As part of OpenSesame’s internship program, our company is reading Linchpin: Are you Indispensable? by Seth Godin. Every Wednesday the company (including our remote workers over Google Hangout!) comes together to discuss chapters of the book and how they apply to our work at OpenSesame and our future careers. The goal of this exercise is to challenge us as interns to think outside the box and see ourselves as creative individuals, with talents that fit into the new economy. For our first week, we discussed the first three chapters: “Introduction,” “The New World of Work,” and “Thinking About Your Choice.” ... [more]
Keeping workers safe on the job is an important consideration for employers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), part of the Department of Labor, works to assure safe working conditions for employees by both creating and enforcing standards and providing training, education, outreach, and assistance. OSHA sets forth flexible requirements surrounding training; it is up to you ensure your employees are informed about the dangers, hazards, and risks of their occupation and how to be safe in the workplace. ... [more]
An increasing number of consumers are bypassing traditional customer service mediums (i.e. phone, email) and opting for channels like Twitter and live chat due to the faster, more personal nature of the communication. While successes on these mediums can mean lots of attention via positive tweets and posts, it can also mean a big committment for your company. At OpenSesame, we provide a live help option on our site for customers looking to get more information, submit a problem or connect for help. ... [more]
Internship programs, paid or unpaid, should be designed with intention and as a professional development experience for the intern - not an afterthought when an employee or department is overloaded. Unpaid internships can be just as valulable as a paid experience, as long as a company carefully considers the goals of the program and how it will be managed. ... [more]
Maternity leave policies have become a hot topic as more women are contributing a significant amount of a family’s monthly income. Learn what is covered under the Family and Medical Leave act and how your company can assure compliance. ... [more]
Employer or employee, it's important to know how the Wages and Fair Labor Standards Act applies to you. This post covers which businesses fall under FLsA and what employers should know regarding its requirements. For employees, we cover minimum wage and hour expectations, as well as youth employment guidelines. ... [more]
New to the workforce? Don't let your lack of experience increase your chances of becoming a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace. The transition from a college campus to an office environment can create confusion around what constitutes sexual harassment, so we've identified steps to empower yourself as you begin your professional career. ... [more]
You don’t have to be a software engineer to succeed as an elearning developer. eLearning authoring tools give anyone the ability to make high quality online courses. But with so many tools on the market, how do you know where to start? This is our guide to choosing the right authoring tool for you. Articulate Studio ‘09 (Image from the Articulate website.) What is it? Articulate Studio ‘09 is an easy-to-use elearning authoring tool that works with Microsoft PowerPoint. Studio ‘09 is made up of three different tools: Presenter, Engage, and Quizmaker. ... [more]