Stress can take a toll in the workplace. Tevis Gale, founder of Balance Integration, which helps companies balance stress and burnout, refers to stress as a global problem. "We all want to do a great job," says Gale, "but the same drive can bring us to burnout." Stress can trigger an unpleasant series of physical and emotional events that might include a dangerous increase in adrenaline. So how do you foster habits to avoid those ... [full story]

Ask any official at IBM to describe what is happening to the computer company today and you're likely to hear about something called "free enterprise." Pose a similar question to any IBM worker in the U.S. and you're likely to hear horror stories about the company's cost-cutting efforts and growth in far reaches of the globe at the expense of domestic workers. Both tell you the tale of IBM today. IBM was once as blue-chip ... [full story]

Workers may look to colleagues when searching for a sweetheart this Valentine's Day. Helaine Olen, co-author of "Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding - and Managing - Romance on the Job," refers to meeting at the office as old-fashioned courting. Co-workers get to know each other slowly since they spend a lot of time together. HR personnel may be unwitting matchmakers when they put two people together who have common interests. "Relationships develop over ... [full story]

WASHINGTON - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said the number of reported cases of racial harassment increased 24 percent in 2007.The EEOC said the number or reports in the workplace rose from 5,646 in 2006 to 6,977 in 2007, which is more than twice the number reported in 1991, USA Today reported Wednesday. EEOC chairwoman Naomi Earp said the increase in cases of racial harassment using nooses is indicative of wider racial tensions.The issue came to ... [full story]

It is difficult to overestimate the effect a bad boss has in a workplace, but it's just as easy to undervalue the effect of a good boss. A survey by Yahoo! HotJobs reveals that 43 percent of American workers would leave their jobs if they didn't like the supervisor's management style or were not given adequate mentoring in their jobs. The boss obviously has a big impact on employee morale, and not in a good ... [full story]

When in need of career advice, where do most workers seek guidance? Forty-six percent of executives initially turn to spouses or significant others when considering a job change, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service that questioned 150 senior executives. Only 42 percent of respondents answered the same in 2002. Mentors are also highly regarded when it comes to career guidance. Forty-one percent of respondents say they would first contact mentors, compared to ... [full story]

All this talk about working later in life these days seems to been a lot of hooey to the oldest baby boomers. A majority of the 2.9 million Americans who turn 62 this year say they will be fully retired by the age of 65, according to a new survey released by MetLife. That's in direct conflict with what previously has been forecast. Economic uncertainties, poor retirement planning, collapsing pension plans and longer worker lives ... [full story]

Don't dread going to work every morning. Instead, make work fun. Fun results from productivity and fulfillment, according to Sharon Livingston, a psychologist and president of The Livingston Group for Marketing Inc. Bring some short-term artificial fun into the office. Play games, wear funny hats, tell jokes, build friendships, bring toys, play a practical joke on co-workers, do tasks backward or take a walk. In order to gain long-term fun in the office, pick a ... [full story]

Anyone who has begun an exercise routine has probably bumped up against a common frustration. Day after day, you do cardio and resistance training and watch your diet. A week goes by and you feel like you are spinning your wheels. But three or four weeks into your exercise routine, you look and feel better and have more energy. You're convinced that the exercise program was worth the effort. That's sometimes a hard sell in ... [full story]

Do you find it difficult to fit both your job and outside life obligations into the day? Learning to balance responsibilities in both worlds can make daily life less stressful. Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer of Adecco USA, a human resources solutions company, says productivity and technology add to the challenge of pursuing a reasonable work/life balance. Although employers and employees seem to understand that stability leads to a healthier lifestyle and long-term working environment, ... [full story]

Nobody likes a quitter, but why do companies keep hiring them? That's one of the questions industrial-organizational psychologist Ryan Zimmerman has been asking himself lately. Zimmerman, a management professor at Texas A&M University, has been studying employee turnover and the personalities of workers, and discovered that some people are more likely to quit their jobs while others are likely to remain employed. "There is proven research that shows certain people are more likely to be ... [full story]

Even though the holiday decorations are put away and the parties are over, the "post-holiday blues" don't have to occur in the workplace. Happiness and excitement shouldn't end with the year. Don't look back at regrets; look ahead and decide to make a difference. Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, authors of "Boom! 7 Choices for Blowing the Doors off Business-As-Usual," say that the post-holiday blues can be avoided through choices. Workers have the choice to motivate ... [full story]

OK, maybe you didn't just discover a magic lantern with a genie in it, but we're still going to give you five wishes for your job in the new year. You can ask for whatever you want and you're probably going to be granted all five of your wishes. What do you ask for? That's probably a tougher question than it seems at first. I'm sure most of us would immediately ask for a substantial ... [full story]