Healthcare reform it on the top of all our minds but what I find alarming is how many people really don’t know what the direct impact will be on number one….them. The most commen response I hear when asking people about the impact on healthcare reform is “I know it’s going to cost me more money”.  While that may or may not be true don’t you owe it to yourself and your family to be informed?

Let me be clear…..I am not the expert nor do I offer any opinions; I want you to figure it out for you. I did find these sites that do have good information. I recommend that you go out there and find out for yourself what healthcare reforms means and how it will impact you.

WebMD: FAQ Sheet on how Historic Bill Will Change Health Care in the Short Term and Long Term for Consumers and Employers. A taste at the information they provide…..

What provisions begin soon? Small businesses could qualify for tax credits of up to 35% of the cost of premiums. Insurance plans would be barred from setting lifetime caps on coverage and would no longer be able to cancel policies when a patient gets sick

About.com How Will the New Healthcare Reform Law Affect Seniors and Older Americans?

HealthcareReform.gov The passage of health insurance reform legislation represents a historic victory for the American people – a victory over the special interests that have fought for decades to prevent families and businesses from having control over their health care or the health care of their workers

CBS Money Watch As the congressional summer recess temporarily quiets the debate, here’s your chance to get caught up on the issues.

CNN Politics Timeline on when and where the effects will be felt Video on the effects of Healthcare Reform

All generations are called something different and it regardless which group their lumped into  Gen Y, GenMe or Millennials, the youngest generation of workers, born roughly between 1980 and 1999, is here in the workplace.  Wait they’re bringing their values to the office and beware they may clash with yours. They’ve been variously labeled as entitled, narcissistic, altruistic, individualistic, wired, fast-learning and over-confident.

Up until this now it’s been pure conjecture as to what the labor melting pot would look like when all these generations joined but now there’s data to support the stories according to Stacy M. Campbell, professor of management at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. Campbell recently published “Generational Difference in Work Values: Leisure and Extrinsic Values Increasing, Social and Intrinsic Values Decreasing,” in the 2010 Journal of Management.

Campbell and her co-authors looked at the generational attitude differences toward five key work values:

1.    Extrinsic values (pay, benefits, status)

2.    Intrinsic values (meaningful and interesting work)

3.    Social values (wanting friends at work)

4.    Altruistic values (giving back, volunteerism)

5.    Leisure values (vacation time, pace of work)

Findings:

ü  Gen Y valued intrinsic rewards somewhat less than Gen X and boomers.

ü  The younger generations placed a much higher value on leisure time

ü  The youngest generation’s interest in salary and status — did not decrease.

ü  Generation X valued money; they were willing to work hard for it.

ü  Gen Y has the high expectations of getting paid well and having more leisure time.  

ü  Gen Y was no more or less interested in altruism than previous generations, but that it valued social interactions at work less than either Gen X or boomers.

It appears that we are one big melting pot and one with lots of differing views on how the marketplace works.  What all the people in the pot need to remember is that we are all part of the make team and need to work together. Understanding is only the first step!

Today I read an interesting article in USA Today, it caught my attention because it talked about following your passion something that I am a big fan of something that I feel everyone should do. Because let’s face it we spend so much time at work we minus well be doing something we enjoy. The article talked about a trend that we all have been watching because it’s really changing the labor market. They suggest that baby boomers should go out and start their own business rather than working for a big conglomerate. It’s an interesting concept because there are so many business concepts out there just waiting to be created the possibilities are limitless.

You literally need to follow your passion and see if it has a place in the marketplace. The particular example in this article was about a man who loved nature, loved to take pictures and now he takes people on guide’s nature trails and teaches them to take nature photos. Pretty breathtaking!

Imagine getting paid for doing something you love; it’s a nice idea isn’t it?

Monday, May 31^st is Memorial Day.  For some it is the “unofficial” start of summer.  For others, it is a chance to have a long weekend having a barbeque and hanging out with friends and family.  The real meaning of the day has been forgotten.

Memorial Day, or “Decoration Day” as it was originally called is a day to honor our fallen war heroes.  The holiday began shortly after the end of the Civil War as a way to remember those who died in the war.  It wasn’t until after WWI that the day was changed to honor all fallen soldiers.

So when you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend, take a minute to remember those brave men and women who lost their lives fighting for our country.

AARP® and WiserWorker.com® are kicking off 2010 with a campaign to bring together job seekers and local businesses at special designed job fairs for experienced talent. The Helping Experience Work@50+ job fair campaign will consist of 48 career fairs in 2010 in 19 different states. The goals is, to meet job seekers where they are in their job search process whether they were recently laid off or have been looking for some time.

AARP will be teaching job seekers how to brand themselves in specifically designed hour long workshops entitled “The Power of Promoting Yourself at 50+”. Job seekers will leave these workshops with new skills that will benefit them in their job search. It‘s been our experience with past workshops that participants left more knowledgeable and confident about their future.

Register Online TODAY for a event near you! http://www.wiserworker.com/job-fairs

Interested in being a recruiter at our events?  Contact Amy Hoster amy.hoster@wiserworker.com

It’s often not easy, never something we choose to take on but I can guarantee you this: change is inevitable. When I look back at the last few years I ask myself why I have fought change. Personally I tend to resist change because of the ”if it’s not broken don’t fix” mentality so often in my mind things are just find that I often overlook a change even if it will improve the process.

So it’s with this in mind that I share with you my biggest change: To accept change and embrace it.  I admit I don’t look forward to change but I am accepting it with more of an open heart and more importantly open mind.  I share this because as an older worker you are bombarded with change specifically in the current job market. Over the last 5 years the recruitment process has taken a 360 degree turn that has probably left your head spinning and unsure how to obtain a job.

5 years ago if you wanted to work at Target you visited a local store and asked for an application, completed the application and waited for an interview. Now, the process can be completed from your very own home or at a computer terminal in a store. HOWEVER the process is far from simple in order to ensure that you shine the light of opportunity on you make sure that you complete the online interview in complete and follow the instructions to a T. Never and I repeat NEVER leave blank spaces, fill out complete past employment history. AND I hope you are paying close attention:  this is important: don’t limit yourself by placing boundaries on the shift you are looking to be hired for, hiring managers what people flexibility!

So while we didn’t ask for change in the workplace we got it, and it’s our job to adapt to it. Keep your minds open and learn all the skills you will need and WiserWorker.com is here to help you obtain them.

Good Luck!

That’s right take care of your old people because they spent years taking care of YOU. The US government reported last week that one in seven Americans struggled to get enough food to eat. Beyond that; the number of seniors who sought help from food pantries last year increased by 81%.  More alarming is the number of seniors who don’t eat the right types of food or enough food. In Oklahoma; the regional food bank provides help to those many consider the most vulnerable in their state – their senior citizens.

When asked how the Senior Feeding program helped Oklahoma senior citizens this year, seniors responded:

• “It helps me from going hungry.”
• “It helps a lot since it comes at the end of the month when I am out of food. I appreciate the help.”
• “It made the difference between eating every day of the month and having to skip meals, or eating as little as a hot dog for the entire day.”

I’m sure you are just as alarmed as I was by this information. Like you I have parent’s, grandparent’s, aunties, uncles and well people who I just care for and you can be sure I am going to check in and make sure they are getting what they need when they need it. There are services out there for people who need it and they should take advantage of it.  There are lots of volunteer opportunities for those that want to help those that are hungry at www.serve.org

Don’t let your people become a part of a nasty statistic or worse yet don’t learn there is a problem when it’s too late.

Take care of Your People.

It’s a wonderful sometimes scary place out there in the wild world of the internet.  Just when you think you have learned it all by securing the knowledge of what copy and paste means the now there is something else to learn. So today’s topic is social media, it’s a funny phrase and seems so warm and fuzzy; social media, seriously who doesn’t love a good party that must be what it means social right they will be serving cool drinks…right.  Now, so if it’s not a party what does it mean? 

Social Media uses Internet and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.

So let’s talk about what it means to the normal person. Social media is a way you can exchange information in real time. It can be as simple as sharing pictures of the grandkids with your relatives on Facebook to as complex as exchanging information on a blog that is much like a online article.

Wait there’s more, the most important segment of social marketing you need to advantage of is Linkedin.com is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.   So if you happened to be looking for a job….start here Linkedin.com and start networking with companies that are looking for brilliant people just like you!

This year The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 19^th.  This is the day that smokers are encouraged to try and quit smoking for 24 hours.

These days, everyone is living longer.  People who quit smoking live longer than those who continue to smoke.

Did you know:

·         After 20 minutes of quitting: your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

·         After 12 hours of quitting: the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

·         After 2 weeks to 3 months of quitting: your circulation improves and your lung function increases.

Mark Twain said “Quitting is easy.  I’ve done it a thousand times.”  He also did not have available to him the resources we have now.  The internet has many sites dedicated to quitting smoking.  There are also smoking cessation products available at your local drug store or supermarket.

Remember it is never too late to quit smoking. Who knows?  November 19, 2009 could be the beginning of a brand new you.

Are you going to be one of the ones who decide to quit smoking today?

You only get one brain so you better take care of yours. Here are a few tips to help you keeps your sharp.

1.    Get Some Shut Eye- both your body and your brain need at least 8 hours of solid sleep to remain active and alert.

2.    Feed Your Brain – BRAIN FOOD Keep your brain firing in all cylinders with 3 square meals full of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. You can find omega 3 fatty acids in any fish start with tuna fish and protein is easy to find in places you least expect..Maybe a peanut butter sandwich?

3.    Catch a Breath- learn to tune in and tune off.  It’s important to get time to relax and recharge the body and the brain.  Take time to enjoy peace, quiet and a good book.

4.    Stay curious and involved, commit to lifelong learning.

5.    Read, write, and do crossword puzzles.

6.    Join social groups like bridge clubs or square dancing.