THESE DYNAMIC BOOKS ARE SURE TO LIFT YOUR SPIRITS

​Book excerpt from: "Working My Way Back: A Guide for Ex-Offenders Seeking Employment", (Pages 40 - 43)

Tips for Keeping the Job

When you get a job, the employer’s basic expectations include the following. 

- Come to work every day, on time and dressed appropriately. 

- Listen carefully to all instructions, and make sure that you understand them. Ask questions if you don’t. 

- Perform at your best skill level at all times, and broaden your skills so that you can stay competitive. 

- Never leave work without letting your supervisor know where you are going and why you are going there. Learn to manage your emotions, and do your best to get along with coworkers. A negative attitude, being disrespectful, or having an annoying personality may cause you to lose the job.

- Manage your time well, and work as efficiently as possible. 

- Take only the breaks you are allowed. Don’t do your personal business on the job, and never discuss your criminal past with coworkers. The company managers hired you, so they already know your past history and are the only ones who need to know.Don’t borrow or take anything from the job without written permission.

- If you are going to be late or absent, call in as soon as possible. The company may need to adjust the schedules and temporarily replace you with someone else. 

- Away from the job, exercising, meditation, and other activities that reduce stress will keep you energized, focused, and relaxed.

- Surround yourself with positive people who work to improve their lives and move forward.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar​

What Is My Take Home Pay?

There is a difference between your gross salary and your net salary (your “take home pay”). Let us start by calculating your gross salary. 

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Say that you work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (8 x 5), which equals 40 hours. Your rate of pay is $10 per hour. Your net salary is the amount left after your employer takes out federal and state taxes, your cost for a medical plan, Social Security taxes, and other deductions.

Paying Taxes

All citizens earning an income must pay taxes on that income. This money is used to pay for essential services in your city; the police, firemen, and all the other services that the city needs to operate and fulfill the needs of its citizens. State and federal taxes are used in the same way. Social Security and Medicare ensure that all working citizens have some supplementary income and medical care when they are senior citizens and retired. 

Taxes are deducted before you receive your check, which will usually have a statement attached explaining the deductions. How much will your deductions be?

Federal tax on $400 a week is 25 percent or $100. Your state tax is 7.75 percent or $31. Social Security (or FICA) is 6.2 percent or approximately $22. Medicare is 1.45 percent or about $7.50. Let’s add these deductions: $100 + $31 + $22 + $7.50 = $160.50. Your net (take home) pay is $400 – $160.50 or $239.50.

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Budgeting Your Salary

Now that you have an income, you need to learn how to budget. Budgeting is allocating a sum of money for a particular purpose. 

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Say that you share an apartment with a friend, and the monthly rent is $450. You are responsible for half of the rent ($225) and the entire cable bill, which is $70. This totals to $520 per month, and your portion is half of that or $260 per month (about $58 a week). Your other necessities like food, transportation, entertainment, and other miscellaneous expenses come to $125 a week. Add $125 to $58. This equals $183 per week, so you have $56.50 after weekly expenses. 

Weekly income: $239.50 (net)

Weekly expenses: $183.00

Weekly amount left over: $56.50

“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!”

– Donald Gardner