So what is it? It is search engine results advertising, or pay per click advertising.

A couple of years ago, I took an Internet marketing class, although it was basically a waste of my time, there is one thing which really stands out from that class.

We were taught “”when advertising on the Internet, find something that is really hot and connect your keywords to it”" to generate more traffic and greater results. The example we primarily used was “”who is hot in entertainment”". For example, if Britney Spears is in the news, use her as a keyword and link your site and your ad to anyone who is searching for information on her.

Well, at the time, I thought it was silly and actually unethical, so I never used that technique. After all, people searching for Britney would never be looking for a way to improve themselves or even a home based business.

But today, I find this tactic is being so badly misused in Internet Search Marketing. Google any legitimate business or person and what you will find is paid advertising, ads that blast or slam the company only to bring attention to another company.

I find this especially true in home based businesses, but don’t just take my word for it. Google any legitimate business, businesses where people are having amazing success and results and see for yourself what those with no ethics are doing.

You will find things like “”Why I did not join”", Why I quit”", “”This is a scam”" and the disgusting antics go on and on and on.

Most Internet marketers would NEVER pay any attention to ads such as this. Marketers know these people are just using unethical approaches to ride the tide of success of other legitimate marketers. But the inexperienced public does NOT know this. Unfortunately they believe what these guys are saying. All they really have to do is click on the ads and see that it is actually an ad for another company. Duh! How hard is this to figure out??

Why do you think advertising always slams the other guy? If the other guy is hot, then jump on the bandwagon. That is all these sleazy people are doing, is jumping on the bandwagon of success. Making a disgusting attempt to legitimise themselves by disenfranchising the real marketer.

So, what do I suggest? Do your homework. Talk to people who are ACTUALLY involved in the opportunity so see what they think. Talk to the Attorney General of the listed home state, talk to the Association of Home Business, talk to the State Incorporation offices, they will tell you all you need to know. BUT, do not listen to unethical, sleazy people who do not know how to advertise without slamming another company.

Anyway, why would ANYONE want to get started with a business who bases it’s advertising on slamming other businesses? That would certainly be a red flag to me and businesses started with this technique are surely going to have little success. It is the law of nature, the Law of Reciprocity”".

And one more thing I absolutely must add here…

Adults have to be responsible for their own results in life. If someone fails at any business opportunity, it is because THEY failed. Either they did not follow the already proven systems (trying to reinvent the wheel), or they were waiting for someone else to do the work for them, or maybe even they never expected to succeed anyway. I truly believe this is why most failures occur, there was never a level of expectation for success.

You should also trust your feelings in these cases as well. If a product feels right, if it is hot, if it is cutting edge, and if others are having success, then there is no reason why you can not as well as long as you are willing to do the work.

So get out there and find what you are looking for, but stay away from paid advertising slamming your company and let those who are practicing this know, it DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU!

To your success…

Wanda Grindstaff is recognized in the Direct Sales industry as a true leader. She teaches a very simple system to assist people in accomplishing major income goals. Serious entrepreneurs are invited to request information on starting a home based business. For more information, visit her here.

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Tags: marketing, ethics, ethical, competition, compete

The Houston gas and oil maverick magnate Oscar S. Wyatt was being tried for wire fraud and prohibited transactions. It is alleged that he paid kickbacks to the Iraqi government to obtain vouchers allowing him to purchase oil through the UN sanctioned “”Oil for Food Program. Ben Berry, head of the FBI white-collar crime unit, said Wyatt was also guilty of “”terrorist financing”" because he violated a Bush order prohibiting these dealings with Iraq.

Wyatt, 83, explained his decision to accept a plea deal by saying that at his age he could “”not …waste any more time fooling with this operation.”" He will serve 18 to 24 months and pay a $11 million fine.

A few others have been indicted for paying kickbacks to Iraq, and there is no way of knowing if Wyatt is innocent or guilty. It seems that the US did not object to people buying oil under the Oil for Food program until 2002, when some went to Syria. It that year, Saddam started demanding kickbacks for vouchers in 2000. Some American firms refused to pay but others continued to do business with him. There is a 2004 CIA report on these operators that runs 918 pages, but the names of firms and individuals were redacted. It is estimated that Saddam may have garnered $10 in illegal profits and that Wyatt may have ponied up a little less than $4 million for $23 million in profits over 7 years.

Few Americans were indicted; although, various sources identified many persons and American firms being involved. Neo-Cons, anxious to discredit the UN, obtained a report by Paul Volcker that showed that many corporate interests were involved. Chevron, which had named a tanker for former employee Condi Rice, was named, along with Mobil Exxon. Marc Rich, whose pardon by Bill Clinton was denounced without end by conservatives, was also named but was not indicted.

What is interesting is the manner and intensity with which the Department of Justice went after Wyatt. The prosecution made Wyatt’s patriotism the issue. His lawyers are trying to exclude from the evidence the diary of an employee of Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization. It states that Wyatt bragged on January 27, 2003, while in Iraq, that he persuaded a US Senator to speak against the proposed invasion. Reuters claimed the senator was Edward Kennedy. The diary also stated that Wyatt warned of a US invasion and estimated the kinds of US forces the Iraqi were likely to face.

The government does not claim he told them anything that was classified. An intelligent reader would assume Wyatt wanted Saddam to back down so that oil would continue to flow. He was probably trying to prevent the war the Bushies were determined to launch.

The prosecution insists upon making him appear a traitor. His attorneys claim this information will prejudice the jury but they admit that Wyatt was no fan of George W. Bush. They add that he flew bombing missions in World War II. Reactionary columnist helped along the government’s case, writing that Wyatt is “”lucky he isn’t charged with treason.”"

Apparently Wyatt’s communications were being monitored since 2001. His former business partner David Chalmers, was also inducted. Chalmers has been described as a big Republican donor, but the fact is that he gave more to Democrats. Since 1989, he and his wife have given more than $500,000 to Democrats. Wyatt has angered the Bushes because he questioned the senior Bush’s claims to have risen in the oil industry from humble origins. In 1990, he and John Connally incurred the wrath of the Bushes again when they negotiated the release of 22 oil workers being held by Saddam Hussein as “”human hostages.”" Mrs. Bush signaled him out in her autobiography for placing “”gain above honor.”" He has frequently been a thorn in the side of the big Texas energy interests, most recently leading a stockholders revolt against El Paso Corp., which had acquired his Coastal Corp.

It has been said that the touch and free-wheeling Wyatt is not even afraid of the devil. He will need every ounce of courage to face up to two years in a federal prison at his advanced age.

Some may draw the conclusion that it is not prudent to make large donations to the Democratic Party. There is a growing body of evidence that the Justice Department could be engaging in selective prosecutions for political purposes. In Mississippi, Paul Minor was sent to prison for donating to the campaign of a state supreme court justice even though Mississippi law seems to open the door to contributions by lawyers and companies. In Wisconsin, Georgia Thompson went to jail for awarding a contract to the lowest bidder. Fortunately, an appeals court reversed her conviction. In Alabama, former Democratic Governor Don Siegelman was sent to prison for appointing a contributor to a state board. In this case, there is compelling evidence that that charges were brought for political purposes.

The author is a retired history professor. Sherm has just released African-American Baseball: A Short History, which can be purchased through Internet book sellers.

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Tags: ethical, issues, articles, business, decision

Employers are often found to be stubborn. According to them, their actions are in the best interests of the organization and are according to the legal code of conduct in the company. Employers never tend to disclose the reasons that lie behind their behaviors. However, they need to develop the skills and experience required for tackling ethical dilemmas. They should assess the situation while taking a neutral stand. Analysis would be proper if they are able to locate the root cause of the conflict. Decisions should be taken after consultation with the affected parties. The consequences of the decision should be analyzed and explained to the management.

The perspective of the employees in an organization is always in a dilemma. The employee does not even know how to work since organization beliefs and values are often kept confidential and are not revealed to the employees. However, it is the responsibility of employers to clearly describe the goals, objectives of the organization to the employee if they are expecting to create a harmonious and acceptable working environment. Employees should be trained to resolve conflicts.

Check Out More Articles :

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Recipes For Making Hot Chocolate Mixes – Holiday Gift Food Baskets, click this link to read more about this topic.

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Tags: ethical, dilemmas, workplace, list, problems

Sexual harassment can include a wide variety of behavior and occurs on various levels, ranging from:

- occasional comments, jokes, touching or gestures

- behavior that persists even after being issued a light, informal
warning or an isolated behavior that is more severe,

- repeated or persistent offensive behavior even after being issued
formal discipline, aggressive touching, or any behavior that is clearly intended to cause offense, even if isolated.

There are two type of harassment under the legal definition:

1/ Quid-Pro-Quo Harassment

This is the when the employer makes sex a prerequisite to getting something in the workplace. For example: ” sleep with me and you’ll get the job.” That’s illegal. This type of sexual harassment is the “casting couch” cliché. Quid-pro-quo can also include negatives. For example, “sleep with me or you’re fired” is also illegal.

Obviously, the woman who is fired because she wouldn’t sleep with the
boss can sue.

Take for example a situation where the boss asks one of his assistants to sleep with him in exchange for a promotion. She does it and gets the promotion. Under the law, she has a claim, because her agreeing to his sexual demands was a condition of the promotion. She also has a
claim if she refused and didn’t get the promotion.

However the conduct must be “offensive”. If two employees have a good time exchanging sexual jokes, it would not be sexual harassment. If one employee kept telling another employee sexual jokes that the second employee found offensive, it would be sexual harassment. If two employees dated and engaged in consensual sex, this would not be sexual harassment. If one of the two then wanted to terminate the relationship, and the other used the unequal relative terms and
conditions of employment of the work place to further the relationship, this would be sexual harassment.

Jokes, pictures, touching, leering, unwanted requests for a date have all been found by courts to be sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can be between people of the same sex. Sexual harassment can be awoman harassing a man.

Anyone who is offended by a sexually harassing environment may theoretically sue. However, that employee’s offense must be reasonable. An extremely sensitive person might not be able to
maintain a claim, because her feelings of having been offended were not reasonable.

The reasonableness is evaluated by a standard that is the same as a person in the victim’s circumstances. For example, what a reasonable woman might think is a hostile environment is not necessarily the same as what a man might think is a hostile environment. If it’s a woman
who was harassed, it’s the woman’s point of view that counts.

Victims of sexual harassment can recover for their lost wages, future lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorneys fees.

2/ Hostile Workplace Environment

Hostile environment sexual harassment is a situation in which the employer, supervisor, or co-worker or customer does or says things that make the victim feel uncomfortable because of his or her sex.

Hostile environment sexual harassment does not need to include a demand for an exchange of sex for a job benefit. It is the creation of an “uncomfortable environment”.

If a fellow worker is the one doing the discrimination and harassment, you should follow the company policy and report the conduct to your supervisor and Human Resources. Report it in writing to have proof of the date you reported it, and be sure to be specific about the exact
nature of the discrimination or harassment. Saying things like Joe is bothering me or harassing me is not sufficient. Also, saying that Joe called me the “N” word once is insufficient. Don’t retaliate back, or you can be fired.

Anyone who is offended by a discriminatory or sexually harassing hostile environment may theoretically sue. However, that employee’s offense must be reasonable. An extremely sensitive person might not be able to maintain a claim, if his or her feelings, that have been
offended, were not reasonable.

Again, victims of discrimination or sexual harassment can recover fortheir lost wages, future lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorneys fees.

There are steps that employers are advised to take to protect themselves from employee sexual harassment cases. They should:

· ensure that sexual harassment policies and procedures are in compliance with current state and federal laws.

· Circulate their sexual harassment policy, reinforcing commitment to eliminating and preventing harassment in the workplace.

· Obtain written acknowledgments from employees regarding their receipt of policies.

· Provide sexual harassment training for managers.

· Update sexual harassment investigation pro-cedures for compliance with state and federal law.

· Train human resource’s staff regarding appropriate techniques.

· Conduct an audit of personnel files involving past sexual harassment and discrimination complaints

· Update hiring policies and procedures

It is necessary for all employers to have a detailed policy statement, to protect both themselves, and their employees.

William Meikle is a Scottish tech author, with 20 years experience in IT management. He is available for all freelance writing work. Visitt him and read more free advice at this site.

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Tags: ethical, issues, list, moral, value

Yet many marketers try to deceive or hide the truth from the very customers that they depend on. Some marketers look on their potential customers as sheep that are too stupid to see when they are being misled. Got news for you people are not sheep and are a lot more intelligent than they are given credit. The only difference between the seller and the buyer is that one has something to sell and the other seeks purchase certain goods or services.

Both the marketer and the consumer are human beings with varied views and beliefs. No one in this world wants to be deceived, conned, or mistreated. Then why would someone who is in business for themselves want to tarnish their name and reputation by misleading customers because someday down the road the consumer will become aware of this and discontinue using said merchant. Sometimes the authorities of the merchant’s location may find such practices harmful and bring legal proceedings against them.

Businesses that want to be long standing and successful should be ethical in their dealings with the public. Just because someone appears to be getting outstanding results from doing things less than ethical does not give the good business person some green light to do the same. Following in the footsteps of those that are less than honest may seem glamorous to some but the final outcome may be not too favorable to those who choose such a path.

Anything in life worth doing takes commitment and dedicated work. A good merchant seeks to provide the best services and goods to those they serve. A good merchant is always concerned about their customer needs by offering great customer service when a problem arises. The merchant should seek to provide complete and honest details about the services they provide and the goods that they sell.

When sales and service procedures change for those you service be as detailed as possible about changes and how it will affect the consumer. The more open and forthright you are with your customer the fewer problems and misunderstandings there should be. You will never satisfy everyone no matter how upfront and honest you maybe that are just something that happens from time to time. Treating those you serve with kindness and respect will help smooth the way when some misunderstanding does arise. Be quick to respond to problems your customers may present to you seeking to find solutions to remedy their problem. Their problem may seem silly to you but to the one who has the problem it is serious matter that demands your full attention.

The bottom line is the more you are able to make your customers happy the end result is that your life should be more successful and that makes you happy. The merchant’s main goal is to provide the best benefits to the potential consumer and convert them into life long customers of your products and services. How your customers and potential customers perceive your character and ethics has a direct bearing on how you will succeed or fail in your business pursuits.

William R Brandenburg. Visit him here

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Tags: ethical, value, moral, issues, ethics

Adopt a Clear Sexual Harassment Policy.

Any organisation will have a general policy about how employees should behave in the workplace, but a specific sexual harassment policy is becoming an increasingly popular means of communicating clearly to the workforce that inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature, towards colleagues will not be tolerated. Remember sexual harassment whether in a verbal or physical form is a violation of another persons intimate space, which should never occur in the workplace. Organisations should strive to create a safe respectful working environment for staff.

Encourage Reporting

It is the organisation’s responsibility to encourage staff to report incidents of sexual harassment by making the process accessible to all and by being approachable and dealing allegations in a sensitive and confidential manner. Some organisations worry that this inflates sexual harassment incidents, but the reality is that very few employees would report such a serious matter unduly, although it can happen. However, fostering a culture where staff are actively encouraged to report incidents will quickly encourage staff to think before they speak or act in a sexually inappropriate way.

Take Allegations Seriously

It can be a difficult and anxious experience for a member of staff to bring an allegation of sexual harassment to the attention of their employer. Often employees have to overcome a number of internal barriers to do this including concerns about how they will be perceived by staff for reporting an incident and concerns about the effect reporting sexual harassment might have on their long term career within the organisation. All these are real fears for an employee and it is exceptionally rare for an employee to report a sexual harassment incident just for the sake of it. As such the organisation’s response should always be one of taking the allegation seriously and providing support to the alleged victim to make it easier for them to discuss what has happened.

All allegations should be investigated thoroughly by staff who are trained to do so and should be reported to the police with the permission of the victim where required in more serious cases. Remember slapping or patting someone’s bottom or touching another person without the individual’s consent is considered an act of assault in the eyes of the law. As such it is important that the organisation does not try to cover up sexual harassment allegations in a vain attempt to safeguard its reputation.

Educate Staff

Organisations should seek to spend time producing and communicating information about sexual harassment and about what is deemed inappropriate behaviour. Policy documents concerning sexual harassment should be provided to all staff and followed up with presentations to communicate salient points. Get staff discussing the topic in small groups so that they can learn from each other why sexual harassment is inappropriate as peer learning is an effective learning strategy.

Organisations should use posters around the office to highlight inappropriate behaviour. These can be a very powerful tool as it allows staff to challenge inappropriate behaviour or comments easily by drawing the attention of staff to the posters. This often addresses issues quickly and easily and guilty staff are left in no doubt about the organisation’s attitude towards inappropriate behaviour, without it being seen as an individual employee just trying to cause a fuss. This approach takes the emphasis off the employee and places it firmly onto the organisation to create a safe respectful environment.

Suspend the Alleged Offender During Investigations

If an allegation of sexual abuse is bought to the attention of the organisation then always suspend the alleged offender. Whilst this may seem severe in the absence of actual proof, it is unfair to ask the victim to continue to work alongside the person who may have committed the sexual harassment. Suspending the alleged offender gives them time to reflect on what they have done, if they know they are guilty and send a clear message about the seriousness in which sexual harassment in the workplace is viewed. If they are later found to be innocent then they will have lost nothing as they can return to their post.

Never suspend or remove the victim from the workplace, unless they decide they don’t want to be there, as this sends out the message that if you report sexual harassment you will be punished. Alleged victims should never be punished for reporting an incident.

Appoint a Competent Investigator

It is never appropriate for an individual with daily involvement with either party to investigate a sexual harassment allegation. It should always be undertaken in a sensitive manner by a trained member of staff, ideally from the human resources department.

This article was written by J Dawkins who created Friends and Money in March 2007. His site is dedicated to providing reviews of paid survey, social networking, and cash back shopping communities. His aim is encourage visitors to Make Friends, Earn Money online.

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Tags: Ethical, problems, employer, harrasment, law

I could be a chemist; I see water that provide us life, yet its abundances and importance still in trivial stage.

I could be an educator; I see myself, years from now reenacted once again as a reward for my service, yet it’s from the lives of other.

I could be a writer; I see event with no reference to time, a marriage of time and collaborative thinking to write without rules and boundaries, yet find aspiration from my readers.

I could be a doctor; I see lives in abundance; yet find it as unique in any aspect at any form.

I could be a Scientist; I see the nakedness of the atom, yet it is invisible in its natural state.

I could be a Leader; I see my self-alone, yet when I look back, others are walking to the trail of my path.

I could be a potter; I see clay as an object in its dynamic form, yet its unique and static when subjected to fire.

I could be an artist; I see changes of character without hesitation, yet retain the identity of their owner.

I could be a painter; I see color in my hand, yet find inspiration from my subject

I could be an explorer; I see the straightness of the horizon from the level ground and darkness of the deep sea, yet reaching the peek of the mountain reveal the curvature and at the deepest sea a life with light in unbelievable panorama.

I could be a coach; lifting the life of others, yet find inspiration from other world.

I could be a master key maker; opening the doors of opportunities for my self and others yet find simplicity through accessibility.

I could be a navigator; venturing to unfamiliar and yet to be discovered places and territories that other man will be willing to give the remainder of their lives just to conquest their search, yet the searched are with endless possibilities.

I could be a farmer; I see sand as a grain of rice and I could turn desert to a planting field, yet my tools are hands and shovel.

I could be a physicist; I see greatness at full magnitude from the bending of Starlight, yet am able to appreciate the color of the rainbow.

I could be a sword man; I see the outcome of my action through the sharpness of the blade, yet my action is only a focused collaboration of potential thought.

I could be a racecar driver; I see my soul driven apart from my body as I accelerate; yet my whole being is well intact.

I could be a Diamond miner; I see the stone in their rough fess form, yet it has an estimable value.

I could be a Pilot; I see path of line in the sky, I break speed and barrier; yet I have to plummet on ground to fly once again.

I could be a Tactician; I see result of the battle on hand in the core of my collaborative mind, yet everything is virtually and in the state perception and assumption.

I could be a child; I see and seek the warmth embrace of a mother’s arm, yet I will be ages up by time and seek no more, my childhood existence will be forgotten but the memories will still remain until I die.

I could be myself; I see life as dynamic changes with no direct pattern and reference to follows, yet were living as miraculous machines with embedded life instruction manual.

I could be an architect; I see the limitless design through my hand, yet its lay down with steel, concrete, glass, wood, marble and stone.

I could be a Bad Boy; I see and seek trouble through my roughness and arrogance; yet the warrior is just a boy, an oversize kid waiting to be accepted.

I could be a Monk; I see holiness through isolation and discipline in its outmost extend, yet my body is mortal to embrace the crown of life.

I could be a black smith; I see sharpness through reflection of the tough fess sword, yet find contentment through the result of the battle.

I could be a soldier; I see battle as an act of two methods of attack, the direct and indirect approached to win; yet its combination makes an endless maneuver.

Every one can reach their highest potential yet it resides in its normal stage in a kinetic form. The approach of thinking is somewhat define within the box. And outside the realm of possibility is not in the normal stage of recognition. Nor it has reached the view from business perspective and remains a Pandora’s box that no one had tried to open. Through my searched for the business phantom, it seems its identities might be in number that will exceed more than one.

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Tags: ethical, implications, moral, internet, information

- Indira Gandhi

The most significant gesture in business and in life is a handshake. In many cultures it is the unspoken message that accompanies our words. A handshake often takes place when you meet someone new, when you are greeting someone you haven’t seen in a while, when you leave a party or meeting, when you offer congratulations or when you agree on a contract or working arrangement.

Historians agree that the handshake was most likely developed several hundred years ago in England as a method to communicate that you were empty-handed and unarmed during a meeting. Weapons were often concealed in the left sleeve so shaking was done with the left hand. As more people began to travel without weapons it became common to shake with the right hand. Certain historical figures took liberty with shaking hands and created their own custom. George Washington decided that shaking hands was for the common people so he bowed when greeting people in public.

The intent in shaking hands is to make contact “”web-to-web”" with the other person’s hand. The web of your hand is that part between your thumb and forefinger. Extend your hand with your fingers together, in a vertical position, with the thumb up and slightly to the side. Once you make contact with the web of the other person’s hand, close your thumb over the back of the hand and give a slight squeeze with your fingertips. Here’s where so many people go wrong. Some move in for the kill and give a bone-crushing handshake that brings tears to the eyes of the other person. Then there are those who stop at the first hint of contact and never add the little squeeze that indicates there is life and energy in the body. The result is the “”wimpy”" or “”limp”" handshake, sometimes referred to as the “”dead fish.”"

Every country in the world has its own customs for meeting and greeting. Most cultures encourage handshaking more often than the United States. As always, you need to do your research on meeting and greeting before you embark on an overseas trip. If you are a woman, this is critically important since certain cultures do not allow women to touch a man who is not related to them.

Here are some of the most common handshaking rituals around the world:

* In Japan it is normal to shake hands frequently. Sometimes a bow is included or substituted.

* In Europe you shake hands whenever you meet someone even if you know them well.

* Russians tend to shake hands frequently but never while wearing gloves.

* A strong handshake and good grip are appreciated in South Africa.

* A vigorous, pumping handshake is normal for the Chinese.

* Men in Arabian cultures encourage a long and limp handshake along with a specific verbal greeting.

* People in Panama greet each other with eye contact combined with shaking hands.

* The French always shake hands in business meetings but all other greetings involve kissing the cheeks.

* In Kuwait shaking hands is only used for male strangers who meet the first time. Shaking hands with an unrelated female is considered inappropriate.

* Residents of Indian and Pakistan shake hands by grasping your hand in both of their hands and holding your hand briefly.

It is considered impolite to refuse to shake hands but be prepared in case you meet someone who says “”No”" to handshakes because of arthritis, joint problems or a communicable illness such as a cold. The person who is unable to shake hands should always offer an apology and a brief explanation so that the other person does not feel shunned.

You may occasionally encounter someone who does not respond in any way to your outstretched hand. When that happens, simply withdraw your hand and ignore the snub. It’s the other person’s problem, not yours.

Knowing when and how to shake hands is an important business skill whether you are working in your own office or if you are traveling to a meeting 5,000 miles away. Always give the impression of someone who is polite and confident by cultivating a firm, but not crushing, grip and always offer your hand when appropriate.

(c) 2007, Lydia Ramsey, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are published intact and with all links made live.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author. Learn from Lydia by using her four LIVE business etiquette broadcasts on DVD or by reading her newest book “”Lydia Ramsey’s Little Book of Table Manners”". You can purchase these business etiquette tools here.

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Tags: ethical, decisions, social, work, behaviour

Did you know that 10% of your white collar workers waste their work time playing video games anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour each day? For the average American worker being compensated at $30,000 who is playing video games on company time is costing the bottom line anywhere from $375 to $3750.

For years people complained about smoker’s in the office wasting time and affecting other employees’ productivity. Yet, many of these same complainers see nothing wrong with engaging in activities that are not within their job description. Being someone who was educated to have high work ethics, this behavior is frankly astounding not to mention arrogant and entirely disrespectful.

How can any company function when employees believe that they are entitled to playing a video game to take the edge off their day? Of course, I am sure that these employees including top level executives do not believe that they are costing the company anything. Given the culture of the times, the employees’ beliefs that companies have endless bank accounts and what the heck it is only 15 minutes seem to take over good common sense.

Simply speaking, when employees play video games on company time unless of course they are video game programmers, they are demonstrating extremely poor work ethics and a total lack of personal and professional integrity. There are no excuses for not delivering an hour of work for an hour of pay.

With a shrinking workforce and an expanding economy, business owners will continually face this challenge of poor work ethics or what I called attitudes toward performance. Take the time to review your values statements and create the necessary policies to ensure that your employees play those video games on their own time.

Simply speaking, leaders are readers. If you enjoyed this article, you may find the Leadership Audit of interest here.

Visit me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, The Chief People Officer for people and organizations or want to improve results here to explore everything from how my solutions double results to articles and resources including the Simply Speaking series.

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Tags: business, ethics, training, course, ethical

Afterwards your new family becomes your number one priority. Twenty-four hours a day. Everyday. And once you’re in—there is only one human way out.

Your new family becomes the highest priority in your life. They become more important than your own family. You do everything the family leaders want you to do without question. Every action hinges on loyalty and trust.

How would this family handle a breach of trust? They have many solutions depending on the severity of the crime. And punishment is usually harsher than a slap on the wrist.

Yet in today’s I, Me and My society people casually commit multiple breaches of trust. Relationships, partnerships and contracts are violated without an ounce of regard to the other party or to the consequences. Which creates overflow in the courthouses.

As honest business people I know we’re in agreement when I say you don’t want to become a victim of unscrupulous practices, jealous partners or the ever-common business parasite who bleeds your creative juices without compensation. This can happen to the best of us, and unfortunately, the perpetrator normally gets away without penalty. You can vent all you want at the Better Business Bureau, but they don’t have a lot of teeth.

So how can you protect yourself from these kinds of business deal breakers?

Put everything in writing. This is your proof. Avoid oral agreements, as they can backfire on you. You don’t want to be dragged into court saying, “”But your honor, she promised me she would do…”"

(Here’s my disclaimer: I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice. Consult your attorney about legal documents and forms.)

Let’s take a look at how you can protect yourself:

1) A proposal basically shows the potential client what you will do for her. It can include ideas, strategies, your fees and if approved—what the next step will be for both parties.

2) A work-for-hire credits you, the hiring party, as the author of a published work. If you hire a ghostwriter to write your book, a work-for-hire credits you as the author. Other variables may credit the actual author as the co-author or as the inspiration for your work.

3) A deal point memo is a pre-cursor to the actual contract. It summarizes everything in the contract and must be signed by both parties. This makes the contract crystal clear for both parties and saves the expense of lawyers’ fees in case one party backs out at the contract signing.

4) A copyright automatically protects all your written works, expression of an idea or information regardless if you display the © symbol or not. A similar (P) inside a circle means Phonorecord and protects audio recordings. It’s a great idea to file copyrights for revenue-producing products.

Many people ask what they should do if they see their published work pirated into different languages. Here’s my take: you may lose lots of revenues, but you may also reach markets you never would have in record speed. I suggest you have signposts in your work that always point back to your phone number, your address and especially your website.

5) A contract is a legally binding agreement or promises between two parties. It basically details both parties’ responsibilities, the compensation and what happens when one party backs out of the deal. You should include non-compete clauses, rights, waivers, warranties, arbitration and attorney fees. These are usually drawn up, or at least proofread by an attorney.

6) A signed audio/video release gives you certain rights to produce, publish and promote your recorded materials without compensating the participants. This is ideal if you give seminars and teleseminars, which you want to package into CD or DVD albums. You may bar individual participants from attending your event who won’t sign this release.

7) A trademark ™ distinguishes its products or services from those of other entities. It adds a great deal of credibility and tells the world you stand by your products. It’s typically made up of a name, slogan, phrase, logo, design or image. If your trademark is not actively used or promoted for a period of time, you may lose it due to abandonment.

In an ideal world, all we would need is to shake hands to complete a deal. If that’s impossible due to long distance, your word will do. But this isn’t an ideal world. Get together with your attorney to protect yourself from all breaches of trust.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy’s Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today here.

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