Put Down that Phone (or Else!)

One of my favorite work- and labor-related journalists is Lucy Mangan, a writer for The Guardian newspaper, BBC and, most recently, blogging for CollinsDictionary.com (It is a blog about words. Very funny words.) She is fabulously clever and sharp-tongued, but never misses an opportunity to make the audience laugh, even when covering serious issues. Her take on the move by French union leaders to prohibit the using mobile phones for work after punching out at the end of the day is no exception. 

You may already be familiar with notoriety of labor unions in France: they are the usual suspects when it comes to boycotts, picketing and protests in the news. Regardless of sector, they are far more influential than the unions we are accustomed to here in the United States. It is organized labor that brings about a month-long hiatus every August, when the population flees to Bali and Ibiza and tourists are left wondering who will make their baguettes. (Who me? Envious? Never!) Similarly, French employees work fewer hours than their US counterparts, enjoy drastically increased maternal and paternal benefits and many other "quality of life" perks. 

The latest jewel in the crown of French unions is an agreement to protect tech industry workers from the bane of my existence annoyance of after-hours, work-related calls and e-mails. As described by Ms. Mangan, under the terms of the agreement, "employees will also have to resist the temptation to look at work-related material on their computers or smartphones - or any other kind of malevolent intrusion into the time they have been nationally mandated to spend on whatever the French call la dolce vita." Simply put, bosses will have to limit communications strictly to the hours of 9-5. Or 10-5, or 11-5 or whenever the French normally arrive at the office. 

I tease, of course, but this new law points to important underlying questions about work-life balance. For example, to whom does time belong? Does it belong to employers, who conduct business around-the-clock in order to compete globally, increase profits and thereby, salaries? Or does it belong to employees, who cannot be expected to invest the same amount of hours as a business owner? Furthermore, how do the trends of hours worked compare to stagnant wages over time? In today's modern era, are office workers paid to be on-call, like doctors, mafia consigliore and tow-truck operators?

Just some food for thought as you see your Blackberry light up and consider answering one last e-mail from "The Man" before calling it a night.

Dash of Green

Do you have office plants? I have a few (mostly) living plants in mine: a Christmas cactus, a primrose and two orchids that only bloom when there is an alignment of at least three planets.

Courtesy of Daniella Witte. See more at her blog!

I envy the those with a jungle-y office, but also don't have time for the constant misting and repotting when they get scraggly. Data from from the EPA and NASA might change this lazy habit though: indoor plants are an effective, affordable solution to poor indoor air quality. Whether at home or in a large office building, a wide range of irritants can negatively affect the air while you're working, including off-gassing from plastics or furniture, toxins from printers, wall paint, mold and chemical cleaning agents.

Courtesy of Design*Sponge. See more of this plant-filled office on the D*S website!

Here are a few recommendations to spruce up your office and your oxygen intake: aloe vera, English ivy, money plant (couldn't hurt to add this one), peace lily (ditto), spider plant and rubber plant. For more air cleansing plants, check out Yoganonymous and Elephant Journal.

Courtesy of MindBodyGreen. They have indoor plant recommendations here!

A Conference Call in Real Life

Happy Friday, workers of the world!

Created by: Tripp and Tyler  Produced by: Green Tricycle Studios

Office Lust: Wallpaper

Looking for an easy way to spruce up your 9-5 surroundings? How about adding a wall (or even just a stripe) of wallpaper? Thankfully, the wallpaper in your grandma's mauve-tastic home is a thing of the past! Chasing Paper makes it possible to add a little pizazz to your work space without getting permission to paint or investing in a serious furniture upgrade. Here are some great options.

If you are going for clever, try Book Worm:

Courtesy of ChasingPaper.com

Stylish? Choose Darling Diamond in black and gold:

Courtesy of ChasingPaper.com

And, for a classic look, I like Lovely Lattice in maroon and cream:

Courtesy of ChasingPaper.com

The best part is that there are no sloppy, toxic glues to deal with and, if you are a commitment-phone and/or report to a stodgy office manager, no worries! The wallpaper is removable and re-stickable (in case you've forgotten the old adage: measure twice, cut once). So go on, give it a try! I am going to try a border to bring some warmth into an otherwise freezing office.

Make the Most of Your Commute

According the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 90% of Americans commute to work. A full 8% of workers commute more than an hour each way to their place of employment. While that last statistic is mind-blowing to me, the simple fact is that even average commuters spend a large part of their waking life getting from home to work and back again: 38 hours per commuter per year!  

How many times have you put off starting a new habit, practicing an old one or taking the time to relax, because you're just "too busy"? Well, it might be time to "Treat Yo Self"!

  

Learning how to multitask during a long commute will not only take your mind off the traffic, unexpected delays and smelly passengers beside you, but will also give you a head start on feeling great about the day (or help leave work stresses behind as you head home). Here are a few suggestions:

Audiobooks

The old standby. Worried that you'll never have the time for Anna Karenina? LibriVox has a ton of free audio books available, searchable by author, title or genre. Also, check out Audible, where you can download a free book when you sign-up for their membership program. Commuter Bonus: did you know that you can rent audiobooks from Cracker Barrel? (However, I do not recommend stopping for the Double Meat Breakfast everyday on the way to the office.)

Podcasts

In just a few seconds, you can download some pretty incredible podcasts to your iTunes account, computer or smartphone. Some of my favorites include: Marketplace Money, This American Life and Radiolab. Most podcasts can be pre-set to download new episodes every time your device is near WiFi and it's a great, on-demand way to stay entertained or informed while trapped in a car, train or plane.

Knitting

For all you public transportation commuters out there! Knitting is the perfect way to pass the time, make something cool (or uncool, depending on how experienced you are) and also keep obtrusive people at bay with big metal weapons needles! Need help? You don't need a fancy class to get started. YouTube and KnittingHelp.com are excellent resources: from step-by-step beginners instruction to advanced skills and everything in between.

Learn a language

Thanks to a killer hour-long commute in law school, I now claim basic French* as a skill. Try it for yourself. Most local libraries offer lots of language courses in various formats, plus there are some amazing free classes online. I love Learn French with Alexa, Learn French by Podcast and my all-time favorite: Notes in Spanish. 

Meditate

Mindfulness is not defined by sitting on a pillow surrounded by Tibetan chanting. A commute is the perfect time to let the mind wander, use your imagination, brainstorm for a project or to practice deep breathing. If driving in silence seems overwhelming (or too hippy-dippy) check out these tips or these for ideas and inspiration.

Lastly, don't over do it. I don't care how agile your texting fingers are, typing into any device while driving or walking on a crowded subway platform is a terrible idea. (And it's totally not worth it to prove me wrong.)

For more facts about commuting, check out this fascinating study from the Texas A&M.

*Defined as the ability to order croissants, find a bathroom and order wine with ease.

Office Essentials

As much as I'd like to make this a post about well-designed, posh offices à la Architectural Digest or Domino, when I say "essentials", I actually mean "essentials": those things I need to do my work (and do it well).

Function - As much as everyone likes teeny-tiny fashionable desks where everything is hidden away in invisible storage bins, that vision is simply impractical in my world. I have a jumbo corner desk that is reversed in the room, so that I can see the door front of me and the windows are at my back. This allows me to work in (mostly) natural light, see coworkers coming and going and, generally, work efficiently. While my desk is neat, I work best with visual reminders, so there are stacks of papers lined across the front of it and sometimes on the floor behind (sigh), as I keep track of various projects. Add to that: piles of business cards, file folders, bulky computer monitors and a 1980s-era dinosaur phone and you pretty much get the picture. 

Creativity - As much as I appreciate function over frivolity, I also want someone to have an idea of who I am when they enter my space. (All work, no play, etc.) There has to be a little whimsy: postcards from past travels to remind me why I'm at work in the first place, a sports pennant of my favorite football team, plants in the windowsill, a daily photo calendar and local flyers from events around town, all add color and personality. 

Essential Supplies - Comfortable sitting chair for guests who need to come in and vent, floor lamp to avoid the dreaded overhead fluorescents, corner bookshelf, Snuggie long cardigan, white legal pads, black gel pens, colored Post-It notes, my favorite stapler, small ceramic space heater, chocolate and tea, lots of tea. (Is it obvious yet that I work in an icebox?)

Currently Coveting - A nice rug to cover the industrial greige carpet that is ubiquitous in the building. More than anything else, I think a rug would bring a level of coziness that is noticeably lacking in our office.

CFO: Chief Fun Officer

This New York Times article by author Oliver Burkeman actually made me laugh out loud. It is a must-read for any self-described curmudgeon surviving this festive time of Ebenezer Scrooge, bad drivers and mall sales stampedes.  

Despite best intentions, inserting mandatory fun into the workplace does not always work out. It can be distracting, even demeaning, to staff working hard to meet deadlines before the end of the year. Case-in-point: the impossible task of scheduling our office Christmas party this year. (Long story short is that we never had one.)

Unlike Mr. Burkeman, I probably fall into the "Happiness Engineer" category. Like most everything that I come to realize as I age, there has to be a balance between productivity and levity. The idea of coming to the office solely to produce output sounds downright depressing. (Not to mention unmotivating!) But, after years of working solo from home, I look forward to seeing coworkers, contributing as a team and sharing my daily routine with others. While I might not meet the expectations of a Google-like Chief Fun Officer, I think my work-related resolution for 2014 will be to encourage, instigate and participate in more office camaraderie.  

Wishing you a happy new year and continued success in finding Sanity with a Paycheck!

NB: As a bonus laugh line for this holiday season, the following clip comes courtesy of the "Epic Battles of Rap History" series. If you are not yet familiar with this over-the-top internet series of mayhem, you should be.