Labor: Employees reporting increase in workload

Employees in the post-recession workplace are working longer and harder and rarely have a break from the daily routine, according to an online survey by CareerBuilder.com.

After months of layoffs, hiring freezes and job cutbacks, more companies are having to do the same amount of work (if not more) with less staff.

In its survey of 1,400 workers, more than a third reported increases in their personal workloads in the past six months.

And despite the innovations of flextime and four-day work weeks, the majority spent more than 40 hours working during the week.

Thirty-nine percent of those who arrived at work early stayed late, while 30 percent of those who arrived right on time said they stay late.

Leadership: Companies to be honored for charitable donations

The United Way of Douglas County and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the Spirit of Caring award. The award will recognize area businesses that are leaders in strengthening the community through charitable giving and the promotion of volunteerism.

The Spirit of Caring Award will honor three organizations each year. Winners will be determined by the amount of charitable donations and in-kind donations directed to local not-for-profit endeavors as well as efforts by the company to promote volunteerism among its employees.

Organizations interested in applying for the award can obtain application forms at the offices of the United Way of Douglas County, 2518 Ridge Court, and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, 734 Vt.

Information also is available at www.lawrencechamber.com. The entry deadline is Jan. 31. For more information, contact Colleen Gregoire at 843-6626, Lynn Parman at 865-4411 or Mary Kate and David Ambler at 842-9973.

Motley Fool: Name that company

Based in Bethesda, Md., my roots go back to 1909. With a market capitalization of around $30 billion, I’m one of the world’s largest technology companies. My name reflects the 1995 merger between two defense giants, and in 1996 I also snapped up some businesses from aerospace technology specialist Loral. I rake in around $24 billion annually, and my backlog of orders tops $70 billion. I employ more than 125,000 people in more than 50 countries. I built the Hubble Space Telescope, and my SR-71 flew from California to Washington, D.C., in 64 minutes, at 2,145 miles per hour. Who am I?