The Monster Blog

What I’m Thankful For, 2008 Edition

This is a short week for many of us, so this will be a short post.

These are trying times for our country, filled with challenges and uncertainty. If you think about it, such challenging and uncertain times are analogous to what the Pilgrims faced when they landed at Plymouth Rock hundreds of years ago. But they persevered over hardship and took time to be thankful for their blessings, and so will we.

To that end, at a time when one friend or another seems to get laid off weekly, I am grateful that I still have a job. I am also grateful I am able to get health insurance for my family, even though I work a compressed schedule  And I’m thankful we have a new president taking office in January, and hope President-elect Obama’s plans for the country help right the ship.

Finally, I give thanks for my coworkers, many of whom I consider friends, and my family, which increased by one in January. (Happy first Thanksgiving to my son.) .

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Leave a comment below. And enjoy your holiday, no matter where you find yourself this year.

Ten Tips for Getting Ready for the Holidays

One of my favorite times of the year, the holiday season, is here. Many radio stations are playing seasonal favorites, and so is the mall, which is already festooned with holiday finery. You’re probably feeling the pressure to start your gift shopping -- I know I am. And there’s also pressure to balance your job (or job search, or both) with getting ready for the holidays.

What you need is a guide to the holidays at work, whether you’re in job search mode or looking to keep your job while getting holiday things done, like wrapping, cooking and partying. We’ve got just the solution -- 10 articles that create a cheat sheet to job searching, networking, balancing the holidays and your job, and making the season bright, no matter what holiday you celebrate:

• “Make Your Work Life Merry During the Holidays”
  

• “Networking Tips for the Holidays”
  

• “Holiday Party Planning in the Diverse Workplace”
  

• “Office Holiday Party Etiquette”
  

• “Have a Happy and Productive Holiday Season”
  

• “Holiday Card Help”
  

• “Find Extra Money for the Holidays”
  

• “How Do You Balance the Holidays and Work?”
  

• “Prepare for Your Own Year-End Review”
  

• “Understand Recruitment Cycles to Give Your Job Search an Edge”

Got Your Flu Shot?

It’s that time of year again: Flu season. You’ve probably heard you should get a flu shot. There are several options: Go to a flu shot clinic, either at work or at another location, or call your doctor. So you have no excuses. Or do you?

According to Consumer Reports Health, only 52 percent of Americans plan to get flu shots. Why doesn’t everyone? Well, 67 percent said it was better to build up immunity, which doesn’t work for the flu; 35 percent were worried about side effects from the shot; and 27 percent just don’t like getting shots (can’t help you there). Interestingly, 5 percent of those surveyed would rather get sick than go to work.

Which brings me to my next point: You may need to be especially careful if you work certain jobs, because your exposure is higher. ABC News published the top 10 jobs where germs are a daily concern:

• Teacher/day care aide
• Bank employee/cashier
• Tech support/computer repair
• Doctor/nurse
• Lab scientist
• Police officer
• Animal control officer
• Janitor/plumber
• Sanitation worker
• Meatpacker

Across industries, the flu accounts for millions of missed work days a year, according to QuickHealth. According to the company, easy ways you can minimize the risk of illness include washing your hands. Oh, and get a flu shot. Here is some information from the Centers for Disease Control as well. Personally, I am a believer in Purell and antibacterial wipes.

So what’s your excuse?

Need more information? Check out these facts about the flu shot from WebMD as well as a flu FAQ.

Welcome, President Obama: You Sure You Want This Job?

America made history with the election of Senator Barack Obama of Illinois as the 44th president. Of course, Obama is the first African American to be elected president, but there are other firsts associated with his election as well. He is the first Democrat to be elected president since Bill Clinton’s first term in 1992 and the first non-Southern Democrat since JFK in 1960.

For these reasons, as well as his message of hope, a lot of excitement is surrounding the president-elect. But amid all the hoopla, it’s important to remember that on January 20, Obama will start a job, albeit the highest-profile job in the world.

Like anyone else looking a new job in the face, Obama must be nervous about the transition and the challenges. The economy is in the tank. Jobs are slipping away. Health insurance (and the healthcare system) needs a major overhaul.

I am an Obama fan, but I hope he knows what he’s getting into. So I compiled this list of Obama’s positions on issues that affect workers:

• Economy: Obama isn’t waiting for Inauguration Day to get going on this critical issue. When Congress returns in late November, he will help push another economic-stimulus bill, but that’s just the beginning. Bloomberg.com reports that Obama’s economic agenda amounts “to what may be the broadest overhaul of the US economy since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Beyond job creation and big investments in public works, Obama intends to shift the tax burden back toward the wealthy, roll back a quarter-century of deregulation, extend healthcare coverage to all Americans and reassess the US government’s pursuit of free-trade deals.”
  


• Unions: Union support was a major factor in Obama’s victory, says a press release from the AFL-CIO. Once Obama takes office, these unions will push to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which will facilitate union organization.
  


• Health Insurance and Healthcare: According to Newsweek, Obama wants to offer Americans a health plan similar to the one members of Congress get, along with current plans. He also wants to require insurers to sell to everyone, regardless of preexisting conditions. The price tag? Healthcare and human services consulting firm The Lewin Group estimates about $1.17 trillion from 2010 to 2019.

Need more info? This overview by the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog takes a look at what the American workplace might be like under Obama. Once you've digested all this, leave your comments below.