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1、Unit12Working24/7Americansworklongerhoursthannearlyanyoneinthedevelopedworld,eventheJapanese.Formanyprofessionalsandcorporatemanagers,the40-hourworkweekishistory;60-to80-hourworkweeksarenowthenorm.Signsofouraddictiontoworkareeverywhere.Forone,rushhoursarestartingearlierandendinglater.When60Minutesfi
2、rstbroadcastthisstoryafewmonthsago,thefirsttrainforcommutersfromthesuburbsintoNewYorkhadjustbeenpushedbackto4:45a.m.,bypopulardemand.WhydoAmericansworksomuch?Thesimplestanswerisbecausewecan.TheDigitalRevolutionmeanscellphones,wirelessInternetandhandheldcomputersliketheBlackBerryallowustoworkanywhere
3、,anytime,24/7.Andwedo,ascorrespondentLesleyStahlreports.Its7a.m.Pacifictime,andJoeHurdisstillinbed.Butthis36-year-oldSiliconValleyentrepreneurhasalreadymadetwophonecallsovertheInternettoclientsoverseas.Hehascheckede-mailsonhisBlackBerryandsentahalf-dozeninstantmessagesfromhislaptop.ForJoeandhiswife,
4、ChristinaMireles,newtechnologymeanstheirworkdayisnt9to5.Its5to9.Becausewehavewirelessaccess,youcanworkwherever,saysJoe.Wecanbeinthekitchen.Wecanbeinourbedroom,wecanbehereinthelivingroom,Christinapointsout.Withamastersandalawdegreeeach,theyrenotexactlyunderachievers.Joelogs12-to15-hourdaysasvicepresi
5、dentofanInternettravelWebsite.Sometimes,Joeadmitshegetsupatnighttosende-mails.SometimesIcantsleepandIllgetupat2or3(a.m.),yeah,todoe-mails,definitely,hesaid,whilehiswifewasshakingherhead.Oryoullsetyouralarm,youknowtowakeupatone,twointhemorning,sheadded.Ido,Ido,hereplied.Christina,avicepresidentofacha
6、rterschoolcompany,worksafewhourslessthanJoe.Shesayssheisnomatchforherhusbandintermsofgadgets.Oh,Ihavetheabsolutebareminimum,Ithink.Ihavetwocellphones,apersonaland,Christinaexplained.Thatsthebareminimum,America.Twocellphones,Joeinterrupted.Notaminuteiswasted,evenbeforegettingtotheoffice.Christinajugg
7、lesthetwocellphones,returningbusinessandpersonalcalls.Sheusuallyeatsbehindthewheel.Onhiscommute,JoemanagestheconsultingbusinesshehasonthesideandevenkeepstrackofnewmessagesonhisBlackBerry.Buthesayshesnevertriedanythingasdangerousastypingoutane-mailwhiledrivinginrushhourtraffic.Joesworkdayisablurofbus
8、inessmeetings,incomingphonecalls,andhundredsofe-mails.Icanchecke-mailsandrespondtoe-mails.Icanhaveaconversationonthetelephone.IcanhaveaconversationviaIM.AndIcankeepexactlyprobablyhalfanearonaconversationwithaperson,hesays.Intheroomwithyou?Stahlasks.Half,yeah,exactly,Joesays.Askedifheisdoingallofthes
9、ethingswellwhenhedoesthematthesametime,Joesays,Youknow,thisisnotneurosurgeryweretalkingaboutherebutyoucandoalotofthatsimultaneously.Joemaybeabletopullthatoff,butmanycorporateexecutivessaythevolumeofvoicemailande-mailtheygethasbecomeunmanageableeatingupanaverageofthreehoursaday.Combinethatwithacorpor
10、ateculturethatvaluesendlessmeetingsandfacetimewiththeboss,andyoucanseewhysomanyemployeestoilintothenightjusttogettheirrealworkdone.60MinutesvisitedthecorporateheadquartersofBestBuy,theelectronicsretailer,inRichfield,Minn.EmployeesStacyVerstraight,JasonDehneandMarissaPlumesaythatputtingin60-to80-hour
11、weeksgotthempatsontheback.Youknow,youdsendane-mailatnineoclockatnight.Andthenextthingyourco-workerswouldsay,Hey,wow,wereyouworkingthatwholetime?Wow.Greatjob,saysMarissa.Butifyouwerentthereatthecrackofdawn,youwereputdown.Youknow,ifIcomeinatnineoclockor10oclock,Iwasatadoctorsappointment,youknow,people
12、aresaying,Ohgee.Gladyoucouldshowuptoday.Youknow,soitfeltlikealittlebitofadig,saysStacy.Andpeoplewerejustwatchingotherpeople.Soitfeltlikealotofunnecessarypressure.Icanceledbookedvacations.ImeanIbookedvacations,andIdcancelembecauseIhadtowork,Jasonrecalls.In2002,afterajumpinpeoplequittingandfilingstres
13、s-relatedhealthclaims,BestBuylaunchedanexperiment:employeeswouldbeallowedtoworkwhereverandwhenevertheywanted,aslongastheygottheirjobsdone.ThatmeanstheBestBunitthatChapAchenmanagesoftenlookslikeaghosttown.Somefolksliterallydontcomeintheofficeforweeksatatime,saysAchen.Ifaskedwhereaspecificemployeephys
14、icallyis,Achensayshedoesntknow.IcouldnttellyouifhewasinhisbasementorhewasataStarbuckswithawirelessconnection.SincetheBestBuyexperimentstarted,Jasonshealthhasimproved.Normallyathisdeskby7:30a.m.,henowjogstohislocalcoffeeshopandtakeshis8a.m.conferencecallbycellphone.Marissa,anightowl,nowdoesherbestwor
15、karoundmidnightfromherbedroom.Ihavetotrustthatmyteamisgoingtogettheworkdoneinthisenvironment,saysAchen.Andtheironicthingaboutitisthatitsthattrustfactorthatactuallymakesthemworkharderforyou.Andjustaslong?StahlaskedAndjustaslong,hereplied.Orlonger.Stacy,JasonandMarissasaytheyoftenworkmorehoursthanthey
16、didbefore.Notabaddealforthecompany.Productivityamongemployeesintheprogramhasjumpedahealthy35percent.Wecanspreadoutourworkoversevendaysoftheweek,explainsStacy.Askedwhythatsapositive,Jasonsays,ItsthewayIchoosetowork.Butifittakes70hourstodoyourjob,whydoesntBestBuygohiremorepeople?Stahlasked.Youknow,Iamahappieremployee,
