Work Ethic Archives - Manpower Maine

Tag: Work Ethic

Latest News
February 18, 20200

Tips to Thrive – Healthy Habits at Work

Improving and maintaining your health isn’t an activity that has to be reserved for your personal time. In fact, there a number of habits that you can build into your workday that will not only help you stay healthy and strong, they will also make work a more enjoyable place to be!

Take Your Breaks

Breaks are an excellent opportunity to squeeze some ‘me time’ into your day and recharge your mental batteries, allowing you to return to work with better focus and a more positive attitude. As tempting as it may be to skip them when you have lots to catch up on, taking a few moments away from your workstation is important to your health and can even improve your results!

Pack a Healthy Lunch

Brown bagging it isn’t just a great way to save money every week; it also gives you more control over the food options available to you. Packing your lunch will help you ensure that you have access to healthy, enjoyable foods to keep you fueled for success throughout the day!

Stand and Stretch Frequently

Frequent standing and stretching are good for your health no matter what kind of work you do, but is it especially important to build these habits if you work in a sedentary job. Frequent movement and stretching will help promote good circulation, ease stiffness and pain, improve energy and focus, and prevent injury.
 

Listen to Music

Playing music at work can help lift your spirits and set the pace for a happy, productive day. It’s hard to avoid the energizing effects of listening to music you enjoy – at times you may even find yourself moving along to the beat at your desk! This will help your day fly by and make the time you have to spend at work more enjoyable – so if it’s allowed in your work environment, don’t miss out.

Want more tips to help you thrive in the world of work? Click below.
Latest News
February 17, 20200

Ask Manpower: Staying Active in Sit Down Job

Ask Manpower:

I sit at work all day. Do you have any suggestions on how I can stay active in a sedentary job?

As the population becomes increasingly health conscious in addition to watching their diet, they look for ways to stay physically active as well. If you have a job that requires you to stay moving, like retail or warehousing – chances are you are easily getting in your daily steps and keeping your blood flowing. But, since a significant amount of your day is spent at work, if you have a job that is rather sedentary such as a desk job, you may need to find some creative ways to promote movement.

Take Your Scheduled Breaks

It is rather easy to get hyper-focused on your work or pressed for deadlines and forge through your day by foregoing allotted breaks. This is especially common in companies that do not have planned departmental breaks and leave it up to team members to manage their own time. Taking your breaks is not only important for your mental health it is important to your physical health as well. At breaktime make sure you get up and move. If you like to use your breaks to catch up on email, personal calls, or a little social media banter – take advantage of the mobility a phone offers and take care of business or decompress while on the move.

Schedule in Stretch Breaks

No matter how ergonomic your workstation is, if you spend a lot of time there you are bound to get stiff. Work regular stretch breaks into your day; we would even recommend frequently sprinkling them in briefly around your traditional breaks. The practice of sprinkling in stretch exercises will provide multiple opportunities to improve circulation, release tension, improve focus & productivity, and reduce pain.

Stand Up Whenever You Can

Would it be ideal for everyone to have convertible workstations that allow for both sitting and standing? Yes, of course. However, convertible workstations are often costly, and it may not be an affordable or practical solution for all companies. That being said, finding opportunities to stand while you are working does not have to be limited to those that have fully adjustable or mobile workstations. For instance, you can take the opportunity to stand when you are on a phone call.

Not only will standing up help you remain active, it can also help you exude more confidence and increase the overall energy of the call. If you have a brief meeting scheduled, consider having everyone stand – in addition to helping people improve blood flow, it can also help you keep the meeting moving along.

Find a Walking Partner

When grabbing your bag for work, why not throw in a pair of sneakers and find yourself a walking buddy? Not only will finding yourself a walking partner help you get moving and keep you accountable in your efforts to stay active, but it will help you build healthy relationships with your peers. You don’t need a fancy track or groomed trail, just open the door and start walking and see where the road takes you.

When walking, relax your mind, chat about things that bring you joy, and avoid bringing negative energy by engaging in petty office gossip or belaboring all the work stressors.

Listen to Music

There is something about music that just makes the day go faster, increases your energy, improves your focus, and just helps you get into your work. With the right music playing you can’t help but want to move, whether simply tapping your feet, moving your shoulders, or having a quick little dance party that would compete with the likes of Ellen DeGeneres. Of course you may want to temper back your moves just a bit to not call too much attention to yourself – but go on and subtly get your groove on.

Let Manpower Help Keep Your Career Healthy!

Contact one of our staffing experts today!
Latest News
February 16, 20200

PowerYOU: Manage Stress

As a Manpower Associate, one major benefit offered is access to over 4,000 FREE online training programs.

Stress; we all have it. Personal stresses. Professional stresses. We have all become adept at handling minor stresses, but in times of more heightened stress levels, everyone could benefit from having some added tools to help us cope with and manage it. Without effective strategies to deal with it, stress can have a negative impact on your mental and physical health.

In this month’s PowerYOU spotlight, we are shining a light on an online presentation called: Take a Deep Breath and Manage Your Stress. Topics covered in this 6 segment training are:

The Toll That Stress Takes

Walk away better understanding the overall impact stress has on you.

Beyond Just a Feeling: What Is Stress

Take away a basic understanding of what stress actually is.

The Signs of Burnout

Are you mildly stressed? Or have you crossed the line to being burned out?

Tips to Cope

Here you will receive some practical tips to help you more effectively cope with stress.

The ABC Model: Moving from Negative to Positive

An easy to remember model that you can implement right away to change your thinking.

Putting the ABC Model to Work

Another practical take-away that you can start practicing right away to improve your stress levels.

Access this free training and THOUSANDS of others as a Manpower Associate by clicking below and creating an account.

Latest News
February 12, 20200

Healthy Habits at Work: Lunches

It’s Monday morning, you’re rushing to leave for work for work on time, and as you open the front door, you remember that you didn’t pack a lunch. It looks like you’ll be ordering out – again!
We get it – figuring out healthy lunches for the workweek can be tricky, especially if you’re frequently pressed for time or you’re just not that into cooking. However, the benefits of enjoying a balanced, satisfying meal during your workday far outweigh the minor inconvenience of a little food prep. You’ll feel better, have more energy, and be better able to tackle problems with your improved mental focus.

Here are some examples of easy workweek lunches that can help fuel your success:

Lunchables 2.0

If you need variety to feel satisfied with a meal, putting together a snack plate of nutrient rich foods is a great option. Consider including things like sliced veggies, hummus, your favorite deli meat or a pouch of tuna, hard boiled eggs, nuts and cheese, avocado/guacamole, and pretzels. The combinations are endless! If you feel like a treat, throw in a little sweet surprise to round out your meal.

Super Salads

Salads get a bad rap, but they don’t have to be boring! Start with a generous helping of your favorite greens, and then add a protein – tuna, leftover chicken, or hard-boiled eggs are easy options. Then, to make things more fun for your palate, include a few tasty add-ons, such as: nuts, avocado, fresh fruit, cheese, your favorite sliced vegetables, and/or your favorite salad dressing.

Smoothies

Do you tend to eat smaller meals during the day and enjoy a larger meal in the evening? Or maybe you’re working on the road and don’t have much time to spend eating lunch? In either case, smoothies can be a fast and satisfying choice! The options are endless here, too – start with a base like fruit juice, milk, or coconut water, and your favorite fruit(s) – fresh or frozen are both fine. Add a handful of greens and a serving of healthy fat like nut butter or flaxseeds. If you want to get fancy with it you can add some superfood or protein powder, but these are optional.

Sandwiches/Wraps

Would any workweek lunch list be complete without the dearly beloved sandwich or wrap? They’re classics for a reason – they’re easy to assemble, easy to eat, and if you fill them with the right things, they can tame your hunger for the rest of your shift! Get some fiber by starting with whole grain bread or a wrap, then add your favorite protein, some thinly sliced veggies, and a healthy but tasty spread like hummus or mashed avocado. Enjoy with a piece of fresh fruit and you’re good to go!

Leftovers: The Remix

Get creative with your leftovers as if you were auditioning for Food Network’s Chopped! What can you do with last night’s dinner to put a fresh spin on it for today’s lunch? Perhaps you could make an egg scramble using leftover protein and veggies, or stuff them into some pita bread with a bit of cheese and heat it up for a DIY Hot Pocket! Repurposing leftovers is an excellent way to cut food costs while still enjoying variety in your meals.

Keep in mind that nutritional and dietary needs vary from person to person, so this list is just a basic starting point – you can add, omit, or combine items from the list above according to your personal needs and preferences.

If you’re really pressed for time in the morning and simply can’t make lunch each day, consider prepping your weekly lunches ahead of time on a day when you do have some flexibility in your schedule. Getting into the habit of packing healthy lunches that you enjoy will help set you (and your appetite) up for success for years to come!

When it comes to navigating the world of work – Manpower is here to help! 
Latest News
December 23, 20190

Back to Basics: Digital Communication in the Workplace

As time has goes on we all have become increasingly dependent on technology for a bulk of our communication. Emailing, texting, messaging, and who knows what advances are yet to come. While digital communication has many upsides, such as convenience and speed, it has its fair share of pitfalls too.

Some important components of communication are hard to gauge in writing such as tone, inflection, and of course body language. This means that we have to be even more diligent and purposeful in our digital interactions.

Keep It Professional

While it is easy to fire off a text and throw in a couple cute emojis or send off an email with a quick question, when doing so on the job you should tread carefully and keep it professional. Taking the time to open with a quick and friendly greeting, paying close attention to spelling and grammar, and using appropriate punctuation will go a long way in your written communications and increase the likelihood of being taken seriously as a professional.

When communicating with anyone, it is best to know your audience. Avoiding slang terminology, acronyms, and excessive exclamation marks will help ensure your message is seen as workplace appropriate. While you want your personality to shine through sometimes, it is also recommended that you avoid getting too creative with your background settings, signatures, fonts, and the colors you use.

Keep It Professional

One key to a successful and comfortable work environment for all is to speak and behave in a professional manner. The workplace is not an appropriate setting to ask intrusive & personal questions, tell insensitive or raunchy jokes, or engage in controversial conversations that are outside the scope of why you are there in the first place.  When engaging in friendly conversation with fellow staff, always keep it professional. If the conversation steers into a direction that you feel crosses the line, politely acknowledge that perhaps this is not something that you wish to discuss in the workplace.  Taking that approach allows you to clarify a boundary while also not putting the other person on the defensive.

Respect Digital Boundaries

The ease of access that technology offers is most certainly one of the biggest perks. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that you respect digital boundaries. Spamming people, inappropriately replying to all, or not using the BCC feature when sending a mass email are common missteps that people make that demonstrate a lack of respect of digital boundaries.

Unsolicited private messages through platforms like Facebook or Twitter are to be avoided. Most people conduct business communications through specific channels, and it is important to respect those boundaries. Unless you have been invited to engage someone through social media or texting on a business issue, it is best that you stick to more traditional communication methods.

Be Clear & Concise

When sending written communication, the best practice is to be clear and concise. Sending lengthy emails may at times be unavoidable, but in most cases, less is more. When sending a text, you want to keep the message within 160 characters to ensure it goes through as an individual message. In email you want to take the time to be clear and concise, and when appropriate make good use of bullets, formatting, and white space.

If there is an intended outcome of the message, for example you are expecting a reply make sure you bring the reader’s attention to that request. You can do this by highlighting the information and request a reply in your opening, or you could use of text formatting (such as making the request in bold) to draw the person in.

Avoid Reading Into Things

As mentioned before, there are a lot of non-verbal cues that are missing from written communication. It is often difficult to interpret things such as tone or sarcasm in writing, which can create unintended conflict or worry. When on the receiving end of an email, be careful to not start reading in between the lines. If you ever find yourself questioning what is being said, or more importantly how it is being said – take the time to ask. By getting clarification you will likely save yourself a ton of worry and frustration.

Digital Is Not Always Best

There are times when it is best to just pick up the phone or go see someone in person. Not only can digital communication come across as impersonal, there are times when the message will be more properly received by hearing tone or seeing body language. In addition, there are some conversations you may have that you do not necessarily want in writing. If ever in doubt about whether technology is the best method for communication, it is best to air on the side of caution and pick up the phone or set up a meeting.

When it comes to navigating the world of work – Manpower is here to help!
Latest News
November 26, 20190

Back to Basics: Boundaries In The Workplace

Establishing healthy and professional boundaries in the world of work is a critical component to long-term success for both companies and employees. Having boundaries in place sets a strong foundation for a productive, safe, and respectful work environment for all.

In addition to respecting boundaries that the organization sets such as job limitations, where to park, off-limit areas, chain of command, and any general policy – it is also necessary to be mindful of interpersonal boundaries set by those we work with.

Recognize The Boundaries of Your Job

Some of the most important boundaries you have as an employee are those which your job description outlines. What this means is that it is important for all team members to (within reason) stay in our professional lanes. For example, unless you were hired to manage people, you need to refrain from acting like someone’s manager by questioning their whereabouts or level of performance. This also means when working as a team to effectively share the workload and not try to control it all.  A respectful work environment is one where we can all chip in and help others when appropriate or provide feedback as a way to support – but it also means that we need to be mindful of where those boundaries are and avoid crossing them.

Keep It Professional

One key to a successful and comfortable work environment for all is to speak and behave in a professional manner. The workplace is not an appropriate setting to ask intrusive & personal questions, tell insensitive or raunchy jokes, or engage in controversial conversations that are outside the scope of why you are there in the first place.  When engaging in friendly conversation with fellow staff, always keep it professional. If the conversation steers into a direction that you feel crosses the line, politely acknowledge that perhaps this is not something that you wish to discuss in the workplace.  Taking that approach allows you to clarify a boundary while also not putting the other person on the defensive.

Practice Good Time Management

Time in and of itself is a boundary. There is a set amount in a day and it is up to each person to make the most of it. Your work schedule is a finite amount of time that you are supposed to be dedicating to accomplishing your job duties. This means during those hours your work should be your number one focus. The first step in practicing good time management is to show up on time (every time) for your scheduled shift. While you are working limit distractions, focus on your work, and be respectful of other people’s time. Minutes matter, so work to be mindful of how you are spending yours and how you may be affecting others.

Review Your Employee Handbook

Your employee handbook is a tool for your long-term success at any company. Make sure you are taking the time to read through your employee handbook as soon as you receive it. Doing so will ensure that you are familiarizing yourself with any policies and boundaries your employer has set and expects you to follow. When reading through this employee guide, you should make special note of any rules being set and write down any questions that you may have so you can seek out clarity from your supervisor. Once you have read through the manual, be sure to put it somewhere that you will be able to access it later should you have any questions. Keep in mind that company policies will evolve over time and the company may update them and notify staff – be sure to read and save any updates you receive.

Be Prepared to Communicate

Unspoken or unclear boundaries do no one any favors. We are not suggesting that you have a list of personal boundaries that you cover with all of your co-workers, but you need to know what your boundaries are and be able to openly and honestly communicate them as needed. For example, let’s say you do not want to get caught up in workplace gossip or politics. If you find yourself in a conversation where gossip comes up, politely tell them you do not want to participate in that kind of discussion and try to steer the conversation in a more appropriate direction. If your attempts to redirect are unsuccessful, politely remove yourself from the discussion.

Setting boundaries and being prepared to address violations does not have to be confrontational. A best practice once you identify your boundaries is to ensure you follow them consistently. If you violate your own boundary by gossiping about another co-worker it will create confusion and conflict. Be confident, be respectful, and be consistent.

When it comes to navigating the world of work – Manpower is here to help!
Latest News
November 26, 20190

Tips to Thrive At Work – Boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries can be a difficult exercise for even the most seasoned professional. We all want to build strong relationships in the workplace but also must ensure that we don’t overstep or contribute to an uncomfortable or unproductive environment.

Respect Personal Space

Everyone has different needs regarding their personal space. Even with the best of intentions, doing things like standing too closely, handling someone’s personal belongings, or touching someone without permission – even just a pat on the shoulder or touch of the arm – could leave someone you work with feeling like their personal physical boundaries have been crossed. Be mindful and considerate of other people’s boundaries to ensure a comfortable work environment for your entire team.  #TipsToThrive #WorldOfWork #ManpowerMaine #BackToBasics

Follow The Rules

Most companies have detailed rules and policies about what is acceptable and unacceptable in the workplace. These are clear boundaries that have been established to create a safe, fair, and productive setting where employees can be effective in working towards common goals. It is your responsibility to follow these rules and do your part to support a culture of success. #TipsToThrive #WorldOfWork #ManpowerMaine #BackToBasics

Respect People’s Time

There’s a lot to do during the workday, and only so much time to do it – so in addition to managing your own time well, it’s important to respect the time of your teammates. Focus on completing your work in a timely manner so that others have what they need to be successful, and avoid being a source of unnecessary distractions – especially when people are feeling pressed for time. #TipsToThrive #WorldOfWork #ManpowerMaine #BackToBasics
 

Don’t Get Too Personal

It’s natural to develop friendly relationships with the people you work with, but when professional boundaries get crossed and you divulge information that is too personal, it can negatively impact those relationships and create obstacles to success in the workplace.  To avoid awkwardness and prevent your personal life from compromising your professional reputation, steer clear of oversharing. #TipsToThrive #WorldOfWork #ManpowerMaine #BackToBasics

 Want More Tips?

Click on the links below to access other tips we have shared throughout this series.

   
     
     
 
Latest News
October 17, 20190

Hacking Work: Cooperation Video Tips

Everything can be hacked, even the workplace. Manpower is ready to help you hack the world of work with some simple tips to thrive that will keep you moving in the right direction professionally.

The world of work runs much more smoothly when everyone works together – which is why every hiring manager looks for people who are cooperative team players. But what does being a team player look like in the workforce? Here are a few quick video tips covering some essential practices.

 Looking for More Helpful Work Hacks?