It's not an office, it's a talent hub.

As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives, many of us are eager to get back to our offices, others, not so much.  It doesn't help that there's still a need for masking and social distancing at the office.  It kind of takes the fun out of those water cooler moments that everyone has been missing.

But, a survey last spring by the Harvard Business school found that 27% of workers want to continue working remotely full time.

The majority of workers - 61% - would prefer a hybrid schedule, going in to the office 2-3 days a week.

Not surprisingly, the 18% who want to go back full time are more likely to be married and more likely to have kids. (Reichert, 2021)

CEO's on the other hand want their employees back full time.  No surprise there.

But in the face of "The Big Resignation" companies are trying all sorts of ways to lure employees back.

Doner agency has decided that rather than opening an office in Chicago they will launch a new Chicago "talent hub."  (Whitman, 2021))

Well, words do matter.  Just ask Meta.

Solutions from other companies include:

·         JBS USA Holdings Inc.  - helping to build homes for employees to buy.

·         Levi Strauss & Co. - free computer coding classes

·         Target, Walmart, & Amazon - helping to pay for college tuition and books

·         project44 - a company-subsidized van - complete with a bed, toilet, shower and wifi so they can combine work with family road trips

But perhaps the most interesting perk is the one being offered by David's Bridal LLC. 

During the pandemic the company had trouble getting access to professional models for photo shoots so it turned to its 11,000 employees.  Staffers volunteered to take photos of themselves in clothing from the chain and posted the photos on social media. 

About 300 people have participated so far, and employee satisfaction is up +20% compared with pre-Covid levels.  The company also says that almost all of its workers who were furloughed during lockdown have returned. (Kapner & Cutter, 2021)

Is a Talent Hub just an office by another name?  Why do you think modeling was such a hit for David's bridal?  Do you think any of the other incentives will be successful?  Which ones and why?  Have you heard of any other incentives that you think will work?  Can you think of any that should be tried?

 

Reichert, C. (2021, March 25)  Over 80% of workers don't want to go back to the office full time, survey finds  cnet.com  Retrieved November 8, 2021, from  https://www.cnet.com/health/over-80-of-workers-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-full-time-survey-finds/

Whitman, R. (2021, November 4)  Don't Call It An Office: Doner Opens Chicago 'Talent Hub'.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/368416/dont-call-it-an-office-doner-opens-chicago-tale.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=124207&hashid=pWUJIUyQGMyJVccRQy8fKxuJEXY

Kapner, S. & Cutter, C. (2021, November 4)  When Bonuses and Raises Aren't Enough, Try Manicures and Free Clothes. wsj.com.  Retrieved November 8, 2021, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-bonuses-and-raises-arent-enough-try-manicures-and-free-clothes-11635949795

 

 

What if I prefer a gender neutral name?

 

Suddenly pronouns are popping up everywhere.  With people adding she/her/hers to their email signatures.  It started with academia and non-profits and has spread to the corporate world and my LinkedIn. (Sherman, 2020)

 

Proponents of the trend say it's intended to make the workplace more comfortable for all, including staff who are transgender or non-binary. But from what I can see it's making lots of people uncomfortable. 

 

My parents nicknamed me P.J. when I was three days old. 

 

I stuck with it until I was a pre-teen at which point I thought that I should give Pamela a try.  It didn't last long.  I started entering art contests and it occurred to me that it would be interesting if the judges did not know my gender when they evaluated my work.  So back to P.J. I went.

 

Funny enough, no one has had any problem dealing with it all these years.  When I first started working and women in business were rare, I once answered my phone and the response was an overlong pause followed by: "I was expecting a gruff male voice."  We both had a good laugh about it and then we moved on.

 

Teaching on Zoom these past two semesters, I was sometimes surprised by the gender of students who chose not to use their cameras.  Again it was no big deal.

 

Perhaps the true key to gender equality is when we don't need to acknowledge gender at all, but simply treat everyone well. 

 

And there's no need to worry about what to call me.  

You can call me P.J.

 

 

Sherman, N. (2020, February 19)  Should your email say if you're he, she or they?  bbc.com.  Retrieved May 10, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51331571

 

Many Americans learned a new word last week - Sedition

 

According to Merriam-Webster searches for the word "sedition" were up 1500% on January 6th, the day thousands of domestic terrorists egged on by Trump and his fellow Republicans stormed the Congress to disrupt the certification of the legitimate election results.

 

Merriam-Webster defines sedition as “incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority.”

 

Now let's recap what Trump and his fellow insurrectionists said/did to stoke the riots...

 

Ron Johnson said: 50 to 70 million Americans "have real legitimate suspicions that this election was stolen" 

 

Paul Gosar of Arizona called Biden an "illegitimate usurper." 

 

Ted Cruz of Texas cited: "unprecedented allegations of voter fraud." And said, "Are they going to try to steal?  Yes" 

 

Mo Brooks of Missouri said: "start taking down names and kicking ass"

 

Before the insurrection Trump himself said: You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong."

 

During the insurrection Lauren Boebert of Colorado live tweeted Nancy Pelosi's location.

 

But this photo of Josh Hawley giving a fist pump to the crowd as they stormed the Capitol will probably resonate the most.  Photos have a way of doing that.

 

Today Trump will become the first U.S. president in history to be impeached twice.  And the first one impeached for Incitement of Insurrection.

 

But what about his co-conspirators in the Sedition Caucus?

 

The 14th amendment, section 3 says:

 

Section 3

No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

 

Words matter.

Sedition matters.

Take another look at that photo.

 

Trending 'sedition'  merriam-webster.com.  Retrieved January 12, 2021, from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/news-trend-watch/sedition-20210106