Over the weekend, some Slack Android users received a seemingly random email urging them to update their passwords. The email claims a bug in the Android app incorrectly logged password data as plaintext that could be easily scooped up by hackers.

I don’t blame you if you ignored the email — it has many signs of a phishing scam — but it’s legit. Android Police confirmed with multiple Slack representatives that the emails originated from Slack, the security issues are real, and the links within the message are safe to click. While there’s no evidence passwords have been stolen or accounts hacked, Slack is proactively asking users to update their passwords.

Slack’s email includes instructions for changing your password and clearing your app cache, but it’s unclear if all affected users were alerted, so it’s wise for anyone using Slack on Android to follow the company’s suggestions, even if they didn’t get the email. Here’s what you need to do:

First, update your password with the link in Slack’s email, or under your account settings on Slack’s website.

Next, make sure you have the right version of Slack installed. This part is simple: If Slack works on your phone, you have the right version; if not, you can safely download the latest build from Google Play. Google removed the bugged version of the app from Google Play, which also disabled it on devices that had previously downloaded it, so there’s no risk in using the app anymore.

With the correct version of Slack installed on your device, the last step is to clear the app’s data cache to ensure the improperly-stored password data is removed. There are two ways to do this:

( Note: Clearing the app cache logs you out of Slack, so make sure you sign back in afterward.)

1. In your Android settings, g o to Settings > Apps > Slack > Storage and select “ Clear Data or Storage . ”
2. Long-press the Slack icon from your app launcher. Tap App Info , then Storage , then select “Clear Data or Storage.”

The post Update Your Slack Passwords Now, Android Users appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

As a culture, we’ve come to value growth and productivity , making paid work not only a necessity but a central concern in peoples’ lives. Yet this attitude towards work is harming us more than it’s helping, with research showing that workaholism (also known as work addiction) is a growing problem in the industrialised world . And according to the findings of a recent study, work addiction is linked with poorer mental health .

Work addiction is a clinical condition characterised by an obsessive and compulsive interest in work. People usually work more than they’re required to, either by the workplace or because of financial need. Other characteristics include being concerned about their performance at work, rigid thinking and perfectionism, which is often projected onto others .

People with work addiction are driven to work excessively, despite the detrimental impacts this has on their personal health and wellbeing, and relationships. People at risk of developing work addiction often have low self-esteem, experience doubt about their performance at work, or have obsessive-compulsive personality traits .

Numerous studies have shown the negative impact of work addiction on mental health. But a recent study on workers in France investigated why work addiction happens to better understand the impact it has on mental and physical health.

The researchers looked at a total of 187 workers from a range of different occupations and demographics, who were asked to answer four different questionnaires. They found that high work demands and people who worked in high-pressure roles – for example, managers with greater responsibilities – were the most significant factors contributing to the risk of work addiction.

Where this was accompanied by working longer hours than required and having an obsessive approach to work, there was an even greater risk of developing work addiction. Women were also shown to be more predisposed to developing work addiction than men. Although it’s not entirely clear why women were more likely to develop work addiction, other research has had similar findings.

Workers with depression were twice as likely to develop work addiction compared to those without a mental health issue. Poor quality of sleep, high levels of stress and low levels of overall wellbeing were also identified as high-risk factors.

Although this study’s sample size was small, previous research has also shown that work addiction is associated with depression, stress, sleep disorders and lower mental health . Burnout and exhaustion were also reported.

Mental health

Work addiction is more common in industrialised countries where work performance is a measure of success. This suggests that neoliberal ideas about work are influential in increasing the risk of work addiction. These ideas place pressure on intensifying workloads and performance at work in order to promote economic growth. They also focus on increasing a person’s responsibilities at work.

Given the harms of work addiction, radical changes in both workplaces and society will be necessary. As I have argued before, this would require society to stop viewing work as a pivotal tool of performance and growth, and instead place greater value and importance on the health and wellbeing of the worker, both individually and collectively.

Support and change can actually happen in the workplace itself, which is why it’s important for employers to recognise and address work demands in a positive way. For example, one study has found that increasing job security and opportunities for development lowered the risk of work addiction.

Other studies have suggested that work-life balance interventions could reduce the risk or work addiction. For example, if workplaces actively reduce working hours in order to give employees a chance to spend more time with their family, it can actually result in better work performance. And, fewer working hours may also reduce family conflict for workers, as employees are able to engage in family time more meaningfully.

Promoting work-life balance has also been shown to increase both physical and psychological health , and personal resilience for workers. Balancing time and energy used on work and personal life helps people feel better – subsequently both improving mental and physical health.

All this suggests that workplaces should develop work-life balance initiatives, provide opportunities for career development and increase job security to prevent work addiction from happening. These changes may also lower stress and absenteeism while improving performance.

But not all workplaces have these kind of strategies in place – and they can be hard to implement because of our culture’s focus on performance and economic growth. If you’re concerned you have or are developing work addiction, address the problem now if possible.

Seek support at work by talking to managers and peers if you can, ask for performance feedback, or even see if there is a way you can work to reduce some of your working hours. Speaking to mental health and wellbeing services can also help. If you don’t have support in your workplace, try talking with friends and family, and ask for their help in refocusing your time – such as having them remind you to take breaks from work.

Of course, better work-life balance will help, but this can be a very hard thing to do as it requires adjusting daily patterns and changing how you think and feel. But if you’re able to balance work with other activities – such as seeing family and friends, exercising, or enjoying hobbies – your mental health and wellbeing will improve.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

The post How To Tell if You’re Becoming a Workaholic appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

The trend of ‘cloffices’ has re-emerged thanks to the rise in work from home scenarios over the last year. For those unfamiliar, a cloffice is an office/closet combo, or wardrobe for us Australians.

So how do cloffices work and what do you need to make one?

What is a cloffice?

Cloffices combine a wardrobe with a functioning office space. You might typically see them as converted walk-in wardrobes, but they can actually be constructed from a number of different areas in your home. Whether it be an average wardrobe, a spare room or an unused nook and cranny in your home, nearly anything can be turned into a neat cloffice space.

Understandably, the use of cloffices has increased over the past year as work from home became the norm. The initial work-from-home scramble caused a mad rush for living room space between families, housemates or siblings.

Enter the cloffice to solve all these problems. These makeshift rooms a neat way to spruce up your home and take advantage use of the space you already have.

Inspiration for your new home office

Naturally, the aim of a cloffice is not just function but also fashion. Insta-worthy pics are half the glory with your newly acquired cloffice. Consider it the art of picking out an office to match your clothes.

So, where does one begin? It’s worth noting some minimal renovation skills may be required here. Although, depending on the layout of your space, it can be as simple as removing some shelves or purchasing some storage solutions. Nothing a trip to IKEA can’t fix.

Here’s some inspiration to get started.

Let’s start with a few small-scale cloffices. These make use of your existing wardrobe foundations to create a home office you can tuck away at the end of the day

It can be as simple as clearing the shelves out of one end of your wardrobe or shelving unit.

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A post shared by Laura Patton (@lurr_patton)

If there are no wizards sheltering under your stairs, why not turn it into a workspace?

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A post shared by Dale Titcomb (@daletitcomb_evhonolulu)

If you’re blessed with walk-in wardrobe space, here are some ideas.

As you can see, aesthetics are key, but it doesn’t all have to be all lifestyles of the rich and famous. Any space, whether it’s in your own room or even the laundry, can be a viable office in these work from home times. As for decorating? Go with whatever will help you stay most productive!

The post Working From Home? You Might Need a Cloffice appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

A sense of apathy is causing Australians to place themselves in harm’s way when it comes to online threats. While Aussies are aware that protecting their privacy online is important, they show a distinct lack of vigilance when it comes to actually putting that awareness into action.

According to Norton Australia’s Project 360 Data Report, 93 per cent of Australians surveyed agree that online privacy is important to them, but only one in four surveyed (28 per cent) uses a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This leaves them vulnerable to cyber criminals seeking access to the data being sent to and from their devices and can act as a welcome mat for malware.

While 83 per cent of Aussies surveyed agree they are concerned about the level of privacy they have when online, self-protection can be quickly compromised when they are faced with a little inconvenience. For example, while more than half of Australians (55 per cent) do not believe their information will be safe while using a public Wi-Fi network, almost the same figure (53 per cent) would risk using public Wi-Fi without a VPN to avoid additional charges on their phone bill.

This is troubling, as the risks associated with using public Wi-Fi networks unprotected can be immense – attackers will often create fake Wi-Fi hotspots purporting to be legitimate networks to catch unsuspecting users.

While a VPN would help to reduce risk by automatically switching on whenever the user accesses public Wi-Fi, even without this protection almost half of Australians surveyed(44 per cent) confess they would risk their personal data being compromised by connecting to public Wi-Fi if it was more convenient than finding a secured connection.

This is particularly true of the younger generations’ digital natives, who are so at home in the online world that they can be unwilling to take potential risks seriously, with 56 per cent of Gen Z and 53 per cent of Millennials willing to risk compromising their personal data to access public Wi-Fi, compared with just 36 per cent of Boomers and 38 per cent of Gen X.

Below are some tips Australians can follow to help protect themselves:

• Use a VPN to help ensure your privacy and anonymity are protected when you use public Wi-Fi. A VPN can help encrypt the data that you send and receive while using a public Wi-Fi hotspot, preventing it from being intercepted or tracked.
• Turn off automatic connectivity. Most smartphones, laptops, and tablets have automatic connectivity settings, which allow you to seamlessly connect from one hotspot to the next. This is a convenient feature, but it can also connect your devices to networks you ordinarily would not use. Keep these settings turned off, especially when you’re traveling to unfamiliar places.
• Don’t shop online when using public Wi-Fi. Sure, shopping doesn’t seem like it involves sensitive data, but making purchases online requires personal information that could include bank account and retailer login credentials. As a rule, it is best to avoid accessing bank accounts or sensitive personal data on unsecured public networks.

Mark Gorrie is Norton LifeLock’s ANZ Security Expert.

This article was originally published in January 2020.

The post Why You Should Pay More Attention To Your Online Privacy appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

For people who aren’t used to patting themselves on the back, crafting a cover letter can feel like a daunting exercise, especially if you’re applying for a bunch of jobs in a short timeframe. But it’s worth the effort — what starts out as a blank word document will become an essential tool with which you’ll market your best talents and get strangers excited to put you on payroll.

If crafting a fresh cover letter for every application is daunting, you should consider using a template for your cover letters, but if you do, you’ll have be subtle about it. Using an obvious fill-in-the-blank template won’t earn you any points with hiring managers — you still want your personal flavour to shine through.

Cover the basics

There is a simple formula to cover letter writing, which is to say that every letter doesn’t need to be completely original. Luckily, you can tailor your cover letter to follow a general flow, with paragraphs that discuss different aspects of your qualifications.

Here’s what Resume Genius suggests:

• Introductory paragraph: This is the section that gets you noticed. It’s what separates letters that get read in full from those that get thrown in a slush pile. Use this section to describe your experience in glowing terms, and note why it makes you a good fit for the job you’re applying to. (I always consider it a good practice to name the job you’re applying to, i.e. ‘I think my experience makes me an excellent candidate for the position of [insert job title].’”)
• Body paragraphs: Describe how your experience would be put to use in your role with the company. Feel free to elaborate on the information you have listed on your resume, detailing how it could be parlayed into workplace success.
• Call to action: In the last section — which should also include a thank you — tell the hiring manager about your excitement (taking the opportunity to circle back to your expertise one last time), and note that you’re looking forward to speaking to them.

Tinker with the same rough outline for different jobs

While the general feel of a cover letter should be the same across the board — the focus is always going to be getting someone to notice you by singing your own praises — the content of your letter should vary based upon the job you’re trying to get.

So consider drafting a cover letter like a jigsaw puzzle, and then cutting/adding what you need to make it more appropriate for various gigs, making sure to address your ability to handle as many of the listed job responsibilities as possible by sharing examples from your career history . If you’re applying to a job in social media marketing one week and then a job in PR the next, you’re obviously going to give different skills more weight in your cover letter, depending upon the listing. But a lot of the general content about your experience, your career ambitions and what you bring to the table as a generous and hardworking colleague will remain the same.

You can think of your cover letter as your professional story. In this way, the letter is like a novel that proceeds toward a predetermined endpoint from a basic premise — only some of the chapters change depending upon the job you’re applying to.

Realise what works across the board

If you’re able to come up with great copy that you think will make an HR manager weak in the knees, use it in all of your cover letters. Don’t submit the exact same letter across the board. But if you’ve come up with an effective way of phrasing various things — like your professional accolades, or compliments your managers have given you — then don’t be shy about shoehorning those things into all of your letters. Save a draft of every cover letter you send out so you can mine earlier versions for information relevant to other potential gigs.

A simple rule exists to justify cutting down on the time it takes to draft bespoke cover letters for each position: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. This is especially true of the general information about you as a worker and colleague, which will ring true no matter the job you’re gunning for.

The post How to Use a Cover Letter Template Without Making It Obvious appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

So you are seeking career advice, but so far no book, article, or professional relationship has guided you to the promised land. If you’re grinding out long workdays in tandem with a search for professional guidance, you might not have enough time to juggle both demands simultaneously. So why not plug in your headphones and allow someone to deliver sage professional wisdom directly into your ears, even as you navigate your workday?

Seeking out a podcast might be an easier way to find the answers you seek anyway — and luckily, there are more than enough career development podcasts out there to answer most of your burning questions.

Accidental Creative

Aren’t we all looking for a creative spark? The A ccidental Creative , hosted by Todd Henry (author of a book of the same name) probes for the lesser known insights into how people build their on-the-job creative sparks into a fire that will light their career paths. What does it take to jolt yourself out of a creative lull? Listen and find out .

Side Hustle School

I don’t recommend having a side hustle purely for the sake of having a side hustle. There’s no reason to work beyond the normal demands of your actual job; if you have to, that’s often an unfortunate symptom of the modern economy’s undervaluing of workers. But if want to do what you love and take your side hustle from an auxiliary passion to your primary means of bacon-winning, give this podcast a try. You’ll find it offers some pretty actionable advice, given that every episode features a chat between host Chris Guillebeau and an entrepreneur who has made their side hustle their primary vocation.

Dear Harvard Business Review

Wish you were a fly on the wall at The Harvard Business Review? The closest thing you’ll get to that level of professional voyeurism is via the magazine’s podcast, Dear Harvard Business Review . You’ll wade deep into issues that effect not only the corporate sector as a whole, but the worker-bees who comprise its rank and file. Moreover, you’ll find it super actionable, as longtime HBR editors Alison Beard and Dan McGinn co-host and share their hard-won insights in every episode.

The Twenty Minute VC

Some people — certainly not everyone — dream of wooing a room full of venture capitalists to make a lucrative investment in their business. Since most startups today rely on the well-heeled investor set to finance their dreams, the podcast The Twenty Minute VC , hosted by Harry Stebbings, walks listeners through the VC trenches, discussing what characteristics you need to become one of those compelling leaders who walks away with big checks.

Pivot

To use some annoyingly overwrought corporate-speak, if you’re yearning for a career change, you need to pivot . This podcast focuses on how to do exactly that, as host Jenny Blake discusses how to gather the inner strength, focus, and determination required to turn the daunting notion of a career transition into a reality.

Career Cloud Radio

If you want straight tips and advice from the pros, queue up Career Cloud Radio . This one is for prospective job-getters, so only tune in if you’re on the hunt for a new gig. You’ll hear all the latest nitty-gritty from seasoned recruiters, career coaches, and HR experts on how to land the job you want.

Squiggly Careers

Hosts Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper, founders of the the career development company Amazing If, walk listeners through the ins and outs of maintaining focus and meeting career goals. It sounds like generic advice, but it definitely isn’t: The hosts interview tons of entrepreneurs to get their unique takes on what tools are helpful for carving out success, and which ones you can leave behind.

The School of Greatness

Sometimes you just need a pep talk, the career version of walking into a room with John Wooden or Vince Lombardi. The School of Greatness , hosted by former pro football player Lewis Holmes, will acquaint you with what it means to have a winning mentality (if you’re up for that kind of thing). The show touts high profile guests such as “Alanis Morissette, Scooter Braun, Julianne Hough, Jack Canfield, [and] Arianna Huffington,” per its website, all of whom share their thoughts on what it means to achieve in work and beyond.

The post 8 of the Best Career Development Podcasts appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

There’s never been a shortage of fad group fitness trends — from TaeBo to Zumba to pole dancing, and everything in between. A newer fad, though, is one you may want to think twice about: twerking, which has evolved from its African roots into a growing exercise craze. And, unfortunately, the further into mainstream the dance style goes, the more it risks perpetuating a history of appropriating Black culture and earning cringes and side-eyes from sympathetic friends. To stop the cycle (or at least be more aware), you may want to take a few extra steps before paying to twerk it out in a virtual fitness class.

Know a little about what you’re doing

Popular dances often have histories that are lost along the way before becoming a mainstream trend. Twerking is one of them, deriving from West African dance where the small, isolated movements from the hips in a squatting position were often used as a celebratory dance . Once “Bounce” music became popular in New Orleans and artist Big Freida used twerking in their videos , the more modernised version of the dance began to form in the U.S. Simultaneously, Harlem twerk teams started releasing some amazingly skillful twerk videos , and eventually we got to where we are today.

Remember how to recognise appropriation

Cultural appropriation is best defined as “the use of objects or elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that doesn’t respect their original meaning, give credit to their source, or reinforces stereotypes or contributes to oppression.” Of course, just because something is tied to a specific culture doesn’t mean you can’t do or enjoy it, but how you approach it shows your level of respect for the art form. You can get a workout from twerking, but you can also learn a bit about its cultural significance before using it as cardio. Verywell Minded has a few great questions to help you gauge whether you’re appropriating or genuinely interested in something new:

• What is your goal?
• Are you following a trend or exploring the history of a culture?
• How would people from the culture you are borrowing an item from feel about what you are doing?
• Are there any stereotypes involved?

How to choose the right class

You probably wouldn’t take a Judo class from a teacher who only watched Steven Seagal movies, or learn a new language from someone who doesn’t know much about the countries or cultures where it’s spoken. If you’re interested in learning a new style of dance, start by finding a dance instructor knowledgeable about the history and significance of it. You’ll likely find a new level of respect for what you’re learning, and get a good workout at the same time.

The post Think Twice About ‘Twerk Out’ Classes appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham has defended companies asking workers to take significant pay cuts in order to save their jobs.

Major travel company Helloworld has sparked outrage from Labor and unions after it asked a worker to slash their annual salary package by almost $18,000 when the federal government’s JobKeeper subsidy ends in March.

Senator Birmingham described the move as a “structural adjustment” made due to pandemic travel restrictions.

“A business has to be profitable to survive in the long-term so I do accept companies like this may need to restructure, they may need to make difficult decisions,” he told Sky News on Friday.

“They are necessary decisions that companies have to make to ensure the survival of the company and the maintenance of as many jobs as possible.”

An HR manager proposed cutting the Helloworld worker’s pre-pandemic salary package from $83,200 to $65,700 until at least November.

Senator Birmingham said JobKeeper had to end in March but pointed to a range of other economic support measures travel companies could benefit from.

“There are parts of the economy that are going to see structural adjustment where elements of travel and doing business won’t come back as it was before,” he said.

Labor’s industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke said the travel company was a clear example of what some employers would do if the government passed new industrial relations laws.

“Helloworld has become hello pay cut,” he told Sky.

“At a time of uncertainty we now have in black and white what the future is going to look like if the government gets away with its plan.”

The wide-ranging legislation includes a provision allowing the Fair Work Commission to consider coronavirus when approving enterprise agreements that don’t meet the better off overall test.

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has fiercely denied workers will receive a pay cut under the changes, accusing Labor of misleading Australians.

Mr Burke said if JobKeeper “fell off a cliff” in March, more workers would be asked to take cuts.

In a bulletin to members, the Australian Services Union alleged Helloworld boss Andrew Burnes sent personalised emails to staff asking them to agree to a pay cut before HR filled in the details.

“It is unlawful for Helloworld to demand that workers accept a pay cut or exert pressure on workers to influence their response,” the union said.

Mr Burnes held the honorary role of federal Liberal Party treasurer for four years until 2019.

Comment has been sought from Helloworld.

-AAP

The post Minister defends travel company’s pay cut for staff appeared first on The New Daily .

With most of last year spent working from home, you may be tired of looking at the same four walls of your home office. Luckily, there are some quick and easy ways to improve your WFH outlook even if you’re on a budget. From the warm glow of fairy lights to fresh new candle scents, here are some handy tips for brightening up your work space.

First, consider the space you’re working in. Is there enough light? If not, can you move somewhere closer to a window or door? Lighting plays a key part in our productivity, and studies have shown that  brighter lights can improve focus, memory retention and relaxation. If you’re working in a darker area, you might experience drowsiness and a lack of motivation.

If you can’t move to a new space, you can still up your lighting game with a few key choices.

The Best Lighting For Home Offices

LED strip lighting can be applied to any available surface and provides a multi-coloured glow to your furniture. These lights normally cost between $15 and $25 and should give your home office some bright and funky charm. Setting them to particular colours will also have a long-lasting impact on your mood, from calming blues to rage-inducing reds. Depending on how your day goes, you might need the full spectrum of colours on hand.

If you’re looking for something more magical, you should try out some looping fairy lights . These tiny bulbs contain a whole lot of joy and should make any space seem warmer and more inviting. You can also grab a set in clip form . These strings let you hang up your favourite photos and memories alongside your lights — perfect for remembering more positive times.

Another option for the perfect lighting set-up is candles.

In many office situations, it’s not safe to have real candles around. This is particularly true if you have a paper-based job. For an office-friendly solution, try purchasing a range of different sized flameless LED candles . These give you the calming effects of real candles without having to worry about potential fire hazards. Plus, there’s a range of cheap, good-looking options .

If you’re in a safer environment, you could consider real candles . There’s plenty of air freshening candles , tea lights and therapeutic scents available online that will not only improve your office’s lighting but also improve its overall scent. Smell is just as important as lighting to improve your space, so consider pairing a new candle or LED lighting setup with familiar or exciting aromas .

The Best Decorations For Home Offices

Image: iStock

Home offices are meant to be open, inviting spaces. You should want to sit down at your office desk and work productively. To help with this process, consider investing in some natural decorations or objects that suit your favoured aesthetic.

This could be in the form of a fake potted plant (or a real one , depending on your garden prowess and dedication), a vine leaf wall , a decorative skull or a quirky statue .

If your current workplace doesn’t allow a whole lot of self expression, now’s your chance to carve out a space that screams ‘you’. Another way to achieve this is to install a pin board or cork board in your office space and fill it with your favourite badges, photos, patches or accessories.

These boards lend a heap of personality to your office and give you a sense of ownership over your space. Like photos, trinkets like badges can also remind you of more positive times and inspire your creativity.

With work from home recommendations continuing, it’s likely you’ll be stuck in the same space for quite a while yet. You might as well make the most of your time and spice up your office in a way that works for you. Experiment with a range of new lighting, decorations and smells to achieve your perfect productivity zone.

The post Freshen up Your Home Office for Under $50 appeared first on Lifehacker Australia .