Computer Operators Need Mini-Breaks, but Not for Online Shopping and Personal E-mail

Q: I've had several data entry jobs. While it's technically possible to work every minute of the day entering information, I get bored and can't be productive without mini-breaks. Every so often, I check my e-mail or look at a news Web site. I have noticed my co-workers doing the same thing — browsing through online shops and checking the stock tickers. What kind of production do employers expect from data entry workers? Are we expected to enter data nonstop with only a half-hour for lunch? I always feel a little guilty taking a few minutes here and there throughout the day, but without those min-breaks, I would go insane.

A: Mini-breaks of a couple of minutes every so often seem reasonable, but the problem is that you and your co-workers are not taking breaks to stand, stretch or go to the washroom; you are staying at the computer and becoming involved in other activities. Online shopping certainly takes more than two minutes, as does checking and answering personal e-mail. You typically should receive two 15-minute breaks, in addition to your half-hour lunch, per day. Because of the many physical problems that can occur from working at a computer all day, you and your co-workers might ask your supervisor whether you could break those blocks of time into mini-breaks throughout the day. For a healthy break, stand and stretch, do a few wrist exercises or walk a little to relieve the stress that builds from sitting at a computer eight hours a day. Keep in mind, though, that some employees enjoy working at a computer all day, so your extreme boredom is probably a sign that data entry is the wrong job for you.

Job Hopping Still Not a Good Idea

Q: My 25-year-old daughter has had several jobs since graduating college. In one of her jobs, she worked for a supervisor who sabotaged her because she did not want to have a relationship with him. It was difficult for her to explain why she resigned, but she sought legal advice and eventually found a job. She is in a competitive sales job and is now looking for another job. She wants to focus on the company's financial instability as her reason for leaving. I don't think this reason is working for her. Also, she believes a potential employer cannot contact the company for a reference without her permission, as it would jeopardize her job. Is that the case?

A: Your daughter was smart to seek legal advice when she left her job after being sexually harassed. Now she needs to rethink the types of jobs she is seeking because she wants to quit again. If she is interested in building a career, she cannot gain adequate experience in a field by leaving jobs year after year. Job hopping is more acceptable now than it was a decade ago, but with several jobs by age 25, her reason-for-leaving excuses will become more difficult, no matter how realistic they are.

Potential employers should not contact current or former employers without the person's permission, but interviewees often unknowingly give that permission when they sign employment applications. Before she starts interviewing again, send her to a career counselor to discuss the jobs she has had and the moves she should make in the future. Working her way up the ladder is a good thing, but lateral moves or continually switching fields will send a signal that she is unstable or confused about her direction.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at [e-mail], or visit her Web site at www.lindseynovak.com. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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