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Japanese Law Forces Women To Wear Heels At Work

Dress codes are a common norm everywhere in the world. Society has been shaping up our social behavior for years. Although, we are wired not to wear party clothes to work and vise-versa, some societies have taken these dress codes to extreme levels.

You may have heard that Japanese women are not allowed to wear glasses at work, and that sounds absurd. Well, these women are also forced, by law, to wear heels on the job.

1 in 10 Companies in Japan Force women To Wear Heels And Make-Up

The Japanese Trade Union Confederation just conducted a survey with shocking results. Not only that companies force women to wear contacts, make up and heels, but 1 out of 10 Japanese companies have strict regulations even regarding the height of the heels.

In addition, several restaurants force their employees to avoid wearing glasses, because it gives them a ”rude, cold look’‘.

The Government Finds This Law ”Reasonable And Necessary”

On other hands, the public outbreak saw light when the Japanese government actually supported the companies. In fact, the ministry of health, claimed that such rules are completely ”reasonable”

Nevertheless, many women in Japan have joined the movement against dress code regulations at work.

Japanese Men Can Wear Whatever They Want

Although the Japanese labor laws are quite strict for both genders, women are the ones who take the greater hit. Companies require men to stick to the international business dress code standards. However, whilst it is mandatory for men to wear a suit and black shoes, central government are aiming to change that rule. In Tokyo, some companies have received guidelines allowing men to drop the tie, and replace the dark shoes with tennis shoes in the summer.

Japanese Women Have Started A Petition Against This Law

Women in Japan have received support and solidarity, revolting against discrimination laws with a worldwide hashtag #KuToo. The movement was started by Yumi Ishikawa, an actress who changed her career working in a hotel, because of this law. She then started a petition, which is signed by over 27,000 people already.

Photos: Pixabay

Handy Hacks That Make Your Household Chores Easier

No one (okay, very VERY few people) like doing household chores. Putting on some music can ease the process, but being more productive by cutting your cleaning time is even better. These simple and handy hacks will ensure you save time doing your household chores, so you have more time to do the things you truly love!

Get Rid Of Clothing Wrinkles With Ice Cubes

ice cubes on a black cloth- the first of our hacks.
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Tired of hand ironing every, single item? Or have you just given up entirely and go to the office with an embarrassing amount of wrinkles? Either way, this hack will solve your problem. Place your dryer on the hottest setting, and put in a couple pieces of clothing along with three ice cubes. Leave them in for 10 minutes max and voila! Wrinkle-free fabric!

Pick Up Glass Shards With Bread

spongey white bread used for cleaning up glass.

For the clumsy ones amongst us, dropping a glass or shattering a bowl can be pretty commonplace in the kitchen. As much as we sweep and swear there’s no remnants left, there is always the chance you’ve left a shard or two. To avoid any additional painful accidents, try dampening a piece of bread and pressing it to the floor where the glass fell. The glass will be absorbed into the bread without slicing your hands or feet in the process.

Clean Bathroom Surfaces Naturally With Grapefruit

grapefruit can be used for cleaning hacks.

Having a bathtub sounds luxurious, until you have to clean away the gross residue and stains left behind. (Makes you wonder how DIRTY you really were…) If you want to avoid using harsh chemicals that are bad to breathe in, a safe alternative is grapefruit! Rinse the designated area you want to clean, and then sprinkle some salt on a sliced grapefruit and scrub away. This combination quickly removes stains and leaves your bathroom smelling fresh and sweet. We love any cleaning hacks that help the environment too!

Clean Your Blender In Seconds

a blender with an orange smoothie inside.

How many of you love the idea of a smoothie, but the thought of having to clean the blender afterwards is enough to turn you way? No longer will you dread cleaning the blender, as this is one of the fastest hacks ever! Instead of taking apart the blender and risking cutting yourself in the process, fill the blender with water and a little bit of soap, put on the lid and blend!

Photos: Freepik

Keep Your Information Safe By Avoiding These Online Actions

In the digital age where anything and everything is done online, it can be difficult to keep your information and identity safe. Even people who think they are being hyper-aware of the information they share on social networking sites can find themselves the victim of a cybercrime. To keep your information safe, you should avoid at all costs doing these common online actions.

Online Personality Quizzes

woman's hands on a mobile phone on facebook, with many faces of people in the background.

Facebook lost a lot of its credibility (and was fined big time) after a quiz site called “Cambridge Analytica” created personality quizzes that stored the information of all of its participants (and the Facebook friends of those participants). What seems like an innocent quiz about “what type of dessert are you,” is actually taking personal information from under your nose. Questions like “what was your first car” might seem innocent, but it’s the answer to a lot of security questions online… That said, you should avoid these quizzes at all cost, especially if they are from an unknown source.

Public Wifi

a hand clicking on wifi on a phone and other sources of information around it.

When you’re on vacation and don’t have wifi or data, it can be tempting to check in to the public wifi whenever you can. However, often these “public” hosts are not reliable, and actually track all of your actions while surfing. Logging into your email, monitoring your bank account, and checking other sites with personal and private information might all be traced and saved by hackers. It is best to wait until you are at a private Wifi zone with a secure password.

Text Message Promotions

a girl clicking on a link on her phone for more information.

Cyberhacks can also occur via text message through what is called “smishing.” If you have ever received a text message for a store discount with a link that redirects to a site asking for personal information, delete immediately! These are unlikely to be originally sent from the company. If you are not sure if the promo is valid or just a scam, try searching the domain name online to see if it is truly connected.

Posting Boarding Passes

An apple watch showing a boarding pass with personal information.

You have every right to feel ecstatic about your upcoming trip and sharing it with the world. However, sharing a photo of your boarding pass (or passport, license, etc) makes it possible for hackers to steal your identity. While a boarding pass might seem innocent to share, it actually contains information that could be used to access a frequent flyer account and credit card information. Ensure your vacation has zero security breaches by traveling with caution and care!

Photos: Freepik, Pixabay, Unsplash

Products That Can Make You Productive

Working a typical 9-to-5 job can make it hard to maintain the motivation needed to stay focused throughout your shift. Hours on end sitting at a desk and are not recommended for your best quality work, however we often have little say on our work hours. That said, these amazing products are designed to help you be more productive in your day and produce your best results.

people at work celebrating their productive success.

Adjustable Standing Desk

Sitting on your behind for endless hours negatively impacts your blood circulation, making it harder to think clearly. An adjustable standing desk helps you easily get to your feet whenever you want and potentially help spur new ideas. This is especially ideal for active people who feel restless sitting at a desk all day.

Blue Light Glasses

Do you find you get reoccurring headaches from looking at the computer all day? The blue light from screens can have a major effect in causing digital eye strain, leaving you foggy and pained. A stylish solution (that doesn’t involve quitting your day job) is wearing blue light glasses, which block out the glare that causes you headaches. Now your great ideas can flow the whole work day sans problems!

woman wearing blue light glasses while working on a computer to be productive.

Portable Blender

Hunger pangs in the early afternoon are enough to distract anyone from the task at hand. Get out of your slump with a delicious smoothie made whenever and wherever thanks to this portable blender. No need to think serving sizes either, this blender is sized for a personal smoothie to fuel your most productive self!

Productivity Timer

No one can properly live by the mantra of “all work, no play.” That’s why this productivity timer is the perfect solution for keeping you motivated to work. It functions by setting up 30 minutes for your work and 5 minutes of “play,” in which you can use to free your mind and get up from the desk. You’ll be shocked by how productive you truly are with this method!

Productivity timer.

Photos: Freepik, Amazon Play/Work

The Brain Boosting Reasons You Should Play Sports

Movies and TV series love to play upon the classic trope of the “dumb jock.” Nevertheless, playing sports actually provides more benefits for your body than physical improvements. It also helps to make you mentally fitter and happier. The following are the brain boosting benefits (and reasons) you should be playing a sport!

woman and man biking and smiling enjoying sports.

Playing Sports Improves Your Concentration

Playing sports helps to keep you mentally fit as we grow older. In particular, including a mix of aerobic and strength training into your weekly routine has been proven to increase one’s critical thinking and learning skills. Just thirty minutes of physical activity several times a week is enough to improve your concentration!

man playing baseball, batting and focused.

Boosts Your Mood

The most widely known mental benefit of physical activity is that it can boost your mood. When we are active, the chemical endorphin is released from the brain, which helps to make us feel happier and more positive. Team sports additionally provide a social advantage, so you can make new friends and connect with others.

woman and man smiling holding a soccer ball.

Playing Sports Fights Off Stress

Just as physical activity helps the brain to release mood-boosting chemicals, it also helps to decrease the stress hormones in our body. Additionally, playing sports can help to take our minds off of the daily stressors and problems in our lives, so we don’t feel so clouded by negative energy and thoughts. This in turn helps people to be more relaxed, and possibly reduce the chances of depression.

man and women playing tennis, clearly happy.

Increase Your Self-Esteem

Trying out a new sport or activity can be nerve-wracking. We often lack confidence if we are unsure how to do new skills. However, with regular practice, you are bound to improve your skills, strength, and self-esteem. Playing on a team also helps to create group dynamics that encourage support and reliance, meaning your confidence shoots up. This esteem-boost has been shown have an impact outside the gym as well, by improving how we view ourselves in our everyday lives. Who knew that hitting the basketball court a few days a week could end up helping you with that new promotion!

Man going up to shoot a basketball, one of the sports requiring lots of skills to help increase your esteem.

Photos: Pixabay, Freepik

Hidden Fees To Avoid When Planning A Vacation

Most people look forward to taking time off and going on a much-deserved vacation during the summer months. However, when making bookings for different hotels, flights, and rentals, you might be shocked to see the price you wind up paying is nothing close to the original price you saw advertised. You can blame the many companies that add on hidden fees to take advantage of travelers. As a measure to save money for your next vacation, we have compiled this list of hidden fees to avoid.

Flight Reservation Fees Via Phone

woman at a laptop making a phone reservation, which can have hidden fees.

If you are curious about booking a certain flight, or need some clarifications about baggage fees, the natural solution is to call the airline to get an answer. However, you are likely to spend many minutes, even hours on hold just to get in contact with a live representative, who then will require a surcharge for booking via phone. This is why prices you might see online are different from the ones you book if you call the company. If a clarification with a representative is vital, it is best to make the call and then book yourself afterwards online.

Spiked Toll Fees Using A Rental Car

handing over car keys for a rental, which has hidden fees.

For those who are used to having an E-Z pass or other automated toll payer in their car, one might expect that rental car company toll payers work the same way. Drive through a toll and voila! The toll fee is automatically charged to your credit card. Wrong. Many rental car companies actually charge you both the toll price, PLUS an extra charge for passing a toll booth, up to 15$! That is a startling amount that can add up over the course of a road trip. To avoid the hidden fees, either drive on roads without tolls, or come prepared with your own cash to pay manually at the tolls.

Hidden Hotel Resort Fees

A woman holding a suitcase inside a hotel room.

Excited because you found an AMAZING price for a hotel at your next vacation spot? Make sure to go through the site and see what the final price is for the hotel room. Many resorts will actually charge you to use some basic amenities, even wifi and towels! While it is fairly standard for hotels will to tack on some fees, make sure to compare final prices before making the booking. And last but not least, remember to never eat or drink the items in the fridge, the hotels will charge you a TON!

Photos: Freepik