Many bosses loathe the idea of having their subordinates work from home for one simple reason: It makes them feel as though they've lost some measure of control. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all supervisors, as many of us would agree our bosses are comfortable with our working from home as long as the work gets done. Those who fall into this camp are primarily: Old school, preferring everyone work from the office all the time Control freaks Slave drivers Micro managers Highly extroverted people who prefer verbal to written communication There's nothing wrong with preferring to work at the office because it affords you more structure, you have fewer distractions to contend with, and so forth. But many power-hungry bosses can't bear the thought of not being able to pop into your cubicle and press you on why the budget forecast isn't yet complete.  There's no physical office with their title slapped proudly to the door, visible...

Just when you thought most major retailers planned to close up shop on Thanksgiving, Macy's said "not so fast." Not only does the department store plan to open on turkey day, it is looking to do so an hour earlier. Several stores have prioritized their employees' desire to spend time with their families on Thanksgiving over making a quick buck, including IKEA, Crate and Barrel, Dillard's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Marshall's, Sam's Club, and Publix. Unfortunately, Macy's has yet to jump on the bandwagon, doing anything it can to reverse six consecutive quarters of revenue declines. While some consumers are sure to rejoice at the prospect of snagging big bargains on Thanksgiving Day, others fret at the company's seeming indifference toward affording employees the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones. What companies don't recognize is that forcing these people to work through the holiday results in low morale and, in many cases, a...

When leaders punish subordinates, they often do this out of distrust. Afraid of losing their position, they use punishment as a deterrent. However, new research shows such punishments are not very effective. Distrust is the primary reason why leaders impose punishments on individuals over whom they have power. Leaders expect others not to follow the rules, and punish them on the basis of this distrust. Ironically, not only are these punishments hardly effective, but they have the potential to exacerbate the situation. When people feel distrusted, they are less inclined to obey the rules. They deem this assumption on the part of the leaders as a clear sign of disrespect. Thus, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. Furthermore, leaders are afraid of losing their power, and act out of the desire to protect that power. That's why they wield punishment as a deterrent -- to ensure that rules are never broken again. They feel that if they're too trusting of others, thi...

A bevy of retailers have gotten a lot of flak in recent years for either opting to remain open all day or choosing to start Black Friday early by opening late Thanksgiving night. While some consumers embrace the opportunity to be among the first to snag incredible bargains at these stores, others think the retailers should keep their doors closed on the holiday. That especially includes affected employees who'd prefer to spend that time with their families. Some groups are so fiercely opposed to business as usual on Thanksgiving that they've organized boycotts throughout the country. Finally, many of these stores have listened and are planning to remain closed on Thanksgiving. Among them are: - Costco - Pier 1 - Nordstrom - Crate & Barrel - T.J. Maxx - Marshalls - Home Depot - Barnes & Noble - Sam's Club - Staples - Ikea - Lowe's It's about time these companies recognized that there's more to life than work. Thanksgiving is a day to ...

In April, Dan Price, CEO of the of the credit card payment processor Gravity Payments, left employees, customers, and the media dumbfounded when he announced he would raise minimum pay for all employees to at least $70,000 a year. The move drew the ire of his brother Lucas, who claimed that, as co-founder, the pay raise infringed upon his rights as a minority shareholder. But Price's unorthodox strategy has paid huge dividends for the company. Revenue and profits have doubled since, with customer retention rising from 91 to 95 percent. A few weeks after Price made the initial announcement, the company was barraged with over 4,000 resumes and saw a huge surge in customer inquiries. Price began giving out 20 percent annual raises to his staff after in 2011 after an employee complained over low pay. Thanks in part to a productivity increase of 30-40 percent, profit was still comparable to that of the prior year. He handed out the same raised the next year and achieved the same o...