GptAdmin : Business : Work_at

As new technology continues to change the workplace, more and more people are choosing the option of working at home. Often, when you work at home, you are able to set your own hours and work efficiently at your own pace. This type of work is ideal for some people, but not for everyone.

There are many legitimate opportunities that allow you to structure your work at home and enjoy the benefits of a comfortable and familiar environment. It is important to research the opportunities carefully before committing yourself to the new and exciting employment options.

Sites:

» Home Based Working Moms. Work At Home, Home Business Central -

Home-Based Working Moms

Home-Based Working Moms? is a professional association and online community of parents who work at home and those who would like to. My name is Lesley Spencer, and I am the Founder & President of HBWM. I started HBWM in 1995 out of my deep desire to spend more time with my two children. My passion and the goal of HBWM is to help other parents reach that same goal. Join HBWM today and start taking advantage of the MANY benefits HBWM Membership offers

» Tips for Avoiding Work-at-Home Scams, from the Internet Fraud Watch -

Know who you’re dealing with. The company may not be offering to employ you directly, only to sell you training and materials and to find customers for your work.

Don’t believe that you can make big profits easily. Operating a home-based business is just like any other business – it requires hard work, skill, good products or services, and time to make a profit.

Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.

Get all the details before you pay. A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom.

Find out if there is really a market for your work. Claims that there are customers for work such as medical billing and craft making may not be true. If the company says it has customers waiting, ask who they are and contact them to confirm. You can also ask likely customers in your area (such as doctors for medical billing services) if they actually employ people to do that work from home.

Get references for other people who are doing the work. Ask them if the company kept its promises.

Be aware of legal requirements. To do some types of work, such as medical billing, you may need a license or certificate. Check with your state attorney general’s office. Ask your local zoning board if there are any restrictions on operating a business from your home. Some types of work cannot be done at home under federal law. Look for the nearest U.S. Department of Labor in the government listings of your phone book.

Know the refund policy. If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask whether and under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.

Beware of the old “envelope stuffing” scheme. In this classic scam, instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because there is no real product or service being offered. You won’t get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud.

Be wary of offers to send you an “advance” on your “pay.” Some con artists use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your first month’s “pay.” You deposit it, and the bank tells you the check has cleared because the normal time has passed to be notified that checks have bounced. Then the crook contacts you to say that you were mistakenly paid the wrong amount or that you need to return a portion of the payment for some other reason. After you send the money back, the check that you deposited finally bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake. Now the crooks have your payment, and you’re left owing your bank the amount that you withdrew.

Do your own research about work-at-home opportunities. The “Work-At-Home Sourcebook” and other resources that may be available in your local library provide good advice and lists of legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home. You may discover that these companies hire only local people and that there is nothing available in your area.

If you need advice about an Internet or online solicitation, or you want to report a possible scam, use the Online Reporting Form or or call the NFIC hotline at 1-800-876-7060.

» Work At Home :: Home Business and Telecommute jobs -

Work At Home Spotlight...

Home business ideas for normal moms like you and me ?

I am a normal, work from home mom, who started my own home business working from home. This article will show you how you, too, can be a work from home mom.

After I gave birth to our first baby, Hana, I really couldn't see myself going back to that old job working for Mr. What's-his-name for a measly salary and leaving Hana with a babysitter. I didn't realize how deeply I would LOVE my baby. Do you know what I mean by that? When I was pregnant, I thought, "Right. Have the baby. Find a babysitter. Go back to work. Done." But I loved her so completely and so profoundly, that I really didn't want to leave her. Plus, she was really high-needs and I had spent the last year learning her cues and I felt that only I knew exactly how to comfort her. Would a babysitter really be able to do that?

» Work At Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation -

Work At Home/Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation Many employers have discovered the benefits of allowing employees to work at home through telework (also known as telecommuting) programs. Telework has allowed employers to attract and retain valuable workers by boosting employee morale and productivity. Technological advancements have also helped increase telework options. President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative emphasizes the important role telework can have for expanding employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

In its 1999 Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (revised 10/17/02), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that allowing an individual with a disability to work at home may be a form of reasonable accommodation. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform a job, or gain equal access to the benefits and privileges of a job. The ADA does not require an employer to provide a specific accommodation if it causes undue hardship, i.e., significant difficulty or expense.

Not all persons with disabilities need - or want - to work at home. And not all jobs can be performed at home. But, allowing an employee to work at home may be a reasonable accommodation where the person's disability prevents successfully performing the job on-site and the job, or parts of the job, can be performed at home without causing significant difficulty or expense.

This fact sheet explains the ways that employers may use existing telework programs or allow an individual to work at home as a reasonable accommodation.

Does the ADA require employers to have telework programs?

No. The ADA does not require an employer to offer a telework program to all employees. However, if an employer does offer telework, it must allow employees with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in such a program.

In addition, the ADA's reasonable accommodation obligation, which includes modifying workplace policies, might require an employer to waive certain eligibility requirements or otherwise modify its telework program for someone with a disability who needs to work at home. For example, an employer may generally require that employees work at least one year before they are eligible to participate in a telework program. If a new employee needs to work at home because of a disability, and the job can be performed at home, then an employer may have to waive its one-year rule for this individual.

May permitting an employee to work at home be a reasonable accommodation, even if the employer has no telework program?

Yes. Changing the location where work is performed may fall under the ADA's reasonable accommodation requirement of modifying workplace policies, even if the employer does not allow other employees to telework. However, an employer is not obligated to adopt an employee's preferred or requested accommodation and may instead offer alternate accommodations as long as they would be effective. (See Question 6.)

How should an employer determine whether someone may need to work at home as a reasonable accommodation?

This determination should be made through a flexible "interactive process" between the employer and the individual. The process begins with a request. An individual must first inform the employer that s/he has a medical condition that requires some change in the way a job is performed. The individual does not need to use special words, such as "ADA" or "reasonable accommodation" to make this request, but must let the employer know that a medical condition interferes with his/her ability to do the job.

Then, the employer and the individual need to discuss the person's request so that the employer understands why the disability might necessitate the individual working at home. The individual must explain what limitations from the disability make it difficult to do the job in the workplace, and how the job could still be performed from the employee's home. The employer may request information about the individual's medical condition (including reasonable documentation) if it is unclear whether it is a "disability" as defined by the ADA. The employer and employee may wish to discuss other types of accommodations that would allow the person to remain full-time in the workplace. However, in some situations, working at home may be the only effective option for an employee with a disability.

How should an employer determine whether a particular job can be performed at home?

An employer and employee first need to identify and review all of the essential job functions. The essential functions or duties are those tasks that are fundamental to performing a specific job. An employer does not have to remove any essential job duties to permit an employee to work at home. However, it may need to reassign some minor job duties or marginal functions (i.e., those that are not essential to the successful performance of a job) if they cannot be performed outside the workplace and they are the only obstacle to permitting an employee to work at home. If a marginal function needs to be reassigned, an employer may substitute another minor task that the employee with a disability could perform at home in order to keep employee workloads evenly distributed.

After determining what functions are essential, the employer and the individual with a disability should determine whether some or all of the functions can be performed at home. For some jobs, the essential duties can only be performed in the workplace. For example, food servers, cashiers, and truck drivers cannot perform their essential duties from home. But, in many other jobs some or all of the duties can be performed at home.

Several factors should be considered in determining the feasibility of working at home, including the employer's ability to supervise the employee adequately and whether any duties require use of certain equipment or tools that cannot be replicated at home. Other critical considerations include whether there is a need for face-to-face interaction and coordination of work with other employees; whether in-person interaction with outside colleagues, clients, or customers is necessary; and whether the position in question requires the employee to have immediate access to documents or other information located only in the workplace. An employer should not, however, deny a request to work at home as a reasonable accommodation solely because a job involves some contact and coordination with other employees. Frequently, meetings can be conducted effectively by telephone and information can be exchanged quickly through e-mail.

If the employer determines that some job duties must be performed in the workplace, then the employer and employee need to decide whether working part-time at home and part-time in the workplace will meet both of their needs. For example, an employee may need to meet face-to-face with clients as part of a job, but other tasks may involve reviewing documents and writing reports. Clearly, the meetings must be done in the workplace, but the employee may be able to review documents and write reports from home.

How frequently may someone with a disability work at home as a reasonable accommodation?

An employee may work at home only to the extent that his/her disability necessitates it. For some people, that may mean one day a week, two half-days, or every day for a particular period of time (e.g., for three months while an employee recovers from treatment or surgery related to a disability). In other instances, the nature of a disability may make it difficult to predict precisely when it will be necessary for an employee to work at home. For example, sometimes the effects of a disability become particularly severe on a periodic but irregular basis. When these flare-ups occur, they sometimes prevent an individual from getting to the workplace. In these instances, an employee might need to work at home on an "as needed" basis, if this can be done without undue hardship.

As part of the interactive process, the employer should discuss with the individual whether the disability necessitates working at home full-time or part-time. (A few individuals may only be able to perform their jobs successfully by working at home full time.) If the disability necessitates working at home part-time, then the employer and employee should develop a schedule that meets both of their needs. Both the employer and the employee should be flexible in working out a schedule so that work is done in a timely way, since an employer does not have to lower production standards for individuals with disabilities who are working at home. The employer and employee also need to discuss how the employee will be supervised.

May an employer make accommodations that enable an employee to work full-time in the workplace rather than granting a request to work at home?

Yes, the employer may select any effective accommodation, even if it is not the one preferred by the employee. Reasonable accommodations include adjustments or changes to the workplace, such as: providing devices or modifying equipment, making workplaces accessible (e.g., installing a ramp), restructuring jobs, modifying work schedules and policies, and providing qualified readers or sign language interpreters. An employer can provide any of these types of reasonable accommodations, or a combination of them, to permit an employee to remain in the workplace. For example, an employee with a disability who needs to use paratransit asks to work at home because the paratransit schedule does not permit the employee to arrive before 10:00 a.m., two hours after the normal starting time. An employer may allow the employee to begin his or her eight-hour shift at 10:00 a.m., rather than granting the request to work at home, if this would work with the paratransit schedule.

How can employers and individuals with disabilities learn more about reasonable accommodation, including working at home?

Employers and individuals with disabilities wishing to learn more about working at home as a reasonable accommodation can contact the EEOC at (202) 663-4691 (voice) and (202) 663-7026 (TTY). General information about reasonable accommodation can be found on EEOC's website, www.eeoc.gov/policy/guidance.html (Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship Under the Americans with Disabilities Act; revised 10/17/02). This website also provides guidances on many other aspects of the ADA.

The government-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service that offers employers and individuals ideas about effective accommodations. The counselors perform individualized searches for workplace accommodations based on a job's functional requirements, the functional limitations of the individual, environmental factors, and other pertinent information. JAN can be reached at 1-800-526-7234 (voice or TDD); or at

www.jan.wvu.edu/soar.

» Work At Home:bizjournals.com -

Work At Home

Have you ever wanted to have more money than you could ever use? Would you like to make ninety thousand dollars in 24 hours? Do you have an inherent interest in doing work at home and a drive to succeed? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you would be interested in Robert G. Allen and his programs that are touted as being able to produce massive amounts of money with little or no investment capital, and will allow you to work from home.

Robert Allen has been around the world of investments for a long time. After writing the highly successful Nothing Down, teaching people to make money with nothing down and work at home, Robert amassed a cult-like following that earned him a spot as one of the most successful personalities on the wealth accruement seminar circuit. The principals of the Nothing Down work from homesystem involves picking up low value real estate with no money down and selling the property at or above market value for a profit. Thousands followed in his footsteps, and many have made substantial sums of money from following the relatively easy steps all while being able to work at home.

Robert"s next major book, entitled Multiple Streams of Income, expands greatly on the foundation created in Nothing Down, and adds a multitude of ways for anyone to create wealth from doing their work at home. By having a work from home business, it allows for more time spent with family and doing things that a normal working person wouldn"t have time for. Robert"s main pitch is the fact that it is hard for any family in this day and age to survive and prosper on a mere two streams of income. He believes that the true way to rise to the top of the pile in our turbulent society is to diversify one"s resources and create work from home "multiple streams of income" that are guaranteed to pay off.

Of these multiple streams, Robert pushes network marketing as one of the most important and easiest ways to start a successful revenue stream, and allow yourself to work at home. Also known as multi level or two-tier marketing, network marketing involves the use of independent contractors who are used to sell products, as well as train, supply, and recruit other members to work under them.

Robert"s idea of building a work from home business is one that has caught on and spread wildly throughout the world. More and more people are able to work at home and still make more money than they ever thought.

» Work From Home, No Kits, No Quotas, Free Training Available -

Work at home anytime, anyplace on the Internet or telephone. We have Internet positions, telephone positions, non-sales positions, or marketing positions. Work from Home from any place in the WORLD. This career is PERFECT for ANYONE who wants to have a home based business working on the Internet.

As an Independent Contractor with Procard International, you can enjoy the freedom of working anytime, anyplace! We have no quotas and no required levels of production.

Free training is available. GREAT for people who want to supplement or build terrific incomes for themselves working from home, a local office or on the Internet. No cold calling, No investment, No kits. We are not Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) or any relation thereof.

Free Leads, Free Long Distance. No experience is necessary! We have readily available positions, which can start earning you money immediately.

As a part of the Procard International Family of Services, you can build your Career with ANY ONE OR COMBINATION of Procard International Career Opportunities which include:

Marketing Associate - Call back customers who have already requested details of our member services and review the details. Free leads and long distance are provided. This position is great for people who like to work on the phone.

Referral Rewards Associate ?We have thousands of Associate Candidates each week requesting details on our Career Opportunities. We need your help in Emailing them back and reviewing our Opportunities. Free leads are provided. This is position is done entirely through the Internet.

LocalDiscounts.com - Contact non-medical businesses in your neighborhood and introduce them to our free marketing programs to help increase their customer base.

Procard International is a medical discount company whose networks provide access to Physician, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug Card services across the U.S. This company has been in business over ten years, with clean track records in all major consumer protection organizations. We have one the most respected Internet careers available on the market with millions of members using our networks, over 10,000 Associates and over 1,000,000 participating Providers. Our product is simple, our marketing is simple, and our customers already need and want our services.

For more information please email your name and email address to Procardmarilyn@hotmail.com
» Work-at-Home Schemes -

Work-at-Home Schemes

Be part of one of America's Fastest Growing Industries!

Earn thousand of dollars a month - from your home - Processing Medical Billing Claims.

You can find ads like this everywhere - from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can't work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don't disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or "tutorial" software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Classic Work-at-Home Schemes Several types of offers are classic work-at-home schemes.

Medical billing. Ads for pre-packaged businesses - known as billing centers - are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you'll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There's "a crisis" in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.

The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to "outsource" or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you.

The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community.

The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be "shills" - people hired to give favorable testimonials. It's best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being mislead by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works.

Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues - let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Envelope stuffing. Promoters usually advertise that, for a "small" fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later - when it's too late - you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you're likely to get a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing" ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.

Assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you've purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don't pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn't meet "quality standards."

Unfortunately, no work is ever "up to standard," leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies - and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Questions to Ask

Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you - in writing - what's involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter:

What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.)

Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission?

Who will pay me?

When will I get my first paycheck?

What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees?

What will I get for my money?

The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate.

You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

Where to Complain

If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations:

The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to www.ftc.gov. The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs. Your local consumer protection offices. Your local Better Business Bureau. Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company. For More Information

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

» work at home overload -

Cockeyed.com presents: Work at Home

special report

Thanks for coming to read my report on "work from home" signs. This article has been very popular, so popular that my website bandwidth limits have been seriously tested.

My primary finding was that "work from home" signs, "Have a Computer?" signs, and "Lose 30lbs in 30 days!" are all from ONE company, a multi-level marketing company called herbalife. The second part of the article explores the odds of succeeding at this business

» work at home:EmploymentGuide -

Welcome to EmploymentGuide.com's work at home center, a great place to find work at home jobs and home business opportunities.

Last Updated: 2005-10-27 14:30:02