5th Annual 'Leave the Office Earlier Day' Asks Employers to Cut Workers Some Slack; Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports U.S. Worker Productivity Increasing as Layoffs Continue to Climb

    HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO, May 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As workers across the nation make plans to participate in the fifth annual Leave the Office Earlier Day, June 2, which is listed in Chase's Calendar of Events, many of them are feeling the added stress of increasingly heavy workloads and responsibilities because of the layoff-laden recession.

But it doesn't have to be that way, according to productivity expert and best-selling author, Laura Stack, who lectures nationally on the benefits of work/life balance and related business topics. Stack suggested Chase add the day to its calendar in recognition of the benefits of achieving maximum workplace and personal productivity. Her idea was to get employers and their employees to agree to limit their time in the office on June 2 to eight hours, and to spend additional time they would have worked with their friends and families instead.

For the first quarter of 2009, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that U.S. workers, already the most productive in the world, saw a 1.1 percent increase in business sector productivity, and a 0.8 percent increase in the nonfarm business sector.

"Given today's economy, the eight-hour work day will probably remain a myth to working Americans for the foreseeable future," says Stack, whose series of entertaining self-improvement business books are peppered with personal anecdotes and easy-to-follow productivity tips. "June 2nd isn't about playing hooky or ditching work sooner. It's an opportunity for people to focus on changing work patterns, adjusting priorities, and engaging in conversations to find ways to achieve work/life balance while improving workplace productivity."

Stack's most recent book is The Exhaustion Cure (Broadway Books, 2008), and she also is the creator of The Productivity Pro planner by Day-Timer . To help employees increase efficiency and get results in less time, Stack is giving away a free 10-part eCourse on "How to Leave the Office Earlier" to anyone who pledges support for the concept by registering at: http://www.TheProductivityPro.com/leave.html by June 2. Day-Timer has contributed prizes for a drawing among those who take the online pledge.

"By implementing some simple productivity strategies and tactics, even the most overworked and overstressed people can get more done and feel good about it," she says. "Through focused productivity, people will find they can accomplish the results they need in less time, leave the office earlier, and experience fuller lives."

Editors: For more information, royalty-free articles and tip sheets you can use to develop stories about work/life balance and workplace productivity, please visit the Media Room at www.TheProductivityPro.com.

For telephone or e-mail interviews with Stack, please contact:
Nina Bondarook
Bondarook & Associates
Phone: 650.533.3367
[email protected]

Laura Stack, MBA, CSP
President & CEO
The Productivity Pro
Phone: 303.471.7401
[email protected]

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