An increasing number of Japanese workers in their 20’s and 30’s are eschewing promotions and raises in favor of jobs with minimal responsibilities says the Wall Street Journal.  Employment experts say the phenomenon, referred to as hodo-hodo zoku, the "so-so folks,"  is a result of rebellion against loss of personal time and cynicism driven by the job and pay cuts faced by previous generations. The growing trends has some companies facing reduced productivity and others investigating if workers can be fired for refusing a promotion.

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Downsized staffs paired with increased workloads may be causing a rise in stress levels around the workplace. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 7,600 workers nationwide, (78%) reported feeling burned out at work.

More than half (54%) of workers said their companies offer some sort of flexible work arrangements to help manage stress levels and work/life balance and two-thirds indicated that they take advantage of at least one of the programs offered. When asked which benefits they take part in the most, workers said:

1. Alternative schedules (72%)
2. Compressed work weeks (24%)
3. Telecommuting (15%)
4. Summer hours (14%)
5. Job sharing (6%)

"Unmanageable stress levels in the workplace can seriously impact an employee's productivity and home-life," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Employers today are being much more proactive in offering a variety of programs that promote a healthy work/life balance, and companies and workers alike are reaping the benefits. Sixty-one percent of workers said taking advantage of flexible work arrangements has made them more productive and 21% said it actually improved their career progress."

Source: CareerBuilder.com/PRNewswire

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LawLink, "The Attorney Network," is a social network exclusively dedicated to attorneys.

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PeopleJam.com is a startup social network. According to the website, the community provides opportunities for members to:

• Meet others who share your same goals
• Share stories and get valuable advice
• Learn from top experts and coaches
• Have fun and enjoy more of life

Drew McClellen at "Drew's Marketing Minute" blog has put together an e-book to provide college grads with what they need to know to find a job and succeed in the wild and wooly marketing/advertising industry. If you're a soon-to-be or recent grad, take a look at the tips and advice from folks in the marketing and advertising field in areas such as:

Lots of valuable advice from hands-on professionals.