office workers

18 Stories

How Smartphones Rob Bosses of Company Time

Survey finds most employees spend an hour a day playing on their phones

(Newser) - Everyone knows smartphones can steal hours from a day, but employees are turning to their mobile devices while on the clock, too. A new survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam finds that office workers spend an average of 56 minutes a day on their cell phones while at work, and another...

Company to Female Workers: Take Time Off for Your Period

UK firm hopes its menstrual policy erases stigma about women's natural cycles

(Newser) - When Bex Baxter started seeing women in her office "bent over double" with pain—not from indigestion or appendicitis, but from their monthly menstrual cycles—she knew she had to act, per the Guardian . So the director of Coexist, based in Bristol, England, has decided to implement a "...

Stand Up, Desk Jockeys —for at Least 2 Hours a Day

Guidelines say to eventually bump that to 4 hours to combat sedentary sitting

(Newser) - Office lackeys may spend up to 75% of their workday sitting, which can lead to serious health consequences . That's why an international panel now recommends office workers stand at least two hours a day, eventually bumping that to four hours, per a press release . The new guidelines, published in...

You're Losing Your Office Space

Open offices mean less privacy for the American worker

(Newser) - The American workspace is getting smaller. In 2010, there was an average of 225 square feet of office space per office employee in North America; in 2012, the figure was down to 176 square feet, the New York Times reports based on data from a real estate association. The group...

Disgruntled Banker Moons Bosses, Loses Millions

Court decides Bank of America was right to fire cheeky exec

(Newser) - Mooning his bosses at Bank of America was no doubt a satisfying moment for disgruntled banker Jason Selch—but it ended up costing him his job and $2 million. After his employer merged with Bank of America's Columbia Asset Management and fired a friend of his for refusing to...

Worker Dies in Cubicle, Not Found for Day

LA County employee Rebecca Wells, 51, found dead at desk

(Newser) - A Los Angeles County employee lay dead and slumped over her desk in an office cubicle for what could have been as long as a day before anybody noticed, police say. Rebecca Wells, a 51-year-old auditor who had recently become a grandmother, was found by a security guard Saturday afternoon,...

10 Worst Office Phrases
 10 Worst Office Phrases 
don't say it
Dec 16, 2009 7:22 PM CST

10 Worst Office Phrases

There's always something better to say than gross, redundant cliches

(Newser) - Frances Cole Jones has had just about enough of certain phrases at the office, he writes for CNN. Some are cliches, some are needlessly gross, and some use just plain bad grammar:
  • "Pick your brain."
  • "Throw it against the wall and see what sticks."
  • "
...

County Will Fire Sick Employees for Working
County Will Fire Sick Employees for Working
h1n1 outbreak
Oct 16, 2009 1:13 PM CDT

County Will Fire Sick Employees for Working

Arizona municipality tries to put brakes on spread of swine flu

(Newser) - In a desperate attempt to curb the spread of swine flu, Pima County, Ariz., has notified its employees that they could be canned if they come to work sick. Any employee with a fever over 100.4 accompanied by any other flu symptom will be sent packing. “It seems...

Letterman Reveals Extortion Attempt Over Office Sex

After grand jury testimony, late-night host says con man wanted $2M

(Newser) - In a highly unusual moment during the taping of last night’s Late Show, David Letterman confessed to his studio audience that he had had sexual flings with female staffers on the show, and that they had become the basis for a $2 million extortion attempt by a CBS news...

Some Software to Keep You Focused
Some Software to Keep You Focused
TECH REVIEW
Sep 17, 2009 12:30 PM CDT

Some Software to Keep You Focused

Digital nannies keep you away from distracting web sites

(Newser) - The PC is a devilishly distracting tool, with news, social-networking, and game sites—not to mention work—vying for your attention. To salvage his productivity, Farhad Manjoo turned to a number of programs designed to cut down on distractions, he writes for the New York Times. There are three types....

Things to Avoid on Take Your Dog to Work Day

(Newser) - Tomorrow being Take Your Dog to Work Day, People Pets weighs in on what NOT to do if you want bring Fido back to your cubicle next year. Don’t:
  • ... bring a stinky dog. “Hygiene needs to be a top priority,” says a Humane Society rep.
  • ... wander the
...

Bank of England Orders Its Women Into Heels, Lipstick

When in trouble, male execs turn to makeup

(Newser) - The battered Bank of England has ordered its female workers into heels and at the very least lipstick, igniting a firestorm of controversy. The institution, facing one of the worst economic slumps in history, took time out to hold a seminar teaching its women how to look "feminine" without...

Aussies Are World's Rudest Employees

Americans, Britons most easily offended

(Newser) - Australian businesspeople are the rudest in the world—or so says a new study, Reuters reports. Aussies are more likely than their peers in other countries to curse, talk loudly, and take personal calls on the job—actions considered grave violations of workplace etiquette in nations like the US and...

Signs He's Your Work Spouse
 Signs He's Your Work Spouse 
Nov 11, 2008 4:44 PM CST

Signs He's Your Work Spouse

Looking at those platonic office relationships that mirror married life

(Newser) - Everyone has friends in the office, but not everyone has a work spouse—a fellow worker of the opposite sex with whom one has a close, platonic relationship. According to Vault.com, 23% of workers say they have a work spouse. CNN collects signs that you might have one, too:...

Japan Struggles with Slacker Salarymen

Anti-ambitious young Japanese opt out of the career fast track

(Newser) - A new generation of Japanese salarymen is dropping out of the competition for raises, promotions, and managerial opportunities, the Wall Street Journal reports. Older Japanese are shocked at the attitudes of these ambition-shunning young workers who openly decline to climb the corporate ladder and switch jobs in pursuit of less-demanding...

It's Not My Fault! I Was Only Late Because...

Top whoppers workers use on why they're, er, 'running behind'

(Newser) - Not a morning person? You’re not alone. More than 15 percent of people are late to work at least once a week, reports CNN, and almost a quarter of those give an excuse rather than tell the truth. The best (and, at the same time, worst) excuses offered up...

10 Summer Intern Success Tips
 10 Summer Intern Success Tips 
Jun 10, 2008 12:58 PM CDT

10 Summer Intern Success Tips

Keep your head down, follow orders, make some connections

(Newser) - Heads up, summer interns. Vogue passes along advice from fashion publishing, design, and PR insiders for making a shining impression (hint: It's not about you):
  1. Think creatively, dress conservatively: Leave the flip-flops at home.
  2. Don't play it too safe; a little flair shows the boss you have a sense of
...

Study Shows Your Office Job Could Kill You

Stressed desk jockeys 68% more likely to suffer heart disease

(Newser) - Researchers at University College London have found that stressful working conditions interfere with the body's ability to deal with high-pressure situations, the Daily Telegraph reports. Company cogs under 50 with high workloads and little control over their situations had a 68% greater chance of succumbing to heart disease than more-relaxed...

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