In either case, managing work with personal life becomes quite difficult unless proper steps are taken. Below are some points that could help you balance your work and personal life efficiently, without either being disturbed.

Set Boundaries

When you take up something to work from home, you have two worlds to manage. And to do it efficiently, you have to set precise boundaries. You can’t mix both. If you do, you wouldn’t be successful with any one.

Have a Work Space

Although you don’t have to go to work, make sure you have an office-like environment as a place of work. This will help you to set a mood, and concentrate effectively. No matter how small the area is, have it separate from your home area.

Get Separate Amenities

It’s always wise to have separate stationary items. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to work from home, if you kid wants to play games on your desktop, or if he wants to chat with a friend while you are calling up your clients. So, make sure you have separate area with separate business amenities.

Have Working Hours

When I suggest people about having fixed office hours, they say ‘Then what’s the difference between working from home and an office?’ I say, a lot. You can have late working hours, you can have many breaks, you can work in your own way, and probably do anything you want. But when you work, concentrate only on work, and make it a daily schedule.

Be Mentally Prepared

You will definitely face distractions, and be mentally prepared for it. You cannot avoid being present at some situations when you work from home. For instance, when a guest walks-in, or your son is hurt, and so on.

Working from home is definitely convenient, but if you don’t set these rules, your convenience can cost you a lot. Make sure you keep them in mind.

Average Employee Overpaid

May be the experts talk about correction in economy or depreciation in the unemployment rate. But what happens when you take a closer look at the bottom of the hierarchy. You or the experts will realize that a correction is needed there. Excluding the bonus and perks, an average American employee is paid much higher than the people with same roles, responsibilities, and designation, than the rest of the world.

If the country wants to regain its momentum (logically, it definitely will), a cut down on employee compensation, perquisites, and benefits is inevitable.

For US and UK to balance its compensation level with other countries, it will have to cut down 20% of labor wages paid currently. It doesn’t really look necessary now. However, if it gets stuck at the current level, these countries are sure to witness a giant surge in the level of unemployment, higher than it was in 1930’s.

Raised Standard of Living?

The above mentioned situation is a dilemma that would definitely affect the economies in long run. However, it is, today, being misinterpreted as a steep raise in standard of living. People believe that they are earning more than last year (more than ever, to be precise) because they have developed their skills now and are really productive. This is an illusion.

The raised standard of living or more spending, more earning is due to a flaw in the compensation system. However, an equal contributor in creating this illusion is credit card as well. People buy a car and house by accumulating debts, but term their status are a raised standard of living. Also, a short term surge in returns seen due to temporary rise in stock price works similarly.

So, we, the US population, are living in an economy which is nothing but illusion. I can explain this situation in simple words: Since decades, no progress has taken place in certain segments of US population.

How did this happen?

The US has invested and is consistently investing through manpower and money into such things than is literally unproductive, into things that aren’t generating any returns. The government induced population to spend more than they have, eventually creating heaps of debt for every individual. Moreover, it kept funding projects that proved to be useless.

Ready for Pay Cuts?

I cant predict the exact month or year, but very soon, the swelled income that we enjoy today, will be slashed by the same government forcefully.

Ways to overcome this dilemma

Nothing can be changed overnight, especially something that’s been building since decades. A gradual way is to let the dollar’s value drop against various currencies.

Yes, there is a rapid way as well, but I am sure not many will support it. It is by slashing the excessive income and come down to the global level. Firstly, it’s a quite harsh method; people will start despising the government. Secondly, this step will lead to a major spiral deflation. Less income would not encourage spending and price would fall down considerably.

However, in long term, the gradual, former way seems to be practical. Depreciation in dollar’s value means a pay cut, if measured against global standards. But nothing has really changed for employees, as they continue to receive same number of dollars.

Nevertheless, it isn’t safe if handled inappropriately. While depreciating the dollar value, if some organization takes the second route, situation may get worse.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate isn’t reducing much. Government is not doing much to generate jobs nor is it realizing the threats of overpaying employees. So, nobody can predict about the time when government awakens and takes major steps to improve the situations.

So, we can continue with some preparations that could possibly help us during tough times. Get back to personality development, self assessment, and skill enhancement and be ready for a pay cut.

An interesting observation is that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics you may not be counted amongst the unemployed heads if you’ve lost your job during the economic depression because you are not considered an unemployed person by the Bureau. To a certain extent, that may be correct as you are very employable considering your employability status, unlike the conventionally unemployed, who are out of employment for reasons other than the recent recession. The chances of your being included in the official unemployment rate are thus unlikely.

The reasons for which you are officially labeled employed or employed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are truly amazing! Lets take a look at them one by one:

1. If you have lost your job and are not searching for a new one then you are neither employed nor employed. You are not considered unemployed because you are not in the job market anyway!
2. If you’ve lost your job and haven’t got one but are looking for one, you qualify to be a member of the list of the officially unemployed. Again if you’ve been actually looking for a job but haven’t found one for more than a year now, you are considered a part of the neither employed nor employed category and are considered out of the job market.  But if its not yet one year since you’ve  given up looking for a job, you may be unemployed in reality,  but not officially unemployed
3. If you’ve lost a full time job and landed up with a part time job, you are still employed, if you’ve not made any efforts to search for a full time job. It doesn’t matter if the pay you get is just a fraction of what you used to get. Even if you’ve been searching for a full time job and have landed up with a temporary job, you are considered unemployed but not officially!

If news of 10 % unemployment rate is not good news for you, what would you say if you came to know that 10 % is just the percentage of the officially unemployed? The number of unemployed Americans is much much more than that! The U3 rate includes those who did not find employment to their full capacity. The U6 rate that includes the discouraged and underemployed people is not taken into the official counting of the unemployed in 17.2 % now. So, with so much of human skill being wasted and people being compelled to lead a penurious life, the economy is really showing signs of recovery eh?

Last night you met an old friend of yours who just got laid off. You have already met seven such guys this week. Forget about the raise, you are feeling fortunate enough to have a stable job, which you don’t want to lose by asking for an appraisal. It’s just not the right time to ask for it. You work even harder because you are not sure whether it’s safe to waste a single minute in such an environment.

You think you are not good enough just because the recession hit our country? You very much deserve it and yes, during this period of declining economy.

Why Now?

Have you ever heard any individual getting fired just because he asked for a raise? I haven’t. It this happens it is sure to appear in the newspapers. I haven’t read such article either.

Ok. People don’t get fired just by asking for a raise. But you are aware that the company’s financial position is not that sound. Then why ask for a raise? Because it will save you from being fired. According to Garnfinkle, a career coach, your boss or your senior will definitely have greater respect for you, if you have the guts to ask for a raise. Remember, you are asking an appraisal when employees are being laid off. If you can ask for an appraisal at such a time, your boss will think, you definitely are working harder. Chances are quite low or nil that they will be handed over a pink slip. How’s the idea?

A way to begin

You cannot just directly jump on the topic of raising your salary as soon as you enter your senior’s cubicle. The market is worse than ever. Companies have been hit tremendously and your boss is an owner of one such company. So, it’s vital to remember that he is more pressurized than ever. The best way to ask is something like this, “Sir, I understand the situation that our organization is going through. The financial stability is quite unsteady. However, I have been achieving lots of things to boost the productivity and earnings of the firm. I would appreciate if you would agree to take another look at my cost to the company (CTC).”

Confidence

A key skill that you need to carry along with you while you negotiate on the raise is confidence irrespective of the place, time and period. However, confidence comes with enormous preparation. If you have achieved something significant, get the number on the desk, jot down the list of your skills and the financial impact each had. You can include these points:

1. Targets Achieved
2. Successful Projects
3. Bottlenecks resolved tactfully
4. Contribution of innovative plans and its impact
5. Feedback by your coworkers
6. Performance of your team
7. Amount of Expertise acquired

These pointers along with actual figures are quite difficult for any employer to turn down. If these don’t work or to complement these with some more confidence, try these strategies:

Do you know how much you are worth? Ask the Human Resource Department. The costs involved in hiring and training a new employee is more than 1.5 times of your income. Also it doesn’t include the amount of hardship your immediate seniors would face after hiring a new employee on your behalf. The raise you are asking is much less than 1.5 times and the hassle.

Do the impossible. Think of an amount that you would never dare to ask as an appraisal. Now, get the statistical data that would complement your argument. And try your best to ask for that impossible amount.

While negotiating, don’t try to express your emotions. Concentrate on statistics. Do not say “My team actually listens to what I say.” Instead say, “I increased the sales of my team by 30% and the turnover is reduced by 40%.”

When can you ask for a raise?

An ideal period to ask for an appraisal is every 12 to 15 months. And if you feel that the amount you received to quite less, it’s completely fine to ask again in another 6 months. You are not asking for charity, it’s your hard work that you are pricing.

But how are you supposed to know that your income is not at par with others at your level? Simple. Log on to Salaryexpert.com or Jobnob.com. If you learn that your salary is lower than what you should get, ask for a bigger amount aggressively.

Also, it’s always wise to ask for an appraisal after you have accomplished something great. Of course, for the company. Or when you think your boss feels proud of you. It’s also important to consider the mood of your boss. Try to approach on a day of the week when she is less stressful.

Your expectations

You r preparation should be like you are definitely going to get a raise. However, when it comes to expectation, be ready to be rejected.

You are more likely to hear sentences like “I understand, but this is not the right time to grant you a raise” Or “You are doing well. You will definitely get it next year.”

“No” is a motivation

A rejection is a gateway to try other methods of asking for a raise. As soon as you listen to the cynical statements of your boss, try to reaffirm your arguments but with a softer tone and in a positive manner. As her if any perquisites are viable, if not a raise. If you are given no raise or any other benefits, ensure that you fix a reassessment meeting after half a year. You can ask you boss what he or she expects from you to get a raise. Jot it down and start working enthusiastically.

Alright. You have got enough of strategies to get a raise. However, it may seem quite intimidating to get started. Begin with simple things. Initiate the process by checking the income calculator. Always remember, your boss will never come to you and offer you a raise. Go and explain him why you are worthy to get it.

Earlier college and school students along with housewives would participate in these jobs. But now this year due to the bad economy, even bankers, mortgage brokers etc. who have lost their jobs have joined the usual lot. So you’ll find more workers than you ever did previously. But then, if you think you can make fast money with these part time jobs, you are mistaken because the wages are not that high and you’ve got to really work and keep working to continue with the job and get your wages.

That is just the tip of the iceberg! Delve further and you’ll find that the employers are real hard martinets. Firstly hiring is based on strict performance assessment based on psychometric testing. Next, the percentage of selected candidates is just about 3 percent. Third, your conversations with the customers are strictly timed and scripted. So wave goodbye to less professional on-job socializations! Also you are minutely observed. It seems you are also assessed against the time that you take for hanging a shirt! At the end of the day your baggage is checked. Well, I might feel hurt that employers don’t really trust their employees even after they’ve worked for them for sometime. But that is personal opinion. Business houses are driven by professionalism and not emotion! Well, if you ask the employers they say that they are compelled to be so much disciplined owing to high demand for top quality performance.

Usually every year the retailers would hire part time executives from September for the coming holidays. But this year things are so uncertain. As the retailers are not expecting a lot of customers to turn up, they haven’t started hiring people yet. They say that they’ve got to settle their budgets before they can think of hiring. If you still want to be noticed by employers don’t submit paper curriculum vitae to them. E-mail an electronic resume instead. Your application will be a part of a centralized database. With no human interaction for selection do you think your application stands a chance of being noticed at all ?

Think all this and many more before you opt for a part time job with a retailer. Don’t be too hopeful, but chances are you are going to land up with a good job. You never know!

Advantages to the Employer

• Save up on office space and infrastructure

  The more the number of people attending office, the more space the employer will require accommodating them. Also more machines and furniture needs to be bought by the employer. By hiring people who work from home, the employer can slash all extra costs incurred on the extra space and infrastructure. Of course, the people whose presence is indispensable in the office definitely need to attend it.

• Additional perks

  The employer has to pay perks such as transportation allowance to the employee for his to and fro office journey. This is another cost saving area if you employ a person working from home.

• Wider scope of employee selection

  By allotting work online, you are getting the chance for global candidature for your job. So, the employer has a wide choice of selection now from any country in the world. Talent is the only deciding factor for employment. Did you know that many talented people don’t turn up at your office seeking a job only because they have some difficulty with its geographical location?  Also, when you invite people to work in your office alone you have to compromise with people in your city/ town. People coming from outside cities, nations will ask you to pay more and provide accommodation too.

I find many computer programmers, customer care executives and writers traveling to office everyday. Why should they do so when they have a better option of working from home?

Advantages to the Employee

Today, I’m a freelance work-at-home website writer out of choice. Even though I get innumerable opportunities to work in office, I’m not keen on joining them. Let’s see why this work-at-home style of profession has a magnetic effect on me.

• Flexible work hours

  you might have heard about people talk about getting liberated from the 9-5 work schedule by working from home. That is very true. But that does not make me a lazy worker. I’ve got to put in the same amount of hard work as I’d have if I’d work onsite

• Workplace independence

  Now with my wireless internet modem and laptop, I can travel anywhere in the world without getting my work output affected. I went on a holiday a few days ago but my daily output was the same. Now could you have done that if you went to office?

• Good salary

  

  I’m surprised to find that many of my onsite counterparts are earning the same amount as I do. Also they save

  less because they have to invest on transportation, for good presentation, food etc. which come when you work outside home. By being a regular employee of a company you get additional monetary perks like insurance coverage, retirement benefits and employee provident funds; but these days when employment itself is so uncertain do these long term benefits make much sense?

• Saves you monotony

  Working from home saves you the monotony of sitting at the same desk for years. Also as you have the opportunity to work with more than one employer, the work change is recreating

• Opportunity for international employment

  As any employer from around the world can work with you online you get international exposure.

The affinity of human nature towards the known and experienced makes people prefer to stay in their own cities or neighborhood, rather than relocate to an unknown place even if it means compromising with one’s career growth. I do agree, your career is not everything, but staying in another place might not be such a bad idea after all provided you know the correct ways of doing so.

If there are people who are reluctant to leave their present dwellings, there are people who are too eager to relocate at the slightest advantage. For many of them increased income is the only motivating factor. They go to the new place only to find that they are having difficulty making other adjustments. The work culture or the nature of work, and so many other things may not be suitable to them. After going to the new place, they regret their decision and cause immense loss to themselves because by leaving their present stable jobs, they have first shaken off a good career in the making. Now, they’ve got to put a lot of hard work in getting a new job because their previous employers might have already hired someone else in their place and also getting a satisfactory career in a new place can be pretty difficult. For such, people, I’d like to say that carefully weighing the pros and cons of relocation and careful planning is what is very important. Here are some tips that you might want to consider while taking a decision to relocate:

• Include factors other than your work profile alone before taking the decision to relocate. You might have got work in an area with unsuitable climatic conditions. For example, for a person suffering from Asthma, a cold place is not at all advisable. Also, while considering your pay, don’t be overjoyed at the increased salary that you’ll be getting in the new place because the cost of living in such a place can be really high.
• Though I suggest that always relocate with a ready job in hand, you can also relocate and then search for a good job. But this involves taking a lot of risks.
• Find out if you qualify legally for relocation. For this, get your documents ready and go to the VISA office. They’ll be able to guide you in this.