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#newsfromthecube highlights

In addition to the community we’ve built here on The Collared Sheep, there’s a fun group of folks on Twitter who make the work day easier by broadcasting live from their cubicles and offices.

We use the Twitter hashtag #newsfromthecube (or #nftc when we’re pushing 140 characters). And because we know you’re pulled into meetings or get stuck on conference calls all the time, you can’t always be up on your cubicle news.

So allow us to present some of our favorite #newsfromthecube tweets from the last week!

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 7

Past installments of #newsfromthecube

Related posts:

1. News From The Cube – April 3, 2012
2. News From The Cube – January 31, 2012
3. News From The Cube – May 8, 2012

Brief Overview:

In this week’s episode of “Undercover Boss”,  Jose Mas, CEO of MasTec, goes undercover as “Manny Medino” to see the company from the employees’ perspective.

Analysis

Did you say to cut the red one or blue one?

Position 1: Electrician

Overview: Brothers Alex and Kelvin show Jose how they setup a neighborhood with power, by hooking up power lines.

Result: Alex and Kelvin poke fun at Jose’s slow pace. Jose learns that Alex and Kelvin’s mother brought them over as children from South America, and they’ve struggled to make ends meet ever since.

Alex and Kelvin mention that the company unfortunately does not provide common tools they use at their day to day jobs, and they barely have enough to pay for these, let alone pay for their lineman certification courses to get to the next level of their careers.

How he made amends: MasTec will be providing all the tools necessary for the job, so the employees do not have to purchase their own. Jose notes that he will also pay for both Alex and Kelvin to attend school for their lineman certifications. Additionally, he will setup a new scholarship program for needy children in their communities.

What he should have done: MastTec should obviously be providing the tools and equipment for on-the-job needs – and Jose agrees. Paying for Alex and  Kelvins lineman courses was generous, but it won’t do much to help less fortunate employees. Jose should have looked for ways to drive the price of these down – or perhaps offered scholarships to performing employees as incentive.

Riding into the sunset

Position 2: Heavy Equipment Operator

Overview: Wendy and Jose use a bulldozer and steam roller to even out the ground new a new wind farm, to keep the land looking good for the owner.

Result: Jose struggles to drive the bulldozer, and ends up creating just as many dirt mounds as he demolished. Wendy notes that many people in the community take issue to her and her crew setting up the wind farms, and at one point asked her not to come back to a restaurant in town.

Wendy is has an illness that will require her to replace her teeth to correct her smile, but unfortunately she neither has the money nor the PTO days to take care of it. Wendy also states that she in debt, and only wishes she could go home one day and not owe anybody anything.

How he made amends: Jose promises to host a community event  everywhere they install wind farms, to teach the community about the benefits of this source of clean energy. Jose also tells Wendy that he will pay for her dental work, and awards her $30k additionally, to help pay off her bills.

What he should have done: Reaching out the inform and educate the community is the right play here. Big energy corporations don’t have the best reputation as of late, and anything Jose can do to move community perspectives in the right direction will smart.

Playing tug-o-war with the ground is hard.

Position 3: Gas Line Maintenance

Overview: Rick shows Jose how to replace underground gas lines for preventative maintenance.

Result: Jose doesn’t quite have the strength nor speed to get the job done, so Rick steps in to help. It’s clear that this job can be very dangerous, as leaking gas can explode into flames. Rick takes precautions and always has an extinguisher nearby.

Rick complains that the incentive plan is far too hard for anyone to reach, and is rather demoralizing. Rick plans to marry his fiancee as soon as he rounds up enough money for the wedding. Rick’s fiancee’s sister has a mental illness, and stays with Rick for care.

How he made amends: MasTec will be adjusting their incentive program to make it more attainable by the employees. Jose gives Rick $20k to pay for his upcoming wedding, and another $25k so that Rick can provide care for his fiancee’s sister.

What he should have done: The correct move here is to lower the bar on the incentive program (after a close inspection of the performance stats to see just what may or may not be possible from the employees) – well done, Jose. An incentive plan too high is a slap in the face, while an incentive plan too low can be costly.

Whistle while you work

Position 4: Construction Crew

Overview: Hugh guides Jose through some basic construction work on a power line site.

Result: Similar to some of the previous positions, Hugh doesn’t think Jose quite has what it takes to perform at this role, joking at one point that his 11 year old child might be stronger than Jose.

Hugh is very concerned with safety. He was in an accident years ago, and Jose’s mother and father visited him in the hospital, asking how they could help further. This was touching to Jose, since his father passed away a few years ago. Hugh noted that Jose’s father used to come around and see the employees all the time, but Jose’s children haven’t done the same. Because of this, the employees were actually rather close to the Jose’s father.

How he made amends: Jose promises to visit with employees much more often, to stay in touch with their needs. Jose offers Hugh his home in the Bahamas to use for a family vacation – an all expenses paid vacation courtesy of Jose. Hugh is also given an additinal $25k.

What he hould have done: Meeting with employees more often will help Jose keep in touch with the internal feelings of his company.

Grade:

Power up.

Jose Mas earned a “B” grade for her appearance on Undercover Boss.

Overall, Jose did a great job responding to the issues presented by the employees in the company. His generosity was on par with many of our previous undercover bosses. He did, however, fall trap to a situation common to most undercover bosses – providing financial help to a select few, where the need is much more broad (i.e. paying for one person to go to school vs setting up a scholarship program for all top performers). As an MBA graduate, he should have seen this one a mile away.

Don’t like our grade? Drop us a rebuttal, and leave a comment below.

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This weekend college students around the country celebrated graduation, thus saturating our precious workforce even further. That alone is enough to give you a case of the Mondays.

However, there is one graduate whose story is so inspiring, we have to share. 52-year-old Yugoslavia refugee Gac Filipaj earned his Ivy League diploma when he walked across Columbia’s stage. Here’s what makes his story all the more special:

For [12] years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University.

Step your game up, every other janitor...

Because he’s an employee of Columbia, he did not have to pay to take classes. Talk about taking advantage of company benefits.

Obviously it wasn’t easy for Filipaj. He works a 2:30-11pm shift as a “heavy cleaner.” He would head home to the Bronx after work and attend to his second job: studying. When the work load would get heavy or he had an exam, he would pull an all nighter, hit up class and then knock down his day’s work, making $22/hour.

Filipaj’s struggle seems small compared to his life before emigrating. He was in the middle of a war zone, traveling 236 miles by train to Montenegro, where he was studying to be a lawyer. Right before he finished his studies, he was drafted into an army that considered Albanians their enemy. Filipaj is of Albanian descent.

Now an American citizen, Filipaj did it all without a computer or cell phone. Much of the money he makes is sent back to support his family. The dude is a grinder.

So if today seems extra tough, think about our boy Gac, who made “Good Will Hunting” a reality.

Have a good Monday.

And good luck to Filipaj, who earned a degree in “classics.” His best bet might be that $22/hour janitor job. The job market is killer these days…

[Source: Associated Press]

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Maybe not. But if you’re in Milwaukee, it very well could be the new hot slogan in the police department. Working for Milwaukee PD the first week of this month has been quite the occupational hazard.

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn has fired two more Milwaukee police officers — one for obstructing a homicide investigation and another for showing his colleagues two topless photos of his ex-girlfriend — police announced Tuesday.

Hm, that's a nice rack...Oh! You're fired.

Well, it sounds like they are not totally unfounded firings. Those are pretty serious accusations for police officers, along with another reminder that picture messages do not fade like Polaroids, although we bet that’s some kind of Instagram setting called “Shelf Life” or “Left in the Sun.”

Unfounded or not, it sounds like this Chief Flynn character is a force you shouldn’t mess with. It reminds us of all the jokes during the GOP debates about how much Mitt Romney enjoys firing people. Flynn has ordered the firing of at least five people in 2012. At this pace, he’ll easily trump last year’s firing total of 6.

Our advice to anyone in the MPD: Walk on egg shells. Everything is an occupational hazard.

Our question: Does your office operate like this? Is there always a threat of getting fired. I can say you pretty much have to kill someone to get fired in my company, so I’m glad I don’t have to work in fear like these other cats.

Then again, I wouldn’t be showing anyone naked pictures of exes on the job.

[Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

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The New Economics Foundation was founded in 1986 and they aims to demonstrate economic well -being. They recently proposed the concept of 20 hour work week that can solve the unemployment issue by offering double the number of current jobs. Recession has hit America and the rest of the world during the last decade and the effects can still be seen. People have lost jobs and more people are ready to take up new jobs. The rate at which new jobs are created has declined and hence there are more jobless people today than ever before.

How is it supposed to solve problems?

Having a four hour day, two people can be employed for the same job. Most people would like to spend time with their family or invest it into some hobbies or other recreational activities. Having less hours to work every day also gives employees the time and energy to study further if they so desire. There are many things that the employees can do in their newly found extra time, provided they have the extra money to do them.

Why is it ridiculous?

If you ask a full time employee who works 8 hours or more every day to reduce his working hours by half, you also expect him to manage his household in half the salary. Sadly, this does not change the world outside. The same business person who reduces the salary of his employee is not in a position to reduce the price of his goods or services. So every person who is getting half of his original salary would have to cut down his expenses in the same proportion. In spite of the best practices to live frugally, this is a hard thing to do.
It does not seem to be a practical solution because in economies like these, people need more money than time. Even though thinking from a communal point of view, it is good to share the amount of money with everyone so that everyone can afford at least a minimal lifestyle. This solution is not a practical one.

What are the alternatives?

The 20-hour work week theory might be a ridiculous one, but there can be some other alternatives that might work in this economy. This situation calls for more innovation and better ways to do things. On a positive note, we must understand that hard economic times are opportunities to think again more intelligently and modify our processes to suit the current requirements. There can be ways that involve a lot of people and help them all earn more. It can be new innovative business ideas that can change the way business is done. There can be recession proof ideas that can be a boon for everyone who is affected by recession.

The 20-hour work week theory appears to be a good thought but does not look like a practical and progressive approach. However, it is just a start and a lot of work can be done on similar lines to give a better solution to the unemployment issue.

Written by Claudia Somerfield

Claudia is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on luxury and technology. She recently read an article on Office Furniture that attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on an Windows Phone.

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Your competition.

We’ve been providing our readers with a sneak peak of some of our favorite resumes found on Craigslist. After those long days of job hunting, sometimes we all need a good laugh.

If we can provide one piece of advice, don’t follow any of the resume postings on Craigslist.

Although entertaining, it’s doubtful that many Fortune 500 companies are prowling Craigslist for potential hires. That said, let’s just see how tough your “competition” really is:

Best house cleaners in the world? When your mother and aunt are involved it is believable.

Why work yourself when you can buy a pug to do the work for you? Brilliant idea. To maximize profits, make him work at the young age of 3 months. What we find the most surprising: the pug knows the difference between high five and “pound it.”

Have to make money somehow?

Age 39 and no work experience? How do you make it 39 years without any qualifications or skills? Regardless, parking or storage just seems like such a strange niche to pursue.

Here is your standard Craigslist post. Lots of various skills that make the person capable for quite a few different jobs. What sticks out to me the most however, is army skills. We’ve come across many Craigslist resumes but never have seen army skills. This person can shoot, kill, navigate, and the list probably goes on and on. We’d hire them.

Our other favorite Craigslist resumes:

April 4, 2012
April 18, 2012
May 2, 2012

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1. Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – January 18, 2012
2. Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – February 15, 2012
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#newsfromthecube highlights

In addition to the community we’ve built here on The Collared Sheep, there’s a fun group of folks on Twitter who make the work day easier by broadcasting live from their cubicles and offices.

We use the Twitter hashtag #newsfromthecube (or #nftc when we’re pushing 140 characters). And because we know you’re pulled into meetings or get stuck on conference calls all the time, you can’t always be up on your cubicle news.

So allow us to present some of our favorite #newsfromthecube tweets from the last week!

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 10

Past installments of #newsfromthecube

Related posts:

1. News From The Cube – May 1, 2012
2. News From The Cube – January 17, 2012
3. News From The Cube – February 28, 2012

Brief Overview:

In this week’s episode of “Undercover Boss”,  Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, goes undercover as “Louise Steely” to see the company from the employees’ perspective.

Analysis

50 Shades of Grey

Position 1: Site Survey

Overview: Jenn leads Catherine around to two sites – a warehouse and a gym – to investigate potential signage opportunities.

Result: Catherine begins the day complaining about how cold it was, concerned that Jenn had to be outside often. Catherine comments that the first building they survey could use a paint job – a comment that Jenn hopes is not relayed to the client as it would be quite rude. They venture on to a client at a gym, take sign measurements, and call it a day without much trouble.

Jenn has been married for a few years, and struggles to find time to be with her husband.  Jenn also states that she feels the corporate email blast advertisements look like spam, and do not do the franchisees any good. In her free time, Jenn is an avid bowler.

How she made amends: FASTSIGNS will be unveiling new branding very soon, and  Catherine cannot wait to show Jenn the updates, including some to the email blasts. Jenn is awarded $10k to spend on a romantic vacation with her hubby, and another $20k to spend however she wishes.

What she should have done: Catherine listened to her employees recommendation, and made a change to resolve it. Sometimes, it really is just that easy.

It's like Arts 'n Crafts without glitter

Position 2: Production

Overview: Sheldon shows Catherine how to cut out and shear various signs.

Result: Catherine tries her best to assist with production, but comes close to ruining a few of the signs while cutting out lettering.

Sheldon, a FASTSIGNS employee of more than a decade, recently proposed the love of his life, after she recovered from a bout with cancer. Before then, he was a single father.

How she made amends: FASTSIGNS is going to develop a new website and Sheldon will be part of the test group (and will be paid for it). Catherine awarded Sheldon $10k to spend on a honeymoon of his dreams, and an additional $50k to assist him with medical bills.

What she should have done: Again, an employee has a great suggestion, and Catherine decides to implement it. She knows that they are behind the times technologically, and knowing is half the battle. The other half is winning.

Smoothing out bubbles ain't easy

Position 3: Installation

Overview: Gary and Catherine install a few logo stickers on a truck, and then a large banner on a building.

Result: Catherine underestimates the difficulty in placing stickers on vehicles without bubbles, but Gary helps her get the job done.

Gary, who commutes over 2 hours to work each day, came from an early life of crime. He considers it a miracle that he did not end up in jail, and now is a man of the church, working at FASTSIGNS to help support his children.

How she made amends: Catherine asks Gary to attend a personalized week long corporate training session (all expenses paid) to put him on the fast track up the corporate ladder. Gary is given $15k as a donation to his church, a new car to help with his commute, and $50k to help pay his mortgage.

What she should have done: This was one of the few segments where the job itself had few, if any, issues. Gary did not once complain about the job (just maybe the commute). Still, Catherine realizes Gary is a talented and loyal worker, and she hopes to capitalize on her findings by training him for bigger opportunities within the company. She was also incredibly generous.

Almost ready for the big reveal

Position 4: Franchisee

Overview: Scott takes Catherine to new heights on a lift, so that they can install a new sign for an energy company.

Result: Catherine is intimidated by the view and instability of the lift, but manages to make it through the install. Her arms give out about halfway through the 30 holes that they had to drill for supports, so Scott takes over.

Scott recently adopted a child, whom he cares for dearly. He often works 60 hour weeks to help support his child and wife. He knows how to do just about every job in the business, but notes to Catherine that he essentially taught himself everything, as the training was minimal.

How she made amends: Catherine is starting a new training program at FASTSIGNS, to teach franchisees many of the skills that Scott had to learn on his own. Scott is given $10k to start a college fund for his daughter, and another $15k to allow him some more free time to spend with his family.

What she should have done: Improve corporate training – which is exactly what she said she would do.

Grade:

I saw the sign.

Catherine Monson earned an “A” grade for her appearance on Undercover Boss.

Catherine listened to each employee, took their complaints into consideration, and acted on each one – essentially the ideal undercover boss approach. Even though she has no children of her own, she was very empathetic to those her employees that do. She understands the importance of work-life balance, even though she personally is more work / less life (and she hopes to change that).

Catherine, sign us up as fans.

Don’t like our grade? Drop us a rebuttal, and leave a comment below.

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A Queens bus driver is rocks a massive case of work shame Monday mornings for getting called out by one of his regular passengers in a rather blatant fashion:

A scorned straphanger who claims a married Queens bus driver hit on her has spent months letting the whole neighborhood know just how she feels about him, plastering his Q69 Astoria route with fliers addressed to the “womanizer bastard.”

A passenger's scorn.

Posted at your morning Queens bus stop is a note about how your driver might be trolling to see if he charge some women an extra handling fee. One one of the flyers, “Tony” has been accused of throwing out a rather boss pickup line, if you’re in to the whole infidelity thing: “I won’t forget your famous line, ‘Married men are lonely, too.’ ”

Tony’s coworkers, who keep his identity a secret (probably a Union requirement), say it’s been going on for two years. And, it gets crazier than that: There’s another woman who has responded to the poster of the original flyers, saying “Everyone thinks you’re a bitter bitch. You’re not going to get him fired.”

Maybe not. But that slander isn’t the best way to kick off the work week. But if you’re on that route, how awesome would it be to follow that reality soap opera?

Have a good Monday.

[Source: NY Post]

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Your competition.

We’ve been providing our readers with a sneak peak of some of our favorite resumes found on Craigslist. After those long days of job hunting, sometimes we all need a good laugh.

If we can provide one piece of advice, don’t follow any of the resume postings on Craigslist.

Although entertaining, it’s doubtful that many Fortune 500 companies are prowling Craigslist for potential hires. That said, let’s just see how tough your “competition” really is:

Is this person serious? We all know hunting for a job can be tiring but to complain to your future employer is not the answer. This without a doubt, is one of the worst ways to find a job. Let’s discuss the issues:

• No resume.
• Never worked a day in their life.
• Worried about a collection agency.
• Feels a sense of entitlement.

Need we say more?

Need a welder? I guess most don’t own a car.

$100 for a music video sounds like a steal. People are already “calling” him. Don’t miss your opportunity!

This one is great. The person is a professional optician yet does not have the ability to see that they misspelled pofessional. At least they can organize.

Our other favorite Craigslist resumes:

March 14, 2012
April 4, 2012
April 18, 2012

Related posts:

1. Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – April 18, 2012
2. Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – May 9, 2012
3. Brilliant Resumes on Craigslist – April 4, 2012