Here are the 29 states you can take time off from work to vote

Here are the 29 states you can take time off from work to vote Here are the 29 states you can take time off from work to vote If you’re wondering whether you can come in late or leave work early to cast your vote in the 2018 midterm elections on November 6, the short answer is, it depends on where you work.Currently, there is no federal law that mandates employers provide their employees time off to cast their ballots. But the majority of US states have time-off-to-vote laws, also referred to as voter-leave laws, and have different requirements and exceptions for employers and employees.While some states guarantee paid time off, for example, others do not. And the time guaranteed for employees to vote varies state-by-state as well.Of course, your own employer may offer leave to vote, even if your state does not. In 2016, for example, Patagonia announced that would close all US stores on Election Day in an effort to encourage customers and employees to vote.Click here to enlargeBut, since not everyone’s employer is so generous, you’d be well-advised to learn about the specific voter leave provisions in your state.AlabamaTime off required One hourPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or one hour after work to vote. Employee must provide “reasonable notice” before taking time off. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.AlaskaTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote.ArizonaTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.ArkansasTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Employer must schedule work hours on Election Day so that employees have enough time to vote.CaliforniaTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has “sufficient” time outside of working hours to vote. Time off for voting should be only at the beginning or end of the regular working shift, whichever allows the most free time for voting and the least time off from the regular working shift, unless otherwise mutually agreed. Whenever possible, employee must provide at least two working-days’ notice before taking time off.ColoradoTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off, but employee may request that the time off is at the beginning or end of a work shift.ConnecticutTime off required NoneDelawareTime off required NoneDistrict of ColumbiaTime off required NoneFloridaTime off required NoneGeorgiaTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide “reasonable notice” before taking time off. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.HawaiiTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Time off excludes any lunch break or rest periods. If employer can verify employee took leave and failed to vote, employer may make appropriate deductions from employee’s salary or wages.IdahoTime off required NoneIllinoisTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off. These rules apply to general or special election, not primary.IndianaTime off required NoneIowaTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.KansasTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off. Time off excludes any regular meal break.KentuckyTime off required Four hoursPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off. If employee takes leave and fails to vote without a valid reason, employee may be subject to disciplinary action.LouisianaTime off required NoneMaineTime off required NoneMarylandTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employee must provide proof of voting or attempt to vote. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.MassachusettsTime off required First two hours after polls openPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Applies only to workers in manufacturing, mechanical, or mercantile establishments. Employee must apply for a leave of absence for time off.MichiganTime off required NoneMinnesotaTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid PaidMississippiTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid Not specifiedMissouriTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.MontanaTime off required NoneNebraska Time off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before or on Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.NevadaTime off required One to three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Employees who work two miles or fewer from the polling place may take one hour; two to 10 miles, two hours; more than 10 miles, three hours. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.New HampshireTime off required NoneNotes and exceptions Employee may request an absentee ballot if they must be physically present at work, or in transit to and from work, during the period the polls are open. New JerseyTime off required NoneNew MexicoTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or three hours after work to vote. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.New YorkTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least four hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice “not more than ten nor less than two working days before” Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off. If employee requires more than two hours to vote, employee may take additional unpaid time to vote.North CarolinaTime off required NoneNorth DakotaTime off required NoneOhioTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid Paid for salaried employees, unpaid for hourly, commissioned, or piecework employeesOklahomaTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice one day before Election Day. Employee must provide proof of voting. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off. If employee requires more than two hours to vote, employee may take additional “sufficient” time to vote.OregonTime off required NoneNotes and exceptions Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, with the option of voting in person.PennsylvaniaTime off required NoneRhode Island Time off required NoneSouth CarolinaTime off required NoneNotes and exceptions Employee may request an absentee ballot if they must be physically present at work, or in transit to and from work, during the period the polls are open.South DakotaTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.TennesseeTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice by noon the day before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.TexasTime off required As long as it reasonably takes to votePaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote.UtahTime off required Two hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off, but employee may request that the time off is at the beginning or end of a work shift.VermontTime off required NoneVirginiaTime off required NoneWashington Time off required NoneNotes and exceptions Washington is a vote-by-mail state.West VirginiaTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Employee must provide notice at least three days before Election Day. In certain industries, employer may specify the hours employee can take off.WisconsinTime off required Three hoursPaid or unpaid UnpaidNotes and exceptions Employee must provide notice before Election Day. Employer may specify the hours employee can take off.WyomingTime off required One hourPaid or unpaid PaidNotes and exceptions Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote. Time off excludes any meal break.This is an updated version of a previous post.  This article first appeared on Business Insider.

Sample Interview Questions to Ask for Popular Jobs

Sample Interview Questions to Ask for Popular Jobs Sample Interview Questions to Ask for Popular Jobs Sample Interview Questions to Ask for Popular Jobs Is your small business hiring? Whether youre planning to hire a receptionist, admin or other skilled or hourly worker, be sure to maximize your small business hiring advantage. Start by writing a job description that includes the five essential elements of clear job posting.100 sample job descriptions will help you get started. If employee turnover is high for a particular job, take some time to write a job descriptionthats coherent and organized around a central theme. When youre ready to start interviewing candidates, these sample interview questions for the top ten TargetPost job titles will help you find your next skilled, hourly and administrative hire. Account Clerk: Sample Interview Questions Administrative Assistant: How to Interview Administrative Support Worker: Sample Interview Questions Bookkeeper: Sample Interview Questions Customer Service Representative: Sample Interview Questions Graphic Designer: How to Interview Medical Assistant: Sample Interview Questions Medical Assistant: How to Interview Medical Billing and Coding Specialists: How to Interview Medical Office Receptionist: Sample Interview Questions Office Assistant: Sample Interview Questions Project Manager: How to Interview Receptionist: Sample Interview Questions Retail Manager: How to Interview Retail Salesperson: Sample Interview Questions Telemarketer: Sample Interview Questions TargetPost job postings connect you with local skilled, hourly and administrative candidates at a competitive price and help simplify your recruiting process.

Stop the Madness With the Right Job-Search Strategy

Stop the Madness With the Right Job-Search Strategy Stop the Madness With the Right Job-Search Strategy Carefully prepare your job-search strategy and you’ll be one step closer to success.  A survey conducted by Ladders found that nearly 70% of its members considered their job search to be “top priority” right now. However, after carefully reviewing the survey responses, it became clear that not everyone is as prepared for the search as they need to be in today’s marketplace.This got me thinking. For the last week or so, our office has seen a flurry of emails going back and forth about March Madness. Folks are standing around the water cooler (literally) discussing their picks for the NCAA basketball tournaments. In fact, I found dozens of articles online that explain different strategies for building a winning March Madness Bracket.As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, I am not incredibly well-versed when it comes to sports. But for years I’ve watched friends, family and co-workers fastidiously assemble their picks for March Madness. The job search requires the same care ful planning and attention to detail that many apply when building their brackets. This week I’d like to offer up my strategy for the job search by sharing my breakdown of the job-search process: (1) Prepare, (2) Search and (3) Close.1. PrepareIf you want to be successful in the job search, then preparation is key. As a job seeker, you are now in the business of selling a product: you. You need to put on your marketing hat and build a personal branding campaign that advertises your skills and speaks to your target employers’ needs. Begin by taking inventory of your strengths and interests to identify your job goals. Then craft a resume that supports your goals by showcasing your most relevant qualifications. After that, it’s time to review your online presence and make any necessary changes so that it aligns with your professional brand. Lastly, identify good references and develop your elevator pitch to prepare you for the next phase of your job search. While this may seem li ke a lot of legwork up front, I assure you, it will save you a great deal of time and frustration further down the line.2. SearchThe second phase of the job search is all about pursuing job leads that align with your goals and match your skill set. I recommend ” harnessing the power of three ” when searching for opportunities. This means: (1) applying to (and properly following up with) online job listings, (2) networking with your social and professional contacts, and (3) engaging with recruiters. By incorporating all three methods into your search strategy, you will maximize the number of leads â€" published and unpublished â€" you can pursue. And when you combine these methods â€" such as leveraging your network to get an employee referral for your job application â€" you increase your chances of landing the right job, sooner.3. CloseExpect the Close phase of your job search to begin while you’re still pursuing leads. As you nurture different relationships and follow up on job applications, you’ll begin receiving interview requests. Interviewing is a three-step process. How you   prepare  and what you do   afterwards  is just as important as what happens when you’re sitting in the interview room   pitching your skills. Before you begin negotiations, do your research to know your worth and identify your must-haves in a compensation package. Consider the first 90 days of any new job to be an extension of the interview process.Everyone’s job-search experience will be different; however, if you approach your job search as a three-step process and set milestones for yourself along the way, it will be that much easier to hold yourself accountable and see your progress.

Pitch a Great Resume With Our Sales Associate Resume Template for Word

Pitch a Great Resume With Our Sales Associate Resume Template for Word Pitch a Great Resume With Our Sales Associate Resume Template for Word IntroductionThe first step to having a successful job search is providing hiring managers with an extraordinary first impression. A resume that is written and formatted correctly and features significant skills, experience, and accomplishments is much more likely to catch the eye of an employer than one that is spoiled with spelling mistakes and irrelevant information. Use this sales associate resume template for Word and additional helpful information to learn the best way to create your resume’s summary statement, skills, work history, and education sections.Sales Associate Resume Template for Word Karen EdmundsPhiladelphia, PA 11111E: kedmunds@email.com T: 555Experienced sales associate with 90 percent sales closing rateStrong persuasion techniques and communicative skillsAdept at customer service and order processingPerfect Your Skills SectionYour resume’s skill section is your chance to show off your best and most relevant skillsets. As you can see from our sales associate resume template for Word, this part of your resume should utilize bullet points and short phrases so it can be skimmed through easily.To really stand out among many other applicants, it is a great idea to emphasize your suitability for the position by including skills that you see in your desired job’s description. Write them exactly how they appear in the job listing to ensure your resume passes any applicant filtering systems employers may use.Check out this list of desired skills within your industry, and use whichever ones are applicable to the job to which you are applying.Service orientedPersuasion and negotiationCritical thinkingTime managementPolish Your Work History SectionYour resume’s work history section is where you communicate to potential employers what you have already achieved throughout your career as well as what you are professionally capable of. It is important to detail both your typical responsibilities and special achievements, as you can see from our sal es associate resume template for Word. When crafting this section, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. Be sure to use a dynamic action verb to begin each line, and list your prior positions in reverse chronological order. Use facts, numbers, and percentages whenever you can to measure your accomplishments, and especially emphasize previous work that is most relevant to your desired job.Look at the following examples of sales associate work history sections: Sales Associate â€" Queen Bee Beauty Products â€" Philadelphia, PA â€" 7/2013 to PresentProvide friendly customer service and help customers find products they are looking forProcess orders quickly and efficiently and advise customers on order delivery, warranties, and return policies of every product purchasedDisperse material on sales, discounts, and reward programs to gain additional customersClose sales successfully with 95 percent of customersSales Associate â€" Young’s Youth Supplies â€" Philadelphia, PA â€" 5/201 0 to 7/2013Increased the company’s yearly profits by 20 percent with innovative promotions and pitching campaignsMaintained an organized and visually engaging store floor to promote goods and make buyers feel comfortableExplained benefits of products and answered questions concerning proper usage and specific featuresAdjusted communication and sales pitching according to customers’ styles and needsRefine Your Education SectionMany positions require specific educational qualifications, so it is important to have a concise list of your academic achievements and degrees. Don’t overlook this part of your resume, and adhere to the following guidelines to successfully create your education section.Begin your list with your highest level of education and proceed in reverse chronological order. Include your high school diploma if it is the only education you have received, but exclude it if you have a college degree. Don’t worry about mentioning your GPA unless you recently graduate d, but do mention relevant certifications, professional development trainings, and academic honors. For help, refer to our sales associate resume template for Word and the example below. Sales Associate Education Section ExampleNational Association of Sales Professionals, Certified Professional Sales Person â€" 2010University of California at Irvine, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration â€" 2009

Introduce Yourself to a New Way of Introduction

Introduce Yourself to a New Way of Introduction Introduce Yourself to a New Way of Introduction If you’re ever asked to set up an introduction between members of your network, follow this set of tips to help smooth the process: 1. Never make a cold introduction. The first step to making a quality introduction is to make sure that each party is informed and prepared to meet each other. Cold intros are awkward and potentially embarrassing affairs that can leave your contacts feeling uncertain of how to act and potentially resentful of you for the impromptu meeting. All you have to do is send a short note to the involved persons informing them of the context of the introduction and what to expect at the meeting. Depending on your own relationship with your contacts, it may be more appropriate to first ask permission to schedule an introduction in the first place. 2. Remember that you are introducing people because you think there is a reason they should meet, so it is up to you to ensure both parties understand what that reason is. This is especially helpful because it gives them some common ground on which to begin a conversation. The more your contacts know about the motivational details of the meeting, the more useful an introduction can become. 3. Once you move beyond your immediate circle of friends and peers, it becomes more necessary to be aware of the power dynamics between people you intend to connect. You have to make sure that what you are asking is appropriate, especially if you are asking a favor of someone. For example, committing the time of a busy senior executive to speak with a clearly unqualified (but nice) friend would be an obvious no-no. Also, acknowledge those times that you are asking a favor of someone by using appropriate wording such as “I’d appreciate if you would…” or “Would you do me a favor…?” 4. Finally, you don’t always have to make connections yourself. By remaining polite and tactful, you can turn down requests for introductions if they make you feel uncomfortable or strike you as inappropriate. It is, after all, your network, and you have built your professional relationships over time and should work to be respectful to your contacts and their time. Liaising for your business connections can help build your network, breed trust and appreciation, and lead to positive relationships between your network contacts, but when faced with a situation that may waste someone’s time, it is best to simply turn down a request.

John Deere

John Deere John Deere John Deere Breaking dirt was no small task. Not in Illinois. Not in the middle of the nineteenth century. Farmers from the northeast, lured there by the seeming ease of flat, tree-less land, soon found that their wood and iron plows fought the ground more than they sliced through it. The same tools in the sandy soil of the east had been more of a knife-through-butter thing. Newly midwesterened farmers had to resort to the prairie breaker, a 125-pound beast requiring as many as seven oxen to drag it through the tough, blue-stem grass-studded dirt. Even with such a beast and beasts at their service, they could cut no deeper than two inches into the earth and were lucky to plow eight acres a season. Lucky for them, a Vermonter blacksmith was hot on their tails. John Deere had uprooted his family and shop five times, had his shop burned down twice. In 1835, unable to pay back a debt of $78.76, he was arrested. Rather than face the risk of debtors prison, he paid his bail, left his wife and five children with the promise to call for them when he could, and headed west in the hopes of capitalizing on the burgeoning Illinois farm scene. Deere was struck by the difficulty of plowing the new land. Farmers followed their plows with a wooden paddle to scrape off the sticky, loamy dirt every few feet. The plows were unable to leave the nice furrows Deere had seen in Vermont. Image: John Deere While visiting a mill in Grand Detour in 1837 Deere saw another cutting implementa saw. With its owners permission, he took the blade back to his shop. There he cut off the teeth, molded it to the leading edge of an iron plow, gave it a polish, and set it aside for a few days. Once it hit dirt, though, the steel plowshare became as necessary as water. It needed half the animals of a prairie breaker and cut deeper. The first price tag was $7. Thanks to the zing it made as it sliced soil, it became known as the singing plow. Deere did not realize at first that the plow would revolutionize his own business and that of the farmers, that his tinkering would lead to farming on a mass scale, and to his title of Plow King. He made few additional plows that year, only 10 in 1839. In 1840 he made 40, in 1840, he made 75, and in 1841, he made 100. By 1848, though, Deere had set up a plow-making shop, imported his family, and settled the Vermont debt from which hed run. The following year he produced more than 2,000 plows. John Deere steel beam plow. Image: John Deere Deere never stopped trying innovate and improve his plowmuch to the annoyance of his partners over the years, who wanted to settle in and turn a buck as much as a furrow. Before long, the soil would curl right off a Deere plow, sharpening the plowshare as it did so. By the mid-1850s, Deeres factory in Moline employed 65 workers. Each year it consumed 200,000 oak planks, used up nearly 100 tons of steel and 200 tons of iron, and burned 575 tons of coal. With business as booming as that, it was inevitable that Deere would have to battle imitators, reverse engineers, and veritable bootleggers. Candee, Swan Co., for instance, set up shop in Moline in 1866. They produced a nearly identical catalog and had a nearly identical trademark, with the same shape, typeface, design, and Moline, Ill. at the bottom. Deere lost the case against them largely thanks to a previous employee who testified that nearly every one of Deeres own innovations had been borrowed in some way from others. And his trademark had not been officially trademarked. But the world owes its green, deer-bedecked John Deere caps to this defeat. Intent on distinguishing his own company from competitors, Deere had his logo redesigned to include the now ubiquitous stag (originally on the descent after a leap over a log, rather than the upward, bounding deer we know today). With the title of Plow King it was perhaps inevitable that Deere would wield his power in politics. In 1854 he was chair of the Whig county convention. He was also fiercely abolitionist and held that the end of slavery was of greater import than any other cause his party might back. He led a group to break up a pro-slavery gathering of democrats with yelling, hooting, and bellowing, as reported by a Democratic paper. He also started Molines first fire department, organized its first bank, and served two years as mayor. John Deere died in 1886, at the age of 82. Some 4,000 people came to pay their respects before his body was lowered into the earth that he was so adept at parting. Michael Abrams is an independent writer. With business booming, it was inevitable that Deere would have to battle imitators, reverse engineers, and veritable bootleggers.

Biology Major Potential Career Paths

Biology Major Potential Career Paths Biology Major Potential Career Paths Biology majors study the behavior, classification, and evolution of living entities called organisms. This natural science encompasses specialties such as microbiology, marine biology, ecology, zoology, physiology, cellular and molecular biology, and botany. Students can earn Associate, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees. After earning an undergraduate or graduate degree in biology, some students enter professional health science programs including those in medicine, dentistry, podiatry, optometry, and veterinary science. A Sample of Courses You Can Expect to Take Associate Degree Courses Principles of BiologyChemistryOrganic ChemistryBotanyEcologyGeneticsMicrobiologyMarine BiologyMolecular Biology and Genetics Bachelors Degree Courses Introductory BiologyIntroductory Cell Biology and GeneticsGeneral ChemistryOrganic ChemistryBiochemistryPhysicsHuman Anatomy and PhysiologyHuman GeneticsField BotanyEvolutionPhysicsCalculusMammalogyHerpetologyOrnithologyEnvironmental Evolution Graduate Degree (Masters and Doctorate) Courses Modern Laboratory TechniquesMolecular MedicineMolecular EcologyEukaryotic GeneticsVirologyNeurobiologyGenomics and Human Molecular GeneticsPeople, Plants, and PollutionEvolution of Animal BehaviorAnatomy of VertebratesAquatic Field Ecology Career Options With Your Degree* Associate Degree: Environmental Technician, Agricultural Technician, Food Science Technician, Laboratory TechnicianBachelors Degree: Forensic Scientist, Microbiologist, Zoologist, Conservationist, Environmental Scientist, Biological Technician, Biologist, Food and Drug Inspector, Laboratory TechnologistMasters Degree: Microbiologist, Zoologist, BiologistDoctoral Degree: Professor, Microbiologist, Zoologist, Biologist *Includes only career options for those who graduate with a degree in biology. This does not include options that require earning an additional degree. Typical Work Settings Individuals who have earned biology degrees typically work in laboratory settings. Those with advanced degrees, for example, masters or doctoral degrees, do independent research. Biology PhDs may teach in colleges and universities. How High School Students Can Prepare for This Major High school students who are thinking about studying biology in college should take courses in all science disciplines, for example, chemistry, physics, and earth science, as well as in math. This will provide a foundation for their college coursework. What Else You Need to Know This major is also referred to as biological sciences.Related majors include biochemistry, bioengineering, and neurobiology.Students who plan to continue their studies in biology in graduate school should earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is appropriate for students who plan to pursue graduate studies in another academic field since, as a liberal arts degree, it is more broad-based.While there are jobs available for individuals who graduate with an associate degree or with a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in biology, students who earn a masters or doctoral degree have a wider range of opportunities from which to choose. To qualify for a job that involves doing independent research, one typically needs a doctoral degree in Biology.Those who want to earn an advanced degree in the health professions often earn a bachelors degree in biology first.Getting as much laboratory experience as possible- through internships and by working with professors as a student assistant- can improve your chances of getting into graduate school and of getting a job. Professional Organizations and Other Resources American Institute of Biological SciencesAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)American Society for Cell BiologySociety for Developmental BiologyAmerican Society for MicrobiologyInternational Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology