Join the "Just A Sec" Team this Fall!

Just A Sec is looking for secretaries, administrative assistants, and executive assistants interested in making a part-time, paid contribution to the blog.

How would you like to write articles about issues that affect your career and/or working lifestyle?

Or conduct research among your peers and report on the results?

Or serve as a Reviews Coordinator, gathering information and product samples for trial by our volunteer reviewers?

How would you like to brainstorm with other office workers like you to find ways Just A Sec can contribute to a better quality of life for your fellow desk jockeys?

Would you like to organize or spearhead a special program that unites administrative workers across New York City for a positive purpose?

Introduce yourself to us. We're planning an exciting expansion of our activities this coming autumn, and we'd love you to be a part of it!

In the meantime, the current staff of Just A Sec is going on summer hiatus to be creative consultants for JUST A SEC: The Movie.

Someone will be here to answer your e-mails, so don't hesitate to write!

We'll see ya in September -- and we'll be better than ever!

Love,
Violet Newsstead

Highlight Text without a Mouse in MS Word

When you're working on a document in Microsoft Word, every time you lift your fingers from the keyboard to operate with the mouse, you're losing time.

You might be surprised at some of the things you can perform without touching your mouse, including highlighting text.

This handy website will show you the way.

Free Donuts on Friday @ Dunkin Donuts!

On June 5, 2009, participating Dunkin’ Donuts stores throughout the country will give every customer a free donut of their choice, with the purchase of any beverage, limit one per customer.

National Donut Day, held the first Friday of June each year, was started by the Chicago Salvation Army more than 70 years ago. According to Dunkin’ Donuts’ Brand Marketing Officer Frances Allen, the day holds particular relevance in 2009. “From office meetings to Sunday get-togethers, donuts are one of those foods that lift people's spirits and bring genuine delight to any situation. And now more than ever, Americans are seeking those small moments of happiness," she said. "We hope our free donut offer will create an opportunity for people to celebrate donuts and bring some extra happiness to their day.”

Is Job-Hunting on the Job a No-No?

Rumors of staff lay-offs are whispering through the hallways of your office. If you were smart, you know you'd start putting a few feelers out for another job now -- maybe send out your resume, search some online job boards.

Maybe you don't have a computer at home, so using the internet to cruise for possibilities is only possible when you're at work. Maybe you don't want to waste any time.

But is it OK to conduct a job search at your desk, during office hours?

Here are two points of view.

Survey Says: Secretaries Want TIME More Than MONEY

A Just A Sec Exclusive!



Just A Sec: The Lifestyle Blog for Busy New York Secretaries recently conducted an informal survey of 300 secretaries, administrative assistants and executive assistants (for the purpose of this article, referred to collectively as "secretaries") working in New York City to find out what might entice them to leave their current job, if another company came a-courting, but did not offer an increase in salary.

Out of 300 secretaries surveyed, a whopping 282 would definitely consider leaving their current job for another -- even if their salary would remain the same. Clearly, this indicates very little loyalty on the part of secretaries to their employers, or even to their immediate bosses.

We asked the 282 who'd consider making a change what would entice them more: a company offering fully-paid medical insurance, or an employer offering four weeks of paid vacation and an additional 16 paid sick/personal days.

91 secretaries were more seduced by the paid medical coverage, leaving a majority of 191 who'd rather receive the benefit of more paid time off.

"I'd rather get a slightly bigger paycheck and know my medical insurance was always there, and not have to worry about it," one secretary commented.

Still others argued in favor of vacation and sick time.

"I'm used to seeing that money come out of my check for insurance premiums," an administrative assistant named Pam told us. "To me, it's more important to know I can stay home when I'm sick and not feel guilty about it, or not go in and work when I feel bad just because I'm afraid of using up all my days before the end of the year."

Jessica said: "Too many people work when they're sick, or come back before they're really ready. And it's not good for the rest of the office, because half the time they're just spreading germs around."

"I think having more paid vacation days is extra health insurance," said Linda. "It's important to take care of yourself. Everyone needs to balance work with time away from work. In the long run, I think people would do a better job when they're at work if they had more time to clear their heads and relax."

Elena, an aspiring artist, made another excellent point about balance and how it's a good thing for employers: "These corporate entities need to stop seeing (employees') outside interests as some kind of threat, or treat(ing) a person's extracurricular activities like they're going to bleed something important away from your efforts at work," she said. "If you have interests outside of work, I think it shows that you're a smart person...Wouldn't (employers) rather have smart, ambitious people working for them? So if you support your employees and their outside interests, and give them more time off to pursue those interests, I think you're going to get better employees all around. It's the ones who are unhappy and never get to do what they love who slack off at work or have a chip on their shoulder. Plus (an employer) can't really expect their entire secretarial staff to be as interested in the company's business as management and the executives. Those people went to school to do (the type of business the company engages in). And it's not like there are huge opportunities for advancement for secretaries. If (the company's business) was your one big interest in life, you probably wouldn't choose becoming a secretary as part of your career path. So (companies) have to accept that their support staff have outside interests. That's a good thing. They should support it!"

Of the 300 secretaries surveyed, only 46 receive four weeks or more of paid vacation (ouch!) Only 118 said they received more than 7 paid sick/personal days.

Most telling of all is the fact that only 12 out of 300 secretaries felt they received enough vacation, sick and personal days to adequately address their needs.

Male Office Workers in Japan are Wearing...BRAS.

Underwear-maker Masayuki Tsuchiya says he had toyed with the idea of making bras for men for about seven years, but there was always one sticking point: What function could they possibly perform?

Relieving on-the-job stress, for starters. Find out what else bras are doing for dudes at Japan Times.

The Efficient Secretary: 1916 vs. 2009

Richard's Grammar and Composition Blog, by Richard Nordquist, is worthy of your Favorites list. But his latest post is particularly entertaining, as he cracks open a copy of "The Efficient Secretary: Practical Suggestions, Information, Helps to Stenographers and Others Wishing to Become Secretaries, Ideas, Economy, Loyalty, Typing, Filing, Getting a Position" by Ellen Lane Spencer, published in 1916.

The author asserts, among other things, that, "It is but natural and right for a business man to want a good-looking, healthy secretary."

Find out how you're doing by 1916 standards -- read it here.

Your Next Employer May Find You Online

According to a 2008 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), nearly 17% of employers surveyed reported plans to use online sources such as social networking sites and blogs as part of their recruiting efforts – up from 11% in fall of 2006.

Online resumes, social networks, and blogs have all become essential tools for employers in scoping out prospective hires, and online visibility is playing an increasingly important role in job search and career networking.

Whether you are happily employed or in the process of seeking employment, the value of your online presence should not be discounted.

Following are four tips from Abhay Parekh, founder and CEO of Flowgram, a new web-based communication tool, on how to use the Internet to build your visibility.

Four Ways to Build Your Online Visibility in 2009:

1. Create Your Online Brand.

The old adage applies here – you never have a second chance to make a good first impression. The information that appears about you online is the first chance you have to present yourself to a prospective employer. The internet is increasingly becoming a primary source for communication and information, especially with recruiters. You can create your own online brand by registering your domain name (firstnamelastname.com) and creating a website that highlights your work experience and your unique attributes. Make sure to include keywords relevant to your career, so that you can improve your ranking in search engine results, and become more visible to potential employers and recruiters within a matter of minutes. Register for a domain at sites such as Register.com.

2. Differentiate Your Work.

Whether you are an established professional or just starting out, effective career development means finding a way to differentiate yourself from the pack. There are a number of great tools available on the Internet that can help you present yourself in a captivating and innovative way. For example, Flowgram is a free web-based communication service that can be used to create an interactive multimedia portfolio of your work that incorporates web pages, slides, video clips, and more. Flowgrams are easy to distribute through e-mail, blog posts, intranets, and popular social media networks like Facebook, or through the Flowgram community online. They can also be viewed offline as downloadable videos. But rather than simply sending a static resume and hoping that someone will read it, Flowgram enables a dynamic experience that’s engaging and informative.

3. Establish yourself as an expert source.

Beyond showcasing your resume and your portfolio, the Internet can be used to create and communicate your own personal brand. A blog is a great vehicle for establishing your voice online, and can also be used to start a dialogue with a larger community of people by sharing opinions, asking for advice, or simply highlighting interesting ideas and information. By starting a blog, you position yourself as an expert source in your field, and also pave the way for making valuable new connections. MyBlogLog provides some tools for starting your own web log.

4. Explore your 6 degrees.

You’ve heard of the six degrees of separation theory -- now, put it to use by harnessing your own chain of connections. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn provide a perfect platform for job seekers to utilize their professional network of friends and current and former co-workers. LinkedIn offers a fast and effective way to stay in touch with friends, co-workers, and recruiters, in order to keep the pulse of these relationships alive. By using business networking sites such as LinkedIn, you can increase the likelihood that people will see your name and profile first when businesses or professionals are searching for someone to hire or do business with.

REAL Food for Dinner?: Easier Than You Think.

A Just A Sec Exclusive!



You work all day. You come home, you're hungry for dinner.

How many of us still have the energy to do anything more than pluck a cardboard box from the freezer and toss its contents into the microwave?

You made that new year's resolution to eat healthier. And sure, if you had a personal chef, you too could enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at home every night. Maybe a nice filet of salmon and a compliment of fresh-from-the-farmstand veggies. But who has time to deal with "real" foods during the work week?

You do! Haven't you ever thought about steaming?

Kim hates to cook, especially after a busy day. And in an effort to eat "better", she found herself relying on low-fat frozen meals. The problem was, they left her dissatisfied. "They taste like the box they came in," she said. "And the portions leave me starving."

We challenged Kim to prepare a healthy dinner employing fresh, whole foods -- and with minimal effort. To help her out, we gave her a Nesco 5 Quart Steamer with Rice Bowl.

So what did Kim whip up for dinner?

"A swordfish steak, zuccini and rice," she told us. Sounds intimidating!



So what kind of work was involved? Here are Kim's steps to preparing her meal:

1. "I stuck the reservoir under the tap and filled it with water." (OK. So far, we can handle this. But surely it gets more complicated.)

2. "I unwrapped a filet of fish from the supermarket and put it inside the steamer tray with slices of zuccini." (Unwrapping and putting. Still with you, Kim.)

3. "I poured some water and rice into the rice bowl." (Poured...OK, still in the game...)

4. "I put the rice bowl into the second steamer tray, and then stacked the trays on top of each other and put on the lid."

5. "I plugged in the steamer, turned the timer dial. Later I took the food out of the steamer and ate it."

You're kidding. That's it?

Well, OK, but how was the food?

"Perfect!" Kim raved. "I wasn't sure how steamed swordfish was going to turn out. I don't know, I just had this prejudice in my head that if it was steamed, it was going to turn out soggy and gross. But it was delicious. It was flaky and tender. The rice was perfect. The vegetables were a little softer than I like them, but next time I'll know to set the timer for less time so they're a little crisp. Then if I'm cooking them with something else that needs more time, I can just re-set the timer to continue cooking the other thing. Or, add the zuccini in later."

We were impressed that the Nesco steamer was able to cook a complete meal all together.

So how was clean-up?

"Very easy. The product manual says the plastic trays are dishwasher-safe, but I don't have a dishwasher. So I tossed them in the sink with some warm soapy water while I ate, and half an hour later I was able to rinse them clean right under the tap. The food doesn't really stick to the plastic surface that much. The inside of the water reservoir wiped clean with a soapy sponge, then I just rinsed it out with a slosh of water."

Will Kim use the steamer on a regular basis?

"No doubt! I didn't know you could get something like this. I'm going to buy a lot more fresh food from now on. This is awesome!"

The Nesco steamer works with a wide variety of foods including grains, vegetables, fruits, eggs, seafood, meat and poultry. It comes with a 60 minute timer and is equipped with an automatic shut-off when it's out of water.

And this beautifully simple little appliance costs only $29.95.

For more information, visit www.nesco.com.

10 Most Blocked Web Sites at Work

Companies who block employee access to certain web sites may think they're forcing workers to be more productive, but in reality they're only creating resentment, which results in the employee having no particular loyalty to the employer.

Besides, these days most people have devices that allow them to check personal e-mail and web sites without using their desk computer, so how much "time-wasting" do employers really think they're preventing?

Employers aren't stopping to think that their most talented people might like or need the occasional access to these sites, and that their work product wouldn't necessarily suffer as a result. Do companies really want to risk losing their best people over the occasional Facebook update? Top talent is usually smart enough to realize when they're being treated like children, and smart enough to go where they'll be best rewarded, not just monetarily, but in overall treatment.

Curious about which web sites are most blocked by employers? Check out the top ten here.

When Firms Unravel, Secretaries Get Left Behind

106-year-old Philadelphia law firm Wolf Block is dissolving. Most of its lawyers have found new jobs, but secretaries and others are still looking.

Take a peek into the disappearing firm, but let the lesson be to remain prepared, flexible, and skilled.

Winners and Losers in the MTA Bailout

There are few winners and potentially many losers from last week's bailout of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, experts said.

After months of haggling, state leaders produced a $2.9-billion rescue plan they admit is deeply flawed.

Read more a Newsday.com.

Why are Women Bullying Women?

40% of workplace bullies are women, according to a survey published by the Workplace Bullying Institute. Moreover, these women bullies target other women more than 70% of the time.

In the name of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, what is going on here?

Read more at The New Agenda.

U.S. Postage Rate Increase -- Effective May 11, 2009

On May 11, 2009, the U.S. Postal Service will implement a new postage rate increase for the majority of mail services including First–Class Mail®, First–Class International®, Postcards and Special Services. The price for one–ounce First–Class™ stamps has increased to $0.44 from $0.42.

U.S. Postal Service Mail Class New Postage Rates
(effective 5/11/09) Previous Postage Rates
First-Class Mail® letter (1 oz.) $0.44 $0.42
First-Class Mail® letter - each additional ounce $0.17 $0.17
Postcard $0.28 $0.27
First-Class Mail® flat (1 oz.) $0.88 $0.83
First-Class Mail® parcel (1 oz.) $1.20 $1.17
Certified Mail (in addition to postage) $2.80 $2.70
First-Class Mail® International to Canada (1 oz.) $0.75 $0.72
First-Class Mail® International to Mexico (1 oz.) $0.79 $0.72
First-Class Mail® International to all other countries (1 oz.) $0.98 $0.94
Priority Mail® (1 lb.) $4.95 (and up) $4.80 (and up)
Express Mail® (0.5 lb.) $13.05 (and up) $12.60 (and up)

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the average postage increase by class of mail will be at or below the rate of inflation (as measured by the Consumer Price Index).

Religious Discrimination on the Rise @ Work

Complaints of religious discrimination at work are on the rise, but civil rights advocates don't believe the reason is due to corporate intolerance. Instead, they think it has to do with more religious minorities becoming aware of their rights and being willing to stand up for them.

Read more at Beliefnet.

Get Your Boss to Buy a LaPazz D-Note for You.

A Just A Sec Exclusive!



Here's a fun and useful tool you just might be able to get your boss to pay for -- and you'll get all kinds of personal use from it, too.

The D-Note DNA500 Personal Note Recorder by LaPazz is perfect for the kind of secretary who's constantly being called into her boss's office to jot down instructions that fly from his or her mouth at the speed of light. With the DNA500, you'll never miss a detail.

And best of all, if you've got a boss who's always contradicting what he or she told you, you can E-MAIL them the very notes you took when they were spouting off!!! In other words, "See...I wrote it down right here, just like you told me. 'Tell Vince to order the BLUE tablecloths for the banquet...not PINK. BLUE. I wrote it RIGHT HERE..." And e-mailing it allows your boss to save (a little) face by reading it in an e-mail and not having to look at your and say they're sorry. (Because let's face it -- that's usually SO very difficult for them.) It saves you the trouble of doing the "ha ha you're wrong" dirty work face-to-face, too.

Here's how the D-Note works, in a nutshell. The D-Note is a super featherweight tablet with a pad of real lined paper attached. It comes with two real pens, one each in black and red ink.

Ready to jot down a note? Simply turn the D-Note's power on and start writing. Every word, illustration or scribble you write on a sheet of real paper is simultaneously being recorded inside the lightweight base.

Via a USB cord connection to you computer, notes are easily downloaded using the software that comes with your D-Note. Right there on your computer screen, saved as a .JPG file, is visible the page on which you hand-wrote your notes.

Once your notes have been loaded into the D-Note's special software, you can do all kinds of nifty things to them, including changing the color of the background, inserting artwork or photographs in the background, adding shapes, underlining, etc. Notes can be e-mailed to anyone in a simple step.

While working, the D-Note allows you to create notes in separate "workbooks", and letting the device know you're turning a page of your paper tablet is the easy work of pushing a button.

The manufacturer also sells separately software that recognizes your handwriting and converts it to editable text.

The D-Note is so light (and comes with a sleek carrying case), that you'll want to take it home with you every night for jotting down lists of chores, grocery lists, etc. -- and then distributing them to the spouse and kids via e-mail at work the next day. BRILLIANT!



You can own a D-Note DNA500 for as little as $49.99. For more information, Visit www.lapazz.com.

10 Most Blocked Web Sites at Work

Companies who block employee access to certain web sites may think they're forcing workers to be more productive, but in reality they're only creating resentment, which results in the employee having no particular loyalty to the employer.

Besides, these days most people have devices that allow them to check personal e-mail and web sites without using their desk computer, so how much "time-wasting" do employers really think they're preventing?

Employers aren't stopping to think that their most talented people might like or need the occasional access to these sites, and that their work product wouldn't necessarily suffer as a result. Do companies really want to risk losing their best people over the occasional Facebook update? Top talent is usually smart enough to realize when they're being treated like children, and smart enough to go where they'll be best rewarded, not just monetarily, but in overall treatment.

Curious about which web sites are most blocked by employers? Check out the top ten here.

Office Gossip: Debunking the Myths

Office gossip is a dangerous thing. It can cause people to lose their jobs and even result in a serious downgrade in a company's overall rep.

But what counts as gossip? Are certain types of "gossip-esque" communications OK depending on who's dishing them out? Are you a gossip and don't know it?

Find out more from the Examiner.

Surprising Recession Trend: Secretaries Hiring Secretaries

An unexpected trend has emerged from the ashes of thousands of lay-offs: overburdened secretaries hiring their own secretaries, with their own money.

With the trimming down of so many office staffs, secretaries and administrative assistants are finding themselves saddled with extra work as the duties of the departed are now being heaped on them.

To keep from losing their minds, certain clever secretaries are pooling their financial resources and paying out-of-work secretaries to help with both personal and work-related tasks, thereby relieving the pressure. And these hired "virtual assistants" are able to bring in some much-needed cash in an otherwise bleak job market.

A secretary we'll call Angela and two of her co-workers asked to remain anonymous, because they're concerned that their employer would not approve of them sharing work with an outsider.

"There's the confidentiality issue," Angela says. "I'm pretty sure my firm doesn't want anyone on the outside seeing our internal work product. I don't give anything sensitive to our secretary. And she doesn't care what she's looking at, she just needs to get paid like we all do. Of course, we don't want to get fired over this. But (our assistant) is a friend of mine, and I know I can trust her."

Despite the risks, Angela sees the "secret secretary-to-the-secretaries" solution as being resourceful. She's taking action where her employer can't or won't.

"My firm has a dumb rule about having no part-timers. If we had just one part-time secretary in our office it would make a huge difference to a lot of secretaries. I know (the firm) is trying to cut costs, but if the three of us (secretaries who are sharing a virtual assistant) can get enough money together from our salaries to pay for help, the firm should be able to do the same. But they won't."

"It doesn't make sense that they're willing to pay us extra for overtime, when that same money could probably pay for a part-time person," she added.

"We're not going to suffer just on principle," one of Angela's co-workers said. "It's true the firm should be able to get us a little extra help. But if they won't do it, why shouldn't we take matters into our own hands? I'd rather pay to keep from going out of my mind and be able to see my kids at night instead of being here 'til all hours of the night. If I said, 'I'm not paying out my own money for help on principle, because the firm should do it', I'd still be miserable and overworked. So let's just take control, pay up and be happier."

Another of Angela's co-workers added that "It's not just about the firm's money issues. Sometimes I think the reason we can't get what we need has more to do with being blocked by one stupid person in middle management who's either too stupid to take action or too afraid. If it was up to the managing partner, maybe we'd get a part-time helper. But we'll never get to him because we have to go through this terrible manager who's just not that smart."

So what kind of work do these secretaries-to-the-secretaries get? In the case of Angela's virtual assistant, it's a mix of the professional and the personal.

"Whatever we can farm out," Angela said. "I scan hand-written stuff and document mark-ups and e-mail them to her for typing. I know (one of my co-workers) gets her to make travel arrangements. She took care of a major pain-in-the-ass problem for me with the cable company the other day."

Similarly, across town, an entire office full of secretaries is handing work off to one recently laid-off co-worker at home in Queens. They, too, are on the down-low because of confidentiality issues.

"We know (our hired secretary) isn't going to do anything with the (company)information," Donna told us. "It makes sense for her to be doing the work anyway. She used to work here. She's seen all this stuff before."

Further uptown, two other secretaries, Nora and Rayna, are helping out a recently laid-off co-worker by paying her to run personal errands.

"We're buried in the work left behind when Leslie was fired," Nora said. "We don't leave the office for lunch anymore, and we're constantly staying late."

Until recently, this overworked lifestyle left them feeling like their lives were being lived on a treadmill.

"By the time the weekend comes, all you have time for is the shit you didn't get to do during the week," Rayna complained. "Laundry, go to the supermarket, all that crap. And if you have to make a phone call and be on hold or something, forget it. I don't have time for that at work, and a lot of people don't have hours on the weekend. It's just ridiculous. It's a stressful way to live."

But then Nora and Rayna got wise and started paying their unemployed friend Leslie to take care of personal errands for them, freeing up their evenings and weekends for just plain enjoying life.

"Oh my god, it's made a world of difference," Nora sighed. "It's absolutely worth the money. We have no regrets."

For Leslie, it means much-needed cash-in-hand, and a powerful weapon against inertia.

"If I didn't have things to take care of, I'd be completely depressed, sitting on my couch and stuffing my face," Leslie said. "(Helping Nora and Rayna) gives me a reason to get up every day and I feel good knowing I'm helping my own friends."

Nora and Rayna don't have the same concerns regarding confidentiality, because they chose to keep their noses clean and keep the work they give Leslie personal in nature. Leslie stays busy making phone calls, processing health insurance claims, sorting mail, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even doing light cleaning.

They are, however, paying Leslie in cash under-the-table, $10 an hour.

The same seems to be true for everyone doing the secret secretary thing -- cash on the sly. But the arrangements differ from one situation to the next.

Donna and her fellow company secretaries -- all twelve of them -- pay their unemployed former co-worker per task, and each secretary takes individual responsibility for paying for the task he or she assigned. Their assistant gets $15 an hour. For any task that falls under an hour, she still gets the full $15.

Angela and company made an entirely different arrangement. They pay their assistant Valerie a flat hourly rate to remain on-call during certain hours -- $5 -- just for the security of knowing she's available. However, when work arises for Valerie, she gets an additional $10 per hour, or $10 per task if the task takes less than a full hour. The secretaries split the $5 on-call fee equally, but individually pony up the extra cash for any tasks they've personally assigned to Valerie.

If you're interested in getting help on the side, and you want an arrangement that's as risk-free as possible, consider keeping your hired hand's duties in the realm of the personal, and ask him or her to sign an Independent Contractor Agreement. When your assistant is an independent contractor, they are responsible for reporting their income to the IRS, and you need not withhold taxes from their pay. However, treating someone as an independent contractor comes with some rules. Get familiar with them on the IRS web site. They're fairly simple rules to comply with, so don't let them discourage you from putting a fellow secretary back to work.

-- Margaret Haney

Boost Your Morale in Uncertain Times

In the workplace, more than ever people are in a state of fear over things beyond their control.

How can you be expected to maintain a positive attitude and stay calm in the current economic climate?

Here's some advice on how to have your own personal morale-boosting party in the quiet of your own mind.