Free Essays on Columbian Exchange - Sugarcane

Sugarcane was an important element of the Columbian Exchange and unfortunately resulted in stimulating the American slave trade. â€Å"Sugar cane is native to Polynesia, where†¦small pieces were often found washed up on foreign shores where they were said to flourish. This was the ‘explanation’ of its movement to China, India, and elsewhere† (Hobhouse 44). Refined sugar originated (1432) near modern Funchal, Portugal. Vineyards eventually would replace the sugar crops because the Europeans had destroyed most of the island’s woodlands necessary to grow sugar cane. Sugar was introduced into the Caribbean soon after the arrival of Columbus in 1492 (51). â€Å"By 1530, there may have been more than a dozen sugar plantations in the West Indies, using imported animal, imported machinery, imported workers in an agricultural development in a new continent an ocean away from the market† (52). The reason for this new agricultural growth was because the tropical climate was perfect for growing sugar cane and this would justify the high cost of settlement. The Caribbean settlers planted every kind of tropical plant. â€Å"Sugar crops are salable while other crops were riskier. Sugar is extremely addictive so the demand for it grew over a period of time (52). â€Å"Before Columbus carried a few pieces of sugar cane to the Caribbean, sugar was a luxury. Most European got it from their apothecaries to help make medicine taste better. But by the middle of the 16th century, tropical American forests were giving way to vast colonies of cane-growing plantations. Europe was hooked on sugar† (Columbian 27). In 1514, Bartolome Las Casas was given a piece of land in the Spanish colony of Cuba. The natives that were conquered would rather die than be a slave. Las Casas suggested using African slaves instead of the natives since they were known to work willingly, and this was the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade (Hobhouse 57). ... Free Essays on Columbian Exchange - Sugarcane Free Essays on Columbian Exchange - Sugarcane Sugarcane was an important element of the Columbian Exchange and unfortunately resulted in stimulating the American slave trade. â€Å"Sugar cane is native to Polynesia, where†¦small pieces were often found washed up on foreign shores where they were said to flourish. This was the ‘explanation’ of its movement to China, India, and elsewhere† (Hobhouse 44). Refined sugar originated (1432) near modern Funchal, Portugal. Vineyards eventually would replace the sugar crops because the Europeans had destroyed most of the island’s woodlands necessary to grow sugar cane. Sugar was introduced into the Caribbean soon after the arrival of Columbus in 1492 (51). â€Å"By 1530, there may have been more than a dozen sugar plantations in the West Indies, using imported animal, imported machinery, imported workers in an agricultural development in a new continent an ocean away from the market† (52). The reason for this new agricultural growth was because the tropical climate was perfect for growing sugar cane and this would justify the high cost of settlement. The Caribbean settlers planted every kind of tropical plant. â€Å"Sugar crops are salable while other crops were riskier. Sugar is extremely addictive so the demand for it grew over a period of time (52). â€Å"Before Columbus carried a few pieces of sugar cane to the Caribbean, sugar was a luxury. Most European got it from their apothecaries to help make medicine taste better. But by the middle of the 16th century, tropical American forests were giving way to vast colonies of cane-growing plantations. Europe was hooked on sugar† (Columbian 27). In 1514, Bartolome Las Casas was given a piece of land in the Spanish colony of Cuba. The natives that were conquered would rather die than be a slave. Las Casas suggested using African slaves instead of the natives since they were known to work willingly, and this was the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade (Hobhouse 57). ...

3 Tips for Writing a Successful Letter of Continued Interest

3 Tips for Writing a Successful Letter of Continued Interest SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’ve found yourself waitlisted or deferred from your dream school, you might be worried and frustrated. What does being on the waitlist mean? Do you still have a chance of getting in? What can you do to improve your chances? While there’s not one singular way of ensuring your eventual admission to your dream school, a letter of continued interest can show your continued dedication to the admissions committee. In this article, we’ll talk about what a continued interest letter is and give a letter of continued interest sample so you know how to write your own if you need to. What Is a Letter of Continued Interest? If you’ve been waitlisted or deferred from a college, you may feel sad or confused. But a waitlist or deferment isn’t always a bad thing - it means that the college thinks that you could be a strong candidate. However, they have some reservations about your application, or else they would have accepted you already. A letter of continued interest lets the admissions committee know that you’re still excited about the prospect of attending that school. More than that, a continued interest letter is a way to update the admissions committee on your achievements, which may in turn push them over the edge and decide to admit you. What Should You Include in a Letter of Continued Interest? Colleges want to make sure that they have the best and brightest freshmen class possible. Your continued interest letter should prove that you belong among the admitted applicants. You should include: An indication that you still want to attend the school. Updates on your recent accomplishments (academic, extracurricular, and personal). Basically, you want to show the admissions committee that you’re still working hard and still interested in attending their school. As with any college essay, you should make the letter personal and specific - treat your continued interest letter as a chance to give the admissions committee greater insight into who you are as a person. The types of updates you include will be specific to school you’re applying to. If you’re applying somewhere that doesn’t accept SAT scores, for instance, it doesn’t make sense to include your SAT scores. Do your research on what your school looks at and make sure to only include updates that are relevant to what you require. What Should You Not Include in a Letter of Continued Interest? It’s normal to be disappointed if you’re deferred or waitlisted - but don’t show that in your letter of continued interest. Don’t express any frustration or negative feelings. Your letter should be positive and focused on your accomplishments, not your anger that the admissions committee hasn’t realized your merits. You want to highlight positive personality traits, like perseverance, not ones like jealousy or anger. Letter of Continued Interest Samples Your letter of continued interest will be different if you’re deferred or if you’re waitlisted. If you’re deferred from an early decision pool to the regular candidate pool, you’ll want to indicate that the college is still your first choice, even though you may not have heard from anyone else yet. If you’ve been waitlisted, you’ll likely have heard from other colleges, so you can be more specific about why the waitlisted school is your top choice. Let’s take a look at a letter of continued interest sample for each scenario. Letter of Continued Interest Sample - Waitlist Dear Mr. Admissions, I was recently waitlisted for the 2018 school year. I am writing to express my continued interest in ABC University. I am particularly drawn to the school's Music Education program - the amazing faculty, including Professor 123, and state of the art facilities are what specifically make ABC University my top choice. I also wanted to update you on some exciting news. Since I first submitted my application, I have been awarded the Rockstar Prize for Excellence in Music. This award is given to a high school senior in my state every year. I think winning the award shows my dedication and continued passion in music. I've included an updated resume reflecting this honor. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. If you have any further questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Student #1 This letter of continued interest sample is perfect for a student on the waitlist. First, it details the student’s continued interest in the university. Next, it tells the admissions committee about a new honor, showing that the student is still working hard, even late into his or her senior year. It also provides an updated resume of accomplishments for the committee to review. Letter of Continued Interest Sample - Deferred Dear Ms. Admissions, Thank you for taking the time to read my application. I know that DEF University is incredibly competitive and I’m glad that I am still being considered a candidate for admission. I'm writing to express my continued interest in attending, and to include some new information to add to my application. Since I applied to DEF University, I have retaken the SAT to improve my score. My math score is now 770 and my reading score is 740. I’m proud of myself for this achievement and am sending an official score report to the school. I understand that this new information may not impact my admissions, as the candidate pool is so talented, but I wanted to share it with you anyways. I'm still very excited about the prospect of getting my acceptance letter to DEF University and joining the history department this fall. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Student #2 This letter of continued interest sample gives concrete updates on the student’s SAT scores. Since the student has been deferred, sending along an updated score report is a wise choice. The same goes for transcripts - if your work continues to be stellar or even improve, you should send updates along to the school as you’re considered as a candidate for regular admission. 3 Tips for Writing Your Letter of Continued Interest If you need to write a letter of continued interest, keep these tips in mind. #1: Keep It Short and Sweet The admissions committee doesn’t want to read a ten-page essay on your accomplishments. Keep your letter brief, cheery, and polite. You don’t need to write more than 300 words to get your point across - you’re still interested in the school and you’ve been working hard. #2: Include Supplementary Materials (If The School Looks at Them) If you’ve had any exciting updates to your application, be sure to highlight them in the letter. If your standardized test scores have improved, send along the official reports. If your grades are up, order new transcripts. Only include these materials if they are relevant to the school you’re applying to. #3: Be Specific Since your letter shouldn’t be that long, focus on specific achievements, like an improved grade. Give the exact details of what you’ve done and how you’ve improved - don’t say that your grades are better, say that you transformed your B in Calculus to an A. Make it easy for the admissions committee to see what you’ve done. In Summary A letter of continued interest is a good way to show the admissions committee that you still want to attend their school. It probably won’t be the one factor to sway your application one way or the other, but it can’t hurt! If you’re deferred or waitlisted at your dream school, take the time to write and send a letter of continued interest. What’s Next? Grades are an important part of a successful college application.This guide to getting a 4.0 GPA will help you plan effective studying habits, giving you a better chance at getting into your dream college. Our guide to college applications will help you understand exactly what schools are looking for. Are you worried about standardized tests and their role in your college application? Read this article to find out when these tests might not matter for you.Also take a look at this list of colleges that don't require SAT scores. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.

Saturn's Moon Titan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Saturn's Moon Titan - Essay Example The highly successful Cassini/Huygens mission began sending data back to earth in the spring of 2005, and since that date man has documented volumes of data concerning this moon once a mystery to mankind. While Titan is uninhabitable by man, "Scientists believe that Titan's environment may be similar to that of the Earth's before life began putting oxygen into the atmosphere" (Hamilton). The image of a primordial earth has added to Titan's mystique as the Cassini orbiter continues to map and reveal the surface and composition of Saturn's moon, Titan. Understanding the geophysical characteristics of Titan begins with a picture of its chemical composition and the temperature range that it exists in. The atmosphere of Titan, the only moon in the solar system to have a dense atmosphere, is composed primarily of nitrogen and methane (Ocean May Exist). There are also trace amounts of organic chemicals in the atmosphere, though the conditions are far from ideal for the creation of life. The moon has a gravitational force of about 15 percent of earth's and the temperature hovers around a cold minus 289 degrees Fahrenheit (Britt, "Smog on Saturn's Moon"). In 2002, scientists studying Titan believed that, "High in the Titan sky, solar radiation helps fuel chemical reactions that break the nitrogen and methane down into other substances. Eventually, lower down, some of these molecules serve as seeds for clouds. Methane condenses on the seeds to form rain or hailstones that fall to the surface" (Britt, "Smog on Saturn's Moon"). Indeed, thre e years later the Huygens probe would land during a methane rain as it broke through the atmosphere on Titan. These early and initial observations of Titan created more questions than they answered. What was the source of all the methane on the planet In a solar system that is routinely impacted by objects from space, why was Titan' surface relatively smooth, as if it had escaped the force of impacts The Cassini mission and the Huygens probe would provide the data necessary to begin to answer these questions. Much of what we know about Titan came from a descent and landing on Titan's surface of the Huygens probe, a part of the European Space Agency's Cassini program. There has been a keen interest in Titan since the early days of astronomy as scientists speculated on a world that "is extraordinarily like Earth, with rivers, rain, islands, seas and mountains, but is otherwise a totally alien world where geology and chemistry are turned on their heads" (Walker). Launched in 1997, the Huygens probe separated from the Cassini orbiter and entered Titan's thick atmosphere in late 2004. Though it was not designed to be a lander, Huygens survived the descent and continued to relay data back to Earth for approximately 90 minutes. The first images sent back from Huygens were remarkable. According to Eddy, "Huygens landed at the shoreline of what appears to be large body of liquid when it ended a seven-year journey". Landing in a rain of methane, the Huygens probe landed in an area that was typical of Titan's surface. "European Space Agency scientists said at a press conference in Paris that the consistency of the surface was like icy wet mud" (Walker). The Cassini orbiter is still active and continues to survey the moon as it makes passes near Titan

How social media are reshaping health care Essay

How social media are reshaping health care - Essay Example What do young people today play in their extracurricular activities? If your answer is still computer games, then it seems that you are out of date. Today the most popular activity among those young people is keeping fit. That is the reason as to why your friends who used to be overweight and extremely fond of junk food begun to refuse the cola you handed them and spent much time in the gym. A young man’s eight strong abdominals seem to be more attractive to girls than his luxury car. So how come? Why is keeping fit so popular? When do people start to concentrate more on their health care than how much money they make? Twitter and Facebook and other social media platforms offer individuals with health awareness tips. According to Hawn (2009), social media such as wikis, blogs, twitter, Facebook, and other social networks platforms are all about enriching and speeding up communication especially between the contact of patients and doctors. She described a kind of high-tech health care called â€Å"Hello Health† in her passage. Patients could send doctors instant messages over the Hello Health network describing their symptoms and asking them for advice; the doctor would reply with a quick e-mail, which is free. In effect, Hello Health was operating as a kind of â€Å"concierge† practice. Health insurers typically did not pay for â€Å"visits† over the Internet, which was just one reason as to why the practice does not accept health insurance. â€Å"Hello health left behind the old model of one-to-one communication and enabled communication from one to many (via a blog post or answer sheet) or from many sources to many receivers† (Hawn, 2009). The practice was based on its network communication platform to other doctors in service at hospitals or private practices across the country. Doctors would be able to freely join the network, and then

The training and development of employees in William Hill Essay Example for Free

The training and development of employees in William Hill Essay Training is essential for both employees and employer if they want to be effective within the organisation and also for a company like William Hill to stay competitive within their market. The reason why training is important to employees is to enable them to achieve their maximum potential in their current position, it is needed also to develop them to create further opportunities within the organisation because employees are likely to be better educated and become multi-skilled. Training should be ongoing within William Hill in developing the employees skills within the business. William Hill believes training is very essential for their company especially when it proves for employees to develop within the organisation and continuing to meet objective. The training and development of employees in William Hill is imperative for the performance or the company as they are in a competitive market. William Hill has to inform workers to be aware of surroundings in the area that they work. The main types of training which businesses are using are Induction, on and off the job training and induction because they are successful in degree of the work format in different organisations needs. Training firstly takes place with induction in William Hill plc to enable new employees settle in quickly and feel comfortable to stay within their organisation. Induction programmes are not usually about a specific job the employee will be doing, but the way in which the business works. Then they have off and on the job training, which takes place in different methods. Induction This is the training provided for new employees and in this program they will learn the following: * Where everything around the workplace is such as the essentials which are fire exits, toilets, staff canteen, basically they will get a guided tour of their place of work. * They will go through the employees hour of work, who their manager is, name tags, uniform and training which will be provided for them in the future. * Booklets will handed out concerning sickness procedures, perks, grievance procedures, health and safety regulations and William Hills mission statement. All new recruits are taken through induction program at William Hill which is designs to give employees a broad understanding of the business indifferent contexts because it is a way in which William Hill can communicate and develop a relationship with employees and ditto with customers. This also ensures customer care due to its importance it will enable William Hill to keep their customers loyal. A booklet named You and William Hill is an outline of what expected of each employee and information concerning your uniform which is either a black or navy blue trousers or skirt and a white shirt/top with a William scarf and name tag. Mentoring Mentoring involves the trainee being paired with more experienced employee. This is a good way to train employees as they are able to carry out the tasks that they would be performing if they were really doing the job. The mentor is there to assist the employee if they have any problems. William Hill can implement this type of training as a means for the employ that feel less confident within the workplace to gain a higher self esteem level. Having someone they feel comfortable with would make them work better and they can adapt interactive skills with that person, enabling them to use it on others. William Hill would be encouraging a more cohesive environment if this was one of their training methods. Coaching Coaching is a planned process requiring time and resources, and will be more effective if the coaching manager is trained in coaching techniques and committed to the approach. A coach may guide a trainee through procedures that they may carry out in the future. Sitting next to Nellie is a traditional type of on the job training. Nellie is the experienced worker there to guide you along your way. However this may cause complications for the company as the quality of the training depends on the ability of the trainer. William Hill could use this as they could teach employees about what goes on in the business. Its a lot easier for the employee to ask questions about things that they may feel they dont understand and have them answered there and then. Also being able to have areas demonstrated in a practical format would benefit the employee. Apprenticeships Apprenticeships provide people with broad based training along along with key skills. After they complete the course they graduate and become an employee. They aim to give a number of people undergoing training who achieve NVQs of at least level 3 for technical, craft and junior management skills. In my opinion William Hill Smith might not use this as they would probably just have part time workers, e.g. students wanting part time jobs in summer. On the job On the job training is done within the premises. Some jobs require no experience so the training will be done on arrival. This is appropriate in areas like Shop floor workers learning how to use the till, or a new clerical assistant will need to understand the filing system. William Hill will use this as they could train new employees how to interact with others. Shop floor workers can see first hand how workers that are more experienced than them handle customers, whethwer theyre nice or difficuit. Off the job training Off the job training is done off the premises. This may take place in another branch or as a college course. This is done to widen the employees skills and develop the ability that the individuals already have. Depending on the position that the employee has William Hill can send the worker on a course to develop his/her skills. Managerial positions may require this as their role is much more intense, e.g. dealing with employees or customers that may not be happy with the performance of employees. Transferable skills Transferable skills are skills that once they are learnt they can be used in many situations. Key skills of Application of Number, Communication, and Information Technology are used to develop a technique you already have. William Hill use this as it would be appropriate in their type of industry. The development of the skill that the employees possess would be needed if they were to move to another company for employment. Granted that all the skills cant be used within all industries within the same field the basic knowing of what to do in a certain predicament would be needed by the employee. William Hill providing this for them would improve their imge. Non Transferable skills These skills are specific to the job at hand. The skills you learn can only be used in a particular situation. William Hill wouldnt use this as the workers can become more productive if they learn different skills. Rotating them around would motivate them to help others and if they are to be relocated into another branch then they wouldnt need to adapt very much to they way of working. GNVQS GNVQS are a work related alternative to GCSE and A Level. This is basically the digestion of knowledge of what some companies may do. The aim is to provide education to students that want to enter a particular area of work. To progress from this area would be to move into work where an NVQ may be taken, or to move to another level (e.g.) level 2 to level 3 or level 3 to higher education (university). William Hill doesnt use this as training as the company isnt in this type of industry. If they chose to send their employees off the job for training, in a college they may prepare the employees for the basic knowledge they would need. Development This is enable individuals within William Hill to realise their potential for growth in the organisation. There are many ways you can measure individuals potential, such as appraisal, an analysis of employees performance or a system of assessment centres. There are also many ways an employee can be rewarded for their potential, such as promotion, job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment. William Hill offer all staff all the opportunity to develop themselves, that is why if one has the ability can progress to management level and then given the opportunity will have to go through management induction program, this will aid William Hill as workers will be more motivated as they will gain a sense of achievement which leads to greater employee retention. Training is very important for William Hill as well staff because well trained workers will be more productive and this will enable the company to meet objectives set which will increase profit. This is also good for employees especially concerning performance relate pay because a higher dividend is given. It will help save cost as there will be less waste due to fewer mistakes made also the corporate image will be enhanced because the work force are better skilled and motivated. Training and Development can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty indirectly as work will be done more efficiently and they will be more motivation to keep customers happy also it can make William Hill more competitive as they will be performing better at work.

Free College Essays - Symbolism in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter - Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism several times in the book, The Scarlet Letter. Some examples of this are when they talk of the scaffold, the brook, the forest, and the sunshine. The one that I will discuss is the sunshine. Hawthorne uses sunshine in the novel to symbolize purity and hope several times throughout the book. In one scene of the book, Pearl requests that Hester grab some sunshine and give it to her to play with. Hester then replies, "No, my little Pearl! Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee." (p.104) Hester has no sunshine to give Pearl because she has committed adultery and is not pure. Another example is when Hester and Pearl are taking a walk through the forest when a dark cloud came over the sky and Pearl said, "Mother," said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom." Pearl says this just innocently playing around, not having a clue of exactly how right sh e is. She says that the sun fears the "A" and avoids the impurity of it at all costs, even disappearing from the sky. Later in that walk, Hawthorne again shows how the sun refuses to be around Hester and her sin. Hester tells Pearl to run off and catch the sun and so she sets off at a great pace and, in her innocence, she seemingly catches it and stands right in the midst of it. Hester comes over and attempts to come over bask in the sunshine and Pearl says, while shaking her head, "It will go now." Hester replies, "See! Now I can stretch out my hand and grasp some of it," but "As she attempted to do so, the sunshine vanished." This shows how the sun, being pure, adorned the Pearl in her innocence, while it shunned Hester for her impurity. Hawthorne shows the symbol of sunshine best in the chapter appropriately titled, "A Flood of Sunshine." In this particular scene, Dimmesdale and Hester are discussing what Dimmesdale will do about the current situation with their relationship. Dim mesdale announces that he will leave the community, and he must do it alone. In the heat of the moment Hester declares that he will not have to go alone, and she takes off her bonnet and throws down the

Iron Crowned Chapter 13

The journey back was uneventful, the most notable thing being the afterglow that now burned between Kiyo and me – something I now questioned the wisdom of. My words had been true: I'd never stopped caring about him. But he'd been right too: what had happened between us back in the glade had come from my own outrage and need to get back at Dorian. That wasn't really a good reason to start a relationship. It wasn't even a really good reason for casual sex, and honestly, I wasn't sure what my status was with Kiyo at the moment. Deanna reappeared and followed along so quietly and obediently that I finally broke the silence to reassure her I'd keep my part of the bargain. Her drab face lit up, and I had to give her credit for not pushing the matter until I settled my other business. Kiyo and I went straight to Dorian's, once we'd crossed back into more familiar territory. My plan was to deal with him first and then jump to the human world. I thought it would be safer to have the crown there. Dorian's guards met me with pleased grins, and while they were surprised to see Kiyo, most seemed to know I'd been off on some secret mission. Coming back alive was a good sign. As soon as we entered the castle, I ordered a messenger to go to Katrice and inform her that I now possessed the Iron Crown and that if she wanted to talk surrender, I was all ears. As Dorian's consort, I had the power to order around his staff – but I had a feeling that would end soon. Kiyo and I were admitted into Dorian's exalted presence out in a courtyard, where he was making a long-tormented courtier named Muran play the harp. I knew for a fact that Muran had had exactly one lesson, and Dorian seemed quite amused watching the guy struggle through. This kind of thing was one of Dorian's greatest pastimes, and usually, even though I felt bad for Muran, it provided me with a little amusement. Today I felt none. When we entered the courtyard, Dorian took one look at our faces and promptly ordered everyone away – even his guards. He still wore that small, carefree smile, but I'd seen a subtle shift in the lines of his face. He knew something was up. His astuteness was what made him such a good ruler. â€Å"Well, here you are,† he said, sitting back in the gentry equivalent of a lawn chair. Except, of course, I'd never seen Home Depot sell anything so ornate and gilded. Normally when I arrived, Dorian kissed me, but his wariness must have held him back. â€Å"As beautiful as ever, my dear, if a little beat up around the edges. I suppose this means you either succeeded or just barely escaped with your life?† â€Å"We succeeded,† I said. â€Å"I've got the crown.† Again – that smile didn't change, but an eager light flickered in Dorian's eyes. He leaned forward. â€Å"I knew it. I knew you could do it.† He studied me up and down, his gaze finally resting on the bag over my shoulder. â€Å"May I see it?† â€Å"No,† I said bluntly. â€Å"No one's going to see it. It's going to be hidden away where it can't be used to start eating up people's lands.† Dorian's eyebrows rose, and he began to speak. I could already imagine a hundred variations of what was going to come out of his mouth, something along the lines of, â€Å"Whatever are you talking about, my dear?† I stepped forward, my control snapping as I cut him off. â€Å"Don't start! Don't even start with some sugar-coated denial. You've known all along what the crown could do! You knew it'd scare Katrice because it meant I – and by default you – could take over her kingdom!† Dorian hesitated, and again, I could guess at the thoughts spinning in his head. Denial or backpedaling? He finally went with the latter. â€Å"And what better way to push her into peace?† he said at last. â€Å"The point of a war like this is to eventually march over and subdue someone anyway. Isn't it much simpler and faster to achieve that same end through another way?† â€Å"A way that rips her land from her!† I exclaimed. â€Å"And sticks me with another fucking kingdom!† I stepped forward and had to forcibly keep myself from getting closer. I was so, so angry. So angry that this man I cared about could do this to me. I was almost angrier at him than Katrice at the moment. From her, at least, I expected betrayal. â€Å"And that's what you would have wanted to do – not just scare her. You would have found some way, some justification for taking that drastic step, just like you got me to go after this in the first place.† Much of the humor had faded from Dorian's face now. â€Å"And would you have gone after it if you'd known?† â€Å"No.† He shrugged. â€Å"Well, there you have it.† I was aghast. â€Å"That's it? How the hell can you be so lax about this? How can you act like it's okay to have tricked me from the beginning – you and that hag? How can you claim to love me and lie to me?† â€Å"I do love you,† he said. â€Å"More than you know. I did this for your own good.† â€Å"You did it for your own good,† I snapped. â€Å"I can't believe I fell for it again. You've done this before, and now I'm done. Done with you. Done with all of this. I don't need your help anymore. I'll finish this fucking war on my own.† â€Å"Eugenie,† warned Kiyo softly. He didn't contradict me, not in front of Dorian, but I understood the subtext. It was the point he'd made before: not to spurn Dorian's military help. Dorian scoffed, sharing that sentiment. â€Å"Of course you need me. If you can get past your hurt pride, you'll see that we're in this together. Use the crown however you want, but be reasonable so that the two of us can finally end this war.† My voice was low and dangerous when I spoke. I was furious that he could be so condescending, that he assumed he could just smooth this all over. â€Å"There is no more us.† â€Å"Now you're just overreacting,† he said. â€Å"We need to finish this war together, and we need to be together, period. We're meant to be.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"We're done. It's over.† I could see from his face that he didn't take that seriously either. He didn't get it. His ego wouldn't allow him to. Before he could respond, Kiyo lightly touched my arm. â€Å"Be careful. Look what you're doing.† I glanced around. The wind was rising and falling, making the apple trees sway back and forth. Dark clouds began to gather above. It wasn't uncommon for my emotions to unconsciously affect the weather, but the fact that I could do it in a land under someone else's control was a sign of how much my power had grown. If Dorian had wanted sunny weather, it should have stayed that way. The realization of what I could do was heady. Nonetheless, I pushed back, calming the air and dissipating the storm clouds. But Dorian wasn't concerned about any of that. His attention had snapped to one small gesture: Kiyo's touch on my arm. I'm not sure how Dorian knew – maybe just the way Kiyo and I stood near each other – but in that moment, Dorian realized what had happened between Kiyo and me. And that, more than any of the arguments here, was what finally broke that laid-back attitude. His face turned to stone. â€Å"Oh,† he said to Kiyo, voice completely devoid of emotion. â€Å"I see. It's your turn again.† Outrage filled me at the insinuation that I could be passed around – a sentiment not unlike what Kiyo himself had expressed. Dorian allowed me no chance to counter. â€Å"Well, if that's how it's going to be, then that's how it's going to be. You may be right that there's no us, but we are still in this war together. My armies are too enmeshed, and I can hardly let Katrice think I'm backing down. Dareth!† Dorian's voice rang out, loudly enough that one of the guards behind the glass doors heard. He swiftly opened the doors and stepped outside. â€Å"Your Majesty?† â€Å"Please escort the Thorn Queen and her pet from the premises. They are denied hospitality. Do not admit them again. Should any of her household come, they may be allowed into my presence.† His eyes flicked to me. â€Å"Send Rurik as your proxy for all military matters. He was doing all the work anyway.† Dorian's attention went back to his guard. â€Å"You have your orders.† Dareth had trouble keeping the shock off his face. I had become a fixture around here, treated nearly the same as Dorian. After a few moments, Dareth composed his features, his loyalty to his king overriding any disbelief he might feel. He turned to me, expression formal. He gestured inside. â€Å"Your Majesty.† The respect was there, but the message was clear. I was being thrown out and could see Dareth practically praying I wouldn't resist. I didn't, and while a dozen parting retorts to Dorian filled my head, I shoved them aside. He thrived on that kind of attention. It would only make him feel more important, and I wanted it made clear that I really was done with him – even though the cold reality of what was happening made my heart break. Kiyo and I began to follow Dareth without comment, but then I paused. Reaching toward my neck, I ripped off the necklace I wore, the one with Dorian's ring. I tossed it at his feet, meeting his gaze with a message I hoped he understood. He did. His answered mine with green fury. â€Å"I said get out of here.† I turned away, letting Dareth take us to the castle's front doors. As soon as we were outside, I heard him giving instructions about the revoking of our hospitality. I imagined the other guards shared his shock, but I walked on without looking back. Once Kiyo and I had traveled far enough that the land shifted and put us in Maiwenn's kingdom, he turned to look at me. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked, worry in those dark eyes. â€Å"Fine,† I said flatly. I was confident my anger was justified †¦ but leaving Dorian still hurt. He'd dismissed me so easily, once he'd realized I'd slept with Kiyo. I'd expected something †¦ something more emotional, I guess. Some sign that I'd meant more to him than a useful consort. I should have known better. â€Å"Let's go back to Tucson.† I'd kept Volusian and Deanna away while we'd met with Dorian but brought them both back now. I told Deanna to come to my home tomorrow and that we'd start working on her problem then. To Volusian, I gave orders to return to the Thorn Land. He would tell Rurik to go to Dorian and then wait until word came back from Katrice. I had no doubt that word of my being banned from Dorian's would spread around quickly enough; I didn't want to see the reactions of my people when that happened. Kiyo and I crossed back to Arizona at a nearby gateway, going to his place instead of mine so that he could redo my stitches. He was as good as any ‘real' doctor, and I didn't want to have to explain my new cuts and bruises to someone else. A slew of cats and dogs greeted me when I entered his apartment, making me feel oddly nostalgic. â€Å"Are you sure you're okay?† Kiyo asked later. I was lying stomach-down on his bed while his needle went to work on the cut. My cheek rested on a pillow, my only view being his dresser as I tried to stay still. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"You keep saying that, but what went down was pretty serious.† I could imagine the frown on his face. â€Å"I didn't expect him to pull hospitality.† â€Å"He knows we slept together,† I said. â€Å"Guys get upset when their girlfriends do that.† I'd broken up with Dorian in my head the instant I found out about the deception, but as far as he was concerned, I'd cheated on him. Maybe I had. But betraying someone who'd deceived you didn't seem like that much of a betrayal. â€Å"Yes,† said Kiyo. â€Å"Yes, they do.† He tied off his thread and re-bandaged it all. â€Å"Please, please do not pull these out again. The fact that this isn't infected is a miracle.† â€Å"I won't,† I said, sitting up and carefully putting my shirt back on. â€Å"I don't plan on getting in any fights for a while. I'm staying out of the Otherworld until they really need me, and investigating Deanna's murder should only involve questions. Actually, I'm hoping to pass it off on someone else.† â€Å"She won't like that,† he said. â€Å"It'll get it done,† I said. â€Å"And she'll like that. Probably even faster than if I did it.† I started to stand, but Kiyo caught hold of my hand and kept me down. His expression turned sly. â€Å"You want to stay for a while?† I shook my head, smiling faintly. â€Å"I've got some things to do. Besides, just because we did what we did doesn't mean †¦ well, it doesn't mean things are the same again.† His mischievous smile faded. â€Å"You're right. A lot kind of got rushed. I suppose we should †¦ I don't know. Do you want to go on a date?† â€Å"A date?† I laughed in spite of myself. It seemed so out of place after what we'd been through these last few days. Too ordinary. â€Å"Dinner and a movie?† â€Å"Something like that. I could pick you up later, after your errands are done. Or tomorrow if you need a little more time.† A little more time? Maybe I needed a lot more time. I really didn't know. I might have jumped into bed – figuratively speaking – right after my relationship with Dorian had crumbled, but as I'd said, that didn't mean I was ready to establish something committed with Kiyo again. I'd had sex with Kiyo in the throes of my anger; I had more to think about now that I'd cooled down – and seen Dorian's face. My head told me we were through, but my heart already missed him. â€Å"Tomorrow,† I said. Kiyo nodded. â€Å"Fair enough. I should probably check in at the clinic anyway.† I honestly didn't understand the terms of Kiyo's employment. With his constant visits to the Otherworld, he didn't seem to have any regular schedule with the emergency vet clinic he worked at. He just seemed to show up whenever he wanted. It was more convenient than my own job for maintaining a dual existence between worlds. Confused feelings or not, I let him kiss me good-bye before I left. There was a part of me that wished I could just stay with him, hiding out in his bed and avoiding the rest of the world. Worlds, even. But I had too much to do. The first thing was to get home and change into clean clothes. I arrived to what initially appeared to be an empty house, but the cars in the driveway tipped me off. Sure enough, a minute or so after I walked inside, I heard Tim's bedroom door open. He emerged, wearing only jeans, his black hair standing in all directions. â€Å"Hey, Eug. Didn't expect to see you back.† â€Å"Apparently not. I take it Lara's in there?† He had the grace to look sheepish. â€Å"Ah, well – â€Å" â€Å"Hi, Eugenie.† Lara appeared in the kitchen beside him, her hair as messed up as his. Her clothes – including Tim's â€Å"West Coast Powwow 2002† T-shirt – showed signs of hasty assembly. She was blushing, but her embarrassment turned to surprise as she eyed my appearance. She still wasn't used to seeing me in real life. â€Å"Rough day?† â€Å"Days,† I said. â€Å"Oh †¦ I don't suppose †¦ I don't suppose you'd be interested in hearing about some job offers?† It was the first time she'd been hesitant to bring up work. I think she was finally starting to understand the grueling nature of my life and that back-to-back jobs weren't as easy as checking items off a list. â€Å"Not really. Not for a few days.† â€Å"A few – † She bit off her protest and meekly nodded. I walked around them, heading for my room. â€Å"I've got things to do,† I called back to them. â€Å"So you can go back to †¦ whatever it is you were doing.† Truthfully, I didn't want to do the task hanging before me. I wanted to find whatever baked goods Tim had squirreled away in the kitchen and then take that nap I'd longed for at Kiyo's. But, no. I'd made a promise to Deanna, one I had to honor, no matter how messed up the rest of my life was. So, after cleaning up and changing, I sat on the edge of my bed and picked up my cell phone. I stared at it for a long time, running my fingers along its edges as I procrastinated. Finally, I dialed a memorized number and waited. There was a good chance that no one would answer. I was calling my mom's cell phone, though, which gave me better odds than if I'd called her house number. I knew Roland had asked her to keep her distance from me, but after seeing me at the hospital, my mom would likely resist any directives like that – if only out of fear that I'd lost a limb or something. â€Å"Hello?† My breath caught, and I almost couldn't speak. Just that one word †¦ the sound of her voice. It sent a flood of emotions through me, and I forced myself to remember my mission here. â€Å"Mom?† â€Å"Genie? Are you okay?† she asked promptly. As suspected, she feared limb loss. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine. How are you?† â€Å"Fine. Worried about you – like always.† â€Å"I'm okay,† I said. â€Å"Really. But I need †¦ I, um, need to talk to Roland.† Long silence. â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know. But I need his help with something. It won't take long. Just one question. Please.† She sighed. â€Å"Oh, baby. I wish I could, but he's made it clear †¦ You know how he feels about everything†¦.† â€Å"It's a human thing,† I said, only partially lying. â€Å"A job in this world. Please, Mom. Just ask him if he'll talk to me for a minute?† More silence, then another sigh. â€Å"Hang on.† I waited, nervously twisting the fabric of my bed's duvet. What would happen? The two most likely options were that either my mom would relay his refusal or they would simply hang up on me. But, no. It was Roland's voice I heard next. â€Å"Yes?† Cold. Wary. After everything that had just happened to me in the Otherworld, hearing his voice nearly broke me. I wanted to sob and beg him to forgive me. Beg him to love me again. My mom had undoubtedly done a fair share of that already, though. She'd clearly had no luck. I had no reason to believe I'd fare any better, so I made my tone match his as I swallowed back tears. Just business here. â€Å"I need a referral,† I said brusquely. â€Å"To a private investigator. One who isn't going to be freaked out by the stuff we deal with. I figured you must know someone.† â€Å"You need a P.I. to deal with some monster?† he asked harshly. â€Å"No, no. It actually should be pretty mundane – all human stuff. But considering what we do †¦ Well, I thought I should have someone prepared in case things get weird.† I didn't have any reason for Deanna to interact directly with a P.I. – or for me even to mention her – but I wanted to be safe. â€Å"Well,† said Roland. â€Å"Let's make it clear: ‘we' don't do the same kinds of things.† With great effort, I bit off the retorts that wanted to burst out of me. I wanted to explain for the hundredth time that I'd never expected – or wanted – to reach this level of involvement in the Otherworld. Again, I opted for directness. â€Å"Please, Roland,† I said simply. â€Å"This is for a human family. Just forget about me for a minute.† When he didn't respond, I thought for sure the anticipated hang-up would come. â€Å"Enrique Valdez,† he said at last. â€Å"You should be able to look up his number. I'll call too and give him a heads-up.† â€Å"Oh, Roland. Thank you so – â€Å" Click. There it was. I pulled the phone away and held it in front of me again, staring at it as though it were to blame for all my problems. A few moments later, I tossed it on the floor. Anger surged through me, quickly fading into sadness. My eyes fell on my travel pack in the corner, the pack containing the Iron Crown. That – and all it represented – was the source of my problems. I fell back onto my bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck on my ceiling. Roland, Dorian †¦ I was losing the men in my life. Why, why had Dorian done that? Why had he let me fall in love with him, only to play me? Was that what love meant to him? Was that how all his relationships worked? He'd hurt me, hurt me so terribly, and the petty, dark voice that lived inside me said that if sleeping with Kiyo had hurt Dorian in return, it was no more than he deserved. Kiyo. Kiyo was all I had left now, and I didn't know if I could trust him either. Before I could ruminate very much on that particular woe, a cold presence filled the room. I sat up quickly, putting aside all my self-pity as Volusian materialized before me. â€Å"Mistress,† he said. â€Å"Volusian,† I replied. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"I've come with a message, as you requested.† As always, his words were emotionless, yet he somehow conveyed the feeling that he resented every one of them. â€Å"Queen Katrice has responded to your news of the Iron Crown.† That was fast, even for the Otherworld. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, she has agreed to a temporary truce.† I shot up from the bed. â€Å"You have got to be kidding.† Volusian didn't respond. I'd long since learned that any comment I made about him joking or kidding was treated rhetorically. Volusian did not joke or kid. â€Å"It worked,† I murmured, more to myself than him. â€Å"I can't believe it. Dorian was right.† â€Å"Indeed. But I assume my mistress will not resume carnal relations with him.† I made a face. If there was anyone I hated discussing my sex life with more than Jasmine, it was Volusian. â€Å"No. It doesn't matter if he was right. He lied to me to make it happen. He should have told me the whole story. He used half-truth means to achieve his ends.† Volusian nodded solemnly. â€Å"I told you that long ago, that the Oak King's own agenda will always come first. As will the kitsune's. But, unsurprisingly, my mistress chooses to ignore the only sound advice given to her and instead listens to those who use affection for their own purposes.† The word ‘affection' was spoken with particular venom. â€Å"Kiyo and Dorian don't – Look. Stay out of this, okay? I never asked for your ‘sound' advice. Get back to Katrice. How does this truce work exactly?† â€Å"Hostilities will cease until all parties are able to discuss the current situation. How said discussion proceeds will be settled beforehand by messengers. You and the Oak King may meet with her directly, or you may have representatives do the negotiating.† I tried to picture myself in a room with Dorian and Katrice. Lovely. â€Å"And where would this happen? I'm sure as hell not going to the Rowan Land.† â€Å"That too will be negotiated during this truce,† he said. â€Å"A neutral kingdom is the most likely choice. Shaya would like to discuss that with you at your earliest convenience.† â€Å"I'm sure she would. Go back and tell her I trust her to set up whatever arrangements need to be made. If I have to go myself †¦ well, then I go. I'll check in with her soon, but come back if anything happens in the meantime.† Volusian waited, and I gestured him away. â€Å"Go.† He vanished, and I sank onto my bed. My eyes fell on the concealed Iron Crown once again, and I dared to wonder if maybe some good had come out of this whole mess.

Maternity Leave Essay

Maternity leave benefits is found under the Article 133 of the Labor Code and Section 14-A of â€Å"Social Security Act of 1997†³ (Republic Act No. 8282). Checklist for Availment of Maternity Benefits under Social Security Act The pregnant woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. She has given the required notification of her pregnancy through her employer if employed, or to the SSS if separated, voluntary or self-employed member. Maternity Leave Under Article 133(a) of the Labor Code, â€Å"Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employees who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six months for the last twelve months, maternity leave of at least two weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four weeks after normal delivery or abortion, with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages.† From the above provision, a qualified pregnant woman employee shall be entitled maternity leave of at least two weeks prior to expected date of delivery and another four weeks after normal delivery or abortion. That’s a total of six weeks maternity leave. (Note: Article 133, particularly provisions pertaining to benefits and procedure for availment, must give way to Social Security Act.) Leave extension Maternity leave may be extended on account of illness arising out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work. Extended maternity leave is without pay, but may be charged against any unused leave credits. Maternity Benefits under SSS Law A pregnant woman member of SSS who has paid at least three monthly contributions in the twelve-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage shall be paid a daily maternity benefit. Amount SSS maternity benefit shall be equivalent to 100% of the pregnant employee’s average daily salary credit for 60 days, or 78 days in case of caesarian delivery. Time of payment The full payment of maternity benefits shall be advanced by the employer within 30 days from the filing of the maternity leave application. Who makes the payment The SSS shoulders the payment of maternity benefits. But the procedure is that the payment is to be initially advanced by the employer, subject to immediate reimbursement by SSS. Checklist for Availment The pregnant woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. She has given the required notification of her pregnancy through her employer if employed, or to the SSS if separated, voluntary or self-employed member. â€Å"3-monthly Contribution† Illustration To avail of maternity benefits, the woman employee must have paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage. A semester refers to two consecutive quarters ending in the quarter of contingency; A quarter refers to three consecutive months ending March, June, September or December. To illustrate, assume that the projected date of delivery is March 2010. The semester of childbirth would be from October 2009 to March 2010. This is called the semester of contingency. Count 12 months backwards starting from the month immediately before the semester of contingency, which is September 2009. Hence, the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of childbirth or miscarriage is from October 2008 to September 2009. To avail of the benefits, the employee must have paid at least 3 monthly contributions during this period. Note that this requirement supersedes Article 133, which requires that the woman employees must have rendered an aggregate service of at least six months for the last twelve months. Valid marriage not required Unlike in paternity leave where valid marriage is a requisite for availment, the existence of a valid marriage is not required to avail of maternity leave benefits. Limitation on Availment Entitlement to maternity leave under the Labor Code and maternity benefits under the SSS Law applies only for the first four delivery. Bar to recovery of sickness benefits. That payment of daily maternity benefits is a bar to the recovery of SSS sickness benefits for the same period for which daily maternity benefits have been received. Effect of Failure of Employer to Remit Contribution. If the employer fails to remit the required contributions, or to notify SSS of the time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee member would otherwise have been entitled to. Tax Treatment of Meternity Benefit Maternity benefits advanced by employer to employee are excluded from gross income and thus exempt from withholding tax. Under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), all â€Å"benefits received from or enjoyed under the Social Security System in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 8282†³ shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation. (Section 32 [B][6][e], NIRC) What You Should Know About Maternity Leave Benefits in the Philippines? Maternity Leave Benefit in the Philippines varies depending on your employment. This article only covers employees from the private sector . According to Book III Title III Chapter 1 of the Philippine Labor Code [Presidential Decree No. 422, as Amended]: ART. 133. Maternity leave benefits. – (a) Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employee who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six (6) months for the last twelve (12) months, maternity leave of at least two (2) weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four (4) weeks after normal delivery or abortion with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages. The employer may require from any woman employee applying for maternity leave the production of a medical certificate stating that delivery will probably take place within two weeks. (b) The maternity leave shall be extended without pay on account of illness medically certified to arise out of the pregnancy, delivery, abortion or miscarriage, which renders the woman unfit for work, unless she has earned unused leave credits from which such extended leave may be charged. (c) The maternity leave provided in this Article shall be paid by the employer only for the first four (4) deliveries by a woman employee after the effectivity of this Code. Furthermore, Republic Act No. 7322 AN ACT INCREASING MATERNITY BENEFITS IN FAVOR OF WOMEN WORKERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 14-A OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1161, AS AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES states: SECTION 1. Section 14-A of Republic Act No. 1161, as amended, is further amended to read as follows: SEC. 14-A. Maternity Leave Benefit. – A covered female employee who has paid at least three monthly maternity contributions in the twelve-month period preceding the semester of her childbirth, abortion or miscarriage and who is currently employed shall be paid a daily maternity benefit equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of her present basic salary, allowances and other benefits or the cash equivalent of such benefits for sixty (60) days subject to the following conditions: (a) That the employee shall have notified her employer of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth which notice shall be transmitted to the SSS in accordance with th e rules and regulations it may provide; (b) That the payment shall be advanced by the employer in two equal installments within thirty (30) days from the filing of the maternity leave application: (c) That in case of caesarean delivery, the employee shall be paid the daily maternity benefit for seventy-eight (78) days; (d) That payment of daily maternity benefits shall be a bar to the recovery of sickness benefits provided by this Act for the same compensable period of sixty (60) days for the same childbirth, abortion, or miscarriage; (e) That the maternity benefits provided under this Section shall be paid only for the first four deliveries after March 13, 1973; (f) That the SSS shall immediately reimburse the employer of one hundred percent (100%) of the amount of maternity benefits advanced to the employee by the employer upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof; and (g) That if an employee should give birth or suffer abortion or miscarriage without the required contributions having been remitted for her by her employer to the SSS, or without the latter having been previously notified by the employer of the time of the pregnancy, the employer shall pay to the SSS damages equivalent to the benefits which said employee would otherwise have been entitled to, and the SSS shall in turn pay such amount to the employee concerned.† SEC. 2. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish existing maternity benefits under present laws and collective bargaining agreements. SEC. 3. All laws, executive orders, prodamations,.presidential decrees, rules and regulations, and other issuances, or parts hereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier. In short, you are entitled to a 60 days maternity leave (78 if you had a caesarean delivery) provided that: 1. you have notified your employer of your pregnancy including your estimated delivery date; 2. you are an active SSS member and employee at the time of your delivery; 3. you have paid a minimum of three month contribution to SSS within the 12-month period prior to your delivery (miscarriage); and 4. this is your first, second, third or fourth pregnancy (and/or miscarriage) So remember, Once you’ve confirmed your pregnancy (usually once you’ve got your first ultrasound), make sure to file the necessary papers to notify your company. This is around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy. It’s very important that you file early so you can avail of your benefits should anything happen to you like miscarriage or other complication that would require you to take an early leave. File your maternity leave early. Your company is mandated by law to give you your maternity benefit within 30 days of filling. They usually release advance payment before your leave if you file it on time. Otherwise, you might have to after giving birth. Company may have other policies about maternity benefits, so make sure to review your contract and talk to your company’s HR personnel so know what you’re entitled to. Also once you’ve given birth, don’t forget to submit all the necessary documents to your HR so they can submit them to SSS for reimbursement. You would need to submit following: SSS Form MAT-1 and MAT-2, your child’s birth certificate, your SSS ID, obstetrical history and operating record for caesarean delivery. The SSS forms are available in your HR department or you can get a copy at sss.gov.ph. The full list of requirements is also available in the site. When I posted about maternity leave benefits in my old blog, a lot of people ask why some of them got less than their 60-day salary. The maternity benefit you are entitled as an SSS member is 100% of your average daily salary credit multiplied by 60 (78) days. The details of the computation can be found here. You’ll also see there that the maximum salary credit per day is around Php 500 so at most, you’ll be able to receive around Php 30,000 for normal delivery and Php 39,000 for caesarean delivery. Self-employeed SSS members and also voluntary SSS members are also entitled to this same SSS Maternity Benefits as long as they meet the requirements mentioned above. The only difference is they do the filing and notification directly to SSS. I work in the government sector. Am I entitled to maternity leave? Every pregnant employee is entitled to maternity leave but the conditions change depending on several factors. If you are a government employee, you are allowed to take a maternity leave of 60 calendar days with pay, whether you deliver via normal or cesarean delivery. You are also entitled to maternity benefits in full if you have been working for your government office or agency for at least two years. If you have rendered service for more than a year but less than two years, you will receive maternity benefits in proportion to your length of service. (And half-pay if you have been working there for less than one year.) Maternity leave covers both childbirth and miscarriage. The law provides minimum requirements that you can expect from your employer. Talk to your human resources manager or administrative officer to find out if your employer provides greater maternity benefits than the required minimum. Read your employment contract or collective bargaining agreement carefully and see what it says about your employer’s policy on maternity leaves and benefits. I work for a private company. What maternity benefits am I entitled to? A private sector employee is entitled to take a leave with full pay for 60 calendar days (for normal delivery) or 78 calendar days (for cesarean delivery) as long as certain conditions are met: * You are an SSS member employed at the time of delivery or miscarriage. * You have previously notified your employer about your pregnancy and due date. * You have paid at least three monthly contributions to the SSS within the 12-month period preceding your semester of childbirth or miscarriage. * Understand that you can claim maternity benefits only for your first four deliveries, including miscarriages. What do you mean by semester of childbirth? This is the six-month period prior to your giving birth. For example, if you expect to give birth in June 2012, your semester of childbirth is the period from January 2012 to June 2012. What about the three monthly contributions preceding the semester of childbirth? SSS requires that in the 12 months preceding your semester of childbirth (if you’re due in June 2012, then the period is January to December 2011), you should have paid at least 3 monthly contributions. This 12-month period is important because they will determine how much maternity pay to give you based on your monthly salary during this 12-month period. SSS has a formula for computing your maternity benefit using your six highest monthly credits. What do I have to submit to my employer? Make sure that you: * Give your employer a notice of your pregnancy and due date by submitting SSS Form MAT-1(Maternity Notification Form) at least 60 days from the time you know about your pregnancy and proof of pregnancy, such as laboratory test results, ultrasound report and a medical certificate from your doctor. Your employer will then submit these documents to the SSS. * Maternity leave covers both childbirth and miscarriage. The law provides the minimum requirements that you can expect from your employer. Some companies give more than the minimum requirements. Talk to your human resources manager or administrative officer so you’ll know what your company offers. It would be good to read your employment contract or collective bargaining agreement and learn more about your employer’s policy on maternity leaves and benefits. Your company’s maternity policy may be better than the legal minimum. Thus your entitlements could be different from those of your colleagues or friends working for other companies. Find out exactly what your entitlements are by contacting: * your human resources or personnel manager * your labor union representative * the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office in your place of work Before taking maternity leave File your maternity leave application a few weeks before the start of your leave. You will want to give your employer enough time to make arrangements and ensure that the company is not affected by your absence. The common practice is to go on leave two weeks before your due date so you can have enough time to prepare for the birth of your child. How do I claim my SSS maternity benefits? You may claim your SSS maternity benefits directly from your employer in full within 30 calendar days from the filing of your maternity leave application. Your employer is required to pay the amount of the claim in advance, subject to reimbursement by the SSS. You also need to submit other documents such as: * SSS Form MAT-1 and MAT-2 * your child’s birth certificate * operating room records for cesarean delivery * obstetrical history in cases of miscarriage or abortion * your SSS I.D.

Rock music research

Rock music research Most people think that punk rock is just loud noise and profanity, at least the people who have even heard of it. The truth is that, for the most part, punk bands are really trying to get a message across. This music, or at least a variation of it has been around since the mid 1960's and is just as important today as it was back then. I plan to trace its history all the way up to the present, and explain how it has changed.The main American precursors of punk were the Velvet Underground, the MC5, the Stooges, the Modern Lovers, and the New York Dolls. These bands paved the way for the huge wave of punk rock to hit America in the early 1970's. They changed how people looked at music because they had a completely different attitude than what people were used to at the time.United StatesWhile other bands were out there singing about happiness and love, these "pre-punk" bands were singing about not being content, instead, be angry.These new bands believed that music should have a more im portant meaning than what they were hearing from everyone else. They wanted to make music that made people take a closer look at the society around them and find out how bad it actually is. There music was not widely accepted at the time because people didn't want that, they wanted to be happy and ignore the worlds problems, which was the popular thing to do at that point in time.Because bands like the Velvet Underground had such unpopular styles, it was very hard for them to get signed for a record contact. Record companies knew that not many people would buy their albums, so they stood to lose money.A club called CBGB's (Country...

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese

Overview on Reasons to Learn Mandarin Chinese Mandarin is â€Å"too hard† to learn, right? Despite this widely-held belief, millions of people are studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language. But if it’s so hard, why bother to learn Mandarin? Is Mandarin Difficult? There is no doubt that written Chinese is difficult to learn – even for the Chinese! But the spoken language is a different kettle of fish. In many ways, Mandarin Chinese is much easier to learn than European languages. Here are some features which make Mandarin easy: no subject/verb agreementno pluralsno conjugationsno tensessimple numbering system which is applied to dates and time expressionssimple conditional sentencessimple prepositions Why Learn Mandarin? So Mandarin is easy, but why learn it? The number one reason is that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world. Learn to speak Mandarin and you can speak with millions of people around the world. More reasons: Business - Business people who speak Mandarin have a huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese market. It is much easier to develop all-important relationships if you can speak Mandarin.Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.Culture - With thousands of years of history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture. Chinese Characters The Chinese writing system is quite a challenge, but this is another reason to learn it! Despite its difficulty, learning to read and write Chinese will give you a lifetime of intellectual stimulation. The real beauty of the language is revealed in the writing. There are thousands of Chinese characters, but they are not randomly constructed. There is a system to their design, and understanding that system makes it much easier to learn new characters. So take the challenge and learn Mandarin Chinese! It is your ticket to a lifetime of reward.

Soicalism in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Soicalism in Africa - Essay Example ted by a capitalist system as espoused by the scholar, African socialists used the ideology for their self-serving means and thus reinforced the same vices that socialism was supposed to eradicate. Karl Marx understood socialism as a system of production in which use-value rather than economic value took precedence during production. It, however, requires a means of economic planning where individuals would benefit from economic output in accordance to their contribution. Ownership of resources and people’s livelihood would be in the hands of the working class through public ownership or cooperatives (Gasper 67). Therefore, unlike capitalism, which directed surpluses of production to the elite, socialism was designed to reward society and the working class for their participation in production. One should note that Marx largely focused on communism; however, the scholar dedicated a small portion of his time to socialism. Several scholars admit that it is hard to find details on socialism directly from Karl Marx, but it is possible to use his traditional concepts to expound on the principle. Marx believed that socialism was unique owing to the non-competitive way that production took place; people produce through association. In essence instead, of being controlled by some external power, the worker is engaged in production and has the capacity to control it. Socialism can only exist when a bureaucracy no longer manipulates society – be it the state or a smaller entity like a corporation. The above scholar often criticized capitalism for its alienation of workers; he claimed that most producers were trapped in the process of creating the means of production. They were never free to engage in creative expression or even realize the full potentials of their talents. Marx as the means which man could attain freedom once again would thus perceive socialism; he would be free from economic deprivation and spiritual deprivation. This is not to say that Marx called

10 short answer question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

10 short answer question - Assignment Example It is normally measured through human Development Index, Index of economic well being (IEWB) etc. The economic growth and economic development of Newfoundland is recorded to be almost 3% per year which is the highest during 1981 and 2010, whereas British Columbia had the lowest with 0.5 % per year during the same period. the five major resources of energy available currently in industrialized countries are Coal, natural gas, oil, gathering under fossil fuels which are non-renewable ,Nuclear and hydroelectric which are renewable and other renewable sources like solar, wind, geo-thermal, tidal and waves energy. Safe and sustainable energy is crucial for the sustainability of world economy. Today, an average person in an industrial market economy consumes approximately 80 times more than as much energy as someone in sub-Saharan Africa and about quarter of a world consumes three quarters of primary global energy which has led to uneven distribution of energy consumption. Low energy path is the best way towards a sustainable future. As per the current development rate the countries with in next 50 years could produce same levels of energy services with as little as half the primary supply currently consumed. However, this would require crucial decision making in socio-economic structure and institutional arrangements. 3. Describe the issue(s) associated with the salmon fishery (renewable resource) on the west coast of British Columbia. Describe the mitigation/management actions that are being applied currently? Have the mitigation management changes been successful? Issues associated with salmon fishery include potential ecological interactions as well as disease concerns owing to climate change. Local over fishing along with climate change and fresh water habitat loss has severely hampered the marine fish species including