Certain Situations When One Would Need To Hire An Employment Lawyer
If you have ever been discriminated against when applying for a job, or at your current place of employment, then you may wish to hire an employment lawyer to help assure that your rights are protected. These rights include rights as a person, employee and your rights to privacy.If you have been wrongfully terminated from your job, then an employment lawyer can either help you regain your job, or an employment lawyer can assure that you receive adequate compensation as you look for another job. If you have been wrongfully terminated when you are close to becoming eligible for retirement, an employment lawyer can ensure that you receive your retirement benefits even if you do not get your job back.If a co-worker or supervisor makes improper comments or advances against you (especially if you are female, but males are subject to this treatment as well) then you may wish to hire an employment lawyer to handle the problem for you since, as is often the case, these improper advances are ignored by employers. They may simply warn an employee (or worse, accuse you of wrongdoing) but they may feel that it’s no big deal. Your employment lawyer can handle the problem by getting the employee fired, or moved to a different department, much better than you ever would be able to. If you are wrongfully terminated or demoted because you complained, then an employment lawyer can get you appropriate compensation or your job back.Sometimes companies will not heed the law when it comes to rights guaranteed to employees. Certain rights such as overtime wages that are required to be paid if you work any amount of overtime, times allotted for breaks throughout your day and also the number of hours required to work per week. If your employer does not provide you with a sufficient number of breaks, does not pay your overtime wage, or expects you to work an obscene amount of overtime per week then you may wish to consult with an employment lawyer. Your employer has to follow laws in the workplace just as you have to follow as a Citizen. An employment lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected and that you get everything you deserve as an employee including proper compensation for working overtime, adequate breaks and time for lunch and of course, adequate time to spend with your family each week.If you are seeking a job, there are certain things required during the job selection process. Employers have to have certain things before they hire you. These requirements may include your name, address and social security number (or proof of citizenship). Without these, they can’t pay you. They can also require information about your education, training and previous job history to help them make a determination as to whether you are suitable for the job that you are applying for or not. What they cannot check is your credit history and they cannot do a background check unless you grant them permission to do so. Your credit history should not pertain to the prospective employer, and if one asks for your credit history you should always contact an employment lawyer before granting any employer access to this. Your privacy should never be violated in this manner. If you find that it has been, you should hire an employment lawyer as soon as possible.However background checks are often needed for certain types of employment. If you are seeking a job as a Peace officer or security guard, or if you will be in charge of very sensitive information, then a background check would be in order. But most jobs have no need for a background check, and if an employer is asking for one, you should always seek advice from an employment lawyer before you ever voluntarily grant permission to have one done.
A Favorite Gadget Can Become Part and Parcel of Your Life
Advancement in technology has resulted in the creation of highly advanced gadgets and there’s hardly a man on this planet that will not salivate over at least one gadget that he would love to possess. Most men covet the latest gizmos that flood the market and it’s in their nature to want to have them, hold them and experiment with them even if they are not of any real use to the owner. But let’s be frank. Despite the rush of adrenalin that men get when they see some of the novelties displayed in stores and online, it has to be acknowledged that technology has been responsible for making the world a better place to live in and for making the day to day chores of humans so much easier.There’s no denying that we’re well into the digital age with even our conversations interspersed with words that were not used two decades ago. People talk about motherboards, hard drives, megabytes, and pixels as we if they were common food we consume daily and no one would bat an eyelid because these are now familiar words in our vocabulary. Even a little kid today would have a very good idea of what an iPad can do and don’t even start on gaming consoles, such as the PS3, or Nintendo Wii because you will end up having to listen to a whole heap of technical jargon about their favorite gadget, most of which will sound like Greek to you.Every country in the world today including developing countries that have hardly enough food to feed their children are striving to find ways and means to build their IT industries without which they feel they will be left far behind. They too want to use the latest and most advanced technology to build their roads and high rise buildings while also trying their best to get the most technologically advanced equipment for their schools and hospitals to improve the life styles of their citizens. Therefore you should never be surprised to see a street urchin dressed in rags yet holding a pen drive in his hands or a coconut plucker in an Asian country using a mobile phone on the top of the tree he has climbed because these are gadgets used by almost everyone all over the world.That brings us to one gadget that no one seems able to live without. That’s right, you guessed it. I’m talking about the mobile phone or lately the smart phone which is almost an extension of the hand to many a teenager who feels he cannot function without this gizmo. The things that these phones can do never cease to amaze me because today, everything you used the PC for can be carried out on your mobile and its compactness makes it the most popular and favorite gadget of every man, woman and child.Technological gadgets mean different things to different people. While most of us tend to consider these bits and pieces as useful, fun or image enhancing, those who truly love and understand the technical aspects of the gizmos they use, find them wonderfully challenging and a means of exploring areas of technology that has not yet been discovered. It goes without saying that some of these gadgets cost a fortune; yet people buy them and keep buying when the next and better model is introduced to the market because their thirst for knowledge goes far beyond what you and I can understand.So here’s to technology and all those wonderful and not so wonderful gadgets that have become part and parcel of our daily lives. After all, think how awful it would be if we had to live in a world without mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, pen drives and memory cards etc? Today, we need these like our daily meals or are as important as the air we breathe because a gadget such as a smart phone or PC, once you get used to cannot be done away with even if you want to.
Is There a Brand in Your Stand?
Watch out for the branding gurus. Beware of the branding police who focus only on images of brand. Fire the branding consultants who feel qualified to tell you what your brand should be. Ignore the branding zealots who proclaim “brand or die”.Good, now that we have frightened off the undesirables let’s address some fundamental questions about branding and offer you some probing questions to consider. That first paragraph demonstrates the three rules of creative positioning as explained below.Should you have a brand? Maybe. It depends on the goals of your business. You need to ask yourself some questions. Will the brand give you the return on your investment? Will you invest the resources to claim and sustain the brand?What is a brand?A brand is the emotional bond that your clients have with you. Ask your best clients how they would describe you to others. Look for the common message in what they say – especially the emotion. That might be your brand.Brand is the feeling others experience when they think about you and your product. Brand can help them think of you first – or better yet – only you. Brand can justify higher prices – or even better – make price a non-issue.Not BrandingBranding is not about creative logos, pretty fonts and pantone colors. Fire anyone who attempts to sell you that pabulum. Those things are only images. Have you noticed that the successful brands change these images every few years?Branding is a marketing strategy. It is only one of many marketing strategies from which you might choose.Is branding an accident or on purpose? Because branding is about creating emotional messages you are always branding. However, are you aware of your messages, are you consistent and are you effectively branding yourself?You could create or claim your brand. Dominos Pizza created their brand – “Pizza in 30 minutes or its free”. They own that brand. It’s simple, memorable and unique. Some companies look for an opening and build their business to create that brand. Some companies discover their brand by accident. Feedback from clients, remarks from the media or a competitor’s comment reveals the brand that was hidden in plain sight. In that case it is up to you to claim the brand and run with it.Avis claimed their brand by turning a disadvantage into their brand when they launched their marketing campaign with “Avis is only Number 2 in rent-a-cars, so why go with us? We try harder.” And with cheekiness they leverage further on their “disadvantage” by adding, “The lines at our counters are shorter.” That brand has been successful for over 40 years.How do you create your brand? There are two ways. Like Coke, Nike and MacDonald you could throw gazillions of dollars at it. Or you could use creative positioning. Look for the holes in the marketplace. Go to where your competition is not and claim that position. Take a stand like Harley Davidson, Buckley’s Cough Mixture and Nova Scotian Crystal.Each of these companies claimed positions in the market the competition was unwilling to take. Folks either love or hate Harley Davidson. Buckley’s proudly claimed that “it tastes awful but it works” along with a money back guarantee. Nova Scotian Crystal is proudly the only Canadian crystal manufacturer and they offer an incredible one year breakage warranty. Drop your whisky glass and they will replace it; no questions asked.Each of these companies was willing to take a position that would drive some folks away while attracting a loyal crowd of fans.The three principles of creative positioning are best explained by UK entrepreneur BJ Cunningham, who as CEO of The Enlightened Tobacco Company sold a cigarette called “Death Cigarettes”. It was presented in a black package emblazoned with a white skull-and-crossbones logo. Just imagine how this might appeal to the rebels. Everyone except the tobacco companies knew that cigarette smoking was bad for your health. BJ did what none of the other tobacco companies were willing to do. He took a stand.Cunningham’s three principles of creative positioning: 1. Take a polarized position. 2. Make enemies. 3. Create tension.Branding starts with market review and self-examination. Standing alone can be scary, exhilarating and hugely profitable. It you are going to claim a powerful brand take a position away from the crowd. Stand where no one else is standing.