The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was passed in November 2011 to help the approximately one million unemployed veterans find employment.  The Act includes a number of new programs and improvements to current programs.
Improved Transition Services

Under the Act, improvements to transition assistance programs for separating service members allow service members to apply for federal employment before they leave the military.  Service members also have the opportunity to take apprenticeships or enroll in on-the-job training programs with military or defense contractors while on leave.  These opportunities allow veterans to have a head start on finding employment. 

As more and more employees use social media to connect with friends and families, it should come as no surprise that social media would also be used by employees to complain about their working conditions.  In some situations, employees may rant about their supervisors, their pay or even the company, in general.  So what course of action does an employer have to protect its supervisors and the company’s reputation?

As of January 1, 2012, the federal minimum wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is set at $7.25 per hour for covered non-exempt employees with some exceptions for certain types of workers.  States may, of course, enforce higher pay rates. 

In some cases, states adjust their minimum wages to account for inflation.  Below are the states whose minimum wage rates were increased as of January 1, 2012 in order to adjust for inflation: 

 Arizona $7.65 per hour
 Colorado $7.64 per hour
 Florida  $7.67 per hour
 Montana $7.65 per hour
 Ohio  $7.70 per hour
 Oregon $8.80 per hour
 Vermont $8.46 per hour
 Washington $9.04 per hour

In most everything we do, we find a “trick” to make the process easier and faster. After we develop these tricks, they become work habits in our everyday activities. Developing  everyday safety habits can keep you injury free through the year. Here are ten safety habits to live by:

Give the customer what they want and most employers think they have an effective customer service process.  But giving customers what they want is not enough anymore.  Customers have greater choices on who they do business with and with competition greater than ever, it doesn’t take much for a customer to take their business elsewhere.

As an employer, you may be thinking that you can’t afford to spend money on customer service training or expensive customer satisfaction surveys.  No problem.  The following are no-cost, effective techniques that go above and beyond simply giving the customer what they want: