The Gallup organization reported in a press release that 52 percent of U.S. employees say that they are not engaged at work or that they are essentially checked out. Lower productivity from these workers costs the U.S. economy an estimated $370 billion annually, according to a recent press release from Gallup. Findings in a similar Gallup poll conducted in 2005 indicated that employees who have positive relationships with their supervisor and are happy with their work conditions perform better on the job. Almost half of employees who said they were passionate about their work and strongly connected to the company reported that a great deal of their happiness is related to work. Read the full article.

In related news, Bob Gately of Employer's Advantage reports that of managers' perceived top 10 motivators for their employees, the top five motivators are equivalent to money:

Money Items
1 - Salary
2 - Bonuses
3 - Vacation
4 - Retirement
5 - Other Benefits & Perks
Communication Items
6 - Interesting work
7 - Involved in decisions
8 - Feedback
9 - Training
10 - Respect

However, when employees are asked to rank their top 10 motivators, the list is:

Communication Items
1 - Interesting work
2 - Involved in decisions
3 - Feedback
4 - Training
5 - Respect
Money Items
6 - Salary
7 - Bonuses
8 - Vacation
9 - Retirement
10 - Other Benefits & Perks

Note that the employees rank items that are equivalent to money as their bottom five motivators. The managers' top five motivators are the employees' bottom five motivators. The managers' top five motivators are more related to the need of the managers to avoid personal contact with employees than the needs or desires of the employees.

Managers pick the top five motivators because these are the things that managers can "give" their employees without ever having to ask what the employees want or need, i.e., no involvement on a personal level is needed and all decisions can be made behind closed doors -- while avoiding personal contact even to the detriment of the organization.

From the Jobs and Moms Newsletter, from Work & Family Connection's e-course, "Making Telecommuting Successful: A Guide for Employees" come these 10 Tips for Telecommuting Success:

1. Ask for a volunteer "office buddy" to email you office news
2. Request weekly feedback on how the arrangement is working
3. Make calls, send memos, and don't let people forget you
4. Keep in touch to "keep in the know" through maintaining your relationships
5. Send out emails and updates of your projects
6. Be flexible with your schedule and the office schedule
7. Establish "office hours" and ask colleagues to contact you during those hours
8. Keep a watch on the perception of your in-office co-workers
9. Know their schedules so you can find them when needed
10. Take credit where credit is due -- for yourself, your office co-workers, and your boss