Commentary

The next time you see one of those hand-wringing, ìOverworked Americansî articles

Keep this in mind:

The hours category showed a real shocker — that extremely satisfied employees are putting in a lot more time at work than others. The most satisfied reported averaged 56 hours a week — 11 hours more than the least satisfied group. Almost without exception, as satisfaction rose, workers reported putting in longer hours.

Some results from a MONEY magazine/Salary.com survey of 26,000 workers. Another interesting bit:

Overall, 16 percent of respondents said they could telecommute any time they pleased, 28 percent could do so with their manager’s approval and 55 percent were not allowed to. Satisfied workers had more work-from-home options than other respondents, with only 38 percent saying telecommuting was never an option. Unhappy workers were least able to telecommute, with 70 percent reporting it was not an option. The most stressed workers were also least able to telecommute, with only a third saying it was an option for them at work.

From a TCS Daily article of mine: Telecommuting gives employees freedom to rearrange their work life to fit better with other aspects of their lives. Want to pick up your child from school or to exercise during the middle of the day? No problem. In fact, someone who finds it more pleasant to work out when the gym is less crowded might be more likely to stick to an exercise program. Whole thing here.