Workplace Buzz:Today's Headlines

Workplace Buzz on January 4, 2008 8:08 AM

Female employees as “office moms”
Female bosses are expected to play "office moms," while male bosses are held to a lower emotional standard, a new study finds. As many know, workplace dynamics can eerily resemble those of a family. New research shows that female managers' skill at accurately read others' emotions impacts whether they get "gold stars" from subordinates. The same isn't true for men. Employees don't evaluate male managers on their ability to read facial expressions or sense tones of voice. "It seems female managers may be expected to be sensitive to others' emotions and to demonstrate this sensitivity by providing emotional support," said researcher Kristin Byron of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in New York. MSNBC.com

Email no no’s on increase
Do you use your workplace e-mail to tell your co-workers that you’re selling trash bags, popcorn, cookies, cosmetics, jewelry or any other product? Do you send your colleagues e-mail notices on the company system about professional association meetings or charitable fundraising drives? A recent ruling from the National Labor Relations Board may have the unintended consequence of making those a forbidden use of your employer’s e-mail system.

We’re putting in longer hours, burning out.
We are putting in more hours at work, about 42.5 hours in 2006, compared to about 37.5 hours in 2003, says the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cause: fewer employees to do work, fears of job security, a need for overtime pay and a hope for advancement. Result: burnout, and an impact on health and quality of life.

Forty hours a week is the golden standard for a workweek, says a Duquesne University business professor. The average workweek for men increased to about 45 hours in 2006, up from about 40 hours in 2003. Women worked slightly more than 40 hours in 2006, an increase from 35.1 hours in 2003.

In the United States, 18 percent of workers put in more than 48 hours a week, which was the fifth-highest percentage among developed countries. The United Kingdom was first with about 25 percent of workers exceeding 48 hours a week. The Bureau, which examined working conditions in 50 countries, found that attempts to reduce working hours failed for various reasons because companies sometimes use overtime to boost production and workers want to earn more.

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