A study finds people develop more ideas after a period of boredom, indicating employees benefit from downtime or starting a complex task after completing a tedious one, writes Lila MacLellan. Independent thinkers who focus on learning more than performance produced higher-quality ideas.
If slow change, too much change or a micromanaging boss is creating a sense of helplessness at work, seek ways to take care of yourself and take small actions that can move your career forward, says author and Duke University professor Dorie Clark. Don't allow a sense of powerlessness to become your identity, Clark warns, because that can lead you to feel hopeless.
Taking certain steps before you leave, during your vacation and after you return can tame your email inbox and reduce the stress of getting caught up with messages, writes Stephanie Vozza. "For example, have your meeting invites or client messages sent to different folders so you can tackle emails by type and importance," she writes.
Tightened visa requirements for visiting workers has led to an approximate 15% decline in H-1B visa approval rates, causing challenges for companies that routinely hire STEM talent from abroad, Fatime Doczi writes. These companies are now looking to recruit domestically but are concerned that the US lacks the qualified talent needed to fill their skill demands.
Before their final day on the job, employees should determine if they're eligible to collect unused vacation or sick time, writes Maurie Backman. They should submit a gracious resignation letter and gather contact information from colleagues to shore up their professional network.
Job seekers will enjoy more success if they pursue positions and employers outside their experience and interest levels, writes Dan Ucko. "The interviews you nail for the positions you think you're best suited for aren't necessarily the ones that are going to come to fruition," he writes.
Research finds sharing the lunch hour with co-workers builds bonds that boost productivity back at the office, writes Nupur Amarnath. It allows people to experience new aspects of each other's personality, strengthening team communication and creativity.
The scientific journal Paediatrics & Child Health has published research by Nora Keegan -- a 13-year-old girl who began researching how the noise made by hand dryers affects children's ears when she was only nine years old. Keegan measured the decibel levels of hand dryers in 40 public bathrooms in Alberta, Canada, and found that Xlerator and Dyson Airblade hand dryers had levels greater than 100 decibels, which is the threshold for the noise made by children's toys because they can damage hearing.
