November 28, 2013
One in five US workers will spend Thanksgiving day with colleagues
With most American firms closed today for the country’s annual Thanksgiving celebrations, comes the surprising news that a significant number of workers will in fact be spending the day together after all. According to a survey carried out by CareerBuilder, co-workers may play a role in many Thanksgiving celebrations. Nearly one-in-five (19%) employees say they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving with co-workers either in or out of the office. Those working in transportation and utilities are most likely to spend the day together (28%), with Atlanta (35%) showing the highest percentage of colleagues meeting up on the day and Boston (6%) the lowest. Fourteen per cent of workers said they have to work on Thanksgiving anyway, with hospitality staff the most likely to be on the clock (36%).
November 26, 2013
Control over their work space helps satisfy people’s basic emotional needs
by Annie Gurton • Comment, Workplace design
In the second of two pieces to mark the seventieth anniversary of Abraham Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ Annie Gurton writes: Workers need an element of control in their surroundings. As Maslow said in the 1940s, humans are fundamentally, simple creatures. We need air, water, food and security, but along with those basic physiological needs we have a set of emotional needs. If these are not met we do not die, but we become emotionally distressed. When it comes to designing office space, it is important that our basic emotional needs are met if we are to feel happy. Workers need to have privacy yet feel connected to others. They need to have a sense of community yet feel that they are respected.
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