A new survey revealed that 45% of workers say that they are more willing to take any available shifts in order to protect their earnings. Other key findings included the following:

• 30% of respondents stated that they are more likely to go to work in this economy regardless of their physical or emotional state, scheduling conflicts, or the weather.
• 49% of respondents have considered taking on a second job in recent months because of financial reasons while 27% said that they are actively applying for or have already secured a second job.
• 19% of hourly workers say that because of the economy their managers are reducing the amount of overtime they can work.
• 33 % of respondents say their companies have downsized during the past year because of the economy, and 28% of respondents say that their workload has increased, putting added pressure on employees who remain on the job.

A recent survey revealed that nearly one-in-five (18 percent) workers describe their workplace as scary. Some workers think their workplace is scary because their bosses bear a strong resemblance to famous Halloween characters. When asked which popular characters best reflect their boss's behavior, workers said the following:

• Glenda the Good Witch, liked and respected by all - 20 percent
• The Wolf Man, is fine one minute, howling the next - 11 percent
• The Invisible Man, never around - 10 percent
• Casper the Friendly Ghost, eager to help, but often misunderstood - 9 percent
• Dracula, constantly sucking the life right out of you - 6 percent

Because we want to best serve our readers, we feature a segment of our Newsletter where you can submit questions directly to our OperationsInc professionals. Do you have a question related to the management of the Human Resources function? Email it along to enewsletter@operationsinc.com. The best ones will make it into a future newsletter, along with the answer... and those that don't get published will still receive a response.

This week's question:
-What are the benefits of having prospective employees complete a job application?

--- Restaurant Manager

Answer:
The job application is one of the most powerful documents a business can possess in the employment relationship. It allows the business owner to collect critical information in writing that can be used at the time of applying AND even after someone has been hired. With a compliant and complete application we learn about job history, wage history, reasons for leaving, special skills, education, and even legal aspects like driving record data, criminal history and eligibility to work in the US. We also get a release signed off that can serve to cover everything from background checking to future termination activity should we learn about any misrepresentations in the application. In short you should use these whenever possible.

"Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating."

- Denis Waitley

Information provided in The OperationsInc Navigator is researched and reviewed by the HR experts at OperationsInc. The information in every issue of The OperationsInc Navigator is in part gathered via information available in the public domain, as well as in part the original, copyrighted work of OperationsInc and is protected under U.S. copyright laws. As such, you may not reprint or publish in any format any article or portion of article The OperationsInc Navigator without the express permission of OperationsInc.

OperationsInc provides the information in this e- newsletter for general guidance only. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional human resources, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation.

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