These Unsung Office Heroes Do It All

They’re the unsung heroes of the office, handling everything from accounts payable to human resources to office supplies. Now, office managers across the country can finally get credit for what they really do to make their organizations run smoothly. Today Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) announced the launch of My Real Job, a national campaign to recognize and reward office managers and to invite them to "rewrite” their job descriptions for a chance to win prizes and even learn their adjusted My Real Job salary. Office managers can visit www.staples.com/myrealjob to describe their job experiences in their own words and find helpful suggestions and solutions to address workplace and work-life challenges. This new online community allows office managers to engage with their peers and join in ongoing dialog with Tory Johnson, a leading workplace expert and CEO of Women for Hire, a recruitment services firm. "Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, and office managers often serve as the ‘glue’ of these organizations,” said John Giusti, vice president of Staples Business Delivery, a division of Staples that delivers to small businesses. "My Real Job gives these office managers a fun way to highlight all the things they do to support the growth and operations of their companies.” "Most office managers don’t have the luxury of saying ‘that’s not my job,’ which means they must wear many hats to meet the daily realities of their roles,” said Tory Johnson. "This extraordinary range of duties can result in significant challenges with managing time effectively and achieving work-life balance.” My Real Job follows on the heels of a recent Staples survey in which half of all U.S. small business owners and managers said it would take two to four people to replace them. Office managers also face the challenge of performing multiple roles. According to a 2005 survey done by the International Association of Administrative Professionals, eight out of 10 office managers said their workplace contributions had increased in the past five years. About My Real Job Through March 16, 2007, office managers can submit via www.staples.com/myrealjob a short, fill-in-the-blank narrative describing their workday and most unusual work experiences. Participants then detail their various responsibilities by choosing from a list of job titles, such as travel agent, chief operating officer and human resources manager. Upon submitting their entry, office managers receive a customized My Real Job salary based on their responses. Participants are also automatically entered for a chance to win one of three prizes, including a grand prize of a trip for two to Aruba for six days and five nights. Three winners will be chosen at random and announced in April. For the official rules, visit www.staples.com/myrealjob. To make the customized salary calculation possible, Staples enlisted the aid of Salary.com, Inc., a leading provider of on-demand compensation solutions with salary data for over 3,200 jobs. For My Real Job, Salary.com created an interactive job-hybridizing tool, which bases calculations on the combination of jobs entered, the average salary for those jobs and the approximate time spent weekly performing each function. How Staples Makes Things "Easy” Recognizing the importance of time for its small business customers, Staples strives to serve as a central resource, providing a host of products and services to help increase workplace productivity. Staples’ services range from custom printing—including business cards, letterhead, forms and promotional items—to technology consultation to free office space configuration. Online tools at Staples.com such as "Easy Reorder” and "Favorite Lists” allow customers to quickly order frequently-used supplies by accessing previous orders and tagging preferred items for future reference. Staples’ "InkDrop” program enables customers to easily receive new printer cartridges by simply mailing back used cartridges in pre-paid envelopes. Another service, "Easy Rebates,” lets customers easily apply for product rebates online. For more information on products and services, visit www.staples.com. About Staples Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today is the world’s largest office products company. With 69,000 talented associates, the company is committed to making it easy to buy a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2005 sales of $16.1 billion, Staples serves consumers and businesses ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates more than 1,800 office superstores and also serves its customers through mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses. More information is available at www.staples.com. About Salary.com, Inc. Salary.com is a leading provider of on-demand compensation management solutions helping businesses and individuals manage pay and performance. Salary.com provides companies of all sizes comprehensive on-demand software applications that are tightly integrated with its own proprietary compensation data sets, thereby automating the essential elements of the compensation management process and significantly improving the effectiveness of its client’s compensation spend. For more information, visit www.salary.com About Tory Johnson As the founder and CEO of Women For Hire (www.womenforhire.com), Tory Johnson is a leading national expert on a wide range of career issues and challenges facing small business employees, home-based workers, and staffers at large corporations. She is also the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America, where she appears frequently to offer advice on a range of career topics, including achieving flexibility and advancement. In 2006, Glamour magazine dubbed Johnson the "raise fairy godmother" for her expertise in coaching a panel of women to ask for—and get—salary increases. She's written three books on career success.