Commuting impacts job satisfaction

Thsi recent article/poll was somewhat crazy timing for me to stumble across it as I have talked to several people over the past few weeks who have listed a long commute as one of the three reasons they were looking for a new job.

Commuting might not make you unwell but a new survey of U.S. employees showed that four percent, or 5 million people, have called in sick because they could not face the trek to work. The Harris Interactive poll commissioned by The Workforce Institute also revealed that 48 percent of people said commuting has a significant impact on their job satisfaction and 32 percent considered the commute when they chose their current job.

"Where possible, putting policies in place to allow employees to travel during non-peak hours or work from home can increase employee satisfaction, without a negative impact on the bottom line," said Joyce Maroney, the director of the institute, a workplace issues think tank, said is a statement.

Eighty three percent of workers questioned in the survey said they drove to work alone and nine percent used a carpool.

Only 11 percent of workers opted for mass transit, 10 percent said they walked to work and some people used more than one mode of transport to commute.

Fifteen percent of people who took part in the online survey said they would change jobs for a shorter commute and 11 percent said the time spent commuting had a negative impact on their life-work balance.

"Managers should be mindful of the time their employees spend commuting as our survey shows it has a significant impact on job satisfaction," said Maroney. One-third of workers said their round-trip commute was between 30 minutes and an hour, while 16 percent spent between one and two hours getting back and forth to work.

Nearly everyone had a nightmare, or worst commute ever story, with seven percent saying it had taken five hours or more, and another 30 percent spending more than two hours. Only six percent of workers are paid for the time they spent commuting and just 14 percent of adults who commute have the option of working from home. If workers could spend less time commuting 50 percent said they would use the extra time to sleep, 42 percent said they would relax, 33 percent would spend more time with their family and 28 would exercise.

Your Job Search Expenses May Be Tax-Deductible

Article courtesy of Monster....enjoy!

Did you spend substantial amounts of money looking for a new position last year? You may be able to succeed where Nelson Rockefeller failed and take a tax deduction for many of your job search-related costs.

When New York Governor Rockefeller was appointed vice president in the '70s, he deducted expenses incurred in connection with his congressional confirmation hearings. Years later, the courts upheld the IRS's denial of the write-off, saying it violated a key rule on job search deductions: You must be looking for a job in the same trade or business as your previous position.

But fear not: The legitimacy of these deductions rarely gets decided in court. Armed with a bit of knowledge and some individualized professional tax advice, you may be able to reap savings by writing off a variety of job search costs.

Three Major Deduction Categories

Deductible job search expenses generally fall into three categories, according to IRS Publication 529:

Outplacement and Employee Agency Fees: If you pay for job counseling or to have an agency match you with an employment opportunity, this expense is generally deductible. Of course, if you are reimbursed by an employer or anyone else, you cannot deduct these fees.

Resume Preparation, Mailing and Related Expenses: Paper, envelopes, portfolios, postage, phone calls and the like add up. To deduct them properly, you'll need to keep meticulous records, including receipts and notes on the purpose of purchases.

Travel and Transportation Expenses: Whether you take the bus to an interview or fly across the country to pound the pavement, your job search-related travel and transportation expenses may be deductible. But remember: The amount of time you spend searching for a job versus engaging in personal activities during your journeys can be a factor. In other words, a three-week trip in February with one face-to-face informational interview thrown in isn't going to cut it. These deduction rules are complex; get professional advice.

Before You Take That Deduction, Consider These Factors
Even though you now have an idea of what to deduct, you still need to jump through some hoops -- four, actually -- before plugging in those deductions:
You Must Be Looking for a Job in the Same Occupation: Career changers don't get a break from the IRS. "If a general manager of a food market goes out and looks for a job as a VP of an Internet company, that's not going to fly," says Bradford Hall, managing director of Hall & Co. CPAs. Distinctions between career fields can be arguable, so it pays to get professional advice. "I would go ahead and take the deduction if, say, you switch from journalism to marketing, because it's all communications," says Jim Dowling, senior tax manager for Weaver and Tidwell LLP.
You Can't Take a ‘Substantial Break' Between Your Previous Job and Your Search: "There's no specific time frame provided by the IRS," Hall says. "But if a teacher becomes a stay-at-home mom, then years later decides she wants to go back, that's too long" to qualify for job search deductions. "The IRS wants to encourage people to get back on the horse and get back in the labor force."
You Can't Be Looking for Your First Job: High school and college students seeking their first real-world job cannot deduct search expenses -- you must be transitioning between career positions.
Job Search and Other Miscellaneous Deductions Must Exceed 2 Percent of Adjusted Gross Income: Major caveat: You can deduct job search costs only to the extent that they -- lumped together with all other miscellaneous deductions (such as unreimbursed employee expenses) -- exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income.

Toll Free Number

Just a quick update that I have removed Prolyn's toll free number. Turns out not many, if any were using it. Other than the many calls I received about beauty supply orders that people had placed. Turns out Prolyn's toll free number was very close to the number of a beauty supply company. :)