"Actually, every single cubicle has terrible Feng Shui. I checked."

[larryhammer]

Why a 40-hour work-week is not just a nice idea for worker happiness, but optimal for productivity. (via)

Retail stores with small sales staffs are not as profitable as stores with large, highly trained, well-paid staffs. (via)

Stop-motion live-actor corporate surrealism: Luminaris. (via lost in the browser tabs)

---L.

Comments

[shveta-thakrar.livejournal.com]

These are awesome articles, especially the first one. Of course, how to actually turn the tide?

[larryhammer]

Damn. Good. Question.

---L.

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Good articles - thanks!

A lot of common sense there, you would think, but when did fashion ever respond to common sense? And the current fashion is not to view employees as valuable to a business, merely an annoying drain on capital.

[larryhammer]

Maximizing profits on the quarter being another of those fashions against common sense.

---L.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Thirty-hour work weeks make even more sense, IMO.

[larryhammer]

An argument can be made for that.

---L.

[rymrytr.livejournal.com]

Didja notice the quote in the Header on Making Light? Very profound:

“Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.” —John M. Ford

I just gotta say that with all the things I did in the woods, during my youth, I don't think I ever iterated... not that I can recall anyway. And it's a good thing those Bears who witnessed the rest of it, can't speak out!

[larryhammer]

I iterated in the woods all the time, when I was a kid.

---L.

[ersatz-read.livejournal.com]

I figure if I'm dreaming about work - dreaming about problems, not nifty/elegant solutions - then I've been working too many hours. And with the type of work we're doing currently, that kicks in at about hour 45.

So I try to stay below 45 hours, knowing that I'll need to do some noticeable things somewhere in there to offset management's assumption that I "lack passion". I left my previous job when I became too wiped out to take it anymore; after six months of complete inactivity I still loathed my chosen profession, but the financial situation was getting grim. Since then, I've been slowly working toward a more sustainable outlook on the whole employment thing.

I did once mention to my manager that I felt overtime was unethical, and unproductive to boot; the response was dead silence, and I think that was only because I had a very good set of performance evals to lean on. Whatever their personal opinion might be, it's very hard to find someone in middle management who feels secure enough to even acknowledge such a position. In my experience.

Currently, management here is just as fried by overwork as everyone else, to the point where they can't make sound decisions anymore. And like the article said, when you're that tired you're just not aware of your own stupidity. So, things won't be changing anytime soon.

[larryhammer]

Same for me, about dreaming -- which kicks in a little above 45 hours. And yes, about sustainable pace.

---L.