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A recent piece on Wall Street Journal online discusses the pros and cons of the "superjob" -- one in which an employee does the tasks he or she was hired to do, plus anything else that may come up, such as customer service or cleaning up around the office.
To be sure, these "superjobs" or "stretch jobs" are increasing worker hours and decreasing job satisfaction. However, managers may see them as the next evolution of a cost-efficient workplace. (Read: They may be here to stay.)
How to localize this trend in your communities:
-- Offer resources where readers can learn to deal with new tasks they may need for their jobs. The WSJ article suggests the American Management Association and Five O'Clock Club as two resources -- what are others in your communities? Think about community colleges, home improvement stores that offer classes, and banks that have money-management education tools.
-- Offer ways readers can deal with the stress of longer workdays and more tasks to accomplish. Do any local groups offer after-work get-togethers, what pick-up league sports are going on now at the local YMCA, what can local yoga teachers advise about stress management?
-- Ask readers to nominate co-workers who've taken on more tasks recently, and to submit them to the paper for a contest. If you can, offer a prize from a salon, service or other local business that would fete and reward this worker.
A recent piece on Wall Street Journal online discusses the pros and cons of the "superjob" -- one in which an employee does the tasks he or she was hired to do, plus anything else that may come up, such as customer service or cleaning up around the office.
To be sure, these "superjobs" or "stretch jobs" are increasing worker hours and decreasing job satisfaction. However, managers may see them as the next evolution of a cost-efficient workplace. (Read: They may be here to stay.)
How to localize this trend in your communities:
-- Offer resources where readers can learn to deal with new tasks they may need for their jobs. The WSJ article suggests the American Management Association and Five O'Clock Club as two resources -- what are others in your communities? Think about community colleges, home improvement stores that offer classes, and banks that have money-management education tools.
-- Offer ways readers can deal with the stress of longer workdays and more tasks to accomplish. Do any local groups offer after-work get-togethers, what pick-up league sports are going on now at the local YMCA, what can local yoga teachers advise about stress management?
-- Ask readers to nominate co-workers who've taken on more tasks recently, and to submit them to the paper for a contest. If you can, offer a prize from a salon, service or other local business that would fete and reward this worker.
