A fresh perspective

By Flickr user hoyasmeg

I am self-employed. I write this as a sit on a couch by myself in a home office. It never occurred to me that I ought to be co-working, sharing an office with someone in similar circumstances. But Gus G. Sentementes of The Baltimore Sun has given me something to think about.

That’s what effective business writers can do – make their readers look at their lives a little differently. Here are three stories – the others from Philip Walzer of The Virginian-Pilot and Bob Shaw of the Pioneer Press – that provide fresh perspectives.

Co-working: sharing office comforts, not job
Gus G. Sentementes of The Baltimore Sun
Sentementes reports on a trend that’s reaching the Baltimore area – “co-working.” People who normally work from home use a shared space to create a “cafe office” even though they work for unrelated companies. Among the benefits is a sense of community and a chance to toss around ideas. The concept is said to be ideal for people who “got tired of talking to their dogs.”

Do you know who the office bug is? Make ’em stay home
Philip Walzer of The Virginian-Pilot
Walzer tackles the problem of employees who hack and cough their way through work at the office despite their obvious illnesses and the discomfort of those around them. The condition even has a name – presenteeism. The reasons people show up at work despite their better judgment range from a sense of indispensability to insecurity about their jobs. And in some cases even nurses are having trouble finding a job.

Supersized no more: Homebuilders say the ‘McMansion’ era has ended
Bob Shaw of the Pioneer Press
Shaw finds that the era of “McMansions” is ending in the Twin Cities area. New homes are getting smaller for a raft of reasons, ranging from the slumping economy to changing demographics to environmental concerns and changing tastes.