Lines Have Blurred Between Work And Home

Workers who are expected to put in long hours and take work home with them are compensating by taking care of personal tasks while on the job, a new study shows.

The Xylo Report for November underscores just how blurry the line has become between work and personal time.

The study by Wirthlin Worldwide for Xylo Inc. found that 40 percent of employees put in overtime or take work home with them at least once a week. Three-quarters say they take care of personal responsibilities while at work.

Additional findings include:

* Seventeen percent put in overtime or take work home with them every day, while another 15 percent do that two or three times per week.

* Some 36 percent of employees take care of personal responsibilities on a daily basis while at work; 18 percent do so two to three times a week, while 10 percent do so once a week and 11 percent once or twice a month.

* Tasks that employees take care of at work range from eldercare (1 percent) and personal entertainment planning (3 percent) to childcare (16 percent) and banking/bill paying (34 percent).

Results are based on information obtained in late October from 560 working adults.

Be prepared

For job-seekers, interviews often spell the difference between a job offer and a cold shoulder.

To help those seeking employment improve their performance, Jobtrak.com has compiled a list of the top 15 interview questions from the country’s leading employers:

* Tell me about yourself.

* What do you know about our company?

* Why do you want to work for us?

* What unique qualities or abilities would you bring to this job?

* What are your major strengths and weaknesses?

* How long do you plan to stay at our company? Where do you see yourself in five years?

* Tell me about a time that you failed at something, and what you did afterward.

* Describe a time when you worked on a team project. What was your relative position on the team? Were you satisfied with your contribution? How could it have been better?

* Why did you choose your school and course of study?

* Think back to a situation in which there was a conflict you had to resolve and tell me how you resolved it.

* Tell me about a project that you had either at work or school. Describe in detail how you managed it and what was the outcome.

* What do you do in your spare time?

* What salary are you expecting?

* What other types of jobs or companies are you considering?

* Have you any questions for us?