the reference caller's information to HR and ask them to handle it. If you receive another reference call on him, I would suggest that you share your HR department's telephone number and explain that you are not able to provide a reference. When an employee steals from their company, an internal investigation is often launched to better understand what has been stolen, if others are involved, what controls should have been in place as well as how to prevent future thefts. If this former employee was given a company credit card and he used it for personal use without authorization, that is theft. Often times, if an employee steals once and is not caught, the theft continues.
You are smart to ask the question.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Job Doc chat with Pattie Hunt Sinacole @ Boston.com on July 6
This week Pattie answered questions regarding some of toughest parts of the hiring process, including how to properly write a resume, how to impress an employer with a cover letter, and how employers analyze your cover letter. She also tackled the important issue of how to deal with rejection from potential employers, how to build a network, and more... read the transcript here http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2015/06/monday_noon_job_doc_chat_with_28.html
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.
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