‘Santa’ bosses give praise for holidays

Bosses are giving the gift of feedback this holiday season, helping lift the spirits of U.S. workers, according to a new poll.

Seventy percent of employed Americans describe their boss as a Santa, while 30 percent say they work for a Grinch, according to a Maritz Poll of 1,002 adults.

While only 25 percent of employees said they expected to receive tangible gifts from the boss this holiday season, that doesn’t mean they were left clinging to lumps of coal at work.

“In addition to gifts or money, employees look for intangible rewards like praise or recognition,” said Gloria Park Bartolone, vice president of the retail research group at Maritz. “According to our most recent studies, more employees report receiving praise this year, which could help explain the Santa effect.”

The telephone poll, which was conducted heading into the holiday season, carries a margin of error of 3 percent.

Real estate

Commercial agent moving to De Soto

Marty Henderson is moving his commercial real estate practice to De Soto, joining RE/MAX Kaw Valley.

Henderson is counting on De Soto giving him access to more projects throughout northeast Kansas, after working for three years at RE/MAX in Lawrence.

“I have found a strong need for a more regional presence,” Henderson said. “De Soto sits at the epicenter of one of the strongest market areas in the Midwest.”

Internet

Yahoo to chart traffic conditions

Many travelers by now are accustomed to getting maps and driving directions on the Internet. A new offering from Yahoo Inc. now will provide real-time traffic conditions as well.

Using information from radio traffic reports, police scanners, embedded road sensors and traffic helicopters, Yahoo will warn motorists of construction and other delays along a planned route. In some cases, the new service also will provide weather advisories issued by state and local jurisdictions.

Yahoo also will offer the current travel speed — a green dot on the map means 55 mph in that direction; a yellow or red dot means delays. The speed alerts are available for 22 of the more than 70 U.S. metropolitan areas currently covered.

But for now, the service won’t be available where it might be most useful: on cell phones and car navigation systems, said Yahoo spokeswoman Terra Carmichael. Those features, she said, may be added later.