Employment – Do You Know Your Rights?
Do you know your rights?Your rights are governed by your contract of employment and by the law. Your contract does not have to be written. But, if you are an employee, once you work for your employer continuously for 2 months, you are entitled to a written record of the most important terms of your employment. You have different rights if you are ‘self-employed’, rather than ‘employee’.Legal protectionWhat rights you have will depend, to some extent, on whether you are ‘employee’ or ‘self-employed’. Generally, employees have more legal protection than the self-employed. There is no precise, legal, definition of these terms. All the circumstances, and especially the overall picture they paint, are relevant. Generally speaking, you are more likely to be an employee if you have to do your duties personally, if your employer can tell you how to do your job, and if you cannot work for more than one employer at any given time.Minimum rightsYour contract may be in a letter or a formal agreement. It may even be verbal. Normally, at least some rights will be written. If an employee, you are entitled to receive a written statement of the most important terms of your employment.The law sets certain minimum rights. Your employer cannot give you less than what the law offers. If you did not agree to certain matters, your legal rights will apply automatically. They deal with matters such as minimum pay, minimum holidays, maximum working hours and right to maternity and paternity leave.You also have certain rights which are often unwritten or unspoken (‘implied’ rights). They include the right to:(i) be paid wages;(ii) have your employer take reasonable care of your health and safety;(iii) in some cases, receive work;(iv) have trust and faith in your employer; and(v) receive reasonable notice to end the employment (if your contract does not set a notice period).Breach of contractYour employer cannot normally change the terms of your contract without your agreement. To do so, is a breach of contract. However, if you don’t agree to the changes, your employer might decide to dismiss you. Depending on the circumstances, the dismissal may be ‘unfair’ and / or ‘wrongful’. If the changes have exceptionally serious effect on you, you may be able to resign and seek compensation for ‘constructive dismissal’.Complying with the lawIf your employer breaches any of your rights, you should speak to them. If necessary, make a written complaint and issue a formal grievance. Most employers want to comply with the law. So, a change should take place. If nothing happens, and you are a union member, see if it can help.If you want to recover compensation, you could bring legal action. You should take full legal advice first. Most complaints will be heard at a local employment tribunal.You must make sure that your claim arrives at the tribunal within 3 months. This begins from the date your employer breached your rights or, if you were dismissed or resigned, the ‘effective date of termination’. The effective date of termination is normally your last day at work. Only in truly exceptional circumstances will the tribunal allow you to make a later complaint.If your claim is successful, the tribunal is likely to say that your employer should honour your rights. You are also likely to recover compensation. Where relevant, the tribunal will say what the terms of your employment are.If you would like to find out more about the services that we provide, please visit our website http://www.mfgsolicitors.com
Gadgets That Can Be Worn
Unlike what many people are aware of it is possible for technology to be worn. There are many gadgets at disposal today and they help by keeping the wearer entertained and connected all the time. As a way of making lives simpler a number of gadgets have been developed. In addition to wearing them, it is possible to carry them. Therefore, they will make you appear unique, and they are cool. The elegant gadgets satisfy their objectives owing to the unique features and they become fashion accessories and they also make fashion statements.One of such gadgets is the WI-Fi detecting shirts. These shirts detect the signals for WI-Fi and this way, sharing data is possible. The shirt has bars that are glowing on the front. Through the glow, it is possible to know the strength of the signal. triple A batteries are used for powering the gadget. When not sharing data, the batteries can be slipped out and the animated decal is unhooked. As one washes the shirt, the battery pack should be unplugged, the ribbon connector be removed, and the washing must be gentle.Fingernail watch is the other gadget. The watch types are varied and they also come in different styles, sizes, shapes, and technology. However fingernail watch is made using innovative technology that is unique. The watch fits snugly on the nail. It has a body that is translucent while its design ensures that the watch fits on the nail smoothly. The glow feature and text color is activated through being issued with a command. The watch is tiny and the minimalist designs while it is also disposable and affordable.Interactive tattoos are an example of how it is possible to infuse technology into the blood. The tattoos tend to be implanted right beneath the skin and it only needs an incision that is small. The device has two tubes and are attached to the vein or artery and so that there is blood flow through them. The device is a blood fuel cell which converts oxygen and glucose in the blood into electricity. The device’s display is similar to inked tattoos. The fact is that in the device, there are tiny microscopic spheres and this is responsible for the glowing device. One only needs to push a glowing button that is on the device as a way of turning it on and off. Note that this is only a concept that is waiting to be executed.The other gadget that can be worn is USB sunglasses. The specialized sunglasses come with s special frame that allows for USB drive whose capacity is 4GB. The USB drive tends to be nestled into the glasses’ metallic frame. Therefore, no one can detect them other than the user, yet 4 GBs is a huge amount of space. This is one way of combining gadgetry and fashion.This mean that man’s thirst for technology is endless and is not limited to hand-held gadgets. Wearable gadgets are a combination of technology, portability, fashion, and originality.
Personal Brand Building – An Expat’s Secret Weapon in the War for Talent
A Brand Called You?As many of you will know, Tom Peters coined the terms personal branding and “Brand You” in 1997 and, according to Execunet, it is now the number one career management tool used by executives worldwide. How and why did this happen – and what does it mean to you as an expat overseas?As the nature work force has changed through globalization and the IT revolution, there is no longer a job-for-life, and competition is fierce and internationally pervasive. In China, for example, localization is rife: you are only as good as your last project or position. It’s not just who you know that counts, but who knows you and what unique value you are perceived to have that your client or employer feels they must have.What is Personal Branding?Just like branded goods, people have brand attributes. A personal brand is simply your unique promise of value, that which distinguishes you from competitors. Personal branding refers to the process by which this value proposition is communicated to your selected target audience (your “brand community”), using various on-brand platforms, clearly, consistently and constantly (3 Cs of branding) to achieve specific goals. We all (probably) think the same things when we think of Subway (eat fresh) and Disney (happy) and even Oprah and Madonna. Martha Stewart has widely acknowledged for many years that she is a brand. What do people think of when they think of you? To be successful, your brand has to be authentic; a personal brand is never created, rather it is unearthed, polished and put in the right setting, rather like a rough diamond.Why do we need it?Does this sound egotistical and vain? Consider, then that:Strong Brands:- Are more valuable assets and can thrive in recessions and downturns, potentially protecting you against localization and redundancy
- Make you more visible – to hiring managers and recruiters
- Can extend their product lines (think Starbucks, MacDonald’s)
- Set you apart – differentiate yourself from other vying for the same positions and opportunities – and more clearly communicate the unique value you can deliver
- Help you win opportunities you may not be the most obvious applicant for
- Can command a higher salaries or fees – people expect to pay more for premium brands – not commodities
- Increase their market valuation (90% of the top soft drink manufacturer’s market value is reported to be its brand)
- Ensure people will trust you more and judge you less harshly if you make a mistake (Oprah?)
- Can attract and also retain quality staff and partners
- DRIVE SALES AND PROMOTE NOT JUST A WANT, BUT A NEED TO BUYWho Needs Personal Branding?With over 22% of people worldwide using the internet globally, and more than 80% of users searching candidates and clients online, (and less than 20% of people actually “ego-surfing” – checking their online results), not cultivating, controlling and protecting your personal brand is not optional these days.If you want to be known for something and develop an area of thought leadership (CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs), build a following (authors, speakers, CEOs) or a reputation for your expertise (entrepreneurs and consultants), or even just be known as a high performer or potential in your industry or company (everyone?), then branding yourself and knowing how to market your authentic value proposition effectively and selectively is essential.How do we find our personal brands?You already are a packaged brand, like it or not. You have a personality and people perceive you in a certain way, but there is a lot you can do to identify and emphasize the positives of your brand, which will guarantee distinction in your career or business.Discover, Communicate and Build your Brand to Land Your JobThe three processes brand strategists use are extract, express and exude. Who you are (your authenticity), who needs to knows you (your selected target audience) and how you stand out from your peers (differentiation) is the extract phase, and your ‘personal brand’ is at the intersection of these three factors.Extract: Involves introspection (a clear understanding your own motivated strengths and weaknesses) and getting external feedback through references, assessments, 360 brand assessments, performing a detailed SWOT analysis and being clear on exactly what is the value you can deliver and to whom. Take into account your similarities and key differentiators from your competitors. You will also need to examine your values, passions, vision, purpose, and set clear and measurable goals.Combine this information into a compelling statement that communicates your unique and authentic value, says clearly who you serve and how you serve them, you will have a GPS for your brand. Weave all this information into a branded biography that tells a story and creates an emotional connection with your reader and build the foundation for your new personal branding marketing collateral.Express your brand: When you are clear about your personal brand and the top 5 attributes you need to emphasize to resonate with your target audience, you can communicate your brand message to your target audience making it visible and credible, using the appropriate vehicles. Strong brands are known for something, not many things, and they are sending a clear, consistent message constantly. Are you using channels that your selected audience use and appreciate to communicate a strong message?You must ensure you are managing your brand environment and exuding your brand with everything you do, buy and use. Examine all aspects of your life style: wardrobe, accessories, surroundings. What is the brand message they send to your brand community? Do they add or detract from your brand’s core message? If your primary attribute is ‘forward thinking’, for example, do you use an appropriate PDA to support this? If it’s ‘professional’ how does your appearance reflect this? What does your work or meeting space say about you? Should it be Starbucks or a particular (boutique?) hotel lobby? Is it tidy, corporate or trendy? More to the point, is it ‘on brand?”Bottom Line for Expat Entrepreneurs, Executives and Job Seekers?Identifying and clearly communicating your unique differentiation in the candidate or business market will help you be found by your target audience on and offline, boost your chances of landing a job you may not otherwise be considered for and help you stand out and be memorable so that you can increase your chances of winning or maintaining your target position in Asia’s war for talent.