Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
Overwhelmed and Overworked: The Myth of American Productivity
Employment finally seemed back on track during the first few months of 2004. Politicians crowed that "Our tax cuts are working." Then, without warning, job growth slowed to a crawl, resulting in a deficit of more than 2 million jobs from that confidently predicted only a year ago. To counteract that dismal performance, public emphasis turned to another indicator, productivity. The reported increases in American productivity are quite genuine. Individual worker output collectively rose, from 2000 to 2003, by a full 12 percent. Definitely a bonus for Wall Street - but what about Main Street? As the meticulous research of the Economic Policy Institute shows (Snapshot, 09/08/04), real family income fell, over the same period, by 3 percent. Contrast this with the economic period of 1947 - 1973 when productivity and real family income moved in tandem, both doubling over those years. What does this suggest? Americans are working harder and longer for less family income. As companies downsize or fail to replace workers who leave or retire, fewer staff are left to handle the workload. In fear of losing their own jobs, they respond by accepting new duties and new responsibilities and the added work time that accompanies them. In a world where employees are tethered to their workplaces virtually around the clock, by laptops, cell phones, and blackberries, the traditional balance of home and work has crumbled. There is a tendency to believe that such pressures are only operative for the ambitious, career-obsessed, "Apprentice"-like, ladder climbers. In fact, the sixty-hour-plus workweek affects a substantial portion of all salaried workers, even down to front line supervisory staff. The American worker, surveys clearly show, is becoming overwhelmed, over-tired, and fed up. Access rates for outpatient mental health services rise steadily each year. Family disruptions include increased estrangement, divorce, emotional child neglect, and domestic violence. Health problems multiply, fueled by fatigue, stress, and a lack of time for self-care. In the vaunted new technical world, where leisure time was to be expanded to historic proportions, we are working longer, harder, and more diligently than ever. Where can we look for answers? We can look at ourselves, identify our priorities, and learn to spend our time on what is important to us and let the rest go. More critically, we can speak up to make sure that social legislation and the tax code create similar priorities: to reward those companies who staff adequately and flexibly and provide benefits and resources to their employees. At the same time, we need to negatively impact companies who pursue such activities as job outsourcing, retiering of job titles to avoid overtime costs, dependence on temporary (usually none-benefited) labor, and the quiet acceptance of third world manufacturing of their products under sordid conditions, the use of child labor, and payment of slave wages. CEO salaries are running more than 130 times the median worker salary. Viewing the ethical and procedural problems of major corporate figures, now mired in the legal system, Americans must start to ask whether equality and opportunity for all is still a viable creed. Virginia Bola operated a rehabilitation company for 20 years, developing innovative job search techniques for disabled workers, while serving as a respected Vocational Expert in Administrative, Civil and Workers' Compensation Courts. Author of an interactive and emotionally supportive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The Worker's Edge, she can be reached at http://www.virginiabola.com
MORE RESOURCES: Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) How to use AI to get a job interview and nail it – along with the salary you deserve | Job hunting The Guardian Working for ICE ice.gov Careers University of Northern Colorado Careers at FEMA FEMA.gov Job Loss Is a Kind of Grief The Atlantic Careers City of Ontario, California (.gov) Careers at Prairie View A&M University PVAMU Home Careers | Home USDA (.gov) Jobs Multnomah County I landed job offers at Meta, Microsoft, and Google, thanks to this LinkedIn hack anyone can use Fortune Improve Your Chances of Landing That Job Interview IEEE Spectrum Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Careers - MDOT Maryland.gov Work at Fairfield Fairfield University Careers Baxter Employment Colby College Careers Johnson & Johnson Store Hourly Job Areas Target Corporate Career Job Areas Target Employment Opportunities | Game Commission Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Careers at Touro Touro University Careers at USCIS USCIS (.gov) Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs and Training at FDA fda.gov Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shares his top tips for a successful career: ‘Don’t be afraid to fail’ AboutAmazon.com Work at Butler Butler University Water Services Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) Job Search Results UnitedHealth Group Careers Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Employment | Department of Corrections Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov) Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences Career Opportunities UMHB Careers at Willamette Willamette University Finding Your New Career at the City of Phoenix City of Phoenix (.gov) Jobs Report NFIB EPA employees rally in Denver against President Trump’s job and funding cuts Colorado Public Radio IOM career gateways International Organization for Migration Careers at University of Missouri Health Care | University of Missouri Health Care jobs University of Missouri Health Care Careers Washington State University Careers BASF Careers at the IOC Olympics.com Jobs at Liberty University Liberty University 5 Best Job Search Sites of 2025 money.com Healthcare Jobs at Novant Health | Novant Health Novant Health Student internships at J&J Johnson & Johnson Careers Jobs And Careers | VA Montana Health Care | Veterans Affairs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Careers | Human Resources Seattle University Why hasn’t AI taken your job yet? Financial Times Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them The World Economic Forum Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis, MO (.gov) Ready for your next great job? ADP Careers Careers WV Department of Education Our Hiring Process Target Careers The Ocean Cleanup Job Seekers Illinois Human Resources Fargo VA Health Care System Jobs And Careers | VA Fargo Health Care | Veterans Affairs VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Careers CrowdStrike UF Health Careers UF Health Careers DOGE Terminated Me After I Moved Away From My Family for a VA Job Business Insider Careers at Union Union College KPMG Careers KPMG Jobs for Veterans and transitioning military VA Careers (.gov) As Layoffs Continue, Federal Workers Face Sluggish Job Market The New York Times Careers Euromonitor Interview Guide and Tips Target Job Opportunities Bellevue School District Current opportunities Turner & Townsend Recorded Video Interviews Target RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY TO POLICY-INFLUENCING POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE The White House (.gov) Job application FAQs Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services Work at UI Health Care | University of Iowa Health Care University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center 3. Skills outlook - The Future of Jobs Report 2025 The World Economic Forum Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade AP News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Invest in Your Career Change--Put Your Money Where Your Dream Is You say you want a new career, you say you want to start your own business, you say you'd love to be a freelance writer and travel more but are you serious? Can I really believe you? Are you investing in your dream?When you want something badly enough, you're willing to work hard, make sacrifices, and invest in your dream.Most people who've made a career change didn't have lots of money from which to draw. Job Interviews: Use the Personal Touch to Get a Job A study conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research in 1995 showed that sales people who used their prospects' names generated a 239% increase in sales. In today's fast-paced world, that personal touch is even more important. Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history. Resume Writing Tips Resume Writing doesn't have to be a solo gigResume writing can be the bottleneck to advancements in your career. If you find yourself getting writer's block consider getting help. Interview Tips, How to Get the Job You Want Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. 7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Salary Negotiation: How To Earn More Money and Respect From Your Employer Despite how important fair pay is to most of us, effective salary negotiation is an often misunderstood and avoided topic. Current research indicates the average duration of a position today is 3. Preparing For An Interview When preparing for an interview, you need to know your skills, experiences and achievements, and how to answer interview questions.Your SkillsBecome an expert about yourself. Hello Work World, Im Un-Retiring For many years, you looked forward to that day when you would bid the world of work a fond farewell and ride off into the sunset of your golden years.Initially, it felt wonderful not to have to go somewhere each morning. The Computer-Friendly Resume The evolution of technology is changing the traditional methods for job searching and recruiting. More and more companies are now relying on computers to initiate the process of hiring and are filling their database with candidates with skills that are easily searchable. How To Receive Payment as a Freelance Translator? A problem most freelance translators are facing with is how to receive payment. In particular: How to receive payment for small jobs. We Rejected Your Résumé Today Hi, I am Mr. Employer. The Right Way To Send Your Resume Having a great resume is the first critical step in a successful job search. Unfortunately, most people don't know the best ways to get that resume noticed. Why Choose A Professionally Written Resume? Good question, considering that nowadays you can find manyuseful resources to help you write your own resume(including many located at http://www.impressive-resumes. Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important first impression when you walk into the room for your interview.So plan ahead!Some people don't think about what they're going to wear until the morning of the interview. One Cover Letter Secret You Cant Afford To Miss Suppose you were the hiring manager, your desk piled high with cover letters and resumes to sort through. Which of the following cover letter greetings would grab your attention?Example #1:Dear Sirs: Dear Sir/Madam: Dear Gentlemen: To whom it may concern:Example #2:Dear Manager: Dear HR Director: Dear Human Resources:Example #3:Dear Mrs. Switching Careers - 7 Key Steps Are you thinking about switching careers? If you are, you're not alone. Most Americans switch careers three times in their lifetime. Tackling Your Unemployment Creatively Are you unemployed or been laid off? You are not alone if that is any comfort to you. Worldwide millions of people are in the same predicament as you are. Using Your Whine Factor Brian's work was exceptional. Still, as his boss, I rarely offered him additional responsibilities, never thought of promoting him or selecting him for a critical project. Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|