Annual leave What you need to know

Annual leave What you need to know by Amber Rolfe No matter how much you love your job, everyone needs a break… If you’re unsure of the rules, booking time off can feel like a stressful ordeal. But whether you work part-time or full-time, you’re legally entitled to a certain amount of annual leave â€" and making the most of it is absolutely vital to your workplace wellbeing (not to mention work/life balance).To make sure you understand the process, here’s everything you need to know about annual leave:  What is annual leave? Annual leave is paid time off work that is provided by an employer, which an employee can take for whatever reason they choose.How much annual leave am I entitled to? Workers in the UK are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks paid holiday a year (which may or may not include bank holidays), and some employers might even offer more than this.What this amounts to in days depends on how often you work per week.For example:Full time workers (e.g. who work a 5 day week) must receive at least 2 8 days’ paid annual leave per year.Part time workers (e.g. who work a 3 day week) must receive 17 days’ paid annual leave per year.If you work more than five days per week, you’ll still be entitled to 28 days’ holiday.People who work irregular hours will also be entitled to a different number of days. To find out how much you’re eligible for, use the holiday entitlement calculator on gov.uk.  Will I get paid for my annual leave? You’re legally entitled to be paid your normal wages whilst on annual leave.This means that if you work set hours and/or your role is salary based, your income will be exactly the same as if you worked the time you took off.However, if your hours/pay varies each week, your holiday income will reflect the pay you’d earn on average â€" which is usually based on the last 12 weeks you worked.How do I request annual leave? The process for requesting annual leave is likely to vary depending on your organisation.Usually, it will involve asking for tim e off using an online HR system or form, or by contacting your line manager directly â€" specifying your start and end date.Your manager will then review and approve it, providing you’ve followed the correct procedure (e.g. you gave enough notice) when raising it.How much notice do I need to give? The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of holiday you want to take (e.g. 6 days’ notice for 3 days leave).Your employer can refuse your leave if they have a valid reason, but only if they give as much notice as the amount of leave requested.However, these guidelines will always vary from company to company.When can annual leave be taken? Although you’ll usually be able to choose when you take your annual leave, employers may have certain rules in place.For example, if the organisation has shutdown periods (e.g. Christmas or bank holidays), you may be required to take annual leave during this time. If you don’t, you’ll still have to take time off â€" but it won’t be paid.Employers can also restrict when leave can be taken â€" specifying busy periods as times when employees can’t take time off. For example, workers in some industries (e.g. retail), may be required to work public holidays, but can take the days off at another time.For more details on when you’re allowed to take your leave, check your contract.  Can I carry leave over to the next year? Your contract of employment will tell you how many days of leave you can carry over to the next year.As a general guideline:If you get 28 days leave, you can carry over a maximum of 8 days.If you get over 28 days leave, your employer might also allow you to carry over any additional untaken leave.However, this will also vary depending on where you work.If you weren’t able to take your annual leave as you were on another type of leave (e.g. sickness, maternity) â€" some of the untaken leave may also be carried over.Out of office email templateStill searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Life At Work

Getting to the Table - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Getting to the Table - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Now that we have stuffed ourselves at Thanksgiving feasts with family and friends, I would like to share a story about growing up as one of the youngest members of my extended family.  When I was a little kid, dinners at extended family gatherings were always broken into two groups, the adult and kid table. It was a huge honor when one was given permission to leave the kid table and sit with the adults. In addition to real silverware and glasses, there was a feeling that you had graduated onto bigger and better things (and conversations). And how my older siblings enjoyed looking down (literally) at the kiddie table usually a card table with folding chairs and an assortment of Dixie plates and flat ware. There is a phrase about having A seat at the table that indicates you have reached your goal and you now have some input or influence in a certain arena. Do you aspire to be a C-Suite executive? Having a seat at the table would mean you secure a CEO/CFO/COO/etc. position. Is your goal to be on the planning team for your offices reorganization? Having a seat at that table may literally mean you are sitting around the decision-making table at a planning team meeting. Many of us have a table at which we would like to sit and we work toward that goal. Still, even with planning and our best efforts, setbacks occur. This should not dissuade you for striving toward your goal as rejection and failure are a part of life. If you have never experienced rejection it means that you have not pushed yourself outside your circle of comfort; you have played it safe. If you never failed at anything, you have not tried something new or else you waited for others to blaze the path for you. Edison failed thousands of times in creating the light bulb he preferred to look at it as knowing thousands of ways not to make a light bulb. Reggie Jackson is one of the greatest home run hitters of all-time, but he also struck out over 2500 times. Reaching your goal will most likely be met with a fair amount of failures. When you do not push yourself outside your sphere of known entities, you unintentionally stunt your growth this is true in any aspect of your life be it personal or professional. It is good to try new projects in the spirit of learning and stretching yourself. Consider some stories of rejection or failure: Michael Jordan  was not selected for his high school varsity basketball team during his  sophomore year (another sophomore, Leroy Smith,  was selected to be on the varsity squad) . The coach can give every reason in the book as to why he selected the other player, but to think Michael Jordan got left off his varsity high school team any year is amazing. Did he give up the game? No. Not only did Jordan go on to have a solid high school and collegiate career I heard he may have played in the NBA for a bit as well. Although he failed at his goal when he was 15 years old, the failure did not stop him from pursuing his goal. Fr. Edward Monk Malloy C.S.C.  served as president of the University of Notre Dame for 18 years. This is the same person who shared with students that he almost flunked out of ND during his first semester. He experienced failure and did not give up. Monk continued at the university and learned how to excel in the classroom and in the administrative ranks. Fred Astaire  is well-known for his top hat and tails, but did you know that an MGM talent director evaluated  Astaire  in 1933 and wrote Cant act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little. Legend has it that Astaire kept the memo in his home. This less than glowing recommendation did not cause him to give up on his dream. Harrison Ford  is one of Hollywoods most celebrated actors of all-time. One of his first big breaks came when he played the role of Han Solo in the Star Wars trilogy. However, he was not the first choice Al Pacino turned down the role that eventually went to Ford. While being the second choice may not be ideal for your ego, remember that it is an opportunity for you to make the most from (and Ford did). General Douglas MacArthur  applied for admission to West Point and was turned down twice. He tried a third time, was accepted and the rest of the story can be found in history books. Who cares how you get to the table, the important part is you get there. Dont give up on a dream and when obstacles come up, choose to scale or break through them instead of turning back.

Chemical Engineer Job Description - Algrim.co

Chemical Engineer Job Description - Algrim.co Chemical Engineer Job Description Template Download our job description template in Word or PDF format. Instant download. No email required. Download Template Using Your Template Follow these instructions to use your new job description template Step one: Fill out all details in your job description template using the provided sample on this page. Step two: Customize your requirements or duties to anything special to your workplace. Be sure to speak with team members and managers to gauge what's required of the position. Step three: When the census of the team has agreed on the description of the work, add in a Equal Employment Opportunity statement to the bottom of your job description. Step four: Check with your legal department, management team, and other team members to ensure the job description looks correct before creating a job advertisement. Choose a job board that's specific to your needs. Related Hiring Resources Biochemical Engineer Cover Letter Sample

Year-End Holds the Key to a New Year - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Year-End Holds the Key to a New Year - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Over the summer with many people being away, business slows. We ourselves take vacation and feel a lack of motivation to begin again. The good news is year-end and holiday parties are just around the corner. Did you know most business is traditionally conducted last quarter of the year? The good news is we still have almost one month to focus on our business development or job-hunting efforts for year-end. And if you are like me, one who loves parties, the news gets even better. Business networking and job prospecting, in a laid-back frame of mind, are perfectly suited for holiday parties. Prior to going to parties, you spend some time contemplating what to wear so that you will feel and look good, key elements for interviews and attracting clients. Next, parties generally bring a smile to our face which is also key to making a good first impression. Party food done well usually brings about light-hearted conversation and a great introductory opening to become acquainted with those you do not already know. Now the conversation graduates to, “How do you know the host and hostess?” This is very similar to an opening question on an interview or prospective meeting with a client of, “You must be so busy, what motivated you to invite me in today?” The objective is to get the other party to speak first. Gain some insight on their thoughts so you know how to position what you have to say. Ask about their field of endeavor, where they traveled. These are typical party networking questions but also work well in traditional meetings. In the corporate sales arena, I found that the laid-back and seemingly non-sales approach works best. When I learned to also put the business-oriented conversation on a personal level, in order to find commonality and build the human connection, both my sales and power of negotiation soared. It became very easy to adapt this new found style to party networking. Just recently someone shared that their friend went to a holiday party last year where she met a very interesting gentleman. The conversation was jovial upfront and then deepened as they discovered common interests. Toward the end of the half-hour discussion, “Tom” learned that “Jennifer” was seeking work, as she was new to the area. Tom pulled out his business card that read “CEO.” He then handed the card to Jennifer and said, “Call me on Monday. We’ll set up a follow-up interview.” Shortly thereafter Jennifer was gainfully employed. While at the party, be conscious of putting your best foot forward. Should you see the host needs help putting food out or clearing the table, pitch in to help. I was at a party and couldn’t believe someone dropped a vegetable on a magnificent area carpet but did not bother to pick it up. Seeing it, I moved to get it off the carpet before it stained. These are actions that others witness. Should you be at the right place, right time for attracting a job or a sale, you want everyone to be aware of your character upfront. Your demeanor tells much about you and is your personal brand. This approach serves to also deliver you a very Smooth Sale! P.S. The Community Service project AmericaHires360 has been developed to help Americans return to work. The event runs from October December 2011, and will be paid for by companies and sponsors, but will be free of charge for Job Seekers. Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” and “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself on Interviews.” Elinor is available for consultation and greatly enjoys delivering inspirational keynotes at conferences.

6 Techniques to Help You Remain Calm Before and During Interviews CareerMetis.com

6 Techniques to Help You Remain Calm Before and During Interviews â€" CareerMetis.com Is there anything more nerve-wracking than a job interview?Most people would rather get a root canal than go on another job interview. But if you want a job, the interview process is a necessary evil.And let’s be real… those jitters aren’t doing anything to help your chances of landing the job.evalSo, if you want to be successful, you must find a way to relax before and during the interview.Here are 6 techniques you can use to help you remain calm before and during the interview process.1)Prepare More Than You Think You ShouldWhen you’re nervous, you’re not going to be able to rely on rote memorization. These are the first memories that will leave you in your time of need.Instead, prepare so much that you feel like the answers are second nature.Here are a few ways you can do that.a)Practice answers to common interview questionsevalYou know that your interviewer is going toask certain questions, like “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” or “how would you handle a difficult customer?”With all the common questions, an interviewer may also ask for examples of these things in your work experience. Be prepared with examples.evalIn fact, think about all the most challenging and most rewarding times in your career. If you have a few good stories at the top of your mind, you might be able to use them to answer virtually any question.The key is to remember the events as they’ve happened instead of trying to remember an answer to a specific question. This way, you’ll arrive with all the information you need and don’t have to worry about feeling like you’re reading off a script.This is especially helpful if you have things you’d rather not spend time discussing.For example, if you’re looking tofind a job during recovery, you may want to avoid discussing parts of your past. When you’re prepared, it’s easier to direct the conversation away from topics that make you uncomfortable.b) Learn about the companyevalSpend some time researching the company online.Learn as much as you can, including company culture and overall workplace morale. If possible, strike up a conversation with some employees.Find out what they’re happy about and what they would change. This could help you come up with questions to ask the employer. Or it might take some of the pressure off the interview. If you learn something negative in your research, you may not be as worried about nailing the interview.2) Prepare Your Clothes in AdvanceIf you have an interview outfit already picked out, you’re ahead of the game. Many people have one or two outfits that they reserve for interviews.If you don’t have a good outfit for an interview, now is a good time to invest in one.And if you can’t afford to do that right now, you can either borrow or work with what you have. Look within your own closet and assemble themost interview-appropriate outfityou have. If you aren’t going for an office job, a suit might be overkill. Look at how people dress t o go to work at this place typically. You’ll want your outfit to be about 20 percent more professional than that.So if people wear jeans, you might wear khakis to an interview. Or a nice pair of business casual black pants with a button-down shirt.If you aren’t sure what to wear, remember that it’s better to over-prepare than to under prepare. Go with something more professional instead of business casual.And check the weather the night before to make sure your outfit is weather appropriate. If not, now is the time to adjust. Not only will you be uncomfortable, but you’ll look silly in a winter suit when it’s the middle of summer.Whether you have something or borrow it, set out this outfit the night before your interview. Make sure it’s hanging in your closet and ready for your big event.3) Prepare Your Bag or BriefcaseevalYou should always arrive at an interview with a pen and paper â€" at a minimum. And if it’s an interview for a high-level job, you’ll also want to bring a copy of your application If you aren’t one to exercise, just go for a relaxing walk in nature. Your local park will probably work just fine.5)Pay Attention to Body LanguageBefore your interview, meet a friend for coffee. As you’re listening to them talk, pay attention to what you do naturally. Do you cross your arms? Fidget restlessly? Your go-to moves may not serve you well in an interview.If you have anybad body language habits, practice keeping your hands in place, either on a table or on your lap. Practice good posture and try to exude confidence â€" even if you don’t feel it. It’s okay to fake it.6)Arrive EarlyThe worst thing you can do for any interview is to arrive late. It sends the message that you’ll probably arrive late to work every morning if you actually got the job. This is why you should never aim to arrive on time. Instead, set your focus on arriving early.The further you have to travel, the earlier you should aim to be.When you’re coming from a further distance, there’s more opportunity for something to go awry during your commute.If everything goes according to plan, you might arrive uncomfortably early. In this case, do something else to kill time nearby until about 15 minutes before your interview.Arriving too early isn’t as bad as arriving late, but it will inevitably put pressure on the interviewer to hurry up and start your interview â€" and that could put them in a weird place if they aren’t ready.If you get the timing wrong, you could end up stressing over it during your interview, and that’s not a good place to be.When you arrive prepared for your interview and ready to talk about your life and experience, everything will come naturally and you’re much more likely to land the job.

Some more quotes from my book - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Some more quotes from my book - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Here are some more quotable quotes from my new book Happy Hour is 9 to 5. The uncontested, number-one reason why people are unhappy at work is bad management. Nothing has more power to turn a good work situation bad than a bad boss. Some managers steadfastly refuse to acknowledge that they?re bad leaders, or even revel in the fact that they make people unhappy at work. These managers are usually beyond helping and may never learn and improve. Get away from them as fast as you can. Let?s once and for all drop the cult of overwork and realize that it?s not the hours that count?it?s the results. More hours DO NOT equate to better results. If you feel constantly behind and neglected, are being treated unfairly, ignored or bullied, or are going through large changes and fearing for the future, you can become stressed from working 40 hours a week. Or even 20. If this is the case, working less will not help at all. What?s more, you can?t fight stress?fighting stress just creates more stress. Just 50 years ago people had many sources of identity. Religion, class, nationality, political affiliation, family roots, and geographical and cultural origins all went into defining who we are. Today most of these, if not all, have been subsumed by work. When you meet someone at a party, what?s the first question you typically ask them? Exactly: ?So, what do you do???? What is the point of spending most of your life at a job that doesn?t make you happy? What would you feel like, lying on your deathbed, having achieved all the traditional signs of success?a huge house, flatscreen TVs in every room, lots of cars, a huge salary, a lofty title and a corner office?if your career never made you happy? We don?t have to sacrifice happiness for the sake of success?a depressingly common assumption these days. In fact, the opposite is true: The happier you are, the more successful you will be. So, according to our cultural roots, work is a curse, a punishment for original sin, and only for slaves. In short, life is hell?or ?nasty, brutish and short,??? as Hobbes put it?work is hell, and we must endure it because we?re all sinners. It?s time to put that particular view of work behind us! You can read the whole book free on line or buy it on paper ($29) or as a pdf ($19). Previous quotes from my book. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How to Make Your Fine Dining Resume Stand Out

How to Make Your Fine Dining Resume Stand OutIf you've been trying to find a new job or just want to try something new in your work environment, you may want to look into creating a fine dining resume. The idea is to have an outstanding resume that will get you noticed and show employers what you're all about.Many individuals are often surprised when they see their fine dining resume. The best way to have a well-written resume is to use the information you put on it for a reason. You'll want to create a resume that speaks of your talents in a positive light.Instead of just listing your skill at fancy restaurants, you should be including other talents that will highlight the experience you have. For example, you could have listed you as a person who knows how to cook well. In addition, you may want to mention that you enjoy eating at gourmet cafes. You might even want to say that you do cooking for personal use and that you like preparing meals for friends and family.If you go through a resume and find areas where you could use some additional experience, it is important to remember that it is something that major potential employers may be interested in. If you show an interest in cooking but never worked in a gourmet cafe, then you are missing out on a great opportunity. Remember, you want to ensure that you include the experience you have gained while working in a restaurant.Your resume should include skills, experience, and achievements. When it comes to those accomplishments, you should be using the experience you have gained while working in a restaurant. When possible, think about the additional experiences you can add to your resume. This will help to make it unique and stand out.This means that you may want to mention that you had experience working in a hotel while you were working there. It may seem a little odd but it is important to note because this can work for you. This is one reason why it is important to list any additional experience in writin g. Once you have included what you have gained, then you'll know that your resume has something to offer and employers may be intrigued.Most people use their fine dining resume as a chance to provide more information about themselves. Some people just fill their resume with an overwhelming amount of information and this can be a big turn off for employers. Rather than throwing everything in there that you can think of, you should think about how you can include some real information that will give your resume a personal touch.If you don't know how to write a resume that stands out, it may be a great idea to hire a professional resume writer. They can help you create an impressive resume, and they can make sure that it conveys the things you are looking for in a resume. Once you learn how to write a resume, you will notice how much more effective it can be in showcasing your skills.