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It would be nice to never have to ask for a raise or a promotion at your job. Instead, you do your work well (like you’ve been doing); and your boss sees and rewards accordingly. Unfortunately, that’s not the real world. Employers are dealing with many employees on many different levels. It’s easy for someone to fall through the cracks. Which is why you will probably, at some point in your career, have to ask either for a raise or a promotion. These are some ideas for how to tactfully do so.

1. Do your homework.

You don’t want to ask for a ridiculous dollar amount when talking to your boss about a raise. This would be unwise and show that you don’t really know what your industry is like. Check out what others in your field and your geographical area are making. Search Google and pick the brains of your mentor (you have one, right?). Don’t come to your meeting with your boss unprepared. Not only will you waste your best chance at that raise, you’ll waste their time, which won’t bode well for you.

2. Choose your timing.

Asking your boss for a raise when the company has just lost a major contract would not be the smartest choice. Consider where the business is currently. Is now the best time to ask? Bring into consideration your boss’s position. Did you hear that your boss was just reprimanded by the higher-ups? Approach your boss when they’re in a good mood and when the company is in a good place. Your timing could be what makes or breaks your attempt.

3. Start building a case.

If you really want a raise or a promotion, then you should be taking on more responsibility and projects now. You have to be able to show that you’ve been handling your current work well, and could easily take on further responsibility, adding value to yourself now and in the future. Don’t expect to get a raise when you’ve been doing the same thing day after day for the last three years with no expansion in your duties.

4. Consider your approach.

You do not want to be confrontational. This will be a quick shut-down to your request. Instead, approach your boss with the attitude of, “what can I do to achieve this promotion?”. Someone who is willing to be teachable and learn is someone who will do well in a promotion. When you’re asking for a raise, you can’t just have the attitude that you should get one because you want one. That may be what you’re thinking, but you have to show your boss that you’ve added value to the company in your position. You’ve gone above and beyond, and you’re an important asset to the company. Convincing your boss of your worth will go much farther than just telling them that you feel like it’s time for a raise.

5. Be in it for the long-haul.

The key is not to rush. Being patient will get you the places you want to be. If you ask your boss for a raise or a promotion and they tell you “no,” be willing to wait a little longer and see if circumstances change. Your boss may not be able to give you what you want right now, but if you approached them right, then you’ll be on their mind the next time they have the ability to offer a raise or a promotion.

Asking for a raise or a promotion is a tough thing to do. However, with some preparation and patience, you’ll be able to pop the question in a professional, unemotional way. Don’t rush into a confrontation that you’ll regret. Take your time and use circumstances to your advantage.

Maintaining your health is vitally important. However, many people sabotage their efforts by living like workaholics as they try to get ahead. No matter how good your intentions are, working longer hours is bad for your health in many ways. Here are some of the health problems you could encounter.

Cardiovascular issues

When you go above and beyond consistently and are at the office well beyond a normal 8 hours, your risk for heart-related problems and diseases increases. Putting in the extra hours isn’t good for your heart. You may feel like you’re getting ahead now, but long-term you’re digging yourself into a health hole that will not be easy to climb out of.

Diabetes

Sitting for long amounts of time is not a benefit to your body. One of the big issues that can come from it is diabetes. To combat this, try to get a standing desk for your work. Getting on your feet is a major plus for your health. Also, whenever you’re able, take a walk. Use your lunch break to get on your feet and get out of the office for a little bit. When you’re home, avoid slipping into this work habit. Instead, get active and get moving.

Stress

Constant stress can result in many health issues. Obesity, high blood pressure, and heart illnesses can be linked to this. Also, long-term stress can have an impact on your mental health as well. This is why it is so important to unplug when you go home at night or on the weekends. Separating yourself from the stress greatly helps you in the long run.

Lack of Sleep

If you’re putting in the long hours, then your sleep is probably being sacrificed. On the surface, this seems like a good time to give up. However, not getting the sleep you need (7-9 hours for an adult, according to Mayo Clinic) can result in illness. Going without the sleep you need will result in you not only being more tired at work but unable to focus well and perform creatively. Sleep is when your body recharges, and without it, you’re more susceptible to a variety of diseases and illnesses.

Eye strain

By now it’s common knowledge that looking at a computer screen for an extended amount of time is bad for your eyes. If you find yourself with a job that requires this sort of work, practice the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes stare at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. This will help to reduce eye strain and the symptoms that go along with it, like headaches, nearsightedness, and other maladies.

Lack of exercise

When you’re staying at the office well after your normal 8 hours are up, one of the first things to go, other than sleep, is exercise. Being active during the week is very important. The life of a weekend warrior simply won’t cut it. Exercising cuts down on the chance of getting virtually any of the diseases and health issues that have been listed so far.

You may think you’re getting ahead by sticking around work longer, but you’re creating a huge potential problem for yourself. Take care of your health and work smarter, not harder. Take advantage of the time you have at work to be your most productive self.

Your boss is a critical part of your everyday life. They have the authority to hire and fire, and they may dictate what work you do throughout the day. Because of this necessary and pivotal relationship, you want to have the best working partnership with your boss. Here are five ways to be the employee any boss would love to have.

Be a team player

No lone wolves here. In order for work to get done smoothly, most workplaces require a team effort. This may be by getting to your work on time so that it can be accessed by other members of your team, or sitting down and collaborating together on a project. No matter how it looks, it is essential to consider yourself a part of the team. Have the whole team’s goals—including your boss’s—in mind. Seek ways that you can help your colleagues out, that doesn’t interfere with you getting your own work done, of course.

Be respectful

You may not agree with every single choice your boss makes. In fact, you don’t have to and probably shouldn’t. However, that doesn’t make you exempt from showing them respect. Being able to give your opinion in a respectful manner will impress your boss. When you are willing to show respect for another person, reciprocally they will more than likely show respect to you. This is also a way to be a leader among your coworkers. If your boss can count on you not to bad-mouth them behind their back, you’ll become a valuable asset to their team.

Be humble

If you’ve done something wrong or you messed up on a project, admit to it! Don’t make feeble excuses. Be willing to explain how you mean to remedy the situation, but fess up to what you did wrong. Being able to take responsibility is a trait that is becoming less and less common. Your boss will appreciate and value an employee that admits their flaws, but also works to fix them.

Be considerate

Did you find out that you’re going to need to take a day off in two weeks? Let your boss know. If they are aware of your need for time away they can plan accordingly. This is a simple way to help them with the amount of stress they have to deal with. Employees who ask for the next day off five minutes before the end of the workday will be on their short-list of annoying people.

Be dependable

Do your work, and do it thoroughly and well. Get to your job on time and be ready to go as soon as you sit down at your desk. Turn your work in on time, and avoid wasting time on social media sites, etc. If you’re dependable, your boss can rely on you. And your boss isn’t going to rely on someone they don’t like. Put in the extra effort that will set you apart from the crowd by being your boss’s rock in the workplace. This will also be a huge bonus to you when promotion time comes.

You don’t have to be a ‘yes man’ (or woman) to get in your boss’s favor. Nor do you have to be the teacher’s pet. Being a person of your word who lives with integrity will do the work for you.

What is a legitimate excuse for not coming in to work? What qualifies as a sick day and what will get you a reprimand? You may hate taking any of your sick days, or you may already be maxed-out and it’s March. Whichever end of the spectrum you land on, here are some good reasons for taking a sick day.

Contagious illness

This could be everything from the flu to a sore throat. When you’re sick, you will not be very productive. Add to that the possibility of your coworkers becoming ill as well, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. So what kind of illnesses would this cover? The flu, stomach sickness, fevers, pink eye and sore throats are some of the reasons you may want to call in sick. It works, because you actually are sick. The key to this is that it is contagious; and others could catch whatever you have. For the sake of your coworkers, please, just stay home.

Death

Of course, if a family member dies, call in and let your boss know you’re not going to be able to come into work. This has been a standard acceptable reason not to go to work. However, never lie. If your boss finds out that your family member did not actually pass away, you’ll be in big trouble; and your trustworthiness will be called into question.

Family sickness

If your kid has to stay home from school sick, it’s acceptable for you to take a sick day. After all, you’re probably not going to be able to find a sitter who wants to hang out with your ill child. Explain why you can’t come in, and leave it at that. Your boss will appreciate your forth-rightness rather than you coming up with a crazy excuse for why you can’t work. Most workplaces are okay with you taking off a certain amount of days throughout the year for family issues.

Doctor’s Appointments

Do your best to schedule your appointments for late in the day or early in the morning, not at 1 p.m. This way, you can get to your appointment without having to take off too much time. Even if you schedule your appointment for late afternoon, you’ll still be leaving work earlier than usual, which will give you some time to relax and kick back, even if it is in the doctor’s office.

Blizzards

Or any other weather that would make it dangerous to get to your job. If you’re hiding out in your basement because of a tornado, call in, let your boss know you’ll be a little late. They’ll probably already be aware of whatever natural disaster is going on, and won’t have any problem telling you not to come into work. Rainy days and light snowfall don’t count, though, so don’t try to use those as an excuse.

Some unacceptable reasons: being hungover, laziness, disliking your boss, procrastination, you fill in the blank. You’ve probably read of, or heard of yourself, many excuses that are just plain outrageous. Whatever your reason is, make sure it’s legitimate, and don’t lie to your boss. If you have to lie about it, then it’s probably not a good reason to skip out on work.

Unfortunately, there is always going to be that person at work. The one who always finds the negative in every idea, who complains constantly, or never turns in their work on time, or ever. However, your productivity and quality of work doesn’t have to be dragged down by their poor performance. If you’re dealing with a toxic coworker, here are some ideas to manage the situation.

1. Don’t get too close

You already know that this person gets on your nerves, why exacerbate it by spending inordinate amounts of time around them? If you have to work on a project with them, try to keep an emotional distance. After all, this is work. Even if they do get on your nerves, you can respond in an adult-like manner. The rest of the time, try not to spend too much time in their vicinity. You don’t want that negativity rubbing off on you and sending your day down the drain.

2. It’s not about you

Remember, they’re not acting in the way they are because of you. It’s actually not personal, it’s business. They are responsible for their own actions, no matter how much they may try to blame that on other people. With this in mind, try to maintain that emotional distance between you and them. They’re simply colleagues who have performance issues, and fortunately, colleagues don’t get to come home with you when the day is done. Keep it that way in your thoughts too.

3. Vent away from work

Sometimes sharing your struggles with another person is helpful. Just make sure that you’re not doing this at work. Find a friend and vent a little. Being able to talk it over with someone else can be helpful. They can help you evaluate the situation with another perspective and maybe give you ideas for how to deal with this person.

4. Check yourself

Make sure that you’re examining your own words and actions. Have you contributed to the tension at all? It’s possible, after all, that they’re not the only issue there. If you see ways that you have been a part of the problem, not the solution, then change that. Make sure that you take responsibility for your actions first.

5. Promote a team-focus

The person you’re struggling with may be all about themselves, but you can try to work against that. Try to include them in meetings or projects. Get them involved and thinking with a big-picture mindset. Sometimes, just getting people to feel like they belong as a part of a team can get them to lose that negative mindset. This may seem counter-intuitive, but try it out, you may be surprised by the result.

6. Remember what matters

Yeah, sure, that person may be driving you up a wall. But you shouldn’t base your happiness at work on other people. Did you just nail that big contract? Celebrate it, don’t let the other person deflate your mood! Maybe you finished a big project and know that it was done well.  Let that lift you up. Don’t allow your emotions to hinge on someone’s else’s reaction. If you do, then you’ll be on a constant roller coaster.

7. What’s the real problem?

Sometimes you just need to do some thinking and digging to find out what is motivating these people to act like they are. Has someone at work consistently slighted their work? Do they have issues happening at home? Maybe they’re frustrating to you because those things that annoy you are actually your own habits. If you’re the only one who is having a problem with this person, then that might be what the real issue is.

You’re always going to encounter interpersonal conflict. How you work to resolve it and deal with the issue is the true measure of the bigger person. Rather than blow up at your annoying coworker at work—and ruin your own reputation—employ some of these tactics to find better success.

You may have dreamed of it for some time, and now it has finally arrived: the opportunity to work a couple days, or even full-time, from home! Ah, the joys of telecommuting. Here are some things to pay attention to if you are going to be a successful, productive telecommuter and keep your productivity level up.

1. Have a set office space

You need to have a place you can go to to get away from distractions. If your kids are at home while you’re working, go into your office and shut the door. Even though you’re working from home, you still have to be mindful that work is required of you. So have a set place where you can work, whether that’s an actual office space or a desk set up in a corner of your bedroom. Treat it as you would your office in your workplace.

2. Stick to a routine

As appealing as it may sound to just roll out of bed and get to work, that’s not the best idea. Getting up, showering, and dressing as if you were going to work helps to get you in the right frame of mind. It helps you and those around you to remember that you’re working, not just bumming around the house.

Along with this, have a set start and end time. Don’t allow your hours to get ridiculously late. Stick to the clock, just as you would at work.

3. Lunch like you would at work (just better!)

Now you actually have the opportunity to prepare healthy, quality meals. Take out or junk food isn’t your only option now, so take advantage of the change. Don’t just snack through lunch, as tempting and easy as that might be. Take a break, eat a healthy lunch, then get back to work feeling motivated and refreshed.

4. Create a to-do list

Since you’re telecommuting, you have to be able to manage your schedule a little more closely. What do you need to have done by the end of the day? What projects require your attention? Do you need to make any business calls? Know what needs to get done and make a list with those things. Enjoy the satisfaction of crossing them off throughout the day. It’s also handy for when your boss checks in and asks what you’ve accomplished. You’ll have a neat little list to rattle off.

5. Communicate with your family

Let them know that, though you’re home, you are still working. This means that other than emergencies, you shouldn’t be disturbed. Hang a sign on your door that lets your family know if you’re busy or if it would be okay to interrupt. Communicating your expectations with them right away will help you all in the long run.

6. Keep distractions to a minimum

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should vacuum the whole house, entertain periodic drop-in guests, or go to all of those unnecessary appointments all day long. Invest in some noise-cancelling headphones to help you stay focused on your work. Don’t answer the door and avoid answering your phone other than for work. While you’re at it, if friends have the tendency to stop by during the day because of your “flexible schedule,” politely let them know that that’s not going to work.

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone. If you try it out and find that you don’t like it or it doesn’t work for you, it’s fine to go back to the office. However, if you enjoy it and your boss is happy with your work, then use these tips to excel with ease while you work from home.