Gossip at the Office

No one likes it when other people talk about them in a negative way. However, it seems that hardly any of us can resist getting caught up in the occasional gossiping that can take place when we are in an office setting.

When I worked as a police officer, I was both shocked and disappointed at how much gossiping took place throughout the department! Because we were so closely knit, it wasn't uncommon to overhear one person talking negatively about someone else and something that had taken place either while that person was on duty or off duty. It seemed as if the gossiping was worse if police officers hung out with each other outside of work. I had a few friends from my police academy that I would hang out with outside of work, but we were always respectful about what we said regarding one another and never talked badly about the other person while we were at work. However, the older officers and other administrative people who had been there for a while would speculate and gossip about the newcomers and about each other as if it was no big deal.

Eventually, I was able to witness the suspension of several officers based on gossip that had flown around the department. In several instances, when the negative gossip about various officers turned out to be true, I witnessed the dismissal of several people. It was both unfortunate and sad that something that had started out so small had led to several officers getting fired. Upon leaving the police department and entering into the private sector of the working population, I found that while the gossip was not nearly as bad, it was still prevalent.

If you work in a small office, it can be extremely easy to get caught up in jealousy or speculation- all of which leads to whispering, snickering and messages back and forth about what is going on with whom and who is getting paid more than someone else. The negative side to gossip is that it can weaken company morale and eventually lead to the downfall of a company based on lack of motivation, intimidation or even self criticism because you know and/or think that others are judging you.

While there may not be a lot that you can do to prevent gossiping from taking place at your office or place of work, you do have control over whether or not you choose to become an active participant in the gossip that is going on. If you feel comfortable enough doing so, you can voice your concern and/or opinion over how you disagree with talking about other people. If you do not feel comfortable confronting others about the gossiping that is taking place, then it may be something that you will want to meet with your supervisor privately about so that he or she can address it as an anonymous complaint. Whatever you do, if you find yourself among others who are gossiping about another employee or co-worker, imagine how you would feel if they were speaking the same way about you and then base you reaction on this. The easiest thing that you can do is to just walk away.

By Brenda Williams

SEO Raleigh
SEO Orlando

How To Convince Someone To Stop Smoking - Without Being A Pest

Many a times you may have asked this same question to people around you over and over again. How to convince someone to stop smoking? Well, the brutal truth is your possibility of being able to do so is close to none. Simple because for most smokers, it's very hard.

Even if you wanted to get yourself to quit, you would find that it takes tremendous discipline and motivation. By that I mean an iron will and a faith much, much bigger than a mustard seed. What's even more troubling is that most young people do not want to stop smoking. Let along the 'seasoned' smokers.

Yes, it is hard. But it is better to already know how to convince someone to stop smoking rather than not knowing at all. Be prepared for the harvesting season. You got good news. It gets a whole lot easier as smokers grow older. Maturity and age does play a part.

It is a known fact that many people give up smoking as they grow older. This is where all your knowledge on how to convince someone to stop smoking becomes really handy. They will be more receptive to listening to your suggestions on how minimize smoking.

This is your golden chance and here you can use more aggresive tactics such as shoving some "hints" out to them. For instance, when you are close to that person try to keep a distance when talking. It is something like both a body language and will make him strain to raise his or her voice a little. Very indirect indeed.

Your true talent on how to convince someone to stop smoking comes into light when you see them "getting it". Here's another move which will be far more effective after those body signals you've sent out.

Ensure all your face-to-face conversations are as usual and keep informing him (or her) how much you want him to quit. Remind him that you really love him so much that you wish they'd stay around for a really, really long time on this earth.

In closing, it was both my kids and my wife that convinced me to stop. It took awhile but I must say, I'm truly thankful to them for teaching me the real truth on how to convince someone to stop smoking.

Michael Benedict is now a happily married father of two wonderful children who is living a smoke free life.

Poem: Uncomfortable

Driven to a place
to sit with strangers.

A special invitation
encouraged by a friend.

Thoughts surround my mind
didn't want to go, but had to
otherwise a hard-earned reputation
would be tarnished.

They won't like me,
I'm one of "them."
I won't like them
they are one of those.

My stomach churns,
reminds me to eat.

Excuses of why I didn't make it the last time, scripted.
I wait for the opportune time to roll them off my tongue.
Maybe I can get out of this one,
before it's too late.

"Forgot something at home
don't bother to wait
just drop me off.
Something came up,
I just got a text.
Maybe next time...
thanks but no thanks!"

The undesirable moment has arrived.

At first glance,
they look annoyed,
yet they smile.
A handshake barely felt.

Sitting and laughing
sitting and laughing
trying to fit in.
This is getting old.

Time for a bathroom break.
Release the stress.
Wash my hands of their germs.
Check my teeth.
Smell my breath.
Wipe my mouth.
Adjust my clothes, my hair.
Good, no flaws they can use against me.

Back to that world where
Daydreams take hold
such an uncomfortable situation
My mind escapes.

playing with hair
why do I fear them?
picking with fingernails
It's just silence, someone will speak again.
stuttering when asked a question
I know my stuff, why did I just do that?
staring out a window
Hope they don't notice, I'm bored.
time is ticking
Did my watch stop working?

Thoughts of anywhere
but here!

At last,
time to go home.
Should have brought my car.
Relief has finally come.

"Nice meeting you."
Not really.

Back to my shelter from a ridiculous world.

Peace.

Nicholl McGuire is a Poet, Blogger and Internet Content Producer. To read more of her work visit here.

How To Quit A Job?

Leaving a job is often a difficult step. Sure, there is the exciting opportunity to do something different, but if have been with an employer for over a year this can become an emotional step. People leave jobs for various reasons. The old job might just plain and simple suck. The pay is lousy and the boss is behaving like a dictator of a 3rd world country. Or the job might be target of outsourcing and the employee is pro-active by looking for his/her own way out. Or the job is a dead end. No opportunity and the daily routine is boring. It could also be that the immediate co-workers and managers are just not as nice and that there is no great work relationship that makes the employee to love to go to work. A not so exciting job can still be a great place to work if you have great co-workers and managers around. Work is about money, but the socializing part is important, too.

We're not trying to get into the reasons for leaving a job here for the matter of this article. However - we want to concentrate on the actual part of resigning from a job. And again - there are several different ways of leaving a job. If you absolutely do not care about your old job you could just leave but this step can have severe impact on your career down the road. Keep in mind that employers like to check the places you worked at before they want to hire you. These sins of the past might come back and hurt your reputation. "Oh, he left that job without any notice. What if he does the same thing to me?" - This could be just one thought a new employer might have. Depending on the job a one week or two week notice should be given. In some cases 3-4 weeks can be appropriate. As higher you get up in the ranks this might be the way to go. An executive leaving a company without taking care of a proper transition might hurt himself if the company gets into problems afterwards and this becomes public knowledge. Treat the employer fair and do not burn any bridges. In the long run this will be the best decision an employee can make.

When resigning you should be prepared to avoid unnecessary stress. In most cases resigning is a stressful event. A well prepared employee can take some stress out of this big step with proper planning. Write a 2 or 3 line letter of resignation. Nothing fancy. Try not to explain why you leave. Just state that you are resigning from your position and let the company know what your last day at work will be. Sign the letter and hand it to the manager you are resigning to. Do not just turn over the letter and walk away. Say that you are resigning and then hand over the letter of resignation. Be prepared to answer questions why you are leaving. Do not make up things. Prepare a quick list of pain points if needed. You might even help your co-workers by giving constructive feedback about certain situations and problems. I personally recommend never to mention the word money as the main reason of leaving. If things come down to money if often gets dirty.

Eventually be prepared for an immediate counter-offer during your resignation. Some companies try to fix the problem of an employee leaving by throwing more money at him/her. Or they want to buy time and pretend giving you more money. They give you more money but work on your replacement at the same time. Things might also work out Ok for a while but when the going gets tough and it comes to layoffs the guy who took the counter-offer might be one of the first ones to be let go because of the cost factor. I see only one situation when it can be good or Ok to accept a counter-offer. Say you are leaving because of the work environment and you are able to point out problems and issues. Some employers are blind about these things and just don't realize how employees feel about certain things. Suddenly a good employees leaves and the issue comes to the surface. Some employers are willing to fix the issue and these are rare situations a counter-offer can be accepted. Still - the employee has to carefully evaluate the situation. It is important to know who you are dealing with from a personal side. Can you trust the employer?

Sometimes a counter-offer can come up during the last few days at a company or shortly after the last day. We have seen cases when counter-offers were made within 60-70 days after the employee left. These situations are not good. I highly recommend not to accept such a counter-offer no matter how tempting the offer is. The employee has to keep in mind that he/she already left. This mark will always stick. One day the employer might be in a different situation and has to decide who to let go first. Will it be the loyal employee who is with the company for 8 years or is it the "Gung-Ho" who left just to be lured back by money and who eventually leaves again if the next employer is willing to hand out even more cash? Make a bet ....

These are just a few things to keep in mind when thinking about resigning from a position. Be prepared. Be strong. Change can be very good for your career.

Christoph Puetz is a successful entrepreneur and international book author.

How To Keep Fit In The Workplace

You can participate in exercises at work to help yourself. Some exercises you can do while working are: Ankle rotation, back stretches, and tightening and relaxing the abdominal muscles.

1. A Foundation for Fitness

You can contribute to your fitness by using a healthy diet and exercise plan. You do not have to start a fad, crash diet or spend hours daily at the gym. To stay fit, cut fatty foods and high sugar foods from your diet, snack on greens and fruits and take long walks every few days. Many people can maintain a healthy body by eating salad for lunch and taking a refreshing jog every other day.

2. Prevent Obesity

Anybody can become obese by for example neglecting themselves. Financial concerns usually takes priority over physical fitness. If you often find yourself pressed for time because of a large project or a looming deadline, there are a few simple exercises you can do right in your cubicle to keep your muscles flexible and your joints strong.

3. What You Should Do

Rotate your ankles to help blood circulation and to loosen muscles and joints. Stretch your back often to help prevent achy back problems. Tighten and relax your abdominal muscles to give your tummy some workout. You can do this in many places because they're discreetly tightening and relaxing muscles.

4. Work Exercises

Abs: Sit on the edge of chair, arms extending in front. Keeping back straight, contract the abs and slowly lower torso towards back of chair. Hold 2-3 seconds and repeat.

Curls: Cross arms over chest and sit up straight. Contract abs and curl shoulder towards hips, pulling abs in. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat.

Standing Hip Flexion: Stand with abs in, spine straight. Lift leg up until level with hip. Hold for 2 seconds, repeat other side.

Leg Lift: In same starting position as above, lift left leg straight out to the side a few inches off the floor. Hold for 2 seconds, repeat on the other side.

Leah Gorecki

For more great fitness related articles and resources.

Stress Equals Overeating, Overworking

Which comes first the stress or the overeating and the overworking, that is the million dollars question, millions of dollars that is; in health care, prescriptions, therapist bills. The true story, all we have to do is find balance in our lives and that means in all areas; the right amount of hours of working; the right times to eat; eat the right foods; the right amount of exercise; the right amount of time for play and recreation; the right amount of time for the family and for our spiritual growth. This all balanced out will release the stress factor in our life and our overeating at work will disappear and it will reduce the pains of overworking.

When we don't find the time to grocery shop for our health, there we are at the vending machine getting a quick snack of food with no nutritional value, hitting the box of donuts or bagels that some one brought in as an incentive to get your business, or even worse, stopping at the donut shop for your breakfast because you did not have time to fix something of value at home. This kind of food is on every street corner and they make it very convenient to just "drive thru". It takes all of our will power not to fall into this trap.

The solution for this, look at ways you can reduce stress at work, take action in eliminating them to the best of your personal ability, take healthy snacks to work for when you just have to feed that stressful situation, eat breakfast, find restaurants close by that serve healthy dishes, find a health buddy at work so you can encourage each other when the down times come; have green tea at your desk for a quick pick up without caffeine and/or sugar.

Health problems, mostly stress related, cost employers $13 billion dollars a year, this is every reason your employer would appreciate your efforts in staying healthy and stress free, let them know and ask if there isn't a plan that could be developed to reduce their amount of these billions of dollars and assist in making that plan happen.

We are at work more than we are at home, we deserve to have it be a healthy, happy, functional, safe place to be.

Thought for the Day
: "We do not go into the wilderness to escape from life. We go to keep life from escaping us. -Naturalists source unknown-

My mission is to teach and encourage individuals how to find and maintain their balance in mind, body, spirit connection, which brings peace, joy and prosperity into their lives. They learn how to experience the joy of balanced living. I accomplish this thru my Wellness Coach Program which i offer to individuals and corporations.

by Darlene Siddons

Body Odor & Menopause - Three Things Women Need to Know About Hyperhidrosis and What to Do About It

Everyone knows that hot flashes are a frequent complication of menopause. But if that's not bad enough, the hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating, caused by menopause is also a major contributor to body odor. Here are four things women need to know about excessive perspiration and how to prevent the odor it can cause.

1. Hot flashes sometimes get "hotter" as a result of medication. Many medications cause excessive perspiration. Just a few of them are:
· Aspirin· Buproprion (Wellbutrin) · Citalopram (Celexa) · Chlomipramine (Anafranil) · Clozapine (Clozaril) · Duloxetine (Cymbalta) · Escitalopram (Lexapro) · Fluoxetine (Prozac) · Fluvoxamine (Effexor) · Goserelin (Zoladex) · Insulin · Niacin, nicotinamide (Niaspan) · Rituximab (Rituxin) · Ropinirole (Requip) · Sertraline (Zoloft) · and Tositumomab (Bexxar)

In the most extreme cases, sweat can literally drip from the hands to the floor. Bacteria trapped with sweat can cause a cheesy odor that offends others and distresses the person with the condition.
To remove sweat from the body or keep sweat from soaking the body, the number one element is personal hygiene, or in other words, bathing regularly.

2. Washing: Daily showers with soap and water are necessary. In some cases it may be necessary to shower twice a day or more. Be sure to use warm water. Hot water can cause flaking of the skin, which provides additional food for odor-causing bacteria. Cold water stops perspiration for a time, but then the shock of returning to a warmer environment makes sweating even worse.

Also, pat or air dry skin, but don't rub yourself dry with a towel. Rubbing can loosen dead skin and clog pores. Finally, be sure always to use clean washcloths and towels, to avoid reinfecting yourself with the bacteria you just washed off!

Taking a soak in the tub is just as effective as taking a shower, but be sure to be careful about soaking in hot water for more than 15 minutes. Long, hot soaks can dry out the skin and provide bacteria with an additional food source.

3. Antibacterial soap: There are many good soap products on the market that will kill the bacteria that is present in skin. By killing bacteria that thrives in a sweaty environment, one reduces the amount of odor caused by perspiration.

One precaution: Don't use antibacterial soap on dry skin unless you also use a moisturizer. Antibacterial soaps, like all scented soaps, can dry out the skin.

And the fourth thing women need to know about body odor and menopause.

Getting Your Boss to Listen to Your Ideas - Four Questions That Will Earn You the Right to Be Heard

Have you ever experienced a situation where your boss didn't seem interested in listening to your ideas? Have you ever been frustrated by not being able to get to first base selling a worthwhile concept to upper management? Have you ever been tempted to stop trying all together? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, maybe you need to brush up your skills in the fine art of earning the right to be heard.

I would suggest there are four questions that all decision makers need to have answered before they can comfortably and confidently approve any idea. For those of us able to both identify these four questions and formulate appropriate answers for each, the probability of our concerns being heard and acted upon increases greatly. Consider the following four.

Question 1: How much is it going to cost?
No self-respecting manager would ever approve any proposal unless armed with this answer. Therefore, take the time to do your homework up-front. Be prepared, but be honest. Never over-estimate or pad the numbers! Others may, but for those of us wishing to earn the right to be heard, the risk is too great. If decision makers believe you're playing games with them, they may let you play somewhere else.

Question 2: What are the benefits?
This may be the most important question to be answered. Benefits serve decision makers as both reason and motivation for taking action. Whenever we sell any idea we should be prepared with as many tangible benefits as possible. However, be careful. Only benefits which are legitimate and defensible should be included. Even one benefit that is not legitimate or defensible may serve to make the entire list suspect in the mind of the decision maker.

Question 3: How long will it take?
Time is money. Therefore, we need to offer decision makers a realistic expectation of the time required to get our recommendation up and running. However, contrary to my earlier advice regarding question number one, always over-estimate the length of time expected for the project to be completed. Create a specific implementation plan that will allow you to position yourself in such a way as to always be under time and under budget.

Question 4: What happens if we don't do it?
This is a favorite question of many decision makers. After listening to your well-prepared case for a certain action to be taken, many decision makers may seem compelled to consider the downside of the equation. Don't despair, prepare. Prepare yourself with a ready response for this predictable question. My suggestion? "Boss, if you decide not to approve this proposal, I will accept your decision. However, let me remind you of the benefits which will not be realized as a result of your decision here today." Then immediately refer to the earlier list of legitimate and defensible benefits.
Will leaders always be successful in getting what they want when following the approach outlined above? Of course not. However, even if we don't get what we want, we may still be successful in creating quality "face time" with the appropriate decision makers. After all, the first step to getting to "yes," is earning the right to be heard.

Phillip Van Hooser is a leadership expert and best selling author. His management training system, The Leadership Journey, have been used by companies all across the U.S. and beyond to help their people become more successful leaders. When his strategies are implemented, organizations and individuals experience lower turnover rates and higher productivity, enjoy improved management/employee relations and understand how to motivate today's "new breed" of employee. For more information, please visit http://www.vanhooser.com

Excessive Work and Sexual Difficulties and Problems

When we get enough experience with sexual activities, we reach a stage where we conclude that such activities are best done in a proper mental and physical state. We find ourselves relaxed, free from tiredness, away from distractions, etc. Involving in sexual acts while the above factors do not favor, result in very negative behaviors, leaving us unsatisfied or we fail to perform sexually. Excessive work and sexual difficulties go hand-to-hand today due to the current hectic lifestyle and for the need to earn more.

Excessive work and sexual difficulties have become a common syndrome now. You can find many people suffer very much due to excessive work that results in fatigue, lack of time and, above all, a constant stressful mental state. Many busy people report leading a very unsatisfactory sexual life due to the long working hours or due to their busy schedule. Some people feel so tired and sleepy that they prefer rest than sex. Some find their sexual frequency badly affected by their busy schedule. Some find negative changes in sexual behavior. Many couples, who used to have sex almost every night before, now report to have just once or twice a month after both of them got busy in work.

Excessive work and sexual difficulties affect the lives of many people, both men and women. In fact, women tend to lose out more. The relationship between excessive work and sexual difficulties seems deep-rooted. If you are tired, you do not find the desire or strength left for sex. A stressful workload or busy schedule very badly affects the sexual life, and it even can cause several sexual disorders.

The relation between excessive work and sexual difficulties also result in many other problems when it comes to sharing intimate moments in the bed. Many people report different symptoms such as: difficulty to experience orgasm, unable to relax in bed, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction, inadequate foreplay resulting in unsatisfactory ending of the act, irritability during the intimate moments, and in some cases even breaking up of relationship.

Busy individuals are warned unless they find a way out and try to have enough free time and approach sex when they are fresh both physically and mentally, their suffering will increase over time. This can give rise to many other physical and emotional complications. Couples have to take this matter more seriously and honestly. They have to cooperate fully with each other and increase understanding and tolerance. The results will certainly be more encouraging.

Ryan Mutt

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Seven Lessons Learned From Bad Bosses

As a human resources professional, I've worked with all sorts of managers and have seen my fair share of bad bosses and tyrants. I have compiled a few of the lessons I've learned along the way on how not to manage employees and sincerely hope that these lessons will help you become the great leader that you know you can be:

Lesson 1: Don't Share Too Much Information (TMI) - Your direct report is an employee of the company and not your counselor, confidante or BFF (Best Friend Forever). Employees really don't want to or need to know the intimate details of your personal life, really. One manager actually told me during a one on one meeting with her that her mother never found out about all the black men she had slept with. Bonding session? I think not. You put your employees in an uncomfortable position when you divulge too much private information. Discussing what you did with the kids over the weekend is fine, discussing your love life, not so much.

Lesson 2: Give Constructive Instead of Crushing Criticism - Check out this scenario - An employee feels like he's doing a fantastic job, he constantly exceeds your expectations and you've given him good feedback on his performance during the year. It's the end of the year and time for the annual performance review; said employee is sitting across from your desk waiting eagerly for you to formalize in the review what you've been telling him throughout the review period. Suddenly, you inform him that although he's done great work, his humor is off-putting and he made a comment 6 months ago that you thought was kind of racist.

If you wanted to thank your employee for a job well done, correct any bad behavior and motivate him for another year, you have effectively done the opposite. As a manager, you're supposed to build relationships with your direct report. This includes giving immediate feedback and finding an effective and sensitive way to give constructive criticism. After his review, the employee had a long conversation with HR; he was clearly upset and disillusioned.

Lesson 3: Don't be Intimidated by Your Direct Reports' Intellect - As a manager, you're paid to ensure that you motivate and bring out the best in your employees. With companies reaching the productivity frontier and everyone scrambling for a competitive advantage, it's even more important to encourage employees to think creatively and to support innovation. As a leader, your employees want to impress you with their creativity and ideas. So don't follow the example of a Director at a large insurance company that would compete with her direct reports at meetings and say things such as, "I thought of that already" anytime one of her employees would make a suggestion. You're the manager and as such are expected to nurture and encourage employees, not get into a contest of how smart you are. We know you have to have some intellect otherwise you wouldn't be a manager. Making your employees look bad instead of making them shine in front of others just makes you look petty.

Lesson 4: Never Belittle Your Employees - One Vice President I knew seemed to derive pleasure from making her direct reports look and feel stupid and small. When she received a completed assignment from an employee she would hurriedly review it, looking for mistakes. If she found any, she would gleefully point it out to the employee; you could see her almost salivating with excitement. In addition, this manager would make belittling comments to her direct reports, such as "well now that you took the stairs, maybe you'll lose some weight". She couldn't help herself! Managers should be mindful of their employees' feelings (yes, employees do have feelings!). You don't have to make everyone else look bad or feel small in order to make yourself look good.

Lesson 5: Stay Objective - There was one manager I worked with that would either really like or really despise her direct reports. Once, she hired a new employee on her team who, it appeared could do no wrong. All the other team members called her the manager's pet. Until one day, the employee and manager disagreed on an issue. The manager took the disagreement as a personal affront, told the employee that she was very disappointed in her behavior (the employee hadn't wanted to attend a company holiday party) and began to overly criticize the employee's work from that day on.

As a manager, understand that your employees can have and express a different viewpoint from yours; in fact this should be encouraged. Don't take it personally when your employee doesn't always agree with you and more importantly don't punish the employee for it.

Lesson 6: Don't be a Wimp! - We understand that decision-making and authority is sometimes centralized in organizations, it becomes frustrating to employees however when their manager can't make a single decision without having to consult someone higher up. There was a Director that I worked with that couldn't make a decision without vetting it with the Vice President of the division. Her direct reports would wait endlessly for a response to a simple, routine question. To make matters worse, the Vice President would berate the Director at team meetings and the Director would take the abuse like a wounded dog. She never stood up for herself! The rest of the team would cringe at the sight of the Director being talked to like a naughty little girl and quickly lost respect for her. At the very least, the Director should have pulled the Vice President aside and informed her that she would appreciate it if the VP didn't tell her off in front of her staff.

Work out with your manager what types of decisions you can make autonomously so that you appear to have some authority and don't become a bottleneck. Also, it's never okay to take abuse from your superiors.

Lesson 7: Don't be Afraid to Admit You Made a Mistake. - Everyone makes mistakes, even you! The biggest mistake you can make as a manager is to never admit when you've made one.
There was a Vice President at an international Fortune 100 company that would do anything to cover up the fact that he had made a mistake, including blaming his team, pointing the finger at his peers and throwing temper tantrums. The funny thing was that his team soon caught on and he became a laughing stock. When you admit your gaffes, you're telling your team that you're human and that you are holding yourself to the same high standards that you hold them to. You're also telling them that it's okay to fail, sometimes. Some of the world's best innovations were created through trial and error. There's absolutely nothing wrong in apologizing and saying "my bad". Then you can go about the business of fixing the problem instead of trying to look good.

I hope you've picked up a lesson or two from the above. Remember, as a boss, it's your job to ensure that your employees are coming to work for more than just a pay check, that's when you cross the realm from boss to leader.

Busola Olatilu is a Human Resources and Management Consultant with over 10 years of experience in HR. She has a Master's Degree in HR Management and an MBA.

The Potential to Be Harmed by the Process of a Business

I have used this portion of definition for my title because it brings us to the heart of the matter of risk assessment. What is a risk assessment? Risk assessments are processes used by employers because they are duty bound to consider and identify any and all risks in their business that are potentially harmful.

At Home and Abroad
Employers are obligated to address these things at home or in the field and make changes that are reasonably practicable to manage them. These could be risks to employees, suppliers, sub-contractors and to the public as well. There are five major components to every risk assessment:

- Identifying all hazards
- Conclude what is potentially dangerous and who is affected by it
- Evaluate said risks and create a contingency (precautions) to manage it
- Make a record of all findings and employ the action plan to meet the needs of safety
- Make regularly scheduled reviews of all risk assessment policies and update them accordingly
- Making a Plan

After the risk assessment plan is complete, it will be necessary to create an action plan that adequately addresses the issues. The emphasis of any plan needs to be on making the improvements necessary to ensure safety. The need following that would then be to perform regular reviews to assess effectiveness and to address any changes that may develop from day to day.

Many employers can do these things in house. There are trained professionals however, who are established at doing risk assessment planning to incorporate all issues at any scale. Often the situation warrants such involvement. This is especially true for issues that deal with things such as water hygiene, disability access, fire prevention and asbestos. This is just to mention a few. The old adage comes to mind- "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Herb

How to Quit Drinking and Start Living Again - Get Back Your Life Without Going to AA Meetings!

If you can't seem to stop drinking no matter what you do and find your life spinning out of control, then this may be the most important article you ever read. I have been exactly where you are at right now! I was desperate to know how to quit drinking. All I wanted was to have a normal life again. I have that life now and so can you! And you don't have to go to AA meetings to do it!

My drinking career lasted about 25 years. The last ten or so were pure hell. My marriage was falling apart, I was bouncing from job to job, I had hangovers all the time and I frequently made an ass of myself in public. I was a terrible father to my infant son and basically unavailable to the people who loved me. My days were spent drinking from the time I got up in the early morning until passing out in the evening. No matter how drunk I got though, I remember waking up every night around 3:00 AM feeling terrified and depressed. I'd lay there staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep and sick with worry about what was happening to me. I'd make a promise to myself that the next day, things would be different. No more drinking for me!

The next day I'd get up and do it all over again.

I couldn't live with alcohol and I couldn't live without it. My life was unbearable. I wanted to die but couldn't do that to my family. All I wanted was to know how to quit drinking and start living again!

But how?
Alcoholics Anonymous saved my life and I haven't had a drink in years. It worked for me but I am one of the very few success stories. I have become concerned in recent years about the very high failure rate of AA and would like to offer advice to those who are looking for another way. Despite what many hardcore members of AA will tell you, it IS possible to overcome your drinking problem without going to AA meetings. There are some basic fundamentals that must become a part of your thinking and your way of life:

• You must recognize that your body cannot tolerate alcohol. Treat it like you would a serious allergy because that is basically what it is. The idea that you can drink casually needs to be buried!
• You must value your sobriety above everything else! Getting sober and staying sober must be your #1 priority. If it isn't, you won't have anything else anyway.
• You will have a much greater chance for success if you hang stop hanging around heavy drinkers. Try to surround yourself with people who don't live to get drunk.
• You need to have a belief in a power greater than yourself. This has been difficult for people who have trouble with the idea of God. However, you can be successful just by believing in something and it can be entirely your own concept. People have chosen a doorknob as their higher power!

Here is something else that may appeal to you which may be the best part of all. What if there was a discreet and much easier and quicker way?

What if you could reduce your craving for alcohol or drugs quickly, safely, naturally and inexpensively and make your chances for a full recovery from alcohol addiction a certainty?
You are the only one who knows what will happen if you don't take action to stop your drinking!

My best to you on your journey to a new sober and wonderful life!