April 7, 2023

Working from home became commonplace during the pandemic as companies increasingly kept in contact with employees through platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. As offices opened back up, though, managers started requiring workers to come in at least a few times per week. According to a recent study from the Labor Department, 72.5 percent of American businesses reported that their employees rarely or never work remotely, close to the level of 76.7 percent that preceded the pandemic. 

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March 8, 2023

People around the world celebrate International Women’s Day every March 8th, paying tribute to the achievements of women while also campaigning for greater gender equality. While issues like equal pay and opportunity for women have certainly received a lot of attention in recent years, companies still have a long way to go before they reach total parity. To make matters worse, economists say that women are disproportionately feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis brought on by rising Continue reading

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November 4, 2022

2022 has been a tough year for Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook. In February we examined how the social media giant lost $230 billion in market value in a single day. Then in September, we looked at the company’s premier platform Instagram and how it angered many users by trying to emulate the short-video format of TikTok. Many of Meta’s woes stem from recent changes to Apple’s terms of service that prevent digital advertisers from collecting data Continue reading

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September 2, 2022

Last year, the Danish building-block company Lego earned more than 7 billion euros in sales, making it far and away the top toymaker in the world. Once on the brink of bankruptcy in the early 2000s, Lego turned things around when it focused exclusively on construction bricks along with licensed sets based on popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Now the company’s dominance extends even into the offices of the world’s biggest corporations as part of team-building exercises Continue reading

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August 9, 2022

Seeking out qualified employees and then hiring them is a costly process for even the biggest companies, which is why most managers strive to keep their staff around for as long as possible. Sometimes fresh hires don’t feel the same way, though, and they leave their new jobs as swiftly as they joined. These “quick quits” are especially prevalent in the current job market where employee turnover remains high. As a result, companies are focusing on a key milestone: a Continue reading

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Although the pandemic ushered in a new era of working from home, many companies still want employees to come into the office. This video looks at how the social network LinkedIn redesigned its workplace to include more than 75 different types of seating, combining the comforts of home with the collaborative nature of the office environment. 

Questions:

  1. What are the benefits and drawbacks of LinkedIn’s new hybrid office plan?
  2. Do you think more companies should follow LinkedIn’s lead and Continue reading
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April 8, 2022

The e-commerce giant Amazon is the second largest private employer in the U.S., with more than 1 million employees working in fulfillment centers and corporate offices around the country. For years, labor activists have sought to unionize this enormous workforce, but past efforts largely failed to gain traction. That may be starting to change, however, if recent developments at New York’s largest Amazon warehouse are any indication. 

Last week, staff at the JFK8 facility on Staten Island voted 2,654 Continue reading

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September 17, 2021

Crocs clogs debuted in 2002 and quickly became a hit with consumers who wanted colorful and leisurely sandals to wear around the house. But soon backlash began to build against this funky foam footwear, as Time magazine in 2010 named Crocs one of the worst inventions ever. Then the pandemic descended on the world and many people stuck in their homes suddenly realized the benefits of wearing inexpensive and comfortable clogs. As a result, Crocs expects sales to increase by Continue reading

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When the pandemic hit the U.S. last year, millions of Americans suddenly went from commuting to the office every weekday to working from home on their laptops. While it was difficult for some people to adjust to this abrupt change, many others became accustomed to remote work quickly, and they would very much like to continue doing just that. As a result, a number of companies are experimenting with “hybrid offices” in which employees come in a couple days of Continue reading

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Although the U.S. is averaging nearly 2 million Covid-19 vaccinations per day, the rate has certainly slowed down since last month’s daily average of 3.3 million vaccinations. 60 percent of the population has received at least one dose, but that still leaves tens of millions more who need to get their shots before the country hits herd immunity. According to a recent survey, worries about taking time off of work is one of the major reasons why many Americans have Continue reading

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