Women Work

Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

Are S4 Drug Alternatives any Better than Botox?

S4 Drug

Dysport and Xeomin are the only S4 drug alternatives to Botox at the moment. Both use the same product as a Botox procedure, botulinum type A; are considered safe by experts and work in the same way. However, there is one difference that stands out in Xeomin and that is you don’t have to keep it refrigerated. This has to be a good thing, especially if your area suffers a lot of blackouts.

If your clinic refrigerator breaks down or the power goes off and you’ve just received a big order of Botox or Dysport it will all go bad and have to be thrown out. This will be a very costly problem. But if you had gone over to the competition and ordered Xeomin, it wouldn’t worry you to lose power – at least, not for that reason.

In fact, the fact that Xeomin does not need refrigeration is good news for the general public as well. It would save them from the less reputable clinics that might be likely to still use the Botox on hand even though it has been out of refrigeration for some hours – or days. The thought of being injected with a poisonous substance that has gone bad is enough to make anyone shudder.

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Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

7 Health Benefits of an Alfresco Haven

Benefits of an Alfresco

Being outdoors more often is healthier than staying indoors all the time, but when you have an inside job it is difficult to spend enough time outside to reap the benefits of sun on your skin. In addition, it is the trend these days to slather on sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, but as with many trends, this can be overdone and then all the bad effects of not enough sun can be felt – but not always recognised for what they are.

To get outside more often, why not create a special place outdoors in the garden complete with comfortable outdoor lounge furniture? This will give everyone in the family a place to relax, play, eat and generally get more fresh air and sunshine. There are many health benefits of an alfresco haven.

  • The action of sun on the skin creates Vitamin D in the body. Having plenty of this vitamin means that your body can absorb calcium better, so you’ll have stronger bones and teeth. This is important for everyone, but particularly for children whose bodies are still growing and need the maximum amount of these two important building blocks.
  • Being outside more helps you to sleep better. Sleep is the time when the body is resting, recovering and for children, growing. Good quality sleep enables you to cope with many things – including stress – that would tend to drive you crazy if you were tired all the time.

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Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

What Happens After a Liposuction Procedure

liposuction-procedure

What happens after a liposuction procedure depends to some extent on the type of anaesthetic given – local or general, or a combination of both – and how large an area you have had treated. Your doctor will discuss every aspect of your treatment and make sure you know what to expect. It is important to discuss any concerns you have with your doctor well before any treatment takes place.

Generally speaking, patients who undergo liposuction will be up and about within 24 hours, or as soon as the sedation wears off. Walking around is encouraged to help you get back to normal and to help the incisions drain completely. However, if you’ve had a large area done with a general anaesthetic you may not feel much like getting up for a little longer than that. Be guided by your doctor in this case.

What about after care?

Naturally enough, after care will be required. You will have incisions in your skin where the fat was sucked out, so these must be treated and allowed to heal. Usually, elastic bandages or a compression garment will need to be worn. This allows the incisions to drain without stitches, ensuring that pain-causing inflammation is reduced or avoided altogether.

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Women WorkLegal

What are Consent Order Applications

custody of the children

When you and your spouse split up there are many decisions to be made and one of the most important ones is who gets custody of the children, and what will be the visiting rights of the one who doesn’t. Child maintenance must be worked out, along with the care and welfare of the children both in the present and the future.

It is important to do this in a way that is not stressful to the children. Often, children feel guilty when their parents split up, thinking that something they did or said caused it. They feel torn between the two and are devastated that they have to choose between the two people they love most in the world. That is usually the situation, but in the case of violence things will necessarily be different.

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Women WorkEducation & Employment, Legal

Dispute Resolution in the Workplace

Dispute Resolution in the Workplace

Resolving disputes that arise in the workplace is essential if work is to get done and employees are to be treated fairly.  There can be many kinds of disputes, from safety issues through to unfair work practices, harassment and more. Such disputes can escalate from being between two people to dividing the whole staff into different camps and totally interfering with work, so the need for quick resolution is paramount.

However, reaching a resolution may not be that easy. There are several ways it can be done:

  1. Through negotiation between affected parties.
  2. Through mediation with a neutral third party, usually an independent mediator who helps to clarify issues so that the parties can reach an agreement both are happy with.
  3. Through arbitration where an independent arbiter such as a court or judge settles the matter the way they think fit and makes a binding legal decision to see it is carried out.

These days every award includes a clause which sets out how dispute resolution should be carried out. In most cases certain steps must be followed:

  1. Employees must meet with their supervisor to discuss the grievance.
  2. If that doesn’t resolve the matter, senior management must be called in.
  3. Failing resolution, the employer refers the problem to management at a higher or national level.
  4. If no resolution is forthcoming any or all of the parties may take the grievance to the Fair Work Commission.
  5. The employee or employer may appoint another person to be their representative at this point.

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Women WorkLegal

Can You get Out of Your Contract to Purchase a Used Car?

Used Car

Contracts form part of our everyday life and we may not even be aware of it. For instance, when you buy a car you have to sign on the dotted line – and what you sign is actually a contract. It is a legally binding agreement that you bought a specific car in a certain condition of which you were aware, for a certain sum of money. It details how much the repayments will be, when they will be due and how long it will take to pay off.

What contracts contain

Basically, most contracts contain similar information, although it does depend on what they are about. For instance, a work contract will be different from a contract to purchase a car. The work contract details how many hours you will work, for whom and how much you will be paid. It will usually give details about holidays, when they are due and how long they are for.

Many contracts have certain agreements in them due to the requirements of the law. For instance, work contracts should include a clause on how dispute resolution should be carried out.

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Women WorkBusiness

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Business

The days have long gone when it was only men who bought businesses; these days there are many women who own and run their businesses very successfully. But to do so, you cannot expect to buy into any business without knowing anything about it. You need to have training in small business management and experience in the industry, otherwise your efforts are likely to be in vain. Here are some pointers to help ensure success if you want to buy your own business.

  • Get work in the same industry that you are interested in before you attempt to buy a business. If you want to run a restaurant, become a waitress. If a resort in some exotic location sounds good, work in one first. Learning the ropes from the ground up will give you a good idea of how everything works and whether you have the staying power and interest to make it through all the hardships of owning your own business.
  • When you are ready to go ahead, befriend a reputable lawyer and accountant and take their advice in all things to do with your business, from whether you should buy it at all to whether you really need to upgrade. It is easy to get carried away with your plans and waste money you may need for more serious purposes, such as paying off the loan.

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Women WorkBusiness

Reminder: Make Your Advocacy Day Appointments!

Reminder: Make Your Advocacy Day Appointments!

Advocacy Day, March 31st, is approaching fast! This integral part of the NAPE & Women Work! 2009 Professional Development Institute is an opportunity for advocates from all over the country to learn about current policy issues and educate their representatives in Congress about their work and the challenges they face.

Attendees should be setting up meetings with their Senators and Representative for between 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on March 31st. Use the Advocacy Day Prep Kit for help in identifying your legislators and contacting their offices. Once you have set up your meeting or meetings, don’t forget to add them to the Master Schedule, so we can track out joint impact.

If you haven’t registered for the 2009 Professional Development Institute, Partners on the Path to Equity (March 29th – April 1st in Washington, D.C.), you can do so here.

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Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

Exercise Can Be Fun – And Here’s How

Exercise Can Be Fun

Most people will raise an eyebrow when you use the words ‘exercise’ and ‘fun’ in the same sentence. Exercise can be fun; you just need to be smart with your choices, opting for group fitness sessions as opposed to going the process alone. What’s more, the type of group fitness you choose makes a difference. What if you could dance, get fit, and have fun? It’s entirely possible with Sh’Bam. Here’s what you’re missing out on with this revolutionary exercise class.

A Social Environment

A Sh’Bam group fitness class is a fun and social environment. You get to meet new people, join a high-energy fun exercise environment, or even make new friends. Once you select a timetable session that works for you, you can then join like-minded people in a medium intensity exercise session that requires no equipment.

The Music Is Uplifting

As most people will know, it can be a challenge to not only exercise on your own, but do so with either no music or slow tempo music. When you join a Sh’Bam class, the music is uplifting, fun, and refreshing. You can then get into the mood, work out, dance, and get fit without ever thinking it’s a boring or hard form of exercise. All music consists of popular dance hits, Latin beats, remixed classics, and more. You are bound to find yourself humming away as you get in the best shape of your life.

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Women WorkProperty

How to Get Finance to Buy Real Estate

How to Get Finance to Buy Real Estate

Unfortunately, it is more difficult even in this day and age, for a woman to purchase real estate than it is for a man.  To qualify that statement, it is actually more difficult for women to get the finance to purchase property. Do banks think that a man is more trustworthy than a woman when it comes to repayments? Or could it be more to do with the fact that a woman who has children is more likely to have a lower paid job because she cannot put all her effort and attention into her career when she has children to look after? This may not be true for all women, but it is for some, at least.

In any case, if you want to buy real estate, the best way to get finance is to first save up at least 20% of the deposit. This will not only ensure you pay less interest overall, but it will show the lender that you are a responsible person who is capable of saving. This may require you to seek help from a financial planner to help set you on the right path.

It is also a good idea to have a good plan to back up your request, including any likelihood of you getting a raise in the future. Some careers come with opportunities for advancement, so it doesn’t hurt to mention these. You need to be able to show the lender that you have paid your bills on a regular basis for at least 6 months, more if possible. And if you have had other loans that you paid off successfully, bring proof along with you.

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Women WorkBusiness

Important Tips for Getting a Domain Name

Getting a Domain Name

Once you decide to start your own business, whether that is a work from home business or the coffee den down the street, you need to get a website to advertise it.  A website is essential, especially if you are selling goods or a service that can be offered online. Depending on what kind of business you have, it allows your customers to buy or place an order at any time of the day or night.

Make sure your domain name is unique

So the first step to a website is getting a domain name. But before this is possible, you have to choose the name and make sure no one else owns it. You cannot register a domain name that belongs to someone else. How do you find out?  When you go online to purchase a name, the website will offer a way to find out with just a few clicks. It is all done automatically. If the name you choose is not an original, you will know immediately.

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Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

14 Ways to Keep Fit Mentally

Keep Fit Mentally

Much is said about the benefits to our health of keeping fit physically, but less information is found about keeping our brains active and healthy. It is really just as important to give our brains some exercise as it is to keep on exercising our body. Exercising the brain prevents it from deteriorating as we age, although some people get dementia or Alzheimer’s well before they can be considered old.

Experts tell us that any activity around thinking and learning are good for the brain and help to protect against dementia. And the more complex that activity is and the more it challenges us, the better it is. Frequency is also important. Doing one exercise a month is useless, but doing them every day or two will stimulate the brain well. So how do you exercise your brain?

Choose a variety of activities, but if you have never done any before and they seem hard, choose easy ones and work your way up. You could –

  • Start a new hobby.
  • Take a course to learn a new skill such as a language or how to play an instrument.
  • Get someone to show you something such as how to work a computer or cook a new recipe.
  • Read different types of literature.
  • Do different kinds of puzzles such as crosswords, Sudoku and even jigsaw puzzles.
  • Play cards or board games.
  • Go to the theatre or a museum regularly.

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Women WorkLegal

Steps From Separation To Trial

Separation To Trial

When there is trouble in a relationship a separation may help both people to sort out their problems and decide whether to get a divorce or to try again. Some people may consider that a separation is simply an essential step to go through so you can apply for a divorce. A family lawyer can help you get through this time with advice on what to do. Others feel that by separating for a few months, their differences could be worked out.

If this is so for you and your spouse, it is wise to put a time limit on the separation, otherwise it is likely to drag on and your lives will become separated to the extent they cannot be put back together. There are several other things to work out for this kind of separation.

  • Who will leave the family home
  • With whom will the children stay
  • Who will pay major bills such as the mortgage
  • Whether you will see each other during the separation and if so, for how long
  • Whether the children will see their other parent during the separation
  • If you will both attend counselling.

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Women WorkBusiness

Careers and Internships with Women Work!

Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advances economic justice and equality for women through education, advocacy and organizing. Since 1978, the Network has assisted more than 10 million women to successfully enter, re-enter and advance in the workforce. Through supporting, advocating and advancing women’s economic self-sufficiency, Women Work! members strengthen families and communities.

Women Work! is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Women Work! is committed to upholding a work environment free from discrimination and inequality. It is our policy to actively encourage a diverse pool of candidates who believe in the organization’s mission and vision.

There are no job vacancies at this time.

Women WorkBusiness

Call for Best Practices – Serving Women in Economic Transition

Women Work!’s call for Best Practices has officially closed. Thank you to all of those who submitted applications. Women Work! will be conducting interviews and further research into the topic Workforce Development that Works for Women throughout the winter and spring of 2008.

Our Project

Women Work! knows there are effective models for helping women achieve economic security through work, and we want to encourage their replication throughout the country.

Selected best practices will be featured in a publication to be issued by Women Work! in September 2008 and widely disseminated to policymakers and the workforce development community.

If you know of a best practice in women’s workforce development that you think Women Work! should know about, please contact Tiffany Boiman at [email protected] , or 202-467-6346.

Women WorkBusiness

Labor Day Pay Equity Campaign

This Labor Day, Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment and our coalition partners are teaming up to tell Congress that women demand protection against gender-based wage discrimination.

When Congress returns from summer recess in September, they’ll have the opportunity to pass two important pay equity bills. The goal for our Labor Day Pay Equity Campaign is to let Congress know that pay equity is important to voters and makes a huge difference for women and their families, especially those on the lower end of the earnings spectrum.

We’ve provided you all the information you need to build your own Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor in support of wage equity. With one simple action you can gain publicity for the important work you do and help us raise the profile of the equal pay issue in communities across the country.

To have an Op-Ed placed for Labor Day make sure to submit it to your paper’s editorial board at least a week before the holiday.

Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

Why Eating Disorders Are a Mental Health Issue

Eating Disorders

There are several types of eating disorders; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. You might think that they are a physical problem, since they cause a sufferer to look so thin, but in reality they are a mental health issue. This is because it is the sufferer’s mind or mental state that causes the perception that their body image is ugly and they are too fat, when they are not.

They then obey the mental urge to get rid of the food they just ate, or to exercise to the point of exhaustion so the calories burn off. Or in the case of binge eating without vomiting, they go on a session of binge eating and gain even more weight. Then the vicious cycle of guilt and eating goes on and on.

They cannot stop it or control it because of the changes to their brain that occur due to the mental aspect of the disease. They become totally preoccupied with thinking about their weight and shape of their body. One of the problems with eating disorders is that they don’t have a single cause that can be identified and removed. There are many varying causes, but just because a person experiences them doesn’t mean to say they will get the disease. So it also depends on a person’s personality as to whether they get the disorder.

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Women WorkBusiness

Pay Equity Legislation in the 111th Congress

Paycheck Fairness Act

The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12/S.182) would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes and barring employer retaliation against workers who share salary information with their coworkers. The bill would update the landmark 1963 Equal Pay Act by strengthening protections against gender-based wage discrimination and by holding gender discrimination to the same standard as discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity.

Sponsors

House: Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Senate: Hillary Clinton (formerly D-NY)

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Women WorkBusiness

Higher Education Act Reauthorization

Higher education consistently leads to increased earnings and employment stability, but for many women this road to economic self-sufficiency is out of reach because of high tuition and attendance costs.

On July 31, 2008 Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which reauthorized the Higher Education Act. The bill was signed by President Bush soon after. The HEOA contains several provisions that expanded supports available to women and parents to help them succeed in higher education. However, funding for most of the new policies and programs is unlikely to begin before Fiscal Year 2010.

Policy Resources

College Cost Reduction Act: An Overview

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Women WorkBusiness

How to Market Your Business

Market Your Business

There are many ways in which to market your business. Much depends on what kind of business it is. For instance, if you have an online business you run from home, you will need a website to showcase all your goods, or to describe your services if that’s what you offer.

A bricks and mortar business may also have a website in order to help with branding, to showcase goods or services and to get the word out about its existence. However, the fact that it can be seen from the street as people walk past is also a good advertisement. It is essential that your store or business facade is attractive and eye-catching and tells people exactly what you offer.

You can also have brochures to drop in letterboxes and ads in the local paper or one that goes further afield, such as a national paper or magazine. For instance, if you offered accommodation such as B&B, you could advertise in a magazine that was available nationally.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to advertise, so giving quality service and interacting with customers in a friendly and helpful way is a wonderful way to advertise that will cost you nothing.

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Women WorkFamily

Different Types of Abuse in Relationships

Emotional abuse

When we think of abuse, many people only think of physical violence. Every time we watch the news there seems to be threats to kill and physical abuse being perpetrated against women, often by someone they thought they could trust. While it is horrifying to hear the story and see the kinds of injuries and even death that has been suffered, there are other types of abuse that never make the headlines.

Verbal abuse

We have all had a good row with our partners or other loved ones that has served to clear the air about whatever was bothering us. That’s not to say there isn’t a better way to deal with it, but this is not what verbal abuse is. Verbal abuse is the constant putting down of someone by telling them how stupid or ugly they are. This can be done without even raising the voice but it is no less devastating for that.

Verbal abuse includes calling someone names because of who they are, or the beliefs they hold.

While it may not harm the body, it certainly causes damage to a person’s self esteem, to the point where she may not even be able to function normally. Losing your self confidence means that you will never try to do any of the things that make life normal and even happy. Losing your self esteem is even worse, because you think everything is all your fault.

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Women WorkBusiness

How to Get Finance for Your Business Start-Up

Business Start-Up

Once you decide to make the break and start up your own business, you are likely to need finance.  This can be for buying stock or equipment, for insurance and for fitting out your premises. Or if you set up at home, for building outside access to the designated room. This will save your customers having to access your business through your home, something that is not very professional.

So where can you get this finance? Much depends on how much you need. Here are several options.

  • Get a loan from the bank. Make sure you negotiate terms you can afford.
  • Apply for an angel investor. These are people who risk their own money for a good cause. They may also want to have some say in how you run the business.
  • Get a loan from family. This should be set up legally and you should pay interest on the loan, even if it is very low interest.
  • If you don’t need much, you may be happy to put it on your credit card. Not a good idea due to the high interest rates.

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Women WorkFamily

How to Enjoy Your Wedding Day More

Wedding-Day

Being in love and getting engaged is an amazing time of life that should be enjoyed to the full. The culmination is the wedding day, but unfortunately many brides are so tired and stressed on the day they can’t really enjoy it. To avoid this, wedding DJ’s advise to make sure you put someone you can trust in charge of the wedding event hire details and DJ so you don’t feel as if everything is your responsibility.

Here are some more ways to ensure you actually enjoy your wedding day to the max.

  • If you’ve been dieting to fit into that wedding dress, forget about it on the day of the wedding. Not having enough calories can make you feel tired irritable and even dizzy. You don’t have to eat gobs of food, but do eat throughout the day. Little and often is good. Designate someone to remind you to eat.
  • Have a lot of photos taken before the wedding. Doing it all after you are married often takes hours and can eat into those reception hours.
  • Get enough sleep on the night before, even if you feel strung up with nerves. Staying out late partying will ensure you feel wilted by the time the reception is on.
  • Don’t try to DIY. If you want handmade paper flower, let someone else do it. You’ll have enough to do.
  • You should bring along some adult toys, but we think that might be a bit confronting for some partners on your big day!

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Women WorkLegal

How Estate Planning can Help Your Family

Estate Planning

Estate planning is more than just making a Will; it is making decisions about the distribution of your assets, including superannuation, after you have died, so that your family will be cared for and so that the amount of tax and other costs is minimised. While no one wants to think about dying, it is an unavoidable part of life and if you prepare for it ahead of time your family will have much less stress to contend with.

In addition, your wishes about the distribution of your assets will be carried out, with your beneficiaries getting what you determine they should have. If you die intestate – without a will – this is unlikely to happen. In fact, with the complexities of families these days there could be a great deal of argument between all the family members, each wanting to get a share, or perhaps more than their fair share.

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Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

How Keeping Fit Makes You Healthier

Keeping Fit

Keeping fit is an important part of your overall health and the only way to do this is to have a reasonable amount of exercise.  When you move around it not only tones your muscles and ligaments to prevent them from becoming weak and unable to support your body properly, it also removes toxins and waste through perspiration. Plus, it increases the amount of ‘feel good’ endorphin’s in your brain so it is good for your mental/emotional health as well.

While it is difficult to fit in an exercise regime when you lead a busy life, in many cases very little exercise is needed, depending on the lifestyle you lead. If you play a sport, go hiking or dancing or even take your toddlers to the park on a regular basis, that all counts as exercise. If you have a job such as house or window cleaning that has you moving around, that too, is exercise.

According to many experts, walking is the best exercise because it makes every part of your body move and it does not jar your joints and wear them out. Brisk walking elevates your heart rate and so is  a gentle cardio workout. It is easy to do and you don’t need to pay a fortune for a gym membership or a professional trainer.

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