You may be surprised to learn that most executives say those who work from home for an employer are less likely to get promoted than their desk-tethered counterparts.

But Julie Kampf isn't. Kampf, the president of Englewood-based executive search firm JBK Associates Inc., knows first-hand how tough on a career telecommuting can be. She tried it and suffered, and she has seen qualified job candidates get overlooked because they dared to inquire about working from home – even for one day a week.

"For me, working at home was detrimental,'' says Kampf, who declined to name the employer. She says that when she worked from home in 1993, she put in about 15 hours each workday, and still couldn't please the boss. "Even though I was extremely productive, I was pretty much told 'I need to see your face here' by my boss at the time,'' she said. "It was miserable.''

The study's results fly in the face though of a growing movement. Since 1990, the number of teleworkers has grown to more than 45 million from about 4 million says the Telework Coalition. Even President Bush and other top administrators have championed telework as a vital part of business-continuity plans. Gas prices, traffic congestion and housing costs are also factors driving telecommuting.

1. Cashiers
2. Couriers and Messengers
3. Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers and Weighers
4. Customer Service Representative
5. Book Binder
6. Film Processors
7. Fishers and Fishing Vessel Operators
8. Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers
9. Procurement Clerks
10. Power Plant Operators

Motorola (MOT) CEO Ed Zander said Friday the cell-phone maker will cut 3,500 jobs, or 5% of its workforce, as it moves to improve operating costs after a disappointing fourth quarter.

Zander, speaking to analysts at a meeting in New York, said the move will save the company about $400 million over two years. The cuts from Motorola's workforce of about 70,000 are to be spread across the company globally and completed in the first half of 2007.

Ontario's largest ski resort has laid off 1,300 workers after closing down its ski operations in the middle of the winter season for the first time in the resort's 65-year history.

"We're trying to make the best of things so that guests who still come to Blue will have a good time, but it's pretty tense," said Kelly O'Neil, a spokeswoman at Blue Mountain Resort, yesterday. Officials said they had no choice after a run of unseasonably warm weather that has some wondering if winter will appear this year at all.

In Toronto, yesterday's high hit a record 11C, smashing the previous Jan. 5 high of 10.1C set in 1997.

Mind you, that's still got some way to go before breaking the record for January's hottest day – 17.6C – set Jan. 13, 2005.

Yesterday's record, which was set around 7 a.m., came on the heels of the warmest January evening in 167 years.

The right answers could help get you a job at Google.

Google has always wanted to hire people with straight-A report cards and double 800s on their SATs. Now, like an Ivy League school, it is starting to look for more well-rounded candidates, like those who have published books or started their own clubs.

Desperate to hire more engineers and sales representatives to staff its rapidly growing search and advertising business, Google — in typical eccentric fashion — has created an automated way to search for talent among the more than 100,000 job applications it receives each month. It is starting to ask job applicants to fill out an elaborate online survey that explores their attitudes, behavior, personality and biographical details going back to high school.

The questions range from the age when applicants first got excited about computers to whether they have ever tutored or ever established a nonprofit organization.

Working with doctoral students Paul Harvey and Jason Stoner, Hochwarter surveyed more than 700 people who work in a variety of jobs about their opinions of supervisor treatment on the job. The survey generated the following results:

Thirty-one percent of respondents reported that their supervisor gave them the "silent treatment" in the past year.

Thirty-seven percent reported that their supervisor failed to give credit when due.

Thirty-nine percent noted that their supervisor failed to keep promises.

Twenty-seven percent noted that their supervisor made negative comments about them to other employees or managers.

Twenty-four percent reported that their supervisor invaded their privacy.

Twenty-three percent indicated that their supervisor blames others to cover up mistakes or to minimize embarrassment.

According to the researchers, "Employees stuck in an abusive relationship experienced more exhaustion, job tension, nervousness, depressed mood and mistrust. They also were less likely to take on additional tasks, such as working longer or on weekends, and were generally less satisfied with their job. Also, employees were more likely to leave if involved in an abusive relationship than if dissatisfied with pay."