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What's the downside of making friends at work?

May 16, 2018
A new study suggests those relationships might be getting in the way of productivity.
Though work friendships can provide emotional support, they can also be a distraction, says Nancy Rothbard of the Wharton School. Above, stock brokers laugh at Frankfurt's stock exchange.
THOMAS LOHNES/AFP/Getty Images

Baseball’s opening day strikes some as more tempting than going to work

Mar 29, 2018
For baseball fans, opening day at the ballpark means an introduction to the players. It’s the season’s first taste of a stadium hot dog,  And, for some? A reason to call in sick from work. So what are employers doing to keep workers at the office? Click the above audio player to hear the full […]

Productivity is poised to rise. Finally.

Feb 21, 2018
Labor productivity, a measure of how efficient workers are, hasn’t been improving in recent years. That has caused worry among economists, because worker productivity has a big impact on economic growth. Well, times may be a-changing. The McKinsey Global Institute is out with a new report that says this era of low productivity growth might […]

Flu season could cost employers billions of dollars

Feb 12, 2018
This flu season could cost businesses at least $15.4 billion in lost productivity, according to one employment consulting firm.
A sign advertising flu shots is displayed at a Walgreens pharmacy on Jan. 22, 2018 in San Francisco, California. 
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

White noise is the new soundtrack of work

Jan 30, 2018
White noise helps workers focus in open floor plan offices. It is especially popular with tech workers, designers and entrepreneurs, and demand is growing.
Jonah Lopin in his open office space likes to listen to the recorded sound of a fan through his headphones. 
Judith Kogan/ for Marketplace

It's official. Politics is distracting us at work

Mar 6, 2017
We're spending two hours a day reading or talking about issues on the job, a survey finds.
“We found that 87 percent of employees are reading political social media posts during the workday,” said Kris Duggan, CEO of BetterWorks.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images

March Madness at work: the cost of lost productivity

Mar 3, 2017
What's bad for business is good for morale.
Ryan Spangler, #00 of the Oklahoma Sooners, and Daniel Ochefu, #23 of the Villanova Wildcats, battle for the ball during the 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal in Houston.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

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What it would take to spur U.S. growth to 3 percent or more

Feb 23, 2017
The Trump Administration predicts its policies will drive economic growth up to 3 percent or higher. We take a look at what it would take to get there.
BRUNO FAHY/AFP/Getty Images

Meet the workplace sensors that are watching you

Feb 22, 2017
Bloomberg Reporter Rebecca Greenfield talks about the new ways companies can track employees.
Employers "can monitor workers all the way up until the bathroom," says workplace reporter Rebecca Greenfield.
PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images

What kind of economy did President Trump actually inherit?

Feb 16, 2017
It's not really how he describes it.
From left, First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Inauguration Day.
Rob Carr/Getty Images