Flexibility?

A Public Policy Polling survey for Workplace Options, a leading international provider of employee benefits and work-life services, finds that:

• 45% of employees report access to more flexible working arrangements compared to their first full-time job.
• 43% report an increase in work-life benefits and professional development opportunities compared to their first full-time job.
• 28% say work-life benefits available through their employer have increased in the past five years, despite the faltering economy.

Here's the article.

Where does the day go?

Ridiculously Efficient reports the average American worker wastes 1.7 hours a day. What distracts them?

• Internet: 44.7 percent
• Socialize: 23.4 percent
• Personal business: 6.8 percent
• Space out: 3.9 percent
• Apply for other jobs: 1.3 percent
• Other: 19.9 percent

Here's why employees say they slack off:

• 1 in 3 say it's because they don't have any work to do.
• 1 in 4 say it's because they think they are underpaid.
• 1 in 6 say it's because their co-workers distract them.

Isn’t the measurement itself a relic of an outdated era? The concept of working a fixed number of hours a day or week?

The seven biggest workplace distractions

The seven biggest workplace distractions, according to an employee poll from employee assistance program provider ComPsych.

1. Personal relationship issues
2. Coworkers who want to chat
3. Challenges with work relationships
4. Financial/legal problems
5. Child-related or caregiving issues
6. Personal health problems
7. Personal communications: smartphones, email/instant messenger, or social media

I could care less

This headline -- please, stop misusing 'I could care less' -- jumped out at me because my father, a stickler for good grammar, regularly pointed out this error. He ranked it at the top of his annoyance list, along with "irregardless."
 

Transactional or emotional?

Researchers say there are two types of employee engagement — transactional and emotional — and the type that’s most prevalent within an organization makes a difference.
 
Employees who are transactionally engaged are engaged only with the task or job role at hand, say the researchers, from UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and Kingston University. They are mainly concerned with earning a living and meeting the minimal expectations of the company and their coworkers, World atWork says. They may appear outwardly engaged — focused, disciplined, organized — and show high engagement on employee surveys, they actually are less likely to perform well and are more likely to leave for a better job offer. 
 
Researchers say desired workers are emotionally engaged, which goes beyond the job itself and is driven by a desire to do more for the organization than is normally expected. These employees have higher levels of job performance and well-being, and are more likely to remain engaged through good times and bad, WaW writes. They also are less likely to be stressed and more likely to have a positive work-personal life balance.