Women Work

November 2, 2009January 3, 2020 Women WorkEducation & Employment, Legal

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:

Through negotiation between affected parties.
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.
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:

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

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October 2, 2009January 3, 2020 Women WorkLegal

Can You get Out of Your Contract to Purchase a 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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September 28, 2009January 3, 2020 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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September 8, 2009January 3, 2020 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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July 15, 2009June 29, 2020 Women WorkProperty

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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July 14, 2009January 4, 2020 Women WorkBusiness

Important Tips for 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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July 3, 2009January 4, 2020 Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

14 Ways to 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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June 17, 2009January 4, 2020 Women WorkLegal

Steps From 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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June 3, 2009January 4, 2020 Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

Chemical Free Beauty Tips

Almost anyone can look more beautiful with the addition of make-up. The only trouble is that by applying cosmetics, you are putting many different types of chemicals into your body and some of them are carcinogenic – linked to causing cancer. It is far safer and healthier to choose ways to improve your looks that don’t include the use of such substances, but rather, use natural products Here are some tips to do just that and some of them are laughably easy.

Soak your nails in olive oil for 5 minutes to add shine. Nail polish and remover are two products that are heavily laden with chemicals that are bad for you.
For an easy face mask that is free of chemicals and also antibacterial, warm some raw honey between your fingers and spread it over your face. Leave for 10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Tip: Raw honey is not the same as honey you eat.

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April 28, 2009April 26, 2019 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.

April 10, 2009April 29, 2019 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.

February 27, 2009April 26, 2019 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.

February 9, 2009January 4, 2020 Women WorkHealth & Nutrition

Why Eating Disorders Are a Mental Health Issue

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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February 1, 2009January 4, 2020 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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