Greater Milwaukee Jobs

HELP WANTED: Terminated after giving two weeks' notice: What are employee's rights? DEAR CARRIE: I gave a two-week notice at my job on a Friday. The fol- lowing Monday, the man- agers terminated me and said the company would not pay me for the two weeks I had planned to stay. Since I said I would work those weeks, am I entitled to get paid? Or are they within their legal right to terminate me without pay? And am I entitled to cash out my unused vacation time? DEAR PREMATURE: When you gave notice, little did you know you would receive hard lessons in three areas of labor law: Employment at will, hours worked and paid time off. The employ- ment-at-will principle holds that employees can be dismissed at any time for any reason, unless a union contract or other employment agreement restricts the firing. Most states adhere to that doc- trine. And since you won't work those two weeks, the company doesn't have to pay you for them. The paid time off issue could mean more bad news. If the company's vacation policy says you forfeit any accrued paid time off when you leave, you could come up empty on that score, too. You did the right thing in giving a two-week notice. It's too bad your ex-employer didn't respond in kind. DEAR CARRIE: We recently learned that our employer has been secret- ly recording our conversa- tions via his cellphone when we are called into his office behind closed doors. Is this legal in New York? DEAR SECRET: It's allowable, even if it workday." The fun and games long synonymous with the tech industry can appear frivo- lous on the surface. But company founders and executives say the keggers, free trips to Comic-Con and pingpong competitions help galvanize a winning culture at companies. The intense competition for talented tech workers makes compa- ny culture especially impor- tant today. "We believe that culture is as effective as any market- ing you can do in order to attract and retain the best talent," said Zach James, Zefr's co-founder and co- chief executive. Moreover, experts say generous vacation policies, free lunches and awards for top employees tend to pay bigger dividends at early stage tech companies where the smallest change in strat- egy can make a far bigger difference. "These companies do in two years what most do in 10," said Didier Elzinga, co-founder and CEO of Culture Amp, a human resources software startup with offices in San Francis- co and Melbourne, Aus- tralia. "When you talk about why culture matters, the reason is because you have so much to gain if you get it right." The fun is directed mostly at millennials, who make up a significant portion of startups' workforce. The chosen activities are often a nod to a company's earliest days when, say, an impromptu pingpong match lightened the mood during a tense round of funding. They're also meant to ensure a young company doesn't work itself into the ground. "If you're too focused on productivity in an intensive environment like a startup, you're going to burn people out," said Dave Seibold, vice chairman of the Tech- nology Management Pro- gram at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Corporate America has taken notice, hoping some of that magic rubs off. Startup culture is now part of many traditional compa- ny playbooks – including open office spaces, the abil- ity to work remotely, flexi- ble hours and free yoga classes. But tech companies are the most willing to experi- ment to get employees to perform, or at least think twice about jumping ship. Zappos, the Las Vegas- based online shoe and clothing retailer, recently 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • August 6 2015 startups . . . from page 1 Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of "Secrets to Winning at Office Politics." Send in questions and get free coaching tips at http://www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter officecoach. Get co-workers to join your complaint or drop it & A Q A publication of Conley Media Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2004 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Subscriptions are available for $34 (non-refundable) for a 6-month subscription. Call 262-306-5008 for information. Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 17 • Number 47 August 6, 2015 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-542-6082 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays see TERMINATED . . . page 6 see STARTUPS . . . page 6 Q. The woman in the next cubicle is driving me crazy. "Helen" is a heavy smoker, so she coughs all the time. Her cell phone rings constantly with calls from her kids, and she conducts these conversations in a very loud voice. She also eats breakfast and lunch at her desk every day. I have started wearing headphones to reduce the noise, but I can't escape the smelly food that Helen brings to work. Since we don't have a break room, there's not much I can do about her desktop lunches, but I feel she should be required to eat breakfast at home. Now I'm trying to decide whether I should discuss this issue with our manager. I have already told her about Helen's frequent personal calls, but she doesn't seem to care. The two of them are friends outside of work, so there may be some favoritism here. What do you think I should do? A. Given that Helen and your boss are buddies, you should be careful about complaining too much. Although manager-employee friendships are gener- ally ill-advised, that's the reality you are dealing with.You will therefore have to weigh your desire to gripe about food odors against the risk of aggravating your manager. Fortunately, however, you are not the only one capable of lodging a complaint. If Helen is as annoying as you say, other co- workers undoubtedly have problems with her as well. If a couple of them would be willing to join you in this protest, then it becomes a group issue, not a personality conflict. On the other hand, if no one else seems to share your exasperation with Helen, then perhaps you are overreact- ing. In that case, you should shift your attention elsewhere and stop wasting so much emotional energy on this talkative and hungry woman. Q. Although I have been in this job for several years, I checked out mentally a long time ago. I feel alienated and unmotivated, but I'm not sure what's wrong. I just know that I'm never very happy at work. I have stayed with this company because the pay is good and I like the flexible schedule. However, I wish that I could feel some excitement about my job. Should I try to improve my current situa- tion or just start over somewhere else? A. If your disillusionment is being trig- gered by this particular workplace, then finding another employer would be the logical solution. But if you have per- sonal issues which interfere with your overall adjustment to work, changing jobs will only shift your problem to a different location. Sorting this out will require some care- ful self-examination. Review your work history and recall how you felt in previ- ous positions. If this is your first job, then think about school. If your prior experi- ences were generally positive, relocating may be the answer. But if you have always felt dissatisfied, talking with a helpful counselor or career coach might be a better strategy. By Carrie Mason-Draffen Newsday (TNS) By Marie G. McIntyre Tribune News Service (TNS)

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