Questions specifically related to a job market and other aspects of employment and career in the companies located in and following the laws of the United States of America.
4
votes
3answers
209 views
What should I disclose about second jobs or additional sources of income when my employer asks?
My employer is requiring me to fill out a "Disclosure Form" which provides them with information such as additional sources of income (such as investments) and other employment.
I feel this is a ...
10
votes
4answers
983 views
Using vacation days before leaving a company
I received a job offer from another company and I plan to take it. I have 7 vacation days saved at my current company, the last engineer was not credited for his unused vacation days on his final ...
49
votes
19answers
4k views
How can I reduce the size of a long resume without hiding all my skills and experience?
I'm in the US and have 30 years of experience with a bunch of different companies, working in high-tech and the software industry. I have a lot of links, skills, and education which has pushed my ...
6
votes
5answers
327 views
How can I convince management to allow employees to purchase vacation?
In writing this answer to this question it occurred to me, within the United States at least, a lot of people probably work for companies where vacation is fairly rigid yet people would like more of ...
-2
votes
1answer
85 views
What information about public-sector jobs are legally part of the publc domain? [closed]
At many public universities in the US, the position and salaries of some but not all employees are made publicly available.
Is this a federally mandated practice, or is it done on a state-by-state ...
5
votes
9answers
985 views
How does a non team player answer questions about team playing [closed]
I am asking a question for my friend; he is searching for a position in the corporate world.
Let's call him "Joe". This Joe guy does not think working in a team necessarily means the best product ...
4
votes
5answers
338 views
When interviewing, is it prudent to tell the hiring manager that you're a parent and your spouse works full-time?
These days, many households include two parents who both work full-time.
These parents face many challenges while balancing work and child-care responsibilities.
But this situation also presents a ...
3
votes
2answers
141 views
Can I negotiate for tuition reimbursement?
I just received a formal offer and everything is satisfactory except the tuition reimbursement. I'm planning to get a masters while working. This is a 2 year program with a 50k tuition. Currently, my ...
6
votes
4answers
309 views
Is it unprofessional to attempt to negotiate for less than two weeks when announcing resignation?
When announcing resignation, is it unprofessional for me to ask my boss if it would cause an inconvenience for me to work only another 5 to 8 days instead of a full two weeks? I am able to work for ...
3
votes
1answer
275 views
Can a salaried employee have their pay docked by the hour?
I work in an IT department in a company where most employees are paid by the hour. I am part of a small number of salaried employees. In recent months, I've had to take some time off for health ...
1
vote
2answers
204 views
Salary Revision
I was very excited about my new job and now I am 7 months into the job. What concerns me now is the compensation part of the job. I am not aware of the salary revision process of the company. Rather I ...
17
votes
5answers
1k views
Security clearance jobs: will security make it hard to get work done?
In many government or defense contractor jobs, some level of security clearance is required because the work is supposed to be "secret". In other words, employees aren't allowed to talk about what ...
67
votes
8answers
5k views
How should I respond to an inappropriate question in a job interview?
In the United States, it is considered discriminatory to consider certain things about a candidate when hiring, unless that thing is actually relevant to that job. Specific to this question, a ...
20
votes
4answers
823 views
How can I convince my company to change their time off policy?
My company has a policy that no more than three salaried employees can be off on any given day, regardless of what department they are in.
I've seen this cause tension with some employees, and have ...
5
votes
3answers
309 views
No Job Satisfaction - Any Suggestions? [closed]
I know a person with the following issue in their workplace, and I wish to help them, however I am unsure as to what suggestions to give them. So here goes (Lets call this person Jane).
Jane works as ...
5
votes
2answers
313 views
How to deal with an employer that forces me to drive in unsafe conditions [closed]
Suppose there is a forecasted blizzard where the government has advised not to drive. I would like to leave work early in order to get home before the blizzard (or not come to work at all that day) ...
1
vote
4answers
218 views
In the United States, can an employer take adverse action based on information gleaned from non-work resources?
I am good friends with the Director of IT in my firm. He recently let on that he knew I was looking for alternative employment, because they are logging my AIM instant messaging application. ...
14
votes
4answers
590 views
When should I consider myself to be at work?
This may seem a strange question, but my workplace isn't an easy access building. The place I work is a large (several hundred acres), fenced off, limited access campus. There are only a few gates, ...
13
votes
8answers
3k views
How can I force a former employer to pay me without creating too much conflict?
I worked for a web-design company for about 9 months, and was laid off almost 6 months ago, because my employer was unable to continue to afford to pay me. At the time, he was behind on payment for a ...
4
votes
4answers
233 views
How to prepare yourself for work abroad [closed]
I want to work abroad, specifically in Canada or United States.
I am a software developer and have graduated the computer engineering faculty. My coworkers, and bosses over the years, have always ...
56
votes
14answers
4k views
My colleagues frown on me for using my vacation days. Should I stop using them so much?
I work for a company that gives 25 vacation days a year. Unused days are not paid and if not used they become wasted and you cannot use them the next year. When you leave the company, you are not paid ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Applying for an American internship as a foreign student living in Germany
I am a Bosnian student living (and being born) in German, yet I didn't want to get the German citizenship. Currently I am studying computer science and mathematics nearing my Bachelor's degree. In my ...
4
votes
1answer
181 views
What are the rules regarding electronic distribution of income data forms for tax reporting in the United States?
This is specific to the United States, but hopefully that's not too localized. For those not familiar with the W-2 form, it is a brief statement reporting income and tax data that people employed in ...
23
votes
5answers
2k views
Recovering from bad career decisions
In my field I hold professional credentials that only a handful of others in the world hold. Those credentials are in high demand.
In the late 1990s, I joined a large company and stayed with them ...
9
votes
2answers
199 views
To what extent do attributes making a resume “good” generalize across industries?
I have spent a lot of hours reviewing and refining my resume. As a result, I have spent a lot of time helping others with their resumes and have a polished, professional resume.
Throughout the past ...
2
votes
2answers
466 views
Do I have any legal recourse regarding verbal job offer?
I received a verbal offer, "...contingent on background, drug, and physical...", from a company that stated in the interview process they "do not do offer letters." This is a privately-held, ...
6
votes
3answers
164 views
security clearance and self employment
I am up for a job that will get me a Secret Clearance. Between 2006-2009, I was a contractor. I had 5 contracts. 4 of them I was self employed. 1 I was a w-2.
For the w-2 there should be a record ...
3
votes
2answers
298 views
How to be in safe and profitable situation while project management applying tactics on me? [closed]
I am working for an outsourcing company. I was working on a new project as my first onsite assignment in USA. The situation was tough over there. I was searching better opportunities in USA.
At that ...
5
votes
2answers
334 views
How to address a large direct deposit shortfall
My large employer uses an automated payroll service that direct-deposits. I've had no problems for 11 years. This week, instead of getting my usual deposit of about $1500, I was paid only $800. Nobody ...
14
votes
3answers
561 views
When should one consider unionizing in the US?
When should one consider joining or perhaps even creating a trade union in the US, as opposed to taking other actions? That is, when would it do more good for the person, rather than doing him or her ...
11
votes
8answers
543 views
Should I attend a company function?
There's a big departmental picnic coming up; I've been told that, as a contractor, I won't be paid for the time if I do go to the picnic. However, as an integral member of the team (I definitely do as ...
8
votes
3answers
333 views
Returning a favor for the boss
I am in a situation where my boss has, on more than one occasion, "gone to bat" for me and personally duked it out with superiors, HR, and the customer to argue in favor of keeping me employed with ...
5
votes
3answers
281 views
Benefits during two weeks notice
Say I give my two weeks notice on a Monday, let's say the first of the month. I have a doctor appointment on that Friday. Will my medical benefits still be active to help pay for the appointment? ...
10
votes
1answer
168 views
Process and length of time for obtaining a US J1 visa
The best candidate for a job opening in my group is Indian, lives in Europe, and has worked for (and visited / lived for short periods), a company based in a US-allied Arab country.
The Human ...
1
vote
5answers
369 views
Difference between contract and full time? [closed]
From what I understand full time employees get things like vacation, health insurance, dental and retirement.
Are there any other important differences?
4
votes
1answer
158 views
What is an equal opportunity employer?
In the US it is law that an employer cannot discriminate based on race, religion, color or sex per the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yet there are some companies who advertise themselves as equal ...
0
votes
1answer
279 views
Can freelancers get unemployment benefits during months that work is extremely slow? [closed]
When it comes to keeping my funds sturdy, some months are better than others. I'm wondering if, in the United States particularly, freelancers are able to benefit from the safety net of unemployment, ...
14
votes
7answers
4k views
Pre-Employment Background check: what constitutes “bad”?
At least in the US, job offers are typically contingent upon background checks. From my experience, these checks typically include a criminal background check, a driver's history check, and a credit ...
9
votes
2answers
845 views
Getting fired for cause?
I have recently been in a fight with the management team of my company. After that incident, the company accussed me of stealing proprietary information, and made me take a few paid days off while ...
10
votes
1answer
348 views
Should I consider how long I've been at a new job before trying to start a family?
I started a new job recently and I love it and want to display dedication to my work. My spouse and I are also hoping to start a family soon.
I have several related questions:
Would it be worth it ...
8
votes
4answers
570 views
Typical lead times for hire start date in U.S
Although this has to vary greatly by situation, is there any "reasonable range" for the amount of time between the A) the announcement of the position, interviews, and offer and b) the required start ...
22
votes
6answers
671 views
Second thoughts about “unofficial” vacation time
I joined my current company over 2 years ago. At that time I was working for another company in the same field and receiving 4 weeks vacation. During salary negotiations, the hiring manager at my ...
15
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I monitor my own DoD security clearance?
In the Washington, DC area, having a security clearance is a prerequisite for many jobs, but the actual "holding" of the clearance seems to always be the province of the company for which one works. ...
