Pick up money-saving tips at TipJar (www.google.com/tipjar), a site created by Google employees, where people submit and rank tips for home and the workplace.

Financial advice maven Suze Orman says the motto of the day is, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” Many of the factors that lead to layoffs are not within your control, so plan for the “what-ifs,” so you’re prepared for anything. Her advice:

The latest source of stress for workers isn’t their mountainous workload or difficult co-workers. It’s their vacations. A recent Randstad Work Watch survey reveals that a large percentage of employees find taking time off for vacation difficult.

As many companies cut back on expenses and, in some instances, cut staff, how do you maintain your edge and ask for what your department needs without immediately seeing your request denied? Tell a tale, become a storyteller and see your words make an impact.

Enhance people’s positive impressions of you by changing three little words, suggests Joan Burge, administrative trainer and founder and CEO, Office Dynamics.

I'm a one-person HR department, but I know a lot about payroll from an earlier job. Our finance supervisor just quit, so now I'm doing that job too. The sole remaining finance employee got a raise to reflect his increased workload, but I haven't received any extra pay. How should I approach my boss to address this disparity?—B.G., Fla.

New bosses are popping up lately, as more offices streamline staff. If that’s the case in your office, cast yourself in the best possible light—quickly. Follow this advice from executive recruiter Jay Gaines and executive coach Licia Hahn.

Rudeness and incivility at work have a huge effect on performance, according to a Harvard Business Review study. For example, in response to rudeness at work, 48% of employees decreased their work effort, and 47% decreased their time at work.

A podcast can turn a morning commute into a chance to work on your professional goals. And it’s completely free. Here are some of the best for administrative professionals.

When dashing off your next memo, report or e-mail, cut right to the core points. HR directors from half of the 120 major American corporations polled in a recent study said they consider writing ability when making promotions. "You can't move up without writing skills," one HR director said.

Given the high cost of health care, many employees worry about what they would do if they lose their jobs. Experts offer this advice: Use it before you lose it; sign onto your spouse's plan; look into COBRA.

“Even if we’re not born well equipped to deal with stress, we can change,” says Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University, who has compared “totally insane son-of-a-bitch” types who lash out under stress with nice-guys-finish-first types who stay cool and pick battles they can win.

At some point in their careers, most people end up in the position of being left to do the work after flaky colleagues drop the ball. Anita Bruzzese (www.45things.com), who writes about workplace issues, offers these four tips for handling co-workers who drop the ball, and how to get them to pull their weight:

Tracking web sites, blogs, social networking sites, Twitter—it can be overwhelming. And if you’re not fluent with online tools, it can sometimes feel like a serious waste of time. Here are four tools to help you keep track, without straying to web pages you don’t have time for.

Sooner, rather than later, might be the time to think about possibly needing to negotiate a severance package, if you don’t have one. The landscape has changed, so here’s what to have in your back pocket.

Prepare for media interviews by reviewing what the reporter has published or aired before. Ask the reporter for draft interview questions in advance. Most of all, know what you want to say and rehearse it. Follow these six tips to get the main idea you want to convey into an understandable story.

The cliffhanger boss likes to wait until the last possible moment to deliver a finished project. He thrives under deadline pressure and will create that pressure if it isn’t there already. How can you work around that?

When making decisions, pay attention to the factors that lead people to make bad ones: relying on past experience, making prejudgments that turn out to be wrong and being swayed by attachments to people, places or things.

The perfectionist boss can easily drive you crazy, spending time correcting others’ less-than-perfect work and agreeing to take on any and all projects. Some workaround tips for you:

If reaching for reference materials in your office requires moving a handful of beads you brought back from Mardi Gras, your personality may be overpowering your professional image. Personalizing our office space is tempting, but everyone should strike a balance.

Catch a second wind by tackling a task on your “Mind Like Mush” list ... Is your boss an ‘allergic-to-details’ type? Keep project files handy that contain details he or she is likely to need ... Find travel deals by booking later ... Spruce up your administrative “portfolio” by adding a dash of visual material.

Employees everywhere are tapping their professional networks, as they look for new jobs or prepare for the possibility of a pink slip. The good news is that a number of strong associations already exist and can offer a string of networking benefits. Here are a few tips for

Gayle Igarashi, a secretary at Maluhia Hospital in Honolulu, was forever changed the moment she saw stroke patients, who’d lost the ability to speak, interacting with one of her therapy dogs. Seeing how patients connected with the animals and how it comforted them led Igarashi to launch her “Tails of Aloha” animal therapy program.

If your boss micromanages and drives you crazy, forge a stronger relationship with him or her. For example, practice the "art" of communication, says Harry E. Chambers, author of My Way or the Highway—the Micromanagement Survival Guide. “Show that you’re in motion on priority projects by communicating in three specific terms: awareness, reassurance and timelines."

Although it may seem counterintuitive, there are many good reasons to launch a one-person HR consultancy as the economy sputters. Despite the layoffs and budget cuts, downsized organizations are still hiring HR consultants and contractors to perform a range of basic services.