5 Quick Tips to Taking a Vacation without Worrying about Your Job Security

This week I was in the DC Washington area and did a remote live interview with Fox News Tampa Bay. I wanted to share with you the 5 tips that I shared in the interview. These are tips to keep in mind when taking a vacation to help you prevent worrying about your job security.

1. Team up with a trusted “Buddy” at work. You delegate what needs to be done, key contacts to be made, duties and deadlines that need to be completed while you are on vacation. Make sure this is a competent co-worker who is someone that is a team player, and most of all, someone that you trust. Then you return the favor when your “Buddy” goes on vacation.

2. Communicate and approach your manager ahead of time, schedule your vacation during a non-peak period for your particular business or industry, your manager will appreciate the fact that you planned ahead and came up with this system, you’ve made it easy for your manager to approve your vacation request. This also shows that you care about your job and the company.

3. If you can “disconnect” from work completely, that is what a vacation is for after all, to relax, decompress and re-charge those batteries. However, if you must stay connected, have rules and parameters as to when you will be available to take calls or emails. On a 1 week vacation, it might work like this, I will be available for “emergencies only” and you can reach me at this number, but make sure that everyone knows what defines an emergency. Besides this exception, you could make yourself available on certain days and times, such as between 9:00 and 10:00 am on Tuesday, and then 7:00 and 8:00 PM on Thursday.
Make sure to communicate, set the parameters and stick to them.

4. Know the company culture from the start and this means at the job interview, or after a job offer has been extended, ask about the topic of vacations, and are we “unplugged” during vacations? Then you will know from the very beginning what you can expect and make the decision as to whether this company is the “right fit” for you. The very first vacation that you take with any company will in all likelihood dictate how vacations will work in subsequent years, keep this is mind, because how you treat a vacation and whether you stay “plugged in” sets expectations.

5. This is very important, if you don’t take a vacation, you will feel cheated, and you’ll probably feel some resentment, anger, stress and the likely result is that you will burn yourself out. So what good are you now? Make sure you take time off, if you don’t, you will likely regret it later.

Sincerely,
Kevin Connell
Founder & CEO of AccuScreen.com

To see the full interview with Kevin Connell on Fox News Tampa Bay you can go here.

Webinar: Friday August 13, 2010 – Workplace Violence in the 21st Century

Webinar: Workplace Violence in the 21st Century – 2:00 PM Eastern 11:00 Pacific

Tampa, Fl., August 11, 2010—In the wake of the beer distributorship shooting and tragic loss of life in Manchester, CT on August 3rd, many Human Resource professionals and business leaders are taking a fresh look at their policies and procedures that address workplace violence. A new webinar, “Workplace Violence in the 21st Century: Top 10 Lessons Learned,” offers employers and HR professionals an opportunity to learn from and ask questions of two experts who have worked on the prevention of workplace violence for decades. The webinar will take place on Friday, August 13, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Individuals can register for this free webinar at: http://www.accuscreen.com/media/webinars

Hosted by AccuScreen Inc., an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, the webinar will feature founder and CEO Kevin Connell interviewing Barry Nixon, the executive director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., a company focused on assisting organizations to effectively implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Connell, also an expert on the subject of workplace violence and on background checks, promises a content-packed discussion.

The webinar will address the issue of workplace violence, the warning signs to look out for, and why no company no matter how large or small is immune. Most importantly, Connell and Nixon will speak about ways to prevent workplace violence from happening in the first place.

Adds CEO Connell of AccuScreen, “we will address not only why workplace violence has been on the rise, but also dispel the different myths that are out there such as the ‘disgruntled worker just snapped.’”

Connell and Nixon will reserve time on the webinar for questions. They encourage participants to bring questions that they may have about workplace violence.

About Accu-Screen Inc.
Since 1994, Accu-Screen, Inc. has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and he is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement. Accu-Screen, Inc. is a C.A.U.S.E. Certified Background Screening Company.

About Kevin Connell
Kevin Connell has over 15 years experience as CEO & Founder of AccuScreen.com, a Global Background Screening Company, specializing in Criminal Background Checks. Mr. Connell was one of the founding Directors of the National Association of Background Screeners (www.napbs.com); he is an internationally-known expert on Background Checks, Occupational Fraud and Embezzlement, as well as a speaker, published author who has appeared on over 73 Television and Radio shows including Fox News and ABC’s Money Matters.

About Barry Nixon
W. Barry Nixon is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc., a company focused on assisting organizations to effectively implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Having spent over twenty years in Human Resources and Organization Development in Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Nixon is well grounded in the real issues companies face and develops practical solutions based on having been there. Mr. Nixon is a frequently requested speaker both in the US and internationally on the subject of Workplace Violence and Background Screening.

Faisal Shahzad ARRESTED Times Square Terrorist Bombing Suspect

FAISAL SHAHZAD ARRESTED…Developing Story…Times Square Car Bombing TERRORIST Suspect FAISAL SHAHZAD ARRESTED while attempting to ESCAPE & LEAVE COUNTRY to fly to Dubai. APPROXIMATE TIME OF ARREST MONDAY MAY 3 @ 11:45 pm EST JFK AIRPORT. From someone who has done background checks since 1994, including terrorist background checks, OTHER SUSPECTS CONNECTED TO THIS TERRORISM ACT are CERTAIN, MORE ARRESTS WILL FOLLOW, INCLUDING INTERNATIONALLY WITH MIDEAST TIES. My recommendation, hold this and any other suspects as an “Enemy Combatant”, Attornet General Eric Holder please do not repeat your mistake with the Christmas Day “Diaper Bomber” “ Underwear Bomber.” UPDATES TO FOLLOW

Lucia Bone of The Sue Weaver CAUSE Speaks on Critical Screening Measures for Employers and Home Owners during Live Webinar

PRESS RELEASE:

Complimentary presentation and interview to take place during National Safety and Security Week for business owners, hiring managers and consumers on the topic “De-Mystifying Background Checks: What Every Person, Family and Business Needs to Know Right Now”

Tampa, FL /  August 24, 2009 — AccuScreen Inc., an employment background screening firm, will host a free Webinar presentation and interview with Lucia Bone, Executive Director of The Sue Weaver CAUSE, Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment at 3:00 PM Eastern, Wednesday August 26, 2009.

The topic of the presentation and interview will be “De-Mystifying Background Checks” a message for both businesses and consumers, which will focus on the importance of background checks on contractors and employees who enter people’s homes to perform routine home improvement and maintenance tasks.

“Many consumers have a false sense of security when they see that a home repair or service company is bonded and insured,” according to Kevin Connell, CEO and Founder of AccuScreen, will moderate the Webinar and interview Ms. Bone.

“Those designations do not speak to the safety precautions taken in the hiring process,” adds Connell. “The CAUSE Certification, which includes a comprehensive criminal background check, provides consumers with the reassurance they need before engaging a local service provider and inviting them into their home or onto their property.”

The Sue Weaver CAUSE launched the CAUSE Certification on August 27, 2008 on the anniversary of the death of Sue Weaver who was raped and beaten to death in her suburban Orlando, Florida home on August 27, 2001. Six months prior to her death, Sue had contracted with a major department store to have the air ducts in her home cleaned. One of the two men sent to perform the work was a twice-convicted sex offender on parole who later returned to rape and murder Sue Weaver.

The CAUSE Certification is a program designed to better protect consumers and employers by offering a means of hiring safer employees, contractors and subcontractors. Annual criminal background checks are required on all employees, contractors and subcontractors before becoming CAUSE Certified.

AccuScreen, Inc. and The Sue Weaver CAUSE are promoting this as part of the United We Serve Readiness for Safety and Security Week, August 24-30 aimed at supporting the efforts of those involved in disaster preparedness and crime prevention.

“The background screening principles we will discuss in the interview are applicable to employers in all industries, so we invite everyone to join in this important discussion” says AccuScreen’s Connell.

All employers and interested consumers are encouraged to register to attend this complimentary event by calling AccuScreen, Inc on 1-800-689-2228 or going online at http://www.accuscreen.com.

Visit www.sueweavercause.org to learn how to protect yourself, your business, and your family when it comes to hiring employees, contractors and subcontractors. To learn more about criminal background checks, visit www.accuscreen.com.

About The Sue Weaver Cause

The Sue Weaver C.A.U.S.E., Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization brings awareness and education to consumers and employers regarding the necessity of criminal background checks on all service employees, contractors and subcontractors hired to work in or near clients’ homes.

About C.A.U.S.E. Certification

The Consumer Awareness of Unsafe Service Employment (C.A.U.S.E.) Certification campaign was launched August 27, 2008 as a nationwide consumer safety campaign to identify companies who perform criminal background checks on workers sent into consumers’ homes. The launch date marked the seven year anniversary of the death of Sue Weaver, who was raped and beaten to death in her suburban Orlando home by a worker sent to her home to clean her air ducts. Although he was a twice-convicted sex offender on parole, the company did not do a background check before hiring him. For more information on C.A.U.S.E. Certification please contact The Sue Weaver CAUSE at 877-450-5812 or email certification@sueweavercause.org

About AccuScreen Inc.

Since 1994, AccuScreen, Inc. (http://www.accuscreen.com) has been an industry pioneer, leader and expert in employment background screening, tenant screening, nanny screening and date screening, specializing in criminal background checks. Its reports are delivered to companies across the world with turnaround times from Instant to no more than 72 hours. CEO Kevin G. Connell founded the company with a burning desire that companies hire the right people from the start, resulting in greater cost control and better safety in the workplace. Mr. Connell also served as a Founding Director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), and is a frequent Radio and Television Guest, appearing on ABC and Fox. Kevin also serves as a national speaker and expert in negligent hiring, resume fraud, employee theft, and embezzlement.