California Business Minute™

Hi, I am Tim Johnson and welcome to the California Business Minute.

What is a day off? Nearly one out of three (27 percent) of small business owners
define a day off as not working at all, followed by 37 percent who say a day off
means not actively working, but available for calls and e-mails; 25 percent define
it as working an hour here and there; 7 percent said it’s working all day, but
from a remote location; and 3 percent weren’t sure how they would define a day off.

In the general population, 54 percent of people define a day off as not working
at all according to an analysis for Discover Financial Services.

Fifty-seven percent of small business owners say they always or most of the time
work on holidays, up from 47 percent in 2008. Nearly a third (31 percent) of the
general public says they always or most of the time work on holidays, up from 29
percent in 2008.

The spouses of small business owners haven’t changed their opinions much since
2007 on whether they approve of checking work e-mail when away: 56 percent approve,
19 percent disapprove and 24 percent aren’t sure.

And spouses in the general seem to be getting much more use to the idea of their
other half checking work e-mail when off: In 2007, only 21 percent of spouses
approved of the practice, while 74 percent disapproved and 5 percent weren’t sure.
For 2008, 39 percent of spouses approve, 22 percent disapprove and 39 percent
aren’t sure.

I am Tim Johnson and I am sure this has been the California Business Minute.