SavvySugar

Gift Registry For Divorcées: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:53 -0800

Divorce requires lots of support from the people who care about the couple who's splitting up, and now friends and family can be even more helpful along the path to starting over. UK department store Debenhams has launched a divorce registry system for ex-Mesdames and Messieurs who need a little assistance in building their new single lives.

The divorce registry is set up exactly like your typical wedding registry. The registrant selects items to include on the list, which is created with or without the help of someone from the department store, and the registry is then posted online. Some family advocate groups have criticized the chain for glorifying divorce, but the store says it's just being realistic and helping divorcées rebuild their lives.

This marks a new idea in the retail world, and it's one that could very well make its way over the pond to the US. What's your take on divorce registries, are they brilliant or baffling?

CareerExcuse.com: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:45:26 -0800

It's probably safe to assume that some of us have included a little white lie (or two) on the page in a move to build resumes that impress. That's not to say that we're all liars, but certainly small embellishments make their way onto our resumes and cover letters in an effort to paint our career history in the best light. Still, in light of the economic climate over the past couple of years, more and more applicants are lacking career history altogether, or have lapses of time between positions that must be accounted for on resumes and job applications.

Enter CareerExcuse.com, a site its founder describes as a way to "help our subscribers meet the needs of the modern day job market." What services are offered to subscribers to meet these "needs"? Well, it seems nothing is off limits. In fact, CareerExcuse.com's assistance for job seekers ranges from fake job references to fake employers - complete with the creation of a new company with corresponding contact information, website, logo, even LinkedIn profile. All in all, the site puts together a pretty convincing display of "authenticated" references to help its clients on the search for real employment.

Obviously, there are several ethical issues with the company, but in light of the economic downturn, and millions of jobless Americans, site founder, William Schmidt, argues the enhancements are a huge help to job seekers, who would likely remain unemployed otherwise. What do you think - is this kind of resume booster a smart solution or just totally baffling?

BMI-Based Health Benefits: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:45:00 -0800

In a new health benefits program offered by Whole Foods, employees who don't smoke and have a low body mass index (BMI), low blood pressure and cholesterol are about to be rewarded for their good health. On the flip side, that means the new initiative, aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle, will offer fewer rewards and a lower discount to employees who don't meet the company's health criteria.

I'm all for a workplace that recognizes and fosters healthy living, but as Fit points out, the "healthy" requirements employees must meet are a little suspect - not to mention an invasion of privacy. Keep in mind, employees can opt out of the new program, but their current employee discount of 20 percent is even less than the bronze-ranked employee discount (22 percent) under the new program. So what do you think? Is this initiative a step in a healthier direction or does a program like this seem inappropriate in the workplace?

Photo courtesy of CNN

Employee Fraud Hotline: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:45:28 -0800

While some companies are punishing employees for gossiping, it appears others are encouraging it. According to the New York Post, publishing giant Condé Nast is in the process of setting up a "fraud-reporting hotline" to put the kibosh on leaks, theft, and unauthorized perks within the company. The hotline will be anonymous, so employees can report each other without fear of being found out.

A hotline like this seems like it may open the floodgates for employees to take out personal vendettas against each other - but on the other hand, Condé may have had its reasons to encourage employees to start self-policing. What do you think?

Brilliant or Baffling? Decreased Productivity Firefox Add-On

SavvySugar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:10:07 -0800

Policies on recreationally surfing the web vary from workplace to workplace, but the truth is that (almost) all of us do it. But that doesn’t mean we want everyone around us to see exactly how much time we’re spending browsing, say, the PopSugar Network, does it? A new Firefox add-on called Decreased Productivity could be the solution. The program adds a small button to the bottom of your browser screen that when clicked turns your flashy, graphics-filled web page (below left) into a bland, imageless page filled with black and blue text (below right).

This add-on could be useful, especially if you work in an office that imposes unfair, strict Internet rules. On the other hand, if you feel the need to hide what you’re looking at, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it anyway. What do you think?

Fake Receipt Generator: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:01:01 -0700

Nobody can have their steak and eat it, too, right? The creators of expenseasteak.com would disagree. The site's ethically questionable Maloney & Porcelli's Expense-a-Steak Headquarters tool allows you to enter any amount of money, and then generates several receipts that add up to your total. When I entered the amount $274.22, seven very real looking receipts popped up from a variety of merchants like "Office Supply Hut" and "The Panini Experience."

If you're asking yourself why anyone would want receipt knock-offs, then you're probably not familiar with expense reports. The reports are submitted to your company's accounting department after a business-related trip, and typically include copies of all receipts for which you want reimbursement.

The genuine appearance of the receipts is pretty incredible, but I can't imagine having the chutzpah to submit fake receipts in hopes of pulling one over my accounting department. What do you think of the Expense-a-Steak generator; is it brilliant or baffling?

Couple Sets Up PayPal For Wedding Gifts: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:15:16 -0700

Most of you were baffled when a broke bride-to-be asked strangers to contribute to her wedding fund via her Help Me Pay For My Wedding! website. But what if the woman was only targeting her family and friends?

Another bride-to-be, Vanessa Caldwell, has created a PayPal site where guests invited to her November wedding can give the couple money - even by charging their credit cards. Instead of creating a typical wedding website where guests can go to find details about accommodations and day-of details, they developed Dollarforawedding.com and announced its existence on Facebook.

The couple has received about $750 so far and Caldwell defends the idea saying, "We weren't trying to have a lavish wedding; this wasn't a get rich plan. This was just to help us with a small intimate wedding with no more than 75 people." Some guests may have given the couple cash anyway and wouldn't be bothered by the PayPal suggestion, while others might be offended by the presumptuous nature of the request. What do you think of the idea; is it brilliant or baffling?

Cockney Slang ATMs: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:15:12 -0700

Has your ATM ever asked for your Huckleberry Finn before spitting out your sausage and mash? If you were in London it might! For the next three months, a handful of ATMs in London's East End will give users the option of being addressed in Cockney rhyming slang. If they choose this adventurous option, users will have to know to request a "speckled hen" instead of £10, and decide whether to check their balance on the Charlie Sheen (screen).

The company that owns the ATMs claims that in addition to providing a little entertainment, it's trying to preserve a fading dialect. So far, some customers are getting a kick out of the unusual lingo, while others are finding it confusing and irritating. What do you think about this gimmick: brilliant or baffling?

Cargo Cruise Ship Vacations: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:30:31 -0700

Luxe buffets, planned activities, and live music are what come to mind when I think of cruises, but if you're looking for a vacay on the water that's atypical, you might consider paying a cargo ship to take you on board. Apparently, there are a number of cargo ship companies that make their freighters available for a limited number of guests to have their own rooms, and many come equipped with perks like TV and movies and exercise rooms.

Cruises can run from about nine days to five months, and while the ships tend to dock in industrial ports far from tourist attractions, most will let passengers go sightseeing as long as time permits. The cargo cruises generally cost around $100 per day; if you're interested, check out FreighterCruises.com and FreighterWorld.com for destinations and pricing.

What do you think of the concept - is it brilliant or baffling?

Pay-What-You-Want Taxi Service: Brilliant or Baffling?

SavvySugar — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:30:16 -0700

The Great Recession has inspired businesses and entrepreneurs to build more creative marketing schemes and business plans. Pay-what-you-want restaurants are no longer a rarity and have generally shown that people will pay a fair price, even when they're not given a bill.

One innovative guy in Vermont took this idea and is driving with it in his Vermont-based part-time business, Recession Ride Taxi. Eric Hagen's taxi sign reads "Pay What You Want!" and he also offers pay-what-you-can bottles of water, Gatorade, and soda, and a free ride after six paid fares. Hagen told the Burlington Free Press that he's satisfied with the way business has been going; while he's received payment in the form of a CD from a musician and a $10 supermarket card, most patrons pay in cash.

What do you think of his idea: is it brilliant or baffling?