Greater Milwaukee Jobs

Have you talked on your cellphone as you drove to work and later realized you had no clear memory of the traffic, of stoplights – which, of course, you stopped at – or other features of the drive? Of course you have. We've all been in situa- tions where autopilot takes over when we're absorbed in something else. There's been a lot of research about how we're not as capable at multi- tasking as we think. Sure, we might do two or more things at once, but the real thinking is applied to only one of the tasks. That's why a Baylor University professor deserves attention for new advice about how this applies to your pro- fessional resumes. Anne Grinols, an assistant dean in Baylor's master of business administra- tion program, says prospective employers may not look kindly on your claims of multi- tasking. In published research, Grinols debunks three "myths" of multitasking: –The belief that you can do two mental activ- ities at once. "Conscious mental activity happens one activity at a time," Gri- nols said. If you text during a meeting, your brain will assimilate what you're texting. Even if you're hearing what's going on the meeting, that won't get your full attention. –The belief that you can be in top form by flipping back and forth between mental activi- ties. "Efforts to multitask have had unfortunate results," she said. In one experiment, she had students read mate- rial in class while they had full access to use their cellphones. The more text messages stu- dents sent or received during class, the worse they performed on a comprehension test about the material they read. –The belief that you can monitor yourself to stay in top form. "I am reminded of the observation of a fourth-grade teacher who told her class, 'Do not watch TV while you do your homework or you will find yourself doing TV while you watch your homework,'" Grinols said. In the workplace, the professor said, employers expect top- form accomplish- ment, and that won't happen if your focus on the prime task is muddied by shared attention. On your resume, it's better to cite specific expertise in multiple areas than to simply claim an ability to multitask. Grinols shared a drawn-from-the-real- world example from the workplace: You're assigned to work with a team to develop a certain strategy. The work starts with a team meeting. You attend the meeting, but you're completely engaged in thinking about the strategy that you propose. You're hearing your team mem- bers talk, but you're not really listening. You're mentally forming what you intend to say or do. Been there, done that, right? No one wants you to sit like a sponge. You're expected to participate in the give-and-take. Nei- ther should you be so singularly task-minded that you're antisocial. Just remember that your multitasking ability isn't as good as you think it is. Don't use this word in your resume By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (TNS) 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • February 11, 2016 LAYOFF Managers should use the term "layoff" only when they end a relationship due to lack of work. If you end the employment relationship for any other reason, call it a discharge. How can one little word be such a big deal? For example, the unemployment office is told that the employee was laid off, even though you fired him for stealing. That one little word could make the employee eligible for unemployment compensation, a part of which your company would have to pay. Even more costly is misusing that term when dealing with a govern- ment agency that's investi- gating a discrimination charge. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR The consequences of wrongly classifying some- one as an independent con- tractor can be huge. We're talking about backpay, worker's compensation, tax liability and discrimination liability. Simply labeling someone as an independent contractor won't make it stick. Determining a worker's status as either an independent contractor or an employee hinges on various factors: most important, your degree of control over that employee. The more control you exert, the more possible that the person will be deemed an employee. So talk to human resources, your company officials or your attorney if there's any question about the person's status at all. EXEMPT EMPLOYEE When determining which employees are eligible for overtime pay, every employ- ee falls into one of two cate- gories: either exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Now, exempt employees, like managers and executives, are not eligible for overtime pay – they're paid for the work that they do, not the time it takes to do it. Nonex- empt employees are eligible for overtime pay. They're typically paid hourly. Man- agers often mistakenly label employees as exempt, some- times just to avoid paying the overtime. But again, simply labeling someone as exempt doesn't make them so. The actual work they perform is what matters, not the title. Nonexempt and exempt issues can be con- fusing. DISABILITY If an employee qualifies as "disabled" under the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act or a state disability law, your company must make "reasonable accommoda- tions" for that person's dis- ability. Now, that can include anything from new furniture to a new work schedule. Unfortunately, there's no definitive laundry list of medical conditions that qualify as disabled under the ADA. The deci- sion really must be a case- by-case basis. So don't guess whether the person is disabled or informally refer to the person as a disabled employee. Federal law says that if you perceive an employee as disabled, the law will cover him and you'll have to accommodate that person's ailments. So consult your HR department or attorney if you have any questions. Lightning Rod ... from page 1 A publication of Conley Media 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 18 • Number 21 February 11, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays 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. Call 262-306-5008 for information. • Maintenance • Manufacturing Technician Join our team and show the world that things are still made better, faster, and smarter in America. Visit: Signicast.com or mail your resume to: We're looking for good people to fill available positions as: 248612003 • G E N E R A L E M P L O Y M E N T •

• Cover