When colleagues are no longer seeking your advice or assistance, it could be a sign that they see you as more of a hindrance than a help, writes Kristin Hendrix. "If you're getting all positive or neutral information, or no longer being engaged in a way that you were previously, it's time to step back and consider where you may need to engage," she writes.

First, Panasonic brought desperate work-from-homers the in-home cubicle. Now, Otegaru has taken things to the next level and created a soundproof room you can set up in your house to take calls, work in private or block out home schoolers.

A recent survey found employees spend an average of 2.5 hours each workday on their smartphone "accessing digital content" not related to their job -- even though nearly half of respondents said their company has a policy against it. Research by the nonprofit Screen Education also found 14% said a smartphone distraction -- such as listening to music or texting while driving on company time -- caused at least one accident.

US employment growth is forecast to average 0.4% a year from 2019 to 2029, far short of the 1.3% following the global financial crisis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Productivity will improve but economic growth is expected to average an annual 1.8%, down from the previous decade's 2.3%, the agency said.

Many companies are expected to continue collecting payroll taxes in an effort to avoid the risks that would come with implementing President Donald Trump's payroll-tax deferral program. Under guidance released by the Internal Revenue Service on Friday, employers will be required to pay any deferred taxes during the first four months of 2021 that are not paid by workers.

Find ways to meditate or refocus yourself on the present moment to combat some of the loneliness that the seclusion of the pandemic may be producing, write Darren Good and Christopher Lyddy. "We may wish we were at the office with our friends, but until the virus is defeated, our best friends may be whomever -- or perhaps, whatever -- we can see and hear right now," they write.

After getting criticized for the alleged mistreatment of pregnant athletes it sponsors, Nike has now launched a line of athletic wear that is specifically designed for pregnant women.