Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 12, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 23 10) There's no shame in moving back home. This is a huge privilege I recog- nize and am grateful to have. Housing is expensive and definitely not something school prepares us for. 9) Consider waiting to attend grad school. Do I feel my master's degree has helped me progress in my professional development? Not really. I have yet to work a job that pays me more than what I'm paying for the degree, and I've had coworkers who made more than me who only had an undergraduate degree. 8) Get smart about your money. Make a budget. Open a retirement account. Take the employer match. Pay off your debt. 7) Slow down. The #HustleCulture really pushed me to be part of multiple commu- nity projects and constantly networking because I thought it was what I had to do. Had I slowed down, I may have realized sooner I didn't have to do everything. 6) A smaller friend group usually means stronger friendships. You're not meant to be friends with everyone you meet. You're meant to have deep connections with those who share similar interests and who have a genuine care for each other. 5) You don't have to get a job aligning with your major. My career path is the squiggly chart in the meme comparing what you think your career growth will be versus what it actually is. 4) Stay connected with professors and past employers. It works to keep in touch with those who have seen you in a work setting, so they can vouch for you. 3) Read through, understand, and take advantage of all your job's benefits. Set aside time to read through all the docu- ments carefully. You may find perks like reimbursements with your insurances. 2) Throw away all the things. What I learned the most from my many moves after college was I was holding on to too many things serving no purpose, or I was too emotionally attached. Once it was gone, so was a good amount of my stress. 1) But, do not throw away your shot! Most of the time, the thing that stops you from doing what makes you happy is you. You're allowed to take control of your life and do whatever it is you want to do. K N O W H O W Six ways to get involved in your community E xcessive work absenteeism is when an employee shows a pattern of missing work: Calling out last minute, with or without a reason; arriving late on a regular basis; taking extended lunches; and spending long periods away from their workstations. ose workflow interruptions impact other aspects of the business: causing stress to other employees, hindering the work culture overall, reducing produc- tivity, and costing the company revenue. Don't assume it's laziness, espe- cially if their absenteeism is out of the norm. It's an easy assumption to decide someone is not interested in their job. Sheila Stafford, CEO of employee-ab- sence tracking tech company TeamSense says to listen. "You'll never know until you ask," she says in the company blog. "Focusing on the symptoms of chronic absenteeism versus addressing the root cause can result in unnecessary turnover and wasted time on your part." Loop in human resources on what questions you shouldn't ask. Foster good attendance to prevent attendance issues from bubbling up in the first place, according to Indeed for Employers. Some ways to do this include encouraging a healthy work-life balance: Employees who don't feel stressed at work are less likely to miss shis. Being transparent is helpful, such as talking to employees face to face before taking any corrective action and giving them an opportunity to adjust their behavior. Rewarding good attendance with small prizes promotes positive change. Disciplinary measures should be well established in the employee handbook. ey should follow certain steps, such as verbal warning, written warning, meeting with direct supervisor, unpaid suspension, and then termination. "Ensure that there's a clear and specific, albeit simple, absence policy in place," advises the Professional Leadership In- stitute. is way, there are no surprises. e rules are the same for everyone, and discipline is carried out step by step. 1 0 T H I NG S I wish I knew... When I graduated 10 years ago BY DOMENICA PERRONE Special to WBJ W hen moving to a new place, becoming a part of your com- munity is essential to building a happy and healthy life. Yes, making friends and professional networking are really im- portant parts of that, but I would argue those are added bonuses. e true joy in community building is much deeper. It's solidarity, mutual aid, civic engagement, power, and resilience. Where do you start, though? As someone who moved to Worcester six years ago, in my mid-20s, I recognize engaging in a new community can feel overwhelming. I am constantly thinking about on-ramps for people to become engaged in the Worcester community. 1. Volunteer, and get your co-workers to join! Volunteer by yourself, with your family and friends, or organize a vol- unteer day through your place of work! Worcester has tons of opportunities for large and smaller groups. Or go solo! Some organizations to consider teaming up with include Worcester Green Corps, El Buen Samaritano Food Pantry, and Worcester Housing Authority. 2. Attend a cultural event near you. Worcester has an incredibly diverse cultural community, and with that comes delicious food, meaningful art, festivals, parades, flag raisings, and more. Every summer, attend the Worcester Carib- bean American Carnival with your family, visit an exhibit for local artists organized by the BIPOC artist collabo- rative El Salon, or see a local play at the BrickBox eater. And remember to diversify your experiences. Worcester's diverse cultural scene is grassroots, inspiring, and always a good time! 3. Door knock for a candidate or ballot question. Civic engagement is so important. If you have an opinion about public health, housing, development, or racial equity, then you have a respon- sibility to be civically engaged. A great way to do this is by registering to vote, voting, door knocking for a local can- didate or ballot question, and attending community forums. 4. Donate to a cause. Is time truly a constraint? Donating money, clothing, food, or other supplies are excellent ways to support causes. And it can be very easy! For instance: donate fresh produce or canned goods to one of Worcester's four community fridges; holiday foods to local soup kitchens, food pantries, or schools; winter clothing to local shelters or transitional homes. Also, donate money! I donate to Living in Freedom Together as it is a survivor-led organiza- tion committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation. 5. Join a board or commission. ere are 43 vacancies listed on the City of Worcester's website for commissions. By getting involved with nonprofit boards or commissions, you are committing your time to where you can influence decision-making processes. 6. Support a local business. Last but not least, it's a no brainer: Support local businesses! Going to eat out? Go to a new restaurant owned by Worcester locals, such as Mint Kitchen & Bar. Need to get some holiday gis? Swing by the Worcester Public Market to get sus- tainability made candles from K Sense Co. or a nice wine from Canal District Wines. Looking for a gi-card for a secret Santa at work? A gi card from Glazy Susan will be most appreciated! Once you start, you will be absolutely as- tounded by the talent and entrepreneur- ship Worcester has to offer. It's diverse, unique, cultural, and, to be honest, it's downright delicious! Domenica Perrone is director of community engagement and volunteering at Clark University, in Worcester. Reach her at dfperrone@gmail.com. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to WBJ By Kimberly Driscoll Kimberly Driscoll is the director of special projects for the Worcester JCC and the president of the Young Professional Women's Association of Worcester. Reach her at kimddriscoll@gmail.com. 10 1: E X C E S S I V E A B S E N T E E I S M W W W

• Cover