77% of Employees are Miserable; Unhappiness at Work Soars, According to Fruit Poll

77% of Employees are Miserable; Unhappiness at Work Soars, According to Fruit Poll

Time 4 change, leading personal and professional development specialists, announced today the results of their work satisfaction poll carried out this past week, which found that 77 per cent of people in London are unhappy with their career.

London (PRWEB) March 15, 2006

time 4 change, leading personal and professional development specialists, announced today the results of their work satisfaction poll carried out this past week, which found that 77 per cent of people in London are unhappy with their career.

Pollsters, dressed as knights and serving wenches questioned commuters on whether they were happy or unhappy in their job while handing out fruit to cheer up people on their way to work. They began their three-day quest at the weekend and continued their journey today (Wednesday, March 8, 2006) at Southwark and then travelled by underground to Victoria, Embankment, Liverpool Street and Hammersmith.

The poll coincides with a recently published City & Guilds report which states that 91 per cent of people in the UK are unhappy at work. It also comes at the launch of time4change’s new Career Quest workshop, the only career management programme that enables participants to identify their true vocation in just one day.

Commenting on the results, Christina Griffiths, Managing Director of time4change said, “It’s pretty depressing to find out so many people are very unhappy at work. Since we spend two-thirds of our lives there, I believe it’s important to our health and well-being to do something we love. That’s why time4change developed the Career Quest workshop -- to help people identify just what it is they’ll really enjoy doing and solve the ’what should I do with my life next?’ problem. The world would be a much happier place if everyone had a job they loved.”

Notes for Editors

Christina Griffiths, Managing Director of time4change, is available for interview or comment.

Photographs of the pollsters dressed as knights and wenches in Southwark underground station are available.

Company Background

Time4change was established by Christina Griffiths in 2001 to help organisations create more positive workplaces.

Specialising in personal and professional development, it runs coaching and training programmes to give people the skills and knowledge to make better decisions and develop effective behaviour, allowing them to be more successful, more effective, and happier in the workplace.

Programmes focus on four key areas: developing yourself, connecting with people, progressing with people, and growing your business.

The Career Quest workshop, time4change’s latest programme, helps people to identify their ideal career and find their true vocation.

Background info can also be found at

Www. time4change. com and www. careerquest. info

For additional information or photographs contact:

Kellie Smith

Time4Change

Tel: +44 (0)20 7917 9440

Fax: +44 (0)870 420 5261

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RewardStream Leverages SaaS to Shake Up Loyalty Marketing

RewardStream Leverages SaaS to Shake Up Loyalty Marketing

Marketing technology provider RewardStream leverages Software as a Service (SaaS) to liberate loyalty marketers.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) February 6, 2008

RewardStream Inc., a leading provider of marketing automation technology, is shaking up the loyalty marketing industry with their unique SaaS delivery of dynamic loyalty programs. By leveraging SaaS to deploy their Lifecycle Marketing Platform™ (LMP), RewardStream has changed the speed at which sophisticated loyalty programs are launched, modified and upgraded -- from months into days. This has created waves in an industry ruled by legacy technology solutions that take months to deploy and are infrequently modified once launched.

The benefits of SaaS deployments are well documented, with companies such as Salesforce. com and Google owing much of their growth to SaaS. Once known as Application Service Providers or ASP's, SaaS has revolutionized software distribution because of its ability to deliver business solutions that are intuitive to use, easy to deploy and charged in a pay-as-you-go model. These same benefits apply to the Fortune-class companies who run loyalty programs on RewardStream's LMP™.

"RewardStream has liberated the marketing professional by significantly increasing the speed at which they can deploy and optimize their loyalty program," states Peter Oxley, CEO of RewardStream. "Leveraging a SaaS delivery model, we can seamlessly release leading-edge functionality into RewardStream's LMP platform three or four times a year. This continuous innovation ensures marketers have a responsive loyalty toolkit and robust technology platform on which to run strategic loyalty marketing program in real-time."

The flexibility of SaaS is inherent in the way RewardStream's clients interact with their loyalty programs. Self-service, real-time program reports are available through ControlCenter™, RewardStream's intuitive web-based administrative portal. Reports can be customized to deliver on the key metrics that determine the program's health and ROI. The result is marketers who are empowered with the information they need to make informed decisions around optimizing a program's performance at anytime -- and a technology platform that can deliver on these changes within tight timelines. "Many of our clients are optimizing their loyalty program each week," continues Oxley. "You simply cannot do this with the legacy technology dominant in the industry today -- this helps to keep our clients a step ahead of their competition."

As an active participant in the SaaS technology community, RewardSteam is attending the SaaS Summit 2008, February 27 to 28 in San Francisco. As a member at these technology-leading summits, RewardStream addresses innovative new ways to continually deliver the cost, functional and usability benefits a SaaS solution offers their clients.

About RewardStream
RewardStream, the leader in SaaS marketing automation technology, develops products that liberate loyalty marketers from the shackles of legacy technology. Our Lifecycle Marketing Platform™ (LMP) empowers marketers to launch highly customized loyalty programs in under 30 days. RewardStream's LMP is utilized by a broad spectrum of clients that operate B2C, B2B and Channel loyalty programs in the financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, IT and manufacturing sectors. More information on RewardStream can be found at www. rewardstream. com.

RewardStream and the RewardStream logo are trademarks of RewardStream Inc. All other trademarks and company names mentioned are protected by their respective owners.

Contact:
Valia Thorburn
RewardStream, Inc.
604-692-1211
Media@rewardstream. com

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Ryder to Sign "5-Star" Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve

Ryder to Sign "5-Star" Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve

Ms. Vicki O'Meara, Executive Vice President & Chief of Corporate Operations will participate in the signing ceremony in conjunction with McDonald's Salute to America's Heroes.

Ft Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) April 28, 2005

Mr. David Bludworth, State Chair of the Florida Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee, an agency of the Department of Defense, announced that Ms. Vicki OÂ’Meara, Executive Vice President & Chief of Corporate Operations for Ryder System Inc. will sign a “5-Star” Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve on Thursday, April 28, 2005 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The signing ceremony is in conjunction with the McDonaldÂ’s National Salute to AmericaÂ’s Heroes and will be conducted at 7:30 a. m. in the Pier 66 Hyatt Resort. 

The “5-Star” Statement of Support confirms that Ryder:

Signed a Statement of Support publicly demonstrating its support for its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. Reviewed its Human Resources policies to ensure compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act Law (USERRA). Promotes training for managers and supervisors to effectively manage its employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. Adopted polices and programs that are “Above and Beyond” what is required by the USERRA Law. Is an advocate for employee service in the National Guard and Reserve and will help to promote the mission of ESGR.

“Today, supportive employers are critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s National Guard and Reserve units. I am asking all Florida employers to review and amend their current human resources policies to ensure compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act Law (USERRA)”, said Bludworth. “Many Florida employers provide ‘Above and Beyond’ support with pay differential to offset the loss of wages, and extension of health care benefits which complement coverage provided by the military when their employees are mobilized”.

“Upon meeting the ‘5-Star’ Statement of Support criteria, the management of Ryder will stand proudly with their Guard and Reserve employees, who like the Minute Men before them, continue to answer their nation’s call to defend our way of life. Their personal sacrifices are essential to the strength of our nation,” said Bob Hollingsworth, ESGR Executive Director.

“Our Company is very fortunate to have been founded in a country in which personal and economic freedom are highly valued and where people of all backgrounds and cultures have an opportunity to pursue their dreams,” said Ms. O’Meara. “The brave women, men and families of the Guard and Reserve are making tremendous personal sacrifices to preserve our way of life. Ryder is especially proud of the more than 160 employees who have been, or are now, on military leave. Demonstrating our support here today and making a strong commitment to theses men and women is something we do gladly, and we call upon other companies to support their employees who are called to duty.”

“Ryder is joining a cadre of its fellow Fortune 500 companies and thousands of America’s employers in demonstrating support for our armed forces, added Hollingsworth. “By signing the ‘5-Star’ Statement of Support Ms. O’Meara is sending a clear message to the employees of Ryder that while they are serving their country they do not have to worry about their civilian jobs.”

Ryder is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in South Florida, which provides leading-edge transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions to businesses worldwide. RyderÂ’s stock (NYSE:R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & PoorÂ’s 500 Index. For more information about Ryder System, Inc., visit www. ryder. com.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain active support from all public and private employers for the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

As the 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens, ESGR will continue to be the informational agency for the employers of AmericaÂ’s Patriots. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www. esgr. mil, or by calling the National Committee Office at 800-336-4590.

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Office of Minority Health and Options: A Benefits Training Foundation Launch Program to Improve Access to HIV/AIDS Healthcare and Health Coverage in Minority Communities

Office of Minority Health and Options: A Benefits Training Foundation Launch Program to Improve Access to HIV/AIDS Healthcare and Health Coverage in Minority Communities

June 1st marks the launch of an innovative program that will train providers of people living with HIV/AIDS in health benefits coverage. This program, beginning in Louisiana and three western states and to be rolled out nationally, will dramatically improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS by helping to connect them with the income and health benefits coverage they may not be have enough knowledge to access.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 7, 2005

Options: A Benefits Training Foundation (Options) today announced it has been awarded a grant by the Office of Minority Health to deliver a three-year health and income benefits training program for community-based organizations working with the HIV/AIDS populations in Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Southern California. By the end of the program in August 2007, 112 service providers in community-based organizations and 40 individuals will have developed basic, advanced, and “train the trainer” levels of information and skills spanning both public and private benefits. As each service provider works with about 50 clients, this program will positively impact the lives of many thousands of disabled individuals.

Although according to the 2000 Census African Americans make up 12.3% of the U. S. population, they have accounted for 39% of the more than 886,000 estimated AIDS cases diagnosed since the beginning of the epidemic – almost 350,000 cases. Hispanics and Latinos represented 13% of the U. S. population (including residents of Puerto Rico), but they accounted for 19% of the total number of new U. S. AIDS cases. The objective of the Public Health Service’s “Healthy People 2010” initiative is to eliminate these disparities in minority health care and health coverage nationwide. This three-year program will be run by Options, one of the leading providers of health and welfare benefits training programs in the U. S., and will directly support organizations that serve minorities in the HIV/AIDS community. The program will enable these organizations to offer increased patient knowledge on how to best access care; to support increased outreach efforts; and to provide direct education to individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Since training on health and income benefits planning services is not included in social work degree programs, very few benefits counselors, social workers, or other service providers understand the full range of public and private benefits available to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The people they serve are at risk of extreme financial hardship that could be prevented through comprehensive benefits counseling. Access to all the coverage available to them can make a crucial difference in their condition.

“This program will help service providers better understand the full range of public and private benefits available to their clients at all stages of disability, from those newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS to those working with HIV/AIDS or starting or returning to work,” .said Daniel Fortuño, Executive Director of Options. “An additional benefit of the program is that it will provide up-to-date training to service providers on the new Medicare program – in particular the new Part D Prescription Benefits that will take effect at the beginning of 2006.”

The program consists of a three-day training for service providers, a one evening training for individual clients, and continuing education through quarterly conference calls to ensure service providers receive ongoing support as they put the information learned at the training into practice. The first training will take place in Houma, Louisiana on June 1–3, followed by Gallup, New Mexico on June 20-22, Los Angeles, California on June 27-29, and Volcano, Hawaii on July 28-29.

About Options:

Options is a registered California 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated in 2000, whose mission is “to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities”. The organization accomplishes this through innovative, affordable health and welfare educational programs for community-based organizations. These programs address each stage of disability, including how to access services in order to meet basic needs from healthcare to housing, and creating opportunities for employment. By the end of 2004 Options had trained over 1000 individuals from 144 organizations in 14 US states. Since each individual works with approximately 50 disabled clients, their services ultimately benefit approximately 60,000 disabled people each year. Their programs also enable community-based organizations to become more efficient with program dollars and staff resources, and be better prepared to assist more clients.

For more information, please visit www. optionsfoundation. org, or contact:

Lauri Shay

Program Manager

Options: A Benefits Training Foundation

415 398 2170 Phone

415 398 2179 Fax

Lshay@optionsfoundation. org

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PlanetShoes. com Adds Fashionable and Functional Sorel Footwear

PlanetShoes. com Adds Fashionable and Functional Sorel Footwear

Planet, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Sorel footwear to its excellent assortment of leading brands for Fall and Winter 2009 on PlanetShoes. com.

Waltham, MA (PRWEB) October 1, 2009

Planet, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Sorel footwear to its excellent assortment of leading brands for Fall and Winter 2009.

Sorel has always been around for cold, winter weather needs, but this is the first time the brand has gone all-weather with the debut of its fall collections. Sorel's new, fashionable footwear line-up includes styles for winter sports enthusiasts, urban commuters, families on the go and fashionistas who must brave fall and winter elements.

"Adding a well-known and well-regarded brand like Sorel to our shoe and boot lineup is a great thing for the site," explained Phil Meynard, President of Planet, Inc. "We're striving to offer everyone comfortable and stylish options for outdoor wear, whether we're working with a daily urban commuter or someone ready to trek all winter long. Sorel offers the technology, the features, the look and the value that make them a perfect PlanetShoes. com brand."

PlanetShoes. com is currently offering over 30 styles of functional and fashionable Sorel footwear for men, women and children online.

About Sorel
For more than 40 years, Sorel boots have been engineered to provide outstanding warmth, comfort and durability in the most extreme cold-weather conditions. They have accompanied explorers to the North Pole and earned a legendary reputation among winter outdoor enthusiasts as well as those who work outdoors in harsh winter conditions. While the brand's Caribou style remains a winter classic, Sorel now offers and exciting range of comfortable, luxurious, all-weather products that merge high-quality materials with outstanding design to produce durable, fashionable warmth. Sorel boots can be found in specialty outdoor stores, as well as upscale department and footwear stores around the world, reflecting growing appeal among discerning consumers who trek the most demanding urban jungles year-round. Sorel is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company, based in Portland, Ore. For more information about Sorel, please visit www. sorel. com, www. facebook. com/sorel (http://www. facebook. com/sorel) or follow @SorelFootwear on Twitter.

About Planet Inc.
Planet, Inc. is an innovative lifestyle shoe retailer dedicated to selling the most comfortable and stylish shoes possible at value prices. Our flagship site found on the web at PlanetShoes. com specializes in active, comfortable, healthy, earth friendly shoes and products with a flare of fashion. Our product lines are ever expanding to bring our customer new fun footwear to choose from. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast or an eco-friendly fashionista, we strive to offer the selection you want.

We look at affordability and value in pricing our products. Customer service and unique products are our calling card. Contact us directly at 1-888-818-SHOE (7463). Tweeting at: twitter. com/planetshoes

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Author Draws on Experience to Craft Practical Guides for Caring for Elderly Parents

Author Draws on Experience to Craft Practical Guides for Caring for Elderly Parents

Tonia Boterf, The Practical Expert, has written three books geared towards adult children caring for their aging parents

Augusta, ME (PRWEB) July 24, 2009

As parents grow older, it becomes increasingly important for their children to be prepared for health and wellness issues that may present themselves. Tonia Boterf learned this firsthand by caring for her mother who had Alzheimer's disease, her father and mother in-law who died of lung cancer. As The Practical Expert, she coaches people to help them through transitional periods of life - and her new series of books focuses on one of the most important transitions for everyday people.

The "Practical Guide" series of books contains useful and easy-to-implement ideas and information for people dealing with aging parent issues. Ms. Boterf uses her background as a licensed social worker, a holistic health practitioner and certified life coach and her life experiences to ease the difficulties that others face in dealing with aging parents and senior adults. The series is comprised of three books:
A Practical Guide to Identifying and Planning Home and Residential Needs, which offers tips and advice to assist your parents in living as independently as possible by learning how to assess a person's daily living activities skills accurately, ideas on how to modify things to promote independence and safety, understanding different types of living options and how to assess each type, important information for family discussions and knowledge, as well as helping them make an easy transition when that isn't possible anymore.

A Practical Guide to Depression in the Elderly helps you clearly define depression and recognize its many possible causes and symptoms in a quick and easy manner. Numerous ideas on how to prevent and/or diminish depression as a caregiver, family member or a friend that you can follow are included as well. It also includes a breakdown of various treatment options, including traditional medicine and natural treatments.

-A Practical Guide to Aging Parents and Nutrition shows you the many different possible reasons why an elderly person may not be eating a healthy diet and how to address and deal with the causes. A large number of practical and usable tips and suggestions are given to help find ways to encourage an elderly adult to want and be able to eat a more healthy diet and thus improve their health, at the same time are included. It also includes nutritional guidelines for senior adults and recipes for you to follow. 65% of all senior adults need to improve their nutrition in order to live a healthy and quality life, yet few books address the issue or give numerous helpful tips related to this problem, until now.

All three of these books can be purchased at http://www. toniaboterf. com (http://www. toniaboterf. com) and at The Practical Expert at http://www. thepracticalexpert. com (http://www. thepracticalexpert. com).

The Practical Expert offers a large variety of coaching service options and prices for individuals who are action-oriented and committed to overcoming transitional challenges and obstacles in their way. By partnering with you, the coach will help you stay motivated, focused and accountable, as the complex problem is clearly defined and manageable steps and solutions are identified for implementation and success.

Tonia Boterf is the chief expert at The Practical Expert and with over 25 years of coaching experience in life and small business issues. Ms. Boterf is a Licensed Social Worker, a Holistic Health Practitioner and Certified Life Coach. Ms. Boterf has received numerous awards and recommendations for her work and ability to handle complex and difficult situations. Tonia has also overcome many extremely challenging life circumstances which she uses in creative ways to assist others.

The Practical Expert provides Q&A by a professional on transitional life problems, life coaching for motivated and action-oriented people who are committed to achieving success, goals, or completing a project or challenge. The Practical Expert also offers numerous articles, products, reports, a blog and resources to help you get the answers you need without having to waste time searching the internet. The Practical Expert is continuing to grow in all aspects, so visit often or sign up for the free Practical Press e-mail newsletter.

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First Trace Names Albert Whipple VP of Sales

First Trace Names Albert Whipple VP of Sales

First Trace, Inc. , a leading provider of engineering document management, data unification and process management solutions, has announced that Albert Whipple has joined the company as the new Vice President of Sales. Whipple will lead First Trace in bringing the advanced Kinnosa suite of products and solutions to the engineering and enterprise marketplace. "Albert brings an entrepreneurial passion and decades of sales and marketing experience in high technology industries to our growing team," said Terry Simpson, President and CEO of First Trace. "We are extremely excited about bringing a dynamo of this caliber aboard to command our sales efforts."

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) March 18, 2008

First Trace, Inc.], a leading provider of engineering document management, data unification and process management solutions, has announced that Albert Whipple has joined the company as the new Vice President of Sales. Whipple will lead First Trace in bringing the advanced Kinnosa suite of products and solutions to the engineering and enterprise marketplace. "Albert brings an entrepreneurial passion and decades of sales and marketing experience in high technology industries to our growing team," said Terry Simpson, President and CEO of First Trace. "We are extremely excited about bringing a dynamo of this caliber aboard to command our sales efforts."

Albert Whipple has succeeded as a VP of Sales and Marketing and Director of Sales for a number of software, high technology, and project management firms including Informatics, Tektronix and Electronics for Imaging. Whipple has progressed his career and the business units he lead with a "no excuses" sales philosophy grounded in understanding customer needs and the best ROI case possible to meet those needs. His impact has been felt across a number of markets by employing core selling principles and a pragmatic sales approach that focuses on a clearly defined strategy.

At First Trace, Albert will focus on driving Kinnosa solutions into the engineering and enterprise marketplace and establishing Kinnosa as the de facto standard for document management solutions. The Kinnosa Enterprise System is an open, distributed, and affordable document management system that integrates with CAD products such as SolidWorks, Microstation, AutoCAD, as well as desktop tools MS Office and OpenOffice. Whipple has a responsibility for sales teams across North American and Europe handling both direct and indirect sales.

"Albert´s experience in directing sales teams, delivering multi-million dollar contracts, and developing market opportunities will cement First Trace as the market leader in software solutions for highly complex document management and process management requirements," said Terry Simpson. "We are looking for Albert to use his expertise to take control of our national and international customers and prospects to build on the success we have already achieved in delivering evolved solutions."

About First Trace
First Trace Incorporated is a responsive global provider of document management and data unification solutions for industries with complex technical and business information needs. First Trace has innovated the next leap forward in the evolution of document management with the only transparent document management, data unification, and collaborative solutions that leverage existing technology investments. Combining decades of high technology, manufacturing, and engineering experience, First Trace has customers worldwide across a range of industries including aerospace, defense, automotive, facilities management, energy, utilities, manufacturing, healthcare, as well as state and local governments. First Trace customers are some of the largest industry players and include Ford Motor Company, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier Aerospace, Mittal Steel, Georgia-Pacific, New York State Electric & Gas, Accuride, Mitchell International and Ineos Chemicals. To learn more about First Trace and the evolution of document management, visit www. FirstTrace. com or call +1 480.940.2393.

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