In an increasingly socially-conscious job market where employers are being asked to treat their employees with greater dignity and respect, now might be a good time to ask yourself whether the company you work for is treating you as a whole person.

With companies like Starbucks, Wal-Mart, FedEx, and Whole Foods offering both full and part time employees health benefits and even stock options, the bar has been raised for employee compensation and care.

If you're not sure whether you're being treated as a whole person, consider how top domestic airline Southwest Airlines treats their employees:

Front line employees have full flexibility to trade shifts and juggle schedules so they can meet their family obligations.

When an employee's family is in trouble, airline management pitches in with free airfare and other perks.

The airline actively acknowledges personal achievements and tragedies with regular greeting cards and messages from the corporate office.

But it doesn't stop there. Being a whole person at work is a two-way street and in exchange for treating its employees with respect and dignity, the airline gets a workforce that is second to none. Southwest employees voluntarily work more hours than employees of any other airlines, constantly find new ways to save the company money, and have one of the best customer service records in the industry. It's the perfect win-win situation.

If you're ready to step out of the doldrums of the "nine to five" job and into a whole new world of achievement, check out how your company is treating you and how you are treating your company. If both you and the company could do a better job, it might be time to get your resume in order and start looking in greener pastures. Work should be fulfilling and satisfying, not a rat race. As Lily Tomlin one said, "Even if you win the rat race you're still a rat!"