Workplace Buzz: Today’s Headlines

Keeping Those Germs Away from the Office
Warning: The subject of this column is germs and the amount of germs the average office worker comes into contact with any given day, and may not be suitable for the weak of heart. To clarify (and for the sake of simplicity) "germs" here refers to various bacteria, any virus, assorted fungi and (yuck!) parasites. First the facts. It's no urban legend that desks typically harbor more germs than toilet seats. One recent study found that there were 49 "microbes" (definition: a very small living thing, especially one which causes disease, and which is too small to see without a microscope) per square inch on the average toilet seat. Bad right? The Gazette

Behavior Change Required for Effective Workplace
It's an old joke. A visitor is being shown around the office and asks, "How many people work here?" The punch line: "About half." That estimate may be overly optimistic. Surveys by Gallup and others reveal the number of employees who are truly engaged by their work may be as low as 25 percent. Writing in Pink, a magazine for professional women, Karen Benjack Glatzer offers tips to raise that figure. Most have to do with changing the boss's behavior, not the employee's. Courier Journal

An Identity Crisis?
A few weeks ago I asked women this question: How much of your identity is wrapped up in your work? I wondered if we are facing an identity crisis when we go to retire – much as men traditionally do.After all, we are the "women's movement" – the first generation to cultivate careers outside the home. I asked you to go to www.womansage.org and join the discussion "Is Your Work Your Identity?" So far, more than 150 of you have responded. I've learned 58.8 percent of you do indeed feel that work is your identity, 58.8 percent. But 55.5 percent of you are not concerned about losing that identity. Orange County Register