Worklife Resources

Surviving & Thriving

“To win 100 victories in 100 battles is not the acme of skill.
To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”
 
Sun-Tzu, The Art of War

Protecting Yourself at Work

We all have someone at work or home that can, at times, be challenging or difficult. I have counseled and represented hundreds of employees in conflicts with government agencies, major corporations, and small employers. Through litigation, I have dissected dysfunctional relationships at work and seen close up what went wrong and how it could have been avoided.

What has become clear in today’s complex work environment is that every employee must become their own Human Resources expert that learns techniques to take care of themselves at work. This Worklife Resources page provides you with the tools to not only survive at work, but to thrive.

Surviving and Thriving at Work: What Every Employee Needs to Know But is Afraid to Ask

by Eric Sirotkin

Contents:

Chapter 1     The First Impression

Chapter 2     You’re Hired!

Chapter 3     Seeking Reasonable Accommodation

Chapter 4     Sickness, Family, and Medical Leave

Chapter 5     How to Blow the Whistle Softly

Chapter 6     Confronting the Difficult Boss

Chapter 7     The Art of Communication

Chapter 8     Surviving or Challenging the Hostile Work Environment

Chapter 9     Sexual Harassment

Chapter 10   Workplace Assets

Chapter 11   Responding to Discipline and Performance Appraisals

Chapter 12   Leaving Your Job

Chapter 13   Unemployment Compensation

Chapter 14   Coping with Job Loss

Chapter 15   Job References

Chapter 16   Making a Claim or Making a Life

Available at Amazon, this manual is a primer for everyone who works with others in the workplace and encounters challenges – the difficult boss, a hostile work environment, a poor review or unfair treatment. 

While it addresses litigation options such as choosing a lawyer and possible claims, it is more of a practical guide on how to preserve your job and enhance relationships with others garnered from my decades of work counseling employees and litigating cases. Few can afford litigation but no one should be left without an understanding of their rights and responsibilities in the environment where we spend most of our waking hours. The goal is to not only protect yourself at work but to help empower yourself to be successful.   

Professional Representation & Workplace Coaching

To schedule a consultation on protecting your career, responding to discipline, or to determine your legal options, contact Eric today

•  Eric is a former professor of Employment and Labor Law at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

•  He is the author of the 600-page Lexis/Nexis treatise, Labor and Employment in New Mexico: A Complete Desktop Guide to Employment Law.

•  Eric has practiced employment law, civil rights, and mediation since 1981. 

Training

In Person or Zoom Webinars

Developing a Thriving Workplace (and Life): SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK

Eric delivers workshops that support your organization’s goal of creating a successful and thriving workplace:

Workshop Topics:

  • What is a Healthy Workplace?
  • Innovative Proven Mediation Principles to Co-create Solutions
  • Steering Clear of Legal Hot Water: What causes employees to sue?
  • How the “Me Too” Movement Demands Proactive Attention to Pre-empt Disaster
  • Whistleblower, Trouble maker, or Ally: Leveraging the value of “speaking up”
  • Advanced Communication Skills for Developing Engaged Stakeholders

Zoom and In-Person trainings are available. Click to contact Eric about a workshop for your place of employment.