productivity

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As Jobs Dry Up, Self Employment On the Rise

More Americans set out on their own, often in real estate

(Newser) - The number of hours worked by the self-employed jumped 8.5% in the last three months of 2009, as more unemployed people decided to try being their own bosses and those already self-employed buckled down, according to new figures from the Labor Department. “Firms aren’t hiring, so people...

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....

Troops Fume Over Proposed Smoking Ban

'If I were forced to quit, I'd probably be unbearable,' says one

(Newser) - Since the days of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s signature corncob pipe, through the rationing of cigarettes during World War II, smoking has been ingrained part of military culture. But a new proposal to introduce a smoking ban in the armed forces is sparking fierce opposition, with some saying it could...

Let Employees Roam the Web
 Let Employees Roam the Web 
OPINION
Aug 26, 2009 4:37 PM CDT

Let Employees Roam the Web

(Newser) - Protecting against viruses and encouraging productivity is all well and good, Farhad Manjoo writes on Slate, but “locking down” company computers isn’t the way to go about it. Companies that “block the Web and various other online distractions on the theory that a cowed workforce is an...

Economy Is Only Recovering on Paper
Economy Is Only
Recovering on Paper
Analysis
Aug 12, 2009 9:03 AM CDT

Economy Is Only Recovering on Paper

(Newser) - If you’re the glass-half-full type, recent economic indicators look good: Unemployment fell last month, the savings rate is up, and productivity hit a 6-year high. But that same data proves that ordinary people aren’t likely to feel the good vibrations anytime soon, the Washington Post reports. “It's...

Dow Up 75 on Jobless Data
 Dow Up 75 on Jobless Data 
MARKETS
Jun 4, 2009 3:11 PM CDT

Dow Up 75 on Jobless Data

(Newser) - Markets edged up today on good unemployment claims and productivity data, the Wall Street Journal reports. But traders appear to be holding out for tomorrow’s employment report, and the rising price of oil continues to worry. “We have to hope it doesn't go to $80,” one trader...

Surfing on Company Time Boosts Productivity

May we suggest Newser.com?

(Newser) - If your boss catches you reading this article, don’t sweat it. A little recreational internet use on the job makes for more productive employees, according to a new Australian study. The study surveyed 300 people, 70% of whom engaged in a little WILB—“workplace Internet leisure browsing.”...

Japanese Told to Work Less, Have More Sex

More kids needed

(Newser) - Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, thanks, health experts say, to an overworked populace too tired to have much sex. Surveys show that married Japanese couples under 50 have sex an average of 45 times a year, less than half the global average. Now some...

For Retail Workers, Big Bro Is Tracking

Computer systems help max productivity, cut costs

(Newser) - As a sluggish economy pinches retailers, many are now turning to computer programs to track employee productivity, the Wall Street Journal reports. At Ann Taylor stores, a computer system calculates average sales per hour, units sold, and dollars per transaction —then automatically schedules the best workers during the store’...

Tough Times Turn Mean Bosses Even Meaner

Workers fear losing jobs, take abuse

(Newser) - If your boss was a jerk before the economy went south, chances are things have gotten worse. “Employers are definitely getting meaner,” the editor of one career blog tells MSNBC. Knowing that employees may be fearful about leaving in an uncertain job market, the worst managers are pressuring...

Tech Firms to Fix Monster They Created

Email, IMs keep employees available and distracted

(Newser) - Google, Microsoft, Intel, and IBM are partnering are on a new initiative to help workers distracted by emails and instant messages improve their productivity, the New York Times reports. The Information Overload Research Group, a nonprofit launching next month, will devise cultural and technological solutions to reduce the digital deluge...

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...

News Writers Should Strive to Write as Much as Possible, Says Tribune Co.

Longer is better, right?

(Newser) - The Tribune Co., which as you have probably guessed is the company that produces the Chicago Tribune, among other newspapers, is bringing a revolution, or a big change, to the news business. Tribune Co.’s Chief Operating Officer, Randy Michaels, has decided to start measuring productivity by word count,...

No-Email Days Slow Inbox-mania
No-Email Days Slow Inbox-mania
Oct 20, 2007 6:48 AM CDT

No-Email Days Slow Inbox-mania

no-email days; are computers next?

(Newser) - For those of us who haven't spoken face-to-face with the guy two cubicles down in months, the BBC reports a growing trend of no-email days. Shutting down the inbox, which some workers are found to check 30-40 times hourly, is seen as a way to improve communication and decrease interruptions....

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