Thank you for registering.
Start reading the best of Ladders News' workplace reporting right now.
Bill Gates (with 5 adorable puppies) unveils his summer book list
You’re invited! Now what? Dealing with summer soirees
Work, weddings, barbecues and other summer soirees; the invitations seem to come in fast and furious this time of year. So, do you have to attend just because you’re invited? And more than that, do you have to bring a gift or give a speech? And while we’re at it, when can you beg off?
These are the best cheap summer vacation destinations for 2018
Summer travel is expensive, mostly because that’s the time when everyone wants to vacation. But it doesn’t have to be extremely pricey if you know where to go. According to U.S. News and World Report, these are the best budget trips around the country this summer.
Should you take Fridays off? The pros and cons of setting up summer hours
Some industries have an unofficial summer Friday policy in which they just aren’t around at all on Fridays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Before you start your own personal Friday-free policy, consider this first.
Today's Top Stories May 27, 2018
Here’s how to make your job more fulfilling
Our normal definition of fun clearly doesn’t fit the workplace setting. So, here’s why you shouldn’t aim for work that’s fun, but for work that’s fulfilling.
These are the cities where renters can best afford to live alone
Many renters don’t enjoy living with roommates, but in order to live alone you need to find an affordable home. This can be challenging, especially with rents on the rise across the country. However, there are some cities where living alone is within reach for a large number of workers. Below we look at these and other factors to rank the cities where you can afford to live alone.
9 career tips from unexpected Disney characters that will empower the hell out of you
When you need a little inspo, what better place to look than Disney? There are plenty of characters whose advice could help you with everything from battling love troubles to acting with kindness. But what about your career? Yep, Disney can even help you figure out your path in life. These nine underrated Disney characters dish out some solid tips you can implement at work, starting right now.
The 5 differences between amateurs and true professionals
The only way to become better at anything is to spend time working on it. But, how can you put in your ‘reps’ if you’re not consistent enough? And, why do some people live up to their potential, whilst others don’t even scratch the surface of success?
Ancient wisdom reveals 7 rituals that will make you happy
You and I are not the first people to wonder, “How can I live a happy, more fulfilling life?” Not by a long shot. Stoicism and Buddhism are both a few thousand years old and I write about them a fair amount because both have core elements that have been validated by modern science.
The reading brain (why your brain needs you to read every day)
Your brain on books is active — growing, changing and making new connections and different patterns, depending on the type of material you’re reading.
2 words every public speaker should avoid at all costs
When we fall back on the same words during a speech, the audience senses it right away. People start to think, “He’s really doing that a lot. Kind of annoying.” What’s “that”? A distracting tic or habit.
More babies are being named after Marvel characters
One day in the future you could be bidding good morning to your coworkers, "Loki" and "Valkyrie." According to the U.S. Social Security Administration's list of popular baby names in 2017, more babies are being named after Marvel characters.
Amazon Alexa sent a woman’s private conversation to an employee
A woman in Portland, Oregon, said she feels "invaded" after her voice-controlled Amazon Echo sent a private conversation with her husband to her husband's employee without her knowledge.
If you live in these cities, you’re probably fitter than most others
It is that wonderful time of year when The American College of Sports Medicine releases its annual rankings of America's 100 "Fittest Cities" and you feel bad about skipping the gym for the third time this week.
Survey: After college, women are more likely to get stuck in jobs they are overqualified for
After you graduate from college, your job prospects may be slim. In the need to be employed, you may take a job you are vastly overqualified for, thinking "this will just be for a little bit." But the first job you take in your career sets the tone for the rest of it.
21 hacks for making a better salad so you can skip those long lines
What if you could make your own salad that was just as good as any store-bought one and would make you the envy of all your coworkers? It takes a little extra prep but financially it is the better move.
How employers’ time-tracking systems steal from your salary
Nowadays, many employers rely on digital time-tracking software to monitor when employees are working. It may be more efficient than the punch clocks of yore, but a new study published in American Business Law Journal found that it contributes to wage theft.
If you’re too busy for these 5 things, your life is more off-course than you think
Are you currently off-course? How long have you been off-course? How would you know if you are on the right course? How can you minimize the turbulence and other conditions distracting your path?
The one thing I wish I had known at 22 that would have changed my life
In thinking back to my younger self, as I was just graduating from Boston University as an English Literature major, I can say with complete certainty that, while there were some very important things I did know, there was one essential, life-changing fact I didn’t. And because of my lack of understanding of this fact, I suffered, floundered and wasted 18 years in a professional life that made me sad, sick and searching desperately for life purpose and meaning.
How your take-home pay compares to workers around the world
Tax season has finally come and gone, and by now most Americans have either gotten their refund or established a payment plan for taxes owed to the government. Here’s a nice thought experiment: go back and look at your tax return to figure out how much money the government claims through all forms of taxation. How does your own situation compare to the rest of the world?
How to make your healthy habits even healthier
Consider yourself healthy and active? With Summer on the horizon, there’s no doubt you’re putting your health at the top of your agenda to feel and look your best once the sunshine starts heading our way. Here, we have listed some small lifestyle changes that can make your healthy habits even healthier!
Supreme Court ruling against class action lawsuits is a blow for workers – and #MeToo
As a law professor, I believe this ruling essentially allows employers to hide workplace injustices while also potentially making it harder for workers – including victims of sexual harassment – to find justice.
18 appropriate punishments for people who don’t keep their calendars up to date
Congratulations! You found that one-hour block in the next two weeks when everyone’s calendar is open. You send the meeting invite only to have Ben decline. “I’m actually out of the office that day,” he says. “Could you find another time?” But Ben, you wonder, how will I find another time if your calendar bears no relation to your actual availability? Here are some appropriate ways to punish Ben and colleagues like him who don’t keep their calendar up to date.
What are the advantages of working for bad bosses?
This piece focuses on the topic we kept coming back to: the idea that, well, bad bosses aren't all bad. We all had suffered through bad bosses, and had seen them do all kinds of damage. BUT during the course of the conversation, we started realizing that a bad boss (especially the kind who doesn't really have the power to hurt you very much) can be a great thing in some ways.
What the ‘Arrested Development’ interview can teach us about dismissing coworkers
When your coworker rallies up the courage to share a story about being verbally abused by another coworker, your job is to listen and be respectful. You want them to know that you support them, and find their experience to be valid, even if their recollection of events does not match your own.
Study: Men with strong handshakes more likely to be married
We all know having a firm handshake (but not too firm) is an essential body language component in business. But according to a new study it could also determine whether a man is marriage material or not.
That nightmare you had may be the key to figuring out what is stressing you at work
Nightmares are rough. They are scary, disturbing and usually leave us with lots of questions about ourselves. They also can lead to major sleep deprivation. For people that suffer from true recurring nightmares they may try to avoid sleep in order to not have a nightmare which can take a major toll on both their mental and physical health. But it turns out, nightmares may have one perk. According to research, they can actually help you manage your stress better during the waking hours.
Science explains why the office window seat is so coveted
Getting the seat by the office window is a coveted prize, and now science backs up why we want it so much. According to a new daylight study conducted by Cornell University’s Dr. Alan Hedge, our proximity to natural light can boost our productivity.
These are the jobs seeing the biggest jumps in salary this year
You would think some of the fancier job titles would be the ones seeing the biggest increases in wages, but according to Glassdoor's latest ranking of jobs showing the fastest wage gains over the past year it is positions in lower-skill, lower-paying fields that are seeing the most growth.
In case you missed it:
Study finds that ‘very unattractive’ people make more money
A study from the Journal of Business and Psychology of 20,000 young Americans, interviewed the subjects at home at age 16 and then three more times before they turned 29-years-old. The researchers looked at the correlation between attractiveness and income of the participants based on a five-point scale of physical attractiveness from "very unattractive" to "very attractive." They found something very interesting when it came to looks and earnings...
This is the surprising benefit of going for that third cup of coffee
That first cup of coffee in the morning is absolutely needed to wake you up. The second cup of coffee a bit later keeps the momentum up. The third cup is when you start to feel a bit guilty and doubt your sense of self. But this new study will help get rid of that guilt.
Stanford professor: The workplace is literally killing us
No good employer is going to outright say that they kill you, but new research finds that too many modern workplaces are grim reapers inflicting a fatal amount of stress on our bodies and minds.
