6 ways youre bringing unwanted germs into your apartment

6 ways youre bringing unwanted germs into yur apartment6 ways youre bringing unwanted germs into your apartmentThere are people who take pride in keeping their homes perfectly clean and tidy, and then there are people who couldnt care less if clutter begins to stack up in the corners of their living room, bedroomandoffice. If youre a member of the latter group, cool.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIf youre a member of the former group, we have some upsetting news for you - even if youre a self-proclaimed neat freak, there are probably a few ways that germs are sneaking into your apartment. But instead of losing it and running around spraying a can of Lysol everywhere, check out where exactly those ick factors are hiding and learn more about how you can handle them.1. Your ShoesSurprise, surprise - the things on your feet that carry you down dirty sidewalks, onto public transpo rtation, into public restrooms and virtually everywhere else arecovered in germs and bacteria. Some are harmless, and some honestly help boost your immune ordnungsprinzip a little bit. But others can get you or your loved ones sick as theyre tracked around your carpets and hardwood floors. So designate a shoe storage spot near the front door (it doesnt have to look like a haphazard mess) and ditch those babies the second you walk in. It also wouldnt hurt to wipe them down with antibacterial wipes from time to time.2. Your Purse (And Luggage)So yeah, your purse is literallyone of the most germ-infested things you own. Similar to your shoes, the outside of the bag touches all sorts of icky places when you set it down rather thanhangit up. And the inside is constantly bombarded by used tissues, dirty pocket change, andwell-handled receipts. Considering all of the places your luggage gets stowed as you travel, were not surprised that those bags are icky, too. So rather than throwing you r bag on the kitchen counter or sofa, designate a hallway hook for it and clean that thing regularly.3. Your CoatIts surprisinghow filthy outerwear like coats, gloves, hats, andscarves can get. But just think about how often you wear them and expose them to the elements (like how they start on bar benches but eventually fall on the floor), and then think about how infrequently you toss them in the washing machine or drop them off at the dry cleaners.Blegh. These are also items you dont want to leave chilling on your couch - or even hanging up in your closet next to your other clean clothes. Use a coat rack in your entryway, and be mindful of how many times you get them cleaned.4. Your PhoneJust because youre the only one who typically touches your phone doesnt mean its not covered in germs and bacteria. In fact, most mobile phones have18 times more bacteria than a toilet handle. So imagine what happens when you chuck your phone on your bed, rest it next to your pillow at night or e ven place it next to your food on the kitchen counter as you cook. We know, we dont want to think about it, either. So do yourself a favor and wipe down your phone at least once a week with a simple, tech-safe cleaning solution (we use an isopropyl alcohol-based one).5. Your Reusable Grocery BagsYes, reusable shopping bags are a wonderful way to reduce your personal paper and plastic waste. But no,they are not as hygienic as you probably think they are. Again, think about how many times you take them to the store, place in them in the carts everyone else uses, fill them with foods that can leak (like trays of fresh fish and poultry) and drop them in your car. Now ask yourself how many times youve wiped them down or run them through a rinse cycle. If the answer is Um, never, nows the time to change that. Otherwise, youre exposing your new groceries to old germs and bacteria, and youre consistently exposing your kitchen space to more and more ick.6. Your PetsWe know how much you love Fido, but we bet you wont love to learn aboutall of the potential parasites, fecal bacteria and morehe can track into your home on the bottoms of his paws and even in his pretty coat. While some exposure is good for your immune system, you probably dont want a lot of the things he finds in your backyard to end up in your blankets on your bed (or even on your carpet). So make a point to bathe your pup as often as is safe for his skin and coat (check withyourvet) so your home can keep its germ count under control.Sign up forDaily Fit by Swirled, our newsletter featuring a wellness tip of the day and must-read health news from around the web Youll be one step closer to living a healthy, balanced life.This article first appeared on Swirled.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Managers and employees have different ideas on whats a breach of etiquette

Managers and employees have different ideas on whats a breach of etiquetteManagers and employees have different ideas on whats a breach of etiquetteDoing the simple step of showing up on time can go a long way in the eyes of your manager. Unfortunately, too many of us are running late to work. Tardiness was the the most common breach of etiquette managers noticed in employees, a new Accountemps survey of 1,000 employees and 300 senior managers concluded.It goes without saying that you should show respect toward your colleagues, yet etiquette blunders happen every day,Michael Steinitz, executive director of Accountemps, said. Showing up on time for meetings and paying attention when youre there demonstrates that you value the time and efforts of others. Just being polite goes a long way toward creating a better work environment.Managers dont want you to be late employees dont want you to gossipHere were the most common etiquette breaches managers saw in their employees1. Running late to meetings (34%)2. Not responding to calls or emails in a timely manner (26%)3. Gossiping about others in the office (23%)Manners also mattered to employees, but they had a slightly different idea of what was the biggest offense of etiquette. Here were the rude coworker behaviors that they noticed the most1. Gossiping about colleagues (24%)2. Distracted during meetings (18%)3. Not responding to work communication in a timely fashion (17%)Employees appear to be more concerned with how their behavior is perceived by others. And they are right to be concerned about being seen as absent-minded or as a gossip. Common courtesy can make the difference between you getting that promotion or you being told that there is no room for advancement. Sixty-five percent of managers and 46% of workers said being courteous can accelerate advancement. So if youre habitually late, this is your wake-up call. Showing up on time, paying attention to meetings and keeping your mouth shut when you hear gossi p are all behaviors that are entirely in our control to fix.

Leave, Liberty, TDY, and Monetary Travel Benefits

Leave, Liberty, TDY, and Monetary Travel BenefitsLeave, Liberty, TDY, and Monetary Travel BenefitsYour first experience with many of the liberty and leave benefits of military service will typically begin after basic training. However, if your basic training occurs during the Christmas Holidays, you may learn about leave time in the middle of your first few months of military service. During the two weeks around Christmas time, theArmyshuts down basic training and AIT schools. Other branches do not allow recruits to have leave or liberty.Recruits are usually allowed to go home on leave at this time if they want, even if it results in going in the hole (having a negative leave balance) on their leave balance. Recruits who choose not to take leave at this time, are normally assigned to do details (answer phones, cut the grass, etc), because fruchtwein of the instructors/drill sergeants will be away on leave, and classes are not conducted during this time. Leave After Basic Training With the exception of the Marine Corps, who authorizes all recruits to take 10 days of leave, immediately following boot camp, one does not normally get their first military leave until they graduate technical school/AIT/A-School. After technical school /AIT /A-School, one is normally authorized to take 10 days of leave if their first assignment is to a stateside base, and 15 days of leave if their first assignment is to an overseas base. (Note For extremely long schools, longer leaves may be authorized upon graduation). Leave (Vacation) Whether youre the lowest enlisted rankor a 4-Star General (or Admiral), all military personnel get the same amount of vacation time. Military members get 30 days of paid leave per year, earned at the rate of 2.5 days per month. Normal leave is approved/disapproved by the members immediate supervisor. Emergency leave (someone in your immediate family dies or is seriously ill), is approved by the commander or first sergeant upon verification of the emergency (usually from the Red Cross). Except for emergency leave, and Christmas Exodus, commanders are usually reluctant to approve leave that hasnt been earned yet. This is because, under the law, if a person is discharged (for any reason) and they have a negative leave balance, they must repay the military one days base pay for each day they are in the hole as of the date of the discharge. Leave is calculated according to the fiscal year (1 October to 30 September). One is allowed to carry over only a maximum of 60 days from fiscal year to fiscal year. (Note Exceptions can be approved if one can show that they were denied leave due to military necessity for unusual situations, such as long-term deployments). In other words, if you have 65 days of leave on the books on 30 September, 5 of those days will be lost when the calendar rolls over to 1 October. Leave can be traktement back at the time of reenlistment and separation/retirement. For each day of leave you have saved, you c an sell it back for one days base pay (taxable). One can only sell back a maximum of 60 days of leave during a career. It does not have to be all at one time. For example, one could sell back ten days of leave during their first re-enlistment, then ten days during their next re-enlistment. Terminal LeaveInstead of selling leave upon your discharge, one can take terminal leave when they are discharged or retire. For example, lets say you are scheduled to be discharged (or retired) on 1 September, and you have 30 days of leave. You can out process from the military 30 days early, then continue to receive full pay (including base pay, housing allowance, food allowance, and any special pays), until your official date of discharge. Liberty Pass A pass is non-chargeable time-off also known as liberty. During a military members normal off-duty time, they are automatically considered to be on a Regular Pass. With a few exceptions (such as basic training, or phase restrictions in technical s chool), a military person can leave the base when off-duty without special permission. Another font of pass is a special pass. An example would be the 3-day pass. These are special passes issued by the commander, first sergeant, or (sometimes) supervisor for time off, often given as a reward for superior performance. Usually, a special pass cannot be used back-to-back with leave, and cannot (in most cases) be used in conjunction with a weekend or other scheduled off-duty time. Permissive Temporary Duty Assignment (PTDY) Sometimes a military member wants to attend a conference, class, or function that the military wont pay for, but which benefits the individual professionally (which thereby benefits the military). In such cases, the commander can authorize a Permissive TDY. Members on Permissive TDY do not receive any travel pay or reimbursement (like they would for an official TDY) but isnt charged against their leave. Note If you are driving a car or procuring your own airline flug ticket for TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment) travel, therates are significantly more Travel Rates for 2018 MethodRate Per MileCar$0.54.5Motorcycle$0.51.5Airplane$1.21 AIT/Tech School/A-School In general, if your classes last longer than 20 weeks (at a single location), dependents are authorized to travel to the school location and set up a household at government expense (see First Duty Station Travel Entitlements, below). If the length of the classes is less than 20 weeks, government reimbursed transportation is not authorized, in most cases. However, dependents are certainly allowed to relocate, on their own, at their own expense. In either case, members in job school receive a housing allowance, based upon the actual location of their dependents. Its important to remember that (except for the Marines), leave is not usually authorized following basic training. This means the dependents would have to make the move completely on their own, without the members presence. However, if they are going to be a military family, this is something they should get used to. Additionally, the member is probably going to be restricted to base during the first part of their training (usually, the first 30 days or so), so the dependents may have to do all the house-hunting, to find a distribution policy to live. First Duty Station Travel Entitlements Travel PayWhen you graduate technical school/AIT/A-school, the military will pay the authorized costs for you to go from your technical school/AIT/A-school location to your next duty assignment (or, to the port of your military flight for overseas assignments). There are two ways that the military will do this (your choice) they will either provide you with an airline ticket for a flight directly from your school location to the next duty assignment (or port call), or they will pay you a mileage allowance plus per diem for each day you are in an authorized travel status. Before you depart your school, you can visit Finance (with copies of your orders), and normally receive an advance (about 80 percent) of your estimated travel pay. Air Travel Suppose you leave Base X, buy a ticket home for $800, then buy a ticket from home to Base Y for $300 (for a total expenditure of $1,100)? In that case, the military will pay you what it would have cost THEM to buy you an airline ticket directly from Base X to Base Y. Lets assume that they would have paid $900.00. In this case, you would be reimbursed $900, out of your total $1,100 expenditure. If you travel overseas for a tour, the military will either ship or store your vehicle for you at no cost depending on the location of your PCS move.