Giving Notice: Why the Best and the Brightest Leave the Workplace and How You Can Help Them Stay

Chapter 7. Know The Signs from the Outside

The average American manager works forty-two hours per week, and a substantial number of managers and professionals (three in ten, or 10.8 million people) work forty-nine or more hours per week (Heathfield 2000). A person who spends many hours at work can thrive only in an environment that is welcoming, supportive, collegial, and comfortable. A good work environment will provide a positive return on a worker's time and energy investment, in addition to the financial investment represented in each worker's education. For example, a recent estimate on the average cost of earning an MBA (tuition, living expenses, and so on) runs as high as $100,000 (Weiss 2006). Add remaining debts from the undergraduate ...