A way out for the overemployed: They do the work, you collect the paycheck

Last week, I told you about the overemployed - the workers who, having survived the tidal wave of layoffs, now find themselves doing both their job and their former coworkers'.

Meanwhile, you are out there day after day, searching for a great job, or failing that, one that will pay your bills.

In that last post, I had recommended the revival of job sharing as a way to help both that overworked survivor and you, the job seeker.

It would only figure, then, that enterpreneurial Americans have already taken that idea and run with it by taking a page from the big bosses' playbook.

The Onion News Network recently reported on the growing phenomenon of American workers outsourcing their jobs to the Third World. Watch the report here...

...then share your thoughts in the comments. I'll start with this one: They should outsource American work to American workers!

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for PhillyJobs.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Beyond.com. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com.

4 Myths About Men And Women In The Workplace

As the workplace is changing, take a look at myths that still exist.

The face of the traditional workplace is changing and with it comes a new breed of employees who are telecommuting, using flex time, working from home or working freelance. As the stereotype of the average employee continues to change, there are still many myths about who these workers are that are alive and well.

Along with the changing needs of businesses and employees alike, the traditional gender roles of men and women are also being challenged. In the face of these changes, employers are having to rise to the challenge and change their ideas about what their employees need.

Here are 4 myths about both male and female employees that just aren't true:

1. Men are more work-oriented and success driven – The old belief was that male employees are more driven to succeed while women put their careers on the back burner and keep their primary focus on family. This may have been true decades ago, but many women are as career driven as their male counterparts. It is becoming more common for women to be the primary breadwinners for their family and more and more men are opting to work part time or be stay at home dads.
   
   
2. Women struggle the most with managing family needs – These days both men and women are struggling to find work-life balance. Most families aren't able to have one parent be responsible for the majority of the family needs. While women tend to be more concerned with dealing with illness and appointments, men are also struggling to attend little league games and parent-teacher conferences.
   
   
3. Single employees are more focused on their careers – This is a myth that never seems to go away. The idea is that employees without family obligations are more dedicated to their careers than those who are married or have families. This couldn't be further from the truth. Even single people struggle to meet their personal commitments. In addition, they don't have obligations that keep them in jobs that aren't rewarding. The major problems that cause employees to lose focus have more to do with not feeling challenged, motivated or rewarded than family obligations.
   
   
4. Management is committed to helping employees meet their family commitments – Just because a company offers flex time or other options to help employees find a good work-life balance doesn't mean that management supports these programs. Often it seems that employees who use these options become stigmatized or begin to be left out of the loop. When companies offer these programs, they need to get the support of management at all levels.

The workplace is changing and so is the role of men and women, both at home and at the office. In order to maintain high performing employees, companies need to take a look at the assumptions they are making about what their employees need. When companies can work with their staff in order to help them find the balance they need in order to do their best work, everyone wins.

What does your company do or not do to help employees with work-life balance? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

How To Cope When Bad Things Happen

How to be productive, even when bad things happen.

Even for the most productive of the over-achievers, there will be times when bad things happen and you feel as though you just aren't able to accomplish even the simplest of tasks. It can be something as big as losing a job and mounting a long job search and the self-esteem hit that goes along with it, or it can be something as small as an argument with a co-worker.

Whatever is causing you to feel overwhelmed and less productive doesn't actually matter. What matters is how you cope with the feelings. Once you are in the dumps, each thing that slows you down or isn't just right piles on top of the mountain of frustration. When the pile reaches crucial mass, you can have a meltdown, lash out at others or just slip into a negative mindset. If you don't do anything to solve the problem, it can build and build until it becomes next to impossible to regain your sense of effectiveness and productivity.

When you are dealing with problems at home or other struggles that add to your pressures, here are some things you can do to stay productive while you work through it:

• Accept that you are having a hard time and be easy on yourself – When you are coping with tough times, accept that even though you normally get tons of tasks accomplished before noon, right now you are having trouble. By acknowledging the problem, you can stop beating yourself up and instead, use the energy to think of ways to get through this period.
  
  
• Concentrate on the main tasks and eliminate things that aren't crucial – Instead of making long lists of things you “should do”, concentrate on the things you “have to”. Often, the over-achievers are the ones who have a hard time putting things on hold in order to deal with other problems.
  
  
  For example, if your child or spouse was just diagnosed with a serious medical issue, it's ok to drop some of your normal activities in order to deal with this situation. It's like the guy at the circus that spins plates; if you are trying to keep all of the plates in the air while dealing with it, you'll probably end up with a whole bunch of broken dinnerware. Instead, spin fewer plates.
  
  
• Get plenty of rest and eat healthy – This sounds like a given, but it's easy to forget when you are going through a rough time. When a crisis arises, it's normal to forget to take care of ourselves first. It's like the emergency instructions on planes – Adults are instructed to put the oxygen mask on themselves first, and then assist their children. Even though the natural instinct is to protect the weakest and get their mask on first, you won't be much of a help to them if you can't breathe.
  
  
  If you don't eat enough or get enough rest, you can make a bad situation get even worse. Even if you don't end up sick from this type of neglect, you'll certainly find that you'll have a shorter temper and be more prone to emotional outbursts and mood swings. Lashing out at others because you haven't really slept in a week isn't going to make your situation any better.
  
  
• Ask others for help – It seems so obvious, but still, it can be really hard. Asking for help means admitting that you are struggling. Sometimes asking for help can feel like a weakness, but everyone needs help sometimes. The people who care about you want to help you though this, and many of them may not know how. Asking for their assistance with specific tasks will give them a way to help and feel useful. So, rather than thinking of it as burdening someone with your problems, think of asking for help as a kindness.
  
  
• Be grateful for the positives – When you are struggling with negative emotions, it's so easy to forget to be grateful for the other things in your life. If you think that you are being swallowed by negativity, ask someone close to you to give you a pep talk. Even if it seems silly, their morale booster can really help.
  
  
• Start over – Sometimes the reason for the situation isn't easy to put your finger on. Everyone struggles with work/life balance at some point in their lives. Once you have an idea of what is causing the problem, think about ways to make it better. In order to do this, you have to stop, and start over fresh. For example, if you made a mistake at work that caused a lot of problems, instead of letting it pull you down, think about why it happened and what you can do going forward to keep it from happening again.
  
  
• Be grateful – Especially after the crisis is over, be sure to thank the people who helped you out and stood by you during this time. It may sound cliché, but doing little things like sending a personal thank you note, baking them cookies or some other tangible expression of gratitude will make them feel truly appreciated.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.