A Week's Worth: Quick takes on the world of work and money
Good week for Dow, now's the time to plan for 2008 taxes, 'green wars' rise in workplaces.
from the April 21, 2008 edition
•In the best week for stocks in almost three months, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 4.3 percent. But it still is 9 percent below its record high.
•Presumably, you met last week's deadline to file your tax return. But that shouldn't be a cue to relax and forget about the subject for another year, according to accounting and audit software provider CCH. Rather, it advises looking into ways to reduce your taxable income now because the longer you wait, the less impact any steps you take will have on what you owe. One option: Requesting an adjustment of your withholding if your 2007 payment turned out to be larger than expected.
•Let's say your employer is downsizing and has offered you a buyout. Before you decide, outplacement giant Challenger, Gray & Christmas recommends thinking hard about whether you're confident you can survive a layoff, should one follow the deadline for accepting. Another consideration: Are there other local prospects in your field, or will you need to move or retrain?
•Going green may be having an unintended consequence: It seems to be dividing workplaces. Xerox Corp. surveyed more than 1,500 office workers and reports finding annoyance with colleagues who haven't made the commitment among those who have. Pet peeves: failure to recycle, leaving lights and computers on when unnecessary, and printing pages double-spaced when single spacing would save paper. Women and younger employees considered themselves more ecoconscious than their male and older counterparts.
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