Stock market heads for all-time high in 2013 in India?

Conditions for a new bull market are slowly getting satisfied. The yield curve has stopped flattening, liquidity is improving, valuations appear supportive and profit margin expansion is a growing possibility in the coming months, says Morgan Stanley Research.

Morgan Stanley has rolled out its market target to December2013 as 23,069. This implies that the market will be trading at 14.9 tines the FY14 estimated Sensex earnings in December 2013.

Morgan Stanley is expecting the Sensex earnings growth to be 10% and 19% in FY13 and FY14. Significantly, broad market earnings may have troughed or could trough in the current quarter. Revenue growth should slowly accelerate in the coming months. Margins could rise in the coming months with a favourable base effect driven by the relative movement in the current and fiscal deficit. Interest rates are already down YoY (year-on-year), and should stem the steep rise witnessed in interest costs in the previous 12 months. The risk to earnings is that the investment rate collapses, although recent signals suggest that the public sector is starting to spend money.

 The key risks are that commodity prices rise quickly, bringing inflation pressures to the fore, and global risk appetite wanes as global policy makers slip into another cycle of complacency. Mid-term polls are also a possibility, but it is not necessarily seen as a downside risk to stocks.

Morgan Stanley observes that the decisive policy action at home (reduction in subsidies and opening up of FDI) and, more crucially, concerted action by European and US central banks have reduced India’s tail risk linked to poor macro stability (twin deficit).

 Accordingly, the research agency has gone underweight on consumer staples and has raised energy and materials stocks to overweight. Also, it has taken industrials to neutral. It has trimmed technology by 100 basis points. Consequently, the average sector position has expanded, and it is seen as an emerging strategy, as the average correlations of stocks to the market appear to be falling and no longer merits extreme focus on stock picking

MoneyLife

 

 

 

Terrible Body Language Mistakes That Can Cost Your Job

Most of us dream about getting into a company which is famous all over the world or at least we work hard to get the job we desired right from our college days. You might have also prepared a flawless cover letter and a well prepared resume to apply for the job. But what, is that enough to get a job in your dream company or you desired profession? The answer is ‘No’ because without a proper interaction with the recruiter at the time of interview, it is very difficult to get the job, no matter how well you have presented your covering letter with the resume.

Apart from being a well interactive person, you also need to learn about the body language that you need to carry during the time of the interview. If you present any terrible mistakes regarding your body language during the interview session, then it is for sure you will be under threat of not getting the job. So, to avoid such situations, here are few important body language mistakes that you need to avoid to get hired as it was reported on Forbes Website by Jacquelyn Smith.

1. Appearing weak while greeting the recruiter:

If you are weak while greeting the recruiters at the time of interview, then it can be the biggest mistake you can ever make at the time of the interview because greeting well shows your interest towards the job you have applied and the desperation towards it. The most important thing to do while greeting someone is by shaking your hands with the person you want to greet. So, if you shake the hand in a very weak manner with the recruiter soon after you enter the interview room, it clearly signifies that you are not at all interested in the job and you are attending the interview forcefully. It can become a clear note that you are under threat of not getting that job because of your weak performance during the interview round no matter how good your resume was prepared.

So, to avoid such circumstances, make sure you are firm while greeting someone, especially, while shaking hands with the person you meet. Also see to that you won’t crush the recruiters hand while shaking hand, says Patti Wood, an author and a body language expert.

2. Going too close to the hiring manager:

It is another nonsensical mistake you can do knowingly or unknowingly at the interview room after entering. Talking in a perfect manner with the recruiter is appreciated by one and all, but that doesn’t mean that you need to go close to the recruiter and talk to him or her. It is your duty to be courteous at the time of interview in front of the hiring manager. Sitting or standing too close to the hiring manager might definitely look awkward which can also make them feel uncomfortable.
So, at the time of the interview, do remember that you need to be respectful towards the hiring manager’s personal space at any point of time. It can also harm your chances of getting that job, if you follow the opposite of sitting too close or sitting quite far from them inside the venue of the interview. So, a better maintenance of the space between you and the hiring manager is a good procedure to complete your interview round successfully.

3. Talking to the recruiter with crossed arms:

It feels generous if we respect each and every person we come across in our life. But that doesn’t mean that we need to show it with personal actions such as crossing our arms and sitting or standing in front of them while talking to them. The same applies when you appear for a job interview in any company. In a job interview, the recruiter expects you to talk in a friendly manner with them than considering them as the boss and you as a junior or a fresher. They don’t want you to feel shy at any cost and to make it simpler for you during the interview, they start interacting with you in a friendly manner.

So, to reach their expectations, even you need to start of your talk with them in a friendly manner than struggling to talk to them. At the same time you also need to remember that you sit stiff and comfortably in front of them while interacting than crossing your arms that looks like a defensive manner. Instead of sitting or standing with a crossed arms, try showing hand gestures while you are talking to them which shows your enthusiasm and interest towards the job you are being interviewed.

4. Playing with your hair:

Correcting the hair or playing with your hair looks very awkward especially it makes the hiring manager feel uncomfortable by your silly act. This act shows that you are very careless while giving the interview and you are more caring about your body parts than concentrating on the interview questions you are asked. If you feel that your hair is disturbing you while talking to others, its better you tie it tightly so that it won’t come in front of your face to distract your concentration. Correcting your hair or playing with it while talking to someone also makes you look childish in front of everyone, says Patti Wood.

Make sure you are aware of all your bad habits that can distract your interview with the recruiters beforehand and work out for avoiding those habits. If you feel, those bad habits cannot be ridden immediately, try to start avoiding such habits in front of your friends every day, so that you get rid of those habits from you as soon as possible.
5. No Proper Eye Contact:

A proper-eye contact with the recruiter you are talking will be considered as you are confident about what you are talking. Without a proper eye-contact, it will be regarded as that you feel shy while interacting with others. Most of the candidates will do the mistake of not interacting with the recruiters with a proper eye-contact.

Patti Wood is of the opinion that, it is fine if you as the candidate look across your surrounding while talking to the recruiters, as you will be accessing different parts of your brain by moving your eyes to get a proper answer for the question that has been asked. But you need to be very much attentive whenever the recruiter is talking to you and listen what they say properly to avoid any complications in the future. You shouldn’t forget the fact that a proper eye contact acts like a connection tool between the people who are talking to each other, so never go wrong in this matter at any time.

8 Things Not to Do in Your First 3 Months on the Job

After on boarding a new organization it is very important for professionals to keep in mind that he/she should give his/her level best in order to create a good impression at their new job. Remember that for the first ninety days of your joining, everyone has an eye on you to find out that whether you are a good hire or not, suggests Stacey Hawley, Principal at Credo, a career services company, reports Ritika Trikha on Career Bliss.

Therefore, one should be very careful after on boarding a new organization and avoid spoiling their trustworthiness. Listed below are eight things to avoid doing after joining the organization suggested by seasoned experts.

1. Never say ‘That’s not my Job’ : Most jobs in today’s corporate world requires to change the job duties of professionals in no time, therefore, you should be flexible in order to take up any work,  if you deny to take up new duties that shows you are not a team player , according to  Yung Trang, President of TechBargains.com. Yung Trang suggests professionals to ready to extend support whenever you are needed as you will be always remembered by your company superiors for this good quality of yours, no matter what you do later.

2. Never behave as if you know everything: It is always advisable for you to be an observer after jo ining the organization, no matter how qualified and skillful you are, you should carefully see how things work in that organization, moreover, you should observe the work culture and the employees working in the organization instead of giving your own suggestions, so that they can do things differently, claims Stacy Pursell, executive search consultant of the Pursell Group.

3. Don’t be Unsocial: You should definitely know that being unsocial will keep you from integrating into the company’s family. Building a good rapport with the people in the organization will prove to be one advantage for you in the long run, therefore, never say no to lunch invitations or company functions. According to Rachel Dotson, Communications Manager at Zip Recruiter, you should not hesitate to mix well with the people in the organization, which will enable you to bridge the gap between you and them, as people are less likely to respond to their new co- workers.

4. Do not take vacations immediately after joining: If you take up a vacation immediately after join ing the organization, it will be difficult for you to settle down there. Taking vacations immediately won’t prove to be a wise decision as by this you are sure to annoy your employers. Yung Trang says that if you have already planned your vacation before joining the organization, you should let your employer know about that beforehand as a condition of accepting the job offer.

5. Do not get involved in surfing the social networking sites: Even if you don’t have much wor k immediately after joining the organization, never, ever think of spending your time surfing the social networking sites as this is sure to annoy your employers. No employer will tolerate that they are paying an employee for time wasting and surfing the social networking sites, suggests Hunter Valmont, President of Hunter Valmont PR.

6. Never get indulged with office Gossip: Many of your co – workers would like you to get invo lved in office gossips, and in order to be liked by them you may commit the mistake of getting involved with the office gossips and politics which may lead to your departure from the office soon, says Roberta Matuson, president of Human Resource Solutions

7. Don’t lie about a mistake done by you: Remember that mistakes can be committed by anyone, e specially if you are a new comer it is acceptable by your employers that you can commit errors, however, you should not lie to your employers if you have committed any mistake as this will give them a reason to mistrust you, according to President and CEO of LaSalle Network Tom Gimbel.

8. Avoid saying ‘I’ instead of ‘We’: Employers like professionals with team spirit, therefore, as a new employee you should never decline to demonstrate your team spirit to them. So use ‘We’ instead of ‘I’ in every possible sentence. Moreover, you are required to work in a team environment in the organization. So even if most of the contributions regarding the productivity of the business are done by you, never in any conversation with your company superiors say that “I did this”, says Samantha Goldberg, celebrity event designer-spokesperson, television personality and experienced manager/trainer.

Related articles

• 10 Salary Negotiating Mistakes to Avoid (money.usnews.com)
• Job Hunting Requires a License Too (termlifeinsurance.org)

Worst Ways to Make Money

 

1. Day Trading

Let’s face it. We all start day-dreaming at the very mention of investing and float into a fantasy world where we are as rich as Warren Buffet. As day-trading is perhaps the shortest time duration to get returns on an invested amount, newbie investors might be tempted to jump right into it. But beware – you will earn way lesser from day trading than investing for about a year. Not only does this job rob you of peace of mind and sleep but also does not guarantee a positive return on your investment at the end of the day.

2. Flipping Real Estate

Let’s understand flipping real estate before delving further into it. Real estate flipping is when you buy at a lesser price and sell at a higher one or buy a house, repair it and then resell it. Real estate is among the very green and fertile areas of investment but this particular mode of action is not. Real estate flipping is a profitable option only when you will be able to charge a bit more for the house, indicating profits. However, if the prices of houses are sliding anyway, you won’t be able to get a good bargain, even if you’ve spent a fortune on it.

3. Trading Foreign Currency

Trading and investing is a turbulent world anyway and trading foreign currencies is an additional bad option. Trading has more of cons than pros, especially if you are a new investor. If you are unaware of the nitty-gritty’s of investing, you are bound to fall hard. Trading foreign currencies can be a great investment option but only if you are loaded with money and have experience. If you are new to this, you will be playing against experienced big shots, who might even play dirty. Moreover, this is one area which is abundant in frauds and scams.

4. Online Surveys

With the advent of the internet revolution has come one hidden nuisance – online surveys. To some, online surveys are great ways to collect primary genuine data, while to some – it is a clever way of collecting private information and misusing it. Whatever may b e the case, participating in online surveys is not a very profitable idea. Apart from sheer monotony of the job, such portals do not pay great money too. If you were thinking of asking for a raise to do this job, remember that someone out there will do it at a lesser money than you.

5. High-yield Investment Opportunities

If you’ve ever thought of a clever idea to make honest money, there are millions out there who have deceptive ways of earning way more money. Enticing people with high-yield investment schemes is just another scheme to cheat people. We have encountered one or more of such ponzi schemes in our lives and have seen the ugly consequences. Apart from its illegal status, such investment opportunities are nothing more than a pain for the common man. There are plenty more ways to make easy money without having to resort to illegal means. So, Google a few such ones.

6. Online Gaming

All the guys out there would find this job to be more than rewarding – playing online games all day long and getting paid for it that too. But if you fall in this category, then it’s time to come out of it. You might be the gaming champion in your guys’ circle but never forget that there will always be a teen who is quicker and better than you. The online gaming industry is witnessing a huge growth spurt and there are more than willing candidates who will play their favourite online games at low pays. So, make up your mind and play online games for fun and not money.

7. Blogging

Surprise surprise. Contrary to popular belief, blogging does not help you earn oodles of money. This phenomenon has been hyped too much and blown out of proportion to a large extent. Blogging will help you earn money to an extent but not make you rich overnight. Regular blogs earn money by putting up likable content and gaining audience popularity. But this takes time and does not pay well either. Professional blogs, on the other hand hire experts to write for them and get tons of money from advertising. So, if blogging is your passion and not pay, then continue with it.

8. Gambling

Gambling has been the bane of our society since the beginning of time. As people have been gambling with more than just money, gambling with money seems to have become a part of human culture. Apart from an obvious horrid habit, gambling is considered an easy way of making big money. Unless you are not a victim of rigged dices and plain bad luck, you just might make a small fortune. But chances are that you will lose more money than earn it. So, choice is yours – crack the ‘Teen Patti’ mathematics code or get super concentration like Mahowny.

9. Paid Medical Testing

Man rules when it comes to testing on living beings, including its own kind. Science and testing has tempted man to go beyond the ordinary for ages, even if it means sacrificing a few lives in the process. Paid medical testing is not like the other contenders on this list. It is utterly legal and pays quite handsomely but there is one very big catch in it. It requires you to sign an obligatory contract which actually allows medical professional to test experimental drugs on you. It even makes you nod hesitatingly to bear all associated side-effects of the new drugs. Death too is mentioned among them, apart from seizures and vomiting. So, pick your experimenters wisely.

 

The Internet Is Ruining Your Brain [INFOGRAPHIC]

As you’re reading this, you have tunnel vision — that feeling that the world is closing in on you after surfing the Internet for eight straight hours. Web dead head (yes, I made that up) is a growing concern for today’s connected generation, which collectively spends 35 billion hours on the Internet every month.

But we’re not just talking one online shopping experience at a time. Often, we have four tabs open, cycling between emails and shopping, tweeting and word processing. Such multi-tasking actually raises stress levels and lowers creative thinking overall, according to the research compiled by ForensicPsychology.net.

Turns out, multi-tasking online doesn’t positively exercise our brains or mental state. Heavy Internet users are 2.5 times more likely to be depressed. And web addiction reduces the white matter in our brains, basically the transmitters responsible for our memory and sensory abilities.

 

Stephanie Buck

What’s India’s Biggest Growth Hurdle?

Excessive bureaucratic hurdles, inflation and political instability have emerged as the top concerns for the Indian businesses, while larger companies are more worried than their smaller peers about global issues, a survey has found.

According to the survey conducted by workplace solutions provider Regus, almost half of the decisions makers at Indian businesses (47 per cent) fear that the red tape is a serious threat to growth in the country.

 

However, the discontent over red-tapism is slightly less prevalent among larger companies, as greater resources are available with them to deal with paper work and regulation.

The survey, conducted among 387 businesses, noted that 48 per cent of small companies and 52 per cent of medium-sized firms identify red tape as harmful.

“This research shows that red tape and inflation are a real worry for India’s vibrant businesses, and they want India’s policymakers and bureaucrats to improve their performance,” Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said.

Other major causes of disquiet among business community are inflation, political instability and the state of the global economy. Further threats to growth mentioned by business leaders include terrorism, corruption, and the lack of easily-available finance for small businesses.

Besides, larger companies, with their more globalised activities, are more worried about the global economy than their smaller counterparts.

“Businesses can counter such problems themselves, by looking for ways to manage their cost base, and for ways to spend more time on core business,” Thakur said.

“Whilst they may not be able to move the red tape mountain, they can minimise or outsource other non-aspects that consume management time, leaving them with more time to pursue growth,” he added.

“The evidence of the obstacles faced by businesses comes as growth is forecasted to slow to 6 per cent in 2012, with blame being put at the door of policymakers,” he said.
Source: PTI

Related articles

• UK Prime Minister on the Red Tape Challenge (linkedin.com)
• Oliver Letwin: environmental rules could be “great deal simpler” | Damian Carrington (guardian.co.uk)

Is Company’s Culture More Important to Select a Job?

It is pretty difficult to get a job at this time as the competition has increased in a rapid way than before. At present, jobs seekers are in the dual mind, whether to go for a job which offers them more salary or to choose a better place to work where the company’s cultural atmosphere is well established.

You might have experienced this situation before you got into a job. You must have experienced confusion while you were been offered many job offers at a time because each company had its own advantages and drawbacks.

As the companies are aware of the fact that it is their company’s culture which depends on the overall success of the company, they have given equal prominence to build a healthy working atmosphere along with their daily business activities.

There are people who give more prominence to their money rather than the company’s cultural atmosphere. They don’t bother whether their company is a good place to work or not, they will be just interested in their pay for their work and they are also least bothered about the type of colleagues they have next to them.

At the same time there are people who get to know about the company’s poor cultural atmosphere at the time of the interview by the way the interviewers speak. Some of the interviewers seem very harsh and strict by which many candidates drop the hope of joining that company. Many of them calculate pros and cons before joining a company, like there are few who see the travelling distance from their home to the workplace even though they are paid well. But there are very few people who search a job that is next door because at the present day situation, where finding a job is very difficult, people have very less interest in concentrating on job offers which are of total convenience to them. To have a career growth, people at present, are compromising regarding any issues that are related to their career.

Nowadays, the employees at every office are given equal prominence by the HR Departments of their respective companies. The employees are free to share any problems related to their workplace and get it solved. Like this there are many facilities given to the employees to increase their productivity at their work.

So, what is your take, will you work for a company which is culturally well established or are you more concentrated on the high pay offer given by companies which has poor cultural atmosphere?

Related articles

• If You Want People To Trust You, You Better Be Funny – The Business Insider (businessinsider.com)
• Measuring Safety Culture in the Workplace (themarlincompany.com)
• Hiring Right to Avoid a Stressfull Workplace – Andy Buyting (healthnb365.wordpress.com)

Chinese Student Extracts Gold from Scrap CPUs

A Chinese student has extracted pure gold from scrap CPUs, earning him the title ” modern alchemist”.

Li Dianwu, a chemistry senior at Nankai University in Tianjin in north China, dissolved useless CPUs in a solution of sulfuric acid, thiourea and hydrogen peroxide, and filtered the solution with activated carbon.

Then he put the metal-filled activated carbon in a muffle furnace and extracted 65 milligrams of gold at a temperature of 1,100 degrees Celsius, the Shanghai Morning Post reported Wednesday.

The three pinhead-sized beads are 99.99 percent pure gold, Li told the newspaper after he posted 20 photos of his gold extracting process on the popular social networking website, renren.com. His post immediately drew more than 60,000 viewers.

Though Li’s process is not poisonous, a chemical expert surnamed Ye told people not to follow his example because the method requires professional knowledge and equipment.

Gadgets That You Wish to be Invented

Technology has traveled a long way over the years; from performing a function of your phone just by tapping your palm to a wireless headphones with hearing aids, is all very much possible today. 3D and Plasma television, GPS navigating systems have become normal trends of the day, with so much of technological inventions at present, where the future of technology is heading too and what is that we want the tech giants to focus on and usher us. Although we have too much to choose from, at times we all wish for gadgets that will relief us from our pain, frustrations and agony.

We went on to ask some professionals, what is the gadget that they wanted to invent and we arrived at some interesting answers from them. Here are best 10 of them.

1. Mind Reader

It will be interesting to have a gadget that could read people’s mind, this way we do not have to depend on false lie detectors to catch hold of petty thieves. The mind reader can be a great gadget to know people with confidential and private attitude; it can even, at times prevent crimes by tracking any malicious intention.

2. Self Driven Cars

Today cars already have sensors for detecting the surrounding environment and computerized steering. GPS for navigation and a journey little further might take us to cars which are self driven. Imagine this will give you innumerable amount of time to spend on other things instead of worrying about the traffic. It will also be an enormous timesaver.

3. Universal Translator

If you are a traveler, you would definitely want to have a universal translator which could translate any language for you.

This gadget can break all the language barriers that we have today.

4. Gadget popping your favorite chocolate/drinks

This is something every chocolate/drinks lover would want, have sometime or the other wished for.

5. Time Machine

This is one gadget with has been very much flaunted in novels and movies, but yet to become a reality. Imagine if you could go back on time and rectify some of your mistakes, or meet your dear ones that you have lost.

6. Virtually Invisible

The scenario of the world would have been very diverse if we had gadgets to be virtually invisible. Sci -fi movies like Hollow  man in Hollywood, and Mr. India in Bollywood has brought out the negative and positive impacts of a gadget that allows one to be invisible. It would also be a fun thing to have for practical jokes on your friends.

7. Flying skate boards and shoes

Every one of us has definitely imagined how it will be to fly. We would like to have gadgets that can make this dream come true.

8. Teleporter

Everyone wants to get where they’re going, faster, with less time in airplanes and security lines. Scientists have managed to teleport information using the principles of quantum physics but they have not been able to transport a human. It would have been a huge time saving affair if teleporting of human were possible.
There may be innumerable types of gadget wish list. Do share with us what gadget you would like to see in future.

9. Gadgets to Cure Wounds

The medical world needs constant invention; imagine a gadget that can heal open wounds of our kids who are often prone to such injuries. These will surely revolutionaries the health care sector. It would be tremendously useful to soldiers or anyone else who works out in the field.

10. Food Synthesizer

Foods Synthesizer that can recreate any food or beverage at the touch of a button can be an awesome gadget to look out for in the near future. A food synthesizer would come in handy for those always on the go or for those who simply can’t cook. Think of it as having all of your favorite restaurants and your mom’s kitchen in a vending machine in your own room.

Related articles

• Students accumulate ’13 gadgets’ (autonetinsurance.co.uk)
• Startup Ideas: 6 Gadgets to Invent Now (bjconquest.com)
• 15 Gadget Gifts For The Lady In Your Life (gizmodo.com.au)
• 5 new technology gadgets that make great gifts (holykaw.alltop.com)

10 Must-Know Factors About An Employment Contract

An Employment Agreement is a tricky thing and needs to be handled cautiously. Every candidate must read an employment agreement thoroughly and understand all aspects of it before signing it. Hidden clauses or loopholes in an agreement can cost an employee a lot and can even adversely affect his/her career. Here are a few factors one must keep in mind while agreeing to the terms of a contract.

1) Pay Package and Perks:

The first thing a new joiner thinks about his/ her job is the salary or the pay-package. After all, monetary gain is one of the essentials of a job, though not the only one. Thus, it becomes exceedingly important for an employee to thoroughly clarify all doubts pertaining to this aspect. An employment agreement should clearly mention the basic pay, deductions and perks of an employee. It is advisable to have all information regarding pay in a written form in order to avoid discrepancies in the future. Pay based on performance or meeting targets should also be mentioned in the employment contract. One should also clarify the mode and date of payment of salary.

2) Job Description, Duties and Reporting System:

An ‘employee-to-be’ should mandatorily ask about his job roles, duties, responsibilities and tasks before signing a contract. It is of utmost importance that a person understands what is expected of him/ her because failure to understand job roles can have hazardous effects on both, the employee and the organization. If one does not fully comprehend the job roles, one might get frustrated, irritated, error prone, display poor performance at work, depressed and can even be suicidal. The adverse effects of a job not well understood are many because if one does not like his job, he will never be happy with it.

3) Presence of a Bond:

This is one of the ways an organization checks its attrition rate. By depositing a fixed amount of money, decided entirely by the company, a new employee is bound to work in the organization. If the employee exits the company before the stipulated period, he/ she will not get back the deposited amount. This is a sure-fire way of checking employee turnover. This is not a mandatory clause in all organizations because depositing money acts as a deterrent for new employees. Usually, public sector organizations have such a clause. An employee must carefully think over whether he/ she is comfortable with this aspect of the contract. Any hesitation in this aspect, one should rethink joining the organization.

4) Non-disclosure Agreement:

This agreement basically talks about how an employee of an organization should not disclose any inside information regarding the organization to any external agent. In case of breach of contract in this regard, it can lead to serious consequences and can even culminate into a lawsuit. One should keep all office information tightly locked up within the four walls of the office. One exception in this case can be the reporting of wrong-doings or misconduct on the part of any employee, which is also called whistle-blowing. This should be done only in grave cases and not minor ones.

5) Period of Probation:

All employees of an organization go through this as the concerned organization needs to test the new joiner to see if he/ she is fit to work in the company. This, usually, is a wary phase because many organizations mention as to how an employee under the probation period can be terminated without prior notice and also pay. An employee must be comfortable with the length of his/ her probation period before joining. Employees must work harder during this period and steer clear of any activity that might jeopardize their employment. This period, though full of road-bumps, is a good learning time for all new joiners as employees learn all aspects of their workplace.

6) Policy of Leave:

Another thing that new employees literally die for is leave. One can never be sure of a workaholic, but most employees literally go ‘TGIF’ (Thank God It’s Friday) on Fridays. Apart from regular leave (usually weekends), employees under the probation period are usually not given any day off, except for sick-leave.  Even casual leave is not allowed during this period. After completion of probation period, all employees of an organization are entitled to various types of leaves. One must also keep a check on the holidays one can carry forward to the next year and which ones to encash in the same working year.

7) Termination Provision:

This is, perhaps, the gravest of the clauses in an employment agreement. This clause is one that no employee can fully understand or completely evade. This is entirely decided by the concerned organization as to who it wants to remove. Various organizations mention the procedure of termination and what exactly to pay the terminated employee. Sometimes, organizations can terminate employees without prior notice and also pay. This, too, is mentioned in employment agreements. It is always better to clarify with the head of the organization as to why one has been terminated. This helps an employee to stave off the reasons instrumental in his/ her termination in the future.

8) Intellectual Property:

Intellectual Property (IP) includes – Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Trade Secrets and the like. IP usually pertains to organizations that are associated with inventions and creations. Various forms of art also fall under this category. Many organizations give their employees the freedom to come up with their inventions but reserve the rights of using the inventions only for the concerned organization. An employee working in such an organization should be able to face the fact that the credit of his/ her invention will not be attributed to him/ her. This is something an employee of such an organization must understand and accept. One can also look at this from the angle of working for the greater good.

9) Non-solicitation Clause:

This is also called the Covenant Not to Compete. This clause talks of how an employee is barred from joining certain organizations after leaving the organization. This, again, is not a mandatory clause and differs from company to company. Here, the employee who exits the company is barred from working in rival companies. This is one of the ways to keep competition at a low level because after completion of probation period, an employee can opt to work in another similar firm. This can be with respect to either or both, company clients and other rival companies. Hence, one can try and keep away from companies which stress upon such a clause as it might be detrimental for one’s career.

10) Moonlighting:

This clause talks about whether employees of an organization are allowed to have more than one job or not. This usually pertains to companies which offer part-time job but might also hold true for other organizations. One should not keep the fact of working in another organization from the company in which one is working. This can lead to breach of contract and even serious consequences. It is always better to clarify all doubts pertaining to this aspect for one must never be dishonest with the place that helps a person earn his bread.

Related articles

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• What can I do about my long notice period? (career-advice.monster.co.uk)
• Employee engagement down, temp jobs up. Any connection? (themarlincompany.com)
• Inclusion of benefits in employment contract? (ask.metafilter.com)