How a Clean-Desk Policy Drives Productivity and Creativity

How a Clean-Desk Policy Drives Productivity and Creativity CLEAN-DESK POLICY IN A NUTSHELLBefore we start exploring the benefits of a clean-desk policy, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves what the policy is all about.A clean-desk policy (CDP) refers to a set of corporate rules determining how employees should leave their working space after the workday is over. The policy requirements generally call for the employee to clear the desk and surrounding area at the end of the day from clutter and papers.This can mean shredding unwanted documents or filing them away from view, placing folders back on the cabinets and organizing any incoming and outgoing letters to appropriate piles.While a clean-desk policy is often used for creating a tidier workspace and a visually more pleasing view, CDPs are increasingly connected to data security as well. By ensuring all files are placed in folders and sensitive information is not in view, organizations can control the people who see the information and make it harder for it to be stolen. Modern CDPs are often motivated by specific security compliance regulations, such as the Data Protection Act in the UK.Although the policy and its implementation are specific to the organization, certain common elements can be found in a CDP. The three core elements are:Instructions on how the desk and its surrounding area should be left.Outlined information on who enforces the policy and who checks the policy is being adhered to.Guidance on the punishment, which generally ranges from a fine to a warning.When an organization decides to implement the policy, it creates a contract with clear instructions regarding the above points. Each employee then signs the contract. This ensures accountability and guarantees everyone understands the policy.I found this new office design and desk setup of Justin Tse very neat and beautiful. You can find CDP templates online. For instance, check out the below document template, which can be downloaded from the Privacy Sense website.It’s important to note that wh ile the majority of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the employee, the employer has to ensure it makes implementation easy. This could range from guaranteeing access to a shredder and providing adequate storage space for the employees.Clean-desk policies come with a range of benefits and in this guide, we’ll be carefully examining its impact on productivity and creativity. But the policy can also benefit an organization through reductions in costs, enhanced security and compliance. It also helps the office to become a paperless office, which can benefit the green credentials of the organization.BENEFITS TO PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATIVITYDoes a clean-desk policy improve productivity and creativity in an organization? If so, how can it do this?#1 Boost to productivityThe benefits to productivity are often cited as the major factor behind the implementation of a clean-desk policy. A good CDP can support employee productivity in a number of different ways.Digitalization of the workplaceFirst, as mentioned above, clean-desk policies can push the organization towards greater digitalization and a paperless office environment. This can benefit employee productivity because it improves efficiency.When data is stored digitally, it means it’s properly indexed in terms of keywords and content. When the employee needs to find information relating to a specific topic, it’s much easier to just use appropriate keywords and find all relevant documents at once. You can generally access vast amounts of information within a few seconds and you don’t need to leave the desk.On the other hand, if you have everything stored in a paper format, the search process itself becomes a task. The files might be stored elsewhere, which means the employee has to leave the desk and walk to the storage room. Indexing documents is another laborious and difficult thing, meaning the employee will likely waste much more of their time finding exactly what they need.Depending on the fil es and the organizations security policies, digitalized data can be accessed outside of the office as well. In these instances, allowing the employee to occasionally work from home might further enhance productivity. On the other hand, having employees take paper files home can breach security rules.While digitalization of data and paperless office are not requirements of a CDP, they are generally tied closely to the policy implementation and therefore, the benefits are shared.See how clean the working environment is at Buffer.[slideshare id=40941030doc=workspacesofbuffer2-141030175954-conversion-gate01w=710h=400]Communal workspacesAnother consequence of a CDP is the creation of “hot-desking”. This is the practice of having no designated workspaces or desks, but instead employees use communal computers and desks. It’s a popular policy, which is thought to reduce company’s costs by around 30%.Hot-desking can boost productivity, because it makes completing work easier. Instead of having to wait until you get to your workplace, you can finish a specific task from anywhere in the office whenever you have an idea.It can also decrease procrastination, as you will take the specific desk when you have work to do, not wanting to sit there doing nothing. It can be more motivational, as other employees hard at work surround you and provide you with that extra boost.Reduced stress and time wastingFinally, a clean-desk police can boost productivity by reducing stress and time wasting. Research has indicated a correlation between productivity and clutter. By reducing clutter with the DCP, you can drive up productivity.First, clutter can increase stress levels. If you constantly have to look for items, you can become more stressed. If those important papers are evading you, then your heart rate can increase. This in turn has been shown to reduce your concentration and it can further damage your ability to think clearly.The National Association of Professional Organis ations found executives to lose one hour of productivity a day due to missing information. If you consider that people across the organization suffer from similar issues, the loss in productivity can have damaging consequences for the organization.Furthermore, clutter increases time wasting, which naturally decreases productivity. In the study by the National Association of Professional Organisations, the researchers found that an average employee wastes 4.3 hours every week looking for items. When the desk is full of papers and files, finding the right document becomes that much harder.The time wasting can mean you aren’t able to perform tasks on time and instead of serving customers, you are just ploughing through paperwork. The drop in your ability to perform your work correctly and efficiently can be detrimental for the company’s sales figures or profits in general.#2 Boost to creativityA clean-desk policy can also enhance your creativity levels in a number of ways.Increase collaborationAs mentioned above, a CDP often comes together with hot-desking. When employees are hot-desking, they also tend to collaborate more. This is down to not having assigned workspaces and thus you won’t be drawn to just stay at your desk all day long. Instead, you are likely to walk around more and communicate with different people.See why open innovation and collaboration are so important for businesses today. Improved focus on the taskStudies have shown how solving difficult tasks gets easier when you have a clean-desk in front of you. This is driven by the fact that you are better able to concentrate on the issue at hand when the surroundings aren’t cluttered.A cluttered desk can also make the mind seem “more cluttered” and thus make problem solving difficult. If you are sitting at a desk, which is cluttered, your mind will find it harder to focus on a single issue, as you are visually bombarded with different cues. When you have a clean desk, your mind is cleare r and more focused on solving the task in front of you.In one particular study, researchers asked participants to solve a puzzle in a cluttered and a clean environment. The people solving it in a cleaner environment were able to get the job done quicker. For the scientist this indicated that the messy environment “threatened participants’ sense of personal control”. The scientists went on to say, “Coping with that threat from the physical environment caused a depletion of their mental resources.”More time for creativityYou can also boost creativity with a CDP because you are able to spend more time in thinking about creative solutions rather than finding the required documentation. As mentioned above, a cluttered table can mean you spend more of your time searching for the right files, instead of working.When you free up this time by having digitalized data storage and a clean-desk, you’ll be able to use the ‘extra’ time on being creative.COUNTER ARGUMENTS AGAINST A CLEAN-DESK POLICYBut not everyone is convinced about the benefits of implementing a clean-desk policy in terms of its impact on productivity and creativity. More specifically, research suggests a messy desk might provide certain advantages for creative behavior. The counter arguments on productivity, on the other hand, are less clear.Perhaps one of the most quoted sentences in favor of a messy desk came from Albert Einstein. Einstein said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”Opponents of the CDP got some more fuel for their fire in a landmark study in 2013. According to the scientist, people who were sitting next to a cluttered, messy desk were more innovative and creative. The task the scientist set them involved a Ping-Pong ball and the participants were tested in a tidy environment and a messy environment, with the aim of coming up as many uses for the ball as possible.According to the study, a clean desk can drive people to be more conservative and safe in their approach. When you are surrounded by such a sterile and organized environment, you aren’t as imaginative and experimental â€" you stick to what you know.“Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights,” Kathleen Vohs, psychological scientist and the author of the study, concluded.Furthermore, in another study, scientists found an association with messiness and creativeness in babies. Babies, who were able to make more mess, were also learning faster. The argument of the study was that the baby’s ability to test and see what happens (i.e. creating mess), helped them to make more sense of surroundingsA clean desk policy can therefore be less efficient in fostering creativity, as people are less likely to take risks in thinking or try new ideas.Whilst clean-desk policy doesn’t require hot-desking, the two are often implemented together. Furthermore, a CDP often limits the employee’s c apacity to personalize the workspace, as plants and photos are not considered necessary.But the loss of the personalized workspace has been critiqued by studies. A study by psychological scientists Gregory A Laurence, Yitzhak Fried and Linda H. Slowik found that the lack of privacy can cause more stress and this could distract the employee from the task.The researchers concluded “individuals may consciously or subconsciously take comfort from the items with which they surround themselves at work, and these items may help employees to maintain emotional energy in the face of the stresses that come from their work”.A CLEAR OR A MESSY DESK â€" WHICH IS BETTER?Nonetheless, while a messy desk might not be as detrimental as previously thought, especially in terms of innovation and creativity, it doesn’t mean you should go and mess up your table. The overall benefits of a clean desk can trump the small boost in innovation.The studies above have shown a messy desk can increase stress levels and have other detrimental consequences for an organization, including things such as data loss or theft. The boost in productivity from a clean-desk policy is unrivalled and it can benefit an employee’s ability to do tasks.In addition, a messy desk isn’t the only way you could boost creativity. Research has identified plenty of other ways innovation and imagination can be enhanced. These include:Colors have the ability to boost mood and improve creativity. You could use this knowledge when designing the office furniture and décor.The ability to collaborate with others can help make innovation easier. Communal workspaces are important and team-building activities across the organization can boost mood.The ability to ‘change the scene’ has been shown to improve creativity. If employees are able to spend time away outside of the office environment, they can be more creative. You should encourage lunch breaks outdoors, for example, and even consider flexible office hour s that allow employees to occasionally work from home or even a nearby coffee shop!The below clip by Entrepreneur is a great way to learn more about how different elements in an office can spark creativity. Furthermore, the rewards of a messy desk can depend highly on the employee’s personality. Functionalife website introduced Core Motivator groups, which can decide whether a messy desk would turn you into an Albert Einstein or not. According to the idea, Core Motivator groups divide people to:Task or people drivenReserved or outgoingIf you are task driven and outgoing, you are more likely to benefit from a messy desk. This is because the mess doesn’t affect your ability to focus on tasks, and your outgoing nature means you aren’t held back by the mess, but can move forward despite it.More importantly, the site suggests, “a messy desk won’t trigger creativeness, a messy desk is a byproduct of someone who could be considered creative”.Therefore, creativity is a complex i ssue that might not solely depend on a single thing such as clean or a messy desk. It can be more about your personality and your ability to adjust to your surroundings rather than something that’s boosted by either clarity or distraction.FINAL THOUGHTS The environment you work in can have a big impact on your productivity and creativity. The bearing has been the centre of studies and as a result, organizations are paying more attention to the way office spaces are created and kept. © pixabay | theglassdeskOne of the popular policies in the field is the clean-desk policy. We’ll explain what the policy is and look at the benefits it can have for productivity and creativity. We’ll also explore the counter-arguments and consider whether your personality is a bigger factor in whether you’d benefit from a clean desk.CLEAN-DESK POLICY IN A NUTSHELLBefore we start exploring the benefits of a clean-desk policy, it’s a good idea to remind ourselves what the policy is all about.A clean-desk policy (CDP) refers to a set of corporate rules determining how employees should leave their working space after the workday is over. The policy requirements generally call for the employee to clear the desk and surrounding area at the end of the day from clutter and papers.This can mean shredding unwanted documents or filing them away from view, placing folders back on the cabinets and organizing any incoming and outgoing letters to appropriate piles.While a clean-desk policy is often used for creating a tidier workspace and a visually more pleasing view, CDPs are increasingly connected to data security as well. By ensuring all files are placed in folders and sensitive information is not in view, organizations can control the people who see the information and make it harder for it to be stolen. Modern CDPs are often motivated by specific security compliance regulations, such as the Data Protection Act in the UK.Although the policy and its implementation are specific to the organization, certain common elements can be found in a CDP. The three core elements are:Instructions on how the desk and its surrounding area should be left.Outlined information on who enforces the policy and who checks the policy is being adhered to.Guidance on the punishment, which generally ranges from a fine to a warning.When an organization decides to implement the policy, it creates a contract with clear instructions regarding the above points. Each employee then signs the con tract. This ensures accountability and guarantees everyone understands the policy.I found this new office design and desk setup of Justin Tse very neat and beautiful. You can find CDP templates online. For instance, check out the below document template, which can be downloaded from the Privacy Sense website.It’s important to note that while the majority of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the employee, the employer has to ensure it makes implementation easy. This could range from guaranteeing access to a shredder and providing adequate storage space for the employees.Clean-desk policies come with a range of benefits and in this guide, we’ll be carefully examining its impact on productivity and creativity. But the policy can also benefit an organization through reductions in costs, enhanced security and compliance. It also helps the office to become a paperless office, which can benefit the green credentials of the organization.BENEFITS TO PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATIVITY Does a clean-desk policy improve productivity and creativity in an organization? If so, how can it do this?#1 Boost to productivityThe benefits to productivity are often cited as the major factor behind the implementation of a clean-desk policy. A good CDP can support employee productivity in a number of different ways.Digitalization of the workplaceFirst, as mentioned above, clean-desk policies can push the organization towards greater digitalization and a paperless office environment. This can benefit employee productivity because it improves efficiency.When data is stored digitally, it means it’s properly indexed in terms of keywords and content. When the employee needs to find information relating to a specific topic, it’s much easier to just use appropriate keywords and find all relevant documents at once. You can generally access vast amounts of information within a few seconds and you don’t need to leave the desk.On the other hand, if you have everything stored in a pap er format, the search process itself becomes a task. The files might be stored elsewhere, which means the employee has to leave the desk and walk to the storage room. Indexing documents is another laborious and difficult thing, meaning the employee will likely waste much more of their time finding exactly what they need.Depending on the files and the organizations security policies, digitalized data can be accessed outside of the office as well. In these instances, allowing the employee to occasionally work from home might further enhance productivity. On the other hand, having employees take paper files home can breach security rules.While digitalization of data and paperless office are not requirements of a CDP, they are generally tied closely to the policy implementation and therefore, the benefits are shared.See how clean the working environment is at Buffer.[slideshare id=40941030doc=workspacesofbuffer2-141030175954-conversion-gate01w=710h=400]Communal workspacesAnother consequ ence of a CDP is the creation of “hot-desking”. This is the practice of having no designated workspaces or desks, but instead employees use communal computers and desks. It’s a popular policy, which is thought to reduce company’s costs by around 30%.Hot-desking can boost productivity, because it makes completing work easier. Instead of having to wait until you get to your workplace, you can finish a specific task from anywhere in the office whenever you have an idea.It can also decrease procrastination, as you will take the specific desk when you have work to do, not wanting to sit there doing nothing. It can be more motivational, as other employees hard at work surround you and provide you with that extra boost.Reduced stress and time wastingFinally, a clean-desk police can boost productivity by reducing stress and time wasting. Research has indicated a correlation between productivity and clutter. By reducing clutter with the DCP, you can drive up productivity.First, clutt er can increase stress levels. If you constantly have to look for items, you can become more stressed. If those important papers are evading you, then your heart rate can increase. This in turn has been shown to reduce your concentration and it can further damage your ability to think clearly.The National Association of Professional Organisations found executives to lose one hour of productivity a day due to missing information. If you consider that people across the organization suffer from similar issues, the loss in productivity can have damaging consequences for the organization.Furthermore, clutter increases time wasting, which naturally decreases productivity. In the study by the National Association of Professional Organisations, the researchers found that an average employee wastes 4.3 hours every week looking for items. When the desk is full of papers and files, finding the right document becomes that much harder.The time wasting can mean you aren’t able to perform tasks on time and instead of serving customers, you are just ploughing through paperwork. The drop in your ability to perform your work correctly and efficiently can be detrimental for the company’s sales figures or profits in general.#2 Boost to creativityA clean-desk policy can also enhance your creativity levels in a number of ways.Increase collaborationAs mentioned above, a CDP often comes together with hot-desking. When employees are hot-desking, they also tend to collaborate more. This is down to not having assigned workspaces and thus you won’t be drawn to just stay at your desk all day long. Instead, you are likely to walk around more and communicate with different people.See why open innovation and collaboration are so important for businesses today. Improved focus on the taskStudies have shown how solving difficult tasks gets easier when you have a clean-desk in front of you. This is driven by the fact that you are better able to concentrate on the issue at hand when the sur roundings aren’t cluttered.A cluttered desk can also make the mind seem “more cluttered” and thus make problem solving difficult. If you are sitting at a desk, which is cluttered, your mind will find it harder to focus on a single issue, as you are visually bombarded with different cues. When you have a clean desk, your mind is clearer and more focused on solving the task in front of you.In one particular study, researchers asked participants to solve a puzzle in a cluttered and a clean environment. The people solving it in a cleaner environment were able to get the job done quicker. For the scientist this indicated that the messy environment “threatened participants’ sense of personal control”. The scientists went on to say, “Coping with that threat from the physical environment caused a depletion of their mental resources.”More time for creativityYou can also boost creativity with a CDP because you are able to spend more time in thinking about creative solutions ra ther than finding the required documentation. As mentioned above, a cluttered table can mean you spend more of your time searching for the right files, instead of working.When you free up this time by having digitalized data storage and a clean-desk, you’ll be able to use the ‘extra’ time on being creative.COUNTER ARGUMENTS AGAINST A CLEAN-DESK POLICYBut not everyone is convinced about the benefits of implementing a clean-desk policy in terms of its impact on productivity and creativity. More specifically, research suggests a messy desk might provide certain advantages for creative behavior. The counter arguments on productivity, on the other hand, are less clear.Perhaps one of the most quoted sentences in favor of a messy desk came from Albert Einstein. Einstein said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?”Opponents of the CDP got some more fuel for their fire in a landmark study in 2013. According to the scientist, people who were sitting next to a cluttered, messy desk were more innovative and creative. The task the scientist set them involved a Ping-Pong ball and the participants were tested in a tidy environment and a messy environment, with the aim of coming up as many uses for the ball as possible.According to the study, a clean desk can drive people to be more conservative and safe in their approach. When you are surrounded by such a sterile and organized environment, you aren’t as imaginative and experimental â€" you stick to what you know.“Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights,” Kathleen Vohs, psychological scientist and the author of the study, concluded.Furthermore, in another study, scientists found an association with messiness and creativeness in babies. Babies, who were able to make more mess, were also learning faster. The argument of the study was that the baby’s ability to test and see what happens (i.e. creating mes s), helped them to make more sense of surroundingsA clean desk policy can therefore be less efficient in fostering creativity, as people are less likely to take risks in thinking or try new ideas.Whilst clean-desk policy doesn’t require hot-desking, the two are often implemented together. Furthermore, a CDP often limits the employee’s capacity to personalize the workspace, as plants and photos are not considered necessary.But the loss of the personalized workspace has been critiqued by studies. A study by psychological scientists Gregory A Laurence, Yitzhak Fried and Linda H. Slowik found that the lack of privacy can cause more stress and this could distract the employee from the task.The researchers concluded “individuals may consciously or subconsciously take comfort from the items with which they surround themselves at work, and these items may help employees to maintain emotional energy in the face of the stresses that come from their work”.A CLEAR OR A MESSY DESK â€" WH ICH IS BETTER?Nonetheless, while a messy desk might not be as detrimental as previously thought, especially in terms of innovation and creativity, it doesn’t mean you should go and mess up your table. The overall benefits of a clean desk can trump the small boost in innovation.The studies above have shown a messy desk can increase stress levels and have other detrimental consequences for an organization, including things such as data loss or theft. The boost in productivity from a clean-desk policy is unrivalled and it can benefit an employee’s ability to do tasks.In addition, a messy desk isn’t the only way you could boost creativity. Research has identified plenty of other ways innovation and imagination can be enhanced. These include:Colors have the ability to boost mood and improve creativity. You could use this knowledge when designing the office furniture and décor.The ability to collaborate with others can help make innovation easier. Communal workspaces are important and team-building activities across the organization can boost mood.The ability to ‘change the scene’ has been shown to improve creativity. If employees are able to spend time away outside of the office environment, they can be more creative. You should encourage lunch breaks outdoors, for example, and even consider flexible office hours that allow employees to occasionally work from home or even a nearby coffee shop!The below clip by Entrepreneur is a great way to learn more about how different elements in an office can spark creativity. Furthermore, the rewards of a messy desk can depend highly on the employee’s personality. Functionalife website introduced Core Motivator groups, which can decide whether a messy desk would turn you into an Albert Einstein or not. According to the idea, Core Motivator groups divide people to:Task or people drivenReserved or outgoingIf you are task driven and outgoing, you are more likely to benefit from a messy desk. This is because the mess doesn’t affect your ability to focus on tasks, and your outgoing nature means you aren’t held back by the mess, but can move forward despite it.More importantly, the site suggests, “a messy desk won’t trigger creativeness, a messy desk is a byproduct of someone who could be considered creative”.Therefore, creativity is a complex issue that might not solely depend on a single thing such as clean or a messy desk. It can be more about your personality and your ability to adjust to your surroundings rather than something that’s boosted by either clarity or distraction.FINAL THOUGHTSA clean-desk policy has become a popular directive to implement. Big organizations are using it and the benefits range from cost effectiveness to improvement in creativity. While the benefits to productivity are almost unparalleled, the positive impact on creativity tends to be a bit more complicated. It’s not to say that a clean-desk policy wouldn’t improve creativity, but that certain indivi duals might also find a less controlled workspace more beneficial in terms of innovation.It is therefore a good idea to consider carefully the way your organization might implement a CDP. You definitely should talk about the benefits and disadvantages, together with the workforce and perhaps consider implementing the policy a bit by bit.Overall, if your organization wants to improve profits and safety, then a clean-desk policy is likely the answer to your calls. It will help boost productivity, but ensure you keep an eye on its impact on the creative geniuses of your organization.Image credit: pixabay | theglassdesk under  CC0 Public Domain.

Writing Tutor Tell-All The Two Fears in Expository Writing

Nothing is more frightening to a writer than a blank page. When you sit down to begin an essay, and as you go along, you can often feel anxieties that cause the writing process to be more painful or difficult than it needs to be. As a private writing tutor in Cambridge I've seen a variety of difficulties, but for the most part they all boil down to two fears: fear of not having enough to say, and fear of having too much to say. The key to alleviating both of these fears, and thus moving confidently and competently through your writing project, is careful planning before you start writing. Writers who fear having too little to say start out at the beginning of an essay and can't imagine how they are going to fill three pages, or five pages, or ten, or however long the assignment is. As they go along they either move very briefly through their ideas and end up short of the proper length, or they get nervous and try to fill out the space with details that are unconnected to the point they are trying to make. On the other hand, writers who have too much to say feel constrained by the limits of the assignment. They have points they want to make, but every time they begin one they can see its implications branching off in ten different directions, like a wikipedia page full of hyperlinks. They feel that if they don't expand on all those related issues they won't be able to say anything sensible at all. Any academic tutor will tell you that in both cases, the key is to brainstorm, and to have a clear idea of what you want to discuss in the essay before you start writing. Experienced writers do this in their heads automatically, but if you are a beginner you will need to write it out on a piece of paper. An essay writing tutor can be very helpful with this part of the process, and as you develop your written study skills. The task is slightly different depending on which sort of problem if you have. If you are worried you won't have enough to say, then write down your ideas, or the points you want to make, and look carefully at the list. Think about what you are leaving out, or what questions you are leaving unanswered. Slow down and dig deeper into the ideas on your list to come up with a few more ideas that are closely related to the topic at hand. If you are worried you will have too much to say, then make a list of your ideas and start to streamline it. Try to see which ideas can be dropped, or assimilated into other points you will make. Let go a little bit of the worry that there will be unexplored questions in the essay. In an essay of just a few pages, you cannot discuss everything related to the topic at hand. Your job is just to come up with a basic idea, and then say what needs to be said in order to convey that idea to another person and persuade them that it's correct. The shorter the essay is, the more strict you need to be. Anything unrelated to your main point, or to the task of getting another person to understand it, needs to be dropped. If you do this before you start writing, you'll be able to focus more on making your sentences clear and your essay flow smoothly through your points. And you will be able to enjoy writing more, because you'll have a clear idea of how you're going to say what you need to say within the limits of the assignment you were given. ;

Things You Wish Teachers Knew

Sometimes, teachers can be really crappy. And not just like this†¦ Sometimes teachers just don’t seem to get it when it comes to the ways their students are being treated. It’s hard enough being a student of any age everything from kindergarten through college is a daily struggle against laziness with having to worry about your teachers making things harder for you. So we’ve compiled a list of things we wish teachers knew. Well, we can all dream. Handle Bullying When it Comes Up Bullying isn’t just something that happens when you’re a kid and someone steals your lunch money it can happen all the way through and past your education, even into the workplace. The best way to stop that happening is to nip bullying in the bud when it arises namely, having teachers intervene when they see kids getting picked on, and finding some way to mediate between the victim and the perpetrator. Brushing it off as â€Å"kids will be kids† isn’t helping. Doodling helps you concentrate This might seem a small point for people who don’t doodle or fidget, but for those who do, their lives have been an endless uphill battle against a parade of teachers constantly reprimanding them for seemingly distracting themselves from the task at hand. Seriously, doodling helps you take in facts more easily, and people who fidget are slimmer (tenuous, I know, but still: clever and skinny!), so stop giving us the evils for drawing on our notebooks. Academia isn’t Everything Look, it’s just the way it is: not all students are going to excel at the more academic side of school life. And with so many colleges requiring a general interest course along with your main degree, it’s doubly important that teachers start accepting this. Some kids are going to kill it in the music studio, on the track, or at the lathe, but they’re stuffed when it comes to dissecting poetry or weird maths stuff (yes, you’ve rumbled me: I can’t do maths in any way, shape, or triangular form). The Tests. THE TESTS When it comes to teaching for tests, there’s a fine line between just shoving everything that’s on the test and nothing else down our throats and giving us a broad look at the subject area in general. But there’s nothing worse than turning over a test paper and realising that you don’t recognise a damn thing on there or, even worse, you sort of do but your professor wound up rushing over it in class just so they could say that they covered it. Homework This is something that rumbles right up from grade school to the end of college why can’t teachers understand how much we’ve got to do without sticking acres of homework on top of that? In a dream world, teachers would coordinate with each other and make sure that no class was getting a ton of homework from everyone at once. Apparently, however, this remains pretty much impossible, with tumbleweed-empty weeks followed by a fortnight of maniacal activity.

Meaning and Origin of Surname Jenkins

Jenkins is a double diminutive of John, literally meaning little John. It derives from the medieval given name Jenkin, which itself is a diminutive of the given name John, meaning God has graced me with a son. The Jenkins surname most commonly originated in Cornwall, England, but became quickly popular in Wales. Jenkins is the 95th most popular surname in the United States and the 97th most common surname in England. Origin English, Welsh Alternate Surname Spellings JENKIN, JENKYN, JENKING, JENCKEN, JINKIN, JUNKIN, JENKYNS, JENCKENS, JINKINS, JINKINS, JUNKINS, JENKENS, JENNISKENS, SIENCYN (Welsh), SHINKWINN (Irish) Famous People with the Surname Jenkins Albert Gallatin Jenkins, American politician and Confederate soldierElla Jenkins, American folk singer Source: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Analysis Of Martin Luther King And Malcolm X - 1806 Words

In his inaugural address on August 9th, 1974, President Gerald Ford assured the nation â€Å"our long national nightmare is over.† He may have spoken too soon. The early 1970s were a bleak time for black America. So much hope had died with the assassination of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the late 60’s. There were revolts in urban communities across the United States and brutal encounters with the police (McTernan). Much has been written about the state of the nation in the 70’s but something extraordinary came out of the fire, music. The music of New York City amid this time is a transformational and essential foundation for the birth of new music. The funky, groove beats of jazz and the seductive, energetic sound of salsa erupted in†¦show more content†¦After about two years at Lincoln, Scott-Heron took a year off from an unconventional college career to write the novels The Vulture and The Nigger Factory, â€Å"inspired by some of the anger an d resentment Gil felt about Lincoln and the tumult reverberating on other campuses (Baram).† He received esteemed recognition for the publication of The Vulture but he still enjoyed poetry and performing. By the start of the decade, he realized that he could combine his charged messages with poetry to funk beats to create a new sound. From this revelation, many of his poems transformed into lyrics for songs that he composed with Brian. But thanks in large part to the success of his first book of poetry, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, Scott-Heron was introduced to producer Bob Thiele, who had worked with legendary jazz artists from Louis Armstrong to John Coltrane. Thiele encouraged Scott-Heron to perform his poetry, and for his debut release, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, recorded him reciting over an ensemble of percussionists. Most influential on the album was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, an â€Å"aggressive polemic against the major media† and â€Å"white America s ignorance of increasingly deteriorating conditions in the inner cities (Bush).† Based on the dichotomy between the commercials on television and the marches in the streets not being televised, Scott-Heron wrote a poem that would now be theShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King And King Remembered By Malcolm X Analysis804 Words   |  4 Pageswithout the help of notable activists Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Two bold and heroic men, one nonviolent and the other defiant. Yet, despite their different approaches to unjust acts each man made a similar difference. In the book King Remembered, authors Flip Schulke and Penelope O. McPhee quote King when he gracefully states, â€Å"If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . King stood righteously for nonviolenceRead MoreAnalysis Of Malcolm X By William F. Martin Luther King Jr.975 Words   |  4 Pagesup, every year we would learn something about Martin Luther King Jr. He was a great man, who accomplished great things etc. But just occasionally you would catch a brief mention of another name. He was an activist like Dr. King, but different. Radical. Dangerous. Alex Haley told his story to millions who had never heard it before. His name was Malcolm X. As the title of the book suggests, The Autobiography of Malcolm X tells the life story of Malcolm Little from his childhood in Lancing, MichiganRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Ballot or the Bullet Sppech by Malcolm X1359 Words   |  6 PagesAs one of the most proficient civil rights activist of the 1960s, Malcolm X and his speeches were very influential but particularly one speech was highly esteemed, that being the Ballot or the Bullet speech. A speech that was given after the I have A Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. Despite, Dr. Martin Luther King being a pacifist and also a civil rights activist as well; Malcolm X was more tyrannical and advocated the use of violence. During this era, the democrats were in control of theRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagesdifference. The 1960s helped open up hope and expectations for Black Americans. One of the most prominent men of his time, Martin Luther King Jr. was known as ?A national hero and a civil rights figure of growing importance? (Discovering 1). ?Martin Luther King Jr. aroused whites and blacks to protest racial discrimination, poverty and war? (Compton?s 244). On August 28, 1963 King made one of his most influential speeches ever at the March on Washington. His ?I have a dream? speech had a major impactRead MoreA Comparative and Contrasting Essay on 20th Century Black Political Leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X2551 Words   |  11 PagesA Comparative and Contrasting Essay on 20th Century Black Political Leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And Malcolm X This essay will discuss Martin Luther King’s integration and assimilation in addition to Malcolm X’s separatism and Black Nationalism. Through Manning Marable’s assessment I will demonstrate that the ideological belief of Martin Luther King’s integration is a favourable representative of 20th century Black politics. The Civil Rights Movement symbolized the challenge and oppositionRead More freedom of speech Essay1195 Words   |  5 Pagesinjustices the King of England has inflicted on them. Rather then writing a paragraph or two or three, the author(s) state individually each injustice staring with â€Å"He has..†. After hearing â€Å"He has, He has, He has† the reader is left only to understand the great number of faults in his rule, and the reason for seeking liberation (Declaration 1). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A second document that perfectly personifies the achieving of equality amongst individuals, is from Malcolm X’s The BallotRead MoreThe Significance of the Role of Malcolm X on African American Activists1634 Words   |  7 PagesTo what extent was the role of Malcolm X significant in the rise of radical African American activism (1965-1968)? A. Plan of the Investigation To what extent was the role of Malcolm X significant in the rise of radical African American activism (1965-1968)? This investigation will assess the significance of Malcolm X’s significance in giving rise to African American activism. Malcolm X’s motives, involvement in the civil rights movement and his leadership will all be discussed in order toRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Malcolm X2503 Words   |  11 PagesChris Dennis Critical Analysis of Communication Malcolm X’s Effectiveness as a Speaker Should not be in Question The context in which a statement is made can change the entire meaning of what was said.   This is why many times people will use context as a defense for statements they make that offend or cause some sort of public backlash.    The manner in which a person delivers a message and what messages the rhetor chooses to deliver can be a great indication of foundation of thatRead MoreReview of James H. Cones Martin Malcolm America: A Dream or A Nightmare1310 Words   |  6 PagesReview of James H. Cones Martin Malcolm America: A Dream or A Nightmare Martin Malcolm America: A Dream or a Nightmare written by James H. Cone is a book that takes an in depth look at Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, their ties to each other and what they meant to American society. Before the reader can understand why Martin and Malcolm developed such varying views on civil rights, he first discusses the details of the social and economic lifestyles that each Read MoreThroughout history, racial profiling has become a prevalent issue within humanity. From slavery,1400 Words   |  6 Pagesled to the integration of all races. Some very well known leaders were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa parks. Each one of them helped achieve civil rights for all African Americans. This was a very momentous time in history being that racial profiling was at an intense level. The intensity led to what we know as extreme violence and the establishment of a hatred group known as the Ku Klux Klan. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Civil Rights Activist who was known for winning The Noble Peace

Self Awareness Theory Is Defined By Duval And Wickland

For decades film has shaped the minds of many. Film depicts who we are as a society. Creators and directors use film to share stories and events that have molded our society. If you noticed, a film brings light to the issues and concerns of everyday life. In connection to broadcasting the concerns of the world, film has also been proven to manipulate individual’s personal self- awareness. Self-awareness theory is defined by Duval and Wickland (1972) as self-focused attention that leads people to compare their behavior to internal standards. Film is so important in our society that it can alter a person’s perspectives and narratives. In society, film is used as a communicator to express ideas and generally brings forth awareness to some topics. It also enables resourceful learning and encourages involvement from different audiences. It can help audiences to reconsideration their purpose in our world. Film can also stimulate people to change or better the injustices and exploitation they may be subjected to. Film affects how we see ourselves at times, which proves that it is â€Å"the most pervasive form of communication and entertainment in the postmodern world†, says Tomaselli. In an article by Ben Detrick entitled ‘The Inside Story Behind the Making of Hip-Hop Film Dope’, he reviewed the movie ‘Dope’, by providing a technical yet informative entail of the film. In the film the hip hop culture was depicted as an influential factor in the lives of three awkward teens. The

Capital Gain Tax Asset and Fringe Benefit Tax

Question: Discuss about the Capital Gain Tax Asset and Fringe Benefit Tax. Answer: Capital Gains Tax (CGT): The capital gain is a variation of the asset which has been cost to obtain the property by assess. Of the removal worth is surplus of acquisition for the cost; in that case assess needs to pay the tax which is called capital gain tax. If the any assess has the loss of cost from the definite removal asset, then it same may be sued to decrease the any other capital gains if there are any capital gains will arrive. Thus, the capital loss may not use to balance any other earnings for the exacting current fiscal year. On the other hand if any capital loss will arrived with excess of capital gain then the particular losses may be brought forward to the upcoming fiscal year to balance adjacent to the extra capital gain. Private properties like motor car, motor cycle, house, furniture, bicycle etc. (private property) are basically exempt from Capital Gains Tax as well as capital gain assessment doesnt affect to the property which have used or depreciable in the trade. If the particular asses s is a dweller in Australia, in that case the Capital Gain Tax must be applicable to the property of the individual irrespective of their survival in the world in anywhere. However, who is nonresident mean who is not a dweller in Australia and for taxation matter the Capital Gains Tax would be applicable on which property, that are simply the taxable assets in Australia (Chambers, 2011). If any entity has capital gain property under ownership, in this kind of case the particular assess needs to require of maintain suitable accounting book for similar and each every information relating to the date of attainment, date of removal, report for the charge etc. as well as the sum acknowledged on removal will be recorded in very exact way (Akhtar, 2014). These vital records should be essential to discover if any assess has occurred any kind of capital gains tax or not. For this reason the records are vital to computing the most valuable Capital Gain Tax (CGT). Though, in any event the entity assess has assessed for having capital gains there is a provision in the act of tax for payment for the individual capital gains tax. The tax is computed in same fee as the other earnings. But, the computation of capital gains tax needs to require to be demonstrate disjointedly in return of taxes for the same particular year , in which the asset are removed by the exacting assess. The event of Capital Gains Tax needs unique indication in return of tax every fiscal year, when there is a p/l account for the removal of capital assets (Burman and Siegel, 2008). Though, in the event of Capital Gains Tax, it would ignored for taxation matter if the capital property were brought previous to 20th September in 1985 under division 104 (5) of the tax regulation. Computation of Capital Gains Tax: Dwelling examination Fred is a dweller, in the particular case study as well as has in recent times undergone an agreement to trade his own home which is located in blue mountain country. He brought the residence in the year of 1987 for the sum of $100,000. Capital Gains Tax (CGT) occasion occurrence Under section 104 (2) private asset of Fred which was previous used for dwelling was liable of Fred. Exemption obtainable for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Under section 118-110 of appraisal of Tax Act regulation 1997, a lone residence (house) will exempt from tax, if the similar has used for dwelling by the particular entity as well as was not used for the lease purpose. Hence, Fred will not entitle for the exemption since he does have another home in Australia on the basis of the given data in the following case study. The residence, that Fred is selling holiday house or an inferior home asset. Computation of the losses or gains Auction or removal of holiday house $800,000 Less: Legal cost $1100 Sales agents payment $9,900 Sum expenses of sale $11,000 Net sum of removal of residence $789,000 Less: Price of property liable by Fred: $123,000 Cost of acquisition $100,000 Stamp obligation $2,000 Legal cost $1,000 House development cost $20,000 Capital Gains $666,000 Less: Capital Gains Tax (CGT) discount (50%) $333,000 $333,000 Less: capital loss from previous year $10,000 Net assessable capital gain $323,000 In the basis of the following computation, which has shown in the above the capital gain that must be include in the tax of return for the particular year to fill by Fred is predictable the approximately sum is $ 323,000. The net capital gain for the particular year from auction of that holiday house is $ 333,000 though later than adjusting for capital loss for the last fiscal year, the coming Capital Gains Tax is near about $323000 for the particular year. On the other hand the capital loss on removal of traditional pot was occurred due to the traditional property were purchased previous on 26th of June in the year 1992 then similar will not regarded like capital property as well as consequently , the loss will not be balanced in the present fiscal year. Though, the traditional pot has acquired on later of 26th of June in 1992, the similar must be permitted to balanced. Fringe Benefit Tax: The fringe benefit is a kind of payment that is created to a worker by the owner firm however which is dissimilar from salary or remuneration or any kinds of wages beneath the laws and regulation in Australia. The major advantages of fringe benefit are provided to someone due to donation to the organization or the firm to the owner is more valuable or a potential worker is being provided these perks to attain the organization or the company. Concerning of the matter of workers of a organization are always unrestricted to be provided the basic wages as well as salary benefits will be named fringe benefit. Though, those advantages which are provided to a worker, who is died will not be named fringe benefit tax assessment act under section, 1997. Under the present stipulation of the laws of taxation, the subsequent advantages are called fringe benefit: A vehicle or any motor car provide to a worker as well as it could be used for his or her private purpose (Freebairn, 2015). A worker loan being unmitigated to a owner whose rate of interest is being charged by the particular firm lesser than marketplace interest fee. A membership of gym is being given to a worker of the particular organization. The fee of the gym membership has been paid by the owner company. Tickets for the any kind of concert or any kind of move or programme are being provided to a worker of her or his family associate as well as the charge of that such tickets are being bearded by the owner company. The owner company extends other advantages under the obtainable contract with a worker beneath salary sacrifice. The right path to find out whether a exacting advantages extended to a worker is a fringe benefit is to request if similar is given due to the workers relation with the owner. At the same time advantages flows due to the worker- owner relationships, in that case the benefit too much extended will be strong-minded to represent in a meticulous case the similar will be assessed for the beginning time from 1st April of the year after that 31st of March (Donlon, 2006) . If any exacting fiscal year, the worth of fringe benefit is in surplus of $2000 for definite fiscal year, in this circumstance, the worker needs to maintain similar as well as consist of that container for the tax return. Thus, fringe benefit needs to require to be publicized in the worker synopsis however the same would not taxable for the similar fiscal year. On one occasion, the sum of fringe benefit is projected all the workers satisfying the threshold needs to be require to compute the gross sum of fringe benefits acknowledged by them and incorporate the sum so resolute in the yearly pay benefits. The gross benefit is more vital to be incorporated in wages and salary niceties still when they will not taxable for the exact worker. This job will be done for the reason, the similar will used for other computation in remedial levy. Evaluation of the Car in Fringe benefit Tax In the following discussion, this has given in the above if the worker is given a car for office purpose and in the meantime the vehicle may be used for her private purpose then the particular benefit will called fringe benefit. In the following case study, Emma gets fringe benefit of the car or vehicle which has been used in office and personal purpose by her. Worth of the car: Excluding the GST, the car value is = $30,000 The car used for (31st March, 2016 1st May, 2015) = 335 days. The working days of the car = (335-15) = 320 days Emmas fringe benefit for the Car = [$30,000 x 0.2 x (320/365)]) = $5260.27. Including the repairing cost = ($5260.27 + $550) = $5810.27 In accordance with, the car or the vehicle is used by Emma for her official as well as private purpose. Fringe Benefits Tax (Loan) The standard charge for the existing year is near about 5.95% as well as the worker has charged only 4.45% over AUD 500,000 provided to Emma as loan. Loan under Fringe benefit tax = 500,000 * 4.45% = $22,250. The market interest amount of the loan is = %500,000 * 10% = $50,000 The FBT amount for the loan is = ($50,000 - $22,250) = $27,750 Fringe Benefits on Bathtub The fringe benefit worth is mentioned in the following Bathtub (marketplace Value) = $2,600 Remunerated by Emma for the bathtub = $1,300 As a result, sum fringe benefit = ($5,810.27 + $27,750 + $1,300) = $34,860. For that year the FBT arte was 47% in Australia. Fringe benefits gross worth = ($34,860 * 47%) = $16,385. Therefore, the sum of $16,385 might be enchanted as gross worth of fringe benefit for the present economic year. . Answer to issue (B), If Emma purchased the shares of Telstra instead of her husband then the tax will be deductible for this case Then the FBT sum for the loan will be $450,000 * (10-4.45) % = $24,975. So the whole FBT amount will be 47% of ($5810.27 + $24,975 + $1,300) = $15,080. Conclusion The following case study is mainly focused on the fringe benefit, which is obtained by Emma as well as Capital Gains Tax (CGT) for Fred. This exact document mainly spotlight on fringe benefit tax as well as fringe capital gains tax of the employee. As per the description on above, Fred one of the vital part of this significant case study who basically wants to sell his assets obliquely to the purchaser in instruction to achieve the advantages of capital gains tax. In this case Fred is the dweller in Australia; he might utilize his home for holiday house on the other hand he may give the house on lease. This vital method will also assist him to achieve the advantages of Capital Gains Tax (Anderson, 2009). However in the next case study the advantages of fringe benefits are being depicted. This exact case study centered the fringe benefit, which is given by the firm or the company. In the following case study Emma got the entire advantages of fringe benefit by utilizing the car or vehi cle which is given by the firm for both office as well as private purpose. In the following case study, one depicted the advantages and situation of Capital Gains Tax as well as in the very next case study summarizes the advantages of fringe benefit tax which basically assist the employee to apply their job in order to enlarge their yearly income and the benefits besides consist of some important equipment such as wages, insurance policy etc. References Anderson, K. (2009).Australia's economy in its international context. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Press. Donlon, P. (2006). Fringe Benefits.Books Ireland, (108), p.217. Freebairn, J. (2015). Who Pays the Australian Corporate Income Tax?.Australian Economic Review, 48(4), pp.357-368. Fringe benefits tax. (1986). Sydney: KMG Hungerfords Chartered Accountants. Akhtar, S. (2014). Capital Gains Tax in Theory and Practice.VISION : Journal of Indian Taxation, 1(1). Appleby, T. and Carr, F. (2005).The taxation of capital gains. Dublin: Institute of Taxation in Ireland. Auerbach, A., Burman, L. and Siegel, J. (2008).Capital gains taxation and tax avoidance. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Capital gains taxes. (1974). Canberra: Australian Government Pub. Service for the Dept. of the Treasury. Freebairn, J. (2016). Taxation of Housing.Australian Economic Review, 49(3), pp.307-316. Kelly, M., Wu, X. and Chambers, D. (2011). Capital Gains Taxation and Equity Returns: The Case of Mutual Savings Banks.Journal of Business Finance Accounting, p.no-no. Kenny, P. (n.d.). Realisation versus Accruals Capital Gains Taxation in Australia.SSRN Electronic Journal. MACNAUGHTON, A. (2007). Fringe benefits and employee expenses: Tax planning and neutral tax policy.Contemporary Accounting Research, 9(1), pp.113-137.