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button.mapboxgl-ctrl-zoom-in .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cpath d='M14.5 8.5c-.75 0-1.5.75-1.5 1.5v3h-3c-.75 0-1.5.75-1.5 1.5S9.25 16 10 16h3v3c0 .75.75 1.5 1.5 1.5S16 19.75 16 19v-3h3c.75 0 1.5-.75 1.5-1.5S19.75 13 19 13h-3v-3c0-.75-.75-1.5-1.5-1.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}@media (-ms-high-contrast: black-on-white){.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-zoom-out .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 13c-.75 0-1.5.75-1.5 1.5S9.25 16 10 16h9c.75 0 1.5-.75 1.5-1.5S19.75 13 19 13h-9z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-zoom-in .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M14.5 8.5c-.75 0-1.5.75-1.5 1.5v3h-3c-.75 0-1.5.75-1.5 1.5S9.25 16 10 16h3v3c0 .75.75 1.5 1.5 1.5S16 19.75 16 19v-3h3c.75 0 1.5-.75 1.5-1.5S19.75 13 19 13h-3v-3c0-.75-.75-1.5-1.5-1.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-fullscreen .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23333'%3E%3Cpath d='M24 16v5.5c0 1.75-.75 2.5-2.5 2.5H16v-1l3-1.5-4-5.5 1-1 5.5 4 1.5-3h1zM6 16l1.5 3 5.5-4 1 1-4 5.5 3 1.5v1H7.5C5.75 24 5 23.25 5 21.5V16h1zm7-11v1l-3 1.5 4 5.5-1 1-5.5-4L6 13H5V7.5C5 5.75 5.75 5 7.5 5H13zm11 2.5c0-1.75-.75-2.5-2.5-2.5H16v1l3 1.5-4 5.5 1 1 5.5-4 1.5 3h1V7.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-shrink .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M18.5 16c-1.75 0-2.5.75-2.5 2.5V24h1l1.5-3 5.5 4 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xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cpath d='M18.5 16c-1.75 0-2.5.75-2.5 2.5V24h1l1.5-3 5.5 4 1-1-4-5.5 3-1.5v-1h-5.5zM13 18.5c0-1.75-.75-2.5-2.5-2.5H5v1l3 1.5L4 24l1 1 5.5-4 1.5 3h1v-5.5zm3-8c0 1.75.75 2.5 2.5 2.5H24v-1l-3-1.5L25 5l-1-1-5.5 4L17 5h-1v5.5zM10.5 13c1.75 0 2.5-.75 2.5-2.5V5h-1l-1.5 3L5 4 4 5l4 5.5L5 12v1h5.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}@media (-ms-high-contrast: black-on-white){.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-fullscreen .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M24 16v5.5c0 1.75-.75 2.5-2.5 2.5H16v-1l3-1.5-4-5.5 1-1 5.5 4 1.5-3h1zM6 16l1.5 3 5.5-4 1 1-4 5.5 3 1.5v1H7.5C5.75 24 5 23.25 5 21.5V16h1zm7-11v1l-3 1.5 4 5.5-1 1-5.5-4L6 13H5V7.5C5 5.75 5.75 5 7.5 5H13zm11 2.5c0-1.75-.75-2.5-2.5-2.5H16v1l3 1.5-4 5.5 1 1 5.5-4 1.5 3h1V7.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-shrink .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M18.5 16c-1.75 0-2.5.75-2.5 2.5V24h1l1.5-3 5.5 4 1-1-4-5.5 3-1.5v-1h-5.5zM13 18.5c0-1.75-.75-2.5-2.5-2.5H5v1l3 1.5L4 24l1 1 5.5-4 1.5 3h1v-5.5zm3-8c0 1.75.75 2.5 2.5 2.5H24v-1l-3-1.5L25 5l-1-1-5.5 4L17 5h-1v5.5zM10.5 13c1.75 0 2.5-.75 2.5-2.5V5h-1l-1.5 3L5 4 4 5l4 5.5L5 12v1h5.5z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-compass .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23333'%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 14l4-8 4 8h-8z'/%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 16l4 8 4-8h-8z' fill='%23ccc'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}@media (-ms-high-contrast: active){.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-compass .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 14l4-8 4 8h-8z'/%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 16l4 8 4-8h-8z' fill='%23999'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}@media (-ms-high-contrast: black-on-white){.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-compass .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 29 29' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 14l4-8 4 8h-8z'/%3E%3Cpath d='M10.5 16l4 8 4-8h-8z' fill='%23ccc'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23333'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 4C9 4 9 5 9 5v.1A5 5 0 005.1 9H5s-1 0-1 1 1 1 1 1h.1A5 5 0 009 14.9v.1s0 1 1 1 1-1 1-1v-.1a5 5 0 003.9-3.9h.1s1 0 1-1-1-1-1-1h-.1A5 5 0 0011 5.1V5s0-1-1-1zm0 2.5a3.5 3.5 0 110 7 3.5 3.5 0 110-7z'/%3E%3Ccircle cx='10' cy='10' r='2'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate:disabled .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23aaa'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 4C9 4 9 5 9 5v.1A5 5 0 005.1 9H5s-1 0-1 1 1 1 1 1h.1A5 5 0 009 14.9v.1s0 1 1 1 1-1 1-1v-.1a5 5 0 003.9-3.9h.1s1 0 1-1-1-1-1-1h-.1A5 5 0 0011 5.1V5s0-1-1-1zm0 2.5a3.5 3.5 0 110 7 3.5 3.5 0 110-7z'/%3E%3Ccircle cx='10' cy='10' r='2'/%3E%3Cpath d='M14 5l1 1-9 9-1-1 9-9z' fill='red'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-active .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%2333b5e5'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 4C9 4 9 5 9 5v.1A5 5 0 005.1 9H5s-1 0-1 1 1 1 1 1h.1A5 5 0 009 14.9v.1s0 1 1 1 1-1 1-1v-.1a5 5 0 003.9-3.9h.1s1 0 1-1-1-1-1-1h-.1A5 5 0 0011 5.1V5s0-1-1-1zm0 2.5a3.5 3.5 0 110 7 3.5 3.5 0 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button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-active .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%2333b5e5'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 4C9 4 9 5 9 5v.1A5 5 0 005.1 9H5s-1 0-1 1 1 1 1 1h.1A5 5 0 009 14.9v.1s0 1 1 1 1-1 1-1v-.1a5 5 0 003.9-3.9h.1s1 0 1-1-1-1-1-1h-.1A5 5 0 0011 5.1V5s0-1-1-1zm0 2.5a3.5 3.5 0 110 7 3.5 3.5 0 110-7z'/%3E%3Ccircle cx='10' cy='10' r='2'/%3E%3C/svg%3E")}.mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-active-error .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='29' height='29' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23e58978'%3E%3Cpath d='M10 4C9 4 9 5 9 5v.1A5 5 0 005.1 9H5s-1 0-1 1 1 1 1 1h.1A5 5 0 009 14.9v.1s0 1 1 1 1-1 1-1v-.1a5 5 0 003.9-3.9h.1s1 0 1-1-1-1-1-1h-.1A5 5 0 0011 5.1V5s0-1-1-1zm0 2.5a3.5 3.5 0 110 7 3.5 3.5 0 110-7z'/%3E%3Ccircle cx='10' 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srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0cqgtbs.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0cqgtbs.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0cqgtbs.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0cqgtbs.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0cqgtbs.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><img draggable="false" title="Fuel, food, housing and more have all skyrocketed in the past several months, and many workers want employers to help more with the hikes (Credit: Getty Images)" 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process. Are we stuck in a ‘ghosting’ spiral?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Laura was invited for a final-stage interview at a multinational music corporation based in London, she thought she was on the cusp of landing her dream role. After passing a first-round phone interview and meeting team members in person, all Laura had to do was meet a senior-level executive. “It was presented to me as a formality,” she says. “The interview went well, and I was later told I’d got the job.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd then – nothing. Despite receiving initial guarantees she would be joining the team, the email formally confirming Laura's role never arrived. She’d send occasional follow-ups to the firm’s HR department only to receive non-committal replies. “It was always me instigating the conversation,” says Laura. “The last message I received said they promised to contact me as soon as they had more information on my new role. I never heard from them again.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELaura had been ghosted. Rather than sending her a formal rejection or an explanation of what had happened, her potential employer ignored her. It’s a practice that’s common in the recruitment process; one recent study of 1,500 global workers found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.greenhouse.io\u002Fblog\u002Fkey-learnings-from-the-2022-greenhouse-candidate-experience-report\"\u003E75% of jobseekers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have been ghosted by a company after a job interview. Employers openly acknowledge that they do it; only \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indeed.com\u002Flead\u002Fimpact-of-covid-19-on-job-seeker-employer-ghosting\"\u003E27% of US employers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E surveyed by job listings site Indeed said they hadn’t ghosted a candidate in the past year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it’s not just companies. Right now, employees are ghosting back – and potentially in higher numbers than ever before. In the same 2021 Indeed survey, 28% of workers said that they’d ghosted an employer – compared to 19% two years before. The phenomenon seems to be happening at all stages of the recruitment process. While some employers reported that candidates cut off communications following an initial phone screening, a quarter said new hires had “no-showed” on their first day at work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGhosting is considered bad practice for both companies and workers; no one likes being on the receiving end of it. Yet its rise seems inexorable: digital hiring processes deluge companies with candidates, making replying to everyone hard, even as labour shortages give job-hunters more options as employers scramble for talent. Is the inevitable consequence of this an increasingly discourteous recruitment process – or can steps be taken by both sides to avert a downward spiral?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEasier – but more impersonal?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190118-how-people-are-ghosting-their-employers\"\u003EGhosting\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’ was originally coined in the dating world: it meant a sudden, unexpected end to all contact. It’s a social phenomenon increasingly being co-opted in the workplace – and put into practice on either side of the interview table.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing able to suddenly drop communications during the recruitment process generally favours the party in the more \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good\"\u003Epowerful position\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Traditionally, employers have been more likely to ghost than the workforce. However, even before Covid-19, ghosting had become a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2018\u002F12\u002F12\u002Fworkers-are-ghosting-their-employers-like-bad-dates\u002F?noredirect=on\"\u003Egrowing trend among candidates\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, too: thanks to a tightening job market, they could afford to begin mimicking companies’ behaviour.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Candidates are being approached all the time with an abundance of jobs to choose from. If they have multiple applications on the go, it can be easier to simply ignore one of them – Craig Freedberg","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut the pandemic has acted as a catalyst, fuelling the current spike. Yuletta Pringle, of the Society for Human Resource Management, based in Virginia, US, says the rise is coming from both workers and employers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPringle attributes the uptick to the fall-out from the Great Resignation. “Labour shortages have left employers pinched and desperate to hire, meaning they have to push out a ton of feelers online and may not be able to respond to everyone,” she explains. “On the employee side, there are so many job vacancies – they may be ghosting potential employers as they search for their ideal role and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211129-should-you-job-hunt-constantly\"\u003Emove around the recruitment process\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many cases, recruitment processes have been digitised. Job-search algorithms place the open positions right in front of workers. ‘Easy apply’ options mean candidates can send off resumes for multiple jobs more effortlessly than ever. Virtual interviews have improved accessibility, increasing opportunities for employers and workers to find the best fit. “Before the pandemic, only a fraction of interviews brokered through us would be done virtually,” says Craig Freedberg, a regional director at recruitment firm Robert Half, based in London. “Now, 99% of our first-stage interviews are via Zoom calls.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the convenience of digitised and virtual recruitment comes at a cost. Employers are having to both widen their net and interview more people as a result of the hiring crisis. That creates a knock-on effect for hiring managers who, whether inside firms or at external recruitment companies, are dealing with a glut of applicants and roles. “Much of the ghosting we’re seeing today may simply be the fact that someone just can’t get back to everyone,” says Pringle.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe loss of in-person interviews may also be a factor in ghosting by both parties. “It can sometimes be harder to build a rapport with someone virtually,” says Freedberg. “The emotional investment of travelling to meet someone for an in-person interview is difficult to replicate when you’re clicking on a calendar link from home, and it’s easier for employers to ghost when you’re losing that human, face-to-face element.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe process can, therefore, feel increasingly transactional. And, in the current buoyant job market, applicants may well be swamped, too. “Candidates are being approached all the time with an abundance of jobs to choose from,” says Freedberg. “If they have multiple applications on the go, it can be easier to simply ignore one of them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBalancing ghosting and professionalism\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarket conditions may well mean that not replying to every lead or candidate is becoming more normalised. But ghosting comes with downsides to both employers and candidates: it leaves a bad impression – likely ending a professional relationship before it’s even begun.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor that reason, some companies, particularly relationship-led ones, remain staunchly anti-ghosting – even if they’ve been on the receiving end themselves. “In our industry, it’s very important to be approachable and build strong relationships, so we’re certainly anti-ghosting,” says Christoph Hardt, founder of consultancy marketplace Comatch, based in Berlin. “Nevertheless, we’re seeing more of our requests to consultants go unanswered. That can be seen as unprofessional, but it’s a consequence of the current market: a worker may ghost simply because they’re too busy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPringle suggests that both employers and workers could benefit from thinking about what constitutes ghosting and where this strays into unprofessionalism. “If you have a job posting and, through your digital process, you push out your vacancy to hundreds of candidates but don't reply to each one individually, is that ghosting? Or, would ghosting be once you've made some contact both ways and then communication drops? It would be helpful to define it first.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike its dating namesake, Freedberg believes that interview ghosting is rooted in a lack of commitment. “A precursor to ghosting is when either party doesn’t feel bought into the process or has that emotional investment,” he says. “There has to be greater emphasis on approaching people you genuinely think are right for the job. And, if someone takes time out of their day for an interview, virtually or in person, they deserve feedback.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There were no excuses to ghost me: I’d invested so much time and energy reaching that point, only for them to drop off the face of the Earth – Laura","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPringle believes responsibility for communication still falls on the employer’s side – and says the right kind of communication can limit the prospect of ghosting from the outset. “If the employer is as clear and specific on the requirements of the position as possible, right at the beginning of the hiring process, then that could help reduce ghosting on the employees’ side,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKeeping in touch with candidates during the recruitment process is also important, stresses Freedberg. “Much of the time, it’s just about managing expectations,” he says. “If there are delays to the recruitment process on either side, responding to people’s emails and letting them know will always be considered good practice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut workers have responsibilities, too. Freedberg suggests that rather than applying for jobs on autopilot, workers mindfully select positions that offer a good cultural fit. Otherwise, they risk wasting recruiters’ time. “If a candidate agrees to meet an employer for an interview, then decides to ghost, then that’s something a client won’t be happy with,” he adds. “It’s just bad practice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally speaking, for both sides, the rule of thumb seems to be that the further you go down the recruitment process, the less acceptable it is to ghost. The more effort an applicant or a company has invested in the recruitment process, the ruder an abrupt end to contact will feel. Inevitably, it will leave a bad impression – as was the case for Laura.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, she never received a rejection email. Instead, the delays, doubt and ghosting she experienced inflicted a deeper psychological blow – one that caused her to rethink her entire career. “I’d rather have just been told that for whatever reason I didn’t get the job,” she says. “There were no excuses to ghost me: I’d invested so much time and energy reaching that point, only for them to drop off the face of the Earth.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-03-15T13:08:24Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why workers and employers are ghosting each other","headlineShort":"The unstoppable rise of 'ghosting'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Rather than sending a withdrawal or rejection email, workers and employers are simply cutting off contact during the hiring process. Are we stuck in a ‘ghosting’ spiral?","summaryShort":"Workers and recruiters alike are going radio silent. What's going on?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-03-14T19:48:31.191902Z","entity":"article","guid":"984fbb10-b96e-40df-a533-df39f513292a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other","modifiedDateTime":"2022-03-14T19:48:31.191902Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","_id":"62df7edf43d9f4585777b0cc","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Some companies are asking candidates to attend multiple interviews. But too many rounds could be a red flag – and even drive candidates away.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery jobseeker welcomes an invitation to a second interview, because it signals a company’s interest. A third interview might feel even more positive, or even be the precursor to an offer. But what happens when the process drags on to a fourth, fifth or sixth round – and it’s not even clear how close you are to the ‘final’ interview? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s a question Mike Conley, 49, grappled with earlier this year. The software engineering manager, based in Indiana, US, had been seeking a new role after losing his job during the pandemic. Five companies told him they had to delay hiring because of Covid-19 – but only after he’d done the final round of interviews. Another three invited him for several rounds of interviews until it was time to make an offer, at which point they decided to promote internally. Then, he made it through three rounds of interviews for a director-level position at a company he really liked, only to receive an email to co-ordinate six more rounds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When I responded to the internal HR, I even asked, ‘Are these the final rounds?’,” he says. “The answer I got back was: ‘We don’t know yet’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s when Conley made the tough decision to pull out. He \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fmike-t-conley_jobhunt2021-leadership-servantleadership-activity-6812003946253705217-VF5t\u002F\"\u003Eshared his experience in a LinkedIn post\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that’s touched a nerve with fellow job-seekers, who’ve viewed it 2.6 million times as of this writing. Conley says he’s received about 4,000 public comments of support, and “four times that in private comments” from those who feared being tracked by current or prospective employers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“So many people told me that, when they found out it was going to be six or seven interviews, they pulled out, so it was a bigger thing than I ever thought it was,” he says. Of course, Conley never expected his post would go viral, “but I thought that for people who had been on similar paths, it was good to put it out there and let them know that they’re not alone”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, the internet is awash with similar stories jobseekers who’ve become frustrated with companies – particularly in the tech, finance and energy sectors – turning the interview process into a marathon. That poses the question: how many rounds of interviews should it take for an employer to reasonably assess a candidate before the process veers into excess? And how long should candidates stick it out if there’s no clear information on exactly how many hoops they’ll have to jump through to stay in the running for a role? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe importance of streamlined hiring\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETrial and error is bad and costly for companies who are hiring, so they often compensate by making the recruitment process more and more forensic. This means conducting multiple interviews to gather valuable information to help them more clearly determine which candidate has the most potential. In the best-case scenario, this is a great investment for all involved: it ensures that the candidate won’t struggle in the job, and that the company won’t have to repeat the process all over again.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Mike Conley","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECompanies tend to build in several interviews and assessments to check credentials, determine job capabilities, get additional opinions and learn about a candidate’s personality. Jenny Ho, who runs the Singapore-based recruiting agency International Workplace Consulting, says the number of required interviews should always be in line with the level of the position. “Preferably, it’s three to four rounds, maximum,” she says. “For positions below director level, it’s a maximum of three; preferably two.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA streamlined hiring process gives a company an edge in a competitive employment market. Google, for example, recently examined its past interview data and determined that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frework.withgoogle.com\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-rule-of-four\u002F\"\u003Efour interviews was enough to make a hiring decision with 86% confidence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, noting that there was a diminishing return on interviewer feedback thereafter. Previously, candidates applying for a job at Google could be subjected to more than a dozen interviews. The number of people involved in the process has also been reduced, because Google found that four interviewers could make the same hiring decisions that a larger number of interviewers had in the past. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHo says the key people who should be involved in the hiring process include the person who would be the employee’s direct manager, their supervisor and human resources. If it’s a C-suite position, it may include other C-suite executives and, possibly, some tenured employees. Yet, it’s important not to get too many people involved. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There is this concept that there must be a better candidate out there, so [companies] get more interviewers involved and, sometimes, they just end up more confused,” Ho says, noting that too many interviewers can create a lack of focus in the questioning as well as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.seek.com.au\u002Femployer\u002Fhiring-advice\u002Fhow-many-interviews-are-too-many-we-reveal-the-ideal-interview-process\"\u003Eunease for the candidate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHire – or risk losing candidates\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJohn Sullivan, a Silicon Valley-based HR thought leader, says companies should nail down \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ere.net\u002Ftop-candidates-are-gone-within-10-days-so-assign-each-a-hire-by-date\u002F\"\u003Ea hire-by date\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from the start of the recruitment process, because the best candidates only transition the job market briefly. And, as Conley’s experience shows, drawn-out interview processes can impact negatively on candidates’ interest in the role.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Knees, at a job interview","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a survey from global staffing firm Robert Half, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frh-us.mediaroom.com\u002F2021-02-10-How-To-Lose-A-Candidate-In-10-Business-Days\"\u003E62% of US professionals say they lose interest in a job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E if they don’t hear back from the employer within two weeks – or 10 business days – after the initial interview. That number jumps to 77% if there is no status update within three weeks. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPaul McDonald, a Los Angeles-based senior executive director at Robert Half, says that the average time-to-hire in the US has ebbed and flowed in recent months. It was elongated for much of 2020 and early 2021 due to the pandemic when companies were often “breadcrumbing” – or stringing along – candidates. Now, he says, it’s become more consolidated: If anyone is still breadcrumbing today, “they’re risking losing candidates because there are so many opportunities [for them]”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, they may also be tarnishing their reputation. Some 26% of respondents to the Robert Half survey said they would leave a negative comment anonymously on review sites if they felt like they were being strung along, potentially harming the chances for the company to attract top talent down the road. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, companies may not be stringing candidates along on purpose. Final approval for recruitment may be delayed because of shifting bottom lines or unforeseen circumstances beyond the company’s control – potentially moving the recruitment goalposts. If valid reasons aren’t communicated clearly, however, that may be a red flag for jobseekers.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMcDonald says that if a company is indecisive, it can provide a candidate with crucial insight into its culture. “If the decision-making process is this difficult for the organisation – if they’re not able to pull the trigger after three or four interviews and you’ve done everything asked of you and they’re still unsure – then that’s a key indicator of what it might be like to work for that organisation and those managers,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"These complicated processes are actually making quality candidates go elsewhere – Mike Conley","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EInterview fatigue affects both candidates and managers, so McDonald says candidates shouldn’t be afraid to ask for more details about the motivation for additional rounds, especially if it will be tricky for them to take more time off from their current job. “If you have to bow out, bow out gracefully,” he adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Building bad processes’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s exactly what Conley, the job-seeker in Indiana, did. He never published the name of the company on his LinkedIn post, and his considerate commentary ultimately paved the way for a silver lining. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA LinkedIn user who saw the post referred him to the CEO of a start-up helping students enter the workforce. After four interviews, he landed a job in early July as its VP of Software Engineering (both a higher position and pay grade than he’d targeted just a few weeks prior). Thanks to the attention, Conley is also making a podcast about hiring practices and has been offered some consulting gigs to help companies avoid interview processes like the ones he experienced.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConley says he wishes he had been bold enough to take a stand earlier in his job search, “but it took me a while to value myself to get to the point I’m at now”. After all the hoops he’s jumped through in recent months, however, he still believes companies are trying their best. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“They’re really worried about picking the right candidates, but in building in that worry, they’re building a process that doesn’t allow them to get to the candidates they thought they were going after,” he says. “These complicated processes are actually making quality candidates go elsewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-02T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The rise of never-ending job interviews","headlineShort":"The rise of extreme job interviews","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Job interview","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some companies are asking candidates to attend multiple interviews. But too many rounds could be a red flag – and even drive candidates away.","summaryShort":"Seven? Eight? Nine? How many interviews is too many for a job?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-01T20:00:57.452084Z","entity":"article","guid":"15fc6d53-7508-4c42-8bae-e91372e3db63","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:12:08.734849Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future","_id":"62df814a43d9f46d39486d1f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Some companies have laid off workers via group video calls. As remote work proliferates, workers may need to get used to the idea they could be fired virtually.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn recent months, there have been several high-profile cases of companies terminating large groups of employees via video calls or other virtual communications.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn December 2021, US mortgage company Better.com \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-59554585\"\u003Efired 900 workers over Zoom\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \"If you're on this call, you're part of the unlucky group being laid off,\" CEO Vishal Garg told workers. “Your employment here is terminated. Effective immediately.\" Six months later, US used-car company Carvana \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbsnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcarvana-layoffs-2500-workers-zoom-email\u002F\"\u003Elet 2,500 workers go\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a similar manner, some during group Zoom calls, some via email. At Swedish fintech company Klarna, also in May, the CEO announced 700 job cuts in a pre-recorded message, after which workers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002Fjason-aten\u002Fklarnas-ceo-faced-pushback-for-firing-700-employees-on-a-video-his-response-was-even-worse.html\"\u003Ehad to wait up to 48 hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for an email telling them whether they were part of the affected group.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompanies may have had particular reasons for using the processes they did: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Flayoffs-sweeping-the-us-these-are-the-companies-making-cuts-2022-5#compass-450-employees-1\"\u003Ethe pandemic, slowed growth and rising labour costs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have forced some firms to downsize, and group calls are an effective way to deliver bad news to large numbers of affected workers. But overall, these collective, virtual layoffs generated bad publicity and left staff angry.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"My heart just sank. I haven't been a part of something like that before,\" one Better.com employee \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-59554585\"\u003Etold the BBC in December\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “It was very callous.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELarge-scale job cuts have always existed. And in the new remote-work world, in which we increasingly use technology to communicate, it makes sense that those who are hired and work virtually might also get fired virtually. Yet mass ‘Zoom firings’ make headlines; to devastated workers, the news can feel like a compassionless blindside. There’s no one-to-one chat in a side-office, no way to ask questions or process what's happened in the way there is with an individual, in-person conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet virtual layoffs may well become more standard in the remote and hybrid world, because of the new ways we’re working. But experts say cutting jobs and the people who do them can be done more considerately, helping soften the blow for affected workers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo personal touch\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the reason mass ‘Zoom firings’ feel so egregious, says Hayden Woodley, associate professor of organisational behaviour at Ivey Business School, Western University, Canada, is because they represent “a combination of two bad practices that shouldn't be done in the first place\": firing people in groups and without a direct conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth of those practices can make losing your job – an already devastating experience – even more miserable, because \"both are going to be perceived as lacking procedural justice\", says Woodley. Workers may expect certain processes when getting terminated: a specific explanation from their boss, a certain period of time to wrap up any affairs, a chance to ask questions. But with mass 'Zoom firings', none of these are guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup firings rob affected workers of the individual touch, says Johnny C Taylor Jr, CEO of the US-based Society for Human Resource Management (Shrm). Plus, he believes remote firings lack a certain dignity, since \"you don't have the advantage of the human dynamic, where you can grab the person a tissue box if you see them tear up\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd while getting laid off in any circumstances can be a huge blow, being shown the door in this way – remotely, abruptly and as one of many – can make workers feel even worse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, companies are grappling with all the changes the pandemic has brought; firms are still figuring out best practices for navigating layoffs in workforces that increasingly operate remotely or on a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fhello-hybrid\"\u003Ehybrid schedule\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and that communicate with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210406-how-asynchronous-communication-could-change-your-workday\"\u003Easynchronous technology\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, fewer workers now have regular in-person contact with their managers, or spend time in their offices. So, if the time comes, the boss letting the worker go remotely could well make sense logistically and in the context of their relationship. It doesn't make any sense, says Taylor, to force workers to \"fight traffic for 90 minutes to come in and be terminated in a five-minute conversation\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University, US, concurs, saying: \"Zoom layoffs are totally reasonable in a world where employees are recruited, trained and working mainly or fully online. Indeed, for fully remote jobs, it would be very odd if the one time you met your manager was for them to fire you.\" Yet this isn’t a blanket feeling: Bloom also believes mass layoffs affecting hundreds of employees – either online or in-person – is \"cruel and absurd\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJennifer A Chatman, associate dean for academic affairs at Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley, believes the only reason companies might opt to lay swathes of employees off in a single call is “for short-run efficiency”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A quick Zoom call attended by all the people a company is targeting to lay off takes five or 10 minutes, compared to other approaches that would involve more individualised meetings and in-person,\" she says. Firms only have so many HR staff, after all. \"Of course, the key here is ‘short-run’. While companies might see this approach as somehow advantageous from an efficiency perspective, it is problematic in all sorts of ways.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe follow-up conversation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn cases where firms do opt for a group announcement, execution is key. Woodley believes that ”virtual isn’t the problem”; instead, it's the way the termination is conducted remotely that can cause issues. Even if layoffs happen over Zoom or email, there's no reason the same technology can't be used to make the transition less painful.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"While companies might see this approach as somehow advantageous from an efficiency perspective, it is problematic in all sorts of ways – Jennifer A Chatman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"With people working from all over, I don’t see how a meeting cannot be set up to follow an email about the termination and [give] people the opportunity to respond,\" says Woodley. In other words, it's crucial to follow a group announcement by senior management with individual conversations with affected employees to answer questions and talk about next steps.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Bringing groups of people onto a call to experience something that is so jarring is not good form,\" says Taylor. While he believes it's OK to bring an organisation together to announce redundancies or restructuring, it's crucial to \"then have individualised conversations, even remotely, with the impacted employees so that people can experience, respond to [and] digest a separation discussion one-on-one\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese personalised conversations can be especially important in a depersonalised setting like hybrid or remote work, where workers may spend all day alone in their home office. And even if the numbers of affected employees are very high, meaning HR representatives cannot take all meetings, it’s crucial that direct supervisors make themselves available. \"We've got to train our managers to be more empathetic and compassionate in the process… especially if you're doing it remotely,” says Taylor.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompanies can also try to soften the blow by helping workers identify potential new opportunities. Employers can say, \"'Companies A, B, C and D in the area are looking for talent, and we can make that intro for you',\" says Taylor. Not only does it help the terminated employees, it's also good business for the company – it shows prospective hires and those who survived the layoffs that the company cares about its people, potentially alleviating \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2018\u002F05\u002Flayoffs-that-dont-break-your-company\"\u003Ethe morale hit layoffs can bring\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGetting things wrong can leave companies with questions to answer. Better.com CEO Vishal Garg subsequently apologised for the way he had “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.brandfolder.io\u002FA8SA0YBW\u002Fat\u002Fggkbfpsbjbvc335cprpv33bg\u002FA_Message_From_Our_Founder___CEO.pdf\"\u003Eblundered the execution\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” of the layoffs. He took a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2022\u002Fjan\u002F20\u002Fbettercom-ceo-vishal-garg-fired-employees-over-zoom-returns-to-work\"\u003Ebrief hiatus\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from the company, which has since laid off more people, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F08\u002Fbusiness\u002Fbetter-mortgage-lender-layoffs.html\"\u003Ereportedly again with some issues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Carvana \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbsnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcarvana-layoffs-2500-workers-zoom-email\u002F\"\u003Etold CBS MoneyWatch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E it had \"as many conversations as we could in person [about the layoffs], and where in-person was not possible, we spoke to our team members over Zoom\". Klarna’s CEO \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fiainmartin\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F28\u002Fklarna-chief-defends-handling-of-staff-cuts-in-call-that-angers-some-employees\u002F?sh=38fd421d3d36\"\u003Edefended\u003C\u002Fa\u003E his handling of the layoffs, reportedly suggesting 48 hours was an \"acceptable\" time for employees to wait for bad news.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven remote and hybrid work aren’t going anywhere, it seems likely that virtual layoffs will become a normalised part of our working lives. Working from home, says Taylor, has altered every stage of having a job – including the end.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, as recent cases have shown, companies will need to develop processes to conduct redundancies in a way that workers feel is humane. \"The Better.com example was a good warning to other firms, and so I expect that most will try to use a little more common sense,\" says Chatman. Workers shouldn't get too comfy, though: \"there are always outliers,\" she adds.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, as with many things, the way companies will proceed comes from management and their priorities. \"Hiring, training and working with people is always personal – we never have mass hirings,\" says Bloom. \"Firing and layoffs should be the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"'Zoom firing': Are virtual layoffs the future?","headlineShort":"Are 'mass Zoom firings' the future?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some companies have laid off workers via group video calls. As remote work proliferates, workers may need to get used to the idea they could be fired virtually.","summaryShort":"Why some bosses think virtual layoffs are \"totally reasonable\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-06-30T20:50:32.296472Z","entity":"article","guid":"78e81aed-3f1c-4ae3-bb43-9371dbf56464","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future","modifiedDateTime":"2022-07-01T16:34:28.875004Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers","_id":"62ead0c043d9f46d9838b9fa","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Falex-christian"],"bodyIntro":"Some workers are accepting job offers, only to see them revoked before their start dates. What’s going on?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter a long recruitment process, Michael, 25, finally received an offer to work for a Toronto-based tech start-up in May. When the contract was sent over, it mentioned there would be a series of benefits for employees who passed their probationary period. All that was left was for Michael to sign on the dotted line, and forward his references. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The contract was vague,” explains Michael, whose surname is being withheld for career concerns. “So, I later sent a thank-you email, and asked about the specific benefits I would receive, alongside follow-up questions to do with my progression at the company.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMichael’s intention was to provide his references once his prospective employer replied with details. That email arrived a day later, but it contained some unexpected news. “It was a short, simple email from the CEO stating they had decided to go in a different direction – they were rescinding the job offer,” he says. “I’m still in disbelief.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications ended there: Michael was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other\"\u003Eghosted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as if the position had never existed. With no explanation from the employer, Michael says he couldn’t help but speculate. “My first thought was [it happened] because I hadn’t provided references right away, that I didn’t initially email back immediately or that I’d asked too many questions.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMichael still doesn’t know if the job offer was rescinded because of a change of heart by the employer, whether another candidate took the role, or if market conditions meant the position was no longer vacant. But he’s far from being the only person to have had a job offer revoked in recent months. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmid a slowdown in industries such as tech, some firms have begun scaling back their recruitment, either through \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2022-07-19\u002Fapple-google-amazon-tracking-tech-companies-slowing-hiring#xj4y7vzkg\"\u003Ehiring freezes or layoffs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Accounts proliferate of workers who thought they had their new role secured, only to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fmore-companies-start-to-rescind-job-offers-11655865283\"\u003Ehave it withdrawn at\u003C\u002Fa\u003E a late stage. While Michael had yet to hand in his notice to his then-employer, some workers have even found themselves unexpectedly caught between roles, having quit their current job only to hear their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fkikofonseca_domestika-design-designer-activity-6950120509510443008-k_dE\u002F?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web\"\u003Enew role has fallen through\u003C\u002Fa\u003E just days before their start date. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf job offers can be withdrawn, where does that leave workers – and are there steps they can take to safeguard themselves until they actually get a foot in the door?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘It’s hard to contain the collateral damage’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECandidates might assume that once an email offer is received, with paperwork to follow, the new role is theirs. However, offers can still fall through – including even after both sides sign the contract.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETypically, companies can withdraw an offer if a candidate fails a background or reference check. There might also be a very rare case in which, as Michael worried, a candidate somehow made a wrong move right at the final hurdle, leading to a change of heart by the company. Right now, however, there is wider economic context driving this trend. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It was a short, simple email from the CEO stating they had decided to go in a different direction – they were rescinding the job offer. I’m still in disbelief – Michael","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne factor has been the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F719cb1c6-1a12-4c7a-b845-3a08679cff4b\"\u003Ecrypto and tech\u003C\u002Fa\u003E slowdown. Growth companies, which had been operating at full tilt for the past two years, have had to abruptly slam on their hiring brakes over fears of a looming recession. “The pace these firms have is enormous, so the machinery of recruitment has to be at full steam,” says Ivar Wiersma, head of computing platform Conclave, based in the Netherlands. “When it has to change course so suddenly, it’s hard to contain the collateral damage: offers are still being made before the hiring can be stopped.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther industries that have been on a recruitment drive in the wake of intense pandemic-driven demand have experienced similar whiplash. US data from company-reviews website Glassdoor, seen by BBC Worklife, shows a surge in posts mentioning the rescinding of job offers: a 217% increase between January and July 2022. “Many companies that staffed up quickly are having to reduce size very quickly,” explains Charley Cooper, the chief communications officer at enterprise technology provider and blockchain software company R3, based in New York City. “That turns into layoffs, hiring freezes and, in the most extreme cases, rescinded offers.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERevoking job offers is generally seen as a last resort: it implies a company’s business outlook has changed so dramatically that it has to reverse hiring plans made only weeks before. “If a company is rescinding job offers, it indicates that it has no other option for economic wellbeing or survival,” says Cooper. “It speaks to an employer’s depths of concerns not just today, but also longer term: they likely wouldn’t feel the need to revoke accepted offers if they thought there would be a quick bounce-back.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cpyfkf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The more I thought about it, the angrier I became’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile withdrawing an offer can be the right decision for an employer, it can feel like a body-blow to the candidate, who may well have made \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fcoinbase-rescind-job-offers\u002F\"\u003Elife choices\u003C\u002Fa\u003E around the new role. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lack of explanation by an employer can leave rejected workers reeling even further. “The more I thought about it, the angrier I became,” says Michael. “I invested so much time and energy over several rounds of interviews, yet all I received was a generic email telling me they were taking the offer back.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe later the withdrawal comes, the worse the situation can be for the candidate who is suddenly cut adrift. “You have people about to begin a role often after having quit their last job, having relied upon the representations made by a business,” says Cooper. “It should be an exciting time for them, beginning a new opportunity. To then suddenly receive a call saying, ‘I’m sorry, don’t actually bother showing up on Monday’ is a real blow.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout a signed contract, as in Michael’s case, an offer can be withdrawn at the employer’s discretion. But even when formal terms have been agreed, workers have limited recourse should a company decide to back out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Much of what we’re seeing is happening in tech, meaning many of those currently suffering are people earlier in their career who are just getting started – Charley Cooper","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile a signed contract implies a worker has certain guarantees in terms of employment, this isn’t the case in practice: an employer can withdraw an accepted offer at any time, and not have to explain why. In the US, a company has no legal obligation to pay a would-be employee anything. In the UK, a worker is only entitled to the pay set out in the notice period. “It’s possible for a job offer to be rescinded because the employer’s needs have changed,” explains Rebecca Thornley-Gibson, partner in the employment team at law firm DMH Stallard, based in London. “But the employer wouldn’t need to provide any reason for doing so.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECooper believes that the current spate of withdrawn job offers skews towards younger workers, with a potential knock-on effect for their career progression. “Much of what we’re seeing is happening in tech, meaning many of those currently suffering are people earlier in their career who are just getting started. If they’re getting a job rescinded from one employer, there may not be too many other companies looking for people either.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeaving a ‘bad taste’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen companies are forced to revoke job offers, Cooper says that communication is key to easing a difficult situation. “It sits on employers and executives to be honest and transparent, and make a strong case as to why they’re taking drastic action in the broader economic climate.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf employers don’t manage to explain themselves adequately, aggrieved candidates may be more likely to publicise the revoking of a job offer online, creating a long-term hit for a company’s recruitment and retention. “Rescinding offers ultimately leaves a bad taste in the mouth of the talent you may want to hire in the future,” says Cooper. “If you're a young up-and-comer choosing between two companies, and one has a history of withdrawing offers, that will cause some level of anxiety: you don’t know how reliable the company will be going forward.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many cases, employees who have recently had a job offer rescinded have been at the mercy of market conditions. Cooper notes that even well-structured companies may not always be able to fully prevent the effects of downturns. “There will always be a set of economic circumstances that come along and catch even the most thoughtful people out.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s unclear how long the current trend of rescinded offers will last, but regardless, Cooper emphasises workers who fall victim to it are blameless. “It’s not the person’s fault: that’s to do with a company recruiting way too fast for roles it may or may not need in an economic climate that’s uncertain. Unfortunately, that’s where workers get hurt.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, Michael – who’s since changed roles – says he has come through his experience relatively unscathed. “I’m glad they rescinded the offer in the end: I tried to be as honest as I could through the recruitment process, and they really didn’t even try to return that level of respect.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-08-04T14:09:20Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why companies are rescinding job offers","headlineShort":"The workers whose job offers vanish","image":["p0cpyfg4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220311-why-workers-and-employers-are-ghosting-each-other","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220630-zoom-firing-are-virtual-layoffs-the-future"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some workers are accepting job offers, only to see them revoked before their start dates. What’s going on?","summaryShort":"\"It was a short, simple email… they were rescinding the job offer\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-08-03T19:46:54.030383Z","entity":"article","guid":"a428fbc6-bbe0-4d5f-8b82-817248684b81","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers","modifiedDateTime":"2022-08-03T19:46:54.030383Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-why-companies-are-rescinding-job-offers","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200422},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office","_id":"62df7f5443d9f42c880fb44f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"After two years of remote work, spending a day in the office can be a shock to the wallet – and rising costs are making it worse.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again,” President Joe Biden \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.whitehouse.gov\u002Fbriefing-room\u002Fspeeches-remarks\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F01\u002Fremarks-of-president-joe-biden-state-of-the-union-address-as-delivered\u002F\"\u003Esaid\u003C\u002Fa\u003E earlier this year. He’s not the only political leader calling for workers to head back to the office. “Mother Nature does not like working from home,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F454769a7-2d96-4d82-9a00-599ca9eb5c2e\"\u003Eannounced\u003C\u002Fa\u003E late last year, as he predicted a wholesale return to pre-pandemic commuting levels. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not surprising that political leaders want us back at our desks. Without daily commutes and dining ‘al desko’, businesses of all types and sizes are losing out financially. One day of commuting is worth \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.railbusinessdaily.com\u002Fresearch-shows-business-boost-from-work-return-but-staff-and-employers-have-different-expectations\u002F#:~:text=One%20day%20of%20commuting%20is,the%20course%20of%20a%20year\"\u003E£82m\u003C\u002Fa\u003E ($107m) to businesses in the UK; in the US, workers spent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Faverage-spending-on-commute-how-much-money-2019-7?r=US&IR=T\"\u003Ebetween $2,000 and $5,000\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (£1,536–£3,840) on transport to work alone each year before the pandemic.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there’s a problem. Employees who haven’t had to budget for train tickets, takeaway coffees or new office outfits for the past two years are now acutely aware of how much it costs to spend a day at your desk. And, worse, these costs are growing. Petrol prices are at an all-time high; transport fares have increased, and food and other essentials are on an upwards trajectory. That means an office day can hit the wallet hard.\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome companies are offering financial and other incentives to tempt unhappy commuters back. But, given how aware workers are now of exactly how much an office day costs, it feels unlikely people will willingly revert to absorbing office-day expenses like before.  \u003Cem\u003E \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A quarter of my daily income’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClaire, a manager at a business events company in London, is certainly far more conscious now of how much she’s spending on her days in the office.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When I first went back to the office, I was shocked. It’s just crazy expensive – Umus","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen she worked from home during the pandemic, she put the money she usually spent on transport, takeaway lunches, office wear and after-work drinks into a savings pot. “I think I saved something crazy like £6,000 in six months,” she says. But when her employers reinstituted office days, the sudden change in her outgoings came as a shock. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make matters worse, her return train ticket to work has risen from £35 pre-pandemic to almost £50. “Having a mortgage, the rise in utility bills, council tax, income tax and the rising train fares, it’s just becoming impossible,” she says. Claire’s employer has upped salaries to meet market rates but, says Claire, “it’s really not enough”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUmus, a lecturer at a London university, experienced a similar post-pandemic price shock. Their commute – a comparatively short distance on the underground – costs £6.40 during rush hour. “When I first went back to the office, I was shocked. It’s just crazy expensive,” says Umus. “People are always saying ‘you can just cycle’, but it’s very ableist, everybody is not capable of cycling seven miles every day.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt work, Umus finds that expenses accumulate. “I usually grab both breakfast and lunch around work,” says Umus. “The cheapest option is Pret, and very easily, one coffee, one little breakfast thing and lunch, ends up being £13, then I get snacks from Tesco, which isn’t cheap either.” They’ve been working on a strict budget, but still end up spending between £22 and £27 on food and transport every office day. “That’s more than a quarter of what I make per day just to be able to go into the office,” says Umus.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Takeaway sushi at an office desk","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Umus works from home, they prepare their own food – it’s easier with more time and access to a full kitchen. “People say you can bring your own lunch [to the office], but I have a baby at home. I just barely survive, I can't plan lunches as well,” says Umus. “I feel like I should be able to afford a Pret sandwich as a lecturer at [a university in] London, but it’s really pushing the limits of my budget if I do it more than twice a week.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoaring costs\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUmus isn’t the only one struggling to cover office-related costs. “Incomes of all types, particularly wages, are just not keeping up with inflation,” says James Smith, research director at London think-tank Resolution Foundation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the UK Office of National Statistics, while wages did technically rise over the last tax year, when accounting for rising costs, workers actually saw a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-60734392\"\u003E1% drop\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in pay. In the US, the Labor Department \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Finflation-drives-worker-pay-down-not-up-wage-price-spiral-raises-goods-keynes-friedman-cost-push-fed-11643662537\"\u003Ereports\u003C\u002Fa\u003E worker pay has increased by 4% in the past year, well below the 7% increase in prices. In South Africa, worker wages were frozen in 2020 and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbusinesstech.co.za\u002Fnews\u002Ffinance\u002F534062\u002Fsalaries-to-remain-under-pressure-in-south-africa-economists-warn\u002F\"\u003Eclimbed 1.5% in 2021\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – again, well below the estimated inflation of 4.5%. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs wages lag, transport costs are surging. In London, where public transport dominates, fares on buses and the London Underground have seen the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fuk-news\u002F2022\u002Ffeb\u002F14\u002Flondon-tube-and-bus-fares-to-rise-almost-5-from-next-month\"\u003Ebiggest rise in a decade\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, to help recoup pandemic losses. Across the UK, rail costs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fmoney\u002F2021\u002Fdec\u002F17\u002Frail-fares-increase-march-inflation\"\u003Eare also going up\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In the United States, where the vast majority (over 80%) commute by car, surging gas prices are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F75d435fc-3e40-41b6-b4f0-0bf74321617a\"\u003Ekeeping people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from getting behind the wheel. A year ago, petrol in the US cost $2.87 a gallon, now the average has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fgasprices.aaa.com\u002F\"\u003Egone up 50%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to $4.10, leaving many commuters struggling.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It's gotten to the point where if I were to be forced back into the office full time, I literally can't afford to get there – Tracy Benson","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESouth Africa has seen similar increases. “Wages have been stagnant since the beginning of 2020 and the petrol price just keeps going up and up,” says Tracy Benson, an office manager in Johannesburg. Benson is currently alternating remote and office days, but now South Africa has eased its pandemic rules a push to get back to the office has begun. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It's gotten to the point where if I were to be forced back into the office full time, I literally can't afford to get there, the petrol would cost me too much,” says Benson. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESubsidies, for some\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese rising costs mean that workers who can do their jobs from home are understandably reluctant to head to the office unless they absolutely need to. In Benson’s case, she’s just hoping her employer keeps allowing home working. “I’m worried the office will push for a full return,” says Benson. “For me, it would honestly mean finding a different job.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome companies are cognisant of employees’ concerns and are offering practical solutions aimed at alleviating costs related to office days. Media company Bloomberg is offering its US staff \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fflexible-working-commute-cost#:~:text=The%20dreaded%20commute.,exactly%20how%20to%20spend%20it.\"\u003Ea $75 daily commuting stipend\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which they can spend however they want. In the UK, consultancy PwC is giving commuters \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Fsep\u002F06\u002Fsweet-deal-uk-workers-lured-back-to-office-with-bonuses-and-ice-cream\"\u003Ean extra £1,000\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to come into the office, while bank Goldman Sachs is offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.efinancialcareers.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Fgoldman-sachs-free-food\"\u003Efree breakfast and lunch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to some workers. But these perks and stipends certainly don’t extend to all companies – meaning people are not only being asked to give up remote work but also spend more to do it.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Commuters on a train platform","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, people generally absorbed these costs without question. But now they’ve seen the alternative, it’s not as simple as just ‘going back to normal’ – especially if other people are getting better deals. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s an issue of fairness,” says Jean-Nicolas Reyt, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at McGill. He explains that we determine fairness not just based on what our colleagues are receiving, but also what other people doing different jobs at different organisations are getting – so if one company is subsidising their employees’ commutes, then workers elsewhere are likely to want the same benefit. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People don't stay an unfair situation; they work less, or usually they quit,” adds Reyt. “If some companies start giving people money to commute, this is going to become the norm, the market will readjust.” Reyt encourages employers to pick their battles. “CEOs talk to me as if the goal is to reduce all costs,” he says, but an enforced back-to-office policy, without any perks, will likely have unintended consequences for employee retention. “It’s not worth it to cut corners. The overall costs are so much bigger than these savings.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet even as some workers discuss with their employers how often they’ll return to the office and who will pay, the Resolution Foundation’s Smith points out that those who have the option of working from home are still some of the most fortunate. After all, knowledge workers and those on higher incomes were far more likely to be able to work remotely during the pandemic \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200921-what-remote-jobs-tell-us-about-inequality\"\u003Ethan lower-income workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, who will have had no choice but to attend their place of work each day and absorb the related, rising costs. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Umus says: “I'm one of the lucky ones. So, I don't know how other people manage.”   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClaire and Umus are using their middle names out of job-security concerns\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The sky-high cost of returning to the office","headlineShort":"The soaring cost of return-to-work","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman exiting the subway","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"After two years of remote work, spending a day in the office can be a shock to the wallet – and rising costs are making it worse.","summaryShort":"\"When I first went back to the office, I was shocked. It’s just crazy expensive\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-20T21:04:04.198017Z","entity":"article","guid":"2d3b8009-c822-4d6c-9d54-a5f95ea00e9e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-20T21:15:31.096457Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters","_id":"62df7ee043d9f4573e67fdd2","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"In major cities across the globe, including New York City, rent prices have gone through the roof. It’s putting the squeeze on some renters in unmanageable ways.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this year, 25-year-old Lauren Odioso was living with three roommates in a three-bedroom flat in northern Manhattan. But when the rent soared in April from $2,600 (£2,075) per month to $5,200, it was too much for the actress to afford.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"My personal current monthly rent would have gone from $866 to $1,733 – almost a $900 increase. My first reaction was shock, and then immediately realising that renewing my lease here was not an option,\" she says. \"I felt pretty angry and helpless.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOdioso, who bartended in addition to acting, and worked at Starbucks throughout Covid, says she \"was already struggling with money after working only service industry jobs throughout the pandemic, and with increased prices in utilities and everyday life in the city\". But in May, the financial burden became too much: she left New York altogether, and moved to the cheaper city of Cleveland, Ohio, where she now lives with her boyfriend.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor months, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-09-15\u002Fnew-york-city-rents-landlords-jack-up-prices-70-in-lease-renewals-post-covid\"\u003ENew York City rents have exploded\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, after \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnypost.com\u002F2021\u002F04\u002F23\u002Fnyc-rents-continue-to-hit-record-lows\u002F\"\u003Edipping to all-time lows\u003C\u002Fa\u003E amid the pandemic. This has left thousands of renters adrift – and many of them are barely able to financially survive. And this isn’t just limited to major metropolitan centres like New York City: across the US, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Finteractive\u002F2022\u002Frising-rent-prices\u002F\"\u003Erents rose a record 11.3% last year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The alarming trend is also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fda1cdab0-de47-4cce-8f35-4e3a7234530e\"\u003Eon the rise in many cities worldwide\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The biggest problem? Experts and analysts fear it may only to get worse from here.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDouble or nothing\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are several reasons why so many renters across the globe are facing a crisis of skyrocketing rent.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn New York, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Flife-style\u002Fmove-outside-london-countryside-kent-b2016275.html\"\u003ELondon\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and other cities, many apartments simply sat empty as renters ended leases to ride out lockdowns in more spacious suburbs; for example, New York's population \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.cornell.edu\u002Fstories\u002F2022\u002F03\u002Fpandemic-prompted-exodus-new-york-city-gains-upstate\"\u003Eplunged more than 4%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E due to a pandemic exodus – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F04\u002Frealestate\u002Fhow-the-pandemic-blew-up-rents.html\"\u003Eforcing rents to plummet\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and leaving landlords scrambling. By late 2020 and early 2021, many in New York were showering prospective renters with perks, like slashed monthly rents, several months for free, waived broker fees or other bonuses.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is how Shea Long, a software developer, found himself able to live without roommates by the time he turned 30. He moved into a one-bedroom in midtown Manhattan early last year, and paid $2,150 per month rent. He was aware he was getting a deal as part of a mass move by landlords to \u003Ca href=\"C:\\Users\\turitmw1\\Dropbox%20(BBC)\\CAPITAL\\2022%20STORIES\\06%20Jun\\Lufkin%20-%20sky%20high%20renters\\concessions%20were%20extremely%20common%20last%20year\"\u003Ediscount rents amid the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, to keep tenants in place while many others fled the city at its Covid-19 peak.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, in April 2022, when he logged into the online payment portal like usual to submit rent, a message popped up: starting in June, he'll be paying $3,650 (£2,912).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new price tag of his rent is a reality he doesn’t want to swallow, of course – but Long feels he may have no choice but to stay, once he accounts for all the costs of moving, a new security deposit, first month's rent and more. He also wants to avoid the intense anxiety of trying to find a new place that's even available, as inventory is the lowest it's been in New York City \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.usatoday.com\u002Fstory\u002Fmoney\u002Fpersonalfinance\u002Freal-estate\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F23\u002Fnyc-rents-bidding-wars-low-inventory\u002F7125858001\u002F?gnt-cfr=1\"\u003Esince the 2008 financial crisis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \"It's not really worth it to go through all the stress\" if all those costs are barely cheaper than his 60% rent increase, he says. \"Right now, I'm considering getting a roommate again, because this is just eating into my 401(k)\" retirement savings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELong’s conundrum is one many New Yorkers are facing, since re-locating to a cheaper flat now isn’t as simple as browsing real-estate listings. Renters are often finding themselves financially and logistically unable to move from their flats if they want to stay in the city, putting them in unavoidable positions that are squeezing them beyond their means.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has also been the case for 29-year-old account manager Andy Ward, who moved into a Brooklyn studio last year and had been paying $2,100 per month, with one month free, as a pandemic incentive. But in April 2022, when Ward got an automated email asking him to e-sign his lease renewal agreement, he was greeted with news he now must pay an extra $400 each month.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESam Chandan, professor of finance at New York University in New York City, and director of its Center for Real Estate Finance Research, says the renters most feeling the squeeze are those in 'workforce housing', or \"the rents that are affordable and attainable for the teacher, the fireman, the policeman\". So, not only are they unable to stay in their current flat, they could be displaced out of the city altogether. And while big-city living \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fcities-will-just-be-playgrounds-for-rich-if-poor-keep-being-pushed-to-suburbs-64708\"\u003Ehas always favoured the wealthy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, some worry this crisis could force out working-class renters, potentially meaning only a certain privileged class of people will be able to live in major cities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘They’re not budging at all’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese rent spikes are unlike any a city like New York has seen, experts say. \"The pace of rent increases has really run ahead of anything that we've seen in recent memory,\" says Chandan. \"In many cases, rents have risen faster than the median family income.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat's mostly driving that rise is that more people have flocked \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcitymonitor.ai\u002Fhousing\u002Frenting\u002Ftheres-a-reason-why-pandemic-escapees-are-moving-back-to-london\"\u003Eback to cities in huge droves worldwide\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, explains Chandan; for instance, more people are moving to New York City now \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.curbed.com\u002F2021\u002F11\u002Fnew-york-moving-pandemic-report.html\"\u003Ethan they did before the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. According to local government, office buildings and schools re-opening \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcomptroller.nyc.gov\u002Freports\u002Fthe-pandemics-impact-on-nyc-migration-patterns\u002F\"\u003Eplayed a big role in people relocating\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to New York, as did the arts and entertainment scene, like Broadway, bouncing back.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If their current tenant isn’t able or willing to pay what the landlord is asking for, they know that someone out there will – Josh Clark","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"The pendulum has swung. We went from really robust rent growth prior to the pandemic, then to a drop-off and now a rebound.\" Rents have grown, inventory has shrunk and competition has stiffened. There simply aren't enough spaces to go around, and flats will go to the highest and fastest bidder.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F10\u002Frent-rising-inflation-housing\u002F\"\u003EInflation is also a factor\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, say experts, since this economic phenomenon drives up housing prices, which prevents would-be homeowners from buying a home. As a result, they keep renting, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Frichardmcgahey\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F25\u002Finflation-soaring-rents-and-the-housing-crisis\u002F\"\u003Ewhich can keep rental inventory low and rents high\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd now, the usual tactics renters typically have at their disposal to strike deals with landlords don't really apply in this atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Under normal circumstances, a landlord will always prefer to keep a trustworthy tenant rather than leave their unit vacant for weeks or months and go through the process of finding someone new, and potentially paying for a broker to help them,\" says Josh Clark, senior economist at Zillow, a US-based real estate listings company. But \"now, if their current tenant isn’t able or willing to pay what the landlord is asking for, they know that someone out there will. The extra legwork to find a new tenant is worth it.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Ward sought advice for how to manage his rent hike on a New York City Facebook group, he says the overwhelming advice was \"you have to haggle\". He did, but is not making headway with his landlords: \"they're not budging at all,” he says. When Ward asked why the rent was going up so much, he says \"the rationale I keep getting is just because, point blank, 'this is the marketplace standard'\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Long, Ward has weighed the costs of moving versus the costs of staying, and he’s decided he has no choice but to stay put and swallow the price increase. \"I don't have the money to move\" right now, he says. \"I'm kind of trapped.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat's happening next\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd it seems like rents will just keep going up. US mortgage loan company Fannie Mae predicted in a March survey that 67% of renters in the US will \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fanniemae.com\u002Fnewsroom\u002Ffannie-mae-news\u002Fmore-consumers-expect-mortgage-rates-and-home-prices-rise-even-further\"\u003Esee their rents keep rising in 2022\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo better protect renters, Chandan says more needs to be done on the policy level, although that's often an uphill climb: for instance, Berlin passed a law in 2020 that capped rents, yet Germany's high court \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fcommentisfree\u002F2021\u002Fapr\u002F23\u002Fberlin-rent-cap-defeated-landlords-empty\"\u003Eswiftly struck it down a year later,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E deeming it unconstitutional.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut since he believes this is a supply and demand issue, Chandan adds another solution is to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220505-the-office-spaces-transforming-into-luxury-apartments\"\u003Econvert all of that office space\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that's sat empty for two years into housing. While such a move is expensive and lengthy for cities like New York, researchers estimate it could create \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thrillist.com\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-york\u002Fnyc-convert-office-buildings-into-apartments\"\u003Eas many 14,000 new apartments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; the city had taken similar measures with emptied offices \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F10\u002Fhow-lower-manhattan-turned-into-a-24\u002F7-community-after-9\u002F11-attacks.html\"\u003Ein Lower Manhattan in the years following 9\u002F11\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor now, Odioso, now in her new home in Ohio, says many of the people she knows back in New York City who haven’t yet been hit with rent hikes are waiting for the other shoe to drop. \"Many of my friends and co-workers are going through the same thing,\" moving out of Manhattan or out of New York completely, she says. \"My friends who haven’t had to renew their leases yet are anxious to find out the damage.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-06-01T20:42:03Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The New Yorkers in crisis over skyrocketing rents","headlineShort":"'I felt pretty angry and helpless'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"In major cities across the globe, including New York City, rent prices have gone through the roof. It’s putting the squeeze on some renters in unmanageable ways.","summaryShort":"New Yorkers are feeling 'trapped' by rents that have doubled","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-31T21:07:19.980462Z","entity":"article","guid":"ede1798d-3e16-4468-8bad-dc20b596e195","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters","modifiedDateTime":"2022-06-01T11:36:56.437875Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far","_id":"62df804643d9f46daa5b78f4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Formerly empty desks are starting to fill as workers are trickling back into offices – and we now know a lot more than we did just a few months ago.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBringing workers back to their desks has been a rocky road for employers and employees alike.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe evolution of the pandemic has meant that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth\"\u003Ebest laid plans have often not materialised\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and the flow of workers back into offices has been more of a trickle than a steady stream. This has meant a lot of uncertainty around what a wide-scale return to office might look like in practice.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet while plenty of companies are still working through their new policies, some employees across the globe are now back at their desks, whether on a full-time or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220628-the-six-big-things-weve-learned-about-hybrid-work-so-far\"\u003Ehybrid basis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That means we’re beginning to get some clarity on what return-to-office means – what’s working, as well as what has yet to be settled.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are the key lessons so far on heading back into workplaces, and what they might mean for the future of how we work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInflation and economic concerns are putting stress on employees\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs costs rise throughout the world, workers being called back to headquarters are feeling the squeeze.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-12196322\"\u003EIn the UK, inflation is hovering around 9%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; the rate is similar in the US, where \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-62148662\"\u003Eprices are rising at their fastest rate in 40 years.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Consequently, return-to-office-related costs have shot up – think petrol and food, for instance. Yet \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.axios.com\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F13\u002Fwages-inflation-economic-data\"\u003Ewages haven’t kept up with inflation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – even despite the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-why-workers-are-choosing-big-pay-packets-over-flexibility\"\u003Esalary growth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E many workers have enjoyed during a favourable pandemic labour market.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis reality is putting stress on employees who have to pay for transport, desk lunches, more childcare, clothing and that all-important after-work socialisation – costs they haven’t incurred for nearly two years. This is especially jarring for workers who were able to save during remote work, when these expenditures weren’t a factor.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn April 2022, Umus, a London university lecturer, told BBC Worklife that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office\"\u003Ethey were spending nearly a quarter of what they made every day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on return-to-work costs. Similarly, London-based events manager Claire said she was struggling to keep up, especially after having put away nearly £6,000 ($7,100) in six months. “Having a mortgage, the rise in utility bills, council tax, income tax and the rising train fares, it’s just becoming impossible,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorkers and companies are playing a game of chicken\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs much as Covid-19 infection waves have stymied the return-to-office, there’s another reason a widespread return has been a struggle: neither the workers who are enjoying remote work or the employers who want staff in seats are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.npr.org\u002F2022\u002F06\u002F05\u002F1102744672\u002Fremote-work-from-home-return-to-office-covid-pandemic-workers-apple-google\"\u003Ewilling to back down\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe battle is front and centre at many companies – it isn’t just happening at places like tech firms (such as Apple, where a high-profile tussle meant some \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies\"\u003Etop-ranking talent walked away in early May\u003C\u002Fa\u003E). It’s also shown up in less expected places, like the UK civil service, where workers who want to stay at home and the ministers who want them back are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-61202152\"\u003Eat odds in highly public ways\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis mismatch has meant a stalemate that’s keeping many returns patchy at best. In some extreme cases, as employers stick to their guns, \u003Ca href=\"C:\\Users\\philippafogarty\\Downloads\\leaving%20companies%20forcing%20their%20return\"\u003Eworkers are quitting in response\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or seeking out roles with a larger remote component. At some businesses, employers are trying to incentivise workers to come back with more pay or perks. It’s helping in some cases, but not swaying the employees who’ve dug in their heels about staying at home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot everyone is at odds with their companies, though – a notable group of workers are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220616-the-people-who-hate-working-from-home\"\u003Erelieved and even thrilled to get a break from the remote-work grind\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. For some, the isolation has taken a toll, and others report less productivity at home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Neither the workers who are enjoying remote work or the employers who want staff in seats are willing to back down","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese differing approaches and attitudes mean returns have been happening on an ad hoc and inconsistent basis. It’s a very mixed picture, and companies are really having to feel their way through what is workable for all parties involved. The process has been slow, and it's set to drag on at least a little while longer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThere’s a double standard for who is returning\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough return mandates are \u003Cem\u003Etheoretically \u003C\u002Fem\u003Efor all employees – or at least entire departments – the reality may be more uneven.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpecifically, in some cases, employees report that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220602-the-double-standard-of-the-return-to-office\"\u003Etop brass are taking advantage of the situation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, insisting their employees come in, while they continue to work remotely. Data from April 2022 tells a similar story. Researchers from workplace-messaging company Slack found a “large and growing disconnect” between work flexibility for executives versus their staff. Non-executives were nearly twice as likely to work full-time in the office – a grating and even demoralising disconnect between superiors and their reports.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is putting the employees forced to return – many of whom are younger and less experienced – in tough positions. After all, it’s not exactly easy to call your supervisor on hypocrisy – but there are other ripple effects. The absence of bosses is not only causing confusion among employees, who don’t have the guidance they need, but also disrupting growth opportunities, such as mentorship and networking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is likely that not every boss who is staying home is abusing their power. Statistically, managers were the most burnt-out workers in 2021, according to data from Gallup. Some may be staying behind because they’re not quite ready to lead again. However, experts suggest it may more likely be the case that bosses are forcing their reports in due to a lack of trust, yet trusting themselves to work from home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"left","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe office feels different – and there’s a big adjustment period\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe office as workers know it has changed in many ways. In some cases, companies have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-hybrid-work-what-the-office-could-look-like-now\"\u003Ereimagined their headquarters\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to better accommodate hybrid work, meaning employees are returning to unfamiliar offices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, even places that look the same as they did pre-pandemic don’t always \u003Cem\u003Efeel \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ethe same. Some companies have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F06f5e384-e278-4c30-8215-085512c6820d\"\u003Eswitched to a hot-desking system\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which means the personal spaces of the former office have gone away. On top of additional processes like desk booking, which can be time consuming if not totally confusing, it can also be disorienting for workers who used to value consistency and a space to call their own.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany returning workers are also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220627-have-people-forgotten-how-to-behave-in-the-office\"\u003Estruggling with an adjustment period\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – this means planning commutes again or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-61067507\"\u003Efinding care for pets\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but also smaller things, such as remembering how to pack what they need for the day or dress for the office. Plus, some employees who are thrilled to see their friends again and collaborate in person, are having to re-learn how to behave in a shared setting where people still need to concentrate to get work done.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’ll get better, say experts BBC Worklife spoke to in Jun 2022, but the shift has been jarring, regardless.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorkers are caught in the middle\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply put, most businesses haven’t yet entirely figured out long-term, permanent return-to-office plans. Consequently, workers say many companies have done a poor job of communicating their intentions, which is leaving people who are waiting to plan their next steps in limbo. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, some employees have delayed taking major life steps, such as moving house or even starting families, until they know how many days they’ll be asked to return – if at all. Other groups have already made big changes, such as buying homes outside commuting distance, and are on tenterhooks waiting for official instructions on coming back to find out if they’ll have to search for a more remote-friendly role. Either way, this uncertainty is emotionally and cognitively draining. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in glum news, as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fhealth-55659820\"\u003Enew virus variants quickly emerge\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, causing new waves of Covid-19 infections, the return-to-office may stay a patchwork – which means it seems unlikely that many of these kinks will find resolution soon. The upside, however, means this may give employers the time and space they need to figure out what truly works for their businesses and workforces.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-07-21T01:08:26Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The five big things we know about return-to-office so far","headlineShort":"Why return-to-office has been so rocky","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Formerly empty desks are starting to fill as workers are trickling back into offices – and we now know a lot more than we did just a few months ago.","summaryShort":"Plenty of workers have returned to desks – but there are still kinks to work out","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-07-20T21:00:49.833728Z","entity":"article","guid":"9b1f85b4-de40-4403-a417-cf52aff68f74","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far","modifiedDateTime":"2022-07-21T14:45:34.312012Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes","_id":"62e9ae9f43d9f46d9838b9f1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"As living costs rise amid inflation, some companies are helping squeezed workers out with wage hikes, bonuses or even free food.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELast month UK-based carmaker Rolls Royce announced it would give more than 14,000 lower-ranked workers a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2022\u002Fjun\u002F21\u002Frolls-royce-staff-cost-of-living-crisis\"\u003Eone-off payment of £2,000\u003C\u002Fa\u003E ($2,430) to “help them through the current exceptional economic climate”. Other companies have taken similar steps: major UK banks, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2022-06-30\u002Fbarclays-gives-1-200-raise-to-35-000-uk-staff-as-inflation-hits?sref=lgADY7dy\"\u003EBarclays and Lloyds\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, are giving lower-paid staff out-of-season pay rises or cash bonuses, while there are also examples of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fuk.news.yahoo.com\u002Fcompany-gives-employees-pay-rise-help-cost-of-living-160821194.html\"\u003Esmall businesses\u003C\u002Fa\u003E giving workers bonuses to help them cope with the current surge in living costs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs of this writing, inflation sits at 9.4% in the UK, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2022\u002Fjul\u002F20\u002Fuk-inflation-rise-petrol-diesel-prices\"\u003Ehighest level seen since 1982.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fus-inflation-june-2022-consumer-price-index-11657664129\"\u003EIn the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E it’s 9.1%. Whether it's a coffee, food, housing or bills, the staples of our daily lives have all become more expensive in the past six months. Wages have also been rising, but not as fast – meaning workers’ take-home pay is buying them less, leaving many people struggling.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn these circumstances, some employers are stepping up to help out workers, with cash injections or other subsidies that can help them shoulder these rising costs. But the move isn’t across the board, and experts say companies face a tricky balancing act. Firms want to save money in case a recession hits, and some organisations may not be in a position to act nimbly. But companies also need to retain workers in a tight labour market that favours jobseekers – because if firms don't do more to help workers, employees might go somewhere that will.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking moves to help\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the moment, the basics of life are getting more expensive: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnn.com\u002F2022\u002F06\u002F11\u002Fbusiness\u002Ffood-prices-may-cpi\u002Findex.html\"\u003Egroceries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F02b58107-a328-458e-97b2-061fa87e5df2\"\u003Eclothing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-52188448\"\u003Epetrol\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F06\u002F21\u002Fhow-parents-cope-with-the-rising-cost-of-child-care.html\"\u003Echildcare\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.worldbank.org\u002Fdevelopmenttalk\u002Fenergy-shock-could-sap-global-growth-years#:~:text=Energy%20prices%20have%20spiked%20to,oil%2C%20and%20natural%20gas%20prices.\"\u003Eutilities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as well as housing; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters\"\u003Erents are skyrocketing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in cities, and many people \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-61270686\"\u003Ecan't afford homes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as home prices have also gone up. Even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office\"\u003Egoing to work itself\u003C\u002Fa\u003E feels more expensive, as commuting costs, food and other incidentals all mount up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany workers are struggling to handle these increased costs – which are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-12196322\"\u003Elinked to rising energy, fuel and food costs because of the war in Ukraine\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as well as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-59982702\"\u003Eshortages of goods and labour, plus supply-chain hurdles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – and asking what their companies can do to help them out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cqgtbs"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDecades ago, says Perry Sadorsky, professor of sustainability and economics at York University, Canada, workers in many Western countries belonged to unions that would have bargained for cost-of-living adjustments. Those schemes \"would kick in quickly to changes in inflation, helping to restore real wages\". But these days, union membership in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fuploads\u002Fsystem\u002Fuploads\u002Fattachment_data\u002Ffile\u002F989116\u002FTrade-union-membership-2020-statistical-bulletin.pdf\"\u003Ethe UK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Ffact-tank\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F18\u002Fmajorities-of-adults-see-decline-of-union-membership-as-bad-for-the-u-s-and-working-people\u002F\"\u003Ethe US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has plummeted, meaning that in the absence of collective pressure, it’s up to companies to decide for themselves if they should be helping.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany firms that have chosen to help are large private-sector organisations. Some are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbsnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Finflation-companies-giving-workers-mid-year-raises-microsoft-walmart-exxonmobil\u002F\"\u003Ethrowing money at the problem\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, like Microsoft, which reportedly doubled its budget worldwide for merit-based raises, and ExxonMobile, which gave US workers a one-time bonus of 3% of their salaries to weather price hikes. In the UK, bank Virgin Money offered staff a one-time \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Fsantander-uk-offers-some-staff-4-pay-rise-help-with-cost-living-2022-07-19\u002F\"\u003Ebonus of £1,000, on top of pay rises in January of 5%.  \u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther companies are taking a different tack; they’re not offering overt financial incentives, but they are trying to take some expenditure off employees’ shoulders. Some smaller companies in the US have started giving workers gift cards or weekly stipends of $50 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fas-gas-prices-climb-some-companies-pay-for-workers-to-fill-up-11656036829\"\u003Eto help pay for fuel\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2022\u002F04\u002F20\u002Fbusiness\u002Freturn-to-office-inflation-covid.html\"\u003Efree food for staff\u003C\u002Fa\u003E who come into the office. Others are allowing staff to work from home, which means savings on commuting and other work-related costs (and there’s certainly evidence workers want this; a recent survey of early 3,000 UK workers showed 45% were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.randstad.co.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Ftrends\u002Femployees-pushing-to-work-from-home-to-avoid-fuel-costs\u002F\"\u003Epushing for more remote working to save commuting costs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"More and more smart employers are saying, 'there's a two-fer here: you prefer remote work, so we're going to give you hybrid – but you're also going to save money',\" says Johnny C Taylor Jr, CEO at the US-based Society for Human Resource Management (Shrm).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESome companies can only do so much\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers want help, and many companies want to help. Yet it's not something every company can do. Right now, notes Taylor , employers are facing challenging times; they’re grappling with the need to attract and retain talent, while simultaneously not overspending in a way that means they might need dire cost-savings moves later on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Companies who fail to adjust for inflation are at risk of losing their top performers - Jean-Nicolas Reyt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"The problem is companies can't make short-term decisions [to give workers extra compensation] that will impact the long-term viability of the company,\" says Taylor. He points out that some companies, especially big firms, have already found themselves cutting costs, rolling back spending, freezing hiring and even letting people go after zealous hiring and spending sprees over the last year. \"Companies are trying to strike this balance,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn additional complication is that not all organisations can be equally agile around cost-of-living adjustments. For example, public-sector jobs have \"a disadvantage in terms of flexibility of giving a pay raise, and a bonus – not to mention stock market options\", all of which give workers more security, inflation or no, says Runjuan Liu, professor of business economics at University of Alberta, Canada. More government oversight makes it harder for such institutions to offer the bonuses and high compensation that private sector companies can, she explains.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt can depend on company size, too, says Jean-Nicolas Reyt, associate professor of organisational behaviour at McGill University, Canada. Smaller or medium-sized companies may be faster to offer help, but might be in a weaker financial situation to do so in the long run. A recent Goldman Sachs survey of 10,000 small businesses in the US revealed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goldmansachs.com\u002Fcitizenship\u002F10000-small-businesses\u002FUS\u002Fnews-and-program-information\u002Fpages\u002F10ksbv-press-release-25-apr-2022.html\"\u003E67% of them had increased wages\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to retain workers, even as 91% reported broader economic trends were negatively affecting their businesses.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A hard pill to swallow’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of all these factors, companies' best efforts to help workers through the cost-of-living spike will differ – and in some cases, they won’t be enough for workers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cqgtg4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"Companies that do not match inflation are essentially asking their staff to take a pay cut. That's not fair, and that's a hard pill to swallow for employees,\" says Reyt. \"When employees are unhappy with their treatment, they typically look for alternative employment.\" \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELiu urges workers in organisations that aren’t helping workers out substantially – including the public sector – to take a pause and look at the bigger picture. \"What I observe is that the public sector has better benefits\" like solid pension plans, health insurance and more; since public sector pay is determined by government regulation and taxpayer funding, public sector workers could find a degree of stability in the current economy, argues Liu. \"If I'm looking for a job, I'm looking beyond the pay cheque: so, location, flexibility, benefits, compensation, retirement package, health benefits.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaylor says it's important employers be transparent in communication with workers about what they are and are not able to do. They can say, \"'I can do this much; I can do other things which are intended to save you money – not necessarily put money directly into your compensation package,\" he explains.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's a difficult time for everyone: workers want more money, and companies want to keep them aboard, all while navigating a potentially precarious economic environment. Yet companies who don’t find a way to address workers’ requests for help may face deeper impacts down the line.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Companies who fail to adjust for inflation are at risk of losing their top performers,\" says Reyt.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-08-01T19:52:49.727Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How firms are wrestling with cost-of-living spikes","headlineShort":"The firms helping workers with costs","image":["p0cqgt8v"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p0cqgtbs"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220420-the-sky-high-cost-of-returning-to-the-office","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220531-the-skyrocketing-rents-that-are-crippling-renters","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220718-the-five-big-things-we-know-about-return-to-office-so-far"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"As living costs rise amid inflation, some companies are helping squeezed workers out with wage hikes, bonuses or even free food.","summaryShort":"Inflation is surging – but only some companies are helping out squeezed workers","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-08-02T23:09:01.844756Z","entity":"article","guid":"1bee299c-e9ba-4d24-816d-e99815b2c9db","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes","modifiedDateTime":"2022-08-03T12:47:17.85818Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220801-how-firms-are-wrestling-with-cost-of-living-spikes","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200423},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","_id":"62df808343d9f4585a6fd497","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Walking out of a job in anger can seem extreme – but there are often powerful motivations for doing it.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EIt was sweltering inside the nightclub where Alexander was DJing, in the US state of Virginia. Though it was more than 40°C outside, the club’s air conditioning was broken. It felt extra sticky and humid because the club was hosting a special event: a Pokemon-themed foam party, where upwards of 400 clubbers were frolicking in suds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003E“I literally had ice packs on my neck in order to not pass out,” remembers Alexander, now 35, of the 2016 event. The heat was also damaging his gear, and he’d had enough. Over the microphone, so everyone could hear, he berated the club owner for lying about fixing the air conditioning and for the equipment-frying conditions. “I’m done,” he said, then stormed out. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EMany of us have fantasised about leaving a bad job in a similarly dramatic fashion. Yet far from throwing a temper tantrum, 'rage quitting' is a sign of serious flaws in a workplace: from lax health and safety standards to exploitative working conditions and abusive managers. The Covid-19 pandemic has only intensified the stressors that can lead employees to quit on the spot. But as rage quitting tends to be the culmination of a series of work issues, employers can avoid being left in the lurch by paying attention to the warning signs – before an employee drops the mic on their way out the door. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat a ‘rage quit’ looks like\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EThe idea of angrily walking out of a job has been around since long before the phenomenon became celebrated in pop culture, like the 1970s country music anthem Take This Job and Shove It; and before \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inverse.com\u002Fentertainment\u002Frage-quit-definition-meaning-explained-origins-coined\"\u003Evideo gamers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E started using the term ‘rage quitting’ in the 1980s to refer to angrily exiting a frustrating game. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough rage quitting can look and feel impulsive, dissatisfaction with a job tends to build up over time, until an incident triggers the actual resignation. And having a safe space to land – such as an abundance of job options, another source of income (like unemployment insurance) or an upcoming opportunity (like graduate school) – can make it easier to pull that trigger.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Cross man","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese patterns exist in some form across job roles and industries, but will take different shape in different contexts. There’s a lack of statistics about rage quitting, but Peter Hom, a turnover expert at Arizona State University in the US, points out that in Germany, for instance, employees of large companies get penalised for quitting without notice. The US has more \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncsl.org\u002Fresearch\u002Flabor-and-employment\u002Fat-will-employment-overview.aspx\"\u003Eat-will employment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so it would make sense for rage quitting to be more common there. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESajeet Pradhan, who researches organisational behaviour at the Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli, says compared to the US and Europe, India “is more culturally tolerant (unfortunately) towards abuse at work”, due to “power distance or the upbringing which has conditioned us to respect people in authoritative positions”. In India, according to Pradhan, “rage quitting is generally witnessed among highly-skilled jobs and the millennials”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn general, says Nita Chhinzer, who researches strategic human-resource management at the University of Guelph in Canada, “higher-educated people are more likely to quit, because they think that their skills are highly transferrable and generalisable”. Yet those in lower-skilled, precarious employment can often quit with little notice. Peter Hom refers to people working for export-driven factories in China and Mexico: “It’s like musical chairs – they jump from job to job.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd although young workers are sometimes perceived as flaky, “the truth is that before they have a sunk cost, for a sunk investment in the organisation, they’re making a decision about what’s best for them”, adds Chhinzer. It makes sense that they would quit an ill-fitting job more spontaneously. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis doesn’t mean that leaving in the heat of the moment is always logical. Chhinzer says that with “rage quitting, they’re not really stopping to make those rational decisions about something and just thinking about what are their options”. Fed-up employees might overestimate their ability to secure another job.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat lies beneath a rage quit\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EThough there are many reasons to leave an unsatisfying job, there are certain recurrent patterns that lead to spontaneous resignations. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EOne of the most common reasons is poor management. Abusive supervision can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F352796424_Work_stressors_and_job_outcomes_an_empirical_investigation_of_frontline_service_employees_in_the_Indian_hospitality_industry\"\u003Elead to emotional exhaustion\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. When managers fail to address employees’ repeated concerns, the explosive result may be those employees quitting in outrage. Bad management is often linked to other reasons people rage quit, like scope creep, harsh schedules, overwork and dismissal of safety concerns.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Unhappy barista","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003ESarah experienced all of these in a recent three-month stint as a cashier at a small grocery store in Michigan, US. The 24-year-old had moved in with her parents for the summer. She’d intended to work only part time as she prepared to leave for graduate school in Toronto, but the short staffing and intense manager demands soon had her working full time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EIt was also clear that employee safety wasn’t a priority. The only young woman on staff, Sarah felt unsafe in multiple ways: drunk customers were sometimes belligerent, most people refused to wear masks and she was usually the sole employee in the shop. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EThe final straw was when a customer began to stalk her. Sarah asked her manager to move the employee rota from its public position in the shop, where any customer could see when she would be working, to a private space. Not only did the manager refuse, but she also shouted at Sarah for mentioning the stalker. “My boss just immediately went for the gut. She was just like, ‘You need to be an adult. Why aren’t you being an adult about this?’ She repeated that so many times,” says Sarah.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EShe quit in that phone call, a month before the job would have come to an end. “I felt so bad because I really wanted to put two weeks [notice] in … But then the more I thought about it, and how little they had helped me and worked on the situation, I was just like, this is not worth my time or my safety.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003ESarah had seen the role as a temporary job and, while she was shaken up after rage quitting, she wasn’t in dire financial need. “I definitely think if it had been my dream job, I would have taken different steps,” reflects Sarah. She says that she would have been less likely to quit spontaneously “if it was a job that was already valuing me… if it was a job that was actually like a career”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith rage quitters, ill treatment on one side breeds ill treatment on the other. After her manager failed to consider her safety, Sarah decided against serving out a notice period. Chhinzer refers to social exchange theory: “The way you treat me dictates the way I treat you.” If a manager is switching schedules at the last minute, insisting that employees work extra hours or refusing to allow time off for bereavement, then employees are more apt to reciprocate with limited communication and little notice as well. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Covid intensifier\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome of these employee pressures have been magnified during the Covid-19 pandemic. Chhinzer says that in 2020, quit rates generally went down as people held onto jobs. But resignations have surged in 2021, so that “managers and organisations and HR departments are really worried about retaining talent”. Yet as Sarah’s experience shows, that worry doesn’t always translate into better safeguarding of employees, particularly in low-paid roles.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Safety has been a common catalyst for client-facing employees to quit in a rage","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, safety has been a common catalyst for client-facing employees to quit in a rage. A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002FAskReddit\u002Fcomments\u002Foyn6hy\u002Fwhat_made_you_quit_a_job_on_the_spot\u002Fh7vhuil\u002F?context=3\"\u003Enurse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E whose colleagues spread misinformation about vaccines; a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002FAskReddit\u002Fcomments\u002Foyn6hy\u002Fwhat_made_you_quit_a_job_on_the_spot\u002Fh7voz37\u002F?context=3\"\u003Erestaurant worker\u003C\u002Fa\u003E whose managers hide the fact that Covid has been spreading among staff; or a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fworkers-rage-quitting-jobs-in-a-tightening-labor-market-2021-5?r=US&IR=T\"\u003Eretail worker\u003C\u002Fa\u003E worried about transmitting the virus to a vulnerable relative – all have left jobs semi-impetuously during the pandemic. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBusiness researchers were already exploring \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F211386783_The_hot_and_cool_of_death_awareness_at_work_Mortality_cues_aging_and_self-protective_and_prosocial_motivations\"\u003E‘death awareness at work’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E before the pandemic. But Covid-19 has brought another dimension to this workplace anxiety. For those who rage quit, especially those with high ‘death anxiety’, the ‘rage’ component “may be more likely to be triggered by the fact that employers fail to provide enough safety measures to protect their employees’ health”, notes Rui (Hammer) Zhong, a PhD student at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who researches the dark side of workplaces. (This impassioned rage response is in contrast to another form of death awareness that Zhong and his colleagues \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2021-56704-004\"\u003Ehave researched\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – death reflection, or ‘calm quitting’ on realising how short life is.) \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Chihinzer comments, “People are exiting not just based on poor treatment at work from managers and co-workers; they’re also exiting based on the situation at work,” such as a requirement to return to the workplace. “Those weren’t considerations before.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlternatives to rage quitting\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor someone tempted to rage quit, it can be useful to gain perspective on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffingtonpost.co.uk\u002Fentry\u002Ffeel-like-rage-quitting-job_l_60897f4be4b0ccb91c2cf67a\"\u003Ewhat lies beneath the anger\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, beyond the immediate gratification of socking it to a bad boss.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EIt’s also useful to consider why more people don’t rage quit. Stories of overworked employees thumbing their noses at poor bosses are satisfying and sometimes inspiring. But of course it’s distressing to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard\"\u003Equit without a back-up plan\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Sad woman","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"1qeiagb0cpwnlhdf9xsijm\"\u003EAlexander was lucky to not depend on his DJ gig, as his main job was as a scientist. “It would have definitely been more difficult to walk away if I didn’t have another job already,” he notes. And not everyone can afford to leave a soul-crushing job, or to depart with the final pay cheque in limbo, so it’s not always helpful for those who’ve landed on their feet to urge others to quit a terrible job immediately. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlibel sees this all too often among her fellow Venezuelan migrants in Argentina, who don’t always have the legal or financial status to easily switch jobs. When she arrived in Buenos Aires in 2019, the first job she took was selling cars over the phone. It didn’t take long to realise that this was an illegal operation and Alibel, now 28, quit straight away. She didn’t lose any pay because the job was entirely commission-based: “If you didn’t sell anything, you didn’t gain a cent.” Yet while there are plenty of accounts of people rage quitting other shady jobs, not everyone can afford to take a moral stand. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard\"\u003Equitting stigma may be diminishing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E due to the Great Resignation – although the departures of some employees with back-up options \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thecut.com\u002F2021\u002F08\u002Fworkers-left-behind-by-the-great-resignation.html\"\u003Ecan make the situation harder for colleagyes left behind\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Ultimately, though, it’s up to employers to improve working conditions. “If employers pay decent wages and good benefits, that inhibits leaving,” says Hom. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChhinzer says that among organisations focused on retention, it helps to be proactive, for example with weekly check-ins, perks like tuition subsidies or Fridays off in the summer. Hom and his colleagues recommend that employers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2016\u002F10\u002F13-signs-that-someone-is-about-to-quit-according-to-research\"\u003Epay more attention to ‘pre-quitting behaviours’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for instance by implementing stay interviews with existing employees (and not just exit interviews with departing employees). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf an employee does rage quit, this should be a wake-up call to the employer. Six months after Alexander left the overheated club clutching his DJ equipment, he reconciled with the owner and went back. But the next year he walked out again, following more broken promises and unsafe working conditions. “That was the last time I DJed outside of my own house. Just was fed up with the whole thing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-08T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why 'rage quitting' is all the rage","headlineShort":"The people 'rage quitting' their jobs","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Angry truck driver","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Walking out of a job in anger can seem extreme – but there are often powerful motivations for doing it.","summaryShort":"How workplace tensions are leading to angry resignations","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-07T19:59:25.575776Z","entity":"article","guid":"e81c965f-4fac-4840-8508-8fa3b46f655b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-28T15:13:04.408391Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie","_id":"62df815743d9f46d933fca2f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"bodyIntro":"Self-deception can fool us into believing our own lies – and even make us more convincing.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe media today is full of people who have lived a lie. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-58336998\"\u003EElizabeth Holmes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the biotech entrepreneur, who in 2015 was declared the youngest and richest self-made female billionaire. She now faces 20 years in prison for fraud. Then there’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-us-canada-47741923\"\u003EAnna Sorokin\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – aka Anna Delvey, who pretended to be a German heiress, and subsequently fleeced New York’s high society of hundreds of thousands of dollars. And Shimon Hayut, aka Simon Leviev – the so-called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Flife-style\u002Ftinder-swindler-simon-leviev-netflix-b2019180.html\"\u003ETinder Swindler\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat marks all of these people is not just the lies they told others – but the lies they must have told themselves. They each believed their actions were somehow justifiable, and – against all odds – believed they would never be found out. Time and again, they personally seemed to deny reality – and dragged others into their scams. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou might hope that this kind of behaviour is a relatively rare phenomenon, restricted to a few extreme situations. But self-deception is incredibly common, and may have evolved to bring some personal benefits. We lie to ourselves to protect our self-images, which allows us to act immorally while maintaining a clear conscience. According to the very latest research, self-deception may have even evolved to help us to persuade others; if we start believing our own lies, it’s much easier to get other people to believe them, too. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis research might explain questionable behaviour in many areas of life – far beyond the headline-grabbing scams in recent years. By understanding the different factors contributing to self-deception, we can try to spot when it might be swaying our own decisions, and prevent these delusions from leading us astray. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESafeguarding the ego\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny psychologist will tell you that studying self-deception scientifically is a headache. You can’t simply ask someone if they are fooling themselves, since it happens below conscious awareness. As a result, the experiments are often highly intricate. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet’s begin with the research of Zoë Chance, an associate professor of marketing at Yale University. In an ingenious experiment from 2011, she showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1073\u002Fpnas.1010658108\"\u003Emany people unconsciously employ self-deception to boost their egos\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne group of participants were asked to take an IQ test, with a list of the answers printed at the bottom of the page. As you might expect, these people performed considerably better than a control group who did not have the answer key. They did not seem to recognise how much they had relied on the ‘cheat sheet’, however – since they predicted that they would do equally well on a second test featuring another hundred questions, without the answer key. Somehow, they had fooled themselves into thinking that they had known the solutions to the problems without needing the helping hand. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be sure of this conclusion, Chance repeated the whole experiment with a new set of participants. This time, however, the participants were given a financial reward for accurately predicting their results in the second test; overconfidence would come with a penalty. If the participants were conscious of their behaviour, you might expect this incentive to reduce their overconfidence. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, it did little to puncture the participants’ inflated self-belief; they still fooled themselves into thinking they were smarter than they were, even when they knew that they would lose money. This suggests that the beliefs were genuine and deeply held – and surprisingly robust. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not hard to see how this might apply in real life. A scientist may feel that their results were real, despite the use of fraudulent data; a student may believe they earned their place at a prestigious university, despite cheating on a test.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c8zdb9"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"An IQ test","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoral sincerity\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe use of self-deception to enhance self-image has now been observed in many other contexts. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, Uri Gneezy, a professor of economics at the University of California, San Diego, has recently shown \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0899825619301939\"\u003Eit can help us to justify potential conflicts of interest in our work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a 2020 study, Gneezy asked participants to take on the roles of investment advisors or clients. The advisors were given two different opportunities to consider – each of which came with different risks and different payoffs. They were also told that they would receive a commission if the client opted for one of the two investments. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn one set of trials, the advisors were told about this potential reward at the very start of the experiment, before they started considering the different options. While they were ostensibly picking the best choice for the client, they were much more likely to go with the choice that was favourable to themselves. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the rest of the trials, however, the advisors were only told of this potential reward \u003Cem\u003Eafter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E they had been given some time to weigh up the pros and cons of each. This time few chose to let the reward influence their decision; they remained honest to their goal of giving the best advice to the client. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo Gneezy, the fact that the knowledge of the personal benefits only influenced the participants’ decision in the first scenario suggests that their self-deception was unconscious; it changed the way they were calculating the benefits and risks without them being aware of the bias, so that they could feel that they were still acting in the clients’ interest. In the second scenario, it would have required a complete change of mind, which would have been harder to justify to themselves. “They just couldn’t convince themselves that they would be acting ethically,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"[Self-deception] means that we can continue to see ourselves as good people - Uri Gneezy","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this way, self-deception is a way of protecting our sense of morality, says Gneezy. “It means that we can continue to see ourselves as good people,” he says – even when our actions would suggest otherwise. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis form of self-deception might be most obviously relevant to financial advisors, but Gneezy thinks it could also be important for private healthcare. Despite having good intentions, a doctor could unconsciously deceive themselves into thinking the more expensive treatment was best for the patient – without even recognising their self-deception, he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPersuading ourselves, persuading others\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps the most surprising consequence of self-deception concerns our conversations with others. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to this theory, self-deception allows us to be more confident in what we are saying, which makes us more persuasive. If you are trying to sell a dodgy product, for instance, you will make a better case if you genuinely believe it is a high-quality bargain – even if there is evidence to suggest otherwise. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis hypothesis was first proposed decades ago, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41562-019-0666-7\"\u003Ea recent paper\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by Peter Schwardmann, an assistant professor of behavioural economics at Carnegie Mellon University, US, provides some strong evidence for this idea. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Chance’s study, Schwardmann’s first experiments began with an IQ test. The participants weren’t given the results, but after the test was finished, they had to privately rate how well they thought they’d done. They then took a test of persuasion: they had to stand before a jury of mock employers and convince the panel of their intellectual prowess – with a potential 15 euro ($16, £12.80) reward if the judges believed that they were among the smartest in the group. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome people were told about the persuasion task before they rated their confidence in their performance, while others were told afterwards. In line with the hypothesis, Schwardmann found that this changed their ratings of their abilities: the prior knowledge that they would have to convince others resulted in greater overconfidence in their abilities, compared to those who had not yet been told. The need to persuade others had primed them to think that they were smarter than they really were. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe describes this as a kind of “reflex”. Importantly, Schwardmann’s experiments showed that the self-deception paid off; unfounded overconfidence did indeed increase people’s ability to persuade the mock employers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c8zdh8"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Persuasive man","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPicking sides\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESchwardmann has now observed a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aeaweb.org\u002Farticles?id=10.1257\u002Faer.20200372\"\u003Esimilar process in debating tournaments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. At these events, the participants are given a topic and then randomly assigned a point of view to argue – before being given 15 minutes to prepare their arguments. During the debate, they are then judged on how well they present their case. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESchwardmann tested the participants’ personal beliefs about the topics before they had been assigned their position, after they had started formulating their arguments, and after the debate itself. In line with the idea that self-deception evolved to help us persuade others, he found that people’s personal opinions substantially changed \u003Cem\u003Eafter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E they had been told which side of the debate they would need to argue. “Their private beliefs moved towards the side that they’d been given just 15 minutes beforehand – to align with their persuasion goals,” says Schwardmann. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the debate, the participants were also given the chance to allocate small sums of money to charity – selected from a long list of potential organisations. Schwardmann found they were much more willing to choose organisations that aligned with the position of their argument – even though it had initially been chosen at random. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of our opinions may have been formed in this way. In politics, it could be that a campaigner who is asked to canvas on a particular point really comes to persuade him- or herself that it is the only way of viewing the point – not because they have carefully appraised the facts, but simply because they were asked to make the argument. Indeed, Schwardmann suspects this process may lie behind much of the political polarisation we see today. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDelusions of grandeur\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn all these ways, our brains can fool us into believing things that are not true. Self-deception allows us to inflate our opinion of our own abilities, so that we believe we are smarter than everyone around us. It means that we overlook the repercussions of our actions for other people, so that we believe that we are generally acting in a moral way. And by deceiving ourselves about the veracity of our beliefs, we show greater conviction in our opinions – which can, in turn, help us to persuade others. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe can’t ever know what was truly going through the minds of Holmes, Sorokin or Hayut and other fraudsters – but it is easy to speculate how some of these mechanisms may have been at play. At the very least, these con artists seem to have had abnormally high opinions of their own abilities and their right to get what they want – and they happily shrugged off the potential ethical implications of what they were doing. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHolmes, in particular, seems to have believed in her product, and attempted to justify her use of misleading data. Despite all evidence to the contrary, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Fhealthcare-pharmaceuticals\u002Fholmes-take-stand-third-day-theranos-fraud-trial-2021-11-23\u002F\"\u003Eshe still declared at her trial\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that \"the big medical device companies like Siemens could easily reproduce what we had done”. Hayut, meanwhile, still claims he is “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dailymail.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticle-10529469\u002FTinder-Swindler-denies-hes-fraud-interview-bombshell-Netflix-documentary.html\"\u003Ethe biggest gentleman\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, who had done nothing wrong. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESchwardmann agrees it may be possible for some fraudsters to inhabit incredibly elaborate lies. He points out that some even show a kind of righteous anger when they are being questioned, which might be hard to fake. “Maybe that’s a sign that they really buy into their own lie,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETellingly, a desire for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffpsyg.2018.01256\u002Ffull\"\u003Esocial status seems to increase people’s tendency for self-deception\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. When people feel threatened by others, for example, they are more likely to inflate their perceptions of their own abilities. It may be that the bigger the stakes, the greater the lies we are able to tell ourselves. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost of the time, our self-deception may be benign – allowing us to feel just a bit more confident in ourselves than is justified. But it’s always worth being aware of these tendencies – especially if we’re making potentially life-changing decisions. You don’t want to deceive yourself about the risks of cutting corners in your current job, or the likelihood of success from an adventurous career move, for example. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne good way of puncturing all kinds of bias is to “consider the opposite” of your conclusions. The technique is as straightforward as it sounds: you try to find all the reasons that your belief may be wrong, as if you were interrogating yourself. Multiple studies have shown that this leads us to think more analytically about a situation. In laboratory tests, this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fprofile\u002FDavid-Dunning-2\u002Fpublication\u002F268326664_Motivated_Reasoning_and_Self-Belief_1_On_Motivated_Reasoning_and_Self-Belief\u002Flinks\u002F55ef042208aedecb68fd8f46\u002FMotivated-Reasoning-and-Self-Belief-1-On-Motivated-Reasoning-and-Self-Belief.pdf\"\u003Esystematic reasoning\u003C\u002Fa\u003E proves to be much more effective than simply telling people to “think rationally”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is only possible if you can accept your flaws, of course. The first step is acknowledging the problem. Perhaps you think that you don’t need this advice; self-deception only afflicts others, while you are perfectly honest with yourself. If so, that may be your greatest delusion of all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is a science writer and author of \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdavidrobson.me\u002Fthe-expectation-effect\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, published by Canongate (UK) and Henry Holt (USA) in early 2022. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How self-deception allows people to lie","headlineShort":"Why people believe their own big lies","image":["p0c8zcm3"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Elizabeth Holmes","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Self-deception can fool us into believing our own lies – and even make us more convincing.","summaryShort":"The role self-deception plays in leading people astray","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-30T22:25:23.442921Z","entity":"article","guid":"74b1a4e9-d2bb-4e88-a8b4-2e46d02109c5","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-31T01:47:44.113275Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown","_id":"62df7fbe43d9f4586c232ede","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Our deep fear of the unknown not only scares us, but it can scramble our brains. Why does uncertainty make us so uneasy?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EImagine you are expecting to hear back from a potential new employer about an exciting job offer. Your interviewer was hard to read – there’s simply no way of guessing the outcome. As the days go by, do you half wish that you could just know the outcome – even if it is bad news – rather than endure a single minute more of the agonising wait? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow about your feelings during dating? Would you rather that someone told you, upfront, that they didn’t want to see you again, rather than waiting for your phone to ping with a new message? Would you even risk your dignity by asking for signs of commitment at an inopportune moment?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn both scenarios – and many more – a feeling of uncertainty can bring acute discomfort. For some people, a general inability to process ambiguous situations can even fuel chronic anxiety disorders. “Uncertainty can intensify how threatening a situation feels,” says Ema Tanovic, a psychologist with the Boston Consulting Group in Philadelphia, who has also researched the consequences of uncertainty at Yale University. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScientists including Tanovic are now making huge strides in explaining why uncertainty can be so excruciating, and delineating the knock-on consequences for our decision-making and behaviour. By understanding those mechanisms, we can learn to alleviate those feelings – and perhaps even thrive under the fear of the unknown. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKnown unknowns\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur knowledge of uncertainty’s effects on the brain and body comes from a series of slightly sadistic studies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a typical experiment, participants are hooked up to electrodes, capable of delivering a harmless, but slightly painful, electric shock to the skin, while the researchers measure physiological responses that tend to correlate with stress – such as the sweating of the skin or changes in pupil size.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn study after study, the researchers found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fnrn3524\"\u003Eany element of unpredictability significantly increases people’s discomfort\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, despite there being no objective difference in the intensity of the shock. Participants \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fncomms10996?utm_medium=ahttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fncomms10996\"\u003Eshow greater stress if there is a 50% chance that they might receive a shock\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for example, compared to situations in which there is a 100% certainty that they will be electrocuted.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If we think in purely rational terms, this does not make sense: a 50% chance of a shock should be half as anxiety provoking as a 100% chance if all we care about is the threat itself,” says Tanovic. “But this is not how our minds work.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd it’s not just the uncertainty of a threat that causes discomfort: we’re also reluctant to place ourselves in potentially profitable situations if they involve an element of unpredictability.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETanovic recently asked participants to play a game called the “Uncertain Waiting Tasks”. It doesn’t take much skill – throughout various trials, the participants have the chance of winning a little money. The outcome of each trial is purely random, but the participants do have a choice to know the result immediately, instead of waiting a few seconds before they find out. The immediate knowledge comes with a penalty, though: if they do win the trial, they will have less chance of winning and the prize will be smaller. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite it being the more rational option, only 37% of the participants opted to wait on every single trial. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F2043808718778982\"\u003Erest were willing to take a financial hit to avoid some of the anxious waiting in a state of uncertainty\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Uncertainty can intensify how threatening a situation feels – Ema Tanovic","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETanovic says that many everyday situations elicit the same kind of reaction. “People can try very hard to reduce uncertainty and the anxiety that comes with it, like repeatedly calling a loved one to make sure they are OK, texting a crush incessantly when they haven't texted back, compulsively refreshing one's inbox when expecting to hear back about an interview,” she says. “Sometimes it works, and the behaviour resolves the uncertainty, but these actions can often be quite costly in terms of the time, effort and effect on relationships.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeuroscientists have started to track the brain activity behind this kind of flawed decision making. The research is still ongoing, but the results so far offer some \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F30550858\u002F\"\u003Ehints of the neural response to uncertainty\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. There appears to be heightened activity in the amygdala, for example, which may reflect a state of “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F29331446\u002F\"\u003Ehypervigilance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, so that we are extra alert to potential risks. Uncertainty also seems to trigger the anterior insula, which is involved in weighing up the consequences of a particular event, and which may inflate the brain’s estimates of the potential damage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur reactions to uncertainty may have made sense in evolution. The brain is constantly trying to predict what will happen next, allowing it to prepare the body and mind in the most effective way possible. In uncertain situations, that planning is a lot harder – and if you’re potentially facing a predator or a human foe, the wrong response could be deadly. As a result, it could pay to err on the side of caution – either by avoiding the uncertainty altogether or by putting the brain and body in an aroused state that is ready to respond to a changing situation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Treating unknowns as potential threats would have been adaptive, as long as the associated anxiety did not compromise [essential activities] such as seeking food and shelter, or selecting mates,” explains Nicholas Carleton, a psychology professor at the University of Regina, Canada. In his opinion, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0887618516300469\"\u003Ethe “unknown” represents one of humanity’s “fundamental fears”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – perhaps even more important to our behaviour than our fear of death.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA matter of interpretation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite this common evolutionary foundation to our fears of the unknown, people may vary greatly in their perceptions of uncertainty – beliefs that may shape their responses and their consequences for someone’s health and wellbeing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPsychologists such as Carleton measure these attitudes using the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.janxdis.2006.03.014\"\u003E“intolerance of uncertainty” scale\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. To get an idea of how you might score, rate the following statements from 1 (not characteristic of me at all) to 5 (entirely characteristic of me): \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EUnforeseen events upset me greatly\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EIt frustrates me not having all the information I need\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EI should be able to organise everything in advance \u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003Eand \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhen it’s time to act, uncertainty paralyses me\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EThe smallest doubt can stop me from acting\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople who score high intolerance of uncertainty tend to show heightened stress responses to uncertain situations. Intriguingly, they also tend to find it hard to “unlearn” fears, once safety has been established. In those electric-shock experiments, for example, participants may come to associate a cue – such as a particular picture or sound – with the feeling of pain. After a while, however, the researchers simply stop delivering the shock.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEventually, most people will stop exhibiting heightened stress when they come across the cue. But those with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsyarxiv.com\u002Fnrqv6\u002F\"\u003Ehigh intolerance of uncertainty need a lot more exposure to the now-harmless cue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, than people with low intolerance of uncertainty. “They display difficulties in updating the old threat associations to new safety associations,” says Jayne Morriss, a research fellow at the University of Reading, UK, who has conducted many of these studies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis may be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC5154327\u002F\"\u003Eone reason\u003C\u002Fa\u003E why \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F23002938\u002F\"\u003Ehigh intolerance of uncertainty greatly increases someone’s vulnerability to a range of anxiety disorders and depression\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as fears linger long after the potential threat has passed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In most cases, uncertainty appears to be a core element of anxiety – Nicholas Carleton","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAn inability to process the unknown could also increase rumination – another known contributor to many mental illnesses – as the mind cycles through every possible outcome of the situation at hand. “In most cases, uncertainty appears to be a core element of anxiety,” says Carleton.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECarleton and Morriss both point out that many existing psychotherapies can increase people’s tolerance of uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECognitive behavioural therapy, for example, can teach people to stop ‘catastrophising’ thoughts that might be triggered by an unpredictable event and to question their ability to cope with uncertainty. Some people may assume that they simply cannot function without resolving every unknown, leading them to feel paralysed whenever things don’t go exactly to plan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut with gentle encouragement to step outside their comfort zone, they may find the feelings are not nearly as bad as they fear and that a small amount of chaos in their lives can even offer an opportunity for learning and growth. At work, for instance, you might volunteer to take on an unfamiliar job – and see whether you can manage far better than you think, despite your doubts. (You can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psychologytools.com\u002Farticles\u002Fintolerance-of-uncertainty-help-your-clients-to-embrace-the-unknown-using-behavioral-experiments\u002F\"\u003Eread more examples here\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether or not you suffer from a clinical disorder, it may be worth remembering that attempts to predict the future are often completely futile. “When we worry, we think about the possible outcomes of an uncertain situation in an attempt to somehow prepare,” says Tanovic. “In reality, worrying does not reduce the uncertainty we face and instead sets us up to feel more anxious.” As the ancient Stoics taught us, we’d do far better to accept our inability to control the situation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some cases, we may even be able to recognise that uncertainty can be a source of excitement. We may not relish the discomfort at the time, but in hindsight, it’s often the element of surprise that makes our successes all the sweeter. Life would be very dull, after all, if the outcome of every event were known in advance – and by learning to acknowledge that fact, we may be better equipped to navigate those unsettling moments of emotional limbo.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is a science writer and author based in London, UK. His next book, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdavidrobson.me\u002Fthe-expectation-effect\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E will be published by Canongate and Henry Holt in early 2022. It is available for pre-order now. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-26T14:12:14Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why we're so terrified of the unknown","headlineShort":"Why uncertainty scrambles your brain","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Our deep fear of the unknown not only scares us, but it can scramble our brains. Why does uncertainty make us so uneasy?","summaryShort":"Why \"fear of the unknown\" terrifies us and changes how we act","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-25T21:19:34.415981Z","entity":"article","guid":"16b9d39e-38fc-4c2a-8926-51abad26f01e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:16:41.163552Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers","_id":"62e82e5743d9f4570f24c785","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"People are increasingly berating service workers. There are forces at work that may explain why they’re bearing the brunt of customers’ ire.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you are the television-company representative who was recently berated and harangued by a woman named Caitlin, you should know she feels bad about “torturing” you. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I was trying to cancel this contract we’d been roped into, and it became this whole ordeal,” says Caitlin, who lives in Oregon, US. “[The representative] was stonewalling me, and just kept using these scripted phrases, and wouldn’t or couldn’t bump me up to speak with a manager. Somehow, I got so enraged that I was swearing at him.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe knew the agent’s training meant he couldn’t hang up on her. “I refused to let him get off the phone,” she says. “It was like two or three hours. I was so furious. It unleashed something in me that I didn't know existed. I was basically using this poor person as a punching bag.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether we’re willing to admit it, most people have treated a service worker poorly, at least to some degree. We’ve said things we regret to a customer-service representative, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike\"\u003Eflight attendant\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a cashier or barista, usually sparked by something not that person’s fault, or not in their control. While people have always taken out frustrations on service workers, data shows these acts have been on rise in the past few years; research from the Institute of Customer Service has shown \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instituteofcustomerservice.com\u002Femployees-facing-increased-customer-hostility-as-lockdown-eases\u002F\"\u003Emore than half of customer-facing employees report increased incidences of abuse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E since the start of the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis poor customer behaviour doesn’t automatically mean someone’s a bad person (though, sometimes, people really aren't nice). Experts say there are underlying forces driving these outbursts as well as reasons why they’re increasing amid the pandemic. Understanding why people lash out at service workers, they say, is crucial to altering the behaviour – and giving these overworked employees a break.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cpn4ch"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Scapegoat theory’ and power dynamics\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, humans are generally pretty inflexible, says Reena B Patel, a San Diego-based psychologist and behaviour analyst. So, when routines get altered, this can unnerve people and spike agitation. “When things are slightly off, or don't happen the way we expect, it causes natural anxiety.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA long queue at the coffee shop, for instance, might have a domino effect, threatening to throw off the rest of the day’s schedule. It may seem like no big deal, “and people may not realise that’s what they’re stressed about”, says Patel. “But internally, that’s what’s happening. You walk into a restaurant for breakfast thinking you’ll get seated in 15 minutes and instead you’re waiting 45; now, your whole routine is shifting, and the stress is building up.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis creates a powder keg, says Patel, that doesn’t need much to blow – as pressure accumulates, some minor inconvenience can prove the final straw. “Let’s say you go into a grocery store, and you’re not able to find the items you typically get, or the costs have suddenly skyrocketed. That increases frustration, worries and anxiety,” adds Melanie Morrison, professor of psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat undercurrent of stress has a tendency to boil over during mundane tasks, like grabbing coffee or a meal, she adds – even for generally composed, mild-mannered people. That means a service worker can often be the person in the line of fire: suddenly, you’re snapping at a waitress who’s just trying to serve you some pancakes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut outbursts at service workers specifically don’t generally happen just because that person is simply in front of you, says Morrison. “People that are working those jobs often do not have a lot of power,” she says, “and so they become easier targets”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe says ‘scapegoat theory’ – the psychological term for people’s tendency to look for someone to blame – helps explain why people lash out at these types of employees, rather than, say, family members or colleagues. People aren’t going to “lose their mind” at work or school, says Morrison. “It’s going to happen on the phone with a customer-service worker, or at the discount store or McDonald’s.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There’s no social credit in the relationship. I feel guilty about this, but it was a situation in which I could unload a whole bunch of frustration onto someone – Caitlin","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is because people who aren’t in service positions can feel superior to people who are, and it’s much easier to punch down. “Even though we shouldn’t look at one occupation being higher in terms of a hierarchy than another, you naturally can fall into that trap and assume that you’re superior,” says Patel. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even without the entitlement of a superiority complex, it can feel easy to unload on a stranger whose training says they essentially have to listen to you. For Caitlin and the cable-company employee, “it felt like there was nothing to lose for me by absolutely going nuclear”, she says. “There’s no social credit in the relationship. I feel guilty about this, but it was a situation in which I could unload a whole bunch of frustration onto someone.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, even if your real gripe is with your boss or partner, the stakes are significantly lower with service workers: explode at work or home, and you’ll just have to pick up the pieces later. But, like many of us, Caitlin knew she’d never speak to person on the other line ever again. “There’s no ramifications,” she says, “for me just letting my worst behaviour fly.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPowerlessness and the pandemic\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProcessing stressful events becomes even tougher when the bad news piles up – as has happened to many people over the long years of the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s all been exacerbated by Covid,” says Morrison. “There are political hostilities, health anxieties, economic challenges that so many people are facing right now… it all has a compounding effect.”  When things feel like they’ve gone off the rails, it can really put people on edge. “The world is in chaos right now, and so people are searching for a sense of control.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rudeness could be a symptom, says Morrison, of being “out of practice” when it comes to human interaction, after all this time spent largely avoiding – or at least being anxious about – other people. Or it could be deeper than that. It’s possible many still feel robbed by a pandemic that forced us to reschedule life events and deprived us of normalcy, and a wider fury at companies, systems and institutions who don’t seem quite as sympathetic as we feel they ought to be.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s enough to make anyone feel more helpless than ever, and the average person doesn’t have much recourse against the effects of a global pandemic. This feeling of powerlessness may feed into bad behaviour; in many cases, people are just looking to regain even some control, which can spark misplaced ire. It helps explain why, during the pandemic, abuse directed at service workers saw such a sharp spike.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cpn4ln"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘They’re a human’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, even amid these unusual circumstances, “you'd hope there would be some recognition that even a situation as bad as we’ve been in shouldn’t be a catalyst for poor and pitiful behaviour”, says Morrison. Yet \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2022\u002F06\u002F28\u002Fbusiness\u002Fretail-workers-assaults.html\"\u003Eincidents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E remain \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newsweek.com\u002Frestaurant-closes-early-cocky-jerks-abuse-staff-facebook-michigan-1728125\"\u003Erampant\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – and even if we’re not always in a global pandemic, there will always be stressors that threaten to make the pot boil over. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is, there are ways people can stop the explosions before they happen, or at least de-escalate quickly.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“First of all, if you’ve done this, you're not automatically a bad person,” says Patel. “Sometimes we don't make the best choices. But you can do things differently so you don't have that same reaction.” That might be as simple as waking up 10 minutes earlier to create a buffer in your schedule, she says. “So, if things don’t go the way you want, you’re not so stressed about it. You don’t want to be rigid in your expectations.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd flexibility is a skill you can practice and improve by doing things as basic as changing your coffee order, or walking to lunch instead of taking the train. “Don't take the same route to work every day,” says Patel. “You need to have variability in your life. And if you actually practice it ahead of time, you're not so upset when the unexpected occurs.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you do inevitably get upset, however, it’s not necessarily more helpful to swallow your frustration. But there are better ways to vent it than lashing out. “Instead of the word ‘you,’ use the word ‘we’,” suggests Patel. “Ask the customer-service agent, ‘how can \u003Cem\u003Ewe \u003C\u002Fem\u003Esolve this problem? It diffuses that hostile energy, and then you trying to get what you want becomes more of a collaborative process.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can make sure your better angels remain in control, she adds, by using a person’s name, instead of just thinking of them as a stranger you’ll never have to speak to again. “If you're talking to a barista and you see their tag, use their name, and let them know that you respect them,” she says. “Even though you're upset, you’re acknowledging – and reminding yourself – that they’re a human, and they have feelings.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for the broader sense of control loss the pandemic continues to foist upon us, the experts say you should be aware that you may be already on edge, and try to pre-correct before you take your problems out on a person who, almost invariably, can’t solve them. “It’s as simple as just being mindful,” says Patel, “and stopping and thinking before you respond is really important.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-08-02T12:07:16Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why people lash out at service workers","headlineShort":"Why bad customer behaviour is rising","image":["p0cpn2yh"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220525-how-self-deception-allows-people-to-lie","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"People are increasingly berating service workers. There are forces at work that may explain why they’re bearing the brunt of customers’ ire.","summaryShort":"\"I was basically using this poor person as a punching bag\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-08-01T19:49:26.138228Z","entity":"article","guid":"524d047b-7173-44bc-9764-a47a25e83eff","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers","modifiedDateTime":"2022-08-02T14:12:06.195042Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220728-why-people-lash-out-at-service-workers","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200424},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off","_id":"62df80b943d9f46da0097417","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Having as much holiday as you want? Sounds great – until it’s not.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EInvestment-banking firm Goldman Sachs made an eye-catching move last week: it granted \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-61465605\"\u003Eunlimited paid holiday to its senior staff\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2022-05-15\u002Fgoldman-sachs-gives-senior-staff-unlimited-vacation-ft-says?sref=lgADY7dy\"\u003Ememo seen by a number of media organisations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, partners and managing directors will be able to “take time off when needed without a fixed vacation day entitlement”. Junior staff were given two more annual days off, and the company said all workers had to take a minimum of 15 days holiday each year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt first glance, this looks like a positive initiative from a company \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards\"\u003Eknown for gruelling work hours and demanding culture\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Unlimited paid time off (UPTO), after all, could allow overworked staff more time to rest and improve their mental health and overall work-life balance. Plus, a generous holiday policy at the top could trickle down into the wider workforce, potentially making for happier and more productive staff on the whole.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet what sounds like an amazing benefit comes with major caveats. Workers will likely only take a decent amount of holiday if firms create an environment that encourages them to do so. In some firms with UPTO, workers end up taking less holiday – not more – because of peer pressure and perceived expectations around ‘acceptable’ amounts of holiday.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe latest data, meanwhile, shows UPTO isn’t the benefit that workers covet the most; rather than an unlimited amount of holiday, most \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.flexjobs.com\u002Fblog\u002Fpost\u002Fremote-work-flexible-schedules-key-factors-compensation-packages\u002F\"\u003Epeople prize flexibility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F18\u002Fflexible-hours-let-this-companys-workers-fit-work-around-their-lives.html\"\u003Ethe option to work from home\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIs this recently introduced perk the shiny new toy workers have wanted all along – or is it the gift no one asked for?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrust and freedom?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea is simple: instead of a fixed number of paid vacation days each year, workers are granted an infinite number of days so long as they agree periods of leave with their boss. The policy is meant to hand workers more autonomy to manage both their workloads and personal lives, potentially leading to an uptick in wellbeing that benefits worker and company alike.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlimited holiday has become much more common \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2015\u002F12\u002F18\u002Ftake-all-the-time-you-need-the-rise-of-unlimited-vacations.html\"\u003Ein recent years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Originating at small Silicon Valley start-ups, it's since spread to big companies like LinkedIn, Netflix and Bumble – and now, to Wall Street. It's still quite rare, though; data from a 2021 survey approximates \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.xperthr.com\u002Fforms\u002Fleave-trends\u002F?DMDcode=HUXTR&fcid=%7B73c20e4d-d941-4a40-ab4c-f78b179e6250%7D_FC0306_XHR_202105_Leave_Trends_2021&fcfileext=pdf&title=Building%20the%20Best%20Paid%20Leave%20Policy&cmpid=EMP%7CUSAG%7CHUGMN-2021-05-Leave_Trends&sfid=7014L000000kfhIQAQ&viewdesktop=true\"\u003Ejust 4% of US companies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E offer it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPresident and CEO of the US-based Society for Human Resource Management (Shrm) Johnny C Taylor Jr says he and his colleagues prefer the term 'open leave', because it more accurately captures the benefits of UPTO. It \"doesn’t necessarily mean unlimited weeks on the beach\", he says. \"Sometimes it’s about navigating parenting needs, recurring check-ups or even time for mental health\", allowing workers to take time off however and whenever they see fit.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If a company introduces unlimited PTO but the culture still thrives on overwork, putting a new policy in place isn’t going to change that overnight – Johnny C Taylor Jr","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome companies have reaped \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.namely.com\u002Funlimited-vacation-policy\"\u003Ethe benefits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of UPTO; many workers at manufacturing giant General Electric have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glassdoor.com\u002FBenefits\u002FGE-Vacation-and-Paid-Time-Off-US-BNFT29_E277_N1.htm\"\u003Eresponded positively to the perk\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings detailed in his 2020 book that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002Fjustin-bariso\u002Fnetflixs-unlimited-vacation-policy-took-years-to-get-right-its-a-lesson-in-emotional-intelligence.html\"\u003Ewhile nailing down UPTO took years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, he eventually found that \"the freedom signals to employees that we trust them to do the right thing, which in turn encourages them to behave responsibly\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet there are also a number of companies that have experimented with UPTO only to end the policy and pronounce it a failure. Workers often end up taking less time off than they did with a fixed policy. A 2018 survey showed workers with UPTO \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.namely.com\u002Funlimited-vacation-policy\"\u003Etook fewer holidays\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than those with a fixed allocation; according to another poll, one-third of US workers with UPTO \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fpeople-with-unlimited-pto-policies-spend-every-vacation-working-2019-6\"\u003Ealways work on  holiday\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUS-based networking company Facet is one company that abandoned UPTO after it found its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facet.net\u002Fposts\u002Fwhy-we-ditched-our-unlimited-vacation-plan\"\u003Eworkers were taking fewer holidays\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The CEO of London-based recruiting company Unknown, meanwhile, went viral in a LinkedIn post that explained the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Follie-scott-6b6b9b42_were-sacking-off-our-unlimited-holiday-at-activity-6932251711067598848-2SYp\u002F?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=android_app\"\u003Efirm cancelled its UPTO scheme\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after people felt guilty and never took time off. (They’ve instead transitioned to giving 32 paid days off, universally across the ranks.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the problem is that in some companies, taking leave is something many workers don't do often enough – a phenomenon particularly pronounced \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211209-why-its-so-hard-for-some-workers-to-ask-for-time-off\"\u003Ein the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \"People don't take vacations now, even when they're accrued,\" says Peter Cappelli, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, US, and director of its Center for Human Resources. “The reason is there's pressure on them not to do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGranting unlimited paid holiday doesn’t make these problems go away – in fact, it can make them worse. With UPTO, workers are not technically owed \u003Cem\u003Eany\u003C\u002Fem\u003E vacation days, since there's no fixed number, and everything must be cleared by the boss on a case-by-case basis. For workers, establishing what the ‘right’ amount of paid time off to ask for often depends on observing the behaviour of colleagues and bosses. If colleagues are only taking 10 days per year, asking for more could feel inappropriate.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompanies that adopt UPTO, says Cappelli, have “moved from a model where you accrue it – so you're actually owed the vacation – to one where you kind of [have to] ask. And there's nothing stopping your boss from yelling at you if you want to take additional time off – or punishing you if you do\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, UPTO removes the safeguards that protect workers’ interests if they can’t take time off – there are no leftover days workers are legally required to take by year's end, or carry over to the next year. There's also nothing for workers to cash out if they quit and have days left over, which Cappelli says \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002Fmagazine\u002F201606\u002Fminda-zetlin\u002Funlimited-vacation-benefits.html\"\u003Esaves companies money\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChange is slow\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll this means that it's crucial for a company to have a work culture that promotes balance if it tries to roll out unlimited holiday – something that Goldman Sachs, like other companies in the finance industry, has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56452494\"\u003Enot traditionally been known for\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"If a company introduces unlimited PTO but the culture still thrives on overwork, putting a new policy in place isn’t going to change that overnight. The company has to encourage downtime – and the managers must model it in their own lives,” says Taylor, of Shrm.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat could take time, though, considering most senior staff at many big Wall Street firms cut their teeth on the exhausting, long-hours finance culture. Plus, many executives still work while on holiday, so it's unclear how realistic it is that bosses will actually take time off, and model that behaviour for junior employees.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it's also significant that, for those lower-level staffers, Goldman Sachs has given them more set PTO days, and has also mandated staff to take at least one cluster of five days off in a row each year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuch moves could be \"sincere\" ones to address Goldman's work culture issues, even though it may not exactly be the type of flexibility some of those junior workers want, says Sonia Marciano, clinical professor of management and organisations at Stern Business School, New York University. She says the firm is \"going to get lower quality, fresh-out-of-business-school [candidates] if other attractive employers figure out how to hybrid their day\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile additional leave benefits, like UPTO, are a start, experts caveat that the conversation of how to change gruelling work cultures is far from over.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"This is a story about work-life balance,\" says Alec Levenson, senior research scientist at Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, US. “Throwing some additional benefits at people without addressing some of the fundamental issues around how hard and long people have to work … doesn't change the situation.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-23T17:27:25Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The smoke and mirrors of unlimited paid time off","headlineShort":"The trap of unlimited paid time off","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Having as much holiday as you want? Sounds great – until it’s not.","summaryShort":"Having as much paid holiday as you want? Sounds great – until it's not","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-22T19:46:55.413808Z","entity":"article","guid":"cfc3f882-0dd6-405e-ba47-ad992fdc6fa7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-23T13:39:34.624733Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200424},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work","_id":"62df7fab43d9f4584149e7eb","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Some CEOs are permanently shutting office space to give up on hybrid set-ups and fully embrace working from home. Will others follow?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn late June, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.yelp.com\u002Fnews\u002Fthe-future-of-work-is-remote\u002F\"\u003Eannounced a big decision\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for the 4,400-person company: by 29 July, Yelp will do away with hybrid set-ups altogether, and go fully remote.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStoppelman, who described \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2022\u002F06\u002F22\u002Fyelp-shutters-offices\u002F\"\u003Ehybrid work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as the “worst of both worlds” and even dubbed it “hell”, said physical offices in major cities in the US, including New York City, Chicago and Washington, DC, would close. Yelp is only keeping its San Francisco headquarters and Phoenix, Arizona outpost, transitioning to a 'hotelling' model where desks can be rented for the day. “Over time we came to realise that the future of work at Yelp is remote,” he wrote in a blog post.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther companies are similarly doubling down on remote work. Airbnb, 3M, Spotify and Lyft have all \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F04\u002F13\u002F10-companies-that-switched-to-permanent-hybrid-or-remote-work-and-hiring-right-now.html\"\u003Eenshrined permanent home-working set-ups\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Some firms, like Yelp, have also closed office space: in May, worker-for-hire app TaskRabbit \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sfchronicle.com\u002Ftech\u002Farticle\u002Ftaskrabbit-sf-remote-17188335.php\"\u003Ecompletely closed all its offices\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, including its headquarters in San Francisco; in April, PayPal \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sfchronicle.com\u002Fbayarea\u002Farticle\u002FPayPal-to-close-S-F-office-after-flexible-work-17131032.php\"\u003Eshuttered its San Francisco presence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere can be huge upsides to moving in this direction, including meeting the desires of workers who want to stay at home permanently as well as saving costs. But experts also say that banking on remote work in this way carries risk – especially since no-one is entirely sure if it will work, or what will happen next.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrustration and strategy\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220628-the-six-big-things-weve-learned-about-hybrid-work-so-far\"\u003Ecomplexities of hybrid work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are a key factor pushing companies into fully remote set-ups. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Hybrid work is really hard to manage,” says Frances Milliken, professor of management at Stern School of Business, New York University. “There's a lot of scheduling complexity with hybrid work.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs some workers have returned to offices, the downsides of in-and-out hybrid schedules \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work\"\u003Ehave started to become clearer\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, from awkward Zoom calls in conference rooms to emotional exhaustion for workers and logistical headaches ensuring team members are in the office at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHybrid has been \"a little bit of a mess\", agrees Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, associate professor of organisational behaviour and human resources at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, US. He says it's been a pain not only for companies trying to organise the hybrid schemes, but also for workers, who are experiencing whiplash after two years of working from home, when they had more autonomy than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA large portion of workers don’t want to lose this autonomy, companies know, so doubling down on remote work may be a tactic to fight attrition and boost worker engagement. After all, data shows a clear \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F16\u002Fcovid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america\u002F\"\u003Eworker desire for remote work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.yelp.com\u002Fnews\u002Fthe-future-of-work-is-remote\u002F\"\u003Ein Yelp's case\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, 86% of respondents to an internal survey wanted to work remotely all or most of the time; only 1% are currently going into the office daily. Companies that double down are simply following the numbers, making sure their employees won’t leave for other remote-first jobs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMilliken argues this is a primary reason some companies are shifting approaches – and why fully remote set-ups may stick. Because while closing offices might seem like a point of no return, \"I don't think this move is non-reversible – they could just go back into the cities and buy real estate,” she says. “I would think that it's non-reversible [because] workers won't want to go back into the office.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"For companies with the flexibility to take such a dramatic decision, the option is becoming increasingly appealing","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA shift to remote work also vastly expands talent pools. Workers are no longer limited to searching specific metropolitan areas with proximity to an office, and recruiters can go after talent from around the country – if not the globe. Stoppelman said Yelp had seen “a strong surge in candidate applications” as it moved towards its remote-first future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this move isn't possible for all industries: customer-facing sectors that have been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F14\u002Fgoldman-sachs-wants-workers-in-office-5-days-a-week-and-other-companies-could-follow.html\"\u003Eresistant to remote\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (or even hybrid) work, like finance, or other sectors like hospitality or healthcare, either won't or can't close workplaces the way other companies have. But for companies with the flexibility to take such a dramatic decision, the option is becoming increasingly appealing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Significant risk’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe could see more companies follow suit, say some experts, including Jason Schloetzer, associate professor at McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, US, who says full remote \"is the direction some companies seem to be going”. But this is new territory, so it's unclear how widespread this could become, and how many companies are willing to take the risk.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"I think any kind of job or industry where people can work independently and don't require a lot of intensive collaboration\" could roll the dice and follow in Yelp's footsteps, says Schloetzer, and that the doubling-down strategy could become reasonably common among certain sectors, like tech. But even for those companies that seem uniquely primed to go fully remote, “that’s not necessarily the culture that every company wants to have”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThat said, even if a company could double down on remote work, not every expert believes it's the best move – especially as data does point to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Fwhy-you-may-actually-want-to-go-back-to-the-office\"\u003Ebenefits to in-person work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \"In the end, I think it always helps to have some physical space you can go to,\" or at least having the option to do so, believes Gonzalez-Mulé.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually, while going remote does expand a firm's talent pool, it also risks alienating potential talent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220616-the-people-who-hate-working-from-home\"\u003Ewho dislike working from home\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for a variety of reasons, including loneliness, a lack of home office space, distractions like kids or roommates, Covid-19 exposure and more. \"You risk losing people for sure,\" he says. \"It does limit the pool [to] people that are willing to work from home, and have a set-up that lends itself to that and that are productive at home.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts also flag challenges with onboarding and relationship-building; full-remote could \"hurt newcomers\", adds Gonzalez-Mulé, a problem especially pronounced for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210729-why-younger-workers-want-hybrid-work-most\"\u003Ethe youngest Gen Z workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \"Maybe they're banking that the folks that are working remotely aren't going to have any of these problems,\" but he adds that \"I think what they're doing carries significant risk.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERegardless, there will be more firms who are ready to jump into a remote-only future. But Schloetzer says other companies may keep from making big moves, especially with a dearth of data on what works now – it’s still very early in the return to work, after all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Whenever you're making such a huge transition,\" adds Milliken, \"it's hard to predict exactly what's going to happen next.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-07-25T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The companies doubling down on remote work","headlineShort":"The companies giving up on hybrid","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some CEOs are permanently shutting office space to give up on hybrid set-ups and fully embrace working from home. Will others follow?","summaryShort":"Why Yelp's CEO called hybrid work \"hell\" and shut many of its major offices","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-07-24T19:44:29.853249Z","entity":"article","guid":"ec679d5c-0c73-43c3-b8ca-a314fb1a025f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work","modifiedDateTime":"2022-07-25T08:12:03.302835Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200424},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave","_id":"62e1bcc343d9f457377245dd","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Technical prowess is important for securing a job. But lower-profile skills like communication and critical thinking are becoming just as crucial – if not more.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn order to do your job effectively, you need hard skills: the technical know-how and subject-specific knowledge to fulfil your responsibilities. But in a forever-changed world of work, lesser-touted ‘soft skills’ may be just as important – if not even more crucial.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese skills are more nuanced, even low-profile: think personal characteristics and behaviours that make a strong leader or a good team member. Especially amid the normalisation of remote work, where collaboration and the ways to innovate have changed, companies are beginning to catch on to the importance of these intangibles when building out diverse, successful teams. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, employers are increasingly considering a candidate’s soft skills as closely as their experience and explicit technical specialties, say experts. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some workers, some soft skills are innate – personality traits that make someone a naturally good communicator or analytical thinker. But for others, developing and honing soft skills can be more challenging. Yet it is possible for every worker to develop and hone these characteristics as well as learn how to show them off. And that, say experts, is something we should all be doing. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are soft skills?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is no definitive list of soft skills, but the term essentially refers to abilities beyond the technical. Confidence with certain software, for instance, is a hard skill; on the other hand, knowing how to analyse different software packages to figure out what a company should be using requires critical thinking: a soft skill. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother major soft-skill area is communication. Effectively communicating with colleagues, clients and management requires dexterity and emotional intelligence. Empathy, teamwork and compassion are also skills that fall under that same umbrella.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe term ‘soft skills’ itself is just jargon, says Eric Frazer, author of The Psychology of Top Talent, and assistant professor of psychology at Yale University School of Medicine. “From the standpoint of behavioural science, it really refers to a series of mindsets and behaviours. Some examples of soft-skill mindsets might be someone who’s a continuous learner, or someone who’s highly resilient. Many behaviours – critical thinking, active listening, imaginative problem solving to name a few – are also soft skills.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The same skills that enable workers to operate successfully within company hierarchy and rise to the top also breed successful interpersonal relationships","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn essence, he continues, the term is just another phrase for ‘people skills’. “It’s about a person's sense of self, and how they relate with other people.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany soft skills are highly practical, like efficiency, prioritisation, organisation and time management – all traits that are becoming increasingly critical for remote and hybrid workers. “People who are high performers have the discipline to structure their day, and to be highly effective within a set time frame,” says Frazer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd soft skills aren’t merely useful at work – they’re generally invaluable. The same skills that enable workers to operate successfully within company hierarchy and rise to the top also breed successful interpersonal relationships, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA notable shift\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs many of the highly technical parts of work are becoming increasingly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs\"\u003Eautomated, or replaced\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by technological tools, companies are instead looking for workers who can problem-solve, juggle larger responsibilities and work well with others. The ongoing labour shortage also has organisations focused on longevity: employees who have the interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to grow into leadership positions offer a lot more value.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, soft skills have become even more important in the post-pandemic, largely remote work landscape. For instance: communication can be much more nuanced and complex when workers don’t see colleagues face to face. Adaptability, too, is a soft skill – and the past two years have called for a lot of it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"infographic","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, employers are actively soliciting candidates who have these intangibles. In a 2021 review of more than 80 million job postings across 22 industry sectors, education non-profit America Succeeds found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Famericasucceeds.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002FAmericaSucceeds-DurableSkills-NationalFactSheet-2021.pdf\"\u003Ealmost two-thirds of positions listed soft skills among their qualifications\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And across all the job postings, of the 10 most in-demand skills, seven were ‘soft’, including communication, problem solving and planning.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe same report showed certain types of positions prioritise soft skills even more: they were the most desired qualifications for 91% of management jobs, 86% of business-operations jobs and 81% of engineering jobs – a fact that may be surprising, since it’s a field generally considered highly technically focused.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When we look at today's workforce,” says Frazer, “there's definitely been a shift away from just having what I would call ‘tacit knowledge’ and ‘tacit skills’… meaning, you're just good at what you do. If you're an engineer, you're good at coding or designing. If you're working in finance, you're good at numerical data analysis.” Where organisations have shifted, he says, is “there is a deeper understanding that people have to come first, before performance”. It’s not to say that technical skills have fallen by the wayside, he adds, but companies have increasingly come to realise emphasising the interpersonal skills that hold organisations together are what “drives great results”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGlobal job site Monster’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flearnmore.monster.com\u002Ffuture-of-work-report\"\u003EThe Future of Work 2021: Global Hiring Outlook\u003C\u002Fa\u003E revealed soft skills such as collaboration, dependability and flexibility are among the skills employers most prize in workers. Yet, executives report struggling with finding candidates who have well-developed soft skillsets – and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Femployers-find-soft-skills-like-critical-thinking-in-short-supply-1472549400\"\u003Ehave for years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of that, says Frazer, is that skills like imagination and flexibility are difficult to quantify. “Inventories and questionnaires don't really capture these attributes with any great precision,” he says. And candidates aren’t necessarily highlighting those abilities on their CVs or LinkedIn pages, though perhaps, he adds, they ought to be.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArticulating your ‘moon-shot mentality’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis increasing emphasis on soft skills may unnerve some workers, especially those who are not naturally good communicators or “born leaders”, as Frazer says. But he adds that these are learnable skills, even if some people may have to work a bit harder. “People who want to get better at their jobs, or be better workers, or have better work-life balance, understand and appreciate the value of constantly sort of fine-tuning these mindsets and behaviours.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe tend to be aware of our strengths, but honing interpersonal skills starts with soliciting feedback to identify your weaknesses and blind spots. Improving them may mean forcing yourself out of your comfort zone. If you want to improve your imaginative thinking or problem-solving, for instance, try sitting in on brainstorming sessions with the company’s creatives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In one report, soft skills were the most desired qualifications for 91% of management jobs, 86% of business-operations jobs and 81% of engineering jobs","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEmotional intelligence \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprofessional.dce.harvard.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-improve-your-emotional-intelligence\u002F\"\u003Ecan be increased\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, too, by developing social awareness and learning to regulate your own feelings and respond to others with empathy. On top of improving job prospects, that has added benefits: research shows \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0092656607000128\"\u003Epeople with high emotional intelligence are less likely to experience stress and anxiety\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs hiring managers increasingly search for people with these intangibles, they may tailor their interview questions to try to uncover a candidate’s soft skillset. “When you ask someone, ‘give me an example of a time you were really resilient in your professional life,’ or, ‘tell me a story that highlights your moon-shot mentality,’ you’re asking them to demonstrate those mindsets,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for the interviewee, “let’s say you’re asked, ‘what’s your approach toward continuous learning?’” he continues. That’s a moment to show the interviewer you’re willing and excited about learning, and have the skills to do it. “The best response would be to say, ‘well, I went to this conference last year; I attend this webinar once a month; I just finished reading this book; I subscribe to this industry periodical.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo best prepare for situations like these, candidates should identify their strongest soft skills in advance, and be ready to demonstrate them, he says. The technical skills and experience on your CV will always be important, but in the changed world of work, they’re not enough: you’ll still need to convince recruiters you possess the softer skills that will help you succeed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-07-28T12:52:36Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"'Soft skills': The intangible qualities companies crave","headlineShort":"The top skills employers want","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Technical prowess is important for securing a job. But lower-profile skills like communication and critical thinking are becoming just as crucial – if not more.","summaryShort":"Why highly desirable 'soft skills' probably aren't on your CV","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-07-27T22:31:12.45959Z","entity":"article","guid":"a91c7cad-1b24-49c3-805c-4e169dbfaf9d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave","modifiedDateTime":"2022-07-28T16:06:43.671531Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job","_id":"62e6f7fd43d9f46d9838b9cd","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Faishwarya-jagani"],"bodyIntro":"As an antidote to sometimes problematic unlimited vacation policies, some companies are requiring employees to take a certain number of days off. Does it work?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople were already working long hours before the pandemic, but Covid-19 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Ffeb\u002F04\u002Fhome-workers-putting-in-more-hours-since-covid-research\"\u003Efurther extended workdays\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. It’s taking a toll. According to recent data, nearly three-fifths of employees reported experiencing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Fspecial-burnout-stress\"\u003Enegative impacts of work-related stress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2021. Yet despite their elevated stress levels, more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zippia.com\u002Fadvice\u002Fpto-statistics\u002F#:~:text=55%25%20of%20Americans%20don't,PTO%20days%20that%20employers%20offered.\"\u003E50% of American workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E end up leaving paid vacation days unused. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo counteract this trend, some companies are experimenting with mandatory vacation policies, under which workers are required to take a minimum amount of time off every quarter, half-year or year. These policies can even include financial incentives that reward staff for taking full holiday allocations.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis concept, which is fairly new, began gaining ground amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and is being pioneered largely by knowledge-work companies of various sizes (the most high-profile example is finance firm Goldman Sachs, which is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off\"\u003Ecombining unlimited holiday for executives with a policy requiring staffers to take at least 15 days leave each year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E). These firms say their goal is to foster a working culture that encourages rest, removing barriers – both perceived and overt – that prevent workers from leaving the office. In this way, companies hope they can mitigate burnout and improve worker satisfaction. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs more companies look for ways to ensure a healthy, productive workforce, could mandatory vacation be an important part of the puzzle? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBusting through barriers?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the corporate world, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211209-why-its-so-hard-for-some-workers-to-ask-for-time-off\"\u003Ebarriers to taking time off\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are well-known. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, even though \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.allianzworldwidepartners.com\u002Fusa\u002Fmedia-center\u002Fvacation-confidence.html\"\u003EUS workers want to take more vacation days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, many feel they can’t because of their workload, the fact that their colleagues aren’t taking much time off or as a result of long-hours’ cultures that stigmatise holidaying workers. In response, some companies have introduced unlimited paid time off (PTO) policies, a seemingly attractive perk that, in theory, allows staff as much paid leave as they want. But these policies depend on positive working cultures that make it absolutely clear that taking time off is encouraged – or the same barriers remain, and in many cases workers end up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off\"\u003Etaking less time off than before\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“You might have people simply not taking time off, and that might be because of the culture. Or you might have people who do want to take the time off, but they’re not able to take at a time that is agreeable for the organisation as well,” says Ayana Horton, a lecturer in occupational therapy at Brunel University London, who has also studied industrial and organisational psychology.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The switch ‘removed guilt, uncertainty or second guessing if [taking holiday] was really OK' - Natalie Gould","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMaking taking vacation time mandatory, says Horton, makes it easier for workers to ask for leave, because the move gives both workers and their managers clearer expectations around holidays. Workers can feel happier about asking for time off, rather than worrying about seeming under-committed, and managers know they shouldn’t stand in the way of workers taking a break (and that they should be taking one themselves, too). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has been the aim at We Are Rosie. The Atlanta, Georgia-based marketing firm initially offered unlimited vacation, but flipped to mandatory time off early in the pandemic, says Talya Esserman, the firm’s head of people. “We did an analysis and realised that people weren't taking enough time off, because they felt guilty about leaving their team short-handed.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, We Are Rosie requires all its employees to take at least five days of leave every quarter. Employees get an additional five days of PTO to use throughout the year as well as fixed national holidays. There’s an incentive for employees to comply with the policy; using the allocated five days every quarter “contributes to the performance goals for each employee to unlock a yearly bonus”, says Esserman.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBalsamiq, a software firm with employees in Italy, France, Germany and the US, also switched to mandatory time off when managers realised workers, especially in the US, weren’t taking enough time off, despite the unlimited vacation policy. “US employees, particularly certain personality types, found it hard to set aside time for vacations because there is never a ‘good’ time to do it – there is always work to be done,” says Natalie Gould, Balsamiq’s head of people. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, the company expects workers to take a minimum of 20 days leave each year. Balsamiq does not incentivise employees to take leave, and there are no consequences for not meeting the minimum. But vacation time is tracked, and the policy is “enforced by nudging people into taking their time off when they aren’t seen to be doing so”. This switch, says Gould, has had an effect on workers; it has “removed guilt, uncertainty or second guessing if [taking holiday] was really OK”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cpwthm"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman leaving the office with a bike","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanging the ‘psychological contract’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite this endorsement at worker level, experts warn mandatory vacation time isn’t a complete solution – because its ultimate success still depends on building the kind of company culture that allows workers to take time off. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you have a boss that you know will hold it against you if take leave, even if you have, say, 18 days of mandatory time allowed, you won’t be able to take it off,” points out Anat Lechner, a clinical associate professor of management and organisations at NYU Stern School of Business. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis raises the question of how effective mandatory leave policies can be if there are no mechanisms for enforcing them in some organisations. Lechner points out that employees generally aren’t the ones standing in the way of their own vacations, suggesting enforcement measures aimed at them miss the point. But she acknowledges that without some kind of enforcement, the kind of change that companies want to achieve may not occur. One option, she suggests, could be to incentivise workers to take holiday and penalise their managers if they don’t, saying: “If the incentive goes to the employee and the punishment goes to the manager, perhaps we’ll begin to see something happen.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, however, she believes creating an environment that favours taking time off is more meaningful than enforcing mandatory vacation policies through penalties and incentives. Workplaces need to have “a culture that is appreciative of people’s need to take time off, and is flexible and logistically smart, so that when people are off, work can still continue, and they can be brought up to speed quickly when they’re back”, she says.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHorton agrees, saying the success of policies depends on how committed an organisation is to tackling overwork and unhealthy vacation culture. If firms truly want employees to rest, they need to allow them consecutive days off – for example, Goldman Sachs requires employees to take one set of five consecutive days off each year – and also need to ensure staff don’t work while they’re on vacation. They will “respect that time off and appreciate that this person is on leave and cannot be contacted”, she says. “The organisation, at the highest levels, has got to fully subscribe to [the policy].” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs companies work towards creating the kinder working cultures that employees are seeking, Lechner believes that – regardless of how effective mandatory vacation policies prove to be – the fact that they are being trialled represents progress. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Whether or not we will succeed with this iteration of mandatory vacation days… we will see. If we don’t succeed, we will learn what the problems are and how to solve them,” she says. In a year or two, she believes, businesses will be better able to assess challenges around mandatory vacation – like what kinds of roles or tasks fit best with the model, or whether certain times in the business cycle lend themselves better to people taking holiday. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet overall, she believes, moves to help workers take more leave are part of an attempt “to change the psychological contract ever so slightly and create workplaces that are more humane for people. And this triggers the mandatory vacation conversation. This will now create policies that will get deployed, and some will fail royally. But with failure comes learning… We are progressing towards a better understanding.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Mandatory time off: When taking holiday is part of the job","headlineShort":"US firms 'enforce' taking time off","image":["p0cpwsv7"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Tired man","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p0cpwthm"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220520-the-smoke-and-mirrors-of-unlimited-paid-time-off","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220722-the-companies-doubling-down-on-remote-work","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-soft-skills-the-intangible-qualities-companies-crave"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"As an antidote to sometimes problematic unlimited vacation policies, some companies are requiring employees to take a certain number of days off. Does it work?","summaryShort":"Some companies are requiring their staff to take holiday","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-07-31T21:45:15.250971Z","entity":"article","guid":"6b9d44de-6438-43fc-80de-78d45e59521f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job","modifiedDateTime":"2022-08-01T12:09:29.920489Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220729-mandatory-time-off-when-taking-holiday-is-part-of-the-job","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200424},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage","_id":"62df82ee43d9f458351f3c1c","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Although moving in with a first partner was once considered a significant milestone on the path to forever, younger generations aren’t necessarily co-habiting with marriage in mind.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years, moving in with a partner was an almost sacred decision, saved for the latter stages of a relationship when partners were on track for marriage. Just a few decades ago, many couples didn’t even share a home until they tied the knot. And while this is still the case for some people today, especially within specific religions or cultures, moving in has become commonplace in countries such as the UK and US – and much less likely to be linked to assumptions about the future. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENew research from the UK provides a close look at young people’s changing behaviours and attitudes towards moving in with a romantic partner for the first time. As well as confirming younger generations are breaking the mould around past co-habiting patterns, the study’s results also indicate that the way millennials in particular feel about moving in with their first significant other is different than previous generations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERather than being a significant milestone on the pathway to permanency, moving in today might be more linked to convenience, says the researchers. It seems young people are continuing to dislodge old notions of what it means to be with a partner, both now and down the line – and proving that milestone moments don’t look the same as they once did.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo longer a ‘test run’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s fitting to look at trends around co-habitation now, since co-habitants are the fastest growing demographic in the UK. ONS data from 2018 shows \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity\u002Fbirthsdeathsandmarriages\u002Ffamilies\u002Fbulletins\u002Ffamiliesandhouseholds\u002F2018\"\u003Ethe number of co-habiting couples is outpacing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E married couples and lone-parent families, increasing more than 25% between 2008 and 2018. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are similar patterns in the US: millennials are more likely than Gen X were at the same age to be living with a romantic partner. Pew Research Center data from 2019 showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2020\u002F05\u002F27\u002Fas-millennials-near-40-theyre-approaching-family-life-differently-than-previous-generations\u002F\"\u003E12% of millennials were co-habiting and unmarried\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; at the same age, in 2003, only 8% of Gen Xers were doing so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"25% to 27% of couples in the two older cohorts separated within two years of moving in together; in the youngest cohort, this percentage shot up to 43%","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETraditional narratives around co-habitation are often directly linked to marriage, whether believing that people bunk up with the explicit intention of settling down, or at least ‘checking’ their long-term compatibility with their partners. But younger generations may be proving these storylines wrong.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from University College London and the University of St Andrews \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ucl.ac.uk\u002Fioe\u002Fnews\u002F2022\u002Fmar\u002Fpeople-born-80s-not-likely-marry-their-first-cohabiting-partner\"\u003Eexamined the changes in views around what it means to move in with a first partner\u003C\u002Fa\u003E now versus years ago, as well as the strength of those partnerships. Using data from the British Household Panel Survey and the Understanding Society study, the researchers examined a study sample of 3,233 people from three birth cohorts: 1974 to 1979, 1980 to 1984 and 1985 to 1990, observed between 1991 and 2016. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe findings showed co-habiting behaviours and relationship outcomes of these groups differed dramatically – even though the groups studied were relatively close in age.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn terms of staying with partners, the group born in the 1970s had a 50-50 chance of staying together. Data from younger cohorts indicated less long-term stability. When examining how long couples stayed together, 25% to 27% of couples in the two older cohorts separated within two years of moving in together. In the youngest cohort – those born between 1985 and 1990 – this percentage shot up to 43%.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research also provides a sense of the motivations behind moving in together. The data indicated that people born in the 1970s mostly treated first-time co-habiting as a test run with partners – a kind of ‘trial marriage’. Yet millennials seem to be less interested in the ‘try-before-you-buy’ approach, instead choosing moving in as a practical decision.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study’s lead researcher, Alina Pelikh, a research fellow in demography at UCL, says there are many reasons for this, including convenience and economic benefit as well as less stigma around co-habiting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis chimes with other data around the acceptability of moving in together. An increasing number of people approve of co-habitation, even for partners who don’t plan to get married. This is particularly true among younger generations: additional 2019 Pew data showed more than three-quarters of people aged 18 through 29 say \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F06\u002Fmarriage-and-cohabitation-in-the-u-s\u002F\"\u003Eit’s acceptable for unmarried couples to live together\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, whether or not they plan to marry.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGalena Rhoades, research professor in psychology and director of the Family Research Center at the University of Denver, US, agrees that changing social attitudes around co-habiting have enabled younger generations to adopt a more casual attitude around moving in together, rather than viewing it as a test-run for marriage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Co-habiting is becoming more and more a stage in dating, rather than a stage in marriage,” says Rhoades. Her research also shows millennials are less concerned about co-habitation as a path to marriage; often, younger generations report that they just started living together out of happenstance. “It's not really seeing [co-habitation] as a decision or a commitment event in a relationship. And I think that's become more and more true over time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPelikh suggests young people see living with a partner simply as an alternative to being single, and that marriage or long-term partnership may not even be a consideration for years to come.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe also highlights the speed with which these changes have occurred, saying: “We see that there is a lot of difference between the youngest ones, those [born] closer to the ’90s, and those closer to the ’70s.” Usually, she explains, these substantial attitude swings generally occur over generations – say, between the 1950s and 1990s – yet they occurred in relatively short periods of time. She says such dramatic differences among groups only five years apart is surprising, and indicates change happened unusually fast.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Co-habiting is becoming more and more a stage in dating, rather than a stage in marriage – Galena Rhoades","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, Pelikh caveats that the data only accounts for partnerships formed up to age 27. So, we don’t know how first-time co-habiting millennials after this age fare. She posits that these relationships could potentially be stronger, driven by factors such as people knowing themselves better, or being in a more economically stable position.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The bigger picture’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile we have a sense of Gen X and millennial trends, what’s not clear is whether Gen Z will continue these behaviours.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome signs point to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex\"\u003EGen Z continuing a more pragmatic approach\u003C\u002Fa\u003E like millennials. Indeed, Gen Z are finding themselves in similarly tight economic situations, and some research has shown this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww2.deloitte.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002FDeloitte\u002Fglobal\u002FDocuments\u002F2021-deloitte-global-millennial-survey-report.pdf\"\u003Egeneration is increasingly pessimistic about this changing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Additionally, as positive attitudes towards co-habitation grow, Gen Z will be taking decisions about moving in together free of the stigma many of their predecessors faced.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some cases, Gen Z are also showing signs of prioritising establishing themselves as individuals before coupling up. This may continue to push younger generations’ first co-habitations increasingly later in life, similar to patterns the researchers observed in millennials.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERegardless of how these behaviours play out for Gen Z, Pelikh believes these findings are particularly pertinent now, since hitting life milestones is no longer linear for younger generations – yet there’s still stigma around their transitions not following ‘traditional’ timelines or behaviours. In other words, it may be helpful to show how common it is for young people to split with their first-time co-habiting partners, to shake loose some of the remaining judgement from older generations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPelikh believes this data spotlights “the broader complexity of adulthood” – and can potentially provide a sigh of relief to those who feel nervous about not taking the path once considered standard. “We all live our lives, but what we don’t have is the bigger picture,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch like this helps continue to highlight the dramatic way \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones\"\u003Emilestones are morphing among generations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. What may have been meaningful for one generation is quickly changing – and this may paint an increasing vivid picture of what the future of adulthood looks like.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-08T12:29:40Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why millennials aren’t moving in together as a trial marriage","headlineShort":"Why millennials are moving in together","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Although moving in with a first partner was once considered a significant milestone on the path to forever, younger generations aren’t necessarily co-habiting with marriage in mind.","summaryShort":"Is bunking up with a partner a 'trial marriage'? Not so fast, say millennials","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-07T22:11:23.864081Z","entity":"article","guid":"d37a8687-f8f6-40f0-a7ef-2a5da63bf09d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-07T22:37:50.691444Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates","_id":"62df810f43d9f42c861a8a20","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"First dates used to be about drinks, maybe dinner. But post-pandemic singles are opting for low-key options that allow them to ‘screen’ potential partners.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, Louise, 33, was a prolific dater. She would typically meet someone new from a dating app once a week, and her standard first date would be “a drink or three after work”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when Covid-19 hit, and happy hour in her home city of London was replaced by virtual drinks and Zoom pub-quizzes, her dating life shifted, too. Louise found herself embracing phone calls and video dates with potential suitors – and she was surprised to find she enjoyed the change of pace.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It was a positive move to get to know someone over a long period of time,” she says. “I found the slower pace suited me. I think \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex\"\u003Etaking away alcohol was a big factor\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as you have clearer judgement and opinions on someone. The lockdowns made me really take a step back, and look at the way I was approaching dating.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen restrictions lifted, Louise chose not to dive back into her pre-pandemic dating habits. Instead, she wanted to take the best bits of dating at a distance and use them in a new approach to looking for love. She had particularly enjoyed going on walks during the months when bars and restaurants were closed but meeting outdoors was still permitted, so she continued to suggest active, outdoor dates, rather than opting for dinner and drinks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, a first date for Louise is more commonly a dog walk or an activity that she would otherwise do with a friend, like a gig she’s already interested in going to. She also tends to send voice notes or call potential dates before meeting in real life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Before Covid, I would go on dates with the mindset of ‘may as well see what they’re like’,” she says. “But by going into dates with this attitude, the chances were that it wasn’t going to be a very good match. Now that I’m back in the office, going to sports clubs and seeing friends, I don’t want to waste my time on pointless, mindless dates – I want them to be fun, and with someone I genuinely want to get to know better. So, I make sure that I take the time to get to know someone first, to make sure that we’re on the same page.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether it was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003Echanging careers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220125-the-small-cities-and-towns-booming-from-remote-work\"\u003Emoving cities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the pandemic prompted many people to re-evaluate their lives – and love lives were not exempt from this reckoning. Louise is one of many singles to rethink their approach to dating since the pandemic; experts believe many people are now less willing to commit to a time-consuming, high-stakes first date. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, they are scoping out potential dates with voice notes, video calls or a casual meet-up woven into activities that slide more easily into their day-to-day lives. This low-stakes pre-date is changing the way that we approach looking for love – but does it lead to stronger and more \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Flovelife\"\u003Elasting connections\u003C\u002Fa\u003E?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn ‘explosion’ of virtual dating\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many daters, a low-stakes pre-date starts long before meeting a new match in real life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, John Junior, 33, who lives in Cheshire, UK, would sometimes go on multiple dates in one day. But John still has concerns about catching the virus, and is also more \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210623-the-darkest-side-of-online-dating\"\u003Ewary about new people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201125-te-romance-scammers-exploiting-lockdown-loneliness\"\u003Ecatfished\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the pandemic. This means he now FaceTimes people before agreeing to meet up. “It’s easier and more convenient,” he says. “I can see if we are compatible and if they really are keen. It’s been a huge positive, and it feels safer.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rise – and subsequent staying power – of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200717-is-video-dating-here-to-stay\"\u003Evideo first-dates\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is perhaps one of the biggest post-pandemic dating trends, and a key indicator people are looking for a first date that slots more easily into their schedule. Researchers from leading dating app Hinge say the rise of video dating has been “explosive” in recent years. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Virtual dates are the new coffee dates – a low-pressure way to see if you and your match connect,” says Logan Ury, a behavioural scientist and director of relationship science at Hinge. “It’s a chance to see if you can carry a conversation and are excited to spend more time together in person. You get a sense of the person, from the comfort of your own home, without a long commute or expensive evening.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Virtual dates are the new coffee dates – a low-pressure way to see if you and your match connect – Logan Ury","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of not wanting to commit time, energy and money to multiple in-person first dates is certainly one that resonates with Louise. For her, changing the way that she dates is part of a wider consideration of what she wants her life to look like post-pandemic. Having more time to herself during lockdowns brought a fresh perspective; she values quality over quantity in lots of aspects of her life. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKate Balestrieri, a licensed psychologist and sex therapist, based in the US, says this was a common reaction to lockdowns, which forced people to confront how \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201230-how-the-pandemic-could-redefine-our-productivity-obsession\"\u003Efast-paced\u003C\u002Fa\u003E their lives were pre-pandemic. She says the rise of the pre-date is part of a broader trend towards so-called “slow” or “intentional” dating that has developed over the last couple of years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The incessant swiping that used to dominate the dating world left people feeling burnt out and tired of inauthenticity,” she says. “Seeking more connection, many are adopting a slower and more intentional approach to dating, to ensure a good fit that does not waste their time or drain their energy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of time-wasting is one that comes up a lot among daters embracing low-stakes first dates. During lockdowns, people had space to think about what was really important to them – and to understand what they really missed when it was taken away. If going on lots of dates wasn’t something they particularly missed, but they were still interested in finding a partner, then a low-stakes first date can be easier to fit around more valued activities. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People have experienced a shift in their work-life balance, and are seeing time as a more precious commodity,” says Balestrieri. “Many are now taking more care to get to know someone before allocating a lot of time and financial resources to a more formal dating process.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA better way to find love?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData shows post-pandemic singles are more serious about looking for love. After a lonely year or two and a slow return to ‘normal’ life, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.singlesinamerica.com\u002F\"\u003E58% of daters\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have shifted towards intentional dating, and 62% have become more interested in a meaningful, committed relationship. Only 11% of app daters now say that they want to date casually.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow does a low-stakes first-date fit into this increased desire to find something serious?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Balestrieri, it’s a sign of people’s growing distaste for spending time and money on casual interactions, instead saving up these resources for dates that they can see developing into more serious relationships. A low-stakes pre-date can help them filter through a crowded market of potential partners to find the people with whom they have a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220308-opposites-attract-why-the-adage-is-obsolete\"\u003Egenuine connection\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and, in these contentious times, with whom their values align. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Going through the pandemic has left people with a renewed sense of what is important to them, and allocating time on people who are not a good fit is no longer a noteworthy endeavour for many,” says Balestrieri. And although there’s no guarantee that the low-stakes pre-date will lead to more lasting love, it certainly means fewer bad dates and more time to allocate to the things that truly matter.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for Louise, the pandemic gave her a chance to reflect on not only how she wanted to date, but whom she wanted to ultimately end up with – and she hopes the low-stakes pre-date will help her to find them. “I would like to meet someone who is genuine, and I think that by changing my habits I am giving myself a better chance,” she says. Yet, true to her slower pace of dating, Louise says she’s taking her time. “I’m in no rush to meet someone,” she says. “My life is pretty good as it is.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-29T16:34:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why singles are 'pre-screening' their dates","headlineShort":"The new way to pick a partner?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":false,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"First dates used to be about drinks, maybe dinner. But post-pandemic singles are opting for low-key options that allow them to ‘screen’ potential partners.","summaryShort":"\"I don't want to waste my time on pointless, mindless dates\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-28T21:51:53.502682Z","entity":"article","guid":"71cb50dd-1e7b-4916-8cc1-b39e9c41dcb8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-29T00:23:24.610945Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth","_id":"62df81bf43d9f46d9838b849","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The allure of ‘The One’ stretches across time and cultures. Why do some people continue to believe in finding the perfect person?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHannah Miller says she’s always believed in soulmates. She remembers being a child, hearing that seahorses have one partner forever. She loved the idea there might be just one person for her, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen she was 10, she was introduced to Sam, a friend of her sister’s, at a group outing to a theme park. She remembers him holding her hand on the scariest rides and her sister teasing her, saying she and Sam were going to get married. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but I did fall head over heels that day,” says Miller, 45, from Birmingham, UK. “I went on the school bus on Monday and told all my friends about the older boy who held my hand.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe didn’t cross paths with the boy from the theme park again until she was 18, but once she did, things moved quickly. Weeks later, Sam told Hannah that he was falling in love with her, and the two were married just before her 20th birthday. “Commitment felt like it came easily – this was it, we were meant to be together, so why wait,” she says. “We knew that there was no reason not to get married, because we were soulmates.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn astonishing number of people \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftoday.yougov.com\u002Ftopics\u002Frelationships\u002Farticles-reports\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F10\u002Fsoulmates-poll-survey-data\"\u003Ebelieve in soulmates\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to one 2021 survey; the idea of ‘The One’ carries across many other cultures, too. There are many reasons why people are hopeful that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think\"\u003Etheir perfect person\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is out there, and during the last 50 years, the idea has only increased in popularity. Experts believe that whether or not we believe in soulmates is deeply rooted in our personal circumstances and psychology – but it’s possible that those hoping to find a pre-destined partner might be dooming their relationships from the start.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA brief history of soulmates\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Greek philosopher Plato wrote that humans once had four arms, four legs and two faces. He explained that Zeus split us in half as a punishment for our pride, and we were destined to walk the Earth searching for our other half.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur understanding of love and relationships might have evolved since 385 BCE, when Plato penned Symposium, but the idea of having an ‘other half’ still endures for many, and has lasted across numerous cultures throughout history. Some Hindu traditions hold the idea that people have a karmic connection with certain souls; in Yiddish, there is a term for an ideal or predestined marriage partner – your ‘bashert’ – which loosely translates to destiny. Thirteenth-century Persian poet and Islamic scholar Rumi posed the idea that lovers do not finally meet, but that they are somehow in each other all along. And from Romeo and Juliet to Heathcliff and Cathy, Western literature is replete with examples of lovers who were meant to be together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut although the concept of a soulmate might have existed for thousands of years, the actual term was probably only introduced in the 19th Century. Its first recorded use is in 1822, in a letter written by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “To be happy in Married Life...  you must have a Soul-mate,” he wrote. Coleridge’s own love life was unhappy – he married mostly due to social pressures and spent most of the union apart from his wife, before they eventually separated for good.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet despite Coleridge’s inability to find a true soulmate, the idea persisted, rocketing in popularity, especially in recent decades. Brad Wilcox, a professor of sociology and director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, US, notes  a rise in the appeal of soulmates since the 1970s, when the advent of what he calls the “me decade” and a culture of individualism shifted our approach to relationships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People are now more likely to look for relationships that make them happy and fulfilled,” he says. “It’s also facilitated by unprecedented prosperity in the West, which made people less dependent on marriage for economic survival. There was a shift from a pragmatic approach to marriage to a more expressive, soulmate model of marriage where people’s expectations are more psychological and less material.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe enduring nature of the soulmate myth\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are plenty of reasons to be sceptical about the idea of a perfect person being predestined for you. After all, most people don’t stray far when finding their partner, with the majority of Americans marrying someone \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftime.com\u002F4705099\u002Fmarriage-wedding-states\u002F\"\u003Efrom the same state\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as them, and 43% marrying \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002F28-people-marry-attended-same-college-2013-10?r=US&IR=T\"\u003Esomeone\u003C\u002Fa\u003E who they went to high school or college with.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn a planet of nearly eight billion people, it’s quite a coincidence that so many peoples’ soulmates are just in the next classroom. Yet the idea of a soulmate has persisted across numerous societies and time periods – what is it about the concept of The One that people find so irresistible?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBradley Onishi, an associate professor of religion at Skidmore College, US, has used his background in the history of ideas to try and understand the enduring nature of soulmate mythology. He believes that there is something innate in our desire to believe in soulmates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The soulmate myth promises that amidst the dizzying and often confusing landscape of dating apps there is one match out there that will make sense of it all – Bradley Onishi","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“The soulmate myth promises fulfilment,” says Onishi. “It says that the isolation and loneliness that are so often part of the human experience are only temporary – that someday there will be a happily ever after in which we are united with The One who understands us at every level, protects us from harm and gives our life overwhelming significance.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe points out that, for many of us, believing in a soulmate is a way of constructing a cohesive narrative from the oftentimes chaotic and unpredictable experience of looking for love. “The soulmate myth is really good at taking all the bad first dates, the breakups, the dashed hopes and disappointments and putting them into a story that says ‘someday all of this will fall into place’,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is particularly true when it comes to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think\"\u003Emodern dating\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, perhaps explaining how the soulmate idea has evolved over time. In recent years, the term ‘twin flame’ has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftrends.google.com\u002Ftrends\u002Fexplore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=twin%20flame\"\u003Esurged in popularity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a more spiritual way of understanding the idea that there might be someone that you are simply supposed to be with.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We live in a time of overwhelming uncertainty – politically, environmentally and socially,” explains Onishi. “The soulmate myth promises that amidst the dizzying and often confusing landscape of dating apps there is one match out there that will make sense of it all. It promises an anchor to modern life that many find appealing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractical expectations?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPractically, looking for a soulmate may not be the best approach, however. “Soulmate marriages are more fragile because feelings fluctuate,” Wilcox says. “Having a less soulmate-based approach is linked to more stability.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch into hundreds of relationships has showed having an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcios.org\u002FEJCPUBLIC\u002F017\u002F3\u002F01735.HTML\"\u003Eexpectation of finding a soulmate actually leads to dysfunctional patterns of behaviour\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and even makes you \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.people.vcu.edu\u002F~jldavis\u002Freadings\u002FKnee_1998_implicit_theories.pdf\"\u003Emore likely to\u003C\u002Fa\u003E breakup with your partner. This is because people who believe in soulmates tend to have what is known as a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scienceofpeople.com\u002Fsoulmate\u002F\"\u003E‘destiny’ mindset\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Since they are holding out for a perfect person, they are more likely to doubt their relationship, or view a hiccup in the road as a dealbreaker – perhaps this just wasn’t their person after all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the other hand, soulmate sceptics tend to have a ‘growth’ mindset. They believe that relationships take work and compromise, and are motivated to find solutions to problems.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“An expectation that something will be instantly and everlastingly perfect only leads to disappointment and resentment, because this simply isn’t realistic,” says Ruth Micallef, a specialist BACP-registered counsellor who works with many patients experiencing relationship struggles. “Some of the most successful relationships are couples who have spent years supporting each other through all of the personal changes that they are going through, and never expect each other to be ‘perfect’ or ‘everything’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of finding your soulmate might be a balm after a bad date, or create a sense of structure and narrative to your own love story. But ultimately, actually believing that you’ve found your soulmate might not be a good thing – and experts say that you certainly shouldn’t worry about looking for one.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“None of us is perfect – not you, and not your future mate,” says Wilcox. “So, focus on the non-negotiables – the virtues that will sustain a good marriage, shared values and some common interests. But don’t expect to check every box in a future spouse, unless you wish to be a permanent bachelor or bachelorette.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet for some, believing in the soulmate myth simply seems to work. Hannah has now been married to Sam for 23 years, and the pair have three children together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It might well be the thing I am most proud of,” she says of her relationship. “So much of life is uncertain, but I can say with confidence that we have grown up together, and will continue to grow old together, forever soulmates.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-14T17:25:27Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why people still believe in the 'soulmate myth'","headlineShort":"Why people believe in the soulmate myth","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The allure of ‘The One’ stretches across time and cultures. Why do some people continue to believe in finding the perfect person?","summaryShort":"Why is it so hard to accept there may not be just one perfect person for you?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-13T20:45:34.295123Z","entity":"article","guid":"756789db-9ca0-48b9-bca0-90ab0c9fc937","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:22:03.538835Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life","_id":"62e32ae643d9f46d947e049b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkatie-bishop"],"bodyIntro":"Now that much of the world has re-opened, some couples who got together during the pandemic are finding that keeping their relationships together isn’t a given.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor many people, the pandemic meant an unrelenting grind of home-schooling, the uncertainty of furlough or the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-why-the-pandemic-is-causing-spikes-in-break-ups-and-divorces\"\u003Efaltering of relationships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But for others, two years of lockdowns led to something entirely different: the start of a love affair.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We went for walks in the park where we could actually talk and get to know each other,” says Jessica Haymen, 31, of the boyfriend she met on Tinder during a 2020 UK lockdown. “It was great spending time together, and it almost felt like the summer romances you see in films like Grease.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Haymen, who lives in Brighton, UK, her lockdown love story was a true whirlwind romance. She and her partner made things official just two weeks after their first date, and were able to spend months hiring bikes and taking hikes – activities that allowed them to talk, explore and have fun “like we were kids”. She says being in lockdown and both temporarily out of work meant that they spent a lot of time together, and that their relationship felt on fast-forward.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when restrictions lifted, Haymen’s romance changed, with the demands of real-life causing stress for them both.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I felt very intimidated meeting all his friends,” she says. “It went from being in our own little private world to suddenly meeting five new faces per day. I would secretly wish I could run back home to the TV and sofa. I knew he felt the same, meeting my family one day and then coming to bottomless brunch with my friends the next. He looked deflated by the end, and we just found it all a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaymen is one of many who found a fledgling relationship coming under strain after lockdown rules lifted, according to experts. Couples who had got to know each other in a bubble, free from the constraints and stresses of their pre-pandemic lives, struggled to adapt once conflicting social calendars and work schedules came into force, and previously hidden personality and situational differences began to emerge. And while some have battled through their differences to enter a new chapter of their relationship, others have found that their romance is better left back in lockdown.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe lockdown ‘couple bubble’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200406-coronavirus-isolation-is-creating-new-love-under-lockdown\"\u003EPandemic love stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E blossomed in an undeniably unnatural environment. Free from the distractions of everyday life, couples were able to devote uninterrupted time to each other. Many of the factors present in pre-pandemic relationships, like social gatherings and family meet-ups, weren’t in play. But as couples have emerged from quarantine, these ingredients are getting added back into the mix – and, subsequently, some pairs have emerged from quarantine to find that the reality of their relationship can’t match up to the honeymoon period they first enjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cp9s0k"],"imageAlignment":"left","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Many couples who met during the pandemic were blessed with what I and other relationship experts call the ‘couple bubble’, where they are able to have large amounts of protected one-on-one time without distractions from the outside world,” says Jessica Griffin, a clinical psychologist and relationship expert at UMass Memorial Health, Massachusetts, US. “For those who formed social ‘pods’ or ‘bubbles’, there was an opportunity to spend more time together. It also prevented outside influences – there were less opportunities to meet friends and family – or even other potential suitors.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Klesman, 36, fell victim to the ‘couple bubble’ when she first met someone on Bumble in September 2020. Klesman, who lives in Chicago, had heard from friends that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201116-how-the-pandemic-has-changed-our-romantic-relationships\"\u003Equarantine relationships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E moved and matured at a more rapid rate, and so she embraced seeing her partner two or three times a week, meeting each other’s friends over FaceTime or Zoom and playing video games together. They even managed a few daytrips and a vacation to Mexico once restrictions eased. But things started to fall apart soon after that.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Socialising went from zero to 100 very rapidly, and both of us were exhausted by it all,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe also realised that the pandemic had veiled some truths about her new partner from her, and that he wasn’t as independent and financially secure as she had initially thought. Being confined at home meant that usual measures of these traits weren’t as easy to spot. For instance, she had assumed that her boyfriend worked full-time with a flexible schedule, but later realised that he was only in part-time employment, a fact that she hadn’t picked up on due to him working remotely.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Because we had the ability to work from home, I was able to assume that he worked more hours than he actually did,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe also realised that his living situation wasn’t quite as she expected. “I had thought that he had moved home with his mom due to the pandemic like a number of people had, but months later I learned that he had been there for five years and didn’t plan to move out,” she says. “The pandemic helped mask a lot of traits of his that I would otherwise have said no to.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore these revelations, Klesman had thought that she and her boyfriend might move in together, but she soon began to realise that he didn’t seem “all in”. Ultimately, the relationship broke down after 10 months. “I’m extremely grateful that he was around for the winter of 2020, because it was hard being in quarantine at the time,” she says. “But we weren’t in the same place in our lives.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Socialising went from zero to 100 very rapidly, and both of us were exhausted by it all – Jennifer Klesman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGriffin says this is a common pattern in lockdown relationships. The speed at which couples progressed during the pandemic means that many have emerged only to realise that they don’t know each other nearly as well as they thought. “These relationships were formed under stress and during a time when there was more incentive to couple up quickly,” she says. “As the world is opening back up, relationship experts are hearing more and more that couples are finding the transition back to normal a little bumpier than expected.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking lockdown love last\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first few months of coupledom might have been a cinematic summer romance for Haymen, but post-lockdown, she found the logistics of a relationship that had to compete with work, family and friends tough. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220719-how-return-to-office-uncertainty-is-leaving-workers-in-limbo\"\u003Ereturn to the office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – him five days a week, and her three – meant that they had much less time together, and entire weekends in each other’s company were swapped out for juggling competing social commitments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarisa T Cohen, a relationship scientist and psychology professor who works as a researcher at dating app Hily, says that this is a common conundrum for couples coming out of quarantine together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Priorities and needs may have shifted as things have opened up, and the demands on our time have changed,” she says. “While some couples can turn towards one another and navigate this together, for others this adjustment may lead to relationship difficulties. People are also facing new types of anxiety and stressors, such as returning to socialising or going back to the office. This can affect an individual, and the ways that partners support each other will determine how well they adapt and if they continue to stay together.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor couples currently going through this transition, Cohen says there are practical steps that can be taken. “It’s important to have open and honest conversations about what you are experiencing and to articulate your needs,” she says. “For example, while some people might value getting back out and socialising, for others this might be too much stimulation after months of working from home. If it’s important for a person to have a quiet night in with their partner, that should be shared.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cp9rsb"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGriffin adds that just because people’s couple bubbles are changing, this doesn’t mean that they have to end. “Couples can think of new ways to protect this bubble – through scheduled date nights, daily check-ins and routines together,” she says. “Couples who create rituals and routines are also creating psychological safety in their relationship. Having something predictable and consistent actually sends signals to the brain that you are safe – and that matters when it comes to relationships.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA stronger relationship\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough Klesman’s lockdown love ultimately faltered, she has no hard feelings about her experience. While she says that, in hindsight, she might not have got together with her ex if it wasn’t for the pandemic, she adds that he was a good, kind person who has shown her what she needs in future relationships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, Haymen and her partner have now worked out a schedule of seeing friends and family twice a week, and although she says that it’s been tough getting used to having “date nights” instead of stretches of uninterrupted time together, she remains “head over heels in love”. The pair are still going strong, and she’s glad that they worked through the problems that coming out of lockdown initially presented.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our relationship grew really strongly during the pandemic,” she says. “It was like we had the first year of our relationship within a month period, but now it feels more steady. Spending so much time together initially was a good test.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life-6"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Flovelife"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-07-29T12:39:53Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The Covid couples struggling with post-lockdown life","headlineShort":"The lockdown 'couple bubbles' bursting","image":["p0cp9s2m"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-why-millennials-arent-cohabiting-as-a-trial-marriage","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-why-singles-are-pre-screening-their-dates","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220204-why-people-still-believe-in-the-soulmate-myth"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Now that much of the world has re-opened, some couples who got together during the pandemic are finding that keeping their relationships together isn’t a given.","summaryShort":"A return to normal is breaking up some pandemic couples","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-07-29T00:33:25.022425Z","entity":"article","guid":"b12df69a-f8d8-4071-a76d-202852c7945f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life","modifiedDateTime":"2022-07-29T00:33:25.022425Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220727-the-covid-couples-struggling-with-post-lockdown-life","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one","_id":"62df816543d9f46d947e038b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Millions of workers are on the hunt for remote jobs. But there may not be enough flexible positions for all of them.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWorkers want remote jobs. As a widescale return-to-office sweeps the globe, many employees are fighting to stay out of the office as much as possible – and some have plans to leave employers who won’t accommodate a flexible future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData from a May 2021 Morning Consult survey of 1,000 US adults showed nearly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-06-01\u002Freturn-to-office-employees-are-quitting-instead-of-giving-up-work-from-home\"\u003E40% would consider jumping ship if their employers didn’t offer remote-work flexibility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That number shot up to 49% for millennials and Gen Z. Increasingly, many workers have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fslate.com\u002Fhuman-interest\u002F2021\u002F07\u002Fworkers-quitting-over-remote-work-going-back-to-office.html\"\u003Eanecdotally reported doing so\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough this is throwing some employers into a frenzy, not all are jumping to respond to workers’ demands by opening a remote- or hybrid-work option, or at least keeping jobs quite as location flexible. This is because a supply-and-demand problem may underpin these figures: despite an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F29\u002Fthere-are-now-a-record-5-million-more-job-openings-than-unemployed-people-in-the-us.html\"\u003Eoverabundance of open positions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in many countries including the US and UK, and a job market that continues to favour employees, some data shows there simply may not be enough location-flexible jobs for everyone who wants one.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese trends differ by countries and industries, but figures are increasingly indicating a far-reaching worker interest that may not align with job-market reality. It might be a tough pill to swallow for workers who feel their options abound – and the result is that some jobseekers may have to bend to an in-office future they’re resisting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA supply-and-demand conundrum\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent global figures from job sites Indeed and LinkedIn, shared with BBC Worklife, show worker interest in jobs with a remote component is outpacing the number of such available roles in many cases.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven as remote-job postings have shot up during the pandemic, “the share of job searches that contain keywords related to remote work has risen even more in most large economies”, points out Pawel Adrjan, head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) research at Indeed. “If we look at the US overall, searches for remote work have gone up four-and-a half times as a share of all searches since 2019, and the share of remote job postings has gone up by only 3.2 times.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In the UK, remote-job postings have increased 329%, while the number of searches has skyrocketed 790%","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, postings that explicitly mention remote work between January 2020 and March 2022 are up 319%, yet searches are up 458%. In the UK, remote-job postings have increased a similar 329%, while the number of searches has skyrocketed 790%. This mismatched pattern also holds in countries such as Italy, Germany and France, where remote-job postings have declined (or are generally less available) since their pandemic peak. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross the world, demand has been outstripping supply in many cases – and, according to Adrjan, people are still very actively searching for at least partially remote roles, even as the pandemic wanes in some economies. He says the supply of these jobs is getting even tighter in countries with weaker broadband infrastructures, like Italy, and in those where cultural acceptance of remote working isn’t as high, like France and Japan. In these economies, the share of remote postings is dropping, as employers begin transitioning newly open roles back to the office.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, LinkedIn’s data on remote jobs – positions explicitly labelled as remote, or ones that contain related keywords, such as ‘work from home’, including hybrid roles – showed a dramatic increase in the number of applications. In March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, paid remote jobs attracted 1.8 times the share of applications than paid non-remote jobs; in March 2022, this figure was higher at 2.6 times. Even as the number of remote roles increased, they couldn’t keep pace with the number of applicants for these jobs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The key takeaway here is that the supply of, and employees’ demand for, remote jobs have both grown rapidly over the past two years, but demand has grown faster,” says Mary Kate Fields, data communications manager at LinkedIn.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘There’s going to have to be some give’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile remote-work options do still exist, of course, the specific industry of a particular job has a lot to do with how flexible employers are willing to be about where workers are getting jobs done. This is particularly the case where face time is increasingly essential as restrictions ease, like travel, retail and construction, according to LinkedIn’s data as well as Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s chief economist.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOliver Price, UK solutions director for technology at recruiting consultancy Robert Half, agrees that sector influences how many workers can have location-flexible arrangements. Technology is a good example, he says; because the labour market is still so competitive for occupations like developers, workers can afford to press for the remote work they want.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If [an employer has] had a job requisition open and it’s been incredibly challenging to hire the right person, and the right person comes along but has a slightly different personal situation… you have to at least consider that,” he says. In other words, some workers may be in a position to leverage their talent to secure a more preferable remote-work arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I think, ultimately, you’re going to see jobseekers having to compromise a little bit more – Karin Kimbrough","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EStill, as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003EGreat Reshuffle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E continues, driven largely by workers looking for more flexible accommodations, the reality is some jobseekers may be disappointed by their options. And, says Kimbrough, it’s important to remember that only a third of employers are offering remote work at all – which means at two-thirds of companies, the option isn’t even on the table. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is one caveat, however – somewhat “hidden” remote roles. Adrjan explains that there may be some companies who are willing to negotiate location flexibility and make personal accommodations, even if they may not explicitly be advertised in job listings. After all, adds Price, employers do need to recruit and retain talent, and understand they may have to give a little on their end to do so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, however, Kimbrough says “there’s going to have to be some give by jobseekers”, especially as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.microsoft.com\u002Fblog\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F16\u002Fgreat-expectations-a-roadmap-for-making-hybrid-work-work\u002F\"\u003Eemployers across the globe dig their heels in about a return-to-office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as the global economy slows and the labour market rebalances. Price agrees “candidates are having to be a bit more flexible than they even likely want to be at this current period in time”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“[Workers] have been in the driver’s seat for at least a year, if not longer, but that won't last forever,” says Kimbrough. As we get through this jobseeker-friendly period in the job market, she adds, workers may have to cede their position of power. “I think, ultimately, you’re going to see jobseekers having to compromise a little bit more.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-26T16:19:03Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Are there enough remote jobs for everyone who wants one?","headlineShort":"Want a remote job? Good luck","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Millions of workers are on the hunt for remote jobs. But there may not be enough flexible positions for all of them.","summaryShort":"Demand for flexible jobs is outstripping supply in many cases. What now?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-25T19:51:30.162637Z","entity":"article","guid":"5c7fe21a-e475-40d2-adf4-57a6dc05b47b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-26T14:52:29.712388Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers","_id":"62df7f7843d9f4574b0f3371","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Companies are calling employees back to the workplace – but not all of them. This is stoking resentment among workers and employers.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn February, Mark’s employer, an energy firm based in Ohio, US, told him he had to return to the office. The software engineer’s bosses had praised his output while working from home, and he never missed a deadline. Yet, in a company with more than 1,000 employees, it was only Mark’s department that initially received instructions to go back three days a week.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our team is small and all of us are on the same page: we don’t need to be there,” explains Mark, whose surname is being held for job-security concerns. “For my day-to-day responsibilities, there are no benefits gained by being in the office – I can accomplish all my tasks from home.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Mark, the on-the-ground reality is that only his five-person team, and a smattering of others, are actually back in the workplace. “I can count on both hands the number of employees present most days. We’re at the bottom of the pyramid, and have been told flat out we need to be in the office.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESenior-level colleagues at the company, however, still get to work remotely. Some of them are doing so while they travel around the US. “They’re never in the office,” says Mark. “We've had company-wide meetings where these employees were videoing in from vacation spots. Someone must have pointed out the optics – they've had their cameras off in the last few meetings.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Mark and his team, this disparity between who gets to work from home and who has to return to the office has created friction: different employees are subject to different rules, and it feels unfair that the rationale has never been explained. “It’s never been addressed by management,” he says. “While we can submit return-to-office queries during virtual meetings, they’re never been answered directly.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs pandemic restrictions end, more and more companies are calling employees back to the office – yet the rules are not universal for all workers. Some bosses are allowing exceptions for individuals or particular groups of workers – moves hard to explain in the return-to-office world. While mandating certain behaviours from most employees, they’re allowing others to retain special arrangements.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut with some employees across an organisation working with very different attendance rules, tensions are beginning to bubble to the surface, impacting workplace dynamics.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘No clear policy’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s no surprise calling staff back to the office is throwing up challenges. When the pandemic hit, employees had to switch to remote work almost overnight. As lockdowns bit and workers faced huge upheaval to their daily lives, managers had to be flexible about when and where teams got their jobs done; in some cases, parents changed their hours and cramped city-dwellers decamped to rural locations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo years on, many workers have crafted bespoke working set-ups that keep them productive outside traditional, in-office working patterns. Some of these employees are now being granted accommodations by employers to continue doing so; this group might include people who moved away from their work location during the pandemic and now want to keep their job remotely. There are also new recruits, hired on remote contracts.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We've had company-wide meetings where [senior] employees were videoing in from vacation spots – Mark","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA large chunk of the workforce, however, are being instructed by the same bosses to return to the office on a hybrid or full-time basis. That’s left employers with a problem: they’re appearing to show favouritism; bestowing flexibility to a select few workers, while enforcing restrictions upon the majority. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor bosses, it’s an easy move to call back those who still live within commuting distance to the office as well as junior-level employees. But mid- and senior-level workers may have greater leverage in keeping flexible arrangements. “More experienced employees often feel quite strongly about their desire for hybrid or remote practices,” says Helen Hughes, associate professor at Leeds University Business School, UK. “They often already have social capital and leverage nested in the relationships and reputation they’ve previously built.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven current labour shortages, experienced workers might also be in higher demand – particularly in sectors where competition for talent is fiercest. If companies want to keep them, they have to bend in some cases. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, giving some employees special working conditions can create perceptions of inequity, potentially dividing teams and stoking resentment. “If the decisions around who works from home and who has to go into the office are seemingly unfair, and that some employees have had a better deal, it has the potential to drive in-groups and out-groups in the workplace,” says Hughes.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis creates the risk of cliques, she adds, and the creation of a two-tier workforce with a majority of in-office employees and a minority of remote workers, potentially forming rifts between teams. And a lack of company cohesion linked to aggrieved employees can lead to a raft of negative consequences that might impact workforce dynamics, says Amy Butterworth, consulting director at London-based flexible-working consultants Timewise. “The quality of work will suffer, there is a big hit in relation to inclusion and you won’t get the best out of teams.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs companies scramble to develop \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth\"\u003Ereturn-to-office policies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a lack of plausible explanation from bosses can exacerbate rising tensions. When digital-agency worker Sarah began a new job in the north of England, her employer said they’d need her at their headquarters on a full-time basis because she lived locally. Her colleagues, however, were allowed to work remotely because they weren’t a commuting distance away. “My boss didn’t have a clear flexible-working policy: they just made it up as they went along,” she says. “They said because it was easier for me to go in, I should be there every day.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Sarah, such workplace dynamics didn’t create resentment towards her colleagues – but towards her employer instead. “I was ultimately punished based on where I lived. Flexible working shouldn’t be about your proximity to the office,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Management themselves are ghosts’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy selecting which workers have to return to the office, and which can have flexible working, employers are inadvertently creating off-kilter workplace dynamics. It’s leading some employees to challenge such \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.protocol.com\u002Fbulletins\u002Fgoogle-employees-upset-remote-work\"\u003Edecision making\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at a corporate level.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Mark’s case, he’s particularly angry his company has failed to explain why employees who worked productively in remote set-ups should be forced to return to the office. “We’ve been told flat out we need to be back in, yet management themselves are ghosts,” he says. “If internet access is all that’s required to complete your tasks, then work shouldn't be bound to any single location.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I was ultimately punished based on where I lived. Flexible working shouldn’t be about your proximity to the office – Sarah","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EButterworth says establishing fair working practises ultimately comes down to consulting directly with employees. “If a worker has a reluctance in returning to the office, then the employer has to demonstrate the value to the individual, their work and the wider team. And if people have been hired on specific remote contracts, that needs to be communicated on why they have a different set-up.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFiguring out why employers are allowing one employee is to work remotely and asking another to come into the office can help reduce tensions in teams. “It’s about looking at the needs of a role, the team and the worker,” says Butterworth. “As long as people understand these decisions, it’s easier to find a solution.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe danger is that without careful consideration and transparent processes in place, some workers will feel hard done by if they’re asked to return to the office while others aren’t. As well as an instant hit on morale, it can create issues between colleagues, driving deep wedges in the workplace over the longer term.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith little in the way of explanation as to why he has to be in the office, while others can work from anywhere, Mark is now looking for a new job. “[Managers] use phrases like ‘team building’ and ‘collaboration’ to justify the return-to-office push,” he says. “But I don’t think it’s fair for non-site-essential employees to report at the workplace. Companies incapable of flexibility will haemorrhage the quality employees.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-11T15:16:24Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The simmering tension between remote and in-office workers","headlineShort":"'If he's remote, why can't I be?'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Companies are calling employees back to the workplace – but not all of them. This is stoking resentment among workers and employers.","summaryShort":"Some workers are getting special treatment in the newly remote workplace","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-10T19:36:31.568191Z","entity":"article","guid":"f2189d55-182b-4c17-b705-7f6bdc438d39","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-14T12:32:34.526698Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more","_id":"62df7f9243d9f46d1c4ba21d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"To pull reluctant workers back to the office, some employers are upping pay packets and offering perks just for stepping through the door. Is it the right approach?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe looming return to the office – put off so many times in recent months – has many leaders grappling with how to re-populate expensive real estate they’ve been paying for, but barely occupying, for the past two years. For some companies, one solution has been to throw more money at the problem, paying workers additional sums for the perceived inconvenience of actually travelling to work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EMuch has been discussed about whether fully remote workers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220127-location-based-salary\"\u003Eshould be paid lower wages\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – particularly if they’ve now relocated to lower-earning geographic areas. Yet, far less attention has been given to in-office workers: if they’re going to give up the benefit of working from home in 2022, will they now need to be paid for it? After all, surveys show most employees have little appetite for going back to the office full time. In fact, 54% of remote workers in a mid-February survey from business-intelligence firm Morning Consult \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmorningconsult.com\u002Freturn-to-work\u002F\"\u003Esaid they would consider quitting their jobs if their companies tried to force their return\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWith statistics like these in mind, some companies are now considering pay rises and perks to help soften the blow of coming back to the cubical either full time or, more likely, on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fhello-hybrid\"\u003Ea hybrid model\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of two to three days in the office and the rest remote. Yet, studies show that even that may not be enough for some workers, who now prize flexibility far more than compensation. Moreover, creating new compensation tiers for remote and in-office workers could actually exacerbate pay gaps for women and minorities, creating new equity problems over the coming months.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETo give or to take?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EPay is often a way for a company to signal where it places value. So, if the company feels strongly about the power of in-person connections right now – and wants to impress that upon employees – pay rises for those who come in at least three days a week may be a useful tool, says Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EMoreover, pay rises tend to be a much simpler solution than cuts. In behavioural economics, ‘prospect theory’ suggests individuals assess their losses and gains in an asymmetric manner, making it far easier to give someone something than it is to take it away. This is the reason many analysts believe that, instead of remote workers being forced to take pay cuts, in-office staff will likely see gains. Yet, those gains won’t always happen in obvious ways. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Most companies I’m talking to are typically moving to a two-pay system,” explains Bloom. Fully-remote workers may see their pay frozen, while “folks that come back to the office are going to get a 5% to 10% pay increase, which isn’t really a pay increase but setting it to market norms [due to inflation]”. Bloom says quite a few firms are talking about the 10% pay difference.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Employers are trying to make the office a destination that you want to go to – Ruth Thomas","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAdditionally, some companies are building in other financial incentives for in-office workers, such as commuting costs. “People kind of absorbed that travel cost into their living expenses while they were home for 18 months and now that feels like an additional expense,” explains Ruth Thomas, a UK-based pay equity strategist with compensation data company Payscale. That’s why companies like Bloomberg now offer global employees a daily allowance of $75 (£55) for commuting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAlong with pay, companies are coming up with other creative perks to reward in-office workers. Simon Coughlin is the associate director of London-based PR agency Babel, which asks employees to be in the office for a minimum of three days per week to aid in collaboration and creativity. “We’ve found that there is a tendency for people to choose to be in the office on days other than Monday and Friday,” he says. “So, to entice people into the office on those days we have breakfasts, lunches and, on Friday, drinks starting at 1600.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBeyond drinks and meals, some companies are offering return-to-office benefits like social programming and free gym memberships. American real estate data company CoStar Group even raffled off luxurious prizes to workers coming back into the office, including a Tesla and all-expense-paid trips to Barbados (its office occupancy \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fbarbados-trip-a-tesla-returning-to-the-office-at-this-firm-has-its-rewards-11619967601\"\u003Ereportedly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E shot up by 16% after the announcement). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Employers are trying to make the office a destination that you want to go to,” says Thomas. “The ‘yacht club destination’ is what I’ve heard it described as.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EHowever, Bloom cautions these premiums may not last. “In some ways [these incentives] are revolutionary, but I actually think that will die out because it’s really a transitionary phase when we are coming off the pandemic into the post-pandemic,” he explains. Five years from now, he predicts, the need for these pay incentives will probably be gone, “because you are not going to hire new people into the fully remote roles [for a hybrid office]”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman commuting to work on the subway","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWho’s coming back to the office (and who’s not)?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn the short to medium term, Bloom believes the issue of how fair it is to be paying the same workers at different scales could become a big topic of debate. “Next year it will be hot news and maybe there will be lawsuits over this,” he says. “People will feel – maybe rightfully so – aggrieved over it. They may say ‘I’m doing the same job as my co-workers’, but that will just die out as these folks are not replaced.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThere have always been pay discrepancies between distinct groups, including contractors and employees or local managers and managers flown in from abroad, Bloom adds. “The painful bit now is that it’s so transparent,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People will feel – maybe rightfully so – aggrieved over it – Nicholas Bloom","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThomas has similar concerns that differing pay scales and perks could open companies up to litigation. “In pre-pandemic times, we all were just expected to come to work, and you didn’t have that choice, and you couldn’t say ‘I was caring for this person’,” she says. “But some of us have had nearly two years at home where we built in these caring routines into our lives and we’re not prepared to give them up.” She believes that people who have proved they can do their jobs successfully from home could potentially allege discrimination if they are excluded from pay rises offered to their in-office colleagues. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThomas notes that there are clear demographic differences in who wants to come back to the office and who doesn’t. Some 52% of women want to work at least mostly remotely, compared with just 46% of men, according to Slack’s latest \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffutureforum.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F01\u002FFuture-Forum-Pulse-Report-January-2022.pdf\"\u003EFuture Forum Pulse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E report. Meanwhile, the report also found that, in the US, 86% of Hispanic and Latino workers and 81% of Asian and Black workers prefer a hybrid or fully remote work arrangement, compared with 75% of white workers. The study attributes this to minority workers experiencing fewer microaggressions and doing less \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210119-why-its-hard-for-people-of-colour-to-be-themselves-at-work\"\u003Ecode-switching in a remote scenario\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThese differing preferences have the potential to exacerbate pay gaps – particularly if women and minority workers are more likely to stay fully or partially remote and pay rises are more likely to go to employees who return to the office. Thomas urges leaders to keep a detailed count of who’s back at the office by race and gender “so you can spot whether that’s going to cause you an issue down the line”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBeyond issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, there remain real questions about whether pay increases and perks will be enough to lure employees back to the office in the first place, particularly given how hot the labour market is for those who could easily change jobs if their remote work demands aren’t met. A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fold.iwgplc.com\u002FMediaCentre\u002FArticle\u002Fwhy-employees-prefer-hybrid-working-to-pay-rise\"\u003Estudy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from Switzerland-based International Workplace Group found that 72% of workers preferred long-term flexibility in where they’re based compared to a 10% pay rise. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EMeanwhile, on the anonymous professional network Blind, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.teamblind.com\u002Fblog\u002Findex.php\u002F2021\u002F04\u002F05\u002Femployees-willing-to-make-less-money-to-stay-home\u002F\"\u003Eusers were asked\u003C\u002Fa\u003E whether they’d prefer a permanent work-from-home option or a $30,000 pay rise to go to the office. Of the more than 3,000 US-based respondents – who represented companies such as Amazon, Google, and Twitter – 64% chose flexibility over pay. For some workers, it seems, the pay rise would need to be very, very significant to override the benefits of home working.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-03-08T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Should in-office workers be paid more?","headlineShort":"Pay rises for going back to the office?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A worker looks at high-rise office buiildings","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"To pull reluctant workers back to the office, some employers are upping pay packets and offering perks just for stepping through the door. Is it the right approach?","summaryShort":"The firms offering financial incentives to staff who come back in","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-03-07T22:03:20.307266Z","entity":"article","guid":"45eb11e1-8e4d-4de3-a128-77ce48777477","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more","modifiedDateTime":"2022-03-09T09:25:13.164555Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies","_id":"62df81f143d9f4573e68009c","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"Employees have long threatened to walk if employers call them back into the office. Now, the dominoes are starting to fall.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the pandemic, many workers have said they'd quit if employers forced them back to the office. In March, Robert Half, a global recruiting firm, released a survey that revealed 50% of US workers would rather resign \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.roberthalf.com\u002Fblog\u002Fmanagement-tips\u002Fare-workers-ready-to-return-to-the-office\"\u003Ethan be forced back to the office full-time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in early May, one high-profile worker put his money where his mouth is: Apple's director of machine learning, Ian Goodfellow, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FZoeSchiffer\u002Fstatus\u002F1523017143939309568\"\u003Eresigned over the Silicon Valley giant’s return-to-office policy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The company had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F9to5mac.com\u002F2022\u002F04\u002F11\u002Fapple-returns-to-in-person-work-remote-option\u002F\"\u003Estarted bringing back workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E one day per week starting 11 April, then two days 2 May, with a ramp-up to three required days starting 23 May. The high-ranking Goodfellow wasn’t on board with the plan – so he walked. (Apple has not responded to BBC Worklife's request for comment; it also has yet to comment publicly on the reports of Goodfellow's resignation.) \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps Goodfellow’s exit wasn’t surprising – at least not among Apple’s workforce. A recent survey of more than 650 Apple employees on third-party anonymous polling site Blind revealed 76% of respondents \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.teamblind.com\u002Fblog\u002Findex.php\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F02\u002Fapple-office-return-rto-hybrid-working-pilot-reaction\u002F\"\u003Ewere dissatisfied with the company's return-to-office plans\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; 56% said they'd consider resigning over it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut outside the company, some experts aren’t shocked, either.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"I'm not at all surprised – in fact, I'm surprised it took this long\" for an executive at a high-profile company to quit over return-to-office, says Anita Williams Woolley, associate professor of organisational behaviour and theory at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, US. She says senior leaders at businesses she works with have all been \"kind of watching each other to see who's going to do what first, and what the reaction is going to be\" to tapering off remote work. \"Now, they're getting the reaction.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGoodfellow is just one highly visible example of a worker choosing to quit, instead of reluctantly accepting an undesirable work policy. Yet there are plenty more workers itching to leave who haven’t yet. However, some recruiters and analysts believe a prominent professional’s much-talked-about move could be a sign that more resignations will follow as RTO policies start to sink in – and workers begin to bite back.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c8htwj"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A tipping point'\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough there isn’t any hard data to show increased quits due to ending flexible work specifically, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FLevDBronsteins\u002Fstatus\u002F1525691482551754752\"\u003Eanecdotes of worker exits \u003C\u002Fa\u003Eare \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FFinnAhern\u002Fstatus\u002F1524833272475160577\"\u003Estarting to trickle in\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Companies are really starting to go back more, and at scale – so employees are having to really step back and decide\" if staying is worth it, says Elise Freedman, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, a US-based recruiting company. \"The other reality is that there are \u003Cem\u003Ea lot\u003C\u002Fem\u003E of open positions out there.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese two factors have led to \"a tipping point\", says Eric Anicich, assistant professor of management and organisation at University of Southern California, US, and when workers start to act, others are likely to follow. “Seeing similar others – e.g., peers, co-workers – and respected authority figures – e.g., high-level executives – quit may be the final straw for some employees.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWoolley agrees, saying more \"workers have friends who are changing jobs, and so it can start to seem less intimidating to take the leap\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReturn-to-office plans have been a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth\"\u003Ecan many companies have kept kicking down the road\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but the road has finally come to a dead end, forcing both companies and workers to react. And, in many cases, they don't seem to be on the same page.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"With much of the Covid-related uncertainty now lifted, workers may begin to act on the preferences they formed over the past two years,\" says Anicich. \"All of those things are going to be hard to uproot – even going from five days remote to three days remote.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan all workers do this?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, workers don't all have the same options. While reports indicate that Goodfellow \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2022-05-17\u002Fian-goodfellow-former-apple-director-of-machine-learning-to-join-deepmind?sref=10lNAhZ9\"\u003Ealready has another job at Google\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, workers' ability to transition into more flexible jobs will hinge on multiple factors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"If you're in this knowledge-worker class, I still see it as a pretty flexible time, and a pretty empowering time, to be in the economy right now,\" says Anicich, since we're currently in a tight labour market in which \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220412-what-upskilling-means-for-the-future-of-work\"\u003Emany companies will fight over \u003C\u002Fa\u003Ecandidates – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages\"\u003Eeven if they're as young as intern\u003C\u002Fa\u003Es. A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-61475720\"\u003Ewealth of choice for many workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – especially those in sectors like tech and finance – is enabling workers to act on leaving companies due to policies that don’t sit well.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It basically comes down to how quickly you believe you can find another position – Elise Freedman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut despite workers having more power, not everyone is in the position like Goodfellow’s, with seniority, highly specific talent and a strong network. A worker considering leaving needs to have in-demand skills in a sector actively seeking workers as well as options on the table from companies offering more flexibility than their existing job. It can be a narrow needle to thread for some jobseekers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Freedman believes \"quitting over return to office is less about your level and more about your personal situation\", pointing to the wide range of scenarios workers have found themselves in during the pandemic. “I think it basically comes down to how quickly you believe you can find another position,\" she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Let us decide’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf more workers really do quit, what happens next? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome companies may continue to waffle, says Woolley: to guard against this kind of attrition, \"many organisations held off on putting out formal policies over concern about this happening, and some may continue to keep things vague or 'flexible'\". Additionally, some firms who have released formal plans to bring back workers have since softened their stands, or even reversed course. Apple has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techradar.com\u002Fnews\u002Fapple-shelves-its-plan-to-get-workers-back-into-the-office\"\u003Epaused its return to office scheme\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, citing rising Covid-19 cases; it’s not clear whether quits have quietly factored into this decision, too, but employees are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F17\u002Ftechnology\u002Fapple-delays-return-to-office.html\"\u003Ereportedly pleased with the delay\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c8hvb8"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut just as companies were forced to adapt to remote work when they had no other choice, they also might have to adapt to this new, potentially permanent, landscape of remote work. \"It can be a hard reality to grasp for many employers, but the old way of doing business is over,\" says Rich Deosingh, US-based district president for Robert Half. \"Retention is a huge issue for all employers right now, and if you take away flexible work options, your employees are going to consider other options.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd for workers at all levels of an organisation, companies allowing them to work remotely – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220127-location-based-salary\"\u003Ejust as long as they take a pay cut\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – isn't going to fly, experts say. \"I think it's starting to move in the direction where people are not even going to be willing to say, 'oh, I'll take a pay cut, or I'll take a lesser job',\" says Woolley.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFreedman agrees, pointing to firms like Spotify that are continuing to pay New York City-level salaries to workers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fspotify-unveils-new-remote-work-option-for-all-employees-2021-2\"\u003Eno matter where they're based\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. She says workers will continue to leave those that don’t accommodate them, and gravitate toward companies that say, \"'we're paying for the value of \u003Cem\u003Eyou\u003C\u002Fem\u003E – live wherever you want'\". (That could explain why, after Airbnb announced it's never going back to the office, their careers site \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fairbnbs-careers-page-viewed-800k-times-work-from-anywhere-benefit-2022-5\"\u003Ereportedly raked in more than 800,000 visits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E earlier this month.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, Freedman also says that big shiny firms like Apple in tech or Goldman Sachs in finance (a company that's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffortune.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F10\u002Fgoldman-sachs-office-hybrid-remote-work-david-solomon\u002F\"\u003Eforced many workers in five full days a week\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) have a prestige that may convince some workers to stay. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-why-workers-are-choosing-big-pay-packets-over-flexibility\"\u003E\"Some folks are willing to trade off\" flexibility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for having a big name on their résumé – as well a major pay cheque, especially as sectors such as these are boosting salaries and perks amid a talent war.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the allure of prestige could have its limits – especially if similarly notable competitors are offering better flexible arrangements. Ultimately, \"all indicators are pointing to the conclusion that we will see more churn occur as organisations announce their policies\", says Woolley. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's still unclear that Goodfellow's high-profile departure will be a signal more dominoes will fall. But many workers are growing restless. As thousands of Apple employees have said in an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fappletogether.org\u002Fhotnews\u002Fthoughts-on-office-bound-work\"\u003Eopen letter to management\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: \"there is no one-size-fits-all solution, let us decide how we work best, and let us do the best work of our lives\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-24T13:59:14Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The workers quitting over return-to-office policies","headlineShort":"Remote work is ending? 'I quit'","image":["p0c8hskt"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p0c8htwj"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-are-there-enough-remote-jobs-for-everyone-who-wants-one","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220408-the-simmering-tension-between-remote-and-in-office-workers","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220307-should-in-office-workers-be-paid-more"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Employees have long threatened to walk if employers call them back into the office. Now, the dominoes are starting to fall.","summaryShort":"Workers who've long threatened to leave are handing in their resignations","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-24T02:08:47.692017Z","entity":"article","guid":"e62fc496-bb50-4195-9bd2-267cf80e04a0","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-24T02:25:27.534693Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220523-the-workers-quitting-over-return-to-office-policies","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200425},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like","_id":"62df7f1e43d9f4573e67fe17","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The tug-of-war for talent continues as employers fight over candidates – yet not every applicant is a hot commodity.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELewis is a recently qualified solicitor. He has a degree-level qualification and has passed all his assessments following a career change. In theory, given current labour shortages, he should be in high demand. But after applying for entry-level roles at several law firms, he’s still yet to hear back from anyone. “It’s been really tough,” says London-based Lewis, 35, whose surname is being held over career concerns. “When you read vacancies, it feels hard to even get a junior-level job.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince qualifying in February, Lewis has scrolled through hundreds of job adverts. But he says even admin assistant positions require previous relevant experience or an additional law school diploma that costs a five-figure sum. So, he’s decided his best option is to begin voluntary work, for a legal assistance charity, in a bid to build clout.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELewis explains he’s not the only qualified solicitor to head down this path. “Out of eight people on the charity’s training programme, half were law graduates. Each one said they were applying to hone their skills and boost their CV.” Lewis says his sector can feel like a closed shop for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs\"\u003Eentry-level workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “I’m finding law firms can still afford to be picky, and not offer much in wages, because they know there are still many desperate people out there,” he adds.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the biggest narratives about the current labour market is that employers are struggling to land talent. Certainly, figures show record vacancies and high quit rates: according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were a record \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Femploymentandlabourmarket\u002Fpeopleinwork\u002Femploymentandemployeetypes\u002Fbulletins\u002Fjobsandvacanciesintheuk\u002Fapril2022\"\u003E1.29 million job openings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the UK between January and March this year; data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows there were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fjolts.nr0.htm\"\u003E11.3 million vacancies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in February, with nearly 3% of the American workforce quitting their posts. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this doesn’t paint the whole picture. While the competition for talent remains fierce for much of the workforce, this struggle to land candidates can also be a generalisation. Not every industry has a long-term overabundance of positions to fill, and certain employees have greater sway in the hunt than others. While many workers are being increasingly sought after in a buoyant job market, and able to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211129-should-you-job-hunt-constantly\"\u003Eleverage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that into new careers, better pay or flexible working arrangements, there are also some candidates who may be losing out in the current war for talent.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere the war is being waged\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe narrative of employers scrambling for talent, bending over backwards to recruit candidates to open roles, isn’t entirely overblown.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the start of the pandemic, a combination of high quits and booming demand means employers in sectors such as tech, manufacturing and the service industries have met labour shortages. The subsequent scramble for talent has seen companies relentlessly recruit and make accommodations to get workers into teams, from offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220401-the-entry-level-workers-earning-six-figure-salaries\"\u003Esky-high starting salaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete\"\u003Eflexible working set-ups\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many cases, employers have been forced to outsource their hiring. Oliver Price, branch director of technology at recruitment firm Robert Half, based in Bristol, UK, estimates that for every active tech candidate, there are three times as many open positions. “The market is incredibly job-heavy at the moment,” he explains, adding that his team is “absolutely inundated” with client requests for talent.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the competition for workers so fierce, drawn-out \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long\"\u003Ehiring processes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are now being tightly compressed. “Ideally, it’s a two-stage interview process within a week – it needs to be quick,” says Price. “Client feedback has to be within hours, rather than days. Candidates are now spoilt for choice: they know they hold the power in the current market.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven if a candidate accepts a role, the battle for their services still hasn’t been won. In the current market, much of a recruiter’s work happens during the notice period, when a worker can be poached by other recruiters, go for another job or even stay put and accept a counter-offer from their current employer. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If a candidate is good, then they’ll likely receive a counter-offer,” explains Price. “More than half of counters are accepted; employers know how difficult it is to hire, so they throw money at the problem. We keep a high level of communication with the candidate throughout the four months or so of the recruitment process; we like to buy the client and candidate lunch, an informal face-to-face meeting that allows both parties to get to know each other better.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If hybrid working is implemented, it makes more sense to hire someone with experience: an employee you know can just get on with the job working from home – Grace Lordan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe competition for employees extends beyond knowledge work; salaries are rising sharply in response to generalised supply and demand across much of the global economy. UK figures from job-listings site Indeed, seen by BBC Worklife, show occupations with the steepest decline in jobseeker interest – such as food service, construction and manufacturing – are also undergoing high pay growth; wages are nearly 10% higher than before the pandemic in some cases. In the US, a 27% drop in jobseeker interest in construction coincides with the sector’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.international-construction.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbiggest-us-construction-wage-rise-in-40-years\u002F8018733.article\"\u003Ebiggest pay hike in 40 years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the hiring crisis may not be as fierce in other industries, the Great Resignation has created worker shortages in sectors that traditionally have fewer openings. In the UK, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.artsprofessional.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farts-companies-struggle-recruit-vacancies-surge\"\u003Earts companies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are reporting difficulties with recruitment, with a record number of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Femploymentandlabourmarket\u002Fpeopleinwork\u002Femploymentandemployeetypes\u002Ftimeseries\u002Fjp9x\u002Funem\"\u003Evacancies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; the arts, entertainment and recreation sector in the US also has vacancies that dwarf \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fiag\u002Ftgs\u002Fiag71.htm\"\u003Epre-pandemic figures\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"The battle for talent is affecting every industry,” says Donald Knight, chief people officer at recruiting software firm Greenhouse, based in New York City. He explains its customers have increased their monthly candidate interviews by 20% since the start of the year. “CEOs have viewed recruiting and talent management as an administrative function in the past. Now, thriving companies and their leaders have finally woken up to the reality: hiring is a business-critical function.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy the competition for talent isn’t equal\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough a war for talent is certainly raging, employers aren’t fighting the same battles across the board. Only some candidates have power in the job market – typically experienced, mid-career employees. It means entry-level workers can still face difficulties finding employment – and this is especially the situation in certain sectors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many cases, labour shortages mean companies are offering flexible working arrangements to secure talent. Grace Lordan, director of the Inclusion Initiative at the London School of Economics, says this practice can further restrict opportunities for inexperienced candidates. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If hybrid working is implemented, it makes more sense to hire someone with experience: an employee you know can just get on with the job working from home,” adds Lordan. “Managers need more time to train entry-level workers and show what good performance looks like. With employees often time-poor at the biggest firms, it’s not surprising that we’re seeing some inexperienced workers struggle in the job market.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELordan estimates workers with seven years’ experience and upwards are currently in the most demand; employees who have built up the career capital and can command higher salaries as a result of the war for talent. However, she says the average entry-level worker still faces sluggish wages – particularly in knowledge work. “In hybrid jobs where performance is harder to measure, the incentive to hire someone at the start of their career can be low,” she adds\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPenny Lawson, director of media recruitment agency Folio Recruitment, based in London, says the hiring crisis has left her a dearth of available candidates – giving only some workers greater leverage. “Pre-pandemic, it would be very easy to put forward six candidates to a company,” explains Lawson. “Now, it can be hard to find even two strong applicants for certain vacancies, even for entry-level jobs. Companies typically want someone with at least something on their CVs – I’m struggling to find people with any experience at all. It’s the more experienced candidates, who have remained in the industry, that now have greater choice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reality is the current competition for talent is predominantly over a certain subset of the workforce: not everyone is able to get a job anywhere they want or ask for a pay rise because of labour shortages. And, while vacancies are up across the board, they’re unlikely to keep growing in every industry forever. Ultimately, it means only some candidates, in particular sectors, hold a longer-term advantage. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003EThe Great Reshuffle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is also seeing certain industries have a greater influx of candidates than others. For example, Indeed figures show a 33% increase in UK jobseeker interest in education and instruction jobs compared to pre-pandemic. In the US, there has been an 80% spike in jobseeker interest for beauty and wellness roles. It implies candidates switching careers, such as Lewis, may be joining deeper, growing talent pools. In these more competitive sectors, employees could also find their ability to move around the talent market restricted. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the war for talent isn’t equal. While some workers are more sought after than ever, there are many others still struggling to land a job in the first place. “I’m finding my industry to be a very competitive one to get into,” says Lewis. “Trying to get your foot in the door can be quite tricky – even during a hiring crisis.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-25T13:13:21Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What the war for worker talent really looks like","headlineShort":"Are all jobseekers 'spoilt for choice'?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The tug-of-war for talent continues as employers fight over candidates – yet not every applicant is a hot commodity.","summaryShort":"In some industries, the competition for job candidates is fiercer than others","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-24T19:54:02.298006Z","entity":"article","guid":"9286bf93-f3d0-4b13-9124-8e0e3e2d312d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-25T11:23:05.525353Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex","_id":"62df807343d9f46da27b3869","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Young people aren’t dating and having sex the same way past generations have. Is their approach to relationships more pragmatic?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Are you ready to settle down?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is the question Yale College student Kyung Mi Lee posed in a February 2020 piece, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fyaledailynews.com\u002Fblog\u002F2020\u002F02\u002F14\u002Fsettling-down-romance-in-the-era-of-gen-z\u002F\"\u003ESettling Down: Romance in the Era of Gen Z\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for the university’s Yale Daily News. Would she and her peers follow the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2020\u002F05\u002F27\u002Fas-millennials-near-40-theyre-approaching-family-life-differently-than-previous-generations\u002F\"\u003Emillennial trend of delaying marriage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E Nearly two years after she wrote the article, Lee feels the answer is yes – but for a potentially different reason than her millennial counterparts. “In my cultural imagination, [for millennials] being averse to long-term relationships [means] people are hooking up a lot,” Lee, 23, says. In other words, it seemed to her that millennials waited to settle down because they were busy taking advantage of the single life. For Gen Z, she figures, “people are averse [to long-term relationships] because they’re more… introspective about the kinds of relationships they want to be in”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn increasing body of research validates this opinion: members of Gen Z seem to take an especially pragmatic approach to relationships compared to prior generations, and they’re \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Flifeandstyle\u002F2020\u002Ffeb\u002F03\u002Fquality-over-quantity-gen-zs-sex-recession-looks-more-like-an-upturn\"\u003Enot having as much sex\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“They realise that they might have different partners at different times in their lives [who] may fulfil different needs,” says Julie Arbit, Global SVP of Insights at Vice Media Group. In her research, which looked at 500 respondents from the UK and US (of mostly Gen Z and millennials, with some Gen X included “for comparison”), she’s found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vicemediagroup.com\u002Fis-gen-z-just-not-that-into-you\u002F\"\u003Ejust one in 10 members of Gen Z say they are “committed to being committed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers have arrived at similar conclusions. According to a study of Gen Z from India, for example, 66% of respondents accept that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.in\u002Fadvertising\u002Fad-agencies\u002Fnews\u002Findian-gen-z-spends-an-average-of-8-hours-per-day-online-isobar-ipsos-meetthez-survey\u002Farticleshow\u002F74833473.cms\"\u003E“not all relationships will be permanent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, with 70% rejecting a “limiting romantic relationship”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth researchers and members of Gen Z attribute this to a few factors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, this generation is entering adulthood during a particularly tenuous time, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2020\u002Fjul\u002F06\u002Fgen-z-covid-19-financial-crisis-lasting-scars\"\u003Eever-worsening climate change, and financial instability\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Many feel \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever\"\u003Ethey need to achieve stability for themselves before bringing another person into the picture\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. There’s also the increased access to relationship information online, empowering Gen Z with the language they \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation\"\u003Eneed to articulate both who they are\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as well as what they want from a relationship that doesn’t compromise their identity and needs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“They’re hyper-focused on themselves,” says Arbit, “and it’s not because they’re being selfish. They know they’re responsible for their own success and happiness, and they know they need to be able to take care of themselves before they can take care of others.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeeking stability\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Back in the 1960s and 70s, your average 25-year-old man could support a family with his income and not expect his wife to work,” says Stephanie Coontz, the director of research and public education for the US-based Council on Contemporary Families. For many Gen Zers, both the idea that a 25-year-old could support an entire family, and that a man would expect a stay-at-home wife, no longer fits contemporary circumstances – and, for some, even seems laughable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, Gen Z is prioritising a solid financial foundation as individuals, which is lengthening the path toward marriage, says Arielle Kuperberg, an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, US. “People are taking longer and longer to settle down because they’re taking longer and longer to reach financial stability.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELee and her friends agree. She says being in what she feels is “the most unsafe, financially unstable generation in history” contributes to their desire to gain “financial independence” before they settle down with a long-term partner.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a senior at university, Lee says she and her friends are much more likely to prioritise their careers over relationships, in order to reach a more financially stable place. “It’s rare that I have a friend who is like, ‘I’m going to move to this place so that I can be with my partner’,” she says. Rather, they’re focusing on what’s best for their careers, and how they can make relationships fit into that.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"They know they need to be able to take care of themselves before they can take care of others – Julie Arbit","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EKuperberg’s research on Gen Z chimes with this; she has found younger people in the throes of establishing their careers are less likely to go on formal dates compared to millennials.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I don't think it’s [that] they don't want to have long-term relationships. I think it's that they’re putting them off,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, Kuperberg has found current instability in young adulthood has led more young people to move back home with their parents because they can’t afford to live on their own in their 20s. “The rise in more casual relationships and decline in more serious relationships… is because it’s just harder to form [the latter].”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecently, this is in no small part because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the trend of young adults being unable to live independently. Kuperberg interviewed a Gen Z man in spring 2020 who moved from Washington, DC to North Carolina with his parents shortly after the pandemic hit the country. He told researchers he wasn’t going to date again until he moved back to DC.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESoul searching\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA global Vice Media Group study from September 2020, Love After Lockdown, made up of 45% Gen Z respondents, showed 75% were currently single and not dating during the pandemic. Many reported this was in part because they wanted to take the solitary time to get to know themselves better before pursuing a partnership.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I started thinking about myself, what I want to do and what I don't want to do… and it taught me a lot,” said an anonymous Gen Z man from Italy, quoted in the survey. A Gen Z woman based in the US echoed the sentiment: “I'm physically distant from everyone and I can take a step back and say, ‘Who am I?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this attitude may have developed from a lack of choice during lockdowns, rather than a Gen-Z proclivity for introspection. However, members of Gen Z from all over the world do have many more resources to figure out who they are, including social media apps like TikTok, where therapists discussing attachment styles and healthy relationship tips have become commonplace.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELee, for example, notes her younger sisters (in their first and second years of college, respectively) have developed in-depth language to talk about relationships through TikTok.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Teenagers are going around talking about their attachment styles to their romantic and sexual partners, using language like, ‘I’m an anxious attachment style,’” she says. This marks a very self-aware approach to dating that prioritises finding someone who makes sense for \u003Cem\u003Eyou\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, versus just someone you find attractive or interesting. While these priorities certainly aren’t unique to Gen Z, this generation have an easily accessible array of resources to more knowledgeably find a partner who fits them well, in ways that older generations might not have known to think about.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvolving attitudes towards sexuality and gender roles are also a factor. Among Gen Z, there’s been a marked \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsmag.com\u002Fideas\u002Fgen-z-the-future-is-non-binary\"\u003Edecrease in adhering to a gender binary\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and an increase in “people willing to explore their sexuality”, says Kuperberg. In her research, seen by BBC Worklife, she’s noted a statistic showing roughly 50% of Gen Z identify as heterosexual, and “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men\"\u003Emany say they’re heteroflexible\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis openness to different types of sexual partners and relationships recalls Arbit’s observations about Gen Z not necessarily looking for their “one and only”, but rather various people to fulfill different needs, whether these needs be romantic, sexual or something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our parents might have looked for someone of the same religion or the same political views,” says Arbit. “This generation is looking for honesty and passion and someone who makes them excited to get out of bed in the morning… compared to older generations, they’re open to dating different types of people and giving people a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA mark of change\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis holistic approach to relationships differs dramatically from those embraced by much older generations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECoontz, of the Council on Contemporary Families, says when she was interviewing people for her book on women and families in the 1960s and asked women why they decided to get married, “they would look startled… and say, ‘It was just time’”, she recalls. “There was this sense back [then] that marriage was something you did to enter adult life… Now it’s the opposite.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"While marriage used to be a passage into adulthood, today, it’s a mark you’ve already achieved it","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a mark of change for Gen Z; while marriage used to be a passage into adulthood, today, it’s a mark you’ve already achieved it. Society’s been moving in this direction for some time, with each generation becoming more flexible with its ideas about a traditional family and its importance in their lives. Whether Gen Z are shaping society with these attitudes, or whether society is shaping Gen Z, is difficult to parse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, these patterns aren’t true across the board. Among college students, Kuperberg has found that a Gen Z person’s race, class, gender and religion can play a role in how they date and seek out relationships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“White people are more likely to hook up. People of colour are more likely to form relationships or have more formal dates,” she says, adding that those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are both more likely than other demographics to engage in casual sexual encounters and form long-term relationships – the latter likely because they “have more resources” to grant them stability.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile many signs point to Gen Z delaying marriage or permanent partnerships like millennials before them, their reasons for this seem to come increasingly from a place of pragmatism. Sure, millennials have delayed marriage for practical reasons like fearing divorce (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fhow-millennials-are-changing-marriage-divorce-weddings-prenups-2019-5#millennials-are-cohabitating-and-even-buying-homes-together-before-marriage-3\"\u003Emany grew up as children of divorce\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) and because \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nawrb.com\u002Fmillennials-are-delaying-marriage-because-they-cant-afford-it\u002F\"\u003Ethey can’t afford it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But Gen Z is inheriting an arguably even more uncertain world as the problems that plagued millennials (like climate change) become more acute and new ones (like the pandemic) arise. This might necessitate fostering individual stability as a number one priority for Gen Z even more so than their slightly older counterparts.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We joke about who's going to get married first [in] our friend group,” says Lee, “like it's a funny thing that somebody would be engaged in their twenties.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-07T16:18:10Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Are Gen Z more pragmatic about love and sex?","headlineShort":"Are Gen Z the most pragmatic about sex?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Young people aren’t dating and having sex the same way past generations have. Is their approach to relationships more pragmatic?","summaryShort":"Why younger people aren't \"committed to being committed\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-06T21:05:28.737331Z","entity":"article","guid":"807ad1c9-8a5f-4e52-b7aa-553fb338df5c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:20:27.929972Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs","_id":"62df7f7b43d9f458312795d6","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Now out of the daily eye of managers, people are taking on additional, secret jobs. What could go wrong?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo corporate email addresses, two computers, two bosses?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs many knowledge workers have been remote for nearly two years, out of their manager’s line of vision, an increasing number of people are quietly taking on second full-time positions. Home-based set-ups have enabled workers to secretly do two remote jobs at once – and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fsecond-jobs-secret-salary-income-money-remote-work-overemployed-2021-8\"\u003Esome workers are banking hundreds of thousands of extra dollars per year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn extra job can become a safety net of extra income and experience – useful tools in an age of mass redundancies, economic uncertainty and continually \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003Edeprioritised worker wellbeing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Yet taking on an extra full-time job is a bold choice that requires stealth and an appetite for risk. Some workers who are taking the leap into overemployment do so to take back a sense of control, or to game a system they believe has exploited them for too long.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking the system\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not uncommon to hear of workers pursuing side hustles while they work in full-time jobs: selling jewellery on Etsy, driving an Uber during after hours, assembling furniture at weekends with TaskRabbit. But 'overemployment’ is different: an employee could hold simultaneous, separate full-time jobs, completed on different computers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOveremployment is not an entirely new phenomenon. It’s been an “open secret” in the tech industry for years, says an overemployed worker in his late 30s in the US Bay Area who goes by ‘Isaac’ in the overemployment community. He’s been working two jobs for years, and says he makes more than $600,000 doing it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn April 2021, Isaac \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Foveremployed.com\u002F\"\u003Elaunched Overemployed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a website with articles about how to navigate holding down multiple remote jobs. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Foveremployed.com\u002F12-rules-for-working-remote-wfh\u002F\"\u003EThe number one rule\u003C\u002Fa\u003E? Don’t talk about holding down multiple remote jobs.) He says that for the past 20 years, some workers have exploited pockets in the tech industry that were remote-friendly long before the pandemic. But now, as more workers across fields all over the world have been given the opportunity to work from home, anecdotal evidence suggests more people are exploring the overemployment lifestyle.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIsaac says users of his site live all over the world and “run the gamut” of ages, from those 60-plus to people in their 20s, just starting out (who may even “double intern” and hold two remote internships). But he says most users tend to be in the 35-to-40 age range, who “have a lot of experience already and are a little jaded by the corporate world”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, both before the pandemic and during it, Isaac says it’s rare to hear of anybody getting caught; usually it’s a matter of the individual being sloppy in keeping the two jobs separate, although he’s heard of an instance in which spyware caught a programmer running a script he wasn’t supposed to be running on his primary job’s computer – that person got fired.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIsaac maintains overemployment doesn’t necessarily mean working extra-long days – workers can put in 30 hours a week at their primary job, for example, and then use the time that would’ve otherwise been filled by non-mandatory meetings or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210819-the-case-for-a-shorter-workweek\"\u003Ecyberloafing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for their second job.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, overemployment is legally tricky: whether it’s possible depends on what kind of contract a worker signed when they were hired at their primary job, and if they’re breaking any non-compete agreements. And unsurprisingly, it’s extremely controversial, or even seen as unethical; contractual obligations aside, workers are essentially lying (by omission or otherwise) to their ‘main’ employer. News outlets have called this kind of ‘business bigamy’ dishonest and wrong when readers have written in asking for advice \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F08\u002Fmagazine\u002Foveremployed-work-ethics.html\"\u003Eas to whether they should ‘out’ overemployed colleagues at work.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut for those who can make the arrangement work – both legally and logistically – Isaac argues overemployed workers stand to gain a lot. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A moment of reckoning’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnsurprisingly, Isaac says one reason workers take on a second, secret full-time job is to diversify sources of cash flow and make money in more efficient ways. But he believes money isn’t the entire driver. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Chandler-Crichlow, executive director for career management at Ivey Business School at Western University in Ontario, Canada, agrees, saying the framing of overemployed workers “surreptitiously trying to make more money” isn’t necessarily correct. “As we have been forced to work from home, people have probably started looking at, ‘where can my skill set be truly optimised?, ‘What are some of the things that I have a real passion for – and how might I use those skills differently?’,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChandler-Crichlow, who specialises in studying human capital – the skills, expertise and knowledge workers bring to their jobs – says that this concept is especially germane to the discussion of overemployment. For example, there may be someone who has a primary job of being a financial analyst, but they also enjoy something else, like coding or writing. The current widespread remote working situation allows that analyst to find a job coding or writing, and to put those skills to use.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Some workers believe secret overemployment helps them break free of employers that haven’t given them that promotion or pay rise they’ve been chasing for years","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“I now become the master of what I would like to do and where I would like to spend my time,” says Chandler-Crichlow. She says that for workers in lower socio-economic groups, holding down multiple jobs is a means of survival. But what’s different here is that “professionals who could be described as highly skilled are taking greater ownership of their careers”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EErin Hatton, associate professor of sociology who studies work and labour at the University at Buffalo in New York, US, agrees. “Maybe [workers are] trying new things. I think this is a moment of reckoning with the world of work, and thinking about what role work plays in our lives,” says Hatton. Overemployment can “free people to maybe try on other jobs for size; maybe take on extra work that may not pay well, but may be more meaningful to them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, it’s no coincidence that more people are trying this out in recent months. “I think the pandemic may have pushed people to do more of that deep thought and what it is they’re spending their lives doing, and deciding I could probably do more with my life,” says Chandler-Crichlow. By pursuing overemployment more workers seem to be saying to themselves, she says: “’Yes, I want to really utilise the skills and capabilities I have. And if someone wants to pay me – I’ll do it.’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERailing against employers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that people are turning to overemployment also signals important systemic workplace issues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a long time, many workers have felt like their jobs are unfulfilling or meaningless – leading to problems like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210701-the-damaging-effects-of-boreout-at-work\"\u003Eboreout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – and that they’re constantly chasing success within a system that gives managers a disproportionate amount of power within the working relationship. That may be one of the reasons overemployment has become more popular, experts say.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo if managers don’t realise workers are doing this, are they bad managers? “My sense is that they simply do not have systems in place to surveil workers in this way,” says Hatton. “For many lower wage workers, both remote and non-remote, there is plenty of surveillance that effectively disallows this kind of double dipping. Think call centre workers who work remotely but technology monitors the number of calls they take. But for workers who [are] typically in the worksite and are not already punitively surveilled in this way, they just don’t have a system in place to monitor and enforce this.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“How employers respond to this could also vary across of a spectrum of no support at one end,” says Chandler-Crichow, to companies somewhat giving their blessing, “as long as it does not impact your responsibilities at their organisations.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom Isaac’s perspective as an overemployed worker, and based on the activity on his website, one of the reasons people take on secret second jobs is because they feel disillusioned with the realities of corporate life. Some workers believe secret overemployment helps them break free of employers that haven’t given them that promotion or pay rise they’ve been chasing for years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There’s a sense that our bosses own us a little bit, and I see this as an interesting pushback against that normative sense of ownership,” says Hatton. “It’s expected that we really owe them everything. That we’re theirs. But when push comes to shove, they can fire us tomorrow for no reason at all. This is taking back a little bit of that sense of power.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Isaac's company was rolling out redundancies during the pandemic, he survived, but emerged with new resolve – he wouldn’t be one of many faceless employees. “You treat me like a number, I’m going to treat you like a number,” he says. So, armed with two separate laptops, he works two separate jobs, plus a part-time gig. He says he’s never been found out or had any close calls.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat happens next?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOveremployment may be ticking up, but those who go for the secret second job are still in the minority – and the move still carries a lot of risk.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, as the increase in overemployment is relatively new, there’s a lot both workers and employers alike don’t yet know. For instance, it’s unclear how companies will respond if they feel vulnerable, or if they realise an employee is breaching the terms of a non-compete contract. Perhaps managers will more closely monitor employees’ social media activity to find something incriminating, or might install software on company machines to detect anything fishy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor now, though, some workers will embrace overemployment – as long as one of their supervisors doesn’t catch them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-29T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The 'overemployed' workers juggling remote jobs","headlineShort":"The rise of 'overemployed' workers","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Now out of the daily eye of managers, people are taking on additional, secret jobs. What could go wrong?","summaryShort":"A group of remote workers with secret second jobs is growing","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-28T20:56:22.003577Z","entity":"article","guid":"338d4207-a493-460c-9c95-c713f41b3ce0","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:15:21.574881Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages","_id":"62df816943d9f444ff1370e4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"Companies in some sectors are handing interns massive pay packets as they try to lure the best graduates.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor many workers, an internship means doing menial tasks like restocking office supplies for minimum wage. But for others, it means making more than $8,000 (£6,400) a month at companies such as Uber and Amazon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat's according to an annual survey released by job-reviews site Glassdoor in April 2022, which tracks \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glassdoor.com\u002Fresearch\u002Fhighest-paying-internships-2022\u002F\"\u003Ethe top 25 best-paying internships in the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – internships which, if held for a year, far outstrip the average annual wage for an American worker. The list’s top firm – gaming company Roblox – pays interns a dizzying monthly median of $9,667. Other entrants, like Microsoft, Deutsche Bank and eBay, all send their interns home with around $7,000 each month. Glassdoor has been tracking the highest-paid internships since 2017, and has seen the numbers go up every year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese wages may leave many people who've worked full-time for decades speechless, but the sky-high numbers could be yet another sign of how the workforce has been changing since the pandemic began. The numbers reflect how, recently, companies are more eager than ever to scoop up talent as fast as possible – even if those workers are at the earliest stages of their career.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe pipeline\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are many reasons why some interns are making more than what a typical worker makes in a year – but those reasons shouldn't be a shock, says Lauren Thomas, economist and data scientist at Glassdoor, who worked on the internship survey.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"It's absolutely a reflection of what those interns would earn later on,\" she says. An intern making $8,000 a month at a tech or finance company is earning a wage that's likely not too far from what their starting salary at the same company would be. In fact, enticing interns to stick around is why companies are throwing so much money at them, explains Thomas.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"A lot of companies use these internship programmes as a pipeline, and they'll hire those interns on full-time,\" she says. That's especially the case during the pandemic, as we're in \"a historically tight job market for employers – which means employees have more choice than usual\". That extra options extend to interns, too, since many companies want to keep them \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like\"\u003Eamid a workforce-wide war for talent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Employers are realising that individuals do not have the ability to work for free in this current climate – Yvette Lee","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMany of these lucrative internships are in tech and finance. Two years ago, says Thomas, tech internships only made up less than half the internships on the best-paying list; today, Silicon Valley companies makes up 68%. \"A lot of businesses have had to move their operations and daily activities online, which means that tech [skills] are in even higher demand than they were before,\" says Thomas. Yet firms in other fields – energy and manufacturing, for example – also pay interns well, and fight to keep them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means many big firms are trying to lure workers, even at the most nascent stage of their careers. \"It's a little sample: 'If you work here, this is what you're going to make. This is the quality of life you can expect',\" says Ron Delfine, director of career services at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information and Public Policy, US. He says many of his university's students intern at firms on the Glassdoor list, and he estimates over half of his university's interns end up with job offers. Paying interns well is an investment, he says, that could save the company money on recruiting and onboarding down the road, while also securing top talent.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELucrative gigs limited to a few?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile top universities are one source of these highly-paid interns, experts say accessing a lucrative internship doesn't necessarily hinge on going to an elite school, being enrolled in a particular academic programme or having connections to hiring managers. Right now, recruiters are emphasising \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220412-what-upskilling-means-for-the-future-of-work\"\u003Ea candidate's skills\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over pedigree or background, especially since many companies want to use internships to identify full-time hires.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, remote work has made top-end internships more available to workers from more diverse social and financial backgrounds – people who perhaps couldn't afford to move to expensive urban hubs for their dream internship. \"The good news is many of these high-paying internships are still hiring remotely, so candidates across the country – not just in major metros in San Francisco or New York – have the opportunity to be considered,\" says Thomas.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, Thomas notes, these days there are better options for students who aren’t targeting finance or tech jobs. While the highest-paying internships are clustered in particular sectors, for students it is not a question of earning $8,000 a month or nothing – there are plenty of options in between, and in all types of sectors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c3x9n3"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA 2021 survey by the National Association of College and Employers (Nace) in the US of 267 large corporations found that, across the board, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.naceweb.org\u002Fjob-market\u002Fcompensation\u002Fhourly-wage-rate-for-interns-continues-its-ascent\u002F\"\u003Eintern pay is going up\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.naceweb.org\u002Fjob-market\u002Finternships\u002Fare-intern-salaries-higher-now-than-five-years-ago\u002F\"\u003Ehas been for close to a decade\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) in all sorts of sectors, including transport, insurance, retail management and food services. Nace’s research found that the average hourly wage in summer 2020 for paid interns at these companies was $20.76, up $1.22 from the previous year – the highest wage on record. That's over $3,300 a month; if a worker were paid that much for an entire year, their salary would be nearly $40,000, which is still higher than the individual wage \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffred.stlouisfed.org\u002Fseries\u002FMEPAINUSA672N\"\u003Eof half the US population\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat it means for the future \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet despite intern wages ticking up across many sectors, interns in other sectors – like creative or charitable sectors – might still be working for free.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, according to 2018 data, over 40% of internships in the US \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.naceweb.org\u002Fcareer-development\u002Finternships\u002Fa-campuswide-transformation-increasing-access-and-reducing-barriers-to-student-engagement-in-experiential-learning\u002F\"\u003Edon't pay at all\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a long-standing trend especially rampant in fields such as non-profits, government or the arts. Good levels of intern pay may have become the norm in traditionally well-salaried sectors like banks, consulting and tech, but that “does not necessarily signal normalisation of [high-paid] internships in arts, sports, media or other industries\", says Heather Byrne, managing director of the Career Development Office at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are signs of change. Public resentment over unpaid internships has been growing significantly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-41721041\"\u003Ein recent years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with some former interns successfully \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fmedia\u002F2014\u002Fnov\u002F14\u002Fconde-nast-settles-lawsuit-interns\"\u003Esuing past employers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over exploitation claims in a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.debt.org\u002Fblog\u002Flawsuits-unpaid-internships\u002F\"\u003Erecent slew of high-profile lawsuits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Plus, since the pandemic and resultant labour shortages hit, employers are increasingly aware that skilled people are steering well clear of poorly remunerated work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In my HR experience, employers are realising that individuals do not have the ability to work for free in this current climate,” says Yvette Lee, knowledge advisor at the US-based Society for Human Resource Management (Shrm). \"It’s increasingly more challenging to attract talent if individuals must sacrifice their financial security to gain experience.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, then, it might be that decently-paid interns are the norm, not the exception – especially since interns can bring so much to a team, says Delfine. It may not translate to thousands of dollars a month for everyone, but it might be more, on average, than what it is now. \"I'm just hoping people realise what the value of interns is, because interns can make an impact and let you explore new ways to do business,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOften, companies try to convince interns they're there for the experience, and should be grateful just for the learning opportunity. But in the post-pandemic labour market, interns should feel more confident to find an internship that recognises the skills and ideas they bring to the table.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"This list should empower people to get the most out of their internships,\" says Thomas. \"There are a lot of companies out there that do pay well, and that do treat their workers well – especially in a market like this one.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-03T21:11:45Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The 'top-talent' interns taking home sky-high wages","headlineShort":"The interns making $8,000 a month","image":["p0c3x921"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220421-what-the-war-for-worker-talent-really-looks-like","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210927-the-overemployed-workers-juggling-remote-jobs"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Companies in some sectors are handing interns massive pay packets as they try to lure the best graduates.","summaryShort":"Some interns are taking home higher pay packets than staffers","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-03T20:16:45.801711Z","entity":"article","guid":"b73a5090-77ae-45b0-a073-cb0b8792bc1b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-03T20:16:45.801711Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220428-the-top-talent-interns-taking-home-sky-high-wages","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children","_id":"62df7eb843d9f4585777b09d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"When mums leave their kids with family or partners, they are often viewed as deeply flawed, despite gains in gender equity. Will this ever change?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EQuitting a job because she doesn’t like it, leaving a city that no longer suits her needs or ending a relationship with someone she’s no longer in love with – in recent decades, Western society has championed women who make these kinds of empowering choices. But what if the choice she makes is to leave her kids?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite improving gender equality, mothers who make the difficult decision to live apart from their children are often anything but celebrated.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Even if both parents are doing a brilliant job of raising happy, healthy kids, [if] they happen to live away from their mum, the women are still vilified,” says Melissa, who lives an hour and a half drive from her two children, and administers an online support group for women in similar situations. “[These] mothers are spoken of as if they are defective, like something deep within their core is broken.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe recent Netflix production of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fculture\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-film-review-the-lost-daughter\"\u003EThe Lost Daughter\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has shined a light on this kind of response to mothers who live separately from their kids. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Elena Ferrante, zooms in on actress \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fentertainment-arts-59636673\"\u003EOlivia Coleman playing the role of a mother who leaves her children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with her husband for three years to pursue her own career goals. Both she and others frame her decision as selfish, which contrasts with a father in the movie who has also left his children (played by Ed Harris), seemingly without much judgement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough in real life parents of all genders have walked away from their children for centuries, there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that mums leaving might be on the rise. Melissa says membership of the online support group she administers is in its hundreds and growing steadily. And therapists like Reennee Singh, a spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), say they are noticing a “slight shift” towards more mothers choosing to relinquish live-in parenting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.slaterheelis.co.uk\u002Fdivorce-family-law-category\u002Frise-in-single-dad-families\u002F\"\u003EUK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2013\u002F07\u002F02\u002Fthe-rise-of-single-fathers\"\u003EUS\u003C\u002Fa\u003E also suggests a rise in the proportion of single-father households, though this doesn’t distinguish between families where children still spend a significant portion of time with their mothers – or don’t – or how such childcare arrangements were decided.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"My children had a father and extended family who loved them, routines and a home. Leaving was about saving myself. Once you hit rock bottom, you have to get creative – Natalie","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhatever the exact figures, the issue of women – rather than men – leaving the family unit still creates a lot of debate in Western cultures. For example, one of the tensions in the film The Lost Daughter (hinted at in the title), is the question: has a daughter been abandoned by her mum, or, conversely, is the mum who leaves her daughters the \"lost one,” underlining that there continues to be deep emotional response to this behaviour. In many ways this may seem surprising, given the tidal wave of societal and media support for gender equity in other parts of society. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Blended families, same sex parents – we’ve accepted these to a greater extent than we have working mothers who are parenting at a distance,” says Tom Buchanan, a professor of sociology at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada. “There’s a cultural lag.” And, say experts, this may not change anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe reasons for leaving home\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcademics and therapists following the “slight shift” towards more mothers choosing to live apart from children say there is a wide spectrum of reasons why this may be happening.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome leave to take up jobs, assignments or study opportunities in different cities, either while remaining in a relationship with their children’s father or after a separation. “Times have changed sufficiently for women to feel more comfortable and entitled to pursue their own careers, their own interests,” says Singh, “even if that means living away from [the family] home.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther women decide it’s preferable for their children to reside with their father after a break-up for practical or financial reasons. “The children were living in a lovely home on a farm in the country and they were in good schools with lovely friends,” says Melissa. “I didn’t know how I was going to afford to house [them]”. By leaving her kids with their father, she was able to re-establish her career as a freelancer in the media, and move to a cheaper neighbourhood closer to her extended family. “I was pretty run down by what went on in the marriage, too, and needed time to recover.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EElsewhere along the spectrum of choice there are mothers who leave home for a different kind of lifestyle or relationship.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I just felt trapped, completely trapped in a situation,” says Katy, a teacher who left her five children with their father in 2018 and moved to a different part of Europe. “I got married when I was 22, I had my first child at 25 and then it was ‘boom, boom, boom’ – child after child after child. And although they were what I wanted at the time, I don't feel like I actually got to do anything that was for me.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the far end of the choice continuum are mothers fleeing toxic relationships. For this group, leaving their children behind may be something of a last resort to overcome serious mental health issues and move forward with their lives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat was the case for Natalie from Australia, who became severely depressed while she was living abroad with her ex-husband. She says the dynamic between them wasn’t healthy, but that he was a great caregiver to their children, so she ended up moving back to her home country without them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“My children had a father and extended family who loved them, routines and a home. Leaving was about saving myself,” she says. “Once you hit rock bottom, you have to get creative.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESingh believes rising public awareness of wellbeing is feeding into mothers' decisions to leave the family nest, in contrast to previous generations, where women often felt they had to put up with existing domestic arrangements. For example, contemporary self-help books and podcasts about separations or self-care can offer comfort and validation to those who’ve made the difficult decision to live apart from their children. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Singh warns some of this literature only exists because of ongoing stereotypes about motherhood, and she’s concerned some women may feel they need to use discourses about wellbeing “to warrant or legitimise what they are doing”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If society was more equal and more fair, then they might not have to rely so much on the literature to feel comfortable with the decisions that they make. I try and help women to become stronger and more grounded in their choices and, you know, think, ‘oh, well, society can say ‘whatever’, but this is what I want to do at this point’,” she argues. “Sometimes this option is the only one that presents itself to them… [so it’s] also just helping to give them permission to leave and feeling that that's OK.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA persistent stigma\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe freedom to leave hasn’t resulted in freedom from judgement. Women – especially in the West – still tend to face negative reactions from friends, family and wider society for the unconventional decision to live apart from their children, whatever the reasons behind it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The common theme in the [online] group is how surprised the women were by the confines of what society [still] expected of them,” says Melissa. She says even members who live apart from their children to pursue career paths in the military or for the sake of postgraduate studies have shared experiences of being “vilified” for their choices. New acquaintances will often ask members, “‘what do you mean your kids don’t live with you? What sort of mother doesn’t want to be with her own children?’”, she says. “Like it’s a simple choice that only the mother can possibly make.  Like fathers have no input or say or responsibility at all”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"New acquaintances will often ask, ‘what do you mean your kids don’t live with you? What sort of mother doesn’t want to be with her own children?’ – Melissa","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Singh, this is largely because discourses and expectations about motherhood haven’t shifted at the same pace as women’s progress in other areas. In other words, women are still expected to play the role of a nurturer, regardless of other external circumstances. “There’s still some stigma attached to women sort of abandoning their duties and responsibilities,” she says. “It's got a lot to do with history, cultural ideas and gendered relationships.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe points out that this narrative is particularly common in Western individualistic cultures, in contrast to more collective societies. “In the Philippines or in India, it's quite common for women to go and earn money in a different country and send it back home while their children are being looked after by the extended family or by grandparents.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor women in these Western cultures who fly the family nest to pursue a specific lifestyle or relationship, the stigma is often even more acute than for those who leave for practical or career-related reasons. Katy says many of her relatives didn’t speak to her for months, even though the decision for her children to remain in the family home instead of going with her was, she says, made mutually with their father. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A man can do this and have no contact with their child, and it's acceptable,” says Katy. “But if a woman does it – and I still have contact with my children – people do think I'm a bad mother, [that] I’ve abandoned them. I thought I was doing the best for them,” she says, stating that if she’d stayed, her exhaustion and unhappiness would only have escalated. “I didn't realise at the time all the consequences, all the judgements I would get.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFour years after her move, Katy says some friends and family members still perceive her as “a bad mother” and blame any challenges her children experience on her decision to leave.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESharing her story with new friends hasn’t helped ease the burden; several people she became close to distanced themselves from her after learning about her past, so now she avoids talking about her children at all. “It’s difficult because for every day you think ‘yeah, actually what I did took a lot of guts’, then somebody will make a comment, and it just puts you back down to thinking you’re the worst person in the world.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMelissa says women who admit domestic abuse was a factor in them leaving – even if they believed their former partner would not hurt their children – face “perhaps the cruellest” judgements from others. “In domestic violence, women barely get out alive, let alone with their mental health intact,” she says. Yet this cohort of mothers will still be asked by both strangers and people they know “how could you do it?” or “are the kids OK with it?”. “Very rarely do people ask ‘how are you?’ ‘are you ok?’,” says Melissa.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Find more on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EViews of fatherhood contribute to mothers’ burdens  \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, fathers who leave the family home have been much more accepted in both society and in popular culture than mothers, agrees Buchanan. He cites veteran US singer Bruce Springsteen’s track Hungry Heart, which begins with the lyrics “Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack, I went out for a ride and I never went back”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of this acceptance is down to societal stereotyping of men as well as women: fathers have traditionally been viewed as less capable caregivers than mothers. It’s also about the value that is attributed to unpaid domestic work like childcare, in comparison to salaried jobs, argues Buchanan. This has fed the narrative that it’s more acceptable for men to leave home if they’re contributing financially, whereas women are seen to be abandoning their domestic duties. “Fathers are more likely to just perceive [paid] market work as ‘work’. And until that changes, I think you're going to see a lot of pressures on women,” he argues. “Fathers need to embrace and address and challenge the stigma that they are only the ‘breadwinners’, not necessarily the ‘parents’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuchanan believes that despite all this, today’s walk-away dads are “not un-stigmatised completely” and “probably don’t have a great reputation”. However, he accepts there is a “different level of stigma” for women who leave their families under these sorts of circumstances. “When it happens in a mothering situation, it becomes a huge deal and it becomes gendered.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESingh adds social stigmas can even play a role in how children respond to their mother’s decision to move out of the family home. She’s worked with a lot of adult clients who witnessed parental infidelity growing up, and says people tend to judge mothers who leave more harshly than fathers, and find “it's hard to forgive them, even later on in life”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManaging from afar\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENatalie describes her connection with her children as “very close” and says they speak several times a week, text regularly and visit one another. “The quality time we have when we are together is magical and normal. We pack in a lot of fun, and I'm there to manage dramas and homework, too.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, Katy says she’s found it challenging to maintain regular contact with some of her five children, and has a particularly fragile relationship with her eldest daughter. Yet, while the pandemic has made it trickier for her children to visit, she says she has been able to offer them the kind of quality family time that was challenging when she was juggling live-in parenting with anti-social working hours.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s difficult because for every day you think ‘yeah, actually what I did took a lot of guts’, then somebody will make a comment, and it just puts you back down to thinking you’re the worst person in the world – Katy","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“We go to the beach, we go out, have picnics in the park together… things like that,” says Katy. “I don't regret my decision. I did what I felt I had to do at the time. I do regret that I put the children through that because I think for them it's been hard. I would like one day for my children to grow up and look at me as in like ‘well, my mum wasn't happy, but she didn't just put up with the situation. She did something about it’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the online support group, many women regularly share feelings of guilt, social isolation and ostracisation, says Melissa, because it’s difficult to discuss what they are going through with others. “The most common remark made by new members of our group is how incredibly lonely they have been. They say finding our group helps because they feel understood and not demonised by their circumstances.” She believes wider societal attitudes need to change, with a better understanding that “the women who leave… love their children as much as mothers who live more traditional lives.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA more accepting society?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether society will eventually become more accepting of mothers who live apart from their children remains a matter of debate.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuchanan believes things will improve, but only in certain circumstances. “If it’s a career-oriented move, then I think that’s something that we will move past, in terms of stigmatising,” he says. This, he argues, will be a side effect of a more general improvement in gender equity in the home and in the workplace, with fathers becoming increasingly involved at home and more women in leadership positions. “Stepping away from a family just because they wanted to pursue something different – I think that's always going to be stigmatised.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I don't think things will change very much in the future,” agrees Melissa, the support-group administrator. Ten years since moving out of her family home, she says she’s seen little progress in societal attitudes towards live-apart mothers like her.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENatalie, however, is more hopeful that women who leave the home for non-career related reasons will find their choices more “normalised” in future “with enough education and awareness”. But for this to happen, she says society also needs to become more open to the idea of fathers being equally equipped caregivers. This kind of shift, argues Singh, also needs to sit alongside a broader, more respectful acceptance of the full range of options open to modern working women, beyond traditional models of domesticity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Whether having children later in life, not having children at all, having children and then for somebody else to be the primary carer of their children, there's a lot of work for us as women to do, just to feel more comfortable with the fact that there are choices available nowadays,” she argues. “It’s fine to choose something a bit different… each of these choices comes with a cost.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMelissa, Katy and Natalie’s surnames have been withheld to protect them and their family’s privacy\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children-11"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-03-22T13:03:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The unshakeable stigma of mothers who leave their children","headlineShort":"The mums who leave their kids","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"When mums leave their kids with family or partners, they are often viewed as deeply flawed, despite gains in gender equity. Will this ever change?","summaryShort":"\"Mothers are spoken of as if they are defective, like something is broken\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-03-22T00:50:19.654894Z","entity":"article","guid":"588b2639-6361-4578-9a97-8095a5283cdf","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-24T12:24:57.704566Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200427},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors","_id":"62df808243d9f4570f24c500","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Many LGBTQ couples are opting to start families with donations from friends or acquaintances – a choice helping to re-define modern family structures.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhen Alice, now 39, first started thinking about having a child solo, the idea of using a sperm bank “felt so strange”. She didn’t know how to pick from the list of potential donors, whose attributes ranged far and wide: bass players, English university majors and men with blue eyes. To Alice, choosing a close friend as a donor “felt simpler and richer”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EToday, Alice’s daughter, whose biological father is a friend Alice lived with during graduate school, is three years old. “He was the obvious choice,” Alice says of her donor. “I honestly don’t have that many cis male friends that I’m really close to.” Over brunch, she asked him if he would be open to donating his sperm, and he gamely said yes. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAlice remains in close touch with her donor and his partner, whom Alice and her own partner refer to as their daughter’s “uncle” and “aunt”. “I liked the idea of my kid getting to have some relationship with the [donor],” says California-based Alice. It also presented the “possibility for broader community and queer familial structures”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EDuring the past several years, the gap between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people planning to expand their families is shrinking. According to 2018 data from the US-based LGBTQ Family Building Survey, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.familyequality.org\u002Fresources\u002Flgbtq-family-building-survey\u002F\"\u003E48% of LGBTQ millennials have made the decision to increase their family size\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, versus 55% of non-LGBTQ millennials. In contrast to past numbers, nearly 70% of non-LGBTQ individuals older than 55 have children, compared to just 28% of LGBTQ people in that age group.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EFor certain LGBTQ couples who can’t have biological children together, sperm donations have become increasingly attractive. Australian data from 2018, for example, indicates \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newlifeivf.com.au\u002Fsperm-donors-the-hidden-heros-behind-many-of-todays-families\u002F\"\u003Ethat single women and lesbian couples made up 85% of sperm donor recipients\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that year. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Default\"\u003EMany queer couples seeking sperm want the experience to be personal, which means choosing to know who the sperm donor is. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newlifeivf.com.au\u002Fsperm-donors-the-hidden-heros-behind-many-of-todays-families\u002F\"\u003ESeveral reasons drive this choice\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, such as knowing about the future child’s biological parents, being in touch with them for medical questions and creating an extended family. While this is possible if a couple \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.familyequality.org\u002Fresources\u002Fchoosing-between-a-known-and-unknown-sperm-donor\u002F\"\u003Egoes through a sperm bank\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or other type of connection service, choosing a friend or personal relation for the donation is\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.familyequality.org\u002Fresources\u002Fbuilding-lgbtq-families-price-parenthood\u002F\"\u003E less costly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Default\"\u003ERegardless, these choices require a careful, deliberate thought process that involves emotional, financial and legal considerations that affect not just the lives of the parents and donors, but also those of their future children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanging shape of families\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhile plenty of services exist today to help LGBTQ couples conceive via sperm donation, that was not the case when Lisa Schuman, founder of the Center for Family Building, started working in the industry more than 20 years ago in New York.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAmong the leading organizations at the time – like the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American Fertility Association – there weren’t “any queer people being represented at all”, she says. Many queer couples she spoke with would consider adoption as the primary option for starting a family. “They really didn't understand that there were many other options for them,” says Schuman.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESchuman started a workshop for LGBTQ parents looking to start families at the Gay and Lesbian Center in New York City, through which she could teach them about options other than adoption. Early on, she recalls, only about five people would show up per session. “I just kept doing it,” she says. About a decade later, a lecture she hosted for prospective lesbian parents attracted 100 people. “The legalization of gay marriage [in 2015] helped a lot,” she says. Through efforts like Schuman’s, LGBTQ families got to learn more about their family-building options.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EStill, while there are anecdotal accounts of growing interest, it’s difficult to find data on how many LGBTQ couples opt to use friends or family members as donors, as opposed to donors found through sperm banks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELaura Goldberger has spent two decades as a psychotherapist running groups for LGBTQ parents trying to conceive. Goldberger says about half the couples they speak with opt for a donor they already know, versus one found through an outside service or sperm bank – that rate has remained the same throughout their experience. Schuman, however, says she’s been seeing “more and more” future parents opt for friend or family member donations throughout the past several years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA ‘wonderful, gentle presence’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAlice’s choice wasn’t just obvious to her because the sperm bank route felt alienating – she also knew immediately whom she would ask to donate. She and her male friend were part of the same community, having worked on a political project together and attended the same graduate school. She trusted him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Over brunch, Alice asked him if he would be open to donating his sperm, and he gamely said yes","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“I knew that our community would hold us both to being responsible with the ways in which we were forming a queer family,” she says, acknowledging that their relationship did not exist in a vacuum, but rather that their mutual friends would help ensure they maintained healthy communication. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAlice and her donor friend also had numerous, lengthy conversations about their expectations, spanning his family’s medical history, what his role would and wouldn’t consist of as the donor and how his family would be involved in the child’s life. They also had a conference call with his parents and sister to help clear up misunderstandings about the donor-child relationship they’d decided on. “I was glad we had the conversation,” she says. “They've been a wonderful, gentle presence throughout [the child’s life].”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENavigating ‘ruthless’ conversations\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EOf course, even with the closest friends, unexpected problems can arise with something so sensitive and impactful as a new human life. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Everybody thinks, we've got this down, everything's going to be fine – we're best friends,” says Schuman. “But people go into marriages with the same idea, thinking they're going to be together forever, and it doesn't always happen.” Schuman stresses the importance of counselling pre-donation to make sure the recipient, their partner (if they have one) and the donor are all on the same page.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ECommunication is key, echoes Erika Tranfield, 41, founder and director of Pride Angel, a service based in the Northwest UK through which recipients can connect with sperm donors they don’t already know, but want to meet and speak with before beginning the donation process. Tranfield says it can be hard to broach “ruthless” and uncomfortable questions, like beliefs on religion and child discipline, that are important to ask a potential donor when that donor is already your friend, she says. To avoid those tough conversations with friends, Tranfield founded Pride Angel in 2009, partly to find her own donor with her now ex-wife. Today, roughly 25,000 sperm recipients use Pride Angel each in the UK, US and Europe.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ETranfield and her then-wife wanted to meet their donor, and ensure he was someone who wouldn’t want to co-parent or share financial responsibilities, but would be open to seeing the child’s school reports or popping by on Christmas. To ensure this was how the relationship would play out, Tranfield, her then-wife, and the donor signed a “letter of intent” specifying the limits of their relationship. This was not a legal agreement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELesbian couples from the US who spoke with BBC Worklife were more likely to say they signed notarized agreements ahead of the donation or ones drawn up by lawyers. Rosslyn, 40, and Laura, 37, a married couple in California, say they worked with a lawyer who specializes in queer conception to create an agreement with their donor, Laura’s good friend from college (he offered after Laura told him about their struggles finding a donor). The agreement stated that the donor would relinquish all parental rights, but he’s still a friend of the family, as is his current partner. Rosslyn and Laura's two daughters, now ages five and two, simply call him by his first name.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EOther legal processes might include the non-gestational parent (who doesn’t carry the child) legally adopting to gain parental rights, which Alice’s partner plans do with their child (who already calls Alice’s partner “mom”). For Rosslyn and Laura, this cost roughly $2,000 (£1,480) per child. Other costs went to conception. For instance, they paid about $300 for one session with a midwife specializing in at-home conception for their first child. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe cost of conception can be considerably higher when going through a sperm bank. For New York-based married couple Elizabeth, 32, and Joy, 36, using a sperm bank has cost about $6,000 so far. Some of this covered medical co-pays and shipping for the sperm, but most went to the vials, five of which cost about $5,300. It costs $200 to thaw the frozen vials pre-IUI (intrauterine insemination), which they plan to do soon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThough the process is pricey, the couple ultimately decided on a previously unknown donor, whose identity they learned through the sperm bank, because of the complications that could arise from seeking donation from someone already in their lives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I knew that our community would hold us both to being responsible with the ways in which we were forming a queer family – Alice","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“They can say until they’re blue in the face that they can watch their biological child grow up in front of their eyes and not have that parental connection,” says Elizabeth, but she worries that could change with the birth of the child. Since Elizabeth plans to carry the child, they also considered using Joy’s brother as the donor.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Originally, the idea of having my own blood being able to donate was intriguing,” says Joy, but ultimately decided against it because of the reasons Elizabeth cited. “I come from a big Italian family, and they are literally always around,” Joy adds. She and Elizabeth didn’t want to deal with all the conversations that might come up between the child and various family members about the child’s conception. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding family building options\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EOver time, LGBTQ couples and potential parents have gotten more information and resources to help them make choices about how to build their families. While plenty \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Flibrary\u002Fstories\u002F2020\u002F09\u002Ffifteen-percent-of-same-sex-couples-have-children-in-their-household.html\"\u003Estill adopt\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, many are choosing to ask close friends to donate sperm, like Alice, Rosslyn and Laura, while others prefer connecting with donors through services like Pride Angel or sperm banks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ERegardless of the decision these families ultimately make, the fact that the donor option is now so visibly on the table in general has expanded their possibilities. Unlike when Schuman first started working in the fertility space, couples of all types are now presented with a variety of ways to create families, whether that includes a donor friend, a known donor who stops by just on holidays or someone who stays out of the children’s lives completely. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EFor Rosslyn and Laura, the kind of extended family they might form with their donor’s partner and future children remains up in the air. Her kids and the donor’s children “will make up their own narrative about how they feel towards each other, like what they get to call themselves… and the biological link they have to [the donor] as they grow older,” says Rosslyn. “But right now, it’s all honky dory.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlice, Elizabeth and Joy’s names have been changed to protect their privacy; Rosslyn and Laura are withholding surnames for the same reason.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors-9"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":true,"displayDate":"2022-02-01T16:01:13Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The millennials choosing friends as sperm donors","headlineShort":"A 'new' kind of nuclear family","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Many LGBTQ couples are opting to start families with donations from friends or acquaintances – a choice helping to re-define modern family structures.","summaryShort":"Couples are opting to start families with sperm donations from people they know","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-31T22:53:16.895877Z","entity":"article","guid":"2de846b3-b70b-4fc9-8142-f1da538df589","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:21:37.711998Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200427},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents","_id":"62df7ee343d9f46d933fc7c1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmaddy-savage"],"bodyIntro":"Polarised politics and a growing awareness of how difficult relationships can impact our mental health are fuelling family estrangement, say psychologists.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was a heated Skype conversation about race relations that led Scott to cut off all contact with his parents in 2019. His mother was angry he’d supported a civil rights activist on social media, he says; she said “a lot of really awful racist things”, while his seven-year-old son was in earshot.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There was very much a parental feeling like ‘you can’t say that in front of my child, that's not the way we're going to raise our kids’,” explains the father-of-two, who lives in Northern Europe. Scott says the final straw came when his father tried to defend his mother’s viewpoint in an email, which included a link to a white supremacist video. He was baffled his parents could not comprehend the reality of people being victimised because of their background, especially given his own family history. “‘This is insane – you're Jewish’, I said. ‘Many people in our family were killed in Auschwitz’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt wasn’t the first time Scott had experienced a clash in values with his parents. But it was the last time he chose to see or speak to them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite a lack of hard data, there is a growing perception among therapists, psychologists and sociologists that this kind of intentional parent-child ‘break-up’ is on the rise in western countries.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFormally known as ‘estrangement’, experts’ definitions of the concept differ slightly, but the term is broadly used for situations in which someone cuts off all communication with one or more relatives, a situation that continues for the long-term, even if those they’ve sought to split from try to re-establish a connection.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The declaration of ‘I am done’ with a family member is a powerful and distinct phenomenon,” explains Karl Andrew Pillemer, professor of human development at Cornell University, US. “It is different from family feuds, from high-conflict situations and from relationships that are emotionally distant but still include contact.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The declaration of ‘I am done’ with a family member is a powerful and distinct phenomenon – Karl Andrew Pillemer","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter realising there were few major studies of family estrangement, he carried out a nationwide survey for his 2020 book Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them. The survey showed more than one in four Americans reported being estranged from another relative. Similar research for British estrangement charity Stand Alone \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.standalone.org.uk\u002Fabout\u002F\"\u003Esuggests the phenomenon affects one in five families in the UK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while academic researchers and therapists in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.smh.com.au\u002Flifestyle\u002Flife-and-relationships\u002Fwe-aren-t-family-the-adults-divorcing-their-parents-20200907-p55t98.html\"\u003EAustralia\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbroadview.org\u002Ffamily-estrangement\u002F\"\u003ECanada\u003C\u002Fa\u003E also say they’re witnessing a “silent epidemic” of family break-ups.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn social media, there’s been a boom in online support groups for adult children who’ve chosen to be estranged, including one Scott is involved in, which has thousands of members. “Our numbers in the group have been rising steadily,” he says. “I think it’s becoming more and more common.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that estrangement between parents and their adult children seems to be on the rise – or at least is increasingly discussed – seems to be down to a complex web of cultural and psychological factors. And the trend raises plenty of questions about its impact on both individuals and society.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPast experiences and present values\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough research is limited, most break-ups between a parent and a grown-up child tend to be initiated by the child, says Joshua Coleman, psychologist and author of The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict. One of the most common reasons for this is past or present \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.standalone.org.uk\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F12\u002FHiddenVoices.FinalReport.pdf\"\u003Eabuse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by the parent, whether emotional, verbal, physical or sexual. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F02654075211046305?journalCode%3Dspra&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1637244794712000&usg=AOvVaw0W0kn3ppJjZMZ2jWUtahBV\"\u003EDivorce\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is another frequent influence, with consequences ranging from the adult child “taking sides”, to new people coming into the family such as stepsiblings or stepparents, which can fuel divisions over both “financial and emotional resources”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClashes in values – as experienced by Scott and his parents – are also increasingly thought to play a role. A study published in October by Coleman and the University of Wisconsin, US, showed value-based disagreements were mentioned by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2021-85856-001\"\u003Emore than one in three mothers of estranged children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Pillemer’s recent research has also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.karlpillemer.com\u002Fbooks\u002Ffault-lines\u002F\"\u003Ehighlighted value differences\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as a “major factor” in estrangements, with conflicts resulting from “issues such as same sex-preference, religious differences or adopting alternative lifestyles”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth experts believe at least part of the context for this is increased political and cultural polarisation in recent years. In the US, an Ipsos poll reported a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-usa-trump-relationships-insight\u002Ffrom-disputes-to-a-breakup-wounds-still-raw-after-u-s-election-idUSKBN15M13L\"\u003Erise in family rifts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after the 2016 election, while research by academics at Stanford University in 2012 suggested a larger proportion of parents could be unhappy if their children \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Fpoq\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F76\u002F3\u002F405\u002F1894274\"\u003Emarried someone who supported a rival political party\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which was far less true a decade earlier. A recent UK study found that one in 10 people had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fuk\u002Fpolitics\u002Fbrexit-family-friends-argument-remain-leave-eu-opinion-poll-bmg-survey-a9147456.html\"\u003Efallen out with a relative over Brexit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “These studies highlight the way that identity has become a far greater determinant of whom we choose to keep close or to let go,” says Coleman.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0b765ck"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EScott says he’s never discussed his voting preferences with his parents. But his decision to cut them off was partly influenced by his and his wife’s heightened awareness of social issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement and MeToo. He says other adult children in his online support group have fallen out due to value-based disagreements connected to the pandemic, from older parents refusing to get vaccinated to rows over conspiracy theories about the source of the virus.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe mental health factor\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts believe our growing awareness of mental health, and how toxic or abusive family relationships can affect our wellbeing, is also impacting on estrangement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“While there’s nothing especially modern about family conflict or a desire to feel insulated from it, conceptualising the estrangement of a family member as an expression of personal growth, as it is commonly done today, is almost certainly new,” says Coleman. “Deciding which people to keep in or out of one’s life has become an important strategy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESam, who’s in her twenties and lives in the UK, says she grew up in a volatile household where both parents were heavy drinkers. She largely stopped speaking to her parents straight after leaving home for university, and says she cut ties for good after witnessing her father verbally abusing her six-year-old cousin at a funeral. Having therapy helped her recognise her own experiences as “more than just bad parenting” and process their psychological impact. “I came to understand that ‘abuse’ and ‘neglect’ were words that described my childhood. Just because I wasn't hit didn't mean I wasn't harmed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe agrees with Coleman it’s “becoming more socially acceptable” to cut ties with family members. “Mental health is more talked about now so it’s easier to say, ‘These people are bad for my mental health’. I think, as well, people are getting more confident at drawing their own boundaries and saying ‘no’ to people.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe rise of individualism\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EColeman argues our increased focus on personal wellbeing has happened in parallel with other wider trends, such as a shift towards a more “individualistic culture”. Many of us are much less reliant on relatives than previous generations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Not needing a family member for support or because you plan to inherit the family farm means that who we choose to spend time with is based more on our identities and aspirations for growth than survival or necessity,” he explains. “Today, nothing ties an adult child to a parent beyond that adult child’s desire to have that relationship.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People are getting more confident at drawing their own boundaries and saying ‘no’ to people – Sam","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIncreased opportunities to live and work in different cities or even countries from our adult families can also help facilitate a parental break-up, simply by adding physical distance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s been much easier for me to move around than it would have been probably 20 years ago,” agrees Faizah, who is British with a South Asian background, and has avoided living in the same area as her family since 2014. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe says she cut ties with her parents because of “controlling” behaviours like preventing her from going to job interviews, wanting an influence on her friendships and putting pressure on her to get married straight after her studies. “They didn’t respect my boundaries,” she says. “I just want to have ownership over my own life and make my own choices.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe impact of estrangement\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are strong positives for many estranged adult children who’ve detached themselves from what they believe are damaging parental relationships. “The research shows that the majority of adult children say it was for the best,” says Coleman.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while improved mental health and perceived increased freedom are common outcomes of estrangement, Pillemer argues the decision can also create feelings of instability, humiliation and stress.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The intentional, active severing of personal ties differs from other kinds of loss,” he explains. “In addition, people lose the practical benefits of being part of a family: material support, for example, and the sense of belonging to a stable group of people who know one another well.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFeelings of loneliness and stigma seem to have been exacerbated for many estranged people during the pandemic. While the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftechnology-52772428\"\u003E‘Zoom boom’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E enabled some families to feel closer and stay in touch more regularly, recent UK research suggests that adults with severed ties \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cam.ac.uk\u002Fresearch\u002Fnews\u002Fstigma-of-broken-family-relationships-compounded-by-lockdown\"\u003Efelt even more aware of missing out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on family life during lockdown. Other studies point to Christmas and religious festivals being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fchristmas-is-the-hardest-time-of-year-for-those-estranged-from-close-family-51699\"\u003Eespecially challenging periods for estranged relatives\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I have my own family and my partner and my close friends, but nothing replaces those traditions you have with your parents,” agrees Faizah. Now in her thirties, she still finds the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr particularly tricky, even though she’s distanced herself from her parents’ religion. “It’s so tough. It’s so lonely... and I do miss my mum’s cooking.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0b765mt"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing not to stay in touch with parents can have a knock-on effect on future family bonds and traditions, too. “For me, the biggest regret is my kids growing up without grandparents,” says Scott . “It’s preferable to [my parents] saying – gosh, I don’t know what – to them [but] I feel like my kids are missing out.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, all of this also has an impact on the parents who have, often unwillingly, been cut out of their children’s – and potentially grandchildren’s – lives. “Most parents are made miserable by it,” says Coleman. As well as losing their own footing in the traditional family unit, they typically “describe profound feelings of loss, shame and regret”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScott says his mother recently tried calling him. But he texted her saying he’d only consider re-establishing contact with his children if she recognised her comments had been “horribly racist” and apologised. So far, he says she hasn’t done that. “Even if all those things happened, I would always limit what I tell them about my life and certainly supervise any visits with the kids. Unfortunately, I don’t see any of that happening.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAttempting to bridge rifts?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith political divisions centre-stage in many nations, as well as increasing individualism in cultures around the world, many experts believe the parent-child ‘break-up’ trend will stick around.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“My prediction is that it's either going to get worse or stay the same,” says Coleman. “Family relationships are going to be based much more on pursuing happiness and personal growth, and less on emphasising duty, obligation or responsibility.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPillemer argues that we shouldn’t rule out attempting to bridge rifts, however, particularly those stemming from opposing politics or values (as opposed to abusive or damaging behaviours). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If the prior relationship was relatively close (or at least not conflictual), I think there is evidence that many family members can restore the relationship. It does involve, however, agreeing on a ‘demilitarised zone’ in which politics cannot be discussed,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s so tough. It’s so lonely... and I do miss my mum’s cooking – Faizah","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor his book, he interviewed over 100 estranged people who had successfully reconciled, and found the process was actually framed by many as “an engine for personal growth”. “It is of course not for everyone, but for a number of people, bridging a rift, even if the relationship was imperfect, was a source of self-esteem and personal pride.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe argues that both more detailed longitudinal studies and clinical attention are needed to get the topic of estrangement further “out of the shadows and into the clear light of open discussion”. “We need researchers to find better solutions – both for people who want to reconcile, and for help in coping with people in permanent estrangements.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScott welcomes the growing interest in adult break-ups. “I think it will help lots of people,” he says. “There is still a big stigma around estrangement. We see these questions in the group a lot: ‘What do you tell people?’ or ‘How do you bring it up when dating?\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut he’s unlikely to reconcile with his own parents, unless they recognise they’ve been racist. “The whole ‘blood is thicker than water’ - I mean, that's great if you have a cool family, but if you're saddled with toxic people, it's just not doable.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScott, Sam and Faizah are all using one name to protect their and their families’ privacy\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents-11"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Ffamily-tree"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-12-01T14:17:10Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Family estrangement: Why adults are cutting off their parents","headlineShort":"A silent epidemic of family break-ups?","image":["p0b76bbm"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Polarised politics and a growing awareness of how difficult relationships can impact our mental health are fuelling family estrangement, say psychologists.","summaryShort":"\"The declaration of 'I am done' with a family member is a powerful phenomenon\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-11-30T20:52:32.641051Z","entity":"article","guid":"14a28f8d-afdb-46d0-8404-d7399a5f8d1a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:18:42.697042Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence","_id":"62df7fd243d9f46d95451e6f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Famanda-ruggeri"],"bodyIntro":"Many mothers grapple with mental health challenges after the birth of a child. But fathers experience PND, too – and may be slipping through the cracks.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor David Levine, the watershed moment came when he imagined he had shaken his baby. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was 2013, and his son was two weeks old. He had put him down on a mat \"maybe slightly rougher than I should have\", says Levine today. At the time, unable to think straight, he was convinced he'd done worse. As a paediatrician, he knew shaking a baby \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mayoclinic.org\u002Fdiseases-conditions\u002Fshaken-baby-syndrome\u002Fsymptoms-causes\u002Fsyc-20366619\"\u003Ecould cause brain injury, even death\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. He was horrified.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELevine's anger and frustration had been building since his son's birth. Like many newborns, the baby took time to adjust to the outside world. But to Levine, it seemed like he cried constantly. \"I took it personally, like I'm failing, I'm not doing my job here,\" he says. \"I also started feeling like it was directed at me – that my son was crying because he did not like me.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELevine loved children. Since he had begun his career as a paediatrician in New Jersey, US, he'd heard one thing over and over from parents: \"You're going to make such a good father someday.\" He had been excited when his wife became pregnant and gave birth. When she had challenges with breastfeeding, and he could use his medical background to help incorporate formula, he felt useful.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut then his role shifted. He didn't need to be a physician; he needed to be a father. And when the practical tasks of parenthood – like getting his son to stop crying – proved to be a challenge, he thought it was his fault. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"That's when things started to spiral,\" he says. He belittled and yelled at his son. He started to see graphic images of committing violence to his child and himself. And he didn't see how things would get better. \"I would tell my wife that this was the end of our life,\" he says. \"All I could envision was the cycle of hell that was going to be our lives.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his practise, he screened mothers for postnatal depression (PND) – a depressive illness that sets in within a year of giving birth (often referred to as ‘postpartum depression’ or ‘PPD’ in the US). It's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rcpsych.ac.uk\u002Fmental-health\u002Fproblems-disorders\u002Fpost-natal-depression\"\u003Eusually seen as a female condition\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Could it exist for fathers, too? If so, Levine hadn't heard of it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe wasn't alone. PND, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tommys.org\u002Fpregnancy-information\u002Fim-pregnant\u002Fmental-health-wellbeing\u002Fpostnatal-depression-pnd\"\u003Emental-health condition which can include feeling persistently low\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, apathetic or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flinkinghub.elsevier.com\u002Fretrieve\u002Fpii\u002FS0002937819307471\"\u003Eeven suicidal\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the first year after birth, is a well-established phenomenon in women – even if it is one that still remains \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fmmwr\u002Fvolumes\u002F66\u002Fwr\u002Fmm6606a1.htm\"\u003Eunderdiagnosed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmaternalmentalhealthalliance.org\u002Fnews\u002Fmums-unable-access-essential-perinatal-mental-health-care-in-pandemic\u002F\"\u003Eundertreated\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fglobal-development\u002F2021\u002Fnov\u002F23\u002Fhelp-for-postnatal-depression-psychosis-india-mental-health\"\u003Earound the world\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, sometimes with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2022\u002F05\u002F04\u002Fuk\u002Fas-equals-post-partum-depression-intl-cmd\u002Findex.html\"\u003Etragic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.cuanschutz.edu\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fsuicide-drug-overdose-top-killers-of-new-mothers-in-colorado\"\u003Econsequences\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat's less well known, even to those in the medical field, is that men can get PND, too.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut many of the resources that can help prevent, diagnose and treat PND – from the screening questionnaires that doctors use, to support networks like parenting groups – have been built for women. Even the symptoms that people commonly associate with PND tend to pertain more to women than men. Add on the stigma men can feel around expressing mental-health challenges, and experts say that we aren't just missing mothers with PND. Millions of depressed fathers also could be falling through the cracks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cb8ppm"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHidden disease\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Although there has been rising community awareness about mental illnesses, such as postnatal depression in women, it’s a phenomenon that's much less recognised in men,\" says Grant Blashki, the lead clinical advisor of Australian mental health organisation \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.beyondblue.org.au\u002F\"\u003EBeyond Blue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet it's been estimated that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F20483973\u002F\"\u003Earound 10% of fathers are depressed in the first year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after birth, a rate twice as high as in the general male population. Some research has indicated that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1471-6712.2010.00856.x\"\u003E10% could be too low\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; in the three- to six-month period after birth, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjama\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F185905\"\u003Earound one in four fathers exhibit symptoms of depression\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And a review published in June 2022, which looked at nearly 30,000 couples from 15 countries, found that in 3 in 100 families, both the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjamanetworkopen\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2793548\"\u003Emother and father experienced postnatal depression at the same time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That would mean that, in the US alone, more than 100,000 babies would experience both parents dealing with PND simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany fathers will also get generalised anxiety, OCD and PTSD, says Daniel Singley, a counselling psychologist in San Diego, California who specialises in men's issues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut relatively few of these men will reach out – or even believe they have a problem to begin with. “In my practise, it’s interesting that – even if your background is highly educated, or a health professional – there are still high levels of stigma about mental health illness amongst men,” says Blashki. “And this can result in denial or poor help-seeking, or a sense that you should just sort it out yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, men tend to eschew medical care more than women. In Canada, for example, researchers have found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002Fpmc4145701\u002F\"\u003Earound eight in 10 men won't seek medical care\u003C\u002Fa\u003E until their partner convinces them to go. But it's also largely due to feelings of embarrassment or shame about being a man – especially a father – with depression. \"[Men] really, really don't want to seek mental-health help, because it's stigmatised and feminised. And they really, really don't want to do it during the perinatal period,\" says Singley.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn heterosexual childbearing couples, he continues, the message usually given to a dad is that pregnancy and birth are a woman's realm. Fathers can be excluded from prenatal appointments, classes or even the labour itself. When they are present, they're often told that their only job is to be supportive, no matter what anxieties or fears they, too, may be feeling. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis messaging activates the masculine stereotype of \"protect, provide\", says Singley, and it overlooks a key element: fathers need to support mothers, but they \u003Cem\u003Ealso \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eneed support. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com\u002Farticles\u002F10.1186\u002Fs12884-021-03947-7\"\u003EAs one dad told researchers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a recent UK study, \"Looking back, the institutions, family and myself focussed [sic] on how I would support my wife and the emphasis was on me staying strong.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘We’re supposed to be the rock’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, of course, there is the pressure of masculine stereotypes. If fathers are expected to be strong and supportive, who are they if they are depressed? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the same UK study, another participant said he \"felt like a failure, no true man\". Another asked: \"What sort of man gets depressed after they've had a baby?\" Some were even hard on themselves about receiving treatment; one man who was given leave from work because of his mental-health diagnosis said that when this made it difficult to establish a new routine with the baby, it made his depression worse \"as I felt like I wasn't just failing with fatherhood, but husbandhood\". Others mentioned worrying their partners would leave them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We're supposed to be the rock for our spouses. I didn't have anybody to talk to about this. And I genuinely felt that if I told her, she would leave me – David Levine","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"There are still many myths prevalent around mental illness as a sign of weakness or something that a man should just be able to sort out himself,\" agrees Blashki. \"These sorts of myths can be amplified by a sense that the man ought to be the strong one during this big time of transition for the mother and baby.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELevine, for his part, didn't open up to his wife about just how bad his PND was until about a year later, when – after speaking to a patient about PPD, who then passed his name on – he was invited to talk about his experience on the Charlie Rose talk show in the US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"She didn't know that I was depressed. She didn't know that I had certain feelings towards our son. And also, she didn't know that part of the reason I never told her was because I thought that she would think less of me,\" he says. \"Men don't talk about their feelings, right? We're supposed to be the rock for our spouses. I didn't have anybody to talk to about this. And I genuinely felt that if I told her, she would leave me. And my wife is a wonderful person.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe women’s realm\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn additional obstacle is that postnatal depression often is associated primarily with women. Consequentially, it is less likely that a man – or the people around him, including medical professionals – recognise PND for what it is.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is true birthing parents are more likely to get depression in the postnatal period than their partners (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F20483973\u002F\"\u003Eone review found an average of around 24% for mothers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared to 10% for fathers); it’s also the case that part of why some mothers get PND is because of the hormone changes in the brain that happen on giving birth. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe symptoms also tend to be different in men versus women. While the common image of PND might be a mother who is weepy and unable to get out of bed, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F27654090\u002F\"\u003Efathers with PND are more likely to engage in avoidant or escapist behaviours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – working longer hours, say, or spending more time on their phone. They are more likely to abuse substances or alcohol, and to be indecisive, irritable or self-critical. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Sometimes [men] show what we call a 'masked male depressive presentation', that looks a bit different than typically the way we think about depression,\" says Singley. \"There might be a tendency to somaticise\", or feel physical symptoms instead of emotional ones, like stomach pains or migraines.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome people say that fathers aren't experiencing 'true' PND, but rather general depression – a thought process exacerbated by the fact that fathers are more likely to get depressed postnatally if they have had depression before.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cb8nq5"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile there is some truth to this, it's misleading, says Michael Wells, an associate professor in the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fstaff.ki.se\u002Fpeople\u002Fmichael-wells\"\u003Eresearcher of postnatal care and male PND\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Fathers are indeed more prone to postnatal depression if they've had depression in the past. But so are mothers. \"It's not hormones alone,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot only that, but recent research has found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Fresearch-and-innovation\u002Fen\u002Fhorizon-magazine\u002Fnew-fathers-may-undergo-hormonal-neural-and-behavioural-changes\"\u003Efathers' hormones also change\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC5313241\u002F\"\u003Eas early as the prenatal period\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC2922346\u002F\"\u003EFathers' testosterone levels decrease during their partner's pregnancy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for example, while oestrogen increases towards the end of pregnancy. There is some evidence that paternal PND might be related.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPhysiological causes aside, both mothers and involved fathers encounter a number of changes after a baby is born: \"adjusting to the new baby, changes to the relationship, changes to the couple’s sex life, new responsibilities, coping with the partner’s stress and financial pressures,\" says Beyond Blue's Blashki. \"More generally it can be a time of reflection on one’s identity, and many men may worry about the responsibility required to look after a baby.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis article is part of the BBC’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series. Explore more in-depth coverage on parents and babies from BBC Future, including the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20190424-the-hidden-trauma-of-childbirth\"\u003Ehidden trauma of childbirth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and Amanda Ruggeri’s two-part series on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20220322-how-sleep-training-affects-babies\"\u003Escience of baby sleep\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EParticular risk factors also can make some fathers more prone to PND. One is their partner's mental health; the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F20599275\u002F\"\u003Erisk of the father developing PND is more than five times higher if the mother has it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. (And if the father has PND, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.annualreviews.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1146\u002Fannurev-clinpsy-050212-185612\"\u003Ethe mother is more likely to get it too\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.) Other risk factors include \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1442-2018.2010.00513.x\"\u003Elack of job stability, the pregnancy being unintended\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F20599275\u002F\"\u003Epoor relationship satisfaction, having a lack of information about pregnancy and birth, less social support\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0165032716305134\"\u003E,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0165032716305134\"\u003Esleep deprivation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0165032716305134\"\u003Ehaving unrealistic expectations of fatherhood\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. (Interestingly, while we normally associate PND with new parents, research co-authored by Wells has found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0165032720329487?dgcid=rss_sd_all\"\u003Eit isn't just first-time fathers who are at risk of PND\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; many fathers with other children get PND, too.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the fact that even someone like Levine – who had a stable job and marriage, no prior history of mental health issues, and plenty of medical knowledge about pregnancy and infants – could fall into PND so hard, and fast, shows it can affect anyone. For his part, Levine believes his PND was exacerbated by not fully comprehending just how tough parenting could be, or what was normal newborn behaviour. He didn't realise that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20220131-the-science-of-safe-and-healthy-baby-sleep#:~:text=She%20points%20out%20that%20it,19%20hours%20might%20be%20appropriate.\"\u003Emany infants simply wake frequently\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or cry a lot. He put the blame on himself.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘My personality changed’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch of this sounds familiar to Mark Williams of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reachingoutpmh.co.uk\u002F\"\u003EFathers Reaching Out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a fathers' support group in the UK, which has since become a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reachingoutpmh.co.uk\u002Ffathers-reaching-out-lobby-group\u002F\"\u003Elobbying organisation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen his baby was born in 2004, Williams, who lives in Wales, was self-employed. He expected to be back to work after two weeks. But nothing went as planned. First, his wife's birth was traumatic. \"I had a panic attack in the labour ward, and then the doctor said my wife was going to theatre\" for an unexpected C-section, he says. While she was there, no-one told him what was happening. He thought his wife and baby were going to die.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom that traumatic incident, Williams was dropped into the challenges of life with a newborn, all while feeling pressure to get back to his work with \"no money and a mortgage to pay\". His wife had severe postnatal depression herself.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"I started to use alcohol, avoiding situations. My personality changed,\" he says. He felt angry and aggressive. Once, he punched the sofa so hard, he broke his hand.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe found out about male PND through a chance conversation with someone who went to his gym: both of their wives had PND and, it turned out, both of them were feeling low, too. When Williams looked to see what kinds of groups were out there for fathers, like there were for mothers, he came up empty.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I talked to one nurse and asked her, 'Are you screening dads?' She said, 'No, fathers can't get depressed' – Mark Williams","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOver the years, he was able to overcome his depression with cognitive behavioural therapy, medication and more support. He also received a diagnosis of ADHD. But he wanted to make sure that if other fathers moved past the stigma of male PND and asked for help, there would be help for them to find. \"There was nothing back then. Nobody was really talking about it,\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2010, he started Fathers Reaching Out, which connected fathers and offered mental health support and advice. (The organisation has since dissolved, becoming a lobbying group instead, due to \"a lack of funding\", says Williams). He quickly heard not only from fathers, but also their partners. \"Mums were saying 'My husband is really struggling, his behaviour has changed since the pregnancy and baby's been born',\" he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWilliams devoted himself not only to supporting other fathers, but also campaigning. He spoke at conferences, worked with academics, wrote a book, founded \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.postpartum.net\u002Fnews\u002Fifmhd\u002F\"\u003EInternational Fathers’ Mental Health Day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and lobbied the UK government to offer fathers mental health checks if their partner was suffering a mental health condition – which was successful. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAwareness of mental health in general, and male PND in particular, has improved, he says. But not enough. \"It's a lot better, but it's still so unrecognised,\" he says. \"There's no mention of fathers in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nice.org.uk\u002F\"\u003ENICE guidelines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\", the national recommendations for health and care in England. \"The WHO only has information \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F30-03-2022-who-urges-quality-care-for-women-and-newborns-in-critical-first-weeks-after-childbirth\"\u003Eon mums\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, not on dads. It needs a big national push – or someone like a celebrity to come out and really push this forward.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn additional problem, says Wells, is that because PND has been seen as a female mental-health disorder for so long, the screening tools health professionals use – most commonly a questionnaire a patient might be asked to fill out at an appointment – were made for women. This means doctors are less likely to catch those crucial male manifestations of PND, and diagnose them accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd even some medical professionals still think PND is a female issue, says researcher Wells. Recently, he says, \"I talked to one nurse and asked her, 'Are you screening dads?' She said, 'No, fathers can't get depressed',\" he says. \"In her mind, it was all hormonal, and it had to do with giving birth. Therefore, dads couldn't get it.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelping fathers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe price of not getting help can be high. Men in Western countries are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fteams\u002Fmental-health-and-substance-use\u002Fdata-research\u002Fsuicide-data\"\u003Efour times as likely to kill themselves\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as women (not, of course, because of PND alone). There also is the effect on families. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2005-07052-001\"\u003EFathers have a critical role to play in their infants' early development\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; one study found that if a child's father was depressed in their first year of life, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F22171866\u002F\"\u003Ethe child was more likely to have more behavioural difficulties and poorer development\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and wellbeing at four to five years of age, for example.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne solution to helping catch and address PND, say experts, is to include non-birthing parents, and prioritise their mental health in addition to that of mothers, from the get-go. Wells, for example, has found in his research that when fathers receive more support from midwives, nurses, and their partners, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0165032720329487\"\u003Ethey are much less likely to develop depression\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0cb8n4k"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"The non-birth parent is not addressed, often, by the physicians or by the nurses,\" says Levine. \"You start these families off with the idea that the birth parent is the most important one, and the non-birth parent is secondary. And that's not true. My wife did not experience postpartum depression; I did. But my postpartum depression could have triggered postpartum depression or anxiety in her. Or, had she gotten it, there was a 50% chance that I would have gotten it. And nobody's telling anybody these things. Paediatricians, who are the only doctors who usually see both parents at any time, are not screening these families.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESingley adds it’s also important to make clear to fathers that they \u003Cem\u003Ewill \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eneed support. That support can look like reaching out to friends who are dads. Or it can look like fathers' groups, where men gather to chat about the challenges of parenthood. As well as happening in communities, these can also be held online, like those run by the US's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.postpartum.net\u002Fget-help\u002Fhelp-for-dads\u002F\"\u003EPostpartum Support International\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or the UK support group \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpandasfoundation.org.uk\u002Fhow-we-can-support-you\u002Fonline-support-groups\u002F\"\u003EPandas\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut this also requires men to open up. Only by talking about mental-health challenges can we destigmatise it, helping ensure that men who need help get it, all say Levine, Singley, Wells and others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBetter parental leave – and a changed workplace culture where dads who take parental leave are applauded, not stigmatised – would also make a difference, they add. Non-birth parents may not be recovering physically from labour, but they, too, need time to adjust. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPaternal leave also can allow fathers to feel more empowered and involved, which can protect against postnatal depression. When Levine's son turned three months old, he took paternity leave. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Those three and a half weeks of me being home with him made a huge impact on me because I was his sole caregiver, I was responsible for him and I gained confidence in my abilities as a parent,\" he says. \"From having to feed him to get him dressed, take him in the car and meet my wife in the city or drive to my parents or go see a friend for lunch – I started to realise I could do these things. And that made such a big impact on my self-esteem.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEschewing the ‘Great Lie’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, people also need to be more honest about parenting, says Levine.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe often tells people about what he calls the “Great Lie”: the idea that you can have it all. You can work full-time, parent full-time and everything will look like it does in the shiny images of perfect nurseries and smiling babies you see on social media. People often think of this in terms of mothers. But it can also be true of men, who may have an additional, gendered pressure to provide for their families financially.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Then, when it doesn't look the way you thought it was supposed to look, you pathologise it and you say, ‘It must be me. I must be the one who’s screwing this up. Because my whole life I’ve seen people handling it’,” he says. \"There shouldn't be a shame in just saying, ‘Yeah, parenting is hard. Parenting is fun. But parenting is hard, especially in the beginning'.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Levine, the fear of admitting he was struggling meant it took a few more weeks – and encouragement from his wife – for him to seek help. He spoke to a therapist where he worked. A postnatal depression specialist who understood men could get PND, she'd never been sought out by a male patient before, she told him. He began doing cognitive behavioural therapy. With the aid of a night nurse for the baby, he started sleeping better.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt wasn't all \"sunshine and butterflies\", though, he adds. When his second child was born four years later, he experienced PND again. But this time, he recognised the symptoms.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow on the board of an organisation called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.postpartum.net\u002F\"\u003EPostnatal Support International\u003C\u002Fa\u003E since 2018, where he will be vice chair from July, Levine will be speaking about male PND at this year's convention for the American Academy of Pediatrics. He tells every parent who comes in with a new baby about his experience. His mission is to destigmatise male PND.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe remains acutely aware things could have gone differently. \"When I went through this, if I wasn't a paediatrician, if I didn't work where I worked, it's possible that I wouldn't be talking to you right now,\" he says today. \"Because something really terrible might have happened.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you think that you, or someone you know, may be experiencing postnatal depression, the following organisations may be able to help.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the UK, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpandasfoundation.org.uk\u002F\"\u003EPandas\u003C\u002Fa\u003E runs fathers' groups and offers support by email, text and phone. Their helpline can be reached at 0808 1961 776.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.postpartum.net\u002F\"\u003EPostpartum International\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has a directory of perinatal mental health professionals, local volunteers and support groups. Their helpline is 1 800 944 4773.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Australia, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhealthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au\u002Fpregnancy-and-new-parents\u002Fdadvice-for-new-dads\"\u003EBeyond Blue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E offers resources on male PND, including a screening questionnaire for fathers. Their helpline is 1300 224 636.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence-12"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Ffamily-tree"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-06-06T14:27:44Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Male postnatal depression: Why men struggle in silence","headlineShort":"The depression men shrug off","image":["p0cb8lsh"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220317-the-unshakeable-stigma-of-mothers-who-leave-their-children","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220128-the-millennials-choosing-friends-as-sperm-donors","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Many mothers grapple with mental health challenges after the birth of a child. But fathers experience PND, too – and may be slipping through the cracks.","summaryShort":"\"What sort of man gets depressed after they've had a baby?\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-06-05T19:53:25.158635Z","entity":"article","guid":"17c5f5a7-73fb-461b-9b81-2732aff4d51a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence","modifiedDateTime":"2022-06-28T12:16:31.141872Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220601-male-postnatal-depression-why-men-struggle-in-silence","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200426},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing","_id":"62df815943d9f46d8f206fa4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The words ‘team building’ may stoke fear in our hearts at the best of times, but during a pandemic, they often mean several extra hours on Zoom – something we could all live without.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of colleagues is standing in two rows, arms outstretched, waiting to catch their co-worker. They’re playing a trust game, and the man in question is currently dithering at the edge of a raised wooden platform. “I’ll go first,” he says, rather more confidently than he seems. Nothing happens. “Can I ask you… Are you going to catch me?” he half-jokes, half pleads. \u003Cem\u003EOh yeah\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, they murmur together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, he throws caution to the wind. His rigid body plunges onto their arms. As he falls, it’s already clear that this is not going to plan. There’s an unnerving amount of shouting. Their tight-knit structure is beginning to break up. One woman, positioned at the front, leaps away, apparently realising she doesn’t want to be the sole person to break his fall. He \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=tAmlqAxCC-0\"\u003Ehits the ground, headfirst\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Great teamwork, folks!\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is something of a 'team-building' worst-case scenario, of course. But, nevertheless, these two words stoke fear and loathing in the hearts of many – the wholesome outdoor activities, the games that require you to physically touch your colleagues, the cruel flashbacks to the most embarrassing aspects of childhood, from school sports days to rounds of “two truths and a lie” that inevitably end up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmoney.howstuffworks.com\u002Fbusiness-communications\u002Fworst-ice-breaker.htm#pt8\"\u003Eoffending someone\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EArguably the most heinous team-building events involve 90s clichés such as trust falls, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frecruitingblogs.com\u002Fprofiles\u002Fblogs\u002Fwhat-no-one-tells-you-about-psychometric-testing\"\u003Epseudoscientific personality tests\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and brain teasers. One example is the famous chicken-and-fox puzzle, which actually \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fjnsilva.ludicum.org\u002FHMR13_14\u002FAlcuinStA.pdf\"\u003Edates back to medieval times\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and was immortalised by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.imdb.com\u002Ftitle\u002Ftt0664508\u002F\"\u003EBritish TV series The Office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: a farmer needs to get a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain from one side of a river to the other, but his boat can only carry one at a time. How can he achieve this, without ending up with a feathery bloodbath or an empty sack? Answers on a postcard, please.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut modern equivalents can be just as unappealing. There are the bizarre: luges have become popular team-building events, and one man reportedly attended a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FJMRittenberry\u002Fstatus\u002F880242157185097728?s=20\"\u003Eforklift truck derby\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for his. Next are the awkward: some Russian ‘banyas’ – nude bathhouses – are advertising themselves as suitable for groups of colleagues. And some are downright perilous: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.coburgbanks.co.uk\u002Fblog\u002Ffriday-funnies\u002F8-unusual-team-building-exercises\u002F\"\u003Eblindfolded driving\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, anyone? If you’re really unlucky, team building can provide a rare opportunity for your most extroverted co-workers to showcase their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fsurvey-reveals-25-unusual-team-building-activities-300087984.html\"\u003Eimprov skills\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECould anything be less fun? Yes, as it turns out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmid the pandemic, companies are increasingly in need of ways to keep their teams \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fnicolebendaly\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F20\u002Fyour-team-is-now-working-remotely5-ways-to-strengthen-communication-and-team-cohesion-in-the-covid-19-world\u002F?sh=f9c43a25b70d\"\u003Efocused and maintain a sense of cohesion; \u003C\u002Fa\u003E as of March, many will have spent almost a whole year working remotely. So as everything else has moved online, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.travelandleisure.com\u002Ftrip-ideas\u002Fnature-travel\u002Fvirtual-walking-trails-around-the-world\"\u003Ehiking trips\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=qQBsMRMZOEo\"\u003Ehaircuts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, team building has followed suit. But this has brought its own problems.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhereas at least before the activities involved might have included a day ‘off’ work or a weekend away, now they entail yet more time at your desk, glued to your computer screen. As millions battle \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting\"\u003EZoom fatigue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and – oddly – even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fgraphic-detail\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F24\u002Fpeople-are-working-longer-hours-during-the-pandemic\"\u003Elonger working hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than before, virtual team building is arguably even more agonising than the real thing. It’s also inherently flawed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhysical experiences are more bonding\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKieron Bowen, sales director at Eventurous, a team-building and corporate-events company based in the UK, says the pandemic has had a radical impact on the activities they can provide. Ordinarily, the business relies on providing experiences such as GPS treasure hunts, crystal-maze challenges and soap-box derbies (a kind of gravity-powered car race popular in the US).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Whereas at least before the activities involved might have included a day ‘off’ work or a weekend away, now they entail yet more time at your desk, glued to your computer","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“They’re challenges that the teams take on together in a physical sense,” he says. Some of their activities are more obviously aimed at bonding colleagues together, like classic psychometric testing, but others use more organic, less structured methods, such as encouraging teams to work together in a competitive environment against the clock.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince Covid-19, the company has been forced to focus more on events that can be done via video calls, like virtual escape rooms. During these live-hosted events, companies start with a background story – “so that there’s a bit of emotion and a bit of theatre”, says Bowen – and then task contestants with a series of puzzles that need to be solved within a set time frame.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it’s much harder to achieve the same level of bonding when you’re not physically together; in the virtual world, there’s less scope for the unexpected or unpleasant to happen – things that you can recall later and giggle about. And this means it’s unlikely to be as good at forging a sense of solidarity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffpsyg.2018.02309\u002Ffull\"\u003E2018 study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, groups who consumed raw chillies or did upright wall squats – painful experiences – had more supportive interactions among team-members and heightened collective creativity, versus those who were just asked to eat hard-boiled sweets or balance on one leg. So, as infantilising as organised fun seems, it can provide the opportunity for teams to experience mutual hardships that could strengthen connections, such as struggling through bad weather together, or even experiencing team-building #fails like dropping a colleague on their head (though not recommended).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhen ‘fun’ feels like work\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEffective team building is thought to require two things. The first is a change of scenery, which makes the activity seem more like a break and less like a continuation of your normal day. The second is a demonstration that your employer genuinely cares about your wellbeing – and perhaps the feeling that this is the purpose of the task. These principals were discovered by the researcher who is often credited with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.teambuilding.co.za\u002Fthe-hawthorne-effect\u002F\"\u003Einventing the very concept\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElton Mayo was an Australian psychologist based in Illinois, who conducted his research at the Western Electric Company in the 1920s and 30s. He suspected \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbooks.google.co.uk\u002Fbooks?hl=en&lr=&id=lOTrBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA134&dq=elton+mayo+western+electric&ots=wSFJljWIK0&sig=lfKjlbXA4tSsgCB-65kP8QfJiik&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=elton%20mayo%20western%20electric&f=false\"\u003Efatigue and monotony\u003C\u002Fa\u003E was affecting the efficiency of the workers, and wondered what could be changed to relieve it. To find out, he set up an experimental room at the factory, and spent years siphoning employees off in small groups to investigate the impact of different conditions, from lighting to breaks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Mayo analysed his results, he found something surprising: no matter what he did, the productivity of the workers improved. Crucially, Mayo realised that the participants were responding to the fact that he was changing their environment full stop – what those alterations were was relatively unimportant.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, the benefits that he was seeing were down to the fact that they were revelling in being studied, which made them feel special, like their employer was making these adjustments for their own benefit – though in reality, they were aimed at maximising productivity. And most importantly, the experiments provided colleagues with a shared identity and opportunity to interact\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s nearly impossible to provide specialised attention on a group video call to make people feel like they matter","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut virtual team-building fails spectacularly at both of Mayo’s central tenets. First, it’s nearly impossible to provide specialised attention on a group video call, to make people feel like they matter. And if you’re attending a team-building video chat from the same place as your regular meetings, it’s hardly going to feel like a change of environment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBowen agrees that it’s important that team-building activities don’t feel like work – and even he concedes that “it’s very difficult to replicate that in a virtual medium”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe whole concept is controversial \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother school of thought is that virtual team building isn’t the issue – it’s the entire concept of these activities that’s fatally flawed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome experts are sceptical about the efficacy of any kind of ‘fun’ team building that’s not strictly relevant to a team’s set of job descriptions. Bill Critchley, an organisational psychologist based in London, says the evidence shows that ‘simulated development’, such as outdoor trust falls, doesn’t actually transfer from that forest back to your meeting room.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, attending a forklift truck derby with your colleagues or watching your teammates mix cocktails in front of their cameras might help you to forge new connections in the moment – but unless you happen to work on an industrial site or at a bar, these experiences won’t necessarily help you later. Critchley explains that team bonding is inherently tied to the context it occurs in. When you arrive back at your desk the next day, the inherently political and complex nature of the workplace means people “revert to their normal way of behaving”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECritchley gives the example of a “major retailer” he once worked with. “They had a number of away days and they really improved dramatically,” he says, citing their ability to work together, communicate and address big issues. “I thought we'd done the job. I then went and then attended one of their normal everyday meetings...” In their usual context, they had returned to the dynamic they had before. “They all kind of raised their eyebrows and said, ‘yes, we know, Bill, we're doing it again.’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn place of doing activities, Critchley usually works by taking to each member of a team to find out what their issues are and where they came from. Then, he’ll meet them for a day to observe their realities first hand, and develop ways for them to do things differently. Finally, he follows up to make sure everyone is sticking to their promises.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the delicate choreography involved in even this brand of team building is – like every other kind – harder to achieve in a virtual environment. “It’s to be avoided,” says Critchley, speaking of all such online activity. “Because human beings resonate with each other physically in the room, that’s how empathy works – at least they can feel how they're going to impact on each other. That important dimension is missing, virtually.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA break from trust falls\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, is all online team building pointless?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBowen argues these activities have their place, as long as businesses feel like they’re fulfilling their goals, and they can find a way to make them genuinely enjoyable. “We know virtual events aren’t quite the same as in-person events, and so do clients,” says Bowen. “I think when the circumstances and restrictions allow, the majority of clients will revert to in-person away days and events.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Not many people will tell you this, but the unpalatable truth is that not many team development exercises actually work – Bill Critchley","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, the challenge is to simulate the tactile, physical experience of a team-building day trip, from the comfort of a home office. “We organise virtual cocktail-making masterclasses and cookery classes,” says Bowen, “we send out a load of equipment and consumables in a box to the delegates pre-event, and then we set up a studio and stream an experience with a baker or chocolatier or mixologist.” This may be the reason why those Zoom birthday parties and lectures spent sitting in the same desk chair you do all day fall short.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, Critchley is not quite so confident. “Not many people will tell you this, but the unpalatable truth is that not many team development exercises actually work,” says Critchley. “A lot of facilitators love developing really complicated exercises, and everyone quite enjoys them because they feel they're doing something, but I'm afraid they don't work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo matter which side you’re on, there be may be one upside we can all agree on: no one is going to be expected to trust fall into their colleagues any time soon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing-12"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-01-11T14:26:51Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why virtual team-building activities feel agonising","headlineShort":"Why you hate virtual happy hours","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The words ‘team building’ may stoke fear in our hearts at the best of times, but during a pandemic, they often mean several extra hours on Zoom – something we could all live without.","summaryShort":"The reasons why online team-building activities feel excruciating","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-01-10T23:04:01.585979Z","entity":"article","guid":"a2bc43cf-9d84-44dd-8427-b720c257448d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:01:09.92295Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200427},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job","_id":"62df809743d9f46da00973f4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"These days, swapping a passion role for a less-interesting job with better pay and benefits could well make sense. Is it time to end the stigma of 'selling your soul'?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMolly, a US tech worker in her 30s, used to work at a company whose mission she was deeply invested in. “It was part of my identity,” she says. But when the pandemic hit, bringing rolling redundancies, uncertainty, long hours and burnout, Molly decided it was time to change jobs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe move came with trade-offs; while her new role paid better and offered more remote work, Molly didn’t click with the company’s mission, and she wasn’t particularly interested in the sector. Though she initiated the move, she felt conflicted. “I felt like I was selling out,” says Molly, whose full name is being withheld for job-security concerns. Even though she was burnt out, it “felt like I was very at war with my inner values”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an age in which workers have been conditioned to follow their passions and find roles that are meaningful, the idea of pivoting from a fulfilling job to a boring one with better conditions is, to some, practically taboo. This dilemma can be particularly acute for younger workers; studies show that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww2.deloitte.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002FDeloitte\u002Fglobal\u002FDocuments\u002F2021-deloitte-global-millennial-survey-report.pdf\"\u003Enearly half of millennial and Gen Z workers want a role at a company that aligns with their personal ethics\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; 15% reported they made values-based career decisions during the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s clear, however, that the global pandemic has left employees \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003Equestioning every aspect of work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220127-location-based-salary\"\u003Epay levels\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility\"\u003Eflexibility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to those all-important \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time\"\u003Ework-life boundaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Many people want to change how they work, to find better ways of accommodating professional duties and personal lives. After so much uncertainty over the last two years, some workers are also more conscious of how precarious financial stability can be.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some, swapping a lower-paid, potentially long-hours passion role for a less-interesting job with better pay and benefits could well make sense. And, with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F865ffa54-5ed1-4a0e-ae33-8e3bbdf1b212\"\u003Esalaries rising across sectors\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, companies \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fhello-hybrid\"\u003Eoffering new work models\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and awareness of work-related mental health issues \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbigthink.com\u002Fneuropsych\u002Fmental-health-google-searches-2021\u002F\"\u003Eat an all-time high\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, now might just be a good time for people to seek out a role that sets them up for the life they want to lead. Perhaps calling this kind of transition ‘selling out’ isn’t quite right anymore.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Going to the dark side’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMultiple factors triggered Molly’s decision to switch roles, including wanting more stability amid a wave of pandemic redundancies, a desire to protect her mental wellbeing and better pay. A crucial factor was her wish to continue working remotely; her previous employer was pushing staff to come to the office as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, despite her valid reasons for leaving, Molly says her colleagues judged her when she disclosed her new role; there was a sense she was “going to the dark side”, she says. “There’s some expectation of what is a ‘good switch’; [for example], if you’re going to a very mission-driven company or starting your own business. It kind of bummed me out that I wasn’t able to be like, ‘I’m going here’, and have people be like, ‘Oh, I’m so proud of you, that’s amazing’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There’s no need for judgmental views ever, and surely not when one is taking care of their needs and commitments, financial and any other – Anat Lechner","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAt issue is the fact that many workers, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.buzzfeednews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fannehelenpetersen\u002Fmillennials-burnout-generation-debt-work\"\u003Eespecially millennials\u003C\u002Fa\u003E like Molly, have absorbed the idea they should be in ‘dream jobs’ that align with their values. Catherine Shea, assistant professor of organisational behaviour and theory at Carnegie Mellon University, US, says this is a long-standing dilemma: do you want “a job where you find meaning, or do you find meaning somewhere else and a job funds that?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWork people are passionate about, she points out, often comes with a penalty; a 2019 study showed that many \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2019-21488-001\"\u003Eorganisations exploit workers’ passion to pay them less or allocate them menial tasks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So-called dream jobs can also feed into toxic ‘hustle culture’ that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2019\u002F01\u002F26\u002Fbusiness\u002Fagainst-hustle-culture-rise-and-grind-tgim.html\"\u003Econvinces workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E they need to work all hours to prove their passion and commitment to others as well as themselves.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bp7sz0"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet, it’s still seen as a badge of honour to choose a passion-based job – it’s a sign that a worker has stayed true to their values despite obstacles; opting for a less interesting, potentially higher-paid role means they sold their soul to take the easy way out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Shea suggests that the pandemic may have caused some ‘passion workers’ to feel disenchanted with their roles. Workers, she suggests, may see “the limits of the feel-good emotions that their organisations can give them, particularly when working remotely. A passion job may have been fun in an interactive office setting, which could have compensated for the lower pay. Now that everything is on Zoom, why not get paid more?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s not so much selling your soul, I think,” adds Shea. “It’s now flipping passion on its head and seeing the negative aspects” of a job you otherwise care about.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘It’s very easy for me to let go’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts say there’s no data yet to suggest that more people are ‘selling out’ in the pandemic. But, says Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management and organisations at New York University, any time of great uncertainty makes people say to themselves, “‘I need to maximise the opportunities that I can get, because God knows what tomorrow will look like’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERepeated trauma over the last couple of years, add Lechner and Shea, has led workers to seize the opportunity to go for higher salaries and more flexible perks – jumping for the better deal on the table right now – since the future is generally uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's not just insecurity driving workers to assess their employment options, however. During the pandemic, many workers have had an opportunity to take stock of priorities and decide what they want from their jobs, whether work flexibility, more money or an ability to draw firm boundaries between professional and personal lives. While every job has its stressors, taking that step to match a role to your particular priorities can pay off. “’I’m not selling my soul – I’m actually repositioning myself so I can have a better life’,” says Lechner.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Molly’s case, prioritising comfort and wellbeing over passion in her employment has been rather freeing. “One of the pros is since you don’t care about that industry, you’re not going to take it home with you. It’s very easy for me to let go, and let things roll off of me,” she explains.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd for workers later in their careers, the money and stability that comes with swapping passion for a less inspiring role may be less about ‘going to the dark side’, and rather just a case of pragmatism. Workers might have kids, want to buy a house or review their pension and realise, quite simply, that they need to earn more.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Reality can hit you with a brisk wind,” says Lechner. “It’s one thing to pursue beautiful ideals when one is a relatively agent, and a whole different game to continue with that pursuit when you a have a couple of little ones needing to be fed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese days, the experts suggest, judging a former colleague for ‘selling out’ is unwarranted. “There’s no need for judgmental views ever, and surely not when one is taking care of their needs and commitments, financial and any other,” says Lechner.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince moving jobs, Molly hasn’t looked back. “The energy [at the new job] is much more positive – it’s not bleak. I actually am very content. I’m not burnt out anymore,” she says. In her career, she says, she’s always wanted to go for the sexier companies. But now? “I’ve learned that’s not a requirement.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The taboo of 'selling out' for a better-paying job","headlineShort":"The workers 'going to the dark side'","image":["p0bp7t98"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"These days, swapping a passion role for a less-interesting job with better pay and benefits could well make sense. Is it time to end the stigma of 'selling your soul'?","summaryShort":"'Selling your soul' for a better-paying job is taboo – but should it be?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-15T21:16:24.961428Z","entity":"article","guid":"8e016f61-c1a1-468f-93df-2daa4a27fa02","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:22:34.206305Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200436},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good","_id":"62df809043d9f42c895578a1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Employees have more agency due to the labour shortage. But is it actually making a long-term difference?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Great Resignation has left employers squeezed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2021, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F01\u002Feconomy\u002Fus-job-openings-quite-december\u002Findex.html\"\u003EUS employees left the workforce in record numbers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, leaving \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Fus-job-openings-jump-11-million-october-2021-12-08\u002F\"\u003Emillions of positions unfilled\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Similar patterns have played out in the UK; in January, the Office for National Statistics announced a record-high of more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Femploymentandlabourmarket\u002Fpeopleinwork\u002Femploymentandemployeetypes\u002Fbulletins\u002Fjobsandvacanciesintheuk\u002Fjanuary2022\"\u003E1.2 million job vacancies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. For months, employers have struggled to fill open roles and keep existing workers from moving on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese figures imply that employers are on the back foot, compared to workers, who are in a new position to bargain with current and prospective bosses. And indeed, amid\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F08\u002Feconomy\u002Fus-job-openings-july\u002Findex.html\"\u003E an incredibly tight labour market\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, many employees can afford to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003Echerry-pick roles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that align with their values, command \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211129-should-you-job-hunt-constantly\"\u003Ehigher salaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or tailor \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete\"\u003Ework perks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for a new hybrid set-up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd beyond finding themselves with the upper hand in a hot job market, many workers are also becoming more active in labour issues; in the US particularly, a wave of strikes and increased union activity has swept across both knowledge- and service-work jobs. “People are increasingly unwilling to accept substandard working conditions of all kinds,” says Benjamin Sachs, professor of labour and industry at Harvard Law School. “That includes poor pay, a lack of resources or not feeling respected on the job.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe worker shortage has seemingly emboldened employees. But where is this newfound power truly making a difference? And does it mark a permanent shift in the dynamic between employers and their staff, or is it merely a fleeting labour market trend?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere power is bringing change\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers are harnessing power to spur change in a few distinct arenas – most are connected to better working conditions, from pay to benefits to workplace health and safety.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, the high demand for workers amid a limited supply is increasing salaries, particularly among private sector workers. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffred.stlouisfed.org\u002Fseries\u002FCES0500000003\"\u003Ethe average hourly earnings of all employees in the private sector\u003C\u002Fa\u003E rose to a record $31.63 (£23.37) in January – nearly $2.00 more than a year earlier. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn service jobs, where pay can be a barrier to keeping workers, major businesses have also been forced to introduce \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Feu.usatoday.com\u002Fstory\u002Fmoney\u002Ffood\u002F2021\u002F10\u002F27\u002Fstarbucks-pay-raise-hourly-wage-increase-2022\u002F8567718002\u002F\"\u003Emultiple wage hikes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; smaller companies are incentivising staff with new benefits, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.bloomberglaw.com\u002Fdaily-labor-report\u002Fdesperate-for-workers-small-companies-pump-up-health-coverage\"\u003Ehealth insurance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Those in hospitality and retail seem to have more power than they did previously because of labour shortages,” says Abigail Marks, professor of the future of work at Newcastle University Business School, UK.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKnowledge workers, too, are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office\"\u003Epushing back\u003C\u002Fa\u003E against company return-to-office policies, staging \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-04-15\u002Fex-jpmorgan-trader-says-colleagues-staged-walk-out-over-firing\"\u003Ewalkouts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and demanding \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-58054983\"\u003Ehigher pay\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “We’ve seen a widespread uptick in strikes, organising and activism across multiple industries,” says Sachs. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn October 2021, a burst of employee activism and strikes occurred across America, particularly in the private sector. Dubbed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fabcnews.go.com\u002FBusiness\u002Fstriketober-workers-seize-power-pandemic-wanes\u002Fstory?id=80640190\"\u003E‘Striketober\u003C\u002Fa\u003E,’ swaths of workers walked out on their jobs across multiple industries; many demanded better pay and treatment after working through the pandemic, often in roles that were deemed essential. In the largest instance, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2021\u002Foct\u002F23\u002Fstriketober-unions-strikes-workers-lasting-change\"\u003E10,000 workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at manufacturing firm John Deere went on strike – the biggest of its kind in the US for two years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers are also applying pressure to some of the biggest companies in the world – and winning. In one example, Amazon previously had a policy that banned employees from break rooms and non-work areas for more than 15 minutes either side of their shift. However, following a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbsnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Famazon-reaches-settlement-that-gives-workers-more-power-to-organize\u002F\"\u003Erecent settlement\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with the American labour regulator, Amazon now has to allow its 750,000 employees in the US to organise within the buildings. “I think the current National Labour Relations Board is the most progressive – and the most activist – one we’ve seen in generations,” says Sachs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the UK, the past year also saw Uber agree to recognise the GMB trade union for its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thetimes.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Funions-need-to-harness-technology-to-help-to-rebuild-their-lost-muscle-xsx83fpk0\"\u003E70,000 private hire drivers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – the first time a gig economy ride-hailing app has accepted collective bargaining. “To allow recognition of a trade union is very important,” explains Marks. “If conditions don’t improve, then people have at least the opportunity to take action.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Those in hospitality and retail seem to have more power than they did previously because of labour shortages – Abigail Marks","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs hybrid and remote working increases, the workplace is becoming more and more fragmented. Although that can make it harder for informal conversations to take place between employees around pay and working conditions, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement\"\u003Eonline communities are growing in response\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, offering networks for home-based employees to take collective action, digitally. “There is growing evidence that there is more informal organising being done online,” says Marks. “It’s the logical way forward, and it helps empower people.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy employee activism only goes so far\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile there has been a rise in worker power in the short term, there are still few signs that any changes are likely to stick.For one, the labour movement is hampered by the waning presence of trade unions. Sachs says, “The popularity of unions is going up and up – but actual union density is going down.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2021, fewer than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fpdf\u002Funion2.pdf\"\u003E10% of American workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E belonged to a union. The disconnect is down to the law, explains Sachs. In 1947, the US government passed the Taft-Hartley Act to restrict the power of unions. Boycotts of businesses that workers had no direct dispute with, such as places where their employer bought or sold products, were made illegal, as were closed shops, where employers could only hire union members.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnion membership has been on a downward trajectory in the decades since. “Although the law still guarantees workers the right to form and join a union if that’s what they want,” adds Sachs, “it’s a right that’s been eviscerated over time through judicial opinion and employer practises.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat means workers face an uphill battle in trying to institutionalise their power. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Employees need a collective organisation that channels their demands: a union,” says Sachs – but it is becoming increasingly difficult to push them through. He cites Starbucks workers in the US, who are currently trying to organise shop by shop, only to be met with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-60312013\"\u003Ecorporate resistance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Forming – and therefore joining – a union is made all the more challenging, given that employers are reticent in recognising them. Sachs adds that the law also gives management the leeway to fight unionisation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd while wages are on the rise, so too is the cost of living. In many cases, experts say, market conditions, rather than employee power, are dictating that pay needs to increase. “Although salaries are going up, it’s often not in proportion to rising bills and energy costs,” says Marks. “Many workers in the UK public sector haven’t had pay rises – their real wages are going down.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking longer term\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many cases, the recent surge in worker power is making a short-term difference. But it doesn’t paint the full picture of where we might be going in the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch of this activity has been reactive by employers, who are scrambling amid the unprecedented hiring crisis. “For those in higher demand now, like hospitality workers, they have more power than before,” says Marks. “But it’s because of a short-term labour market issue, rather than from employee power or employer goodwill.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe employee activism we’re currently seeing could then also shift back once the labour shortage normalises. “History shows that if workers don’t have an institution, organisation or mechanism to translate their market power into some kind of sustained form of collective voices, then these signs of optimism soon fade,” says Sachs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESystemic change is still yet to happen. Unless the provision of entitlements like paid holiday, minimum wages and other benefits is enshrined in law, any employee gains made at local or company level can be easily rolled back once market conditions allow companies to do so. “Anything an employer gives today can be taken away tomorrow,” adds Sachs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, while we’re currently witnessing the pendulum swing towards employees, there are no guarantees that it won’t swing back to employers. We don’t know, however, when that might be, how long the labour shortage could go on for or even what the pandemic has still in store.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor all the progress made by workers, there is currently little certainty about how much will remain for good. Marks says: “The employee power that we’re currently witnessing is manifesting for a small group of people at a particular point of time – and we just don’t know what will happen.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-15T15:03:53Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Can newfound worker power change the workplace for good?","headlineShort":"The workers who hold the power","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Employees have more agency due to the labour shortage. But is it actually making a long-term difference?","summaryShort":"Workers have leverage now, but will it translate to long-term gains?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-14T23:05:00.662562Z","entity":"article","guid":"ee233884-b863-404f-8814-8326bc0712de","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-28T15:13:53.302003Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200427},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office","_id":"62df7ffb43d9f42c895577e4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic put an end to required birthday cupcakes, team happy hours and forced ‘fun’ activities. Many workers are deeply relieved.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EIt is a truth universally acknowledged that there’s nothing better than a pizza party, except maybe an ice cream social. Field trips are super fun, too. And you can’t beat a good extra-curricular activity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EThey’re the best, that is, if you’re in the third grade. If you’re an adult being forced to attend a team-building exercise, go to a post-work happy hour or celebrate in a conference room with your colleagues lest you be seen as ‘not a team player’, they’re mostly the worst.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EFor more than two years, a complete shake-up of office culture has effectively banished the forced fun of the pre-pandemic era. Many people have attended some kind of virtual team-building activity or Zoom happy hour, of course. But workers have by and large been spared the mandatory monthly birthday celebrations, afterhours drinks and outings to obstacle courses. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EAnd now, even as some companies call employees back to the office, ‘fun’ at work isn’t what it used to be. In a hybrid environment, it’s tough to get everyone together. Plus, a pandemic-driven priority realignment means many people want to be home with their families as quickly as possible after work – morale-boosting laser tag be damned.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EBut while the compulsory office party may have had its last gasp, a new kind of work fun is more important than ever. Events that people actually \u003Cem\u003Ewant \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eto attend are a helpful way to facilitate team bonding, and to give those who’d prefer to remain mostly remote a good reason to re-join their colleagues. Smart companies are working to identify the types of ‘fun’ workers actually like: the things they’ll show up for because they want to, not because their arm’s twisted.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo patience for parties\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EFor decades, companies have – for better or worse – been working to make their offices fun places to be, says Paul Lopushinsky, founder of Vancouver, British Columbia-based consultancy Playficient.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E“Over the last 20, 25 years, we’ve seen the rise of these perks no one was considering before,” says Lopushinsky. Think bean bag chairs, colourful lounges, arcade games and ping-pong tables as well as common areas with beer and cold brew taps. “We call it ‘the Kindergarten office’, where it looks more like a kindergarten classroom than a workplace. It started with the major tech companies, and that’s the culture people started to copy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c7b52y"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EBut there’s always been something a bit insidious about those perks, adds Lopushinsky. “That culture isn’t \u003Cem\u003Ereally\u003C\u002Fem\u003E about fun; it’s about getting people to stay longer. That’s when you get the ping-pong table, the beer on tap. Now you’re expected to stay after work for happy hour. It was never mandatory, but if people didn’t, it was used against them, like, ‘you’re not a team player’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EEven in offices without things like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnn.com\u002Fvideos\u002Fworld\u002F2015\u002F02\u002F24\u002Fpkg-soares-office-ball-pit.cnn#:~:text=The%20team%20at%20design%20company,CNN's%20Isa%20Soares%20has%20more.\"\u003Egiant ball pits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a culture of forced fun has long persisted. And while some extroverts and expert networkers may genuinely enjoy it, many others have long chafed against it. “Nobody wants to be told, ‘it’s Hawaiian shirt day!’, and then you’re a pariah if you don’t participate,” says Adrian Gostick, an executive-leadership coach and co-author of a number of books on employee engagement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EParticipation out of obligation creates a “corporate cult”, according to Lopushinsky, “where it’s almost indoctrination. You end up with fake smiles. ‘Oh yeah, of course, it’s great here, I just \u003Cem\u003Elove \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ethese activities.’ It’s a culture of harmony with a lot of disharmony just below the surface.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EBy stripping away the trappings around work – the desk-mates, conference room meetings and working lunches – the pandemic helped many realise that working effectively doesn’t necessarily require bells and whistles. It also brought the question of work-life balance to the fore, prompting workers to demand new levels of flexibility from their employers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EAnd just as it changed everything else, the pandemic has forced a shift in office fun, too. In short, says Gostick, it’s made people a lot less likely to do things they don’t want to do. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E“I think the pandemic has made us a little angrier, a little more cynical overall, and people just aren’t putting up with things they consider annoying as much anymore,” he says. Thus, many were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing\"\u003Edisillusioned by virtual team-building activities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E organised by managers desperate to keep people engaged. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EBut that doesn’t mean that colleagues stopped connecting altogether, says Lopushinsky. They just started doing it in ways they actually found enjoyable. “On the flip side, the pandemic also led to the rise of more employee-led initiatives,” he says. Team-building events and ‘fun’ ceased to be top-down. “Employees would lead a Zoom yoga class, or a cooking class for their colleagues. It’s an interesting shift, away from ‘you have to do this,’ and toward, ‘what do you guys really want to do?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The pandemic has made us a little angrier, a little more cynical overall, and people just aren’t putting up with things they consider annoying as much anymore – Adrian Gostick","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EGostick saw a similar trend emerge among his clients as the pandemic wore on. One, a major American corporation, started holding weekly “wine-and-whine” parties on Zoom. “It’s like four o’clock on a Friday. If you want to have a drink you could, or not, whatever. But you come and whine about the week,” says Gostick. “It’s an hour, and everybody complains and talks about their terrible clients and aggravating bosses.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003ERather than creating a toxic or negative environment, adds Gostick, the wine-and-whine events allow workers to blow off steam, let go of any frustrations from the week, prepare to enjoy the weekend and ultimately feel more refreshed on Monday morning. It’s an authentic kind of fun employees have continued to embrace as they return to the office. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E“Companies know they need to be looking for ways to bring people together that feels more authentic,” he says. “It’s not about just planning a party. It’s about making it meaningful, and making people actually want to be there.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGiving workers a good reason to go back\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EToday, after more than two years of remote work, a large number of people no longer want to return to a physical office. In the US, according to a February 2022 Pew Research study, close to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F16\u002Fcovid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america\u002F\"\u003E60% of those who’ve been working from home would prefer to continue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E doing so. In the UK, that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Forca.cardiff.ac.uk\u002Fid\u002Feprint\u002F133394\u002F1\u002FThe%20Effect%20of%20the%20Great%20Lockdown%20on%20Homeworking%20in%20the%20United%20Kingdom_0.pdf\"\u003Estatistic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is even more stark. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EEmployees that are ordered back, says Gostick, are likely to simply quit. So, he says, companies need ways to “lure people back”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EAnd they are certainly trying. Companies are offering everything from food trucks and free T-shirts to, in the case of Google, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2022\u002F04\u002F12\u002Ftechnology\u002Frto-return-office-technology.html\"\u003Eprivate performance by Lizzo\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But while such celebrations might draw a crowd, that enthusiasm wanes when it’s time to go back to their desks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003E“One of my clients built a big new office during the pandemic, and they finally opened it up a few months ago and had a big party,” says Gostick. “They had like 90% of people show up. Everybody had a great time, and they were so excited to see each other. But then Monday, maybe 10% of people came in. People are desperate to see each other, but they still prefer to \u003Cem\u003Ework \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eremotely.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0c7b561"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EThe flashy parties may work at first, but companies need a longer-term fun strategy, says Gostick; ways to create fun that are meaningful enough for people to want to participate and compelling enough to keep them coming back. “It’s a shift from, ‘Everyone gather around, it’s Stan’s birthday and there are cupcakes’, to getting together in a meaningful way,” says Gostick. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EThat means continuing events – like a wine-and-whine Friday – that were popular and useful during the pandemic, and planning others that don’t require people to stay after working hours, or invest time and energy they might like to spend somewhere else. It also means understanding that there are some people who simply won’t come, and not holding it against them. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EThe other half of that equation, of course, is that it can’t be forced. “It’s got to be no guilt, no obligation,” says Gostick. “You have to give people the option to opt out.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EThat’s a benefit to management, too, adds Lopushinsky. If the ultimate goal of office fun is to facilitate team bonding, it’ll work a lot better if nobody feels obliged to attend. “That kind of get-together has the most positive impact anyway. It’s team bonding that would happen naturally, as opposed to forcing it.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"m1610742441308497767xmsonormal\"\u003EPost-pandemic, people are craving a good time and each other’s company more than ever, says Gostick, “and yet the inane office ‘fun’ of yesteryear has wholly passed. We realise, maybe more than before, that every minute of our time is precious. If our bosses want it, they’ve got to use it wisely.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-19T14:39:49Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The death of 'mandatory fun' in the office","headlineShort":"The end of 'mandatory office fun'","image":["p0c7b57j"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201229-why-virtual-team-building-activities-feel-agonizing","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220215-the-taboo-of-selling-out-for-a-better-paying-job","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220210-can-newfound-worker-power-change-the-workplace-for-good"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic put an end to required birthday cupcakes, team happy hours and forced ‘fun’ activities. Many workers are deeply relieved.","summaryShort":"Why \"the inane office 'fun' of yesteryear has wholly passed\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-18T23:33:57.716816Z","entity":"article","guid":"180f0ae4-3da9-484f-a2f9-4290db8b260e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-19T05:43:16.429663Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-death-of-mandatory-fun-in-the-office","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200427},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace","_id":"62df7ece43d9f42c7c5da17f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Narcissists aren’t all overt and grandiose. There’s a stealthier, friendlier kind who are harder to spot – but just as dangerous.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe braggy colleague, the boss who hogs credit for the team's work, the connection who constantly shows off work achievements on social media – we all know a narcissist when we see one.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOr do we? Not all narcissists are egoists clamouring for the spotlight, it turns out. There's also a stealthier, friendlier version: the covert narcissist. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese individuals have the same basic drive as more overt narcissists, craving attention and recognition. But covert narcissists go about securing this attention in a quieter, more unassuming way: a covert narcissist may appear friendly, even as they ruthlessly sabotage others for their own self-interest. This kind of person can be dangerous in the workplace, as colleagues may have a harder time sniffing out their damaging behaviours. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELuckily, experts say there are hallmark traits to look for, so you can recognise a covert narcissist and understand how best to interact with them – if you must. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Good guys’ who pose a threat\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we think of traditional narcissists, we may envisage someone who thinks they're the centre of the universe, to the annoyance and detriment of others around them. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the workplace, narcissists \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fresourcesandtools\u002Fhr-topics\u002Fpeople-managers\u002Fpages\u002Fnarcissism-and-managers-.aspx\"\u003Ecan be poisonous\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: they manipulate colleagues to get their way, make reckless choices that don't consider others' viewpoints and can be solely focused on elevating themselves over their teammates. Their disregard for others is one of the reasons they can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-how-narcissists-climb-the-career-ladder-quickly\"\u003Eclimb the corporate ladder so quickly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut narcissists of the covert variety – also called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves\"\u003E'vulnerable' narcissists\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – are a little different. They have that same core need to feed their own ego at all costs, but they can be more sensitive in their methods. While overt narcissists may care less about rocking the boat to demand the attention they crave, covert narcissists are \"not comfortable presenting in that larger-than-life way\", says Julie L Hall, author of The Narcissist in Your Life, who's written about \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psychologytoday.com\u002Fus\u002Fblog\u002Fthe-narcissist-in-your-life\u002F202007\u002F52-ways-identify-covert-narcissist\"\u003Ecovert narcissism in particular\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey \"tend to want to be seen as 'the good guy': basically, easy-going, fun, likable, generous, they may be helpful – that kind of thing\", says Hall. But the downside is that they are calculating; their behaviour is characterised by an \"ongoing passive-aggressiveness\". Think backhanded compliments, veiled barbs, insults disguised as humour, subtle digs or gossiping behind people's backs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Covert narcissists may affect us in a more invisible way because we are not as prepared to deal with them - Chanki Moon","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThey may quietly and strategically fish for acknowledgement or compliments. Perhaps they conspicuously give someone a gift in front of others, checking others are witnessing this act of generosity. They might \"triangulate\" conversations – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fnarcissistic-triangulation\"\u003Esteering them by bringing in an additional person\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to pit people against each other or stoke conflict. At work, they might cosy up to you and a colleague, only to badmouth each of you to the other, pitting you against each other so that the covert narcissist can look like the model employee in comparison.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDriving this behaviour is an internalised sense of shame, says Hall, so they overcompensate by trying to make themselves seem superior. Indeed, covert narcissists, unlike grandiose, overt ones, often have low self-esteem and insecurities, as opposed to having an inflated sense of self. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the moment, there is still a lot we don't know about covert narcissists in the workplace; most research to date has focused on the grandiose, overt narcissistic personality, says Chanki Moon, lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK. That's what motivated Moon, along with Catarina Morais, researcher in education and psychology at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal, to look at how covert narcissism affects workplace incivility.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a study published in March, they found covert narcissists were more likely to claim they’d \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12144-022-02968-5\"\u003Eexperienced workplace incivility \u003Cem\u003Ethemselves\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, despite their own behaviour (the digs and back-biting) likely being uncivil to others. Moon and Morais found that, due to low self-esteem, along with a worse understanding of workplace norms like fairness and respect, workers who measured high in covertly narcissistic traits were more likely to say they experienced rudeness, disrespect or discourtesy from others at work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlaying the victim in this way is \"super common – almost a given\" for covert narcissists, says Hall. \"They typically have a victim narrative, which allows them to pivot out of any situation, out of any responsibility. It's always someone else's fault, someone has been unfair to them.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHall says while overt narcissists are more obvious and aggressive, bullying others or hogging the spotlight, covert narcissists can be sweet and ingratiating, manipulating their victims over long periods before they realise what's going on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Covert narcissists may affect us in a more invisible way because we are not as prepared to deal with them,\" says Moon, adding that more research is needed to investigate this more deeply. \"You may be able to guard against the actions of an overt narcissist because their narcissistic behaviours are more visible…. Covert narcissism is less easily identified and harder to spot.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Fundamentally dangerous’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat’s the best way to deal with a covert narcissist?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you're trying to figure out if someone \u003Cem\u003Eis \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ea covert narcissist, consider this: how do they react when something good happens to you? Maybe it's a promotion, getting praise from a boss or even just telling them you're having a good day. \"Are they happy for you? Are they \u003Cem\u003Ereally\u003C\u002Fem\u003E happy for you? That's a really good way to detect narcissism,\" says Hall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you get the sense that it's fake or they're tucking something about the situation away in their mental filing cabinet, stop talking to them. Establishing boundaries is critical with any kind of narcissist, and since covert ones tend to do a better job at keeping up a likable or inoffensive appearance, it's better to err on the side of caution.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you have one in your workplace, it’s important not to disclose anything that could be used to undermine you: narcissists defend themselves by subtly attacking others. “Don't share personal information, because they're always mining information about others so they can get a leg up on them, so they can find other people's vulnerabilities and exploit those things,” says Hall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for the convert narcissists themselves, Moon and Morais suggest that emotional intelligence training can help them build self-esteem, the lack of which causes their toxic behaviours. Moon says their study shows that \"boosting self-esteem is key\" to potentially helping covert narcissists experience less incivility at work and possibly change their harmful habits; studies have shown emotional intelligence and self-esteem \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F02699930143000482\"\u003Ehave a correlational relationship\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so if one improves, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fprofile\u002FSaleha-Bibi\u002Fpublication\u002F308041700_Relationship_between_Emotional_Intelligence_and_Self_Esteem_among_Pakistani_University_Students\u002Flinks\u002F5d454867a6fdcc370a76c7e6\u002FRelationship-between-Emotional-Intelligence-and-Self-Esteem-among-Pakistani-University-Students.pdf\"\u003Ethe other may, as well\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while you wait for that to happen, keep your guard up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"They're always hiding and armouring themselves – you can have empathy for it and pity for it, because it's its own form of tragedy in a human being. But at the same time, doing that is not safe,\" says Hall. \"They are antagonistic, and fundamentally dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-20T22:38:24Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The quiet threat of 'covert' narcissists in the workplace","headlineShort":"The quiet threat of covert narcissists","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Narcissists aren’t all overt and grandiose. There’s a stealthier, friendlier kind who are harder to spot – but just as dangerous.","summaryShort":"How not all narcissists are loud, showy braggarts – some are stealthy","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-19T23:15:16.738562Z","entity":"article","guid":"6d6d0991-f223-467e-92be-b938550dbf3c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-19T23:15:16.738562Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220518-the-quiet-threat-of-covert-narcissists-in-the-workplace","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout","_id":"62df7f5943d9f46da30db232","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Feeling like you’re bad at your job is miserable. Worse, it’s also more likely to lead to professional burnout.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“People seem to think I'm doing OK, but I really don’t think I am,” says Fiona, a senior manager in her 40s, working in the construction industry in the UK.  “You’re always thinking you could be doing better, and that people \u003Cem\u003Emust\u003C\u002Fem\u003E be doubting you.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFiona, who has been granted anonymity to protect her professional reputation, has spent her career battling imposter syndrome: the fear she doesn’t truly deserve her success. “Despite the fact I’ve got to the position I’m in, I still don’t believe in myself. Other people seem to, but I just don’t feel it’s warranted,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe stress of constantly questioning herself has been compounded by the anxieties of the pandemic and the pressure of remote working, leaving Fiona feeling “exhausted on a daily basis”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, with sky-high demand in her industry, she feels she’s showing all the symptoms of burnout. She feels emotionally depleted, and has started to “question the whole point of work” and the value she brings “when other people do the job so much better”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImposter syndrome \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwomensleadership.kpmg.us\u002Fsummit\u002Fkpmg-womens-leadership-report-2020.html\"\u003Eis a known issue among professionals\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But researchers are increasingly interested in the link Fiona has experienced between imposter syndrome and that other \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002F2022\u002F01\u002Fspecial-burnout-stress\"\u003Emodern career malaise: burnout.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the workplace undergoes a period of rapid change, understanding how these two conditions feed into each other – and what can be done to prevent them destabilising careers – will be critical for both employee wellbeing and retention.    \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn insidious link\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImposter syndrome (IS) – also called imposter phenomenon - manifests differently in different people, but commonly leaves someone with the unshakeable belief they are an intellectual fraud, despite all evidence to the contrary.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When you see an individual who's suffering from imposter syndrome, they're more likely to burn out. And the folks who are burned out are more likely to be suffering from imposter syndrome - Sahar Yousef","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople with IS often feel they need to over-work and over-deliver on projects to avoid being found out. Though they might be high achievers, they might avoid taking on challenges so they can’t publicly fail. They attribute success to luck or hard work, rather than ability, and fear it will only lead to being given other chances to trip up. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fso06.tci-thaijo.org\u002Findex.php\u002FIJBS\u002Farticle\u002Fview\u002F521\u002Fpdf\"\u003EStudies suggest up to 70% of people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have experienced imposterism at work at some point.  While some research suggests IS \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-hidden-upside-of-imposter-syndrome\"\u003Emight sometimes help motivate people to achieve\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, there is also ample evidence that the stress it generates can be so draining that it places \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F233635912_I_feel_like_a_fraud_and_it_depresses_me_The_relation_between_the_imposter_phenomenon_and_depression\"\u003Eintense pressure on mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne 2016 study, for example, showed that US medical students with feelings of imposterism also tended to demonstrate “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ijme.net\u002Farchive\u002F7\u002Fimpostor-syndrome-among-american-medical-students\u002F\"\u003Eincreased levels of exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalization\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, symptoms very similar to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases\"\u003EWorld Health Organisation’s (WHO) definition of burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd a recent international \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fasana.com\u002Fresources\u002Fanatomy-of-work\"\u003Esurvey of 10,000 knowledge workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by US-based work-management platform Asana showed 42% believed they had experienced both IS and burnout at the same time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When you see an individual who's suffering from imposter syndrome, they're more likely to burn out. And the folks who are burned out are more likely to be suffering from imposter syndrome,” says Dr Sahar Yousef, a cognitive neuroscientist researching workplace productivity at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in California, who contributed to the research.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYousef says it’s important to note that the survey relied on people making their own assessment of burnout, a serious clinical syndrome from which recovery can take months. But even if some people might be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong\"\u003Eoverly quick to label themselves as burned out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, rather than very tired and stressed, it’s notable that so many identified with both syndromes at the same time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not entirely scientifically clear why the two are increasingly overlapping, says Yousef, but  one key factor is that IS manifests in a similar way to the third dimension of burnout, as defined by the WHO: “feelings of professional inefficacy”. As Fiona is finding, when someone is experiencing burnout, “you feel like no matter what you do, it’s not enough. You are the ineffective person on your team”, says Yousef. This is notably similar to the definition of imposter syndrome, she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe perfectionist tendencies of someone with IS can mean every interaction becomes intensely stressful, she says. Burnout can then set in after “hundreds, maybe thousands, of uncompleted stress cycles”, where the individual never has a chance to mentally recover from moments of pressure.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman sitting at her desk","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EClare Josa, founder of an IS consultancy, and author of Ditching Imposter Syndrome, says she sees a clear link between IS and burnout, something she attributes to “the body’s fight, flight or freeze mechanism getting stuck on”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHer recent year-long study of 2,000 workers in the UK and US found that \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.clarejosa.com\u002Fsoulledleaders\u002Fburnout-research\u002F#tve-jump-17ffa460e08\"\u003E62% of people struggled with feelings of imposterism on a daily basis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and 18% described themselves as being “on their knees” from stress. Based on their responses to a series of assessment questions, 34% of respondents were judged to be at high risk of imminently burning out. She concluded that IS is “one of the most important predictors of whether or not someone is at risk of burning out”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJosa believes the correlation largely stems from tactics people develop to compensate for or mask their imposterism, such as taking on work they don’t have time for to win approval, or avoiding promotion because they fear exposure. As one contributor to her research said: “I feel like if I'm in the spotlight, everyone will see if I make a mistake. So I do my best not to go there.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESomeone who is so “wired to look for threats” will quickly find it affecting their wellbeing, pushing them towards burnout, says Josa. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrevention is key\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, says Anne Raimondi, COO and head of business at Asana, their research shows it’s Gen Z workers who are most likely to say they’re struggling with both imposter syndrome and burnout. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe attributes this to the unique challenges for young people of launching careers during the pandemic. Unable to observe colleagues in person and adjust to workplace dynamics, with no clear boundaries between work and personal life; and without the “moments of feedback and reassurance” that are crucial to building professional confidence, she says it’s easy to see how junior staff could begin to feel they don’t belong in their role and become overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I feel like if I'm in the spotlight, everyone will see if I make a mistake. So I do my best not to go there – Contributor to Clare Josa’s research","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJosa says while younger workers may be more vocal about their struggles, older generations are suffering, too. One of the biggest triggers she’s identified for imposter syndrome is the menopause for women, or for men getting promoted into senior positions. Working mothers, meanwhile, are a high-risk group of both IS and burnout, she adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also a body of research suggesting people from minority backgrounds can be more acutely affected. Dr Kelly Cawcutt, from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, says imposter syndrome has long been noted as a factor in high burnout rates among medical workers. But her research suggests “ingrained biases and a lack of diversity” in the profession can mean \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.liebertpub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1089\u002Fwhr.2021.0138\"\u003Eunder-represented and ethnic minority groups are particularly affected\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Black physicians, for example, are known to face higher risk of burnout, partly because of the stress of discrimination. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If we are told we are not good enough, not smart enough, or do not belong – or are made to feel this way through microaggressions – those extrinsic biases can be internalised,” she says, fuelling both imposterism and in the longer term, burnout. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Although there are many efforts to address this now, these biases still exist,” says Cawcutt, creating what her research calls a “substantial negative cycle” for the individual. This, she says,shows the importance of treating IS and burnout – and indeed ingrained biases – not as siloed issues, but as connected phenomena which, if they’re to be resolved, need to be addressed together. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJosa says when it comes to the individual, the starting point is to tackle the imposter syndrome by rewiring the brain’s response to stress, “so you don't get that unconscious firing of the fight, flight, freeze response”. But to address the issue of IS spiralling into burnout, she says companies need to do more to tackle cultures where “everything has become an emergency”, and where people feel compelled to over-perform and grit their teeth through adversity rather than being honest about their wellbeing.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYousef and Raimondi agree it’s critical for workers to be encouraged to build cognitive boundaries around their work so they leave time to mentally reset after stressful periods, breaking those stress cycles. Younger workers, says Yousef, need help engaging with mentors at work so they learn how to fit in, arresting those feelings of imposterism early on. “Prevention should be the key here,” she says. “I would just love it if we educated our kids even as early as high school about what happens when you overwork.”   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut for people like Fiona, solving the problem is easier said than done. She’s been advised by her doctor to take time off work, but is afraid that doing so will let her team down or will only prove to herself and others that “I was promoted above my grade”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, she finds herself battling each day to “wade through the treacle of work”, envying people who seem to be coping fine. “Wouldn’t that be a nice feeling,” she says, “knowing that you’re not fretting about heading into work each day?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The link between imposter syndrome and burnout","headlineShort":"How imposter syndrome fuels burnout","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Silhouette of a professional woman","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Feeling like you’re bad at your job is miserable. Worse, it’s also more likely to lead to professional burnout.","summaryShort":"Feel like you're bad at your job? It's likely to lead to professional burnout","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-05-17T22:10:35.484884Z","entity":"article","guid":"11d12e05-bcf5-4f3e-a352-8902397342fc","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout","modifiedDateTime":"2022-05-18T13:53:53.385134Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220517-the-link-between-imposter-syndrome-and-burnout","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring","_id":"62df7ee343d9f42c880fb3b9","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Why do people with certain professions and interests make us yawn – even before we get to know them?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EImagine you are at a party, and your friend calls you over to meet their cousin Barbara. Your friend peppers his introduction with a few facts: Barbara lives in a small town and works as a data analyst for an insurance agency. Her favourite pastime is watching television. You may find yourself groaning at the mere thought of the meeting – and that reaction may say as much about you as it does about data analysts who enjoy a bit of trash TV. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to recent research, people have many preconceptions of what features make up a stereotypical bore. Like other types of stereotyping, these biases may not be objectively true – but they come with extremely negative consequences. People judge those who match ‘boring’ stereotypes harshly, considering them less competent and warm than the average person, and unfairly shunning them in social interactions – before they have even opened their mouths. “They’re marginalised,” says Wijnand van Tilburg, an experimental social psychologist at the University of Essex, UK, who led the recent research. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuch findings might lead us all to reconsider our assumptions before meeting a Barbara at a social gathering. By entering an encounter with unduly negative expectations, you may end up missing out on a potentially enjoyable conversation – whereas a more open mind might allow a budding friendship to blossom. The research can also offer some tips for making a better first impression yourself. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShocking research\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVan Tilburg’s research builds on more than two decades of scientific interest in people’s experiences of boredom. This research has shown it is one of our most excruciating emotions, with a surprisingly profound influence on our behaviour. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, for instance, researchers at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville asked participants to spend 15 minutes in a sparsely-furnished room. The participants did not have their mobile phones, computers or any reading materials – but there was a device that delivered a small electric shock at the press of a button. Despite the obvious pain that this would bring, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC4330241\u002F\"\u003E18 of the 42 participants decided to do this at least once to break up their boredom\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. It seems that any stimulation – even deliberate physical discomfort – was better than not engaging with their environment at all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Boredom is one of our most excruciating emotions, with a surprisingly profound influence on our behaviour","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou may wonder whether this reaction was peculiar to the set-up of the experiment – but it has now been replicated in other situations. In one \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.appet.2014.11.007\"\u003Elater study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, participants were forced to watch a tedious film that played the same 85-second scene on repeat for an hour. When given the opportunity, many participants chose to play with a device that delivered an uncomfortable zap of electricity. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuch behaviours may seem bizarre. But, says James Danckert, a professor in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Waterloo in Canada, these studies show just how powerful boredom can be in driving us to look for new stimulation – something that can have enormous benefits in everyday life. As we navigate the world, he says, we must constantly choose between exploiting the existing situation or exploring other opportunities. After we have been performing the same behaviour for too long without adequate reward, boredom forces us to change groove, rather than remain stuck in a rut. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDanckert’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fphilpapers.org\u002Frec\u002FDANBMT\"\u003Eresearch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E shows that feelings of boredom are especially agonising when we are consciously reminded of the other potential sources of stimulation that we could be exploring. People find it much harder to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1080\u002F02699931.2020.1763919\"\u003Esit in a room doing nothing if they can see an unfinished jigsaw or a table with Lego\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that they are not allowed to touch, for example. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis may explain why it is so insufferable to be stuck with a bore at a party, while we can hear all the other excited conversations around us. While we are obliged to hear about the minutest details of our new acquaintance’s job, we are missing the chance to make a deeper social connection to someone who would be much better suited to our personality. In psychological terms, we become aware of all the “opportunity costs” that have arisen from the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Bored woman drinking wine at a dinner event","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe stereotypical bore\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven the agonies of ennui, it is natural that we should wish to avoid those unrewarding interactions. Unfortunately, humans have an annoying tendency to unfairly pre-judge people based on incomplete information. And this means that we will often decide that someone is going to be a bore before they have even had a chance to spark our interest. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F01461672221079104\"\u003Ea series of studies published earlier this year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Van Tilburg set about identifying the stereotypical features that trigger this response – findings that may give us all pause whenever we find ourselves making a snap judgment about someone’s personality. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking with Eric Igou at the University of Limerick and Mehr Panjwani at the London School of Economics and Politics, Van Tilburg first asked a group of 115 US residents to describe the most typical qualities that they associated with boring people. From these initial responses, the team created lists of 45 personal characteristics, 28 occupations and 19 hobbies. The researchers then asked a further group of more than 300 people to rate each one on a scale of one (not boring at all) to seven (extremely boring). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese results were, in themselves, highly revealing. According to Van Tilburg’s participants, data-entry workers, accountants and tax officers were considered to be the most boring professionals. Hobbies seen as boring included going to church, watching TV and sleeping. In terms of personality, bores were thought to be closed-minded with a narrow range of interests, and to lack a sense of humour or strong opinions on any issue. They were also thought to be overly negative complainers, whinging about every issue. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team next wanted to understand the consequences of these stereotypes – including their potential to create social isolation. To do so, they created a series of vignettes based on the features investigated in the previous studies.  One was a description of “Brian”, for example, who was a data-entry worker at an accountancy company whose main hobby was watching TV – a portrait that perfectly matched the boring stereotype. This was a contrast to “Paul”, an artist from a local newspaper who enjoyed running, gardening and reading, whose combination of personal details were generally considered much less boring. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team then questioned participants about how much they thought they would like each character and whether they would actively try to avoid meeting or talking to them. The participants were even asked how much money they would have to be paid to spend up to a week of their life with that person. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs you might expect, the fictional characters who filled the criteria of the boring stereotype were not treated kindly. In general, people were much less likely to want to meet Brian than Paul. And to put up with that tedium over prolonged periods of time, the participants reported needing nearly \u003Cem\u003Ethree times\u003C\u002Fem\u003E as much money. “They really sought compensation for hanging around with these people, and that suggests that there's some sort of psychological cost to it,” says Van Tilburg. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you consider the studies showing that people would rather experience pain than boredom, it makes sense that you’d need some reward to offset the discomfort and to make up for all the other, more exciting experiences, that you might be missing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A man doing gardening","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to be interesting\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe could all learn from this research. Your knee-jerk assumption that people of certain professions or hobbies are inherently boring could prevent you from forging deep and meaningful connections. (And if you are on the dating scene, your negative preconceptions may stop you meeting the potential love of your life.) By simply being a bit more open minded, you may find interest and friendship where you least expected it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVan Tilburg’s research is even worse news if you happen to tick some of these boxes yourself. Fortunately, he has some tips that might help the world’s Brians to avoid an unkind judgement. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHis first is to consider whether you can reframe your job description. Data analysis might, at first glance, be seen as a boring profession – but perhaps you are contributing to a bigger endeavour, such as scientific research. In general, scientists were thought to be much less boring than data workers – so emphasising the scientific element of your job could help to bypass people’s biases. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf that’s not possible, you can open up about your private life. Remember that bores, in general, were considered to be closed-minded with few passions. Almost everyone enjoys TV, after all, and if you list that as your only hobby you are inevitably going to seem bland. But what are your more individual obsessions? Things like gardening, journaling, fishing and knitting were all viewed relatively positively. And the more examples you give, the greater the chance that you’ll find common ground with the other person. “I think it's important to showcase the range of activities,” Van Tilburg says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, you could study the art of conversation. Things like your job or your past-times will matter very little if you fail to create a meaningful dialogue. “Bores talk a lot, but they have very little to say,” says Van Tilburg. Feel free to express your own opinions, but make sure you give the other person plenty of opportunity to express theirs, too – and be sure to ask lots of questions that draw the other person out of themselves. With time, your new acquaintance may forget all about their preconceptions. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf none of this works, then don’t take it too personally. Van Tilburg points out that people are much more likely to apply negative stereotypes to others when they feel threatened. By judging you unfairly harshly for your job or your hobbies, someone may just be covering up their insecurities. Boringness, like beauty, lies in the mind of the beholder.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is an award-winning science writer and author of \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdavidrobson.me\u002Fthe-expectation-effect\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, published by Canongate (UK) and Henry Holt (USA) in early 2022. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-04-27T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why we snap-judge some people as 'boring'","headlineShort":"The most 'boring' people in the world","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man watching TV","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Why do people with certain professions and interests make us yawn – even before we get to know them?","summaryShort":"Why people assume accountants who watch trash TV will make us yawn","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-04-26T20:58:56.249697Z","entity":"article","guid":"f1571442-df6f-4b6b-98b9-3418bb041faa","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring","modifiedDateTime":"2022-04-26T20:58:56.249697Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220422-why-we-snap-judge-some-people-as-boring","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth","_id":"62df811043d9f458706f1cd9","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Falex-christian"],"bodyIntro":"For two years, employees have been waiting for ‘the day’ when everyone goes back to the office. But it’s probably never coming.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWorkers were meant to have returned to the office by now. Our expectation, back in early 2020, was that once the pandemic had ended, we’d all collectively resume our pre-Covid patterns of office-based working.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet that’s not how things have turned out. Two years on, employees around the world continue to face ongoing uncertainty as to when – and if – they’ll be expected back at the workplace in person. The emergence of different Covid-19 variants has exacerbated matters; Omicron has triggered record cases globally, forcing employees who were slowly adapting to a partial, hybrid return to the office to reverse course and work remotely again.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, the idea that we’ll all return to the office together again seems highly unrealistic. Some companies have already switched permanently to remote work or hybrid models. And, while others may be holding out for staff to come back to their desks, each delay further entrenches flexible working patterns – rendering a full-staff return less likely.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The return-to-office date has died,” says Nicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University, US. “Endless waves of Covid have led most CEOs to give up, and instead set up contingent policies: if, when and how to return to the office.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut if we finally abandon the idea that there will ever be a day when we’re all permanently back at our office desks, what should we expect instead?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bh1r3v"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy there’s no ‘back to normal’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the pandemic first hit, and its scale was still to be mapped, a widespread return to the workplace seemed likely in 2020.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmployers and employees alike anticipated a hard date to come back: some kind of reversion to a pre-pandemic normal – the majority of workforces together in offices, at least a few days a week. In turn, the expectation was that many prior characteristics of work, such as the fixed nine-to-five schedule, would be restored.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBusinesses of all kinds, across multiple sectors, set return-to-office dates throughout 2020. However, as the pandemic dragged on, companies pushed plans back. This was in part due to ongoing health concerns in many countries, but also because workers had become comfortable – and remained productive – in their remote set-ups, and some even pushed back against these dates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Early in the crisis CEOs would pronounce return-to-office plans only for them to get wiped out by each new wave and variant,” explains Bloom. And even when employers did fully expect to bring workers back at a defined moment regardless, the unpredictable nature of the pandemic meant return-to-office dates were increasingly kicked down the road.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, in the third year of Covid-19, the return-to-office date remains a constantly moving target. It seems increasingly improbable to expect a universal return. Flexibility and remote work have become so deeply rooted that reimposing pre-pandemic working models appears a nigh-on impossible task. “Habits are hard to break,” says Almuth McDowall, professor of organisational psychology at London’s Birkbeck University. “We’ve all harnessed more innovative, efficient ways of doing our jobs.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Early in the crisis CEOs would pronounce return-to-office plans only for them to get wiped out by each new wave and variant – Nicholas Bloom","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EUncertainty around health remains rampant; we don’t know when the pandemic will end, whether Covid will become endemic or if another variant will emerge – let alone rough dates for when these might occur. And employees will continue to have different levels of risk tolerance; for instance, a healthy, single person may be more willing to go back to the office than an immunocompromised worker, or one with children too young to be vaccinated. “Amid Omicron, there is much low-level anxiety – many don’t want to rush back to the office,” adds McDowall. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConsidering all these factors, setting a sweeping, all-employee return-to-office date the way companies have been attempting – and workers have been anticipating – since 2020 seems like a fantasy: a construction of the past that no longer reflects our changing world.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDevil in the details\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the office return will look different across sectors and companies; there won’t be a one-size-fits-all ‘back to work’ date – and for some employees, there won’t be a date at all. How does a worker figure out what’s next for \u003Cem\u003Ethem?\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ways – and reasons why – employers have already planned to bring back their workers during the pandemic may be a good indicator for how they’ll try to do so in the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn one hand, it’s likely many of the sectors who’ve tried mightily to pull employees back into the office multiple times during the pandemic will be keen to create the fastest, most sweeping return-to-office policies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bh1r72"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor example, in finance, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fmarkets\u002Ffunds\u002Fwall-street-banks-stick-with-return-to-work-plans-while-monitoring-omicron-2021-11-29\u002F\"\u003Eexecutives have been aggressive in their timelines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to bring people back. This is in part due to a highly in-person work culture, but also due to “aspects of financial services, particularly around the trading floor, which aren’t as easy to do remotely”, says Chris Leahy, founder of due-diligence investigative firm Blackpeak. Essentially, businesses like these are less nimble than others, often hamstrung by regulations and decades-old practises still assuming that, at some point, everyone will return.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven in other sectors that aren’t so regulation-bound, many businesses have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-12-15\u002Fapple-delays-return-to-office-until-date-yet-to-be-determined?sref=ctSjKj2N\"\u003Erepeatedly set hard return dates\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, though they’ve had to move them, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2022\u002F01\u002F10\u002Ffacebook-meta-delays-office-return-to-march-covid-boosters-required.html\"\u003Esometimes multiple times\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Although it’s still murky as to when, workers at companies like these should plan to return to the office at some point, since it’s clear their employers are still placing emphasis on at least some in-person work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, despite these indicators, the future may be even more malleable than we expect. Even as some sectors cling to pre-pandemic ways of working, worker power may potentially destabilise some employers’ best laid plans.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Many bosses haven’t been able to make a firm decision yet, because we don't know exactly what will happen – Almuth McDowall","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, Bloom says employees’ desire to work from home has strengthened as the pandemic has lingered, meaning many return-to-office plans have received staff backlash, both in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F31\u002Fbusiness\u002Fcovid-jpmorgan-citi-remote-work\u002Findex.html\"\u003Efinance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office\"\u003Etech industries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.conference-board.org\u002Fpress\u002FReturn-to-Work-Survey-June2021\"\u003Eparticularly from younger workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E who question the wisdom of returning to the office at all. Bloom adds that the ongoing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211129-should-you-job-hunt-constantly\"\u003Ehiring crisis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E also means that workers in some sectors currently have more power than before; if their employer won’t accommodate requests for different job conditions such as flexible working, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-06-01\u002Freturn-to-office-employees-are-quitting-instead-of-giving-up-work-from-home\"\u003Eemployees can choose to switch to one who will\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply, the devil will be in the details for every individual company and role: what the ‘return-to-the-office’ will look like in practice will differ from worker to worker – a process that’s still taking time. “Many bosses haven’t been able to make a firm decision yet, because we don't know exactly what will happen,” says McDowall. “If you don't think it’s the right thing for your business to go fully remote or hybrid, then it makes sense to delay for as long as possible.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo matter when leaders can start making those decisions, however, it seems all but certain that the day when we’re all back together on the train platform, heading into our offices for a Big Bang restart, is gone. Although it may not be confirmed yet by bosses, the formal end to the full office return is coming – if not yet already here. “Unless something drastically changes, then the full return to the office is likely a myth,” says McDowall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth-8"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Fhello-hybrid"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-14T14:12:36Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why a wide-scale return to the office is a myth","headlineShort":"How the return-to-office date 'died'","image":["p0bh1r1n"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"For two years, employees have been waiting for ‘the day’ when everyone goes back to the office. But it’s probably never coming.","summaryShort":"Why the 'big bang' back-to-office day we've been waiting for isn't coming","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-13T21:17:26.970561Z","entity":"article","guid":"0603c66f-3781-4e69-85a2-5b7997f96f40","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:20:38.323821Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200435},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work","_id":"62df800b43d9f46d1b463b49","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Across the world, workers are rallying for hybrid arrangements. But, for some, the new workplace may end up more frustrating than flexible.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHybrid has been heralded as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200824-why-the-future-of-work-might-be-hybrid\"\u003Ethe future of work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Research shows \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mckinsey.com\u002Fbusiness-functions\u002Forganization\u002Four-insights\u002Fits-time-for-leaders-to-get-real-about-hybrid\"\u003Ethe majority of employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E want their organisation to offer a mix of remote work and in-office time, and many see the hybrid workweek model as a path to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.peoplemanagement.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fhome-working-boosts-work-life-balance-collaboration-focus-report-finds#gref\"\u003Ebetter work-life balance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, companies around the world are experimenting with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-how-companies-around-the-world-are-shifting-the-way-they-work\"\u003Edifferent types of hybrid set-ups\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, to see what suits their organisation best. Some companies remain on the fence, and when the possible \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210806-the-case-against-hybrid-work\"\u003Edownsides of hybrid work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are discussed, most people generally assume pushback will come from the companies who decide it doesn’t suit their needs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there could be reason to believe employees may actually be the ones who fall out of love with hybrid, despite its widely touted advantages.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmployees who often work from home could perceive a negative impact on their career, linked to a lack of interaction with colleagues and managers. Those who want to climb the ladder could feel compelled to spend more time in the office, so they’re visible to the powers that be. Some people, meanwhile, could experience difficulties switching seamlessly between home and office work environments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s possible, some experts suggest, once we’ve tried hybrid arrangements for a while, some might find the set-up a less attractive option. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"woman uncomfortable at computer","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy hybrid’s appeal may fade\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, the daily reality of juggling two workspaces could prove frustrating for workers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“For the employees themselves, it is almost impossible to set up two workspaces that are well-equipped for all the different work tasks they need to do – books or other information sources are always in the wrong place, or they don’t have a photocopier or fax at home,” says Anita Woolley, associate professor of organisational behaviour and theory at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“So, no matter where they are working, they are almost always someplace trying to do something without some necessary tools.” Even if employees are able to choose their working location every day, Woolley says “it is nearly impossible to schedule tasks such that you are in the best place to complete them”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, some people may believe that these are inconveniences worth putting up with. But others – particularly younger workers with poor home-working set-ups – may well feel that the office is a better place for them to be productive. And some workers may feel like they genuinely collaborate more, get more done and come up with better ideas when they’re able to communicate freely in person with their colleagues, especially when they’re just a swivel of an office chair away. So, even if an employer offers remote-work days, some people may come in, anyway – or at least more than the minimum days mandated by management.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"No matter where they are working, they are almost always someplace trying to do something without some necessary tools – Anita Woolley","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, even if workers are highly productive at home, they risk no-one \u003Cem\u003Enoticing\u003C\u002Fem\u003E that output. Without regular, sustained input from managers, employees who spend more time working remotely could begin to feel that they might become undervalued, even dismissed, if they continue spending less time in the office.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“[As a manager], I begin to say to myself: ‘Remind me, who’s Bryan? Can we not replace Bryan with cheaper labour someplace?’” says Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven if more staff are working from home more frequently than they did before the pandemic, the possibility of feeling marginalised, invisible and expendable is real – and some workers will take steps to avoid that. “People who are afraid of being totally forgotten will want to go into the office,” adds Lechner.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe power of facetime\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlong with logistics, getting face-to-face with colleagues plays a major part in where people want to work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmployees will likely feel compelled to go into the office to connect with their colleagues; making those social connections that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41562-021-01196-4\"\u003Efacilitate workplace communication among teams\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and make the work experience more enjoyable. Research shows people who feel more connected to their colleagues \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fagenda\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Ffriends-relationships-work-productivity-career\u002F\"\u003Ereport a better overall experience at work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and that feeling lonely or disconnected from others \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fhr-today\u002Fnews\u002Fall-things-work\u002Fpages\u002Fall-the-lonely-people.aspx\"\u003Ehas a correspondingly negative effect\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut employees will also have another crucial reason to get facetime in the office: climbing the career ladder. Studies have long shown the effect of ‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-hybrid-work-how-proximity-bias-can-lead-to-favouritism\"\u003Eproximity bias\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’, means that workers who spend more time with managers are more likely to rise through the ranks. While it leads to problems like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and burnout, experts believe that some workers will think that showing up to the office is a sacrifice worth making, if they want to get ahead.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"man in office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch chimes with these concerns: studies show that in-person workers are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210305-why-in-person-workers-may-be-more-likely-to-get-promoted\"\u003Emore likely to get promoted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Remote working also hinders \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs43588-021-00096-x\"\u003Eworkers' ability to network\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and meet new people; research has shown that during the pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Fresearch-were-losing-touch-with-our-networks\"\u003Eprofessional and personal networks alike shrunk by 16%.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E It’s unclear whether connections will contract in a long-term hybrid situation, too – but it’s clear that the less time you’re spending in the office, the harder it is to advance your career, whether it’s buttering up your boss or introducing yourself to others in the industry.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If I’m looking for a promotion, it’s in my strategic interest to be present,” says Loran Nordgren, professor of management and organisations at Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University, in Illinois, US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo that end, if companies don’t set clear expectations about who comes into the office on which days – or limit the number of days people can come in – some staff might come in more than others to chase those promotions. The result of this, believes Nordgren, is that hybrid could fade out quickly once it’s recognised by employees as a working model that could potentially slow career growth.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Forget about the stated policy,” he says. “It’s really what the underlying reward systems are that are going to guide what people do.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, experts and workers alike have painted the hybrid work set-up as almost universally desirable – an inevitable model for the future of work. Workers want the arrangement – but, as companies around the world are still rolling out \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-how-companies-around-the-world-are-shifting-the-way-they-work\"\u003Ea patchwork of various return-to-office strategies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, we don’t actually know \u003Cem\u003Ehow long\u003C\u002Fem\u003E they’ll want it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the immediate, experts suggest employers need to keep a pulse on how workers are feeling about the hybrid-work model – and make sure they’re actually building new workplaces that support it. This means thinking extremely carefully about logistics, including proper scheduling, good project management tools, effective communication and more. Otherwise, some workers may find the new normal more frustrating than flexible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-21T13:51:18Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why workers might eventually reject hybrid work","headlineShort":"A big reason why hybrid may not stick","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Across the world, workers are rallying for hybrid arrangements. But, for some, the new workplace may end up more frustrating than flexible.","summaryShort":"Why the new workplace may end up more frustrating than flexible","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-20T19:59:01.476885Z","entity":"article","guid":"5700d84f-16ee-4b53-a9ee-0746accd2cb4","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:14:42.935056Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed","_id":"62df7f6343d9f46d911c7c3c","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We've lived through a global remote-work experiment. But is our assessment of work-from-home flawed since we didn't have a choice?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESince the pandemic hit, people around the world have been taking part in a ‘Great Remote Work Experiment’. We’ve learned a lot, about things like productivity, communication and boundaries. We’ve proved we can do get our jobs done, something that has fueled global conversations about work structures once Covid-19 subsides.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet there’s one thing we keep forgetting. We weren’t just working from home – we were working from home during a pandemic. The experiment began almost overnight, with minimal preparation or support. We worked at our kitchen tables, sometimes watching our children, as we sheltered from a virus. Everyone was in the same boat, working remotely without choice.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat means that although we did work from home, our experiences were shaped within a very specific, unique and communal set of circumstances. When the world re-opens, these circumstances will change – meaning that remote work may feel rather different. Some experts suggest we need to reflect on which parts of our ‘experiment’ may have been unrepresentative of long-term remote work in a pandemic-free society. Others suggest that our pandemic ‘experiment’ taught us more about remote work than we could ever have imagined, and propelled work-from-home into the mainstream in a vastly accelerated manner.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth good and bad effects have come from the great work-from-home experiment occurring during a global medical emergency. Experts say pinpointing these could better inform our future work practices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy the pandemic isn’t the best guide\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn one hand, we crash-landed into remote work because of the pandemic. This could mean we’re not best placed to judge how well or poorly it works under ‘normal’ circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There was this enormous uncertainty – the stress that we all felt of ‘what’s going to happen to society?’,” says Martha Maznevski, professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Western Ontario. The last 18 months have been tough for many of us; some have faced health-related anxiety, loneliness and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210216-how-boredom-can-be-a-force-for-good-or-bad\"\u003Eboredom\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while others have been juggling children and homeschooling with professional responsibilities. And all of us had to rapidly adjust to new ways of working.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkstations, for example, weren’t necessarily standing desks in home offices; they were stacks of books on kitchen tables, or even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210217-is-it-bad-to-you-work-from-your-bed-for-a-year\"\u003Eour beds\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Zoom made conversations – professional or personal – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting\"\u003Efeel foreign and exhausting\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but we couldn’t leave our homes for fear of contracting the virus. It’s fair to assume these factors will have shaped people’s ability to work, and their resultant view of remote work, in diverse ways – and some may never want to work away from the office again. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENot all of these ‘forced’ conditions were bad, however. Because knowledge workers went remote by necessity, regardless of company or industry, everyone was facing the same challenges, and people pulled together to find solutions. Yet this benefit may have been unique to the pandemic; once we return to a world in which people have different working situations, our ways of working will begin to diverge again, and integrating remote work may become more complicated. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The all-remote was fine; now we’re getting into the mix [of remote and non-remote], and that takes a lot more thought,” says Anita Woolley, associate professor of organisational behaviour and theory at Carnegie Mellon University, US. Now, as some firms begin \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fhello-hybrid\"\u003Ehybrid working\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, employees may soon realise that it’s going to be harder to pull off remote work when some people are at home while others are in the office, where it’s easier to build relationships, collaborate and even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210305-why-in-person-workers-may-be-more-likely-to-get-promoted\"\u003Eadvance in the company\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the working hours we put in while remote were linked to the fact that we were stuck at home. While there’s data to suggest that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastcompany.com\u002F90601567\u002Fhow-covid-19-has-us-doing-more-in-less-time\"\u003Ewe were more productive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the pandemic, and that some companies \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F12\u002Fthe-pandemic-is-widening-a-corporate-productivity-gap\"\u003Ewere more productive than others\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, that could be due to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fgraphic-detail\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F24\u002Fpeople-are-working-longer-hours-during-the-pandemic\"\u003Epeople working longer hours each day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Fbeyond-burned-out\"\u003Eto the point of burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. There were few leisure options available, plus we were worried about our jobs, which meant many people defaulted to working longer hours. We can’t necessarily conclude that widespread remote work makes people more productive, even if we do save time on things like daily commutes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, does that all mean that we’ve conditioned companies and workers to think of remote work in a certain way that isn’t necessarily indicative of the future? We’ve developed preferences about working from home that might be based on experiences that aren’t necessarily representative of what remote work is supposed to look like – we’re not going to be glued to Zoom during lockdowns forever, after all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt could be that we’re in for a surprise – unpleasant or otherwise – when we experience remote work after the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The all-remote was fine; now we’re getting into the mix [of remote and non-remote], and that takes a lot more thought - Anita Woolley","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDon’t pull the alarm yet\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet not all experts are concerned about whether our pandemic work-from-home experiences could distort our view of remote work. Some argue that the context in which we worked shouldn’t discount our experiment – if anything, it should help guide how we roll out long-term remote work policies going forward.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In what ways can we use this dataset and generalise from it, and in what ways can we not?” says Maznevski. “Not that we throw it all out – but what parts of it are going to generalise to a non-pandemic situation?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Bloom, professor of economics at Stanford University in California, points to “three golden rules” that, pre-pandemic, were believed to be crucial for successful remote work. First, having a working space that wasn’t the same room as where you slept; second, having high-speed broadband; third, six or more months of experience on the job so that you knew what you were doing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pandemic proved all three were, in fact, not required – and if it weren’t for the unique nature of the pandemic, we never would have been able to figure that out, says Bloom. Now, moving forwards, we can look at the difficult remote-work conditions during the pandemic, and use what we’ve learned to improve our set-ups. Bloom says he thinks it’s “incredibly positive” that pandemic remote work has been “more successful than anyone ever predicted”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe suggests that the forced remote-work experiment is like comparing two versions of a smartphone. Say you bought an original smartphone years ago, and thought it was convenient at the time, but then one day you buy the newest, shiniest model, and suddenly realised how much \u003Cem\u003Emore\u003C\u002Fem\u003E convenient it is than the original. That’s what remote work after Covid-19 could be like – we’ll only be able to improve and iterate on what was surprisingly successful during the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBloom also believes that, without the unique pressure-cooker environment of the pandemic, there wouldn’t have been as many leaps in remote-work technological innovation. He and his colleagues point out in a 2021 working paper that the number of US patent applications for technologies supporting telework, video conferencing and working from home \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbfi.uchicago.edu\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F09\u002FBFI_WP_2020133.pdf\"\u003Edoubled between January and September 2020\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Even “Zoom is a lot better now than a few months ago”, says Bloom.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKevin Johnson, associate professor of management at HEC Montréal business school, says that the pandemic gave remote work a wave it wouldn’t have had otherwise. “We’ve got the momentum to use in the coming months, weeks, to try and build something more integrated in our management system and our leadership styles,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, we can acknowledge both perspectives; that while working remotely during the pandemic distorted many people’s views of what long-term remote work would look like, the unusual ways the pandemic affected the telework experience can serve as learning points for the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s important to identify the pieces of the Great Remote Work Experiment that were unique to the pandemic. After all, we might be tempted to look at those elements, and assume that they’ll always be a part of remote work. That’s why we need to pay attention to the parts of the day-to-day that pan out better or worse than we think, and flag it with a manager early. Communication and flexibility will be key. Just because certain factors helped remote work spread more quickly than it would otherwise, doesn’t mean those factors will stick around forever.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-12T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why the 'Great Remote Work Experiment' may have been flawed","headlineShort":"Are our views on remote work distorted?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We've lived through a global remote-work experiment. But is our assessment of work-from-home flawed since we didn't have a choice?","summaryShort":"What if being forced to work from home isn't the same as choosing it?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-11T19:57:02.863638Z","entity":"article","guid":"6cb86233-dd31-47c1-a693-452625f760ab","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:12:49.552496Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting","_id":"62df7f8643d9f46d89134282","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Falex-christian"],"bodyIntro":"A part-remote, part-office schedule has been hailed as the future of work. Yet in this hybrid set-up, some employees have never been so tired.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Klara was offered a hybrid working arrangement, she thought it would be the best of both worlds. The account manager had initially joined her London-based firm on a full-time office contract, only for successive waves of Covid-19 to force her to work from home. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKlara’s boss introduced the hybrid policy in September 2021, when UK government guidance recommending home working came to an end: Tuesdays and Thursdays would be home-working days, with the remainder of the week spent in the office during normal contracted hours. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Having a permanent hybrid set-up initially came as a relief,\" says Klara, whose surname is being withheld for job-security concerns. \"After years of full-time office work, it felt like I finally had control over my work schedule and busy home life.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the months rolled by, however, the novelty of hybrid work soon gave way to hassle and a jarring one-day-in, one-day-out routine. “I feel settled and focused on the days that I work from home,” says Klara. “But by the evening I dread having to go back in: sitting at my desk for eight hours a day in a noisy office, staring at a screen, readjusting to exactly how it was before Covid.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKlara feels she now has two workplaces to maintain – one in the office and one at home. “It involves planning and a stop-start routine: taking my laptop to and from the office every day, and remembering what important things I’ve left where,” she adds. “It’s the psychological shift – the change of setting every day – that’s so tiring; this constant feeling of never being settled, stressed and my productive home working always being disrupted.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmerging data is beginning to back up such anecdotal evidence: many workers report that hybrid is emotionally draining. In a recent global study by employee engagement platform Tinypulse, more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tinypulse.com\u002Fstate-of-employee-engagement-q3-2021\"\u003E80% of people leaders\u003C\u002Fa\u003E reported that such a set-up was exhausting for employees. Workers, too, reported hybrid was more emotionally taxing than fully remote arrangements – and, concerningly, even full-time office-based work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven many businesses plan on implementing permanent hybrid working models, and that employees by and large want their working weeks spent between \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fold.iwgplc.com\u002FMediaCentre\u002FArticle\u002Fwhy-employees-prefer-hybrid-working-to-pay-rise\"\u003Ehome and the office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, such figures sound alarm bells. But what is it specifically about hybrid working that is so emotionally exhausting? And how can workers and companies avoid pitfalls so that hybrid actually works?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bj8rrz"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Commuting worker","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy hybrid can be taxing \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the pandemic has dragged on, and workers’ flexible working habits have become more ingrained, a full-time return to the office seems a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth\"\u003Erelic of the past\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But while some companies have implemented \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F11\u002Four-work-from-anywhere-future\"\u003Ework-from-anywhere policies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a large swath of businesses have landed on hybrid as the default working model, once it’s deemed safe to return to offices in large numbers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn theory, hybrid offers the best deal for both employer and employee. It combines pre-Covid-19 patterns of office-based working with remote days, in a working schedule that would allow both in-person collaboration and team building, as well as greater flexibility and the opportunity for focused work at home. It seemed a win-win for workers; in one May 2021 study, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.accenture.com\u002F_acnmedia\u002FPDF-155\u002FAccenture-Future-Of-Work-Global-Report.pdf#zoom=40\"\u003E83% said they wanted to go hybrid after the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There was a feeling that hybrid would be the best of both worlds,” says Elora Voyles, an industrial organisational psychologist and people scientist at Tinypulse, based in California. “For bosses, it means they retain a sense of control and that they can see their workers in person. For employees, it offers more flexibility than full-time in the office and means they can work safely during the pandemic.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, as the novelty of hybrid working has faded, so too has workers’ enthusiasm. “We found that people were less positive about hybrid through 2021 as the year went on,” explains Voyles. “In the spring and summer months, many organisations were really keen to implement it. They brought employees on to a hybrid schedule, but then quickly ran into difficulties.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOrganisations that had never implemented hybrid before were suddenly making up policies on-the-fly, often without consulting employees. So, as in Klara’s case, part-office, part-home arrangements were thrust onto the workforce. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The longer I did hybrid the more I felt it was just an extra hurdle to doing my job: from the commute to knowing that I’d be working elsewhere the next day – Klara","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOptimism among workers soon gave way to fatigue. In Tinypulse’s survey of 100 global workers, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tinypulse.com\u002Fstate-of-employee-engagement-q3-2021\"\u003E72% reported exhaustion\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from working hybrid – nearly double the figures for fully remote employees and also greater than those based fully in the office. Voyles says the small sample size reflects a wider trend; she believes it’s the disruption to employees’ daily routines – and the staccato nature of hybrid – that workers find so tiring. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A predictable, consistent routine can help people cope with feelings of stress and uncertainty – especially during a pandemic,” says Voyles. “Hybrid, however, requires frequent changes to those daily habits: workers have to constantly switch things up, so it’s hard to find a routine when your schedule is always in-and-out the office.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA familiar routine can act as a well-worn groove that allows flow, but carving out new daily habits – involving a less consistent schedule between workplaces – can chip away at cognitive resources. “Moving to hybrid has the potential to disrupt someone’s home-working routine,” explains Gail Kinman, a chartered psychologist and fellow of the British Psychological Society. “Hybrid practises haven’t become second nature yet, so it takes greater energy, organisation and planning. You have to form new strategies – hot desking, planning commutes – that you wouldn't need if you were fully remote or in-person.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPhysically carrying work back-and-forth between home and the office may also come with a psychological impact for some. A recent study found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.samsung.com\u002Fuk\u002Fhybrid-living-leaves-brits-in-pursuit-of-happiness\"\u003E20% of UK workers reported difficulties switching off from work and feeling ‘always on’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; struggling to adapt to hybrid, and the permeable boundaries between home and work, was cited as a major factor. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHybrid can also come with a greater risk of digital \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, adds Kinman, compared to fully remote jobs which imply employer trust from the get-go. “If an employer sets up hybrid without trusting their workforce, it can become little more than a token gesture: workers feel pressure to show their boss they’re not taking advantage of home working. That could lead to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Eoverwork\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the effects of which can be devastating but take a long time to show up.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bj8sdj"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Meeting at work","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefining hybrid\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some workers, frustrations with hybrid mean they’re gravitating towards jobs that allow them full control over their schedules. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I thought hybrid was for me – but splitting my time between home and the workplace was just too disruptive,” says Klara, who is soon to begin a new, fully remote role. “I find the office distracting – you can be bothered at any moment. The longer I did hybrid the more I felt it was just an extra hurdle to doing my job: from the commute to knowing that I’d be working elsewhere the next day. It quickly became a chore.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet Klara’s experience doesn’t necessarily mean that workers should head back to their office desks five days a week, or seek jobs that are permanently remote. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHybrid can still be a perfect harmony for workers – so long as their employer gets it right. “Where the arrangement goes wrong is when it’s a hybrid schedule dictated by a supervisor,” explains Voyles. “Employees end up with a working week they have no control over: it’s like the fixed full-time office schedule of old, which just happens to be in the worker’s home twice a week.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKinman says it comes down to what organisations mean by ‘hybrid’. “It’s a broad definition that can be interpreted in many ways: from going into the office three days a week, to once a month. Hybrid can still be the future of work and represent the best of both worlds – but it still needs refining.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Hybrid practises haven’t become second nature yet, so it takes greater energy, organisation and planning – Gail Kinman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHybrid can be successful when managers liaise with staff, likely on an individualised basis, about how the set-up would work best for them. “It’s both employer and employee who need to set boundaries,” says Voyles. “But there needs to be autonomy for the worker to self-manage their schedule – flexibility needs to be dictated by the individual, not the boss.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, hybrid staff could be aided by more robust remote-working set-ups, helping to ease the psychological shift between the office and home. “Hybrid is a state of mind,” says Kinman. “It’s the idea that we seamlessly move and work from setting to setting. Therefore, mechanisms have to be in place to ensure employees have the right home-working software and tools.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKinman says that we’re in the midst of a great working experiment: she predicts that the teething problems of hybrid will last for years. “Currently, we know more about full-time remote working through a health crisis than we do about hybrid working in the long-term,” she adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, if workers are allowed a degree of choice and control over their working patterns, the rewards could pay dividends. “Both people and organisations claim they want hybrid,” says Kinman. “So, there is a great opportunity to change how we work. But it has to go further than the hours bosses set – it has to be a mindset that works for both employer and employee.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting-8"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Fhello-hybrid"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why hybrid work is emotionally exhausting","headlineShort":"Why hybrid is emotionally exhausting","image":["p0bj8rbc"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Tired worker","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220113-why-a-wide-scale-return-to-the-office-is-a-myth","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210920-why-workers-might-eventually-reject-hybrid-work","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"A part-remote, part-office schedule has been hailed as the future of work. Yet in this hybrid set-up, some employees have never been so tired.","summaryShort":"If hybrid is the future of work, why are workers finding it so draining?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-20T23:11:32.891316Z","entity":"article","guid":"16e60ca9-bdf0-47aa-9879-4e470261d2d0","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:21:05.368803Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220120-why-hybrid-work-is-emotionally-exhausting","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200428},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout","_id":"62df7fd143d9f457237325ff","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Long days and low pay already hurt service-sector workers. But since the pandemic, angry customers and staff shortages have made things even harder.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen two Category 5 hurricanes hit the US Virgin Island of Saint John in quick succession in 2017, it was the most devastating thing to happen to restaurant owner Karen Granitz in her 50 years in the service industry. But then the 65-year-old picked up the pieces, reopened her business and carried on. “I could see a light at the end of the tunnel,” she recalls. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECovid-19 has been another beast entirely. “There’s no end in sight and we’re not in control, which is very unnerving,” says Granitz. The unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic ultimately forced her out of business. “I closed the restaurant this past February, not because of a desire to be secluded from Covid, not because we weren’t busy enough, not because I couldn’t get supplies and not because of the shocking misbehaviour of the minority of the masses of tourists we got,” she says. The problem: staff were so burnt out they stopped showing up to work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Rude customers were causing tension in house, wearing masks was exhausting and my people were scared, whether they admitted it or not,” she says. When staff didn’t show up for work, Granitz was left to pick up the slack. “I am too old to be carrying on working 16-hour days and doing the work, physically, of six people, so I said I would walk out at the top of my game before a stretcher had to carry me out.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe World Health Organization recognised burnout as an “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases\"\u003Eoccupational phenomenon\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” in 2019. While it’s often discussed in reference to office workers, studies show service-sector workers are uniquely affected by burnout, thanks to a combination of factors including long workdays, odd hours and a lack of regular time off. In many nations, including the United States, they are often under-paid, under-resourced and undervalued, with no sick pay or holiday-pay provision. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, service-industry burnout \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Funderstaffed-companies-give-employees-additional-work-burnout-labor-shortage-2021-9?r=US&IR=T\"\u003Ecould be worse than ever\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, due to a volatile mix of added stressors brought on by the pandemic, including unruly customers and dire staff shortages. It’s possible these high levels of burnout could play an important role in helping companies better understand the phenomenon and make changes that could lead to better workplaces. Yet that will be of little comfort to those experiencing daily hardship in customer-facing roles.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Difficult customers interacting with a waitress","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E'Roll-your-eyes horrible’ customers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany service-industry workers can hardly remember the early days of the pandemic, when they were lauded for their labour as essential workers. These days, people are more likely to come across news of attacks on workers in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F09\u002F17\u002Fnyregion\u002Fcarmines-nyc-hostess-attacked.html\"\u003Erestaurants\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newsweek.com\u002Fbank-manager-beaten-after-work-client-angry-about-request-wear-mask-he-laid-wait-1628157\"\u003Estores\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike\"\u003Eairplanes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – often as a result of their new role as enforcers of Covid-era health rules. Of course, one of the quintessential tasks of a customer-facing job is dealing with problems, making these workers uniquely positioned to have hostile interactions during the pandemic. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGranitz says the past few months on Saint John have been the most volatile she can remember, with tourists fighting to get on ferries, misbehaving on tours and putting restaurant staff on edge each shift. “You’d have 100 fabulous, amazing people and then five would show up that were unbelievably, roll-your-eyes horrible,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent survey of UK retail workers, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.retail-week.com\u002Fpeople\u002Fdata-84-of-retail-staff-say-pandemic-has-damaged-their-mental-health\u002F7040018.article?authent=1\"\u003E91% of managers said they’d noticed an increase in mental-health issues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E among staff. Chief among the reasons: 88% of frontline retail respondents said they had experienced verbal abuse in 2020, and 60% reported being threatened by customers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I am too old to be carrying on working 16-hour days and doing the work, physically, of six people, so I said I would walk out at the top of my game before a stretcher had to carry me out – Karen Granitz","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Moss, author of new book The Burnout Epidemic, says this is likely the result of 20 months of being in a state of crisis, where workers are stressed out and, when they interact with the public, are being met with high levels of stress in return. “We’re always sort of at the edge right now and we’re not taking moments of pause before we react,” the Ontario, Canada-based expert explains. “So, there is just a level of volatility that those in the service sector haven’t necessarily dealt with before.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoss says this increased friction can lead to heightened levels of cynicism and hopelessness among service-industry workers as well as a sense that things are out of control. As a result, they may become disengaged, anxious or experience a negative personality change – all symptoms of burnout that are often misconstrued as poor performance. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe cycle of burnout and staff shortages\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudies show \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.frontiersin.org\u002Farticles\u002F10.3389\u002Ffpsyg.2020.00036\u002Ffull\"\u003Eburnout is a key driver of employee turnover\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So, it’s perhaps no surprise that the service industry has been among the hardest-hit by the Great Resignation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHospitality workers in the US have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fjolts.t04.htm\"\u003Eleft their jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in droves since shutdowns began in early 2020. Job vacancies in the UK hospitality industry are at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-57817775\"\u003Ethe highest levels\u003C\u002Fa\u003E since records began, with many leaving the workforce \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-57400560\"\u003Eto study or re-train in a new field\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. A lack of service industry workers in Australia has led to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2021-07-03\u002Fworker-accommodation-shortage-victoria-sees-businesses-suffer\u002F100257026\"\u003Ebidding wars\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in which chefs offered up to AU$200,000 ($143,520; £106,911) salaries just to accept a gig.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Waitress at an outdoor cafe","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs a consequence of these worker shortages, many businesses in the US have attempted to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fempsit.t24.htm\"\u003Eraise wages\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to lure them back. Studies show they aren’t interested. According to a Joblist report, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.joblist.com\u002Fjobs-reports\u002Fq2-2021-united-states-job-market-report\"\u003Eformer hospitality workers are transitioning out of the industry\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in search of a different work setting (52%), higher pay (45%), better benefits (29%) and more schedule flexibility (19%). Meanwhile, half of former hospitality workers looking for other work say no pay increase or incentive would make them return to their old restaurant, bar or hotel job. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKevin Oliver is the manager of a variety store in the US state of South Carolina, who has lived the consequences of severe staff shortages. The 54-year-old, who has worked in retail since he was 21, says he’s logged an average of 60 to 70 hours each week this past year. There was a period of nearly eight months during which the only way he could take a day off was to ask the other manager-level employee to work a 16-hour shift. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“With those kinds of occurrences becoming more and more common, it’s no wonder some of us have been burnt out,” he says. Instead of having work-life balance, “for the bulk of the pandemic it's been mostly work, pretty unbalanced”. Oliver is leaving his job this month to take on a new position with a non-profit that he says offers fewer hours and higher pay. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIndustry exodus\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoss says the pandemic has made it easier for burnt-out workers like Oliver to make career changes. “We’ve all gone through 20 months of facing our own mortality,” she says. “We have questioned, intentionally, what we want to do with our lives, what we want to do with work. We’ve also learned high levels of emotional flexibility, which makes you much more open to change.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Half of former hospitality workers looking for other work say no pay increase or incentive would make them return to their old restaurant, bar or hotel job","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf companies in the service industry want to keep their employees, they may need to start playing a major role in combatting burnout. Among entry-level staff, Moss says the relationship has long been transactional. “There is an expectation that they are going to leave, and we need to stop thinking like that,” she explains. “That means changing the way that we support those employees.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could be allowing workers to share their gripes openly without fear of repercussions, ensuring all assigned workloads are sustainable, checking in with employees to gauge their wellbeing and making workers aware of clear steps for career advancement. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We’re in a paradigm-shifting moment in our workforce right now,” adds Moss. “Those companies that did a good job of listening to people, caring about their mental health, providing them with the support they needed, developing trust, building two-way communication and feedback – those types of organisations are the ones that will see their employees stay.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoss hopes the current situation may serve as a wake-up call, heightening awareness of burnout and its effects not just in office cubicles and hospital wards but also behind café counters and store registers. And with more attention to the problem, perhaps all of us can begin to reflect on our own interactions with service industry workers and start the process of de-normalising the poor behaviour reported in recent months, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-13T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why service workers are so burned out","headlineShort":"Why service workers are quitting","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Demoralised man in cafe","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Long days and low pay already hurt service-sector workers. But since the pandemic, angry customers and staff shortages have made things even harder.","summaryShort":"How the pandemic pushed customer-facing workers over the edge","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-12T19:33:39.642847Z","entity":"article","guid":"58ecd08c-9ef9-4cfc-9aa2-3a7a64bdbc41","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:15:57.573939Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions","_id":"62df818243d9f45749671e96","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic is boosting young workers’ interest in labour unions. Could this reverse long-term membership decline and bring real change?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJack Rhodes Bernays thinks many customers have the wrong idea about how food delivery workers like him are faring during the pandemic. People say things to him like: “Oh, I bet you’re busier than you’ve ever been.” But across the UK, delivery riders and drivers are reporting tough times. With more couriers signing up and a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fdeliveroo-coronavirus-riders\" target=\"_blank\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\"\u003Edrop in city centre business\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, it’s becoming harder to get by.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the last two years, Rhodes Bernays been cycling for food delivery company Deliveroo in York, England. Pre-pandemic, it was rare, though always a possibility, for him to earn less than the minimum wage. Now, he says there are days when he might earn £4 an hour, less than half the legal minimum would be for a 26-year-old like him in formal employment. (Deliveroo says that on average, riders earn more than minimum wage, and has said in the past that new riders are only employed in areas where demand is increasing so \"\u003Ca title=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fdeliveroo-coronavirus-riders\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fdeliveroo-coronavirus-riders\" target=\"_blank\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\"\u003Erider earnings are protected”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.)  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs freelancers, the riders have limited benefits or sick pay, and time spent waiting isn't always factored into pay. “You’re constantly splashing around at the bottom of your overdraft,” says Rhodes Bernays. He’s on his phone constantly so he doesn't miss an order. He says lockdown has exposed the vulnerabilities of the job. “The pandemic definitely just shows that, basically, you don’t really have workers’ rights.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESo, about four months ago, he made the decision to join a union, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprismfresh.com\u002F\"\u003EYork Couriers and Logistics Branch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). His hope was that he could help draw attention to that lack of rights, while forging a community among workers who have traditionally been fairly isolated.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The pandemic definitely just shows that basically, you don’t really have workers’ rights - Jack Rhodes Bernays","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EHistorically, trade unions have held less appeal for younger, informal workers. But as working lives have become increasingly unpredictable and jobs less stable, people like Rhodes Bernays have been rediscovering the benefits of collective action. Some labour experts say the pandemic could open the door to more demands from young workers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESince peaking around the 1970s, unions \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0730888418785947\"\u003Eacross industrialised countries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have struggled to both retain older members and recruit younger ones. In the UK and France, union density is about half of what it was in the heyday of unions (although, back then, it was still a minority of workers who were unionised). The situation is even more stark in the US, where union membership has dropped from about 25% of the workforce in 1970 to 10% now.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Striking teachers march in Regent's Park, London, in December 1969","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe overall trend has been of unions attracting middle-aged and older employees, typically in permanent, full-time jobs in the public sector or in industries in which unions have historically been important. But such industries have faced a steady decline, while \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.etui.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fpolicy-briefs\u002Feuropean-economic-employment-and-social-policy\u002Funions-are-only-as-old-as-they-feel-lessons-on-young-worker-engagement-from-the-uk-france-germany-and-the-us\"\u003Eunions have tended to have less of an impact\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in fields such as retail, catering and hospitality. Those are the types of work where many young people start out, often in low-paid temporary or contract roles.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EYounger workers are also bearing the brunt of the increasing instability of the labour market and the rise of the gig economy. Contracts are often shorter-term and hours less certain, and while gig-economy work may yield good earnings without workers being tied into contracts, it also offers those workers few protections. As the companies resist pressure to treat people who work for them as employees, this has seen businesses “deliberately testing the limits of regulation of labour markets in the UK and also internationally”, says Melanie Simms, a professor of work and employment at the University of Glasgow.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Default\"\u003EBut although they may not have been joining traditional unions, that doesn’t mean young workers have been shunning the idea of organising altogether. Some have just been doing it their way, in a trend that began before the pandemic but has since gained new resonance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EFreelancers Union, for example, is a non-profit organisation that represents independent workers across the US who may previously have fallen between the gaps of traditional unions. This isn’t a traditional trade union, as it doesn’t collect member dues (although it receives revenue from health-insurance enrolments). It does not negotiate labour contracts, either. Freelancers Union has existed in some form since 1995, but its most high-profile success occurred in 2017, with the passing of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww1.nyc.gov\u002Fsite\u002Fdca\u002Fabout\u002Ffreelance-isnt-free-act.page\"\u003EFreelance Isn’t\u003Cspan\u003E Free Law\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in New York City. This law strengthened protections for freelancers, including the right to a contract and timely payment. In doing this, it reached a goal of a traditional union: the mandating of better working conditions. But this success didn't happen through the traditional route of negotiating directly with employers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a barista making coffee","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThere have also been other cases of young workers carving out their own collective action path in response to modern issues. For instance, in Philadelphia, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.phillymag.com\u002Fnews\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F17\u002Fphiladelphia-unions\u002F\"\u003Ea new generation of unions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has been emerging in the last few years, headed by leftists in their 20s and 30s mostly working in the service industry. They’ve been pushing for better labour rights for themselves, but also connecting those rights to broader social justice movements, such as anti-racism campaigning or police reform. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis sort of broad platform is also present in the employee pressure groups that have sprung up in places traditional unions can’t often reach. For example, Amazon has prevented employees in the US from unionising. But, in 2019, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffortune.com\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F16\u002Famazon-employee-activists-union-climate-justice\u002F\"\u003EAmazon Employees for Climate Justice\u003C\u002Fa\u003E movement was formed. Initially pushing for stronger action by the company against climate issues, its advocacy has expanded to include issues like better Covid-19 protections for Amazon employees, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Famazonemployees4climatejustice.medium.com\u002Fas-workers-were-asking-amazon-to-give-us-the-time-to-vote-7c7ebc158d2e\"\u003Etime off to vote\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhen the pandemic hit, the kinds of workers these newer groups appeal to were among the worst affected. In the US, between March and June 2020, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcepr.net\u002Flabor-market-transitions-of-young-people-during-the-pandemic\u002F\"\u003E20-to-24-year-olds lost their jobs faster\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than other age groups. And \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tuc.org.uk\u002Fresearch-analysis\u002Freports\u002Fyoung-workers-are-most-risk-job-losses-due-coronavirus-crisis\"\u003Eaccording to the Trades Union Congress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a confederation of UK unions, the two UK industries with the biggest proportions of young people – food and accommodation; and arts, entertainment and recreation – are also the two industries struggling the most. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAnna Stansbury, who researches inequality and social policy at Harvard University, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-coronavirus-how-will-the-pandemic-change-the-way-we-work\"\u003Ebelieves\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that “one of the longer-lasting effects of the pandemic will be to convince a broader swathe of people that joining a union might be helpful for them”. She also thinks workplace safety in light of Covid-19 will be the key driver. She points to university campuses in the US seeing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nasfaa.org\u002Fnews-item\u002F23342\u002FGraduate_Student_Unions_Push_Back_Against_Institutions_COVID-19_Policies_Perceived_Unfair_Treatment_on_Campus\"\u003Eunions forming for the first time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, due to safety and financial concerns related to the pandemic. “A lot of people have been sceptical of the drive to unionise graduate student workers and adjunct faculty at universities in the US. But these unions have played a big role in ensuring that workplaces are safe for graduate-student teachers to return to.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A masked delivery worker hands over a package","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESimms at the University of Glasgow agrees. She says before, health and safety was sometimes seen as “the most boring bit”. But “this is a point at which it’s never more obvious that your interests are at odds with your employer, if your employer asks you to do something that might make you very sick”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThere are certainly signs that the pandemic is generating renewed interest in labour unions. “During the height of the pandemic we saw our new weekly membership numbers increase by 300 to 500%, and the majority under the age of 35,” reports Rafael Espinal, the 36-year-old executive director of Freelancers Union. Espinal believes that “the dramatic increase in numbers can be attributed to freelancers looking for a support system and a point of information during a time of uncertainty”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, which represents workers in typically non-unionised roles, including cleaners, receptionists, charity workers and game developers, also saw a spike in March in the number of new joiners younger than 35. The numbers are modest overall, but the rise has been significant and continuing. There were 146 young recruits in March, compared to an average of 78 in the previous four months, and 93 in the following four months. IWGB President Henry Chango Lopez says, “Young members are joining the IWGB because Covid-19 has made it chillingly clear that not even our most basic rights, not even our health and safety, can be taken for granted in this crisis.\"\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EYet even if the pandemic is exposing the importance of employee organising, it may be making such organising harder. Converting current momentum into sustained change will be the harder part. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAs Simms points out, “when there’s a recession and associated job losses, union memberships go down for the very obvious reason that people lose their jobs”, while those who don’t can be reluctant to rock the boat. Simms asks rhetorically, “Why would you go to war with your employer when most people haven’t got a job?” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"A secondary effect of the pandemic will be to increase people’s perception in general that workers need more power - Anna Stansbury","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAccording to both Simms and Stansbury, to ensure sustained progress, the pandemic-era organising will need to build toward pushing for changes to government regulation on issues like workers’ rights in the gig economy. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn York, Rhodes Bernays has moved quickly through union ranks and become a community initiative officer locally and a recruitment officer nationally. He acknowledges recruiting among couriers is hard work. But he says many of the younger riders have some activism experience already, and that it’s common for youth to be searching for meaningful community online. Ultimately, he’s optimistic about channelling these energies into labour organising if the offer is made attractive. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIt’s too early to tell whether the Covid-19 effect will ultimately be just another anomaly in the overall trend away from the unionisation of the young. But Stansbury is already anticipating some upsides for the workers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“I think a secondary effect of the pandemic will be to increase people’s perception in general that workers need more power, particularly essential workers who’ve been working the vital jobs our society needs to keep functioning, having to endanger their health and that of their family, and for very low pay. Thinking of unionisation as a justice issue, and broadening its support base, may help create the political conditions necessary to pass pro-union reform and policies.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Could young workers change the future of labour?","headlineShort":"The young workers changing labour","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Jack Rhodes Bernays (Credit: Matthew Jopling)","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic is boosting young workers’ interest in labour unions. Could this reverse long-term membership decline and bring real change?","summaryShort":"How the pandemic could move younger workers to rewrite the future of labour","tag":[],"textToSpeech":true,"creationDateTime":"2020-12-07T20:55:03.206747Z","entity":"article","guid":"9b0f8b0c-8a88-4ba8-ad19-b6e6db4c5034","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:59:57.137275Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement","_id":"62df80d643d9f46d3b258176","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbrian-oconnor"],"bodyIntro":"Many employees are frustrated with the nature of employment. But some fed-up workers are asking a bigger question: what’s the purpose of work?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EChris, a US-based IT professional, says he’s experienced terrible working conditions in his recent roles. He says two separate employers, one offering no sick pay and the other only a week’s worth of paid time off, forced him back to work despite illness. At other labour-intensive jobs, he says he’s ended up having to treat his own wounds.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it was a role in customer support that pushed him too far. His job, which paid less than $13 (£9.40) an hour, involved verifying whether peoples’ dependents qualified for health-care insurance. He says he would have been fired if he had given callers certain helpful information he was not authorised to disclose, like how much time they had to submit their paperwork. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There were people literally begging for their lives on the phone, and I couldn’t do anything about it,” he says. “That broke me to a point where I realised that absolutely nothing in this system is working… It’s the lack of empathy and human kindness. I’m not sure how that went missing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo years into the pandemic, employees across the globe are tired. Poor mental health and burnout are common, particularly among low-wage and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fnews\u002Fpress\u002Freleases\u002Fstress\u002F2021\u002Fone-year-pandemic-stress-essential\"\u003Eessential workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. This prolonged period of uncertainty has made many re-examine the role their employers play in making matters worse; record numbers of workers are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003Eleaving jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in search of better options.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut some people are going further, wondering aloud if there’s purpose to their work – or the economic system itself. These people are part of the ‘anti-work’ movement, which seeks to do away with the economic order that underpins the modern workplace. Anti-work, which has roots in anarchist and socialist economic critique, argues that the bulk of today’s jobs aren’t necessary; instead, they enforce wage slavery and deprive workers of the full value of their output.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat doesn’t mean there would be no work, however. Supporters of the anti-work movement believe people should self-organise and labour only as much as needed, rather than working longer hours to create excess capital or goods.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The pandemic incarnation of this movement has grown faster and become more well known outside these political circles","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA few years ago, anti-work was a radical, fringe idea, but the pandemic incarnation of this movement has grown faster and become more well known outside these political circles. It’s centred on the r\u002Fantiwork subreddit, a community still rooted in direct action, but whose focus has both softened and broadened into a wider dialogue on working conditions as its popularity has grown. Today, it contains a mix of personal narratives about quitting, creating change in hostile workplaces, advocacy for ongoing labour strikes, labour organising and ways people can try to advocate for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe community has grown rapidly. At a time when worker dissatisfaction and labour rights are under intense scrutiny, how significant is the growing interest in this movement – and could it help play a part in effecting change?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E'Visceral rejection of work'?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris helps moderate the r\u002Fantiwork subreddit, which currently has 1.7 million subscribers as of this writing (up from 100,000 before March 2020). “We have a steady growing membership of between 20,000 and 60,000 followers a week. We have a ton of growth and a tonne of engaged members. We get hundreds of posts and thousands of comments every single day,” adds Doreen Ford, another moderator.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe subreddit’s name and philosophy draw from multiple sources. Ford says one is Bob Black, an anarchist philosopher, whose 1985 essay The Abolition of Work built upon preceding thoughts on labour – a history Black asserts goes back to ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Xenophon. “Many workers are fed up with work … There may be some movement toward a conscious and not just visceral rejection of work,” writes Black, suggesting people do only necessary work and devote the rest of their time to family and personal passions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBelievers in anti-work are not necessarily against all forms of labour. Rather, the overarching sentiment is hostility towards “jobs as they are structured under capitalism and the state”, according to the subreddit’s FAQ. “The point of r\u002Fantiwork is to start a conversation, to problematise work as we know it today,” it continues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bk882r"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EToday, while these ideals remain central to the movement, the subreddit’s focus has widened to encompass more general labour rights. Users share stories of employer abuse, ask for advice on how to negotiate better pay, contribute memes or post news updates about ongoing labour strikes. Participants also offer tips on how users can support strike efforts. In December 2021, members of the subreddit helped efforts to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.npr.org\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F10\u002F1063112624\u002Fredditors-spam-kelloggs-job-portal-striking-workers-union\"\u003Eflood Kellogg’s job application portal\u003C\u002Fa\u003E when the company broke off negotiations with striking unionised workers and said it would hire new, non-union workers. Although it's unclear how much r\u002Fantiwork's members directly influenced the company's actions, later that month, Kellogg’s and the union reached a deal.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe community also provides links to literature and podcasts about the anti-work movement beyond Reddit. The majority of posts come from US workers across all genders and occupations, although there is a global presence as well.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘An interruption of work as we knew it’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the anti-work movement itself isn’t novel, it has garnered newfound attention.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“With Covid there was an interruption of work as we knew it,” says Tom Juravitch, a professor of labour studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US. “In moments like this, people have time to reflect. Working has been degraded for so many people. The authority structures that we’re in have gotten more draconian and more controlling than ever. People really felt that in a new way.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor blue-collar workers, Covid-19 brutally exposed deep inequalities; low wages, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthaffairs.org\u002Fdo\u002F10.1377\u002Fhpb20210428.863621\u002Ffull\u002F\"\u003Ea lack of paid sick leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, requirements to be in customer-facing environments with inadequate \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fresourcesandtools\u002Flegal-and-compliance\u002Femployment-law\u002Fpages\u002Fosha-cites-employer-for-covid-19-safety-violations.aspx\"\u003Eworkplace safety measures\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that left people vulnerable to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-55705798\"\u003Econtracting Covid on the job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Workers at all income levels, meanwhile, have struggled to juggle work pressures with family responsibilities caused by shuttered schools, leading to increased burnout, mental health issues – and, for some, existential questioning.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet Kate Bronfenbrenner, director of labour education research and a senior lecturer at Cornell University, US, notes that while Covid-19 has been a major propellant, the current anti-work movement has deeper roots that predate the last two years. “Workers have had an amazing threshold for tolerating the abuse that employers have put on them,” says Bronfenbrenner. “But when that abuse went so far as to risk their lives, that crossed the line; in the context of Covid, where employers were asking them to work harder than ever and employers were making huge profits.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, not every disillusioned worker will embrace anti-work. It’s clear swaths of workers are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003Eseeking out new roles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E aimed at securing better conditions. Others are quitting or choosing to work for themselves. But some are trying to advocate for change. “People aren’t all quitting,” says Bronfenbrenner. “Some are saying they’re going to fix it by organising, striking or standing up.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In moments like this, people have time to reflect. Working has been degraded for so many people – Tom Juravitch","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘It feels like a big moment for us’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s still too early to tell whether this online community might have measurable impacts on labour rights, whether through louder, more impassioned conversations or other disruptions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFundamentally changing work overnight is unlikely, but we are experiencing an unprecedented shake-up in terms of how workers do their jobs and the kinds of conditions they are expecting from employers in return. It’s clear many workers are at their breaking points – and there are already signs that employers who fear widescale employee attrition are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fbusiness-wages-salaries-increase-8ce98ea3bcc14c4810eb5a1111e1df49\"\u003Estarting to respond\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with incremental improvements. If anti-work and its ideological cousins continue to gain numbers, this may give employers – and perhaps even politicians – further pause for thought.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, it’s important to look at how the anti-work movement has played out in the past. One parallel is the “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F291060765_The_long_seventies\"\u003Elong seventies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, a period of inflation and economic recession in the US, which compelled many labour leaders – and in many cases, wildcat strikers – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Freuther.wayne.edu\u002Fnode\u002F10756\"\u003Eto walk off the job and ask for more than just pay rises from employers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Their demands also included better working conditions from bosses as well as changes in union leadership.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this movement didn’t gain widespread traction. An energy shortage and worsening unemployment took the steam out of efforts to radically alter the state of work, particularly as employers asked unions for deeper concessions to contend with lost profits amid a dramatic recession. The power of labour petered out as “the fear of loss of security at work” undermined the movement of the time, says Leon Fink, professor of history at the University of Illinois at Chicago.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People aren’t all quitting. Some are saying they’re going to fix it by organising, striking or standing up – Kate Bronfenbrenner","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFink adds economic shifts and the decline of the boom economy ultimately eroded the increased leverage workers had to sustain longer-lasting change. Similarly, future economic conditions as well as how power evolves in the workplace will affect the direction of today’s anti-work movement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, past labour movements suggest moments of opportunity can lead to some change, even if that change may be short-lived or incremental. “I think that there’s a real possibility for some traction” with the current anti-work movement, says Juravitch. He points towards the implications of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which “continue to reverberate through all other kinds of grassroots movements”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFord is optimistic. “It’s starting a lot of conversations. It feels like a big moment for us.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris looks at the anti-work movement as a small part of what he hopes will be a bigger effort to dismantle the state of work entirely – even if he doesn’t see this happening in his lifetime. “Hopefully I can make it easier for the people who come after me.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EEd note: Shortly after the publication of this story on 26 Jan 2022, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2022-01-26\u002Fantiwork-subreddit-goes-private-after-brigading-follows-mod-s-fox-news-interview\"\u003Er\u002Fantiwork subbredit went private\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in response to comments made on Reddit. Writing and reporting was completed prior to this.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-27T12:57:29Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The rise of the anti-work movement","headlineShort":"The rise of the anti-work movement","image":["p0bk87x6"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-could-young-workers-reshape-labour-unions"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Many employees are frustrated with the nature of employment. But some fed-up workers are asking a bigger question: what’s the purpose of work?","summaryShort":"Fed up workers are asking a big question: what's the purpose of work?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-26T21:01:14.750224Z","entity":"article","guid":"011bd354-5c28-40a6-acd5-920cc5f0f068","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:21:26.638046Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220126-the-rise-of-the-anti-work-movement","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships","_id":"62df800243d9f46d89134318","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Multi-partner relationships are on the rise, and finding their way into the mainstream. Could this new exposure change the way we look at sex and families?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIan Jenkins, 45, faced death threats after coming out as gay while at university in Virginia. At that time, he could hardly foresee a day when he could live as an openly gay man with one partner, let alone two. But today, he shares a home in San Diego with his two partners, Alan, 43, and Jeremy, 37, (who are using their first names only for privacy), and their two children, ages three and one. All three men are the children’s legal fathers, their names on both birth certificates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJenkins and his first partner, Alan, both doctors, had discussed the possibility of a more open relationship for years, before meeting Jeremy in 2012. Though Jeremy, a zookeeper who works to save endangered species, wasn’t initially interested in polyamory, he got to know the couple as friends and “everyone sort of became comfortable with the idea – there was just good chemistry”, says Jenkins.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey became a family, but when they made the decision to have children, obstacles arose. Besides the fact that each man had to have his own attorney involved in both the surrogacy and egg donor contracts with their first child (separate women served as surrogate and donor), they then had to convince a judge that all three should be legally defined as the child’s parents.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJenkins says the judge who heard their case “was understanding of the situation and wanted to help us”, but as a lower court judge “she wasn't allowed to set precedent”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo men in three-way relationships had ever been granted joint parenting rights to a child before in California, or possibly anywhere in the US. But the men made their case, each explaining “why it was so important and necessary for us to have [our names on] the birth certificate”, says Jenkins. The judge ended up granting all three parenting rights to their first child, born in 2017, and Jenkins ended up writing a book about their journey, Three Dads and a Baby: Adventures in Modern Parenting, which was published on 9 March in the US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"ian jenkins with partners","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThough it’s still rare for people in polyamorous relationships to share legal parentage of their children, various forms of ‘ethical non-monogamy’ – relationships involving more than two adults who consent to the arrangement – have becoming increasingly widespread over the past decade. Multiple factors contribute to this, from the rise of multi-partner dating apps and mainstream media representation to social media and more easily accessible networks for those interested in the lifestyle. “I think a huge factor is just people's willingness to be open,” says Jenkins. “There has to be visibility.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese cultural shifts, however, date back to free love proponents in the 1960s, who worked hard to expand our sexual boundaries from groups working all across the globe. And changes continue to happen because of people like Jenkins and his partners, whose stories help shed long-held taboos about having multiple partners.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘This is not a new thing’: the history of non-monogamy\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2016, a survey of nearly 9,000 single US adults showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lehmiller.com\u002Fblog\u002F2016\u002F5\u002F30\u002Fhow-many-people-have-ever-had-a-consensually-non-monogamous-relationship\"\u003Eone in five had previously been in a consensually non-monogamous relationship\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. A Canadian survey came up with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lehmiller.com\u002Fblog\u002F2019\u002F4\u002F17\u002Fone-in-five-people-report-having-been-in-a-sexually-open-relationship\"\u003Eroughly the same numbers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E a year later.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Something else we've seen in the last decade is that Google searches for the terms ‘polyamory’ and ‘open relationships’ have increased, which demonstrates that there's more interest in this topic,” says Justin Lehmiller, social psychologist and research fellow at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in Bloomington, Indiana. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut people have been engaging in these types of relationships “for a really long time”, adds Lehmiller. “This is not a new thing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Everyone sort of became comfortable with the idea: there was just good chemistry – Ian Jenkins","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt was new in 1969, however, when Dossie Easton, co-author with Janet Hardy of the 1997 book The Ethical Slut, made the then “quite unusual” decision that she would “never be monogamous again” after having left a bad relationship. In 1973, she joined a group called San Francisco Sex Information (which still exists) and found herself in a community of people exploring open sexual lifestyles. “I got to be part of advancing that world,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEaston, now 77, had been talking about ethical non-monogamy for years when she and Hardy taught a BDSM workshop at a Mensa conference in 1994 in Big Sur, outside San Francisco. While the audience wasn’t scandalised by the BDSM, they were shocked that Easton and Hardy, who were lovers at the time, did the workshop right in front of Easton’s male partner. That prompted the pair to write the book, which covers how to carry on healthy non-monogamous relationships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s still somewhat required reading for people interested in the lifestyle. “Every year it sells more,” says Easton.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver the past several decades, Easton has travelled to “poly meet-ups” in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. In Berlin, she met Claudia Zinser, 57, who started to “live openly polyamorous about 25 years ago”, says Zinser. She’s been counselling people in polyamorous relationships for about a decade, and has seen openness toward the lifestyle increase, particularly among urban young people. “The media, including social media, hyped the topic… so it’s not unknown or taboo anymore,” she says. “It’s maybe even hip.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe app push\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEthically non-monogamous relationships haven’t had a purely upward trajectory.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELehmiller says the HIV epidemic of the 1980s and 90s caused research on consensual non-monogamy to slow down, as having sex with multiple partners had become viewed as less safe. “The rebirth of research in this area started around 2010 or so,” says Lehmiller. “In the last decade, we've really seen an explosion.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe current near-mainstreaming of ethical non-monogamy, he says, has happened because of both academic research that’s filtered into the public, through media and education centres, and more diverse depictions of these relationships on TV. These newer depictions go beyond HBO’s Big Love or TLC’s Sister Wives, which both follow Mormon families featuring one husband and multiple wives, to show a variety of poly relationships. Both Lucy Gillespie’s Unicornland, in which a newly single woman goes on dates with several different couples; and You Me Her, where both members of a couple fall for another woman together, are strong examples.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The internet and more inclusive dating apps have also played a role in changing these attitudes,” says Lehmiller. Multiple non-monogamy-geared dating apps make it easy to find others looking for multiple partner relationships or sexual experiences. On Feeld, a poly and kink dating app, 60% of couples are looking for a third, says a company spokesperson. It’s not just sex that people are seeking. A survey spanning 640 users of the three-way app 3Fun from the US and UK showed that about 43% of those looking for three-way sex were also looking for three-way relationships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith these apps, “there are more options for meeting and connecting,” says Lehmiller, “so it's not as much of an underground scene as it was in the past”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFeeld is how Janie Frank, 25, met her two partners, Maggie Odell, 27, and Cody Coppola, 31, in 2016. She’d first started using the app earlier that year because, though she’d previously only dated men, she realised she liked women, as well. “I was really nervous about dating a woman for the first time,” says Frank. “I decided the way I was going to get around this was to date couples instead to ease myself into it, so I would be dating a man and woman at the same time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"A from three-way app 3Fun from the US and UK showed that about 43% of those looking for three-way sex were also looking for three-way relationships","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, Frank finds this logic “strange and funny”, but it ultimately led to her dating several couples before meeting Odell and Coppola. It also introduced her to “this whole lifestyle that I didn’t know existed”, she says. “Talking to people on the app… I began to realise there is a whole community for people who are ethically non-monogamous.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, Frank and Odell both have TikTok accounts, between which they have a few hundred-thousand followers. “We've been using them to try to talk about polyamory and bring awareness to it, and just normalise it and educate people on… what it can look like,” says Frank.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome ethically non-monogamous people reach out to thank them for the representation. Others less familiar with the lifestyle comment to say they’re glad they learned about polyamory from Frank and Odell’s videos. “I had never heard about this before,” some say.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs the law catching up?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rise in ethically non-monogamous relationships is leading to legal recognition beyond Jenkins and his partners gaining parental rights to their children. In July 2020, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.usatoday.com\u002Fstory\u002Fnews\u002Fnation\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F02\u002Fpolyamory-massachusetts-city-somerville-relationships-us\u002F5370718002\u002F\"\u003ESomerville, Massachusetts city council voted unanimously\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to recognise polyamorous domestic partnerships. The city of Cambridge, which borders Somerville, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewbostonpost.com\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F10\u002Fcambridge-officially-recognizes-polyamory\u002F\"\u003Erecently followed suit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis isn’t just happening in the US. In 2018, two men and a woman in a polyamorous relationship were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbc.ca\u002Fnews\u002Fcanada\u002Fnewfoundland-labrador\u002Fpolyamourous-relationship-three-parents-1.4706560\"\u003Eall recognised as the legal parents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of their child in Newfoundland, Canada. The year prior, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.advocate.com\u002Fworld\u002F2017\u002F6\u002F15\u002Fthree-gay-men-make-history-marrying-colombia\"\u003Ethree men in a relationship in Medellin, Colombia\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, were legally married.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese geographically disparate moves towards normalising ethical non-monogamy may help spark a more global movement. Zinser, in Berlin, believes the push to online meetings and communities, spurred by Covid-19, will enhance “global networks” for those who practice ethical non-monogamy. The spread of information about non-monogamy, meanwhile, “is going to give people more options for designing the type of relationship that’s right for them”, says Lehmiller. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn spite of these changes, people in non-monogamous and queer relationships still contend with stigma. Frank says she and her partners at one time received anonymous hate mail (it’s since stopped). And, as of a year ago, Jenkins says students at the college he attended still belted out a homophobic chant at football games.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn San Diego, however, Jenkins says he and his partners don’t face discrimination – it’s mainly why he and Alan chose to move there in the first place. After Jenkins’s book came out, his colleagues at the hospital where he works, including all the senior administrators, wrote to congratulate him. “They even suggested we could do a book signing in the future,” says Jenkins. “We’re really lucky to be in that environment.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-25T20:42:33.69Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Ethical non-monogamy: the rise of multi-partner relationships","headlineShort":"Why ethical non-monogamy is on the rise","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Multi-partner relationships are on the rise, and finding their way into the mainstream. Could this new exposure change the way we look at sex and families?","summaryShort":"Multi-partner relationships are increasing – and could be going mainstream","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-25T20:43:56.102513Z","entity":"article","guid":"39272912-a87b-4186-996b-0fbd5e804f9d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:05:49.632936Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation","_id":"62df806943d9f46d1a3a0dc7","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Some people need to feel an emotional bond before developing attraction. Many people don't accept this as a sexual orientation — but demisexuals say that’s misguided.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this year, when then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daughter, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fandrew-cuomo-daughter-says-she-is-demisexual-what-that-means-2021-7\"\u003EMichaela Kennedy-Cuomo, came out as ‘demisexual’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, she was met with public condescension. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fnypost\u002Fstatus\u002F1411333472598298624?lang=en\"\u003EMany mocked her demisexuality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – a lack of sexual attraction to others without a strong emotional connection. Few acknowledged demisexuality as ‘real’.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut although demisexuality isn’t widely known, it’s a sexual orientation like any other, that applies to people across the world.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDemisexuality, which falls on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-asexuality-the-ascent-of-the-invisible-sexual-orientation\"\u003Easexuality spectrum\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, differs from simply \u003Cem\u003Ewanting\u003C\u002Fem\u003E to wait for a deep bond to form before having sex with someone; rather, it’s more akin to the experience of being asexual \u003Cem\u003Euntil\u003C\u002Fem\u003E that type of connection forms, at which point the sexual attraction extends only to that person. For allosexuals, on the other hand (people who aren’t on the asexual spectrum), waiting to have sex until forming a deep connection is more of a preference, and less of \u003Cem\u003Enecessity\u003C\u002Fem\u003E to developing sexual desire.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKennedy-Cuomo’s announcement did have positive effects, says Kayla Kaszyca, a demisexual co-creator of the podcast Sounds Fake But Okay, in which she and her asexual, aromantic co-host Sarah Costello discuss love, relationships and sexuality on the asexual spectrum. In some cases, Kaszyca says Kennedy-Cuomo’s statement raised the profile of demisexuality, stoking “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cosmopolitan.com\u002Fsex-love\u002Fnews\u002Fa36736\u002Fwhat-does-it-mean-to-be-a-demisexual\u002F\"\u003Emore discourse about it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the other hand, the broadened discussion also brought detractors and spread misinformation. “I think the word [demisexuality] is definitely more out there and known, but the proper definition might still be unclear to a lot of people,” says 24-year-old Kaszyca.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, many still dismiss demisexuality, insisting it’s ‘normal’ not to be sexually attracted to someone until you form a deeper, emotional connection with them. “Someone might tell you, ‘Isn’t everyone like that?’” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, says Kaszyca, “you have to start myth-busting”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople who identify as demisexual, like Kaszyca and others who share content related to their orientation, are actively working to clarify that definition. It’s an especially tricky task when discussing an orientation that hasn’t even had a name for all that long, and whose definition often confuses people.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut their work is making a difference, and during the past several years, discussion about demisexuality has proliferated on Facebook groups, Instagram posts, Discord servers and among organisations dedicated to the asexual spectrum across the globe.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Someone might tell you, ‘Isn’t everyone like that? You have to start myth-busting – Kayla Kaszyca","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘I still didn’t come to terms with it for a really long time’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople often \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002F2015\u002F02\u002Fdemisexuality\u002F\"\u003Etrace the origin of the term demisexual\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to a 2006 Asexual Visibility & Education Network (Aven) forum post. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think it is a word that emerged primarily out of the Aven site and asexual advocates, not necessarily out of academics,” says Anthony Bogaert, a human-sexuality researcher and professor at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, who’s written multiple papers about asexuality. At that time, people on the Aven site were figuring out just how diverse the asexual spectrum could be – new terms began emerging as people who’d previously identified as asexual noted unique circumstances in which they \u003Cem\u003Ecould\u003C\u002Fem\u003E experience sexual attraction.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There is a tradition of allowing people with different kinds of identifications and lots of variability to come to the Aven site,” says Bogaert. These people helped move forward the discussion about asexuality by identifying various aspects of the asexual spectrum. In doing so, they offered information that wasn’t available elsewhere on the internet.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, asexuality was – and still is – more widely discussed than demisexuality. This is in part because the former is easier for people who aren’t asexual to conceptualise. Someone who’s asexual “experiences little to no sexual attraction”, says Kaszyca. “It’s a pretty easy tagline to use.” But adding on top of that “except when they develop a deep emotional connection”, can sometimes leave allosexuals scratching their heads.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElle Rose, a 28-year-old based in Indiana, US, began identifying as demisexual after describing their sexuality to a friend a few years ago. “She looked at me and was like, ‘Elle, you’re describing demisexuality’,” says Rose. “I still didn't come to terms with it for a really long time.” Fearing the complications to their dating life if they were openly demisexual, Rose often described themselves as ‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glaad.org\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-pansexuality-4-pan-celebs-explain-their-own-words\"\u003Epansexual\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’, leaving out the demisexual identity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘People can see themselves represented, finally’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERose partly attributes dismissive attitudes towards demisexuality in the US to “purity culture”, in which women are at once highly sexualised in the media, but also expected to save themselves for the right person (or marriage, particularly in religious settings). Conceptually, this neatly aligns with abstaining from sex until forming a deep bond with a partner. But this is still ultimately a preference, with which demisexuals don’t identify.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis lack of understanding often breeds loneliness. Cairo Kennedy, a 33-year-old in Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up “not experiencing sexual attraction the same way as my peers, and you kind of feel broken”, she says. “It became this big secret and source of shame.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen she discovered there was a name for her sexual orientation just a few years ago, she felt “kind of good, but then there was no information”, she says – at least none talking about demisexuality from the perspective of someone with lived experience. There were enough Aven posts for her to read and think, “‘Oh, this is me’, but not so much, ‘Oh, there’s a whole bunch of us’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"[My friend] looked at me and was like, ‘Elle, you’re describing demisexuality’. I still didn't come to terms with it for a really long time – Elle Rose","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EKennedy decided to fill this gap, starting a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthedemisexual.com\u002F\"\u003E“demisexual lifestyle” blog\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Through it, many other demisexuals have contacted her – people ranging from teenagers to those in their 50s, who live mostly in the US and Europe. “I was really surprised by how many people seem to relate,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think the term is more popular because of social media,” says Hawaii-based therapist specialising in human sexuality Janet Brito. She only first heard the term demisexuality during her post-doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota, US, in 2014, “even though it’s describing [a sexual orientation] that’s been around for so long”. Though Brito acknowledges demisexuality spans all age groups, her openly demisexual clients tend to be in their earlier twenties. “They have more exposure to social media,” she says, “[where] it’s more acceptable to talk about this spectrum.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat exposure breeds validation. “Social media opens up the door to many other voices that we would have not been exposed to in the past,” she adds. “[People] can see themselves represented, finally.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKlaus Roberts, 30, who lives just outside Helsinki, credits the internet for helping him put a name to his orientation about five years ago. “Finland’s a little bit behind in a lot of these things, because we’re a relatively small country,” he says. He’d been identifying as asexual, but meeting people in multi-national LGBTQ+ communities online helped him realise that demisexual described him better. “People who know anything about these terms, it’s easier for them to understand me when I use that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Understand the nature of sexuality better’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen mainstream establishments fail to provide information about a variety of sexual orientations, these online voices become crucial for education.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKaszyca and co-host Sarah Costello started their podcast while they were undergraduates at the University of Michigan, US, where only their friends listened to support them. Today, their reach has expanded to other English-speaking countries and Europe. Kaszyca estimates Sounds Fake But Okay now gets around 7,000 listeners per week. She adds it’s not only those on the asexual spectrum who tune in – their parents, partners and friends do, too, so they can learn.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our episode with the most listens is our ‘Asexuality 101’ episode,” says Kaszyca. “People have said they've sent that to their friends or family after coming out, to help educate them and… ease the education process.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis education also helps demisexuals navigate other parts of society, like dating. For example, Kaszyca says apps have made dating while demisexual easier, because you can include your orientation in your dating profile. This avoids an otherwise heavy first date conversation. “A first date is supposed to be casual,” she says, “then you’re like, ‘hey, let’s have an in-depth conversation about my identity, and I’m probably going to have to teach you what it is because demisexuality is so unknown’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, talking and learning about the “the variability that exists in the broader asexual community”, says researcher Bogaert, is crucial to avoiding the alienation of sexual minorities. But it’s also crucial because “it allows us to understand the nature of sexuality better” as a whole.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-11-05T14:08:39Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why demisexuality is as real as any sexual orientation","headlineShort":"Why it's wrong to dismiss demisexuality","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some people need to feel an emotional bond before developing attraction. Many people don't accept this as a sexual orientation — but demisexuals say that’s misguided.","summaryShort":"No attraction without connection? Understanding this sexual orientation","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-11-04T19:54:35.883895Z","entity":"article","guid":"1e30ed03-592c-4125-9473-dc76f8766d46","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:17:13.322153Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic","_id":"62df819843d9f4584465b62e","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"With time to contemplate and reassess, some people have begun exploring new sexual identities and other desires “beyond the binary”.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELauren, 25, identified as bisexual since 2014. This designation for her sexual identity worked fine until the pandemic hit. With her Master’s degree programme newly virtual, and social events and daily commutes wiped off her calendar, Lauren suddenly had a lot more alone time to contemplate her identity. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Having all that time and consuming a lot of media made me reflect more on my past relationships, specifically with men,” she says. “How did I not realise that all of the relationships I had with men were totally unsatisfying?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELockdown-induced isolation has given many people the opportunity to more deeply analyse elements of their lives and identities, whether that be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220125-the-small-cities-and-towns-booming-from-remote-work\"\u003Ethe places they live\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211214-great-resignation-into-great-reshuffle\"\u003Ejobs they work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201203-why-the-pandemic-is-causing-spikes-in-break-ups-and-divorces\"\u003Eromantic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents\"\u003Efamily relationships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Among these intimate shifts, some research indicates people’s attitudes towards their sexuality have evolved amid the pandemic, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EDating app Bumble surveyed more than 4,000 users in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada in August 2020 (data reviewed by BBC Worklife), and 21% said they were planning to “express their sexuality differently… compared to a year ago.” Another Bumble survey showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbumble.com\u002Fen\u002Fthe-buzz\u002Fsexual-preferences-covid-lockdown\"\u003E14% shifted their sexual desires during the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, opting, for example, for same sex-relationships when they’d previously only been with those of another gender.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAdditionally, research conducted between March and July 2020 among LGBTQ+ respondents by the Social Relations, Attitudes and Diversity Lab at Ontario’s Trent University, reviewed by BBC Worklife, showed that 11% “felt their ability to be out about their… identity had changed as a result of Covid-19”. Of those, several reported that this took place because during the pandemic, they had “time to myself to figure out my sexual identity”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBefore the pandemic, Lauren says she barely had free time among working, going to school and her social life. “I [couldn’t] deal with any big life changes, and shifting identities felt like a big life change.” But the mandatory slowdown gave her the space she needed to re-examine her sexuality. Speaking with her therapist and watching other women who formerly identified as bisexual come out as lesbians on TikTok brought her to newly identify as a lesbian herself. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EOnce too overwhelming to contemplate – or not top-of-mind at all – these “big life changes” are now on the table for an increasing number of people, especially women, as some found themselves questioning the cultural norms they’d always subscribed to.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERe-evaluating the ‘default settings’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Everybody is always so busy in life that it’s really easy to try to escape yourself,” says New York City-based clinical psychologist Jennifer Guttman. In other words, she says, it’s natural for people to put self-discovery on the back burner.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ERegarding sexuality, this means it’s simpler for many people to default to a “heteronormativity” mindset, and not question the go-to heterosexuality that they grew up with, says Karen Blair, who heads Trent University’s Social Relations, Attitudes and Diversity Lab.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Much of our media and culture still sends us the message that most of us will be straight,” says Blair. Since sexuality exists on a spectrum where “many, if not most, fall somewhere in between”, she adds, there isn’t much motivation for people to question their sexuality if the “default settings” fit well enough.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBut when people could “press the pause button during lockdown”, says Guttman, she observed “more clients than ever” exploring their sexual orientations. Of her 65 clients, she estimates that 10 to 12 re-thought their sexuality in that time, compared to just one client who’d done so before the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“All of them started to notice that they were feeling unmoored, lost, anxious, depressed. The fact that they felt uncomfortable with themselves was disturbing to them.” Many began to address this discomfort by assessing whether they were on the right career path, but over time, they ended up digging “far deeper than work,” says Guttman.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘I entered the pandemic straight’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAlthough the pandemic slashed dating options for many people, others saw a newly open door.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELondon-based Alexa, 24, had long identified as straight, but was already questioning her sexuality while in her fourth year of university in New York State before Covid-19 hit. So, as the pandemic pushed her into online dating, Alexa found it was easier to make the switch around what types of partners she was looking for – she could do it from the comfort of her own home. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn early 2021, Alexa decided to switch her Tinder settings from only men to “everyone”. The ease with which she could make that change made the exploration feel, in a sense, lower stakes. She still “wasn’t sure” about her sexual identity at the time, but by changing her dating app settings, “at least the option was open”, she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Of 65 clients, Guttman estimates that 10 to 12 re-thought their sexuality in that time, compared to just one client who’d done so before the pandemic","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAccording to Blair’s research, this experience is relatively common. With people spending more time “courting” online before meeting up in person due to pandemic-related restrictions, “it may have been more likely that people would toy with the idea of ‘checking the other box’ when asked who they were looking to meet”, she says. Dating someone of a different gender than people were used to became “a bit more approachable”.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBoth experts and daters alike told BBC Worklife that media also contributed to people re-thinking their sexual orientations, including social networks, podcasts and television shows – which people were consuming at higher rates while isolating indoors. Guttman even advised some of her clients to listen to podcasts and watch shows “with more LGBTQIA+ interactions” to “normalise” it for those newly testing out those identities. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAt the same time, many TikTok users like Violet Turning, a New York City-based sex educator, saw a swell of young women discussing their shift from identifying as straight to lesbian, queer or bisexual during the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“My whole feed was young women who were like, ‘I entered the pandemic straight, and now I’m in a lesbian relationship’,” says Turning. Some mentioned having “suppressed” those desires until the pandemic gave them space to explore, while Turning saw others say they’d taken time to discover the history of heterosexual relationships and began newly questioning their sexuality after learning more about female oppression in those contexts. She sees the spread of this information on TikTok as “validating for folks… exploring sexuality beyond the binary”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis was true for Lauren, who downloaded TikTok during the pandemic, and was immediately confronted with videos of people who, like her, had identified as bisexual before coming out as lesbian. She attributes this to more people getting involved with online conversations at a time when pandemic-based restrictions severely limited in-person social lives. (There are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men\"\u003Eseveral reasons\u003C\u002Fa\u003E why more women seem to embrace sexual fluidity than men, a ratio reflected in Guttman’s clients – of the roughly dozen who explored changes to their sexual orientation during lockdowns, just two were men.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDeeper introspection post-lockdowns?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EStill, seeing people re-examine their sexual orientations on TikTok is different from publicly coming out in one’s own life. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhen Alexa realised she was queer, it was “very scary”, she says: first, because she felt she wasn’t the person she’d thought she was; and because it totally altered her vision of the future, which she’d previously thought would consist of her living the life of a straight person. Telling other people felt scary, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“I was worried about what people would think of me, and I know that’s internalised homophobia,” she says. She also didn’t like drawing attention to herself, and was hesitant to apply a label to her orientation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EGuttman has noticed this discomfort with labels across multiple clients, who re-thought their orientations throughout the past couple of years. Many felt “internal pressure” about whether they should “come to a label quickly or not”, she says, even if they were still in the exploratory phase. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELauren has since come out as lesbian to her friends and family, including her Catholic mother. “That was probably the hardest person to tell,” she says. The identity shift she made during the pandemic will remain for the long-term. Going forward, she says she’s only dating “women and nonbinary” folks, and “not anybody who actively identifies as a cis man”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EStill, it’s hard to say to whether people will keep up this level of introspection as life inches toward “normal\". Covid-19 and related restrictions haven’t disappeared, but from what Guttman’s seen, at least, “people have continued to engage in reflection through self-empowerment books, podcasts and therapy,” she says. “I have also seen that whatever shifts people made \u003Cem\u003Evis-à-vis\u003C\u002Fem\u003E their sexual fluidity or sexual orientation during the pandemic have continued as the world opens up.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-25T12:32:19Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why sexual identities shifted during the pandemic","headlineShort":"How the pandemic changed sexuality","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"With time to contemplate and reassess, some people have begun exploring new sexual identities and other desires “beyond the binary”.","summaryShort":"\"I entered the pandemic straight, and now I'm in a lesbian relationship\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-24T21:37:08.578713Z","entity":"article","guid":"13de87f7-0349-463d-a1c3-b3c6ccd57564","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-24T22:38:43.17599Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all","_id":"62df7f8243d9f4574a33a81b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjessica-klein"],"bodyIntro":"With no ‘primary partner’ and a potential for multiple meaningful relationships, solo polyamorists are hopping off the heteronormative “relationship escalator”.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter Chris, 35, came out as bisexual three years ago, he decided that he “didn’t necessarily want to live a heteronormative life”. “I wanted to be able to date men and women simultaneously for my whole life,” says Chris, who is withholding his surname for privacy. “I felt like monogamy would deny me something of myself.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the pandemic, Chris moved into an intentional, sex-positive community in Brooklyn, New York – a “safe space” where he could further explore his relationship with sex and sexuality. Through that community, he discovered a course called Open Smarter, which guided students through navigating various types of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships\"\u003Eethically non-monogamous relationships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That’s where he first heard the term ‘solo polyamory’. He quickly felt like it fit his dating style.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt its core, solo polyamory refers to people who are open to dating or engaging in multiple meaningful relationships without having a ‘primary partner’: one person to whom they’re committed above all other partners. Instead, the solo polyamorist might see themselves as their own primary partner, eschewing typical relationship goals, like merging finances or homes with a partner, and getting married and having children. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolo polyamorists represent a small portion of polyamorists in general, many of whom tend to have or aim to have a primary partner, says Philadelphia-based sex educator and therapist Liz Powell, 39, so it’s inherently difficult to figure out what percentage of the overall population is engaging in relationships this way. However, some studies show younger generations are more likely to have entered into some kind of non-monogamous relationship than older generations. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPer a 2020 YouGov survey of 1,300 US adults, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftoday.yougov.com\u002Ftopics\u002Frelationships\u002Farticles-reports\u002F2020\u002F01\u002F31\u002Fmillennials-monogamy-poly-poll-survey-data\"\u003E43% of millennials said that their ideal relationship would be non-monogamous\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while just 30% of Gen X said the same. Overall, research from 2016 synthesising two different US studies showed 20% of respondents \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F0092623X.2016.1178675\"\u003Eengaged in a consensually non-monogamous relationship\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at some point. But these studies don’t break down those numbers by specific types of non-monogamous relationships, so it’s impossible to say how many of those surveyed identify with solo polyamory.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince solo polyamorists are a minority identity, misconceptions about their lifestyles abound. From people who equate solo polyamory to monogamists dating around until they find “the one”, to those who consider it a selfish or greedy move, like “having your cake and eating it, too”, there’s a tendency to overlook the term’s more nuanced definition. Ultimately, it boils down to stepping off what’s known as the heteronormative “relationship escalator”, and opting for an alternative way to engage in romantic and sexual partnerships.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0brtvdd"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe “relationship escalator”\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe term solo polyamory gained popularity with the blog Solopoly.net, written by journalist Amy Gahran, under the pen name Aggie Sez. Her first blog post, published in 2012, was titled, “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsolopoly.net\u002F2012\u002F11\u002F29\u002Friding-the-relationship-escalator-or-not\u002F\"\u003ERiding the relationship escalator (or not)\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”. About five years later, she wrote a book on the subject, Stepping Off the Relationship Escalator: Uncommon Love and Life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGahran defines this ‘escalator’ as “the default set of societal customs for the proper conduct of intimate relationships” – in other words, relationships that hit, or aim to hit, traditional life markers, like moving in with a partner, merging finances, getting engaged, getting married and having children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We have these normalised benchmarks or signs that a relationship is serious,” says California-based Rachel Krantz, 34, author of Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy – A Polyamory Memoir. “Solo polyamorous people tend to avoid intertwining their life in that way with someone else.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the definition may seem narrow, there are plenty of ways to be ‘solo poly’. Solo polyamorous folks tend to be allosexual, says Colorado-based Elisabeth Sheff, author of books including The Polyamorists Next Door, meaning they tend to experience sexual desire – but some are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-asexuality-the-ascent-of-the-invisible-sexual-orientation\"\u003Easexual\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and maintain multiple, non-sexual relationships. They also tend to “value their independence”, adds Sheff, but some have very important, non-romantic relationships in their lives that they put first. “The single parent who prioritises their children over all other relationships could be solo poly,” says Sheff, as could someone who’s the caretaker of a person with a disability.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolo polyamory also doesn’t have to be forever. One could identify as solo poly today, but still wind up entering a more traditional relationship with a shared home or finances in the future – it doesn’t have to be a fixed identity to be valid, says New York-based sex researcher and consultant Zhana Vrangalova.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris, in fact, expresses interest in one day finding a primary partner, but says in the meantime being solo poly “allows me to date, have experiences with people, get to know a lot of different people, and have some of my needs met”. It’s similar to when he was dating around monogamously, he adds, “except now I’ve put a label on it to communicate to people what my intentions are”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I don't like that heteronormative structure of marriage. I want to rebel against that – Chris","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EVrangalova, who’s originally from Macedonia, teaches the Open Smarter course that Chris attended in New York. She estimates about two-thirds of her class are people in relationships, and slightly more than half of those are in monogamous relationships but “trying to figure out if some version of non-monogamy would be right for them”. The rest are either already exploring various forms of non-monogamy and seeking out more skills to help them better navigate those relationships, or they’re single and looking for relationships.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolo polyamory is not right for everyone. Vrangalova has her students take personality quizzes to help them determine the relationship style(s) that might work best for them. These quizzes ask questions like “how much adventure and novelty” respondents need, or how much security they require in their relationships. Solo polyamorists, says Vrangalova, “usually don't need a lot of relational security”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, just because someone who identifies as solo poly may not need the same level of security as someone in a long-term, monogamous partnership, this doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t form deep, lasting bonds with partners. To foster trusting relationships with her partners, sex-educator Powell, who identifies as solo poly, says they’re very upfront with potential partners about their wants and needs. “I'm not going to not ask for [what I want in a relationship] just because I’m worried that you're going to say no,” they say. “If people say no, they say no, and we figure out where to go from there.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe antidote to “couple privilege”?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lot of the stigmas surrounding solo polyamory come from a general lack of understanding of why someone might not want a so-called “serious”, traditional relationship. Stereotypes of solo poly people include them being “selfish, avoidant or [messed] up in various ways”, says Vrangalova. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, solo polyamory is marked by its lack of adherence to relationship benchmarks like marriage and children – which also serve as benchmarks of adulthood. “The people we consider to be ‘adults’ are married with kids, sharing houses, sharing finances,” says Powell. “Whereas ‘wayward adults’, like myself, who live alone, unmarried, are examples of everything wrong with society.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, adults can very successfully live on their own and be self-sufficient. For those who identify as solo poly, it also doesn’t mean they “don’t care about people”, says Sheff. “They just don't want to organise their life centrally around a romantic partner.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0brttlc"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese prejudices exist alongside another societal force known as “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shape.com\u002Flifestyle\u002Fsex-and-love\u002Fcouple-privilege\"\u003Ecouple privilege\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”. This wide-reaching phrase refers both to the advantages couples have in society over singles (like the financial benefits of marriage and couplehood) and the attitude that, for instance, in a polyamorous relationship, the success of the primary couple must be prioritised. All other partners’ actions must be taken with preserving that primary relationship in mind.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese stigmas and societal expectations can present roadblocks for people who identify as solo poly. When Powell was in a polyamorous relationship in Savannah, Georgia, US, around 2014, they tried to find a non-monogamy-affirming therapist, to no avail. That prompted them to fill the void, and Powell opened their own private practice targeting people who identified as non-monogamous, queer, kinky and\u002For trans.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven in psychology circles, there remains a dearth of knowledge about polyamory, let alone solo polyamory. Sheff is part of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fabout\u002Fdivision\u002Fdiv44\"\u003EDivision 44\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a subgroup of the American Psychological Association working to develop educational materials about polyamory for counsellors and therapists.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore than just dating around\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, solo polyamory is much more than a way to date multiple partners while living alone. It’s a rejection of heteronormative relationship standards.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“For me, a lot of solo polyamory has been about finding ways that I centre my own autonomy, the autonomy of others and genuinely question which things I want in a relationship, rather than assuming that every relationship was going to follow the escalator,” says Powell.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChris was similarly attracted to the solo poly label because it let him think about and approach relationships differently. He says the relationship pathways he grew up with didn’t make sense for him; before gay marriage was legalised in the US, he was having sexual relationships with people he knew he’d never be able to wed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, Chris says he wouldn’t 100% rule out the prospect of marriage, but he’s not exactly a fan of the institution. “As a queer, bisexual person, I don't like that heteronormative structure of marriage,” he says. “I want to rebel against that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all-6"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Flovelife"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-03-04T14:24:34Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Does 'solo polyamory' mean having it all?","headlineShort":"The rise of 'solo polyamory'","image":["p0brttmv"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p0brtvdd"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210326-ethical-non-monogamy-the-rise-of-multi-partner-relationships","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220224-why-sexual-identities-shifted-during-the-pandemic"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"With no ‘primary partner’ and a potential for multiple meaningful relationships, solo polyamorists are hopping off the heteronormative “relationship escalator”.","summaryShort":"\"I felt like monogamy would deny me something of myself\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-03-04T00:10:10.711226Z","entity":"article","guid":"0c079474-739f-4053-8486-6f73cec2fdcc","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all","modifiedDateTime":"2022-03-04T13:10:51.246094Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220301-does-solo-polyamory-mean-having-it-all","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200429},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men","_id":"62df7f4443d9f46d947e01a6","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"As definitions of sexuality change and expand, women’s orientations are becoming less rigid than men's. Why?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way we think about sexuality is changing. Where there was once a single, well-known rainbow pride flag, today, a wide array of colourful flags fly to showcase the diversity of orientations. People seem increasingly open to discussing their sexuality, and more unconventional, even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-asexuality-the-ascent-of-the-invisible-sexual-orientation\"\u003Eformerly “invisible”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, identities have become part of an increasingly mainstream discourse. With the open dialogue, sexual identities are becoming less rigid and more fluid.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut new data show that this shift is more prevalent in one group: in many countries, women are embracing sexual fluidity now at much higher rates than they have in the past, and more significantly than men are overall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what accounts for this discrepancy? Experts believe there are many factors that feed into this progression, especially changes in social climate that have let women break out of conventional gender roles and identities. With these new insights, however, the question remains: what does this mean for sexual fluidity in the future for all genders?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA notable shift\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESean Massey and his colleagues at the Binghamton Human Sexualities Research Lab in New York have been studying sexual behaviours for about a decade. In each of their studies, they asked participants to report their sexual orientation and gender. They’d never before looked at how that data changed over time – until Massey and colleagues recently realised they were sitting on a treasure trove of information about sexual attraction.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We thought, gosh, we've collected this data for 10 years,” says Massey, an ssociate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Binghamton University. “Why don't we go back and look and see if there's been any trends?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey found that between 2011 and 2019, college-age women had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Ffeminisms-legacy-sees-college-women-embracing-more-diverse-sexuality-159023\"\u003Eincreasingly moved away from exclusive heterosexuality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In 2019, 65% of women reported only being attracted to men, a notable decrease from 77% in 2011. The number of women exclusively having sex with men also dropped between those years. Meanwhile, men’s attraction and sexual behaviour stayed mostly static in the same time frame: about 85% reported sexual attraction to women only, and close to 90% reported engaging in sex exclusively with women.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"couple embracing with pride flag on hand","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOther surveys from around the world, including in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F29293516\u002F\"\u003Ethe UK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F19882423\u002F\"\u003Ethe Netherlands\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, present similar findings. Across the board, more women have been reporting more same-sex attraction, year-over-year, than their male counterparts.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPower and freedom\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“All of this is too complicated to pin on one thing,” says Elizabeth Morgan, associate professor of psychology at Springfield College in Massachusetts, US. But gender roles – and how they both have and have not changed – may be a significant factor.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMassey and his colleagues largely chalk up the notable change to cultural shifts, like the progress of feminism and the women’s movement, which both changed the socio-political landscape significantly over the past several decades. However, these changes affected men and women differently.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Progress has really been made around the female gender role and less around the male gender role,” says Massey. Though he doesn’t discount \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.gallup.com\u002Fpoll\u002F329708\u002Flgbt-identification-rises-latest-estimate.aspx\"\u003Ethe LGBTQ+ movement’s effect on people identifying as sexually fluid today\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Massy believes feminism and the women’s movement play a role in why more women identify this way than men – especially as no equivalent men’s movement has enabled men to break out of historical, gender-based restrictions in the same way.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In 2019, 65% of women reported only being attracted to men, a notable decrease from 77% in 2011","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Fifty years ago, you couldn’t have a life if you didn’t marry a man and settle down because he needed to provide for you,” adds Morgan. In that sense, eschewing exclusive heterosexuality could be seen as part of women breaking out of traditional gender roles. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, as women have been able to find more freedom, men’s gender roles have stayed relatively static as they continue to hold power in society. “[Men] need to uphold a very masculine gender role to maintain that power, and part of masculinity is heterosexuality,” says Morgan. Expressing same-sex interest could reduce that power. As Massey puts it, masculinity is a “fragile concept”. It can be “violated” by same-sex attraction.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESex coach and educator Violet Turning, 24, also points out the “fetishisation” of two women having sex or making out, specifically under the male gaze. It’s made same-sexual attraction between women more socially acceptable, albeit for the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, people seem to find notions of two men having sex far less palatable. A \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F1948550619887785\"\u003E2019 study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that looked at attitudes toward gay men and women in 23 countries found, across the board, that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F1948550619887785\"\u003E“gay men are disliked more than lesbian women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn open dialogue\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVenues for women to talk about their sexuality openly have also increased over time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Lisa Diamond, a psychology and gender studies professor at The University of Utah, US, began studying sexual fluidity in the early 1990s, her research focused on men. Many study participants, she says, came from gay support groups, with mostly male members, so men were “easier for researchers to find”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut Diamond wanted to look at women’s sexuality. She began a study in which she checked in with 100 women about their sexual orientations and behaviours every two years over a decade. Her book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire, was published in 2008. It discusses how for some women, love and attraction are fluid and can change over time. This was at odds with the previous line of thought that depicted sexual orientation as rigid – a view those studies Diamond had found looking at men only espoused.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAround the time her book was published, US celebrities who’d previously dated men, like Cynthia Nixon and Maria Bello, went public about experiencing same-sex attraction. Oprah Winfrey then asked Diamond to come on her show to talk about female sexual fluidity. The concept and practice had officially entered the mainstream dialogue.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, Turning notes that language has evolved to recognise women as sexually non-binary. For example, Turning says her lesbian partner had a “Gay Straight Alliance” at her high school, around 2007. That phrasing encouraged a binary – members were either gay or straight, with no real options for those who might have identified somewhere in between – and no word that specifically embodied female sexuality, the ‘L’ left conspicuously out of the GSA acronym.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"[Men] need to uphold a very masculine gender role to maintain that power, and part of masculinity is heterosexuality – Elizabeth Morgan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Now, it's like everybody has the option to identify as queer, because it’s so acceptable,” says Turning, who says that speech and terminology have evolved to include people of all genders – women included.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat’s the future of sexual fluidity?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESexual fluidity may be on its way to entering more masculine spaces. On TikTok, it’s become popular for young, straight men to play as gay in their videos. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F24\u002Fstyle\u002Ftiktok-gay-homiesexuals.html\"\u003ETheir mostly female followers enjoy it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to a New York Times article about the trend. Regardless of whether or not these creators are truly comfortable playing as queer or doing it for clicks, this trend still suggests shifting attitudes toward masculinity, which may pave the way for more men to embrace sexual fluidity in the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESexually fluid women may also help pave the way. More women openly discussing their fluid orientations means more people discussing alternatives to rigid sexuality in general.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our culture puts a lot of shame around sexuality,” says Diamond. “Anything that makes it easier, and more socially acceptable for people to reflect on their desires in a non-judgmental, non-shaming way,” she adds, has the potential to open up their sexual possibilities – or at least let them consider the idea of doing so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We need to start liberating men from compulsory heterosexuality [and] traditional masculinity,” adds Massey.  “And that may have a different result, or maybe have a similar result [to women] in terms of allowing more diversity in sexuality.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-15T14:57:04Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why more women identify as sexually fluid than men","headlineShort":"Why women are more sexually fluid","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"As definitions of sexuality change and expand, women’s orientations are becoming less rigid than men's. Why?","summaryShort":"Why more women are embracing less rigid sexual identities – and men aren't","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-14T20:00:05.248181Z","entity":"article","guid":"18a59e2e-9310-4c62-9fdd-82ddcf4c300d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:09:40.075409Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think","_id":"62df7f3143d9f46d1b463a55","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We assume we choose our life partners very carefully – but research shows we may be less selective in love than we think.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFinding a life partner is considered a major milestone – one that requires deliberation and careful assessment. We want someone whose long-term plans match our own: someone to whom we’re attracted, someone with whom we feel comfortable sharing our home, finances and, maybe, children. This person is our \u003Cem\u003Elife\u003C\u002Fem\u003E partner, after all – naturally, we assume we’ll take care with the decision.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it turns out we may be less selective about whom we spend our lives with than we think. Research shows hidden biases mean we’ll give people a chance, even if they don’t quite meet our criteria.  And when we do pick a partner, we’re driven by a psychological tendency called “progression bias” to stay in the relationship, rather than end it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, we’re hard-wired to be in a romantic relationship, say psychologists, despite trends among young people to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F10\u002F20\u002Fopinion\u002Fmarriage-decline-america.html\"\u003Eshun marriage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in favour of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex\"\u003Ecalculated approach to singlehood\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Yet, even as the combination of evolutionary instincts and societal pressures steer us towards the coupled life, being aware of our progression bias could help us understand why we pick the partners we do – and why we stay with them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHead over heels\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe’re conditioned to think of dating as a rigorous vetting process; a 2020 Pew Research Center study showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F20\u002Fnearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years\u002F\"\u003E75% of Americans\u003C\u002Fa\u003E describe finding people to date as ‘difficult’. Young people are also taking longer to settle down; as well as prioritising financial stability, they are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2018\u002F05\u002F29\u002Fwell\u002Fmind\u002Fmillennials-love-marriage-sex-relationships-dating.html\"\u003Etaking more time to get to know each other\u003C\u002Fa\u003E before getting married than other age groups.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Samantha Joel, assistant professor of psychology at Western University, Canada, and Geoff MacDonald, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, argues people aren’t as choosy about their partners as they may think. In July 2020, they published their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F10888683211025860\"\u003Etheoretical review paper\u003C\u002Fa\u003E summarising the ways progression bias pushes people to begin and maintain relationships with less discretion than they assume. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir findings were twofold: first, there is substantial evidence from multiple studies suggesting people are far less selective when picking people to date than they think. People are drawn to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2007-18263-009\"\u003Ea much broader range\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of potential partners than they realise; they’re willing to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0956797614552828\"\u003Eadjust their standards and overlook\u003C\u002Fa\u003E potential partners’ flaws; and they also end up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2012-33253-008\"\u003Egrowing quickly attached\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to these potential mates, even if they may not necessarily be their ideal partners.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0956797614552828\"\u003Ein one experiment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Joel and MacDonald conducted, they found that most university students reported that they’d reject potential matches who were either unattractive, or possessed a trait the respondents considered ‘a dealbreaker’, in a hypothetical match-making situation. But those figures plummeted when that match-making scenario was presented as being \u003Cem\u003Ereal\u003C\u002Fem\u003E and not hypothetical – suggesting that the students were far less romantically selective than they purported to be, and that they overestimated their willingness to reject others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second takeaway from Joel and MacDonald’s paper is that, as well as being less choosy about dating than people think, they’re inclined to remain in relationships and try to progress them, rather than end them. The academics point to studies showing that ending a relationship \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2019-61845-004\"\u003Eis more painful\u003C\u002Fa\u003E the longer you’ve been emotionally attached; that separating is more off-putting \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2010-18422-005\"\u003Ethe more logistically entwined you are\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with your partner through factors like marriage and finances; and that married couples receive more cultural benefits (such as finding it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F10888683211025860\"\u003Eeasier to rent property\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) than other people.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The dark side is that sometimes people stay in relationships where they should get out – Robert Levenson","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EProgression bias, explains Joel, is similar to psychological tendencies people show in other non-relationship spheres: the sunk-cost fallacy (not wanting to throw something away you’ve already invested heavily in); the status quo bias (opting to maintain the current state of affairs instead of disrupting it and causing discomfort); and satisficing instead of maximising (settling for “good enough” rather than holding out for the optimal ideal). And this bias towards picking a partner is likely fuelled by two factors: evolution and cultural norms.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMillions of years ago, being overly picky would have prevented our ancestors from finding mates. And staying with mates long-term was evolutionarily advantageous: it meant children would have two parents instead of one, increasing the chances of the offspring’s survival.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese behaviours can still be found in us today, says Alec Beall, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia, who studies evolution and the psychology of dating and attraction. “Even though some advantages of long-term romantic relationships are not as critical today as they were in our prehistoric past, these selection pressures still have a lasting effect on our modern behaviour,” says Beall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also the cultural aspect. “Western culture prizes marriage as being the most important kind of close relationship, with getting married being treated as a personal achievement or an indicator of maturity,” explains Joel. “There is social status that comes along with being married, and that may incentivise people to settle down regardless of who they are currently with, or what the quality of that relationship may be.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIdeals around romance may also play into our behaviours: a 2021 YouGov survey of 15,000 Americans found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftoday.yougov.com\u002Ftopics\u002Frelationships\u002Farticles-reports\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F10\u002Fsoulmates-poll-survey-data\"\u003E60% of adults believe in soul mates.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E This fairy-tale mindset can be quite damaging; Joel says researchers call this line of thinking ‘destiny beliefs’, and it can be part of the reason many of us tend toward progression bias. “It’s often not too difficult to convince yourself that the person you’re currently dating is, in fact, your soul mate,” says Joel.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStriking a balance\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur innate tendency to persist with relationships can potentially be beneficial, because it means committing to a partner to tackle any problems.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As time passes, you start to develop that relationship history, that narrative about the things you’ve done together and, particularly, the things you’ve overcome,” says Robert Levenson, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who’s studied long-term relationships. That is “all positive, and keeps you in the relationship even when things get a little rocky”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnawareness of progression bias can also lead people down the wrong path, causing them to stay with someone who’s a bad match. “The dark side is that sometimes people stay in relationships where they should get out,” says Levenson.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe’re also living in a modern age with infinitely more choice. “Even though humans may have developed a progression bias to suppress choosiness during our evolutionary past, doesn’t mean it’s always the best idea to adhere to its whims in an era when most of us will encounter significantly more than 500 people in our entire lifetime,” says Beall. “It's important to find a balance. Don’t settle for just anyone, but also don’t spend your entire life waiting to find that perfect person who ticks all the boxes – evolutionarily, that person is unlikely to even exist,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the end, though, how picky you are may not be as important as regularly taking stock of the relationship once you’re in it, suggest experts. If you’re unhappy but aren’t doing anything about it, recognise you may be falling victim to progression bias.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We found that the best predictors of relationship quality, by far, were how people felt about various aspects of the relationship itself,” says Joel. It’s not about the partner you choose, but the partnership that you build. “Maybe it’s not that helpful to search and search for a partner who looks good on paper. But it \u003Cem\u003Eis \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ehelpful, once dating someone, to look for early signs that the relationship is turning out to be healthy and supportive.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why people aren't as picky in love as they think","headlineShort":"Why people settle for romantic partners","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We assume we choose our life partners very carefully – but research shows we may be less selective in love than we think.","summaryShort":"The surprising truth about how we pursue relationships","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-28T01:35:49.92582Z","entity":"article","guid":"e64cebdd-88a9-44f8-acc3-3560c5891c57","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-28T15:13:48.239617Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex","_id":"62df7f6e43d9f444fc3d149f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjessica-klein"],"bodyIntro":"Alcohol has long been a player in getting people together, but an increasing number of daters are trying romance without ‘liquid courage’.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENaomi Bridgman started ‘dry dating’ by accident. During UK lockdowns amid Covid-19, “the usual route of going to a pub… was no longer an option”, says the 30-year-old social-service worker, from Sheffield. She and many other singles had to get “inventive” with their dates, opting for sober activities, like walks in the park.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow that many pubs have re-opened their doors, however, Bridgman still prefers to avoid them for first dates. She’s cut down her alcohol consumption in general since the beginning of the pandemic, and says she’s happier dating without drinking. “I found myself feeling like I had more meaningful connections with people when at least the first date was sober,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some singles, dry dating has become increasingly appealing amid the pandemic. According to a 2022 trends survey by dating app Bumble, seen by BBC Worklife, 34% of UK users said they’re more likely to go on a sober date now than they were before the pandemic, with 62% saying they think they’d “form a more genuine connection” on an alcohol-free date, and 54% aiming for more “mindful and intentional” dating. In May 2020, Canadian dating service Plenty of Fish surveyed 2,000 single adults in the UK, and found that 83% said they’d be “open” to trying a “dry date”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are several reasons alcohol-free romance is piquing interest in a new way. Many people re-evaluated their wellness habits during lockdown, lessening their drinking, or even taking it off the table entirely. As a new frontier of sober dating and sex emerges – taking the place of alcohol as the once ‘necessary’ component of getting to know someone – the way people form and maintain relationships may be changing along with it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA rise in creative dating\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Bridgman, many people stumbled into sober dating out of necessity, due to Covid-19 restrictions. “I don’t think sober dating started as an intention, but rather became a result of the current pandemic,” Russ Ross\u003Cstrong\u003E, \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003Ea dating coach at The Social Collective in Sydney, Australia, says of the sober daters he has encountered during the past two years. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the trend towards “sober curiosity” has been increasing throughout the past several years, says Laura Silverman, who writes about the “booze-free lifestyle” with the blogs Booze Free in DC (based in Washington, DC, US) and Zero Proof Nation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bn2r1s"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EShe credits this in part to campaigns like Dry January, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.today.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fdry-january-what-it-what-are-benefits-women-t146331\"\u003Estarted in 2012\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by the charity Alcohol Change UK, and the influence of Ruby Warrington’s 2018 book, Sober Curious, in which the author questions her relationship with alcohol, even though she doesn’t identify as an alcoholic. Rather, Warrington wanted to experience her life sober to discover the possible benefits. She found herself feeling less anxious, more present and better able to connect with others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese perks have been increasingly appealing to people who may have found themselves drinking too much during the pandemic, or otherwise reevaluating their priorities while in lockdown. “I’ve absolutely noticed that these past two plus years … have drastically changed the playing field for dating, for socialising, for spending time with oneself,” says Silverman, 38. “People who would drink a bottle of wine on their own before, maybe now they’re having… a CBD beverage.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlongside this new interest in sober socialisation, Silverman says the non-alcoholic beverage industry has boomed during the past two years. Along with tens of new brands emerging across the globe as well as new alcohol-free products launching from existing manufacturers, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fbeverage-analysts-predict-non-alcoholic-spirits-to-grow-in-2022-2021-11\"\u003Enon-alcoholic beverage sales increased 33% to $331 million\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the US, between November 2020 and November 2021. Some forecasters expect the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fiormarkets.com\u002Freport\u002Fnon-alcoholic-beverages-market-by-type-rtd-coffee-419449.html\"\u003Eglobal non-alcoholic beverage market to reach into the billions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in coming years. Additionally, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190510-can-you-have-any-fun-at-a-bar-with-no-booze\"\u003Enon-alcoholic bars\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are also growing, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdenverite.com\u002F2021\u002F12\u002F23\u002Fawake-the-first-sober-bar-in-denver-is-all-about-partying-without-drinking\u002F\"\u003EDenver, Colorado’s Awake bar,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E which launched in 2021, despite Covid-19 generally putting a dent in brick-and-mortar businesses.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall, the pandemic has played a part in moving many people away from thinking of alcohol as the default ‘anchor’ of a first date activity, says Ross. “Due to the lockdown restrictions, all singles could really do was go on walks. So, the traditional thinking of meeting for a first date shifted from dinner and drinks to bushwalks, trails walks, dog walks and any other socially distanced outdoor activity.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We think we need liquid courage to have fun sex or be adventurous in bed, but it's really hindering our ability to feel our feelings and… physical touch – Tawny Lara","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe movement away from alcohol-centric dating has spurred “the start of very creative first dates”, he adds. “One woman in our market told us that she had organised an afternoon online cook-off with her potential date. They agreed on a dish, cooked it together over Zoom and then had lunch together while they chatted and got to know each other.” He also saw people co-watch movies (remotely) and take online painting classes together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese types of dates, says Ross, also tend to make more sense as daytime activities, “which almost removed the expectation of alcohol and drinks”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGetting past the anxieties\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many sober daters, however, transitioning from dates with social lubrication to those without any ‘Dutch courage’ hasn’t necessarily been easy. Removing alcohol from romantic situations can raise anxiety levels for some people, and even open them up to judgement from those who do drink.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce they bypassed the initial awkwardness, though, sober daters who spoke with BBC Worklife expressed significant improvements in their dating life. Several mentioned being “more conscious” during dates, and being able to more efficiently evaluate whether the person was right for them, instead of moving through an otherwise unfit relationship with the assistance of rosy ‘beer goggles’. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People think that drinking makes them more confident,” says London-based Caggie Dunlop, 32. But after sober dating a few times, she became “far more confident” because she wasn’t relying on any substance to try and present “the best version” of herself. “You are who you are and that’s it,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Tawny Lara, 36, a writer and podcaster based in New York City, stopped drinking about six years ago, “even just mingling without alcohol scared the hell out of me, let alone having sex”, she says.  She found herself anxious, worried potential partners would judge her for not drinking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, however, Lara is a happily sober dater and sexual partner. “We think we need liquid courage to have fun sex or be adventurous in bed,” she says, “but it's really hindering our ability to feel our feelings and… physical touch.” Now, she’s known as the “sober sexpert” (a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sobrieteaparty.com\u002Fabout\u002F\"\u003Enickname she got from Warrington\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) for the advice she doles out on sober dating and sexual encounters. Plenty of people are feeling similarly, she says – messages seeking her advice have increased big-time since the pandemic, and she’s recently brought on an assistant to help manage the new volume of communication.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bn2r5g"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESince sober dating has become more common since the pandemic – and with the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmorningconsult.com\u002F2022\u002F01\u002F10\u002Fdry-january-movement-grows-in-2022\u002F\"\u003Ewide embrace of sobriety-focused campaigns like Dry January\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – “a lot more people are open to [dry dates],” Bridgman has discovered. And finding them is easier; multiple dating apps let users specify their drinking habits upfront, like Bumble, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bustle.com\u002Fwellness\u002Fbumble-sober-badge-drinking-options\"\u003Ehas a badge\u003C\u002Fa\u003E users can put on their profiles to signify they’re not drinking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In terms of navigating my options going forward, that's a really useful tool,” says Bridgman. For her, if someone isn’t up for a dry date, “that answers my question on whether I think there'll be a connection there or not”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe changing shape of dating?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs life in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic edges closer to some semblance of “normal”, it’s likely that many who’d been forced to consider sober dates during lockdowns will return to the bars for first meetings. But others may have had their perspectives on dating change more permanently.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If anything, I think this unexpected change to alcohol-free dating has shifted our outlook from a culture of disposable dates and regrettably drunk ‘hook ups’ to one of potential connection,” says Ross. Singles reported to The Social Collective that dry dating resulted in less pressure to get physical during dates, better conversations, greater trust and an increased likelihood in second and third dates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe youngest generation of daters may already be primed to embrace the clarity and focus on meaningful connections that come with sober dating. A 2018 report from Berenberg Research found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fmillennials-gen-z-drag-down-beer-sales-2018-2\"\u003EGen Z was drinking alcohol 20% less per capita than millennials\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at their age.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnecdotally, Lara has noticed younger people drinking less, too. “It’s honestly so inspiring,” she says. Even before the pandemic, many people who messaged her for advice on being sober while starting relationships were in their early 20s. She chalks this up to Gen Z being both more focused on interacting online as opposed to physical watering holes and the “globalisation of mindfulness”, wherein Eastern practices like meditation and yoga have migrated West.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore mindful dating has been a big improvement for Bridgman, who’s realised that she doesn’t “need the kind of encouragement” alcohol provides to put her best self forward on dates. She also could do without the next day fog, which clouds her perception of how well the date the night before actually went. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think I take dating a little bit more seriously now,” she says. “Going into it on a drunken first date isn't the right method for me.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex-6"}],"collection":["worklife\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Flovelife"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-11T12:33:09Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Dry dating: The rise of sober love and sex","headlineShort":"The rise of sober dating and sex","image":["p0bn2qzq"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-why-more-women-identify-as-sexually-fluid-than-men","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220124-why-people-arent-as-picky-in-love-as-they-think"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Alcohol has long been a player in getting people together, but an increasing number of daters are trying romance without ‘liquid courage’.","summaryShort":"Why so many people are choosing to go alcohol-free on dates","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-10T20:56:25.749448Z","entity":"article","guid":"302b50e7-13c2-46e1-b934-9f9645062d5b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:22:23.560674Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220209-dry-dating-the-rise-of-sober-love-and-sex","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","_id":"62df7f8f43d9f4583323b92d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Talking about being kind to yourself may sound like something from a nursery classroom. But even cynics should care about self-compassion – especially if they want to be resilient.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThink back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still blush with shame, and scold yourself for having been so stupid or selfish? Do you tend to feel alone in that failure, as if you were the only person to have erred? Or do you accept that error is a part of being human, and try to talk to yourself with care and tenderness?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many people, the most harshly judgemental responses are the most natural. Indeed, we may even take pride in being hard on ourselves as a sign of our ambition and resolution to be our best possible self. But \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fself-compassion.org\u002Fthe-research\u002F\"\u003Ea wealth of research shows that self-criticism often backfires – badly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201222-the-four-keys-that-could-unlock-procrastination\"\u003Eprocrastination\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and makes us even less able to achieve our goals in the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of chastising ourselves, we should practice self-compassion: greater forgiveness of our mistakes, and a deliberate effort to take care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment or embarrassment. “Most of us have a good friend in our lives, who is kind of unconditionally supportive,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, who has pioneered this research. “Self-compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you are a cynic, you may initially baulk at the idea. As the British comedian Ruby Wax wrote in her \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.rubywax.net\u002Ffrazzled.html\"\u003Ebook on mindfulness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: “When I hear of people being kind to themselves, I picture the types who light scented candles in their bathrooms and sink into a tub of Himalayan foetal yak milk.” Yet the scientific evidence suggests it can increase our emotional resilience and improve our health, wellbeing and productivity. Importantly, it also helps us to learn from the mistakes that caused our upset in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"road test failure","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERelying on self-compassion, not self-esteem\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeff’s research was inspired by a personal crisis. In the late 90s, she was going through a painful divorce. “It was very messy, and I felt a lot of shame about some bad decisions I had made.” Looking for a way to cope with the stress, she signed up for meditation classes at a local Buddhist centre. The practice of mindfulness did indeed bring some relief, but it was their teachings about compassion – particularly, the need to direct that kindness toward ourselves – that brought the greatest comfort. “It just made an immediate difference,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuperficially, self-compassion may sound similar to the concept of 'self-esteem', which concerns how much we value ourselves, and whether we see ourselves positively. Questionnaires to measure self-esteem ask participants to rate statements such as, “I feel that I’m a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, this often comes with a sense of competition, and it can easily result in a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F15298860902815451\"\u003Ekind of fragile narcissism that crumbles under potential failure\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Self-esteem is contingent on success and people liking you, so it is not very stable – you could have it on a good day but lose it on a bad day,” says Neff. Many people with \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.emotionalcompetency.com\u002Fpapers\u002Fbaumeistersmartboden1996%5b1%5d.pdf\"\u003Ehigh self-esteem even resort to aggression and bullying\u003C\u002Fa\u003E when their confidence is under threat.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"A wealth of research shows that self-criticism often backfires – badly","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECultivating self-compassion, Neff realised, might help you avoid those traps, so that you can pick yourself up when you feel hurt, embarrassed or ashamed – without taking down others along the way. So, she decided to design a psychological scale to measure the trait, in which participants had to rate a series of statements on a scale of 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always), such as:\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI try to be loving toward myself when I’m feeling emotional pain\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI try to see my failings as part of the human condition\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen something painful happens, I try to take a balanced view of the situation\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003Eand\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI’m disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen I think about my inadequacies it tends to make me feel more separate and cut off from the rest of the world\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhen I’m feeling down, I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe more you agree with the first set of statements, and the less you agree with the second set of statements, the higher your self-compassion.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeff’s first studies examined how \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1080\u002F15298860309027\"\u003Eself-compassion related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Questioning hundreds of undergraduate students, she found the trait was negatively correlated with reports of depression and anxiety, and positively correlated with general life satisfaction. Importantly, this study also confirmed that self-compassion was distinct from measures of self-esteem. In other words, you could have someone with a general sense of superiority, who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0092656606000353\"\u003Enevertheless finds it very difficult to forgive themselves for perceived failures\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – a far from ideal combination.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"lighting candles and meditating","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlossoming field\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELater research confirmed these discoveries in more diverse samples, from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F15298860902979307\"\u003Ehigh-school students\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12671-019-01221-8\"\u003EUS veterans at risk of suicide\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, all of which showed that self-compassion increases psychological resilience. Indeed, self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from many other researchers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F27121978\u002F\"\u003Ehigh self-compassion are less likely to report a range of different ailments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – such as back pain, headache, nausea and respiratory problems. One explanation could be a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F15298868.2018.1436587?journalCode=psai20\"\u003Emuted stress response\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with previous studies revealing that self-compassion \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F24239953\u002F\"\u003Ereduces the inflammation that normally comes with mental anguish, and which can damage our tissues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the long term. But the health benefits may also be due to behavioural differences, with evidence that people with higher self-compassion take better care of their bodies through diet and exercise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People who have higher levels of self-compassion are generally more proactive – Sara Dunne","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“People who have higher levels of self-compassion are generally more proactive,” says Sara Dunne, a psychologist who studied the link between self-compassion and healthy behaviours at the University of Derby, UK. She compares it to the advice of a well-meaning parent. “They would tell you that you need to go to bed, get up early and then tackle your problems,” she says. Similarly, someone with high self-compassion knows that they can treat themselves kindly – without overly judgemental criticism – while also recognising what is best for them in the long-term.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is an important point, says Neff, since some early critics of her work had wondered whether self-compassion would simply lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower. In their view, we need self-criticism to motivate us to make importance changes in our lives. As evidence against this idea, she points to research from 2012, which had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0146167212445599\"\u003Efound that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. They tended to work harder after failing an important test, for instance, and were more determined to make up for a perceived moral transgression, such as betraying a friend’s trust. Self-compassion, it seems, can create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives, rather than becoming overly self-defensive or wallowing in a sense of hopelessness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"made a mistake","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERapid interventions \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F27664071\u002F\"\u003Eself-compassion can be trained\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F30824257\u002F\"\u003Eone recent trial\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside more theoretical lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings. “We measured a lot of outcomes,” says Krieger, “and they all went in the expected direction.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also written interventions, such as composing a letter from the perspective of a loving friend, that can provide a significant boost, says Neff. For most people, the habit of self-criticism does not seem to be so deeply ingrained that it is beyond repair. (Neff’s website includes \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fself-compassion.org\u002Fcategory\u002Fexercises\u002F#exercises\"\u003Emore detailed guidelines on the ways to put this and the loving-kindness meditation into practice\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeff says that she has seen an increased interest in these techniques during the pandemic. For many of us, the struggles of isolation, remote working and caring for the people we love have provided the perfect breeding ground for self-criticism and doubt. While we cannot eliminate those stresses, we can at least change the ways we view ourselves, giving us the resilience to face the challenges head on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It's going to make you stronger.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is the is author of \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davidrobson.me\u002Fthe-intelligence-trap\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise Your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E (Hodder & Stoughton\u002FWW Norton). He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-01-13T14:38:12Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why self-compassion – not self-esteem – leads to success","headlineShort":"The habit that quiets self-criticism","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Talking about being kind to yourself may sound like something from a nursery classroom. But even cynics should care about self-compassion – especially if they want to be resilient.","summaryShort":"Why self-esteem is fragile, but self-compassion is the key to success","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-01-12T22:43:38.434717Z","entity":"article","guid":"a8a32ed5-ac18-4b5e-bcb2-b29f5e3e352a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:01:35.227178Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind","_id":"62df802743d9f4163365a746","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Intentionally seeking the feeling of awe can improve memory, boost creativity and relieve anxious rumination.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhenever Ethan Kross finds himself in a mental rut of worrying and negative self-talk, he walks five blocks to his local arboretum and contemplates one of the magnificent trees in front of him, and the astonishing power of nature.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIf he can’t get to the arboretum, he spends a few moments thinking about the astonishing possibilities of aeroplanes and spacecraft. “I think about how we went from struggling to start fires, just a few thousand years ago, to being able to land safely on another planet,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe aim, in each case, is to evoke awe – which he defines as “the wonder that we feel when we encounter something that we can’t easily explain”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EKross’s habits are founded in scientific evidence. As a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, he knows feelings of awe can have a truly profound influence on the mind – enhancing our memory and creativity as well as inspiring us to act more altruistically to the people around us. It can also have a profound impact on our mental health, by allowing us to put our anxieties into perspective.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Default\"\u003EBecause most of us only experience awe sporadically, we remain unaware of its benefits. When we’re feeling down, we may be more likely to look for light relief in a comedy, for instance – seeking feelings of amusement that are not nearly so powerful. Yet generating awe can trigger a great mental shift, making it a potentially essential tool to improve our health and wellbeing. And there are many ways for us to cultivate the emotion in our daily lives. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELittle earthquakes\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EMichelle Shiota, a professor of social psychology at Arizona State University, US, was one of the early pioneers to discover the benefits of awe. She has a particular interest in the ways it can remove our “mental filters” to encourage more flexible thinking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EConsider memory. If someone tells us a story, we typically remember what we think we should have heard, rather than the specific details of the event. This can mean that we miss unexpected or unusual elements that add much-needed clarity and specificity to what happened. We may even form false memories for events that did not happen, but which we assume are likely to have occurred in that kind of situation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EA few years ago, Shiota decided to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1037\u002Femo0000277\"\u003Etest whether eliciting a feeling of awe could prevent this from occurring\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. She first asked the participants to view one of three videos: an awe-inspiring science film that took viewers on a journey from the outer cosmos to sub-atomic particles; a heart-warming film about a figure skater winning an Olympic gold medal; or a neutral film about the building of a cinder-block wall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EParticipants then listened to a five-minute story describing a couple going out for a romantic dinner and answered questions about what they had heard. Some of these questions concerned the things you would typically expect at any meal – “Did the waiter pour the wine?” – while others concerned atypical information, such as whether the waiter wore glasses. As Shiota had hypothesised, the participants who had seen the science film were more accurate at remembering the details of what they had heard than those who had seen the heart-warming or neutral films. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EWhy would this be? Shiota points out the brain is constantly forming predictions of what will happen next; it uses its experiences to form mental stimulations that guide our perception, attention and behaviour. Awe-inspiring experiences – with their sense of grandeur, wonder and amazement – may confound those expectations, creating a “little earthquake” in the mind that causes the brain to reassess its assumptions and to pay more attention to what is actually in front of it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“The mind dials back its ‘predictive coding’ to just look around and gather information,” she says. Besides boosting our memories for details, this can improve critical thinking, she points out – as people pay more attention to the specific nuances of an argument, rather than relying on their intuitions about whether it feels persuasive or not.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis capacity to drop our assumptions and see the world and its problems afresh might also explain why the emotion contributes to greater creativity. Take a study by Alice Chirico and colleagues at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, published in 2018. Participants who took a walk through a virtual reality forest \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1080\u002F10400419.2018.1446491\"\u003Escored higher on tests of original thinking\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than those who viewed a more mundane video of hens wandering in the grass. The awe-inspired participants were more innovative when asked how to improve a child’s toy, for example. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Attenborough Effect\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAwe’s most transformative effects may concern the way we view ourselves. When we feel wonder at something truly incredible and grand, “we perceive ourselves as smaller and less significant in relation to the rest of the world”, says Shiota. One consequence of this is greater altruism. “When I am less focused on myself, on my own goals and needs and the thoughts in my head, I have more bandwidth to notice you and what you may be experiencing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ETo measure these effects, a team led by Paul Piff at the University of California, Irvine asked a third of their participants to watch a five-minute clip of the BBC’s Planet Earth series, composed of grand, sweeping shots of scenic vistas, mountains, plains, forests and canyon. (The rest watched a five-minute clip of funny animal videos, or a neutral video about DIY.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When you are in the presence of something vast and indescribable, you feel smaller, and so does your negative chatter – Ethan Kross","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe participants then rated the extent to which they agreed with four statements, such as “I feel the presence of something greater than myself” and “I feel small and insignificant”. Finally, they took part in an experiment known as the “dictator game”, in which they were given a resource – in this case, 10 raffle tickets for a $100 gift voucher – that they could choose to share with a partner, if they so wished.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe feelings of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fpubs\u002Fjournals\u002Freleases\u002Fpsp-pspi0000018.pdf\"\u003Eawe produced a significant change in their generosity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, increasing the number of tickets that the participants shared with their partners. Through subsequent statistical analyses, the researchers were able to show that this came through the changes to the sense of self. The smaller the participants felt, the more generous they were.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ETo replicate the finding in a more natural setting, one of the researchers took students on a walk through a grove of Tasmanian eucalyptus trees – which grow to more than 200 feet (60 metres). As the students contemplated the plants’ splendour, the researchers “accidentally” dropped the pens they were carrying – and noted whether the participant offered to pick them up. Sure enough, they found that the participants were more helpful, during this awe-inspiring walk, than students who had instead spent the time contemplating a tall (but not very majestic) building.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGaining perspective\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ELast, but not least, are the enormous benefits for our mental health. Like the boosts to our generosity, this comes from the shrunken sense of self, which seems to reduce ruminative thinking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis is potentially very important, since rumination is a known risk factor for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS000579671000255X\"\u003Edepression, anxiety\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fjclp.22879\"\u003Epost-traumatic stress disorder\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “You're often zoomed in so narrowly on the situation that you're not thinking about anything else,” says Kross, whose book \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fprogrammes\u002Fp0958dyt\"\u003EChatter explores the effects of this negative self-talk\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Awe forces us to broaden our perspective, he says, so that we break free of the ruminative cycle of thinking. “When you are in the presence of something vast and indescribable, you feel smaller, and so does your negative chatter,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAs evidence, Kross points to one extraordinary experiment by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. The participants were military veterans and youth from underserved communities, many of whom were suffering serious life stress. (Some were even experiencing the lingering symptoms of PTSD.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThey had all previously signed up for a white-water rafting trip on Utah’s Green River, sponsored by a charitable organisation. Before and after the trip, they were questioned about their general psychological wellbeing – including their feelings of stress and their capacity to cope with life’s challenges. After each day of rafting, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire that measured their feelings of awe, amusement, contentment, gratitude, joy and pride.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAs you might hope, the trip was generally very enjoyable for most of the participants. It was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.apa.org\u002FdoiLanding?doi=10.1037\u002Femo0000442\"\u003Ethe feelings of awe, however, that predicted the biggest improvements\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in their feelings of stress and their overall wellbeing. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EClearly, these were exceptional circumstances – but the researchers noted very similar effects in a second study that examined students’ everyday contact with nature. Once again, they found that experiences of awe had a far greater impact on the students’ long-term wellbeing, compared to contentment, amusement, gratitude, joy and pride.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAwesome or awful?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBefore we become too awestruck by this research, Shiota warns scientists still need to explore whether this potent emotion has any negative sides. She suspects that awe may explain the appeal of many conspiracy theories, for example – with their intricate and mysterious explanations of the world’s workings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Experiences of awe had a far greater impact on the students’ long-term wellbeing, compared to contentment, amusement, gratitude, joy and pride","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn general, however, the benefits of awe are worth considering whenever we feel that our thinking has become stuck in an unproductive or unhealthy groove. “The capacity to step outside of ourselves is a really valuable skill,” says Kross. While he finds walking in his local arboretum, and thoughts about space travel, to bring the necessary feelings of wonder and reverential respect, he suggests that we will all have our personal preferences. “Try to identify what your own triggers are,” he suggests.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EFor Shiota, the possibilities are as infinite as the universe. “Stars in the night sky remind us of the universe beyond our experience; the sound of the ocean reminds us of its enormous depths; vivid sunsets remind us how vast and thick the atmosphere surrounding our planet is,” she says. That’s not to mention the sublime experiences offered by music, film or art. “It's all about choosing to experience and attend to the extraordinary in our world, rather than that which is, for us, routine.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is a science writer and author based in London, UK. His latest book, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdavidrobson.me\u002Fthe-expectation-effect\u002F\"\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, is published on 6 January 2022 in the UK and 15 February 2022 in the US. He is \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-06T15:22:10Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Awe: The 'little earthquake' that could free your mind","headlineShort":"How awe can transform the mind","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Intentionally seeking the feeling of awe can improve memory, boost creativity and relieve anxious rumination.","summaryShort":"The feeling that creates a powerful 'little earthquake' in your mind","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-05T20:57:42.121765Z","entity":"article","guid":"d38bc6b9-e0f1-4729-b9ce-f139a70ad78d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:20:01.077261Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life","_id":"62df81d843d9f46d9717b262","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"bodyIntro":"We should think more about whom we'll be in the future – because doing so has profound consequences for our health, happiness and financial security.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETake a moment to imagine yourself in 10 years. Depending on your age, you might have a few more grey hairs and wrinkles, and you might hope for some changes to your material circumstances, too. But does the person you imagine feel, fundamentally, very close to the person you are today? Or do they feel like a stranger?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a wealth of psychological studies from the past decade, people’s responses often vary widely – and their answers reveal surprising things about their behavioural tendencies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome people have a vivid sense of their future self, which feels very close to their current identity. These people tend to be more responsible with their money and more ethical in their treatment of others; they are keen to act in a way that will make life easier in the years ahead.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany other people struggle to imagine their future self as a continuation of the person that they are today, and they tend to be far less responsible in their behaviours. It’s almost as if they see their future self as a separate person that has little connection to their present identity – and, as a result, they are far less worried about the long-term consequences of their actions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could almost think about your future self as a relationship that needs to be nurtured and cultivated. Fortunately, there are some simple strategies to strengthen your empathy and compassion for the person you will become – with some profound consequences for your health, happiness and financial security. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhilosophical origins\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe inspiration for the recent psychological research on the future self can be found in the writings of philosophers such as Joseph Butler, in the 18th Century. “If the self or person of today, and that of tomorrow, are not the same, but only like persons, the person of today is really no more interested in what will befall the person of tomorrow, than in what will befall any other person,” Butler wrote in 1736.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe theory was later expanded and championed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.edge.org\u002Fresponse-detail\u002F27208\"\u003Eby the British philosopher Derek Parfit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, whose work caught the attention of a young researcher called Hal Hershfield. “It was just such a compelling idea,” says Hershfield, who is an associate professor of marketing, behavioural decision making and psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He suspected that a disconnection from our future selves might explain many irrational elements of human behaviour – including our reluctance to set aside savings for our retirement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo find out, Hershfield first had to find a way to measure someone’s “future self-continuity”. He settled on a simple graphic that presented pairs of circles representing the current self, and a future self (see below). The circles overlapped to varying degrees, and the participants had to identify which pair best described how similar and how connected they felt to a future self 10 years from now.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bljkby"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHe then compared \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC2747683\u002F\"\u003Ethese responses to various measures of financial planning\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In one experiment, the participants were presented with various scenarios in which they could either receive a smaller reward soon or a larger reward later. As expected, participants who felt a greater connection to the future were much more willing to delay their gratification and wait for the bigger sum.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo check whether this tendency for sound financial planning corresponded with real-life behaviour, Hershfield next looked at his participants’ real-life savings. Sure enough, he found that the more the participant felt connected to their future self, the more money they had already squirrelled away.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBack to the future\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHershfield’s later research has examined the phenomenon in many other areas of life. In 2018, for instance, he found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1037\u002Fxap0000153\"\u003Epeople’s future self-continuity could predict their exercise behaviours and overall fitness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. It seems if you identify strongly with your future self, you are more willing to look after your body to make sure that it experiences better health in the years ahead.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther experiments suggest that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0749597811001294\"\u003Epeople who score highly on the future self-continuity measure have higher moral standards\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than the people who struggle to identify with their future selves. They were less likely to cheat in tests, for example. “If people are better connected to their future selves, then they're going to have an enhanced ability to recognise the consequences of their present-day decisions on their future selves,” says Hershfield. “And that's going help them put the brakes on these behaviours.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2020, Hershfield confirmed that someone’s (in)ability to identify with their future self can have long-term consequences for their overall wellbeing. The longitudinal study, which tracked more than 4,000 participants for a decade, found someone’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F1948550619843931\"\u003Efuture self-continuity at the beginning of the study could predict their life satisfaction 10 years later\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, this was true even when he controlled for their initial wellbeing. This helped to eliminate the possibility that the people who felt connected with their future selves had simply started the study with higher life satisfaction, and then remained that way. Instead, it seems likely that the greater satisfaction at the end of the study was the result of all those positive behaviours – like financial saving and increased exercise – that together resulted in a more comfortable life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFuture vision\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the back of these results, neuroscientists have started to take a closer look at the brain processing behind these phenomena – and the reason that so many people find it hard to identify with their future selves.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeghan Meyer, an assistant professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, US, recently asked participants to estimate the future-self continuity overlap at various time points. In one of these tests, participants had to estimate the similarity in their current and future selves by controlling the overlap of two circles – much like Hershfield’s experiments.  They repeated the task multiple times, while imagining themselves in three months, six months, nine months and a year into the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If you identify strongly with your future self, you are more willing to look after your body to make sure that it experiences better health in the years ahead","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn line with Hershfield’s results, Meyer found that the average participant’s concept of their future self diverged from their concept of the current self fairly rapidly – with a large sense of disconnection already appearing at the three-month point. Interestingly, however, this change started to plateau as they considered the later time points. As such, there was little difference between the nine-month and year time points – and we can guess that the same would have been true if they’d considered even later dates. Meyer suggests that their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fcontent\u002F118\u002F49\u002Fe2101403118\"\u003Evision of their future self was becoming “blurrier” and less nuanced\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis was also reflected in results from functional MRI scans, which offered some intriguing evidence that, at the neural level, we really do start to think of our future selves as a different person. Besides considering themselves at various points in the future, the participants were also asked to think about a stranger, such as the politician Angela Merkel. As the participants moved further along the timeline – imagining themselves from around six months onwards – the brain activity concerning themselves started to resemble the response to thoughts of the politician. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As you move farther out into the future, the way you represent yourself isn't so different from the way you represent Angela Merkel,” says Meyer. “It’s consistent with this philosophical idea that you treat your distant future self like a stranger.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bljkm0"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe things I wish I’d known\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven the many benefits for our financial security, health and overall happiness, it’s natural to wonder whether we can strengthen our sense of connection to our future selves.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHershfield’s research offers a couple of suggestions. In \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1509\u002Fjmkr.48.SPL.S23\"\u003Eone series of experiments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, his participants entered a virtual reality environment with personalised avatars that simulated how they may look aged 70. As hoped, they reported feeling a greater connection to their future self, and in subsequent measures of decision making, they showed more financial responsibility. They reported being more likely to set aside money for retirement, for example. Many photo editing apps already allow you to prematurely age your selfies, and this kind of technology could be incorporated into educational programs that encourage people to think more carefully about their future wellbeing. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a low-tech intervention, you might consider a simple imaginative exercise – in which you write a letter to yourself 20 years from now, describing what is most important for you now and your plans for the coming decades. Like the sight of the aged avatars, this encourages people to feel a greater sense of connection with their future self – and, as a result, primes them for positive behavioural change. Hershfield’s studies have shown that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1037\u002Fxap0000153\"\u003Ethe task increased the amount of time that people spent exercising\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over the following week – a sign that they had started to take their long-term health seriously. (If you are keen to try this out, he suggests that you could amplify the effects by writing a reply \u003Cem\u003Efrom\u003C\u002Fem\u003E the future, since that will force you to adopt a long-term perspective.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs you might expect, Hershfield applies his research to his own life. When dealing with the stresses and frustration of parenting, for example, he tries to put himself in the shoes of his future self to imagine how he might look back on his own behaviour. “I try to think whether he would be proud of the way that I handled myself,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt might seem eccentric to start a “conversation” with an imagined entity – but once your future self becomes alive in your mind, you may find it much easier to make the small personal sacrifices that are essential to preserve your wellbeing. And in the years ahead, you’ll thank yourself for that forethought.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson is a science writer and author based in London, UK. His latest book, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdavidrobson.me\u002Fthe-expectation-effect\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, is published on 6 January 2022 in the UK and 15 February 2022 in the US. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How thinking about 'future you' can build a happier life","headlineShort":"The brain quirk that ruins future plans","image":["p0bljklc"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-awe-the-little-earthquake-that-could-free-your-mind"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We should think more about whom we'll be in the future – because doing so has profound consequences for our health, happiness and financial security.","summaryShort":"How imagining who we'll be in 10 years builds happiness, health and wealth","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-01T21:38:36.712661Z","entity":"article","guid":"6aca3391-e66b-4a67-85ab-70884516d243","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:21:42.755359Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220201-how-thinking-about-future-you-can-build-a-happier-life","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200430},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes","_id":"62df80a843d9f46d1c4ba342","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Millennial divorcees are increasingly keeping their kids in their former family home, while rotating in and out of the property themselves.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESplitting up from a partner is always hard, especially if children are caught up in the process. And with reams of international research suggesting how \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psychologytoday.com\u002Fus\u002Fblog\u002Fbetter-divorce\u002F201912\u002Funderstanding-the-effects-high-conflict-divorce-kids\"\u003Eunsettling divorce can be for young people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, some parents are turning to an innovative solution to try and help ease the process. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E‘Birdnesting’ or ‘nesting’ is a way of living that enables children to remain in the family home and spend time with each parent there. Each legal guardian stays at the home during their agreed custody time, then elsewhere when they’re ‘off duty’. The concept gets its name from bird parents, who keep their chicks safe in a nest and alternately fly in and out to care for them.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We wanted to keep stability for the kids, and not just tear up everything all at once,” says 38-year-old Niklas Björling from Stockholm, whose young family nested for eight months after he and his wife separated. “The children could keep their home, school and friends as before,” he explains, plus they’d avoid the stress of shuttling between two properties. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough still a relatively unknown concept globally, nesting seems to be on the rise in Western countries, largely among middle-class families. Divorce lawyers have reported an increase in birdnesting in places including the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.petrellilaw.com\u002Fbird-nesting-possible\u002F\"\u003EUS\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hogglawyers.com.au\u002Fblog\u002Fbird-nesting\"\u003EAustralia\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scheidingsprofs.nl\u002Fblog\u002Fbirdnesting-hoeveel-offer-jij-jezelf-op-voor-de-kinderen-na-een-scheiding\u002F\"\u003EThe Netherlands\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. A recent UK study by Coop Legal Services suggested that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.co-oplegalservices.co.uk\u002Fmedia-centre\u002Fnews-jan-apr-2016\u002Fbirds-nest-custody-takes-off-in-the-uk\u002F\"\u003E11% of divorced or separated parents have tried it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In Sweden, where \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1080\u002F10502556.2018.1454198\"\u003Eequally shared child custody has been commonplace\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for decades, some divorced parents have rotated homes as far back as the 1970s. (Official statistics are hard to come by, since there isn’t a tick box for this kind of living on census or residency surveys.) \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBjörling stayed in his mum’s spare room during his child-free time, while his ex rented a room in a shared house. Wealthier nesters may choose to buy individual apartments, invest in a shared second property or convert part of the main household into an off-duty annexe, says Dr Ann Buscho, a California-based therapist who has written a book about nesting. For many, it’s a “transitional or temporary arrangement”, but some of her clients have nested for years. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet as more families start to embrace the concept, experts are divided on its impact on both children and parents. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat’s behind the birdnesting trend?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuscho says it’s important to understand the context behind the trend, including the influence of non-traditional celebrity parenting plans on millennial divorcees. Mad Men’s Anne Dudek and Matthew Heller \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tmz.com\u002F2016\u002F03\u002F12\u002Fanne-dudek-divorce-child-custody\u002F\"\u003Ewent public about nesting\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after their divorce in 2016, and actor Gwyneth Paltrow is reported to have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnypost.com\u002F2016\u002F04\u002F28\u002Fis-birdnesting-the-stupidest-or-smartest-divorce-trend-yet\u002F\"\u003Estayed frequently\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at the home she used to share with musician Chris Martin, long after they broke up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Niklas Björling","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“I think Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fblogs-magazine-monitor-26749152\"\u003Econscious uncoupling\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’ had a big effect here. They did a sort of modified nesting. And just the notion of divorcing with respect and more kindly, I think that had a big impact on people,” says Bushco. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent TV programmes may also have had an impact. US TV show \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.imdb.com\u002Ftitle\u002Ftt6492236\u002F\"\u003ESplitting Up Together\u003C\u002Fa\u003E depicted a family nesting by using a garage as the parents’ off-duty home, and there’s been a nesting plot in financial drama series Billions. “There's just more awareness around the fact that it is an option available to people,” adds Ben Evans, a senior family law solicitor for Coop Legal Services in south-west England. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome couples are also drawn to nesting because it can be a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ashtonslegal.co.uk\u002Finsights\u002Flegal-news\u002Frising-costs-of-divorce-encourage-couples-to-nest-together\u002F\"\u003Emore cost-effective solution\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for example by cutting court fees or delaying taxes linked to house sales, according to Stephen Williams, a family law partner at another British firm, Ashtons Legal. But he believes the main driver is a more general increase in awareness about children’s mental health, which has led more parents to consider the potential of alternative custody arrangements. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People have become far more savvy about needing to think about their children's development,” he says. “I think that is a really, really good progression, basically, because often those issues were pushed to the background, and it was the parents’ often problematic separations which came to the fore.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs birdnesting actually better for children?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhatever the reasons ex-couples are getting into birdnesting, judging its effectiveness is tricky. Since it’s a fairly new trend in most places, there is no comparative data on the wellbeing of children in these kinds of families compared to other domestic set-ups. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBuscho has interviewed dozens of nesting families for her research, and did a 15-month stint of it with her ex-husband and three children in the 1990s. She strongly believes it’s healthier for children, by enabling them to retain existing routines and adapt more slowly to changes in the family. “If you ask the kids, they'll always tell you divorce is no fun. They don't know what it's like to divorce without nesting,” she says. “But what they will say is that our parents carried the burden of the divorce and we didn't have to.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s a perspective shared by Linnea Andersdotter, who’s now 36. She lived in a birdnesting set-up in Stockholm for several years, after her parents separated when she was 11. “It felt like a very dramatic thing when they first let me know that they were going to split up, and when I found out I didn’t have to move, that really helped me not freak out about the situation,” she says. “I was kind of kept in a safe little bubble whilst they were sorting out the break-up thing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Eline Linde","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut critics argue it can create a “halfway house” situation which doesn’t help children process the reality of their parents' separation. Eline Linde, who lived in a nesting household near Oslo when she was a teenager, says she found the experience “strange and confusing”. “I didn’t know if it was mum or dad’s house, or if they were working out if they were getting back together,” recalls the 28-year-old. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think we should really be careful about hyping the idea,” agrees Malin Bergström, a child psychologist and scientist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. “This is a type of protecting children and sheltering them from reality, basically. I think that is a threat to mental health.” By contrast, she says “facing challenges together” with parents, such as moving out of the family home, can give children the tools “to become a resilient adult who can handle things in future”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBergström also casts doubt on the assumption that birdnesting is less stressful for children than commuting between two parental homes. She was involved in several large studies by Centre for Health Equity Studies in Stockholm, which suggested there was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forskning.se\u002F2017\u002F01\u002F12\u002Fvaxelvist-boende-bast-for-skilsmassobarnen\u002F\"\u003Every little difference in the mental health of children in typical joint custody arrangements\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared with those who lived in a traditional nuclear family with two parents. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat about the impact on parents?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe impact of birdnesting on parents is also disputed. Family-law solicitor Ben Evans believes it works for some couples because it can help “buy them a bit of time and ease the pressure on them”. Both parties can mull over future steps, he argues, and avoid knee-jerk or costly decisions. Buscho says a nesting period also provides “breathing space” to help former partners figure out what they want their long-term co-parenting plan to look like, or could even facilitate a reconciliation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"You're stuck in some kind of bubble or something, you cannot do anything, you cannot go forward – Åse Levin","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut Bergström argues that nesting can have a negative psychological impact on divorced parents, by stalling their ability to get over the break-up. “The natural urge after a divorce as a parent is to create your own life, to cope, to move on,” she argues. “And I think that birdnesting works against that urge.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EÅse Levin, a 50-year-old graphic designer from Stockholm, says that happened to her when she tried nesting for six months after she and her partner split. The pair bounced between the same one-bedroom rental when they were away from their two kids. “I know that both of us had real anxiety being in that apartment... you didn’t have your things, so it wasn’t a cosy place to go to,” she recalls. “You're stuck in some kind of bubble or something, you cannot do anything. You cannot go forward.” In the end, her partner stayed in their old apartment and her father helped her buy a small place within walking distance. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile nesting may cut down on changes in children’s lives, it also creates fresh logistical challenges for the adults, from figuring out new routines for household chores to navigating what happens if someone starts dating. “A client came home and found a used condom in the bedroom when she came on duty. That didn't go so well,” says Buscho. “There need to be very spelled-out agreements.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Bodil Schwinn","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“You need to have a good relationship with your ex,” agrees Bodil Schwinn, from Sollentuna, Sweden, who says she’s enjoyed nesting for two years and is planning to maintain the arrangement for at least another 18 months. She and her former partner split the cost of a cleaner for the family home and restock the fridge on an ad-hoc basis. “We never discuss things like, ‘you bought meat’ or ‘you ate my meat or my cheese’, we just deal with it,” says Schwinn. She did draw the line at her ex’s new girlfriend sleeping in their shared bi-weekly bed, so they agreed to convert their home office into a new bedroom. “A lot of people think this is really weird, but I am fine with it. I'm just happy he's happy, and he found someone.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe future of nesting\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFamily lawyer Stephen Williams believes that birdnesting isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and says newly separated parents shouldn’t feel pressured to jump on the bandwagon. For a start, some couples will lack the financial resources or support networks to find alternative accommodation during ‘off-duty’ time. He also says it won’t be the right option if there’s still a high level of conflict, if one of the parents can’t commit to the arrangement or if it simply doesn’t feel like the right fit. “The way I see it is that birdnesting is just one of a number of positive interventions which might assist parents in caring for their children post-separation,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut supporters of the nesting trend hope it will become more commonplace. Buscho points out that co-parenting between divorced parents seemed radical in the 1950s but is now widely accepted as a positive option for many families, so observers shouldn’t dismiss birdnesting taking off, even if it currently seems like a niche idea. “My hope is that in the future, as the awareness grows of nesting, that it will become routine, that people will start their separation process with a nesting period of some months or even longer.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Stockholm, Niklas Björling is enjoying a new chapter in a small rental apartment a short drive from his ex-partner, which he shares with his children every other week, and with his new girlfriend when they’re not around. Reflecting back on his nesting experience he says, “I don’t regret doing it... But you want to get fully free after a while.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Birdnesting: The divorce trend where parents rotate homes","headlineShort":"Birdnesting: A better way to divorce?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Father carries his daughter out of the house","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Millennial divorcees are increasingly keeping their kids in their former family home, while rotating in and out of the property themselves.","summaryShort":"The divorce trend where kids stay in the house and parents rotate","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-05T22:02:22.015195Z","entity":"article","guid":"bd0157ea-8331-4090-8e0b-0784672a707c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:12:29.622001Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end","_id":"62df7f5d43d9f46da86e4afc","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Most siblings fight and compete among each other as children. But for some, the conflict never ends.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Roseanne was young, she says there was a lot of conflict between her and her twin brothers, who are nearly three years younger. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“They were very much a pair, their own team, so it was always two against one,” says Roseanne, a 46-year-old mum who lives in New Jersey, US. Some of that conflict endures, she says, even now, and it can occasionally feel like nothing has changed since childhood. “We were very, very different. We just seemed like we were in different worlds, and I think that’s part of the problem with my two [children] now.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERoseanne has a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter who haven’t got along since they were in nursery school. “The bickering is exhausting,” she says. “For a long time, we’ve avoided doing much together as a family because we just don’t want to hear it. We can’t sit at the dinner table for 10 minutes without shots being flung. They’re each constantly worried about the other person, making comments, pushing each other’s buttons.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESiblings fight. Of course they do; as almost anyone who has a sibling knows, some kind of rivalry is common.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Children have much less ability than adults do to reflect on what’s upsetting them or keep their impulses at bay. So, they fight a lot, as we all know,” says Dr Raymond Raad, co-founder of RIVIA Mind, a mental-health centre in New York City.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many families, bickering among siblings is formative. It helps children learn to handle conflict and makes them better at interacting with others. For some, the rivalry lessens in adulthood, and becomes just something to laugh about at family parties.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"right","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut for others, it sticks around. A survey of 2,000 adults in the UK, completed as a promotional effort for the television show Succession (in which siblings are constantly trying to outdo each other), showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.studyfinds.org\u002Fsibling-rivalry-adults-compete\u002F\"\u003Emore than half of respondents \u003Cem\u003Estill\u003C\u002Fem\u003E feel they’re in competition with their siblings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Fifty-one percent of these adults report a lasting, competitive relationship with their siblings, and said they compete over everything from home ownership to who gets to host family get-togethers. Some experts agree these conflicts indeed drag on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESibling rivalry may not seem surprising in childhood years. But many – like Roseanne – still feel the conflict, far after they’ve moved out of the same home as their siblings. Why does this competition stick – and can we ever get over it?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComparison and conflict\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As human beings, we’re oriented towards comparison,” explains Shawn D Whitehead, a professor of human development and family studies at Utah State University, US. “Siblings provide a natural point of comparison. They’re in your home, growing up with you, generally within a few years of your age on average. They’re in the same environment and the same house, so they provide us a good comparative measure.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, it’s easy for siblings to compare their academic or athletic success, or jostle over who is the ‘favourite’ child, since siblings often have similar experiences (like attending the same schools). And the closer in age kids are, the more intense the rivalry can be.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis natural inclination to compare ourselves to other people can be a major driver of sibling competition – especially, says Raad, because our siblings tend to be the people we spend the most time with during childhood, and subsequently know the most about.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Siblings don’t necessarily ‘grow out’ of the desire for fairness","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt may seem ‘natural’ for siblings in the same environments performing the same hobbies to butt heads. Yet, siblings who aren’t competing at the same activities \u003Cem\u003Estill \u003C\u002Fem\u003Efind ways to compete, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhitehead says some siblings \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F000306510705500405?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&\"\u003Etry to differentiate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E themselves in an effort to reduce competition – especially if they’re close in age to their siblings. “That would, in theory, reduce rivalry,” says Whitehead, “but the\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F11194252\u002F\"\u003E research\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is mixed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat chimes with Roseanne’s experience: both with her own brothers and her kids, she says being different is a major driver of conflict.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERoseanne’s daughter is talented athletically, while her son is naturally gifted academically. Roseanne says since her daughter must work much harder to maintain good grades, their differences have become a constant point of contention between the siblings. “Many, many teachers and even some family members have always commented on how smart my son is,” says Roseanne. “I know it’s a pressure point for my daughter.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s also common for competitiveness to intensify in the teen years, says Raad, as “parents or school or sports environments create an expectation that everything’s a competition”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even as siblings develop more individualised identities later in life, differences can continue to drive competition and conflict – especially with brothers and sisters who were raised in the same household, yet ended up very different from one another. Even as their paths diverge, says Raad, “that doesn’t mean they won’t fight about things later in life\u003Cstrong\u003E”.\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe fairness factor\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother major driver of sibling rivalry is fairness, an idea that, Whitehead says, is deeply important to children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Parents are more likely to grant privileges to younger children sooner than they did the older kids,” he says. “As a parent, when you say to a 12-year-old, ‘you can stay up until 10’, then maybe the 10-year-old gets to do it too, because [parents] don’t want to fight.” When younger children get permission earlier than an older sibling did, “that can cause the older one to feel things are unfair. That creates conflict”, adds Whitehead.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd it turns out siblings don’t necessarily ‘grow out’ of the desire for fairness – instead, it’s still one of the factors that can drive sibling rivalry into adulthood, says Raad.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When you look at people who have conflict, there seems to be an implicit thought that we come from the same place, the same family, so it’s only fair we’re similar and on-par,” he says. “The issues arise when there’s a feeling from one of the siblings that something’s unfair in their lives. There’s a perception that one of them is prettier, smarter, more successful – and it gives the other this feeling that the gene pool has been distributed unevenly.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn adulthood, the fairness question among siblings applies to things like professional success, how happy people are in their marriages and more, adds Raad. “Unlike with friends, where you can say, ‘oh, we’re so different, we come from such different places’, there’s this idea that siblings come from the same background, so something should be fair about where they end up.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA gentle push\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome rivalry among adult siblings isn’t necessarily all bad, however. More than a quarter of respondents to the OnePoll survey say they compete with their brothers and sisters over career goals, and for 15% of respondents, rivalry has motivated them in their careers. For nearly two in 10 of the adults, there’s a strong belief sibling rivalry has led them to achieve more in their lives. So, some minor rivalry may be healthy – and just natural.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt isn’t a given that every group of siblings will compete for the rest of their lives, however. For many, the fighting fades as they become adults. The experts agree there’s no one reason sibling rivalry disappears in some families and persists in others. “The best predictor for your adult relationship is your childhood one, but there’s also room for change,” says Whitehead. A rivalry’s intensity can fade with space and distance, he says, so siblings who end up living far apart geographically, or who don’t see one another as often, may naturally butt heads less.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The best predictor for your adult relationship is your childhood one, but there’s also room for change – Shawn D Whitehead","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe number of big shifts a family experiences can affect rivalries, too, he adds. “We see change around big events. Somebody gets married, has a child, loses a parent. Those can all help re-orient relationships.” When sibling groups have those big moments to bring them together, it can help mend fences. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut ultimately, Whitehead says, the determining factor for which families get over it – and which families don’t – is down to personality. “The sibling relationship is unique and multifaceted,” he says, “and there are often just as many differences within families as there are between them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts suggest parents can help young children reduce natural rivalry and insulate them against more serious later-in-life clashing, however. “Parents should be modelling problem-solving and social skills,” says Raad. ”You can have conflict in your house – that’s only healthy – but being able to model how you address that conflict without it escalating will help your kids later on.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEncouraging siblings to form close relationships into adulthood – even if that means the occasional argument – can make a significant difference. “Those relationships truly last a lifetime,” says Whitehead. “Late in life, our siblings become even more important to us. When our parents are gone, they’re the last connection we have to our family of origin. Ultimately, siblings are left with each other.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There was a lot of tension between me and my brothers in our house growing up,” says Roseanne. “But now, we’re together at family functions, we text and chat about my mom, that kind of stuff, and I’ve gotten close with at least one of my brothers – even though it took until much later in life.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end-9"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-11-23T16:39:34Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Does sibling rivalry ever end?","headlineShort":"Why siblings bicker for life","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Most siblings fight and compete among each other as children. But for some, the conflict never ends.","summaryShort":"The reasons sibling rivalry follows you well into adulthood","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-11-22T22:53:05.582596Z","entity":"article","guid":"b0e699a6-737a-433e-b0ed-626b92de3dc7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:18:20.473927Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211122-does-sibling-rivalry-ever-end","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children","_id":"62df810343d9f4574a33a976","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Child-tracking apps are growing. Although they help parents keep tabs, are they hurting families in in exchange for peace of mind?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EElaine Spector was anxious to hear whether her son had safely gotten back to his dorm in Texas, after a recent visit home. But rather than waiting for him to call or text, the Baltimore, US-based mum was carrying on with her day, and awaiting a reassuring ding from her phone.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s because, like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businesswire.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhome\u002F20210727006162\u002Fen\u002FLife360-Surpasses-One-Million-Paying-Members-Valuing-the-Company-at-Over-1-Billion-for-the-First-Time\"\u003E32 million people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E around the world, Spector and her whole family have Life360 installed on their phones. The app keeps constant tabs on the whereabouts of her three children, letting her know when they’re on the move, when they’re safely home, if they’re somewhere they shouldn’t be and a whole host of other data. “They got to school, \u003Cem\u003Eding\u003C\u002Fem\u003E. They got home, \u003Cem\u003Eding\u003C\u002Fem\u003E,” says Spector, a patent attorney. “It’s just a way for us to know as a family where everybody is.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe family have used the app for several years now, and Spector says while her younger children tend to turn off their locations at times, her oldest son has always been relaxed about using it. But even though he is now 18 and living across the country, she admits the idea of him removing the app and taking away those reassuring dings “makes me feel stressed”. “I don’t want to be the helicopter parent, but we’ve had this for a while, and there’s a part of me that’s hesitant to totally cut it off,” she says. “I like this subtle part of, ‘he’s safe and I don’t need to pester him’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFamily-tracking apps have exploded in popularity over the past decade or so. A parent’s natural instinct to protect their children is a component of growth, of course – but these apps keep booming as many parents feel the world – both off and online – is inherently and increasingly dangerous. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I like this subtle part of, ‘he’s safe and I don’t need to pester him’ – Elaine Spector","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet experts say parents wanting to use them should think very hard about how they’’ll do so, and how they’ll talk to their children about them. Apps are becoming ever more sophisticated in the data they're gathering, raising questions about personal security. And children raised being app-monitored are now reaching adulthood, leaving the parents with the quandary – when do you turn them off?  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeofencing, speed monitoring and more\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Life360 dominates the family tracking market – it’s currently the sixth most downloaded social media app on the iOS App store in both the UK and US – there is a vast array of software available, all offering parents varying degrees of monitoring. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGhislaine Bombusa, head of digital at UK-based Internet Matters, which advises parents on internet safety, says there are essentially two types of tracking options. The choice between the two “depends on your type of parenting, in terms of how closely you want to monitor your child”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe simplest are location-sharing apps, which come installed on phones like Find My Friends on iOS devices, or Google Family for Android. There are also third-party apps that enable users to gather a seemingly limitless range of data from connected phones. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the basic end, this includes features such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lifewire.com\u002Fkeep-track-of-your-kids-with-geofences-2487397\"\u003Egeofencing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so an alert is sent when a phone leaves or enters a certain area. For parents with teen drivers, there’s also speed monitoring and crash detection – something Spector says she has found particularly useful. On the more extreme end of the market, apps like FindMyKids allow a parent to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffindmykids.org\u002Fen\u002Fapp-for-tracking-a-childs-phone\"\u003Eremotely activate the microphone\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on their child’s phone and even record audio, while TeenSafe boasts a “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fteensafe.net\u002Fhidden-spy-app-for-android.html\"\u003Estealth mode\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” which, says the company, means the child will “never find out that their parents are tracking them”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Life360 display showing a crash detection notification","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBeyond physical tracking, apps can also manage a child's digital life, “whether it's what they're spending if you’ve got an allowance online, how they use gaming consoles, when they’re using it”, says Bombusa. Apps like OurPact allow a parent to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fourpact.com\u002F\"\u003Esee screenshots\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of their child’s online interactions, while Bark actually \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bark.us\u002F?ref=RYNZ3QC&kbid=62750&request_ID=26c52d17-6b6c-4224-9d53-583c7b08197e\"\u003Escans their messages\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to alert parents to “concerning interactions”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Bombusa doesn’t believe\u003Cem\u003E all\u003C\u002Fem\u003E parents are now using such apps, she says their proliferation and the amount of investment in them is certainly indicative of high demand. One 2019 survey of parents and guardians in the UK found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.childcare.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Ftracking\"\u003E40% were using some kind of GPS tracking\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on a daily basis. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd they are big business. Life360 alone has been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businesswire.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhome\u002F20210727006162\u002Fen\u002FLife360-Surpasses-One-Million-Paying-Members-Valuing-the-Company-at-Over-1-Billion-for-the-First-Time\"\u003Evalued at over $1bn\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and operates in more than 140 countries. While many apps do have free options, most also offer the option of upgrading to paid accounts for additional features or to connect more devices. Circle for example, which monitors internet use, starts at $9.99 (£7.39) a month, and TeensSafe’s five-device plan is currently $99.99 a month. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EData versus trust\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELocation tracking apps market themselves as essential parenting tools in a world full of danger. They rely on parents believing that as long as they know where their child is, they will be safer, or that kids will steer clear of risky behaviour if they know they're being watched. And there have certainly been cases in which parents have used tracking apps to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.today.com\u002Fvideo\u002Fmother-credits-iphone-tracking-app-with-saving-teen-daughter-s-life-62082117641\"\u003Efind teenagers who have had an accident\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nbcnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fus-news\u002Ffind-my-iphone-icloud-lead-cops-kidnapped-teen-n521486\"\u003Ebeen abducted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Sonia Livingstone, a professor in the department of media and communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science, believes there is in fact “zero evidence that any of these apps keep children safer”. \"I’ve never seen any and I look at \u003Cem\u003Eall\u003C\u002Fem\u003E the evidence,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an expert in children’s digital rights and safety, who has written several books about parenting in the digital age, Livingstone feels the extensive adoption of tracking apps is an understandable response to constant headlines about the “terrible dangers to our children”. But she argues that in the longer term, tracking apps can have \"unintended but also damaging consequences\", not least to the parent-child relationship.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I really do respect parents’ anxiety that leads them to think this could be a solution, and I really invite them to find a different one – Sonia Livingstone","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EApp makers and advertisers may be keen to make parents believe getting an app is an act of parental love, she says, but \"\u003Cem\u003Ethe\u003C\u002Fem\u003E most important thing for development is that the child learns to trust the parent and the parents the child”. Relying on an app to find out where a child is or what they are looking at online, particularly without their knowledge, can seriously undermine that trust, she says, which might lead children to make riskier choices or get clever about evading detection. As well as the right to be safe, children do also have a right to privacy, particularly as they get older, says Livingstone.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou certainly don’t have to look far to find teenagers – and even older individuals – who feel their parents are encroaching on those rights, or are unwilling to let go of the digital reins. Particularly, Reddit is full of stories about young people who feel constrained by their parents’ anxious remote monitoring.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002Finsaneparents\u002Fcomments\u002Ficpac3\u002Fthis_happened_back_in_march_my_mom_saw_my\u002F\"\u003Erecent post\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the Insane Parents subreddit read: “My mom saw my location was turned off in Life360 and threatened to turn off my phone and also told me that I can’t drive the car anymore… Oh did I also mention that I’m 20 years old???” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002FLife360\u002Fcomments\u002Fmx0xkk\u002Fmy_mom_made_mw_download_life360\u002F\"\u003EAnother\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the Life360 subreddit, where users swap tips on how to evade monitoring, said they were 19, but their mum paid for their phone so was making them download the app. “I'm literally home all the time unless I'm at class, which she drives me to and from. Why does she feel the need to track my location when I'm only ever at two places?”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELivingstone says there is indeed a real risk that parental monitoring “moves from being intrusive to abusive”. She argues it is “crucial to our autonomy and our personal integrity not to have our every private thought observed. That’s what private means.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A mum looks at her phone","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAn additional key concern for Livingstone is the “scary” amount of data that the tech companies behind these apps collect. While Life360 says it gives users “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.life360.com\u002Fblog\u002Funderstanding-how-life360-uses-and-protects-your-data\u002F\"\u003Efull control and transparency\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” over their information and that settings can be tweaked depending on individual’s preferences, many apps are quite open about sharing data with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zdnet.com\u002Farticle\u002Fallstate-partners-with-life360-app-to-leverage-driving-data\u002F\"\u003Eplaces like insurance companies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Livingstone believes there is a troubling lack of understanding, even among experts, about how data is used, or how it might be used in the future. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpector says she isn’t worried “at all” about data collection, and believes the advantages far outweigh any concerns in that area. But Livingstone says parents need to think hard about not just the immediate risks, but how technology might develop over the next decade. Data gathered on a seven-year-old today could, theoretically, be fed into some “brilliant algorithm\" in the future, which discriminates against them based on their historic movements. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“No-one is looking forward in that way, so I think parents should really think very carefully about giving that access to anybody.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBoundaries and balance\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a parent does feel an app is the right approach for them, however, there are ways to minimise the risks Livingstone highlights. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBombusa says it’s essential that using an app is something parents and children do together, after an open conversation, and that the child knows it is not replacing their proper, trusting relationship. Make sure each party knows what the technology will do, why you want it, what boundaries you are setting and crucially, how the child is feeling about it, she adds. It’s also vital to adapt the use of the apps over time, as a child grows and needs more independence.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think it’s about the behaviour your child is showing. If they used it when they first got the phone and they followed the rules… there’s possibly a conversation about relinquishing some of those tracking devices. Or maybe saying, ‘OK, I’ll only track it when I feel like there’s a concern’, rather than all the time.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Learner driver in a car","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELivingstone, however, worries that there are simply too many unknowns around what tracking apps are doing to children and their development to recommend their use. “We just don't know what it will be like for this generation of children to grow up in a world in which they’ve always been watched, always been tracked and never got lost and had to recover themselves,” she says. “I really do respect parents’ anxiety that leads them to think this could be a solution, and I really invite them to find a different one.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpector is proud her family has the kind of “open dialogue” recommended by Bombusa, so she's never had to “police” her children's activities. But she admits it would be very hard to give up those regular dings from Life360, and the peace of mind she feels from being able to see where her children are. “I don’t think addicted is an inaccurate word, because I think about \u003Cem\u003Enot \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ehaving it and I feel it makes me feel stressed,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHer oldest son is still happy to have the app for now, “because he knows I’m not stalking him or checking up on him”, she says. But she knows the time is coming when she'll lose the dings. “He would tell me if he didn’t want it and I would respect that. It would be hard, but it wouldn’t be the first hard thing we’d had to do as parents.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children-11"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The parents who track their children","headlineShort":"The parents who track their children","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Women looking at their smartphones","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Child-tracking apps are growing. Although they help parents keep tabs, are they hurting families in in exchange for peace of mind?","summaryShort":"Why some parents have turned to family-tracking apps to keep tabs on their kids","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-11-07T20:56:30.415179Z","entity":"article","guid":"a929f2c8-ee70-44a4-9a81-05738063f38c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:17:28.289357Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211105-the-parents-who-track-their-children","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200431},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents","_id":"62df819d43d9f46d834bf4d5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"With costs of living increasing, a ‘boomerang’ period of moving back in with parents could be the norm, not the exception, for people in their 20s and 30s.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EIn early March 2020, Sheridan Block, 30, had just finished a year abroad in Marseilles, France, as a volunteer English teacher to refugees. She flew home to Jacksonville, Florida, to spend time with her maternal grandparents – her grandfather was recovering from health issues at the time. Her plan was to stay a few months to help care for them while also saving money, paying off some student debt and credit card bills before returning abroad.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThen, the pandemic hit. “It was kind of a spiral,” says Block.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EIn exchange for living rent-free, she helped drive her grandparents to appointments, ran errands, cooked and did chores around the house. She ended up staying nearly two years. “I was able to save enough money to pay off all those debts that I had, to finance a car and then ultimately to move out,” she explains. It was beneficial financially, she says, and good to be close to family, but it required her to adjust her ideas of what adulthood should look like.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBlock is among a growing group of ‘boomerang kids’ – adult children who return to their parents or grandparents’ homes after moving out. This group of adults is on the rise – and not just because of the pandemic. In July 2020, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Ffact-tank\u002F2020\u002F09\u002F04\u002Fa-majority-of-young-adults-in-the-u-s-live-with-their-parents-for-the-first-time-since-the-great-depression\u002F\"\u003E52% of young adults in the US resided with one or both of their parents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to a Pew Research Center analysis – the highest percentage the United States has seen since the end of the Great Depression, in 1940. In the UK, the proportion of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lboro.ac.uk\u002Fnews-events\u002Fnews\u002F2020\u002Foctober\u002Flow-income-families-feel-pinch-gen-z-return-home\u002F\"\u003Esingle, child-free 20-to-34-year-olds living with their parents went up 55%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E between 2008 to 2017, according to research from Loughborough University.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EIn Western cultures particularly, moving away from home has traditionally been considered a crucial step in becoming an independent adult. But as the number of boomerang kids continues to rise in countries such as the US, UK and Canada, this may be set to change – and with it, our notion of what the stages of adult independence look like.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn upward boom\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EWhen she moved in with her grandparents, Block noticed she was far from alone among her peers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“I found that a lot of friends, and even some dates I went on, were kind of in the same boat,” she says. “I had met one guy [on a date] who moved from San Francisco back in with his mom in Jacksonville. That’s just a reality now, to do whatever you’ve got to do to save money.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThere are many reasons for young people to move back home, says Joanne Hipplewith, family therapist at the Institute for Family Therapy in London. The primary reason is the high cost of living in major cities, though \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fs2.q4cdn.com\u002F437609071\u002Ffiles\u002Fdoc_news\u002Fresearch\u002F2019\u002FBoomerang-Generation-Returning-to-the-Nest.pdf\"\u003Euniversity tuition\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is another factor in the US and UK.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“There is a trend to staying at home longer, because everything is so expensive,” says Hipplewith. Staying home, for many, means financial support from family as they prepare for advanced degrees or starting a career. And it’s becoming increasingly normal: “[Young people are] prepared to go back home,\" says Hipplewith. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThough the ‘boomerang’ stage has been on the rise for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2012\u002F03\u002F15\u002Fwho-are-the-boomerang-kids\u002F\"\u003Eat least the last decade\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the pandemic has added a few new contributing factors: many who planned to go away for college could not –  university campuses closed across the world – and others who might have otherwise moved for a job after college delayed leaving home because in-office work has not been available.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EFor many, the boomerang phase is temporary. But it still may last many months – or even years, like it did for Block – to enable boomerangers to pay off student debt, save for a down payment or establish themselves in a career without concurrently worrying about high rents, tuition and student debt.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“It’s temporal – a one-year, two-year or five-year plan,\" says Jenna S Abetz, associate professor of communication at the College of Charleston, US. “This is just a transition chapter.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERedefining the milestones of adulthood\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EFor many, a return home after living away – or directly after university – can feel like a regression and loss of recently won independence. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“You learn to become an adult [in university],” says Hipplewith. “You have friends. You’re doing what you want to do. So, it can be really quite devastating because you’re coming back under someone else’s rules.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I expected something very different from adulthood – Sheridan Block","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBoomeranging forces adults in their 20s and 30s to face assumptions about independence, and this can come with anxiety. Beyond feeling they ‘regressed’ by moving home, many adult children returning home experience a trickle-down effect to other life milestones. Abetz says that 20- and 30-somethings living with their parents are getting married later and also delaying having children, which can leave them feeling even more “behind”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“I expected something very different from adulthood,” agrees Block. By her 30s, she says, she had once thought she’d have a successful career, own a home, be married and have a family, along with a solid savings and retirement plan. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen,” she says. At times, living with her grandparents made her feel “like a failure not having those adulthood dreams checked off”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EStill, there are benefits to boomeranging, say experts. Many of these adults are finding an increased ability to do work they find meaningful, rather than take a job that simply pays the bills, says Abetz. During Covid-19, this has also meant some boomerangers have been able to choose jobs with lower risk factors, though this is largely \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.clevelandfed.org\u002Fen\u002Fnewsroom-and-events\u002Fpublications\u002Feconomic-commentary\u002F2021-economic-commentaries\u002Fec-202121-boomerang-kids-in-the-pandemic.aspx\"\u003Edependent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on their socioeconomic situation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ESocially, boomerang kids also have an opportunity to strengthen relationships with their parents at a time when they typically would have been establishing ties with new friends. It’s an unexpected “opportunity for mutual support and closeness with families,” says Abetz, that could lead to boomerang kids developing strong family support networks in the long-term. “Parents sometimes like to have kids back home for a little while,” says Abetz. \"They view that as a special time they wouldn’t necessarily have gotten.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"right","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnother new normal\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAbetz and Hipplewith both believe this is not just a pandemic-induced trend, and foresee an increasing number of adults bunking with parents as costs of living continue to rise. In the future, after moving away for university or college, says Abetz, life paths may be a little “less linear. It might be back and forth. It might be, after college, you’ll be home for six months or a couple of years”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EHipplewith hopes that as boomerang stages become more common in Western cultures, young adults will feel less pressure to conform to societal expectations of going to university, moving out and finding a job. Hipplewith encourages young people to view a return to home, or remaining home, as \"informed decision-making”. She says, “Let’s move away or de-link becoming an adult with the act of moving away.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAnd some research indicates \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fs2.q4cdn.com\u002F437609071\u002Ffiles\u002Fdoc_news\u002Fresearch\u002F2019\u002FBoomerang-Generation-Returning-to-the-Nest.pdf\"\u003Eperceptions have already begun to change.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Block agrees boomerang moves are a new reality for her generation, and one that can potentially re-frame an unhelpful mindset.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“When I was traveling, my friends from other countries, especially those where family is super close, like in Asia, would say how funny it was that Americans are so obsessed with moving out at 18. Even my grandma, who is from the Philippines, would make comments about it,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E“I think my generation is learning to be OK with the idea that not everyone’s path is meant to look the same, and success is all about perception,” continues Block. “Adulthood is really just being old enough to have responsibilities and pay bills; that doesn’t go away if you move in with parents again.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents-7"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-10T21:14:48Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The adult 'boomerang kids' moving home to their parents","headlineShort":"The 'boomerang kids' returning home","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"With costs of living increasing, a ‘boomerang’ period of moving back in with parents could be the norm, not the exception, for people in their 20s and 30s.","summaryShort":"Adult children are moving back in with their parents in record numbers","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-10T01:31:12.232163Z","entity":"article","guid":"83511bff-14dc-42ac-9e58-4817d695ea43","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:22:18.360942Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200434},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever","_id":"62df7f3b43d9f46d1b463a5d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"In an uncertain world, young people are grappling with the question: to have children or not?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen 37-year-old Heather Marcoux was expecting her son several years ago, she and her husband assumed it’d be the first of multiple pregnancies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We certainly thought we’d have more than one,” says Marcoux, who lives in Alberta, Canada. But today, the parents are very clear that their now-primary-school-aged son will never have a sibling. “We can offer our one child a pretty good standard of living,” she says. “But if we added any more kids, it would go down significantly.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s in part a financial decision; even with Marcoux and her husband’s incomes combined, childcare is a struggle, and saving in any significant way is impossible. But it also has to do with a lack of support and doubt about the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I feel like another child would be a burden we just could not handle,” says Marcoux. “Nobody wants to think of their growing family as a burden. That’s messed up to even say. But some days we just think it feels so impossible what we’re trying to do with one. How could we make [our day-to-day lives] work with more? Some family members are disappointed by our choice, but the world is just different now.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finteractives.prb.org\u002F2021-wpds\u002Fspecial-focus-area\u002Fspecial-focus-on-global-fertility\u002F\"\u003Eglobal birth rate is falling\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That’s not necessarily news; it’s been on the decline since 1950, according to data collected by Washington, DC-based non-profit Population Reference Bureau. But the decline in more recent years has been especially stark: in 2021, the global fertility rate is 2.3 births per woman; in 1990, it was 3.2. A new Pew Research Center survey found that a growing percentage of childless US adults ages 18 to 49 intend to remain that way. In every single European nation, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Fstatistics\u002F612074\u002Ffertility-rates-in-european-countries\u002F\"\u003Efertility in 2021\u003C\u002Fa\u003E was below the 2.1 births per woman generally considered the “rate of replacement” for a population. In a number of those countries, birth rates hit record lows.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not hard to imagine why young people are hesitating to have large families. Financial stability is more difficult to achieve than ever. One in 10 non-retired Americans say their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F05\u002Fa-year-into-the-pandemic-long-term-financial-impact-weighs-heavily-on-many-americans\u002F\"\u003Efinances may never recover from the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and significant \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.politico.eu\u002Farticle\u002Feurope-ecb-next-nightmare-inflation\u002F\"\u003Einflation could be looming\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in Europe. In many places, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.demographia.com\u002Fdhi.pdf\"\u003Ehome ownership is all but a pipe dream\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Political and civil unrest is rampant across the world, and climate is in crisis. It’s easy to adopt a dismal view of the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The central explanation is the rise of uncertainty,” Daniele Vignoli, professor of demography at the University of Florence, said in his \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=7XUCZApzleU&ab_channel=MaxWeberProgramme\"\u003Ekeynote\u003C\u002Fa\u003E address at a research workshop hosted on Zoom by the European University Institute. “The increasing speed, dynamics and volatility” of change on numerous fronts, he explains, “make it increasingly difficult for individuals to predict their future”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd while the global unemployment rate rebounded post-recession, it hasn’t rebounded evenly across industries and levels. “There’s been a decline of good jobs for people in lower and middle-income households – union jobs, construction, manufacturing – those jobs were not coming back, and they’re stable, good jobs for people with lower levels of education,” says Gemmill. A 2019 US study showed the loss of certain jobs, including manufacturing, had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs13524-019-00790-6\"\u003Ea greater impact than overall unemployment on total fertility rate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGemmill adds the rise of gig work and shift work – jobs that don’t generally come with family benefits, like childcare or healthcare in privatised countries – also creates questions around future stability, and influences decision-making around parenting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Some family members are disappointed by our choice, but the world is just different now – Heather Marcoux","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd economic uncertainty extends past employment, to housing uncertainty. A recent study by researchers at the Centre for Population Change at the University of Southampton, UK, showed the usual assumption that people would own a home before having children – one that was backed up by data until about 2012 – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fread.dukeupress.edu\u002Fdemography\u002Farticle\u002F58\u002F5\u002F1843\u002F174259\u002FThe-Changing-Association-Between-Homeownership-and\"\u003Eno longer holds true\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In fact, financial realities may now mean young people have to choose between owning a home or having one or more children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This disconnection between owning a home and becoming a parent has significant implications for parenthood in general,” said lead researcher Professor Ann Berrington in a press release. “If it is the case, as we propose, that homeownership is increasingly competing with the costs of having children, then it is likely that those who do manage to buy a home might well postpone or even forego having children.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarcoux says the pressures of paying a mortgage and maintaining a home are part of the reason she won’t have more children. It’s scary, she says, to think that something catastrophic could happen and throw the family into financial crisis. On top of that, adds Marcoux, she worries that she isn’t providing enough for her son.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Community has really eroded’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor would-be parents, these financial concerns can be compounded by worries over political and civil unrest, both local and global – fears that can be further exacerbated by the constant presence of media in our lives, which can amplify conflict and division.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd while wars and political issues have been a reality for nearly every generation, everywhere, parents today arguably face a world that seems much scarier than that of their own parents or grandparents. Despite higher-than-ever life expectancy, improved technology and access to modern healthcare, omnipresent media means we’re more hyper-aware of all the world’s terrifying goings-on, from food shortages to school shootings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData from the most recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.visionofhumanity.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F06\u002FGPI-2021-web-1.pdf\"\u003EGlobal Peace Index\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, an annual report compiled by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace, shows civil unrest has more than doubled in the world over the past decade, with a significant spike in 2020 alone, when it increased globally by 10%.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForty years of data across nations that experienced civil conflict shows fertility rates typically fall by up to one-third during periods of instability. People have fewer children, says Gemmill, when they’re terrified by what their progeny might have to contend with.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarcoux also feels divisiveness impacts people at the neighbourhood level, too. There’s a lack of community, she says, that makes parenting a lot harder – and lonelier – than it used to be. “When I was a kid in the early 1990s, all the moms on the block were stay-at-home-moms. Everybody was always around, you knew your neighbours and you had community support,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Find more on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMarcoux says she doesn’t feel that support, and being isolated in her own community adds to the fears of modern parenting. In one 2018 study, two-thirds of US millennials surveyed reported \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.studyfinds.org\u002Fsurvey-most-millennials-feel-disconnected-community\u002F\"\u003Efeeling disconnected from their communities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – unfortunate findings, considering social ties are one of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.health.harvard.edu\u002Fstaying-healthy\u002Fthe-health-benefits-of-strong-relationships\"\u003Estrongest predictors\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of happiness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We don’t even know our neighbours. I think community has really eroded,” says Marcoux. “And now, especially, the political issues are really coming to the fore and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211201-family-estrangement-why-adults-are-cutting-off-their-parents\"\u003Esome people are losing relationships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with people we might’ve counted on in the past, because our beliefs, morals and ethics are just not compatible.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA climate of uncertainty\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the Pew Research survey, when people who said they were unlikely to have children in the future were asked why, 5% cited environmental reasons. A 2019 poll by Business Insider showed close to a third of Americans, including nearly 40% of those aged 18 to 29, thought couples should “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fmillennials-americans-worry-about-kids-children-climate-change-poll-2019-3\"\u003Econsider the negative effects of climate change\u003C\u002Fa\u003E when deciding whether or not to have children”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's not just that a growing population increases humanity’s carbon footprint. Marcoux says she fears the next generation will suffer with the worst effects of climate change, and she worries about the version of the Earth her child and potential grandchildren will inherit. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe says the climate crisis only reinforces her choice to keep her son an only child. “Why would I bring another child into the mix when I sometimes think about the future and am just terrified for him? I do lay awake at night thinking about what his future will be like,” she says. “This is another thing my husband and I talk about nonstop. He wonders, did we make the right choice? Are we burdening our child with having to deal with the consequences? Were we being selfish?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey’re questions plaguing entire generations as they decide how many children to have, or whether to have any at all, in the face of increasingly desperate reports about the state of the planet.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“It didn't occur to me that the climate’s tipping point might present itself during my own ovarian prime time,” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sierraclub.org\u002Fsierra\u002F2019-6-november-december\u002Ffeature\u002Fhave-or-not-have-children-age-climate-change?src=longreads\"\u003Ewrites Sierra adventure editor Katie O’Reilly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a 2019 piece for the magazine about grappling with the choice to pursue motherhood as an environmental journalist in the era of climate crisis. “It's become impossible to ignore the fact that things are looking increasingly grim for my generation's offspring. How could I look my hypothetical child in the eye and acknowledge that I willingly brought them into a chaotic, increasingly uninhabitable world, that I \u003Cem\u003Eknew\u003C\u002Fem\u003E all their favourite picture-book animals were going extinct?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn uncertain optimism \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs I write this, my own first child squirms and hiccups inside me. I’ve had a blessedly uncomplicated pregnancy, physically speaking, but mentally and emotionally, I’m knee-deep in murky, mixed-up feelings about impending parenthood.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI thought that, at 31, I’d be in a different place financially. My student loans aren’t paid off, and, barring major legislative action, I’ll likely keep carrying them around until my kid is in kindergarten, at least. I live in rural Pennsylvania, US, where the cost of living is low and I have easy access to healthy, affordable local food. But my home is rented, I’m far from my family, and while I have a loving community of neighbours, it’s tough to shake the feeling of impermanence. I am anxious about birthing a child into a pandemic, and into a country where the political peace feels – to me – tenuous. I am anxious about so many things.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverpowering the fear is a deep, visceral excitement and an unmistakable optimism. I can’t wait to walk with my child in the natural world, battered though it may be, pointing out the preciousness of the Appalachian hardwood trees and the moths and mussels, and the deep snow on the ski hill. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI tell myself we’ll simply do our best to familiarise – not scare – our baby with the world’s problems, and then empower them to believe they can help right the ship. Parenthood is terrifying, but feels like exactly the right choice for me. Somehow, it seems, both things can be true.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-12-16T13:38:42Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Is parenting scarier than ever?","headlineShort":"Why parenting is so scary now","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"In an uncertain world, young people are grappling with the question: to have children or not?","summaryShort":"\"It feels like we did everything right, and still nothing worked out\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-12-15T20:55:18.932159Z","entity":"article","guid":"5b679b05-3ed6-4071-b172-e1c4346df183","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:19:55.819894Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200434},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis","_id":"62df7f1f43d9f46d9838b5da","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"An increasing number of mothers are using cannabis to help them parent. As they come out of the 'green closet', they're hoping to shift the stigma.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA couple years after California legalised cannabis for adult use in 2016, Danielle Simone Brand decided to try it. A journalist in the US Pacific Northwest, Brand, now 42, found cannabis left her feeling “better and more embodied, happier in my body and mind”. Looking at legal cannabis as a wellness tool, she quickly liked how using the substance herself bettered her ability to parent her two children, now 8 and 11.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Cannabis helps me in certain transitional moments,” she says. “I can more easily set aside my workday to-do list, along with whatever challenges and frustrations I've experienced that day, and get into the kind of headspace where I can patiently help with homework or make dinner with my daughter.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand, the author of Weed Mom: The Canna-Curious Woman's Guide to Healthier Relaxation, Happier Parenting, and Chilling TF Out, says cannabis helped her slow down enough to linger with her kids at bedtime. Because she was so often in a hurry to get them to bed at a reasonable hour – and buy some rest for herself – Brand says she was missing out on time when her kids were keen to connect. That meant she failed to hear important details about what they were learning, how they felt about school and their relationships with friends. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrand says ‘cannamoms’ like her aren’t a new phenomenon – she has seen years of mothers using cannabis to parent. As she wrote her book, specifically “for mainstream moms who didn’t know very much about cannabis”, she found “existing ‘cannamoms’ came out of the woodwork and said they’d needed a book that [identified] this is a movement, and [affirmed] we can be responsible parents and consume cannabis at the same time.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There have been very small in-person and online cannamom groups for a long time,” says Brand, “but it’s absolutely growing”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rolling enaction of US state-level legalisation, and nationwide legalisation in Canada, has expanded access to cannabis for adults. And although it’s difficult to precisely quantify how many mothers are using cannabis, the expansion of online cannamom communities suggest more mums are embracing cannabis use to help them manage life as a parent.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"danielle simone brand","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis story is part of BBC's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EFamily Tree\u003C\u002Fa\u003E series, which examines the issues and opportunities parents, children and families face today – and how they'll shape the world tomorrow. Coverage continues on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The same way people do wine’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first time researcher Heather McIlvaine-Newsad became aware of cannamoms was around 2018, due to the emergence of Facebook groups devoted to the new social movement. An anthropology professor and co-founder of Western Illinois University’s interdisciplinary minor in cannabis and culture, McIlvaine-Newsad noted some of the Facebook discussion groups had been running for several years. Today, she says there are more than two dozen such groups on Facebook, boasting several thousands of members.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMcIlvaine-Newsad says the cannamom movement demonstrates something that has previously gone unspoken: women – and mothers – are using cannabis in everyday life, including products such as fizzy drinks, edibles, tinctures as well as CBD (cannabidiol) products.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUS-based Latrese Thomas, 40, says she combines cannabis and parenting her three children “the same way people do wine”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“After a long day with the kids – especially during the pandemic, when I was home with all three of my babies, all day – once they were asleep, I was running a bath, dropping some cannabis bath salts in my bath and also vaping cannabis,” says Thomas, who has two teenagers and a toddler. Especially as a black mother, Thomas says amid racially charged social unrest affecting black communities, cannabis helped her “manage my anxiety as a mom – not just as a black woman, but as a mother of black children”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E53-year-old Barinder Rasode also felt her stress ratchet up during the pandemic. With three children, aged 28, 25 and 17, the Vancouver, British Columbia-based mother struggled to parent amid Covid-19, especially while trying to explain to her youngest child what was going on. “You’re dealing with a teenager whose world has got turned upside down, and you’re confined in a small space, all together, for more hours than anybody should,” says Rasode, a former municipal politician turned CEO of medical-cannabis business-incubator GrowTech Labs. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help calm her frayed nerves, she used cannabis, which is legal in Canada. “My cannabis consumption not only helped ease my own anxiety about the situation, but made me a more patient parent.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The big misconception is we just smoke to get blazing high’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany cannamoms, including Rasode, Thomas and Brand, all ‘microdose’ cannabis – using the plant or its extracts in small doses. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The big misconception is we just smoke to get blazing high,” laughs Thomas, who owns Releaf Health cannabis dispensary in Portland, Oregon, US, and runs the blog Living Unapologetically with Trese. “Well, no. I am still a mom. I still have to function. I still run a business. I still have to do pick-ups and drop-offs and attend practices.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"My cannabis consumption not only helped ease my own anxiety about the situation, but made me a more patient parent – Barinder Rasode","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBrand agrees. “If I’m parenting, I only want a small enough dose where it shifts my perspective a little bit. All the thoughts, to-do lists and all the mom-brain stuff slows down enough that I can be more present, more patient more creative with my kids.” She believes microdosing is “low risk”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch is still inconclusive around the benefits and risks of microdosing, or around cannabis use writ large. A 2017 review by the National Academy of Sciences concluded there is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F28182367\u002F\"\u003Elimited evidence to suggest that cannabis can cause the sort of long-term health effects\u003C\u002Fa\u003E associated with other substances. Another detailed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cmajopen.ca\u002Fcontent\u002F6\u002F3\u002FE339\"\u003Ereview of research on cannabis-related harm\u003C\u002Fa\u003E published in 2018 highlights some potential risks around both mental and physical health, as identified in several studies – though again, not all evidence was conclusive, and additional work needs to be done. Altogether, this does underscore the need for further detailed research, as in many cases there is too little data to draw firm conclusions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, according to research, the clearest risk around cannabis use appears be injuries and accidents that can occur due to people using cannabis. Much like any intoxicating substance, it can affect judgement and reaction times, and has been shown to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fbooks\u002FNBK425742\u002F\"\u003Eincrease the risk of being in a motor accident\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuch complex and inconclusive information means that even with microdosing – as with any other psychoactive substance – there will be caveats. Adults who have not previously consumed cannabis may not handle the substance comfortably, particularly if they inadvertently consume more than they intended. And, as the market drives demand for more potent products that can easily exceed individual tolerance, the risk of a negative, sometimes frightening “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdaclinics.com.au\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002FGreening-out-and-how-to-avoid-it.pdf\"\u003Egreen out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” can increase for all users.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"latrese thomas","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Mommy needs to microdose’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStigma stalks every discussion about cannabis use, and it is especially acute for mothers who admit using cannabis.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough Brand says she hasn’t experienced stigma herself, she has seen it in action. “Other cannamoms I know on social media have received comments like, ‘you're a bad mom’, ‘you're setting a bad example for your kids’, ‘you're glorifying drug use’, ‘it's pathetic that you have to be high to parent’ and even ‘your kids should be taken from you’,” she says. “There are also cannamoms out there whose kids have missed out on real-life playdates and friendships because of other kids’ parents’ stigmas against cannabis.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Thomas, as a suburban mom – and a black woman, particularly – she’s careful about whom she tells about her cannabis use, even as she feels judgment is unfair and hypocritical. “You have wine-drinking moms, meeting up for ladies’ night at the bar or playdates at their house and there’s alcohol available while kids are around. If I were to be like, ‘Let’s have a smoke sesh’… everyone would be like, ‘There’s kids in the house!’” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMcIlvaine-Newsad adds, “It is socially acceptable for a mom to say ‘Mommy needs a glass of wine’, but still not socially acceptable to say ‘Mommy needs to microdose’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Cannamoms I know on social media have received comments like, ‘you're a bad mom’, ‘you're setting a bad example for your kids’, ‘you're glorifying drug use’ – Danielle Brand","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAlthough she notes we don’t yet know the long-term effects of cannabis on women’s health, McIlvaine-Newsad also believes the persistent focus on negative effects of cannabis is a political holdover from cannabis prohibition, rather than the product of legitimate medical concerns. “As long as society at large and politicians in general continue to hold the belief that cannabis is bad, then those are the kinds of questions that science will ask,” she stresses. “Not ones like, ‘Can cannabis be used to effectively manage postpartum depression?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDifferent communities have different levels of stigma around parents using cannabis, even in countries and states in which cannabis is legalised. McIlvaine-Newsad says the social acceptability of mothers using cannabis depends on where a mum is located – whether in a specific US state, the country writ large or in the world. The legality of cannabis plays an obvious role in its social acceptability, though even in places where it is legal, McIlvaine-Newsad stresses “it depends on your socioeconomic status, on the educational status of the community that you live in, and the political status”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Lots more women are coming out of the green closet’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn countries in which cannabis is now legal, a combination of research and legalisation has somewhat helped shift societal perceptions of cannabis – especially from where it was decades ago, when it was erroneously believed to be as dangerous as illicit drugs including cocaine and heroin, while offering no medical or societal benefit.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut, again, we still don’t have a full picture of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhealth-44532417\"\u003Ethe risks of cannabinoids and recreational cannabis use\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – microdosing or otherwise. As a result, for many, cannabis use still stays counterculture, rather than mainstream. Regardless, as McIlvaine-Newsad says, parents are continuing to use cannabis. As an increasing number of US states and countries across the globe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theweek.co.uk\u002Fcannabis\u002F90671\u002Fcalifornia-legalises-cannabis-is-europe-next\"\u003Emake some steps toward adult cannabis legalisation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – however slowly – the cannamom movement seems poised to grow. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMcIlvaine-Newsad says generational attitudes are beginning to shift across the board – some of her students even report their grandparents using cannabis. She believes this generational easing has occurred at precisely the right time to serve the burgeoning cannamom movement. She also believes younger generations are less judgemental, so, since the “cannamom demographic is slightly younger”, McIlvaine-Newsad believes the “fluid” views of millennials and Gen Zers will help shake off some stigma. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Lots and lots more women are coming out of the green closet,” agrees Brand.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThomas believes her sceptical neighbours should get used to the fact that many people around them are already consuming cannabis, across all demographics – something she’s seen first-hand as the owner of a dispensary. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People would be shocked by the diversity in ages, the diversity in race and the diversity in occupation,” she says. “There are quite a few stay-at-home moms who are consumers, and that’s more than OK. I pray that we get to a place very soon where we can have canna-mom nights – let the older kids watch the younger kids and we can just relax and have a good time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis-11"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-11-18T19:24:45Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The 'cannamoms' parenting with cannabis","headlineShort":"The 'cannamoms' parenting with cannabis","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"An increasing number of mothers are using cannabis to help them parent. As they come out of the 'green closet', they're hoping to shift the stigma.","summaryShort":"\"The big misconception is we just smoke to get blazing high\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-11-16T21:03:15.895036Z","entity":"article","guid":"4a717e38-5f3b-4411-834f-faef32c0a7ae","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:17:57.731279Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200435},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones","_id":"62df7faa43d9f458706f1b69","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkatie-bishop"],"bodyIntro":"Younger cohorts are often stereotyped as being lazy, entitled or self-obsessed – and have been for centuries. Is there something to this perception?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EFrom being branded ‘snowflakes’ to being accused of prioritising buying avocados over houses, younger generations are enduringly maligned as somehow weaker, less hard-working or less resilient than their older counterparts. This isn’t a new phenomenon; after all, people have complained about ‘kids these days’ for decades. But is there really any truth in the idea that millennials and Gen Z are weaker than Boomers or Gen X?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EEvidence shows newer generations do, indeed, measure highly on traits that their older counterparts might consider as a sign of weakness. Yet experts also believe that Baby Boomers (born roughly between 1946 and 1964) and Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) might be judging the generations that succeed them much too harshly, and measuring them against standards that have long ceased to be the norm.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EGenerational context could be key to narrowing divides between decades – yet looking down on young adults is such a long-established and innate instinct that it might be impossible to undo.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyth versus reality\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EPeople have complained about younger generations for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20171003-proof-that-people-have-always-complained-about-young-adults\"\u003Ethousands of years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In fact, looking down on the generation that comes after you could simply be human nature. “The tendency for adults to disparage the character of youth has been happening for centuries,” says Peter O’Connor, a professor of management at Queensland Institute of Technology, Australia.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EHe points out the stereotype remains alive and well, with research showing thousands of Americans believe that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.science.org\u002Fdoi\u002Fpdf\u002F10.1126\u002Fsciadv.aav5916\"\u003E‘kids these days’ lack\u003C\u002Fa\u003E positive qualities that participants associate with older generations. But this wasn’t necessarily because the youths of today actually did lack these qualities – the researchers argued that this was because we project our current selves onto our past selves. By doing this, older people are unconsciously comparing who they are today to today’s young people, giving an impression that today’s youth is somehow on the decline, no matter the decade we’re living in.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn early February, British property guru Kirstie Allsopp \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newstatesman.com\u002Fcomment\u002F2022\u002F02\u002Fkirstie-allsopp-victim-blaming-young-for-broken-housing-market\"\u003Eincited rage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after saying it was young people’s own fault they couldn’t afford to buy a home. Allsopp, who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thetimes.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fof-course-young-people-can-afford-a-home-just-move-somewhere-cheaper-says-kirstie-allsopp-dpt9q3v3c\"\u003Epurchased her own first house with family help in the 90s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, suggested today’s wannabe-buyers spent too much money on ‘luxuries’, such as Netflix and gym memberships, instead of saving for a deposit.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bpycqf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAllsopp’s words were the latest in a string of high-profile remarks about how young people today aren’t prepared to make the same sacrifices that older generations did, or aren’t as tough as their parents or grandparents once were.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn 2017, Australian real estate mogul Tim Gurner similarly suggested youngsters spent too much money \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Flifeandstyle\u002F2017\u002Fmay\u002F15\u002Faustralian-millionaire-millennials-avocado-toast-house\"\u003Eon avocado toast\u003C\u002Fa\u003E instead of homes (in spite of house prices in many parts of Australia \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.moneyquest.com.au\u002Fnews\u002Fhouse-prices-in-australia-last-ten-years\u002F\"\u003Edoubling in the last ten years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while wages have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2018-11-01\u002Ffact-check-have-wages-grown-steadily-over-the-past-decade\u002F10447492\"\u003Eonly risen\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by 30%). In 2016, the phrase “Generation Snowflake” was added to the Collin’s English Dictionary to describe adults born from 1980 to 1994 who were ‘less resilient and more prone to taking offence than previous generations’. And think-pieces are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F10\u002F28\u002Fbusiness\u002Fgen-z-workplace-culture.html\"\u003Ealready emerging\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about the Gen Zers refusing to work \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200317-the-evolution-of-the-modern-workday\"\u003Enine-to-five\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or questioning why they \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210729-why-younger-workers-want-hybrid-work-most\"\u003Eneed to be in the office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E full-time – an echo of the ‘entitled millennial’ trope \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftime.com\u002F247\u002Fmillennials-the-me-me-me-generation\u002F\"\u003Eof the 2010s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which is only just beginning to fade from view.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn outdated standard\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EOlder generations might still suspect they’re hardier than today’s youth – but can this even be measured?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESome experts think so. One 2010 study that examined millennials graduating university between 2004 and 2008 showed that they had \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F230683045_Comparing_Millennials_to_pre-1987_students_and_with_one_another\"\u003Emore traits associated with low resilience\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than people who graduated before 1987. Other research has demonstrated that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2006-21634-012\"\u003Eneuroticism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fkpm.298\"\u003Ea need for recognition\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have increased in younger generations, while one 2012 study suggested that youth are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fnews\u002Fpress\u002Freleases\u002F2012\u002F03\u002Ffame-giving\"\u003Emore self-centered\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than they were in the past.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EYet for many experts, these measures don’t point to younger generations being weaker than older ones. Instead, they are simply ways of judging a generation shaped by a modern and technologically-focused society by the standards of decades ago. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Prior generations were taught to repress instead of express, but for newer generations it’s the other way around,” says Dr Carl Nassar, a mental health professional at LifeStance Health, who regularly works with adolescents and families struggling with generational divides. “That’s caused a perceptual rift, with older generations seeing this expression as a sign of weakness, because they were taught that vulnerability is a weakness and not strength.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ENassar believes that the trope of younger generations being weaker is largely anecdotal, and is based on a mismatch between how different generations express their problems, which could skew data on how resilient they really are. This is an idea echoed by Jennifer Robison, a senior editor at US analytics and polling company Gallup.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The tendency for adults to disparage the character of youth has been happening for centuries – Peter O’Connor","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Gen X and Boomers have troubles, too, but voicing them feels unprofessional,” she says. “So, what appears to be needy or ‘snowflake-y’ in the young may actually just be the social norm of transparency.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe oft-cited idea that millennials and Gen Z act in selfish ways that prevent them from getting on the property ladder is one example of how difficult it is to judge a generation by a decades-old standard. Homeowning Boomers, who were in early adulthood in a period of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mckinsey.com\u002Ffeatured-insights\u002Femployment-and-growth\u002Ftalkin-bout-my-generation\"\u003Ewidespread economic prosperity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, probably remember scrimping and saving to buy their first house. Now enjoying the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fmoney\u002F2015\u002Faug\u002F04\u002Fhomeownership-the-generation-that-had-it-so-good\"\u003Espoils of homeownership\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, they begin to believe that young people who are unable to do the same are weaker than them. This ignores the problem of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-59906222#:~:text=Prices%2520increased%2520by%25209.8%2525%2520during,a%252012.5%2525%2520rise%2520in%25202004.\"\u003Erocketing house prices\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Femployment\u002Frising-employment-overshadowed-by-unprecedented-wage-stagnation.htm\"\u003Estagnating wages\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and the rise of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20170918-how-the-gig-economy-creates-job-insecurity\"\u003Einsecure work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, all of which prevents people getting mortgages.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESimilarly, older generations might point to the fact that Gen Z are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002F2019\u002F01\u002Fgen-z\"\u003Ethe most depressed and anxious generation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as a sign of their lack of resilience, forgetting that this is a generation coming to adulthood during a global pandemic, in a period of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fprogrammes\u002Farticles\u002F2yzhfv4DvqVp5nZyxBD8G23\u002Fwho-feels-lonely-the-results-of-the-world-s-largest-loneliness-study\"\u003Eunprecedented loneliness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and widespread \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-59946302\"\u003Eeconomic insecurity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The different generations, and the challenges that they face, are not comparable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“The reality is that Gen Z is coming of age facing a variety of challenges that other generations have not faced at the same life stage, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic and the always-on pressure of social media directly to their smartphone,” says Jason Dorsey, president of the Center for Generational Kinetics, a generations research firm based in Austin, Texas. “Add in the mental-health challenges of social distancing and isolation during the pandemic, distance-learning challenges and all the formative elements of young adulthood, and it's easy to see why the generation is feeling like it’s a challenging time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0bpycms"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA product of their time\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EEach generations’ actions and beliefs are shaped by their own unique problems and challenges. Boomers and Gen X might have grown up without the convenience of smartphones, but they also didn’t have to battle with the complexities of growing up online – likely prompting the need for recognition and self-centered traits uncovered in some studies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESimilarly, older generations might not have had the same access to education as younger generations, but they were also more likely to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2014\u002F02\u002F11\u002Fthe-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college\u002F\"\u003Eobtain a middle-class job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E without a college degree, and aren’t saddled with crippling levels of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Feu.usatoday.com\u002Fstory\u002Fmoney\u002Fpersonalfinance\u002F2021\u002F08\u002F19\u002Fstudent-debt-one-third-americans-cant-cope-financial-shock\u002F8177533002\u002F\"\u003Estudent debt\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EAnd, on the other side of things, Gen Zers might believe that their parents’ or grandparents’ generation did not fight hard enough against social issues, such as climate change and financial inequality (an argument which prompted the viral rise of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2019\u002F10\u002F29\u002Fstyle\u002Fok-boomer.html\"\u003E‘OK Boomer’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a phrase intended to disparage their older counterparts).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Prior generations were taught to repress instead of express, but for newer generations it’s the other way around – Carl Nassar","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EYet they also may forget that many of them had to battle against other societal problems, such as starker forms of sexism and racial inequality. After all, when some older Boomers were in early adulthood, women still had to get a man to co-sign a credit application to buy a house in many countries, and interracial marriages were still banned in some US states – laws that people had to fight hard to overturn.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe truth is older generations have been accusing their predecessors of being lazy, entitled and self-obsessed for centuries. We seem almost compelled to judge people who grew up in a different time to us – and the ability to share memes poking fun at overly-woke Gen Zers or wealth-hoarding Boomers only deepens divides.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EDorsey believes that there is a way around this – but that generational context is key to debunking the persisting weakness myth.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“It’s awareness of what these different generations have gone through, why they are the way they are,” he says. “The best way to get older generations to stop dumping on younger generations is to create a dialogue that simply does not exist right now. Instead of having candid conversations across multiple generations, we have viral memes that say younger people are snowflakes and older people are dinosaurs. But the truth is that we’re all human.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAdditional reporting by Bryan Lufkin\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-02-23T15:34:58Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Are younger generations truly weaker than older ones?","headlineShort":"Are 'kids these days' truly weaker?","image":["p0bpycj9"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. (Do not just delete or unpublish the story)","Name":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Metadata":{"CreationDateTime":"2016-02-05T14:32:31.186819Z","Entity":"option","Guid":"13f4bc85-ae27-4a34-9397-0e6ad3619619","Id":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","ModifiedDateTime":"2022-02-27T22:52:24.455144Z","Project":"wwverticals","Slug":"option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"62df7f2643d9f457224cbb67"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220208-the-adult-boomerang-kids-moving-home-to-their-parents","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211215-is-parenting-scarier-than-ever","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211116-the-cannamoms-parenting-with-cannabis"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Younger cohorts are often stereotyped as being lazy, entitled or self-obsessed – and have been for centuries. Is there something to this perception?","summaryShort":"Addressing the common perception of 'entitled' millennials and 'woke' Gen Z","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-02-22T20:58:11.548246Z","entity":"article","guid":"387d0bc6-f566-483e-a780-1c1f202d2fd6","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:22:39.447143Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220218-are-younger-generations-truly-weaker-than-older-ones","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200432},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","_id":"62df7fbe43d9f4586c232edc","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Some companies want staff back in the office for more time than employees had anticipated. Workers like their set-ups, and even doubt bosses' motives – so they're resisting.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEarly in June, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out a company-wide memo telling staff they would be required back in the office by early September. Workers would be expected to be present for three days a week, with two days of remote work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome Apple employees weren’t happy – and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2021\u002F6\u002F4\u002F22491629\u002Fapple-employees-push-back-return-office-internal-letter-tim-cook\"\u003Epushed back with their own letter\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Addressed to upper management, their message expressed frustration about the new policy, saying that it had led some employees to quit. Apple’s pre-pandemic policies discouraged remote work, but post-Covid-19, employees are challenging what they called “a disconnect between how the executive team thinks about remote\u002Flocation-flexible work and the lived experiences of many of Apple’s employees”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EApple staffers aren’t the only ones contesting plans to return to the office. Workers at Washingtonian magazine, a US-based publication, walked off the job when their chief executive \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fopinions\u002F2021\u002F05\u002F06\u002Fceo-i-want-my-employees-understand-risks-not-returning-work-office\u002F?itid=lk_inline_manual_4\"\u003ECathy Merrill wrote an op-ed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that appeared to threaten employees’ job security if they refused to return to the office five days a week. Other employers still appear to be talking tough, however; last week, Morgan Stanley CEO \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2021\u002F06\u002F16\u002Finvesting\u002Fmorgan-stanley-ceo-return-to-office\u002Findex.html\"\u003EJames Gorman said\u003C\u002Fa\u003E he’d be “very disappointed if people haven’t found their way into the office” by early September. “Then we’ll have a different kind of conversation.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs employers start to unveil their post-pandemic visions for work, pushback movements from employees keen to retain their work-from-home privileges are in nascent stages. But localised protests may be indicative of more widespread resistance among workers to revert to pre-pandemic patterns. Employees may well feel they've proved they can be productive at home –  and that the reasons companies say they want them back in-office don't stack up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEstablishing future working patterns that appease all sides will be a complex process. But doing so will reap dividends for companies; if they don't, and workers have better options, they might well vote with their feet.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When decisions were being made, everyone was trying to figure this out, and things got said that weren’t thought through – Kimberly Merriman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Democratisation of the workplace’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemote work has been a positive experience for many (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003Ethough not all\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) employees. Citing data from January 2021, results from one \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.gallup.com\u002Fpoll\u002F329501\u002Fmajority-workers-continue-punch-virtually.aspx\"\u003Erecent US poll\u003C\u002Fa\u003E showed that 44% of people currently working from home want to continue working remotely because it suits them; 39% would prefer to return to the office; and 17% want to keep working remotely because of coronavirus. In general, remote workers cite not having to commute as a major perk as well as having more room to balance work, family and leisure.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany workers will have assumed that, once introduced, work-from-home was here to stay, and some may even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fcities\u002F2020\u002Foct\u002F26\u002Fthe-great-rebalancing-working-from-home-fuels-rise-of-the-secondary-city\"\u003Ehave relocated\u003C\u002Fa\u003E accordingly. That’s partly because of how quickly companies around the world had to transition – and some employers sent signals that suggested the shift could be a long-term option. (In September, for example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2020-09-22\u002Fapple-ceo-impressed-by-remote-work-sees-permanent-changes?sref=lgADY7dy\"\u003ETim Cook said\u003C\u002Fa\u003E he didn’t believe Apple would “return to the way we were, because we’ve found that there are some things that actually work really well virtually”, though he did also caveat his comments.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When decisions were being made, everyone was trying to figure this out, and things got said that weren’t thought through,” notes Kimberly Merriman, professor of management at the Manning School of Business at University of Massachusetts, Lowell.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, with the return to work more imminent, many companies are talking about a 'hybrid' future combining both remote work and office time. But some companies either want staff back full-time in the office or for larger chunks of time – and more regularly – than employees had hoped for or anticipated. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s already clear that not all workers are happy about being summoned back to their desks. Having made the sudden and, in many cases, stressful shift to remote work at the start of the pandemic, workers feel they’ve proved that they could make a success of it – including in roles for which bosses had previously rejected any kind of flexibility. And they are suspicious of the reasons companies are giving for calling them back.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"apple campus","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMany firms, for example, have cited company values or culture as their reason for insisting on in-office presence. In her Washington Post op-ed, Merrill suggested that remote work was easy at first because staff “could rely on office cultures – established practices, unspoken rules and shared values, established over years in large part by people interacting in person”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother common refrain is that remote work stymies collaboration and innovation, because the latter in particular often arises from spontaneous conversations in the office. There’s also concern that the work-from-home model does not work for junior employees, who want to learn from their colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, junior workers aside, employees who feel they have been productive and innovative at home are questioning the mantra that engaging with ‘corporate culture’ or water-cooler chats will make them better workers. “This [emphasis on corporate culture] kept coming up in a way that didn’t ring true. It was almost like a euphemism for ‘I want you back, I don’t want you at home. I don’t trust you.’ That’s how workers are interpreting it,” says Merriman. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverarchingly, workers who have enjoyed more autonomy than ever before over their working lives are reluctant to trade it back in for the presenteeism and surveillance of the pre-pandemic era. “What we’ve seen is a democratisation of the workforce, in the sense that people could decide how to work and when to work,” says Stefanie Gustafsson, senior lecturer at the University of Bath School of Management.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMerriman also feels that there has been a “power dynamic shift” in the workplace that isn’t going to go away. “In this day and age, everyone wants the kind of workplace where they feel like they matter, and leaders who ask for their opinions,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInvolve employees or risk losing them\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stlouisfed.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fregional-economist\u002Fsecond-quarter-2021\u002Fus-labor-market\"\u003Ea tight labour market, like the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, those who are unhappy with their company’s stance on flexibility have options – and leverage. “To return to growth, business leaders will need to understand what employees really want and create policies and plans that allow for more flexibility and personalisation,” according to a recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pwc.com\u002Fus\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Fconsulting\u002Fworkforce-of-the-future\u002Flibrary\u002Fworkforce-pulse-survey.html\"\u003EPwC white paper\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompanies that do not work to accommodate employees’ desired working patterns do so at their own peril. “As long as this is a workforce where there are options, then these organisations will lose out,” says Gustafsson. “Before the pandemic, going to the office three days a week would be a great thing. But now, people have choices: other organisations in the same space may offer very flexible, totally remote workplaces.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Now, people have choices: other organisations in the same space may offer very flexible, totally remote workplaces – Stefanie Gustafsson","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EResearch certainly suggests that, for a number of reasons, a higher-than-usual proportion of employees are eyeing the exit at work, in what is being called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastcompany.com\u002F90646274\u002Fthe-great-resignation-is-here-this-is-how-employers-should-prepare\"\u003Ethe Great Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. How flexible companies decide to be may well feed into this; one poll indicates that 54% of surveyed employees from around the world would \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ey.com\u002Fen_gl\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fmore-than-half-of-employees-globally-would-quit-their-jobs-if-not-provided-post-pandemic-flexibility-ey-survey-finds\"\u003Econsider quitting their job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E if they are not given some form of flexibility in terms of where and when they work. Just more than 75% of this same group said they were satisfied with their jobs, indicating that even satisfied employees are willing to quit if their employers don’t embrace a degree of remote work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot everyone will be able to call their own shots, however. Workers in the technology sector are in high demand, which provides them with more flexible employment options from a broader array of companies, but workers in other sectors may have less leverage. Those employed in sales, human resources and administration, for example, are far \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vox.com\u002Frecode\u002F22387529\u002Fworking-from-home-return-to-office-remote-work\"\u003Eless likely to have worked remotely\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the first place, and therefore less likely to be afforded more opportunities to do so in the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether employees leaving in droves – or publicising their opposition to post-pandemic working practises – will influence company policies remains to be seen. Apple has yet to respond publicly to the letter from its employees. (BBC Worklife reached out to Apple, but they did not provide a comment as of press time.) But public employee pushback may well influence workers in other companies; just as executives look to each other for examples of how they should \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialpost.com\u002Ffp-work\u002Fits-time-to-return-to-the-office-jamie-dimon-signals-to-wall-street\"\u003Ebring employees back\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, workers may look to high-profile pushback efforts for inspiration. It’s also clear that companies are continuing to adjust policies; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.geekwire.com\u002F2021\u002Famazon-adjusts-return-office-guidance-says-employees-can-work-two-days-week-remotely\u002F\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2021\u002F05\u002F05\u002Ftech\u002Fgoogle-office-remote-work-pandemic\u002Findex.html\"\u003EGoogle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have both recently introduced more flexibility into their previous return-to-office stances (though there is no evidence this is in response to employee pushback). But in general, unhappy staff don’t reflect well on companies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A few numbers really reach far. Companies should be concerned when any number of employees complain like that [the Apple case]. It can escalate and give an impression, even if it’s a small number of employees, that this is the tone of the organisation,” says Merriman.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERather than handing down decisions from the top, engaging in transparency and dialogue may well serve employers better as they establish what post-pandemic work will look like. In the last 15 months, many workers have embraced flexibility and autonomy – and will be reluctant to give it up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“[Pushback is] more a wake-up call than a death sentence for employer relationships,” says Merriman. “I’m not sure why the pandemic made [leaders] forget that you can’t be a top-down, imposing leader when workers have options.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-22T13:28:12Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The workers pushing back on the return to the office","headlineShort":"The workers resisting return-to-office","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some companies want staff back in the office for more time than employees had anticipated. Workers like their set-ups, and even doubt bosses' motives – so they're resisting.","summaryShort":"Companies and workers don't agree on office days. Some staff are pushing back","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-21T20:04:24.771223Z","entity":"article","guid":"a4f339a1-4f83-4158-a637-34ed0d9fd97e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:10:18.915286Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200435},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility","_id":"62df80dc43d9f46da86e4c96","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Employees with non-traditional working arrangements have been punished in pay and promotions alike. As flexible work becomes the norm, can we end the penalty?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s almost hard to remember a time before the pandemic when working flexibly was the exception, rather than the norm. Whether flexibility meant keeping different hours to the normal 9-to-5 structure or the ability to work outside the office, those whose jobs were structured atypically stuck out as different to their colleagues. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd often, they paid a price; those who did secure a flexible role were likely to find that their working pattern came with a pay or progression penalty linked to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pwc.com\u002Fgx\u002Fen\u002Fabout\u002Fdiversity\u002Fiwd\u002Finternational-womens-day-pwc-time-to-talk-report.pdf\"\u003Enegative perceptions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of flexible work. This especially impacted women, who were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cipd.co.uk\u002FImages\u002Fmegatrends-report-flexible-working-1_tcm18-52769.pdf\"\u003Etwice as likely\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to work flexibly as men. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet the upheaval we’ve experienced over the past two years – and the fact that millions of employees of all kinds across many industries have proved that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-how-companies-around-the-world-are-shifting-the-way-they-work\"\u003Eflexible work can be highly productive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – may have shifted these perceptions. Leaders and decision-makers who might previously have frowned on flexible working have had the chance to experience a different way of working themselves, and many found they liked it. In fact, numerous \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56972207\"\u003Emajor organisations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have stated they do not plan to make a full-time return to the office, in spite of easing lockdown measures in some countries. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith such a significant shift, those who want to work flexibly may well be hoping that negativity associated with non-traditional working patterns will have disappeared. But it may not be so simple; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E remains a powerful force, and work cultures still favour those who spend more time with managers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith these factors in play, will the flexible work penalty come back into full force when workers are asked to return to the office, however many days a week – or have the last two years changed perceptions around flexible work for the better? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA “want” rather than a “need”\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETraditionally, unconventional work set-ups were much more likely to be the preserve of mothers juggling childcare with the demands of their career. Yet the enforced shift to widespread remote working – and the fact that many people have subsequently embraced it – has meant that flexible work is no longer reserved for female caregivers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glassdoor.co.uk\u002Fblog\u002Fcompanies-work-life-balance\u002F\"\u003EThree-quarters of UK workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E now say \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-why-work-life-balance-is-not-an-achievement\"\u003Ework-life balance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is more important to them than it was pre-pandemic, and employers are starting to respond to this. The number of jobs advertised as remote has increased by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.peoplemanagement.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002Fprompting-employers-state-flexible-working-options-leads-20-per-cent-boost-ads-offering-flexibility-analysis-finds#gref\"\u003Eroughly 20%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E since 2020, as demand increases, and both companies and staff alike have begun to understand that wanting to work flexibly is not necessarily negative or due to a lack of commitment. For many workers, it’s become about how their career fits with their lifestyle – it’s a ‘want’ rather than a ‘need’ that can help increase their quality of life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There will always be a bit of a premium for being physically in the office – Alok Alström","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Flexible work carried much more stigma pre-pandemic,” says Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder of Flexa, a company that assesses the flexible working policies of major organisations. “Before, those who hadn’t worked regularly from home assumed that it meant working less hard. Now, because everyone has been forced to work from home and they’ve still been productive, those pre-conceived notions of what working from home means have been dispelled.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe number of newly created flexible roles reflects this mindset shift; pre-pandemic, finding a flexible role could be a battle, with demand vastly outstripping supply. In the UK only \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftimewise.co.uk\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002FTW_Flexible_Jobs_Index_2019.pdf\"\u003E15% of jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E were advertised as flexible in 2019, significantly less than the 87% of employees who wanted flexibility in their role. Now, however, millions of roles have that flexibility built in, whether shifting to entirely remote or hybrid set-ups. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could be good news for women – the comparatively high uptake of part-time work, remote schedules and reduced hours among working mothers has always been a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002Ffccde92e-0817-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5\"\u003Ekey contributing factor\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to the gender pay gap. Yet demand to work flexibly from men \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fflexa.careers\u002Fblog\u002Flondon-march-2021.is-male-demand-driving-flexibility\"\u003Eincreased by 30%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the pandemic, and research suggests that the number of men requesting to work remotely is now comparable to their female counterparts. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough widespread remote working hasn’t been the norm for long enough to observe progression and pay patterns among newly flexible workers, experts are hopeful that increased normalisation of flexible work could potentially reduce its negative impact on careers and even lessen gender pay gaps. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Flexible working was historically associated with women more than men, and particularly working mothers,” says Johnson-Jones. “By removing the need to have a ‘reason’ to request flexibility and giving everyone the freedom to choose how to work, we can make true progress on gender equality.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Colleagues drinking together","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe problem of presenteeism\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, as employees trickle back to the office and more workplaces initiate hybrid working policies, some worry familiar problems of presenteeism might stifle progress. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There will always be a bit of a premium for being physically in the office,” says Alok Alström, founder of the Future of Work Institute, a think tank based in Sweden. Working remotely could prevent workers from developing a strong relationship with “the person who is controlling your salary and role, particularly if you haven’t met key decision-makers. It also means that you are less likely to be invited to social events, which are often where relationships are built within companies.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEnforced remote working offered up an idealised version of a more equitable workplace – after all, it’s difficult to penalise someone for spending less time at the office when everyone is working from their kitchen table. As yet, however, there’s little evidence to show that the level playing field wasn’t simply a temporary benefit of lockdown. As Alström argues, it’s possible human nature might win out, with office bonding mechanisms offering a natural advantage to those who choose to show up to the workplace in person. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts also point out that, far from being a utopia for flexible workers, the post-pandemic office environment could heighten competition between at-home staff and those who show up to the workplace. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The democratisation of flexible work might make those who don’t go for this option stand out even more,” says Thomas Roulet, an associate professor in organisational theory at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. “It’s perfectly intuitive to believe that the flexible work penalty will lessen as everybody gets access to flexible work, but it might simply mean that those who stay away from flexible working make an even stronger signal of commitment to their employers.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The post-pandemic office environment could heighten competition between at-home staff and those who show up to the workplace","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPresenteeism is a powerful force that’s been blamed for everything from the widespread burnout of office workers to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fig.ft.com\u002Fspecial-reports\u002Fhealth-work\u002F2019\u002F\"\u003Eproductivity lag\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in many economies. The idea of “showing up” is so deeply ingrained in working culture that Roulet believes some employees may continue to pursue it, even when less rigid work structures are an option, deepening the divide between flexible and non-flexible staff. And this wouldn’t just be a problem for people who choose to take advantage of newly adaptable workplace policies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Hyperflexibility might become the norm, but there are implications for how people take advantage of these policies,” he says. For office-based workers, too, “it might actually generate more burnout, as some employees feel more responsible and engaged, and so might be less likely to take time off, for example, whilst others take full advantage of the flexibility options available to them.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPreparing for change\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe only way for workers to know if the penalty is mitigated for good – or perhaps even worse than ever, as Roulet fears – is for working patterns to stabilise in some way so employees and experts alike can collect data. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, work hasn’t yet settled – and with the rise of a new virus variant, it seems increasingly likely we’ll stay in flux for some time. It may be a while until we can see how the flexible work penalty plays out in a world that is newly – and seemingly – permanently accommodating to formerly unconventional work patters. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut that’s not all bad. This holding pattern gives companies time to continue evaluating their policies and practices as well as examine their biases, as workers are pushing them to do. It creates some hope that we’ll soon find a fairer and more equitable way of working, whether workers are at office desks or kitchen tables.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Will workers continue to pay a price for flexibility?","headlineShort":"The end of the 'flexible work penalty'?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman working at home","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Employees with non-traditional working arrangements have been punished in pay and promotions alike. As flexible work becomes the norm, can we end the penalty?","summaryShort":"Why workers are still losing pay and promotions when they work remotely","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2022-01-09T20:58:58.991101Z","entity":"article","guid":"30fc7c02-9f07-4d69-987a-a93de2b729dc","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:20:22.488899Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20220103-will-workers-continue-to-pay-a-price-for-flexibility","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200436},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it","_id":"62df813643d9f42c877a7f8d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Remote work is working. So, why do we need a physical space?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe employees of LendingTree, an online loan marketplace headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, are still working from desks and couches, on patios and in libraries. But rather than doing so remotely, they’re in a corporate office that’s been re-designed to include environments that mimic working from home. LendingTree calls the concept “resi-mercial”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s a blend of a residential and commercial feel,” says Jill Olmstead, LendingTree’s chief human resources and administration officer. “The idea is that it’s comfortable, and you want to be here as much as you want to be at home.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the world transitioned to remote work near the start of the pandemic, employees’ ability to adapt became rapidly apparent. A massive number of people, suddenly forced to work from home, were able to do their jobs as well – or, in some cases, even better – than they could in the office. One survey of close to a million US workers at Fortune 500 companies showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.greatplacetowork.com\u002Fresources\u002Fblog\u002Fremote-work-productivity-study-finds-surprising-reality-2-year-study\"\u003Eproductivity remained stable or increased after employees began working remotely\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn short, workers have proved remote work is both possible and profitable. Some large, mainly tech-centered companies, including Facebook, Upwork and Slack, are transitioning to permanent remote work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany others, though, are encouraging a return to the office, either part- or full-time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut now that we’ve seen how we can do our jobs efficiently from home, and found methods that keep us connected to colleagues, what is the office really for – and is it possible to make employees want to be there? It’s a looming question companies are trying to answer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat the office offers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn terms of performance, says Ethan Bernstein, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, an office isn’t necessary for productivity. But just because we don’t need to be in the office to effectively perform work tasks doesn’t mean it’s useless. There are several functions a physical office space can serve, he says, even if people are still getting a lot of their work done from home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you think of the office as an add-on, then you ask not what can offices do that remote work can’t,” Bernstein says, “but, how can we use the office to make what we’re doing remotely even more effective? If remote work becomes the default, maybe the office is there for the sake of cementing relationships, introducing people and deliberate relationship-building.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter more than a year of full-time remote work, LendingTree’s Olmstead says the new office opened to a limited number of people just a few weeks ago. Employees were asked to sign up for days they wanted to come in, and Olmstead and her team weren’t sure what to expect.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When we opened those slots and said, ‘come if you’re ready,’ within two hours we’d filled them all,” she says. “There are roughly 550 people who will be coming back, and over half are ready to come back now. We were surprised by that number, and that we had that many employees so quickly say, ‘I’m ready’ tells you people are missing something.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat exactly those people missed about the office, she adds, is “different for different people”. For some, the primary function of the office is socialisation. “I know people can get a lot of that in their home lives,” says Olmstead, “but not everyone does.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor others, the office provides a distraction-free environment a home workspace may not.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“One person told me, ‘I’ve got young children, a wife who also works and I’ve been working in our bedroom closet for a year,’” says Olmstead. “For some people, being in the office is about focus, and needing to get away.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There is still an analogue world, which requires that address – Mark Dixon","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome people simply function better in a place that’s strictly intended for work, says Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of IWG (International Workplace Group), a UK-based office space firm with more than 3,500 buildings in 120 countries.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Some people can work from home, and they’re good and really disciplined. Others do fare much better in an office,” he says. “Maybe at home there are too many interruptions. Personally, I like to go to an office because if I don’t, I’ll work day and night. Being able to leave the office is an important mental break.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlenty of people just don’t like to work from home, says Bernstein, or have housing situations that make it difficult. “There’s room for allowing some people, who are more comfortable for whatever reason in a space that is not their home, to work from other places,” he says. “There are some people who’d like to be in a co-working space or an office.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, we still need physical spaces – some of them outside our homes – to do our work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People and companies,” says Dixon, “require some kind of a base.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe end of the open office\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the office era isn’t over yet, the role the office plays in workers’ lives is changing, and it seems natural that the layout of the place should change with it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe primary feedback LendingTree’s leadership received from employees “was they wanted a variety of spaces”, says Olmstead. “They wanted places they can collaborate in different ways: booths or areas to sit down and have a cup of coffee. Lounge spaces to sit and talk. Traditional conference spaces. Places introverts could get away. Gathering spaces for people to come together in an informal way.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe result is a stark departure from the “open office” plan that’s been dominant since as early as 1906, when Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Larkin Administration Building in New York City. Rather than a wide floor full of desks with toiling employees leaning over them, Olmstead says the employees who are working in the building are distributed in a wide array of rooms.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Right now, I can look out in workspaces and see about a third of our team,” she says. “I don’t know if [the rest] are working from home, or if they’re here and they’re in the fitness centre or in a library somewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough IWG has more than 8,000 desks in their vast network of office space, Dixon acknowledges that a mostly remote future is not only possible, but probable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“What’s already going away is going to the headquarters of a major company, and seeing hundreds or thousands of desks in a great big building, where people come to use a laptop and a phone they could have used just as well wherever they came from,” says Dixon. “That breakthrough occurred thanks to the unprecedented scientific experiment that happened worldwide, in one go. And it worked! We know we simply no longer need that kind of office.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELong live corporate headquarters\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut that doesn’t mean companies don’t need office space at all. In fact, says Dixon, demand for IWG’s office space in the US alone is up 43%, compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Many firms are moving to a “hub and spoke” model, he explains, with multiple small satellite offices available to employees, and one streamlined, central office serving as the company’s headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Governments still require you to have an address. There is still an analogue world, which requires that address,” he says. “But more and more, it’s a hub of operations that’s a lot smaller, with a few people helping to coordinate those who are working in all different places.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe idea of that physical, central headquarters, says Dixon, will be around for a while. In fact, he thinks it’ll be one of the last vestiges of the physical office as things continue to move online.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“For now, the purpose of an office is still to give a company identity. Substance. Old fashioned things,” he says. “It’s a place with their name over the door. It gives people a sense of belonging. To get rid of it is like having an army that doesn’t have a basecamp. You have to have a place to bring your army together.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd despite a newfound deftness for using online collaboration tools, for people working together toward a common goal, spending time in the same physical location is likely as invaluable as ever.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“We do believe that a lot of the best in-the-moment, spontaneous collaboration tends to happen when you bump into each other,” says Olmstead. “I think it’s about connection with other people who do what you do. You can only connect so much over Zoom or by phone. I do believe the creative spark happens more naturally when people are together.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere will always be a benefit to sharing physical space with colleagues, says Dixon, but the way we design and use office space will need to shift to complement, rather than offer an alternative to, remote work. That may come in the form of hybrid models that give people the flexibility to work wherever they’re most productive, and use the office mainly for social or collaborative activities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECompanies who think they can make a long-term return to business as usual, adds Dixon, may have their heads in the sand. A recent survey conducted by IWG found that nearly a third of all workers say they’ll only consider working for companies that offer a flexible work environment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This is a fundamental change, and it will affect all companies,” he says. “I’ve likened it to when email first came out. Some people said no, I’m going to stick to the post, and to fax machines. Well, they all switched in the end; there was just a period of low efficiency while they resisted.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe points to The Office, a mid-2000s sitcom with UK and US iterations that are already taking on a vintage patina. “In 15 years’ time, if you show The Office to a young person, you’ll have to explain to them what that setting is,” says Dixon. “It’ll be a bit like old movies set on steam locomotives.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even still, he predicts, colleagues will be getting together. Then, as now, we may do most of our work alone behind our screens. But no matter how digitally dependent the future is, we’re still social creatures, and a physical office – in some form – still serves a purpose.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E“\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003EWhen someone says thank you over Zoom, it’s not the same as someone shaking your hand and making eye contact and saying, ‘thank you, I really appreciate it,’” says Dixon. “You can’t do everything virtually. People need people.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-22T11:58:12Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What’s the purpose of the office – and do we still need it?","headlineShort":"What's the purpose of the office?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Remote work is working. So, why do we need a physical space?","summaryShort":"Remote work is working. So, why do we need a physical space?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-21T20:55:54.454247Z","entity":"article","guid":"aad2f843-1d32-49d4-b0d1-297f4ec347c7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:11:46.930564Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-whats-the-purpose-of-the-office-and-do-we-still-need-it","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200436},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork","_id":"62df7ef043d9f4450112dff8","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Overwork culture is thriving; we think of long hours and constant exhaustion as a marker of success. Given what we know about burnout, why do we do give in?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1987 Gordon Gekko, the unscrupulous cigar-smoking powerhouse in the film Wall Street, told the world: greed is good. The movie – ultimately a cautionary tale – depicted work and wealth-obsessed executives putting in long hours in sleek skyscrapers to seal deals and boost their pay packets, at the expense of whoever got in their way. If you live and breathe work (and toss in some moral flexibility), the message was, the rewards will be exciting – and immense.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough many of us associate overly ambitious workaholism with the 1980s and the finance industry, the tendency to devote ourselves to work and glamourise long-hours culture remains as pervasive as ever. In fact, it is expanding into more sectors and professions, in slightly different packaging.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENew studies show that workers around the world are putting in an average of 9.2 hours of unpaid overtime per week – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fkristinstoller\u002F2021\u002F04\u002F28\u002Femployees-are-working-an-extra-day-in-unpaid-overtime-each-week\u002F?sh=3405571435cc\"\u003Eup from 7.3 hours just a year ago\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Co-working spaces are filled with posters urging us to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2019\u002F01\u002F26\u002Fbusiness\u002Fagainst-hustle-culture-rise-and-grind-tgim.html\"\u003E\"rise and grind\" or \"hustle harder\".\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Billionaire tech entrepreneurs advocate sacrificing sleep so that people can \"change the world\". And since the pandemic hit, our work weeks have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fgraphic-detail\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F24\u002Fpeople-are-working-longer-hours-during-the-pandemic\"\u003Egotten longer\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; we send emails and Slack messages at midnight as boundaries between our personal and professional lives dissolve.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn spirit, we're not so far from the Gekko years as we think. Yet, one thing is different: we understand far more about the consequences of overwork, and the toll \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E can take on our mental and physical health. Given how entrenched our admiration for high-stress work culture is, however, halting our overwork obsession will require cultural change. Could the post-pandemic world be our chance to try?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere it happens and why\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverwork isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world, for many different reasons.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Japan, a culture of overwork can be traced back to the 1950s, when the government pushed hard for the country \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fwhat-is-karoshi-japanese-word-for-death-by-overwork-2017-10\"\u003Eto be rebuilt quickly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after World War Two. In \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com\u002Farticles\u002F10.1186\u002Fs12913-017-2319-8\"\u003EArab League countries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, burnout is high among medical professionals, possibly because its 22 members are developing nations with overburdened healthcare systems, studies suggest.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReasons for overwork also depend on industry. Some of the earliest researchers on burnout in the 1970s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fstudylib.net\u002Fdoc\u002F25474578\u002Fstaff-burnout\"\u003Easserted that many\u003C\u002Fa\u003E people in jobs geared toward helping others, like employees in clinics or crisis-intervention centres, tended to work long hours that led to emotional and physical exhaustion – a trend that's \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uab.edu\u002Fnews\u002Fresearch\u002Fitem\u002F11879-study-shows-high-risk-of-anxiety-burnout-in-emergency-department-health-care-workers-from-covid-19\"\u003Eshown up in the pandemic, too.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut millions of us overwork because somehow we think it’s exciting – a status symbol that puts us on the path to success, whether we define that by wealth or an Instagram post that makes it seem like we're living a dream life with a dream job. Romanticisation of work seems to be an especially common practise among \"knowledge workers\" in the middle and upper classes. In 2014, the New Yorker \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newyorker.com\u002Fmagazine\u002F2014\u002F01\u002F27\u002Fthe-cult-of-overwork\"\u003Ecalled this devotion to overwork\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \"a cult\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"We glorify the lifestyle, and the lifestyle is: you breathe something, you sleep with something, you wake up and work on it all day long, then you go to sleep,\" says Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. \"Again and again and again.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIts origins\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, where did our tendency to glamourise overwork come from? Why, in rich, Western countries, like the UK and the US, is there a sense that working yourself ragged is something to brag about?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe roots of this phenomenon can be traced back to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Flifeandstyle\u002F2010\u002Fsep\u002F11\u002Fpain-gain-work-ethic-burkeman\"\u003E'Protestant work ethic'\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the 16th Century – a worldview held by white Protestants in Europe that made hard work and the quest for profit seem virtuous. Sally Maitlis, professor of organisational behaviour and leadership at the University of Oxford, says that \"later, the drive for efficiency that arose out of the Industrial Revolution\", as well as the way we prize productivity, have \"further embedded the value of consistent hard work, often at the cost of personal wellbeing\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFast forward to the yuppie age of Thatcher and Reagan, when spending long hours at the office to support the upwardly mobile lifestyle and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.history.com\u002Ftopics\u002F1980s\u002F1980s\"\u003Ethe rampant consumerism of the decade\u003C\u002Fa\u003E became more commonplace. Afterward, in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, workaholics started to be identified not by blazers but rather hoodies, as tech start-ups grew into giants like Google and Facebook, and power shifted to Silicon Valley. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESociety started to glorify the entrepreneurs who said they wanted to change the world, and told us how they structured their (very long) days for maximum greatness. Maitlis highlights a motivational shift between the Gordon Gekkos and the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world; the latter felt they were fueled by “passion for the product or service, or for a higher purpose\". (The joke was on us, though, because much of that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire\"\u003Enew technology ended up enabling the kind of overwork and burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E we're dealing with today.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese days, many people work long hours to pay off debt, to simply keep their jobs or to make that crucial next step up the ladder (and in many cases, companies expect employees to work long hours and be constantly available). But for those who embrace the overwork culture, there’s also a performative element, whether that manifests as a new car to show off, a ‘dream career’ doing something meaningful or even exhaustion that can be displayed like a bizarre kind of trophy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We dehumanised the workplace a long time ago – Anat Lechner","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECenturies ago, \"guys had duels and they'd have a dueling scar, which is almost a kind of badge of honour. You fought and you survived\", says Christina Maslach, professor emerita of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. \"That's where you brag about, 'Yeah, I don't sleep'. It's that kind of thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFast track to burnout\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn parallel with this work-worship, however, came an unpleasant consequence – burnout. \"Burnout has cycles – like it gets rediscovered, then it dies down, and gets rediscovered again,\" says Maslach, who has studied burnout since the 1970s.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt that time, occupational burnout was being studied in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.3109\u002F00952997609023952\"\u003Evolunteers at drug-rehab clinics\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and other workers in the human services industry, many of whom were on call throughout the night, and reported headaches, depression and irritability on the job. A decade later, when the economy was going great guns in places like the US and UK, capitalism-fixation skyrocketed and people worked long and hard. But while the overwork was revered, the burnout that followed hasn't been.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”, characterised by feelings of exhaustion, negative feelings about a job and reduced professional efficacy. In other words, it leaves you feeling dehumanised, physically and emotionally exhausted, and questioning why you took the job in the first place. The body \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews\u002Fitem\u002F28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases\"\u003Eformally recognised burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as an 'occupational phenomenon' in 2019.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Today, it's all hell broke loose,\" says Lechner. A few decades ago, \"the pervasiveness of this was nothing like what you see today”. While a lot of burnout \"culture came from Wall Street\", she says, it's even worse now, because we put tech entrepreneurs who barely sleep on a pedestal. (Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Felonmusk\u002Fstatus\u002F1067173497909141504?lang=en\"\u003Etweeted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2018 that when it came to his companies, \"there are way easier places to work, but nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week\".)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"The old distinction of day and night or, 'Let's work until five o'clock and then go have drinks and go to sleep at 10’ is for the 20th Century. The 21st Century is very different,\" says Lechner. \"We live in a culture that is 24\u002F7. Social media is 24\u002F7, communication is 24\u002F7, Amazon Prime is 24\u002F7, everything is 24\u002F7. We don't have those fixed boundaries.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe future\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet even though we’re working harder than ever, and young workers are faced with a potentially toxic combination of greater financial pressures (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fool.com\u002Fstudent-loans\u002Fheres-the-average-millennials-student-debt\u002F\"\u003Estudent debt\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, combined with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F05\u002Fmillennials-earn-20-percent-less-than-boomersdespite-being-better-educated.html\"\u003Elower salaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Fapr\u002F21\u002Fuk-property-sales-at-16-year-high-as-house-prices-soar\"\u003Ehigher house prices\u003C\u002Fa\u003E), pressure to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.buzzfeednews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fannehelenpetersen\u002Fmillennials-burnout-generation-debt-work\"\u003Efind ‘their passion’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and pressure to find a stable job in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oecd.org\u002Femployment-outlook\u002F2020\u002F\"\u003Ean increasingly insecure job market\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, there may be some small signs of change. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn March, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards\"\u003Ea mock employee survey\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by 13 first-year analysts at Goldman Sachs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56452494\"\u003Efound its way into the public eye\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Respondents said they averaged 95-hour workweeks and slept five hours a night. \"This is beyond the level of 'hard-working', this is inhumane\u002Fabuse,\" said one respondent to the survey, which the BBC has seen. Elsewhere, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos\"\u003Eon TikTok\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Gen Z users have been open about mental health struggles, and built communities discussing depression, panic attacks and burnout openly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd as grueling as the pandemic has been, it's also forced us to see work-life balance \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-coronavirus-how-will-the-pandemic-change-the-way-we-work\"\u003Ein a whole new way\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Last month, LinkedIn \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fhow-pandemic-changed-us-our-fastest-rising-priority-job-george-anders\u002F\"\u003Econducted a survey\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of more than 5,000 users over two weeks: 50% and 45% of respondents say that hours or location flexibility and work-life balance respectively have become more important to them since the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Workplaces can be very unhealthy environments – if there was any time to change the way we work, now is the time to do it – Christina Maslach","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\"The pandemic has been powerful not only in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201230-how-the-pandemic-could-redefine-our-productivity-obsession\"\u003Emaking salient many of the things that matter most\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – health, family, relationships – and in disrupting some of the routines and systems that were keeping people on the treadmill,\" says Maitlis.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response, some companies have begun talking about offering \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy\"\u003Emore robust mental-health programmes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for workers, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F10\u002Fcovid-stress-companies-turn-to-virtual-therapy-meditation-apps.html\"\u003Eperks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E like complimentary therapy sessions or free access to wellness apps.Yet, experts think it is highly unlikely that we’re entering a new era that prioritises wellbeing over overwork.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, while technology has made it possible for us to work from home indefinitely, it also ties us to work all day long. If there's a group call where workers dial in from London, Tokyo, New York and Dubai, some people will have to wake up at 0200 to dial in. If they don't, the company will find someone who will – because as long as we glamourise money, status and achievement, there will always be people who work hard to get them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd at the end of the day, companies want to make money. \"We dehumanised the workplace a long time ago, and I'm not saying it with any pride,\" says Lechner. For many companies, it's still: \"If you don't work, then someone else will come along and do it. And if that's not gonna help, we'll allocate it to the AI. And if the AI takes over, we'll put together a gig workforce.\" Overwork, or get left behind.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat's why she does not believe burnout will be solved anytime in the near future. \"It's not necessarily a message people like to hear. They think they enter a relationship with an employer where the relationship says, 'I work hard, you take care of me'. Again, this is a 20th Century mindset.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe're at a crossroads: we can prioritise our wellbeing, or prioritise sending an email at 0300 because it'll impress the boss. Letting people work from home can only go so far in easing the burden – it has to be up to the workers to stop making burnout somehow desirable, and up to the companies to stop making the workers feel like they should.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Workplaces can be very unhealthy environments – if there was any time to change the way we work, now is the time to do it,\" says Maslach. \"If you take a plant and put it in a pot and don’t water it and give it lousy soil and not enough sun, I don't care how gorgeous the plant was to begin with – it isn't going to thrive.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-05-10T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why do we buy into the 'cult' of overwork?","headlineShort":"Why we buy into the 'cult' of overwork","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Overwork culture is thriving; we think of long hours and constant exhaustion as a marker of success. Given what we know about burnout, why do we do give in?","summaryShort":"How were we duped into finding overwork glamorous?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-05-09T19:45:16.186091Z","entity":"article","guid":"061a2c4c-344e-4030-a7bc-a63e4d2eaead","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:08:06.687952Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200437},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","_id":"62df80d043d9f46d8d59886c","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Aspiring young workers in top-tier jobs know they’re signing up for gruelling, startlingly long hours. Are the rewards in jobs like these worth the \"crushing\" toil?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs we head into 2022, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2021. When you’re done with this article, check out our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2021\u002F\"\u003Efull list of the year’s top stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross entry-level positions at many top-tier global financial institutions and consulting firms, there are no illusions of nine-to-five schedules or summer holidays with phones left back at the hotel room. From the start, junior employees are aware that they’re entering a trial-by-fire – and it’s up to them to survive the flames.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, just because these entry-level workers have some sense of what they’re going to be up against, it doesn’t always mean they’re adequately prepared, or that their expectations match their eventual reality.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn March, 13 first-year Goldman Sachs analysts – the group lowest on the corporate totem pole – put together a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56452494\"\u003E‘survey’ on their working conditions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at the esteemed, multi-national bank, in a document seen by the BBC. The survey, mocked up on Goldman Sachs’s official pitchbook template, detailed the group’s more than 95-hour workweeks, precarious mental and physical health, deteriorating personal relationships and conditions one respondent called “inhumane”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe contents of the survey were, in some ways, shocking. But, in others, some of the results weren’t wholly unexpected. For many name-brand jobs, this is how things can operate for the those at the most junior levels – and have for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe prevailing narrative: that’s just the price you pay for a longer-term reward of power and prestige in big-name, big pay-cheque institutions. But for young people just jumping into the workforce, is the toil worth the epic reward, even if it may come with some worrying side effects? Some say maybe so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A boot-camp mentality’ \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EThis nose-to-the-grindstone culture within these types of jobs has existed in some form for years, says William D Cohan, author of a best-selling book on the history of Goldman Sachs, Money and Power, and who also worked on Wall Street for 17 years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EFor example, in finance, when major banks went public, the amount of work employees had to do “increased exponentially”, says Cohan. “Demand for what they did skyrocketed, and the demand on the employees then skyrocketed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Wall Street New York","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EIn general, he believes “senior people don’t really want to do that much work. They do the important work of bringing in clients, but once the client is brought in, they push that work down to junior people”. And, often, there aren’t enough lower-level workers; compensation is the biggest expense for financial institutions, so generating profits means hiring fewer people, which can compound the amount of work that trickles down, adds Cohan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EHe thinks many prospective employees have a sense of the workload they have to take on if they’re able to land one of these competitive jobs. Cohan cites motivating factors that make some workers accept the conditions: a substantial pay cheque as well as prestige, “bragging rights” of working at a household-name company and opportunities for advancement if minted by one of these institutions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s a boot-camp mentality – William D Cohan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003E“It’s a boot-camp mentality,” says Cohan – simply part of the process of succeeding at a high level.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EThese prospective employees do mostly understand the impending workload, agrees Christopher R Di Fronzo, associate director of the Tufts Finance Initiative at Tufts University in Massachusetts, US, which helps place students in finance, consulting and entrepreneurial jobs. However, as graduates across these fields reconnect as alumni, he’s noticed some have underestimated the hours. “Once you live it,” says De Fronzo, “some find out it’s a really hard life to live.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJumping through hoops\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EBill Keenan joined Deutsche Bank, a major international investment bank in New York City, straight out of business school, following a professional ice-hockey career. He says he pursued the job due to his own “insecurity”. “I wanted to prove to myself I could do it, because all I had heard was how this is the hardest thing in the world,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EKeenan, who got a job as an associate in 2016, did have a sense that he’d be heading into a difficult situation. “You know what you're getting into, and like most jobs, if you want to reap rewards you’re probably going to have to jump through hoops and do some stuff that’s painful along the way.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EKeenan says he pulled many anxious late nights feeling “crushed”, and some of his experiences do chime with the current points cited in the Goldman Sachs survey. (“There were a lot of sweaty shirts, crying and not knowing what I was doing.”). However, he caveats that the conditions outlined by the 13 analysts who put together the notes aren’t necessarily representative of every experience – it’s a small sample size.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EYes, says Keenan, the environment was hard. No, he adds, “I was never abused. I would never use that word”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Bill Keenan","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERegardless, Keenan believes there’s opportunity to take the stress off younger workers; he says the long hours and the feeling that “your life is over for six months” if you get staffed on a project isn’t necessary. He suggests part of ameliorating conditions may be better time management on the part of those higher up the chain: condensing project timelines, for instance, since there’s actually a lot of “sitting in your cube”, waiting for your email to ping. Another element boils down to respect. “I certainly think that being more in touch with the human side of these people [will help]… You get more out of people if you treat them better.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003E“I don’t think there’s a silver bullet to this,” continues Keenan. He’s quick to add, however, that “the answer \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-03-18\u002Fjefferies-offers-junior-bankers-a-peloton-bike-apple-perks?sref=lgADY7dy\"\u003Eisn’t giving junior bankers a Peloton\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, a reward Jefferies Financial Group recently offered to hard-working junior bankers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving the needle?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not necessarily a coincidence that this group of Goldman Sachs analysts chose the current moment in which to speak up, bucking the grin-and-bear-it culture.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EThere are a mix of factors at play: the ubiquity of social media, where the survey initially appeared; the rise of a generation more\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos\"\u003E conscious of workplace toxicity and mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; and a general sentiment of activism for equity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"xmsolistparagraph\"\u003EThe pandemic may have become a factor, too. Keenan notes that, from his experience, office camaraderie was one of the things that buoyed him through the worst days. In isolation during forced remote work, many of these tough experiences may be made even tougher, exacerbating their effects.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There were a lot of sweaty shirts, crying and not knowing what I was doing – Bill Keenan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, could this uncharacteristic boldness – even if led by only a few employees, all protected by anonymity – mark the start of meaningful transformation? Perhaps a new cohort of values-centric workers could pressure a seemingly ingrained culture to budge – something that Di Fronzo says his graduates increasingly desire.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, it may not be that simple. Despite an environment that may be riper for status-quo disruption than ever, change driven by this most junior tier of the workforce may not be on the horizon anytime soon – or, perhaps, even realistic to expect.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeloitte researchers suggest that these \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww2.deloitte.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002FDeloitte\u002Flu\u002FDocuments\u002Ffinancial-services\u002Flu-culture-financial-services.pdf\"\u003Edeeply ingrained work cultures may be difficult to shift\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, in part due to how many years they’ve spent taking root. And in order for meaningful change to take place, one-off initiatives or reactive responses may not help; rather, long-term programmes, grounded in “realistic expectations” and supported by senior staff are required to move the needle. These changes also depend on communication from more junior members of staff – but when cut-throat environments traditionally don’t encourage pushback or feedback, bad culture easily perpetuates. That may make it particularly hard for a new class of workers to revolutionise much of anything – no matter how much their values diverge from those who came before them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"finance graduates at london financial district","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom his vantage point, Keenan also remains sceptical that change is possible. It’s simple economics, he says: supply and demand. As long as there more are driven, hungry graduates than there are positions for them, Keenan believes there may not be enough incentive to change culture, no matter how public complaints become.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECohan agrees. Even though Goldman Sachs responded quickly, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F18\u002Fgoldman-sachs-junior-bankers-complain-of-crushing-work-load-amid-spac-fueled-boom-in-wall-street-deals.html\"\u003Erolling out some changes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, he doesn’t see these actions as a bellwether for progress in these organisations. “I think [these banks] view the grievances like the Goldman presentation as the price of doing business… But the reality is it’s harder to get a job at Goldman Sachs [in the US] than it is to get into Harvard.” (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56452494\"\u003EGoldman Sachs provided an earlier statement\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but did not respond to BBC Worklife requests for additional comment by time of going to press.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd it’s likely that some young workers will continue to willingly put themselves into these environments because they want the validation Keenan craved – the ability to say, \u003Cem\u003EI got out alive. \u003C\u002Fem\u003EOf course, the career springboard and promise of increasingly voluminous compensation in an upwardly mobile environment doesn’t hurt, either. If you survive the right of passage, the pot of gold on the other side is, indeed, substantial.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKeenan stuck around in his job for about two years, but no longer works in investment banking. His finance-career coup de grâce was a memoir, 2020’s Discussion Materials, detailing his experiences. Instead, Keenan now works in media – a far cry from 0300 mornings at a cube in a Financial District skyscraper.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, knowing what he knows now, and having ended up somewhere he’s happy to be, would Keenan have taken the same path? “I would,” he says. “I think I would do it again.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-27T11:13:18Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Is extreme working culture worth the big rewards?","headlineShort":"The jobs 'crushing' young workers","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Aspiring young workers in top-tier jobs know they’re signing up for gruelling, startlingly long hours. Are the rewards in jobs like these worth the crushing toil?","summaryShort":"\"There were a lot of sweaty shirts, crying and not knowing what I was doing\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-26T19:58:11.30861Z","entity":"article","guid":"32cc8401-be3e-459d-81ae-e793087a93ef","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T07:07:19.55601Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200437},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers","_id":"62df80d043d9f45737724040","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"An increasing number of brands are extending size ranges. It’s an improvement for plus-size consumers – but are companies’ motivations always in the right place?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENothing makes Aisha Fairclough feel more like a valued shopper than when a retailer’s clothing fits her. “Being able to walk into a store and find your size makes customers feel they are seen,” she says.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor years, this experience occurred infrequently for Fairclough, the cofounder of Body Confidence Canada, as few mass retailers sold styles in a wide range of sizes. Consumers like her, categorised as ‘plus size’, have mostly had to shop at speciality retailers for clothes, even though the average \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.refinery29.com\u002Fen-ca\u002F2018\u002F10\u002F213615\u002Fcanadian-plus-size-clothes-inclusive-designers\"\u003ECanadian woman wears about a size 14\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (a UK size 18). Most women in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.today.com\u002Fstyle\u002Fwhat-s-average-size-16-new-normal-us-women-t103315\"\u003EUS\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Flife-style\u002Fhealth-and-families\u002Fwomens-body-changes-1957-self-image-fashion-weight-health-sizes-positive-a7633036.html\"\u003EUK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E also belong to this group, and have found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fplus-size-shopping-frustrating-things_n_7163956\"\u003Eshopping\u003C\u002Fa\u003E exhausting in an industry that has habitually excluded them to promote a thin and often unattainable ideal, even as consumers have increasingly worn larger sizes on average throughout the last few decades.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut during the past five years, the body positivity and fat acceptance movements have grown popular enough to influence mainstream culture. “Celebrities and fashion groups have outwardly endorsed plus-size models,” says Tom Burgess, industry analyst for the US-based global market research firm IBISWorld. “Marketing campaigns, such as Dove’s Real Beauty, encouraged body positivity, leading to growth in the downstream market as plus-size men and women spend more time on their image.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, both independent fashion brands and multinational corporations in North America and the UK have extended their size ranges. In fact, the plus-size market has been growing twice as fast as the straight-size market, says Alice Rodrigues, senior consultant at Alvanon, an international apparel-business consulting firm. In the UK, plus-size women's clothing stores had an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ibisworld.com\u002Funited-kingdom\u002Fmarket-research-reports\u002Fplus-size-womens-clothing-stores-industry\u002F\"\u003Eaverage industry growth of 1.9%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from 2015 to 2020, and a market size of £734m ($963m), according to IBISWorld. In contrast, the UK’s clothing sector overall experienced a negative \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ibisworld.com\u002Funited-kingdom\u002Fmarket-research-reports\u002Fclothing-retailing-industry\u002F\"\u003Eaverage industry growth of -0.8%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the same period. Even amid the pandemic, as fashion consumption drops, the plus-size clothing industry’s profits are projected to grow. Similar trends can be found in the US, where the market value of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.telegraph.co.uk\u002Ffashion\u002Fnews\u002Fplus-size-one-clothing-sectors-have-grown-year-isnt-choice\u002F\"\u003Eplus-size apparel industry has an estimated worth of $24bn\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (£18.3bn). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing in the footsteps of companies such as H&M, Nike, Anthropologie, Asos and Reformation, Lululemon Athletica is one of the latest retailers to offer ‘inclusive sizing’. The yoga outfitter \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2020-09-08\u002Flululemon-once-chided-for-body-shaming-to-offer-larger-sizes\"\u003Eannounced in September\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that it had expanded its apparel to a US size 20 (UK size 24). The move comes seven years after the company’s chairman Chip Wilson resigned \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fabcnews.go.com\u002FUS\u002Flululemon-founder-chip-wilson-blames-womens-bodies-yoga\u002Fstory?id=20815278#:~:text=Lululemon%20Founder%20Blames%20Women's%20Bodies,t%20work%22%20for%20their%20pants.&text=%22Frankly%2C%20some%20women's%20bodies%20just,TV's%20%22Street%20Smart%22%20program.\"\u003Efollowing his remarks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that “some women's bodies just don't actually work” for Lululemon’s leggings. In 2005, Wilson said that selling clothes bigger than a size 12 (UK size 16) – the cut off for so-called ‘straight sizes’ – would be a “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Flululemon-plus-size_n_3675605\"\u003Emoney loser\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” for his business.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"As the plus-size market has opened up, many consumers who’ve been ignored by straight-size retailers for years are sceptical about the touted ‘embrace of inclusivity’","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut as the plus-size market has opened up, many consumers who’ve been ignored by straight-size retailers for years are sceptical about the touted ‘embrace of inclusivity’. They may be on to something: marketing experts say that adding these sizes can help a brand appear more progressive and less elitist, and retailers stand to profit from size inclusion as the percentage of consumers who wear plus-size clothes rises.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A slap in the face’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, when companies \u003Cem\u003Edo \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eadd plus-sized options, there are still many ways that they can strike the wrong chord with their target market. The British retailer \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-44121064\"\u003ENew Look made international headlines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2018 and faced accusations of instituting a “fat tax” after selling \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cosmopolitan.com\u002Fuk\u002Ffashion\u002Fa20713961\u002Fnew-look-plus-size-clothing-pricing-fat-tax\u002F\"\u003Eselect plus-size garments for 15% more\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than the comparable garments in straight sizes. “Charging more for plus-size clothing is offensive and insulting because you are prioritising smaller-size customers,” says Fairclough. “What's equitable about that?” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also concern that the traditional retailers broadening their ranges aren’t truly inclusive because they offer a limited number of large sizes rather than a variety of them. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion,” says Fairclough. “Instead, it's like designers pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and they stop. Some brands have started to cater to modestly plus-size shoppers, but they have not gone far enough.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThomaï Serdari, professor of marketing at New York University’s Leonard N Stern School of Business, says that consumers consider it “a slap in the face” when a retailer launches a plus collection that only includes the smallest sizes in the category. It gives the impression that companies are just trying to grab a share of the market without a real commitment to the community. “This is really even more disrespectful for consumers,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELululemon is already contending with concerns from members of the plus-size community who say that simply expanding to a size 20 doesn’t cut it. In the US, where the Canadian company has a significant following, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fdidemtali\u002F2016\u002F09\u002F30\u002Fthe-average-woman-size\u002F#547644e12791\"\u003Eaverage woman wears between a size 16 and 18\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (UK size 20 and 22). This means that many consumers need sizes well beyond a 20. Fairclough, for example, says she wears between a size 18 and 22, depending on the clothing brand.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response to the criticism that it is not inclusive enough, Lululemon reportedly took to social media to call the rollout of its additional sizes “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fca.style.yahoo.com\u002Flululemon-size-expansion-draws-mixed-reviews-161921890.html\"\u003Ea first step\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, suggesting that it will diversify its offerings in the future. \"Earlier this year, we took the important first step toward creating a more inclusive product assortment by introducing new size range and fit offerings. This is just the beginning and we will continue to increase our size and fit offerings every season going forward,\" a Lululemon spokesperson told the BBC.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarie Southard Ospina, a Hebden Bridge, UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues, says she suspected that the popularity of body positivity would lead brands to capitalise on the trend. “When I see brands with a history of either ignoring or outright belittling fat bodies try to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes, it doesn't feel like they care about fat people,” she says. “Virtue signalling is definitely a good term for it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWalk the walk\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMisdeeds like charging customers more for plus sizes or speaking ill of women’s bodies require brands to rehabilitate their image. But even as they make strides, companies shouldn’t assume that consumers will forgive them, says Ludovica Cesareo, an assistant professor of marketing at the College of Business of Lehigh University in the US. “Just because you launch a plus-size line doesn’t mean they’re going to all of a sudden buy your brand,” she says. “Consumers really care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It's like designers pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and they stop – Aisha Fairclough","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECesareo points to mainstream brands like Fabletics and Nike for offering plus size apparel years ago. She singles out Nike for including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnn.com\u002Fstyle\u002Farticle\u002Flondon-nike-mannequins-scli-intl\u002Findex.html\"\u003Eplus-size mannequins in its flagship London store\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2019, sending the message that the company values customers of all body types. At the time, Nike \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.telegraph.co.uk\u002Fwomen\u002Flife\u002Fobese-mannequins-selling-women-dangerous-lie\u002F\"\u003Efielded some criticism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from people incredulous that shoppers who wear plus sizes engage in physical fitness. Still, web \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ypulse.com\u002Farticle\u002F2019\u002F06\u002F14\u002Fnikes-plus-size-controversy-is-boosting-profits-on-the-viral-list\u002F\"\u003Esearches for the brand’s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E plus-size clothes spiked shortly after the mannequins debuted, drawing attention to the fact that people of all body types work out—a bigger body doesn’t mean an inactive one. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOspina agrees that she would much rather give her money to retailers that have made an effort to listen to plus-size consumers and hire plus-size people than those that have overlooked – or, worse – insulted the community. As a plus-size consumer, she opts for brands with a track record of caring about larger people, especially independent brands that “often have plus-size people at the helm of their business – or if they don't, they do their best to talk to, work with and centre fat folks as much as possible”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to succeed in business\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, retailers must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body-diverse clientele, asserts Cesareo. They have to connect on a personal level with consumers who wear plus-size clothes. That means signalling to shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to retailers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFairclough appreciates the Canadian brands and designers who served customers of all sizes before it became de rigueur. In this group, she includes designers such as Joseph Ribkoff, Anika Reid and Jeanie Becker as well as the retailer Toni Plus.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe remains wary, however, of companies that have just recently taken an interest in body diversity. “If brands, retailers and designers cared about plus-size consumers, then it wouldn't have taken until now to acknowledge that plus-size and fat consumers exist,” she says. “Fat people have always needed clothing. It's disappointing that companies only started to see plus-size consumers as viable because of the dollar.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We deserve the same range of fashion options and looks reflected in straight sizes,” continues Fairclough. “We are not an afterthought.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEDITOR’S NOTE (02\u002F11\u002F2020):\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E This article has been updated to include a comment from Lululemon.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-11-02T13:40:53Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Selling plus-size clothing isn’t only about pleasing shoppers","headlineShort":"The importance of size inclusivity","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"An increasing number of brands are extending size ranges. It’s an improvement for plus-size consumers – but are companies’ motivations always in the right place?","summaryShort":"Why offering plus-size clothing isn’t only about pleasing shoppers","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-11-01T21:54:28.834417Z","entity":"article","guid":"12627f9e-7980-4be9-b900-d99c16faa258","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:42:42.430629Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200211-selling-plus-size-clothing-isnt-only-about-pleasing-shoppers","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200437},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women","_id":"62df7fbf43d9f457251e759e","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The Covid-19 recession is unique among modern economic shocks in its harm to women’s finances and prospects. Can this be reversed?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fcolumns\u002Funknown-questions\"\u003E \u003Cimg src=\"http:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Fimages\u002Fic\u002Fraw\u002Fp08w68j3.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Unknown Questions\" width=\"100%\" \u002F\u003E \u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe’re in the thick of the ‘shecession’. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe global economy is now in its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-52273988\"\u003Eworst downturn since the Great Depression\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. One of the unique aspects of the current recession is the way it’s impacting women: though men are more likely to die of Covid-19, the pandemic’s toll on employment is heavier for women. Unlike other modern recessions, the pandemic recession has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvoxeu.org\u002Farticle\u002Fshecession-she-recession-2020-causes-and-consequences\"\u003Eled to more job losses among women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than among men. While the 1970s marked the start of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.investopedia.com\u002Fterms\u002Fm\u002Fmancession.asp\"\u003E‘mancession’ periods\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in industries like construction, the current ‘shecession’ is heavily affecting sectors like hospitality and retail. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese sectors employ many women and are also vulnerable to lockdown measures. Some effects are already visible. Globally, women’s job losses due to Covid-19 are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mckinsey.com\u002Ffeatured-insights\u002Ffuture-of-work\u002Fcovid-19-and-gender-equality-countering-the-regressive-effects\"\u003E1.8 times greater\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than men’s. In the US, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iza.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fdp\u002F13562\u002Fthis-time-its-different-the-role-of-womens-employment-in-a-pandemic-recession\"\u003Eunemployment has intensified the most\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for the personal care and food service occupations, where women predominate. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not just about lay-offs, however. In a McKinsey and Lean In \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwomenintheworkplace.com\u002F\"\u003Esurvey of North American female employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, one in four women said they were thinking about reducing or leaving paid work due to the pandemic, citing company inflexibility, caring responsibilities and stress. The survey included some comparative data that laid out the gender gap for parents; while 8% of surveyed mothers had thought about going from full- to part-time work, only 2% of fathers had. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a fairer and more lasting recovery from Covid-19, it’s crucial to understand which people are especially hard-hit by the economic slump, and how best to help them back up.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhich groups are most affected?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pandemic recession is particularly challenging for women’s employment globally for two reasons connected to the dangers of close contact: the restrictions on service jobs, and the closure of schools and daycare centres. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile some economists have suggested that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fernietedeschi\u002Fstatus\u002F1313580919148744704\"\u003Emarried women are especially affected\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by employment cutbacks, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewtrusts.org\u002Fen\u002Fresearch-and-analysis\u002Fblogs\u002Fstateline\u002F2020\u002F05\u002F26\u002Fsingle-mothers-hit-hard-by-job-losses\"\u003Ecaregiving status\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and the absence of support matter more than marital status. Those disproportionately affected \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwomenintheworkplace.com\u002F\"\u003Ein the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E include black women (who bear even more household responsibility on their own) and Latinas (who work in greater proportions in sectors like leisure and hospitality, and are more likely to have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewtrusts.org\u002Fen\u002Fresearch-and-analysis\u002Fblogs\u002Fstateline\u002F2020\u002F05\u002F26\u002Fsingle-mothers-hit-hard-by-job-losses\"\u003Einformal employment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E). Some subgroups are squeezed even more, like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelily.com\u002Fquitting-was-her-only-option-she-is-one-of-865000-women-to-leave-the-workforce-last-month\u002F\"\u003Emothers of young children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and mothers without partners or relatives. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELess-educated workers, and those whose jobs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200921-what-remote-jobs-tell-us-about-inequality\"\u003Ecan’t be done from home\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, have faced higher unemployment as a result of the pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200921-what-remote-jobs-tell-us-about-inequality\"\u003Efor instance in Spain\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But high status doesn’t insulate women from stress and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-covid-19-how-to-learn-a-new-skill-in-coronavirus-quarantine\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Senior-level women are significantly more likely than their male peers to consider dropping their hours or dropping out of the workforce because of the burnout associated with being “always on” and juggling multiple responsibilities during the pandemic. In the McKinsey and Lean In survey, 41% of senior-level men reported feeling exhausted, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwomenintheworkplace.com\u002F\"\u003Ecompared to 54% of senior-level women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The real danger at the moment is that people are starting to associate women with childcare more strongly than before - Ariane Hegewisch","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd across levels of seniority, parental status is affecting how women are seen in the workplace. Women who are pregnant or on maternity leave are reporting being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tuc.org.uk\u002Fresearch-analysis\u002Freports\u002Fpregnant-and-precarious-new-and-expectant-mums-experiences-work-during\"\u003Epushed toward redundancy or furlough\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Ariane Hegewisch, who leads the Employment and Earnings programme at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in the US, is concerned that the pandemic “may lead to discrimination going forward, [companies] being less likely to pick out women for fast-track positions or management training”. There’s a risk, she says, that employers may assume that all women are overburdened by caring responsibilities, without taking measures to support them. “The real danger at the moment is that people are starting to associate women with childcare more strongly than before.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe double-edged sword of flexibility\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese pressures, and some potential solutions, can be seen in current debates around flexible working. Flexibility has been invaluable to women juggling multiple demands on their time, but it isn’t a cure-all to achieve gender parity in the workplace. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile inflexibility is a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwomenintheworkplace.com\u002F\"\u003Ekey reason\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that female employees are considering reducing their hours or leaving their jobs, flexible work tends to be lower-paid, more precarious and less of a stepping stone to top-level jobs. And the especially dark side of flexibility comes when workers are underemployed, underpaid and at the mercy of employers to assign hours, often on unpredictable schedules. Such unpredictability is particularly hard on the working women who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200401-how-to-work-from-home-with-your-kids-during-coronavirus\"\u003Enow have to act as home-school teachers or carers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. For flexible work to play a greater role in chipping away at the gender pay gap, it needs to be better regulated and sustainable for all levels of employees, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.npr.org\u002Fsections\u002Fmoney\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F18\u002F903221371\u002Fhow-the-pandemic-is-making-the-gender-pay-gap-worse\"\u003Eincluding high-paying roles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a woman working from home with her children","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFlexible work also needs to be available to and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.equalityhumanrights.com\u002Fen\u002Fpublication-download\u002Fresearch-report-16-flexible-working-policies-comparative-review\"\u003Etaken up by men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The multiple burdens that suppress women’s achievements won’t ease until men take on a greater share of domestic and caring responsibilities, and also become more likely to downsize or adjust their own hours when family circumstances change. But this is challenging in practice. Hegewisch points out that in a heterosexual couple, “if one person has to cut back… for care, it is likely to be the person who earns less in a couple, and that is more likely still to be the woman.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome families can make it work, but a certain combination of advantages has to be in place. “We’re one of the really lucky ones,” says Hellen Stirling-Baker, who has just reopened her business, an ethical children’s shop in Sheffield, UK, called Small Stuff. During much of lockdown she had to move her shop from bricks-and-mortar to online, but sales haven’t suffered hugely. Crucially, she says, she and her husband have been equally dividing domestic tasks and care of their four-year-old son. As he works for a bank and has a more rigid schedule even though he’s working from home, he’s been taking on the evening shift of cooking dinner and caring for their son, as well as helping her reopen the shop.    \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe period of temporary – though hectic – flexibility for the self-employed Stirling-Baker allowed her to reorient her business and buffer the unpredictability of her son’s new life. She’s now found a new location for Small Stuff that’s larger, allows for social distancing and comes with a rent-free period. It helped that she could compensate for her husband’s strict schedule by making her own hours, but that can’t continue once the shop is running normally. And the hard work is taking a toll. Stirling-Baker hasn’t been sleeping much, she acknowledges, and is focused on the crucial Christmas period for retail sales, while trying not to think too much on the uncertain period beyond that.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShort-term solutions\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are, of course, things that employers can do to incorporate flexibility and help ease the impact of the pandemic recession on women. Managers can set more realistic expectations and re-evaluate performance criteria – for instance, not criticising employees for working outside of core hours. This would help relieve the exhaustion that’s particularly affecting certain groups of women (although companies that are already crunched may find it hard to be generous). Only about half of North American workplaces surveyed by McKinsey and Lean In had communicated their productivity expectations during the pandemic, and just 37% had changed the performance review process. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmployers can improve flexibility, communication and support to employees of all genders. Anita Bhatia, a deputy leader of UN Women, commented in the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference on 15 October: “The private sector has a huge role to play: to say that they will create flexible working conditions for women to come back and that they will not penalise women for stepping off the career track if they have to.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a shuttered playground","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet there’s only so much that individual organisations can do. According to Michèle Tertilt, a family economist at the University of Mannheim in Germany, the measure that would help more than any other in curbing the shecession is reopening schools – especially for the young children whose care is so demanding. As Hegewisch comments, “What the crisis has shown is that [telework] will only work if the childcare and education infrastructure is there. I always go through the roof when I see these [images of] glorious days of working from home and you have this dad sitting in front of his computer with a toddler on his knee. And I think, ‘Yeah, have you ever tried to work like that?’ It’s ridiculous.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reopening of her son’s school was what allowed Stirling-Baker to plan for the reopening of her shop. If the school were to close again, the shop’s doors might need to shutter as well. “There isn’t a huge amount of wiggle room with what we can do,” she reflects, even though she considers herself luckier than many. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore generally, Covid-19 has exacerbated the pre-existing childcare crisis. “People are very afraid that this is going to do long-term damage to the childcare infrastructure,” says Hegewisch. In addition to shutting many childcare facilities, the pandemic may shift demand for care away from big facilities to small, neighbourhood-level providers, sometimes operating from their homes. Local businesses are more attractive when people are being encouraged to stay put, and small providers can more easily reduce the numbers of people mixing. But in the US, those smaller providers have been in decline for years. The knock-on effects are likely to perpetuate the harms to women’s careers. Overall, the pandemic adds urgency to the argument for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Filoblog.org\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F20\u002Fput-gender-equality-at-the-heart-of-the-post-covid-19-economic-recovery\u002F\"\u003Estrengthened government investment in the care sector\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Our model simulations suggest that it will take a long time for women to catch up to pre-pandemic levels - Michèle Tertilt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETertilt also recommends financial stimulus payments to those who have lost jobs, particularly single mothers. Some countries, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fd41586-020-02006-z\"\u003Esuch as Togo\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, have granted more generous recovery payments to women. However, gender-sensitive recovery plans are still few and far between, and would need further sensitivity around factors like income level and informal job status to ensure that the hardest-hit women are receiving the most support. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is important because the short-term picture for women is grim. “Our model simulations suggest that it will take a long time for women to catch up to pre-pandemic levels,” explains Tertilt. “The reason is a ‘scarring effect’ – when women do not work for a while, they will likely find worse jobs when they re-enter. Similarly, women who reduce hours will likely miss career opportunities.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELonger-term projections\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven for this unprecedented recession, history provides some warnings of the gendered impacts to come. Previous pandemic experiences, such as of Ebola in West Africa, suggest that girls and young women who leave education or employment during disease outbreaks are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fplan-international.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fliving-under-lockdown#download-options\"\u003Eless likely to return\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than their male peers. Pregnancy rates increase, skills gaps widen, and girls and women \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fplan-international.org\u002Fblog\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Feconomic-impacts-covid-19-girls-and-women\"\u003Etake on even more domestic tasks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as other household members stay home or fall ill. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd as the International Labour Organization has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Femppolicy\u002Fpubs\u002FWCMS_751785\u002Flang--en\u002Findex.htm\"\u003Estarkly put it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, “previous crises offer some cautionary lessons for the current one. They illustrate that when jobs are scarce, women are denied economic opportunity and security relative to men.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven so, the recessions of the recent past have actually reduced the gender pay gulf, because men have taken the brunt of job losses. The analysis of Tertilt and her colleagues found, as she explains, that a typical recession “decreases the gender wage gap by a sizeable amount, but a pandemic recession increases the gap by an even larger amount”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of two schoolgirls near Freetown, Sierra Leone, in June 2013","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut the silver lining is that Tertilt and her colleagues believe that this worsening of gender inequality will continue only into the short to medium term. This is mainly because men are taking on more in-home tasks, potentially freeing up time for women to devote to careers (or leisure). In a pandemic recession, men who can telework, like Stirling-Baker’s husband, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iza.org\u002Fpublications\u002Fdp\u002F13562\u002Fthis-time-its-different-the-role-of-womens-employment-in-a-pandemic-recession\"\u003Etake on a greater share of childcare\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In some cases, they become the primary carer. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iied.org\u002Faddressing-gendered-other-inequalities-will-be-central-covid-19-recovery\"\u003EIn countries including Kenya and the Philippines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, men are increasingly taking on childcare. In an Italian sample, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpapers.ssrn.com\u002Fsol3\u002Fpapers.cfm?abstract_id=3636627\"\u003Eshared responsibility for childcare has increased by 17%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the pandemic. (However, Italian women, like many women, are \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ingenere.it\u002Fen\u002Farticles\u002Fcovid19-crisis-time-for-fathers\"\u003Estill logging more hours on chores and childcare\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than men.) In an optimistic scenario, women and men may emerge from the pandemic with a less skewed distribution of domestic responsibilities. Tertilt and colleagues draw parallels to World War Two – another globally catastrophic event that had a bright side in the way that it normalised female workforce participation and changed gender roles.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, of course, not all men can work remotely. And women have a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.genderandcovid-19.org\u002Fresearch\u002Fwhat-do-we-know-about-women-and-covid-19-in-low-and-middle-income-countries-from-the-peer-reviewed-literature\u002F\"\u003Esmaller financial cushion\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to begin with, so their economic reserves are likely to be depleted faster than men’s. Hegewisch draws on a different historical experience. From the Great Recession that started in 2007, she says, “We know that women were more likely than men to dip into their retirement savings.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs well, recovery measures are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC7533958\u002F\"\u003Eoverwhelmingly being led by men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, without sufficient attention always being paid to women’s needs. Hegewisch urges more consideration of “how far women are part of those commissions that are being set up now on how to reopen the economy post-Covid. What we can see is that they’re often under-represented.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, if women are excluded from crucial decision-making spheres, if men don’t actually \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unwomen.org\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Fstories\u002F2020\u002F4\u002Fnews-heforshe-launches-heforsheathome-campaign\"\u003Estep up in the home\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and if the childcare crisis persists, then the pandemic will represent a massive step backward in the overall march toward gender equality.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why this recession disproportionately affects women","headlineShort":"What will the ‘shecession’ mean?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of woman placing a 'Closed' sign on a cafe","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The Covid-19 recession is unique among modern economic shocks in its harm to women’s finances and prospects. Can this be reversed?","summaryShort":"Can the harm to women’s employment and prospects be reversed?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-10-26T19:50:49.039753Z","entity":"article","guid":"9a500efc-3e93-4bd6-a1df-825795f5be9f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:57:35.511047Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200438},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure","_id":"62df80f743d9f45843528a5d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"From billboards to posters, adverts are everywhere and can be an eyesore for anyone – but for communities they target the most, they’re also a public health risk.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn a Saturday morning in July, a group of face-mask-wearing protestors milled about a small plot of land next to a busy road in the English city of Bristol. Houses lined the side of the road they were on, with industrial buildings and a river on the other side.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey were dwarfed by a large placeholder billboard bearing the logo of the world’s largest outdoor-advertising company, JCDecaux. The site was slated to have a big, new digital billboard. Those plans had drawn the ire of protestors – largely members of \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fadblockbristol.org.uk\u002F\"\u003EAdblock Bristol\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a group advocating for a reduction in outdoor public advertising.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome local residents observing the group were apathetic. “I’m not really opposed to it,” shrugged Simon Hitchcock, watching the protest from a nearby bus shelter. He wondered if the bright lights might even bring a positive sheen to the largely working-class area, which was being redeveloped for multi-storey housing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnti-advertisers tend to be an ardent but niche group. Iwona Tempowski, who lives about half a mile from the protest site, said she was there “to fight for a bit of humanity and nature”. She wanted the vacant site to be turned into a sculpture park, rather than a shrine to consumption.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the desire for more beautified public space isn’t the only factor that has mobilised some to push back on highly visible outdoor adverts. What Tempowski has observed in Bristol holds true for cities around the world, where evidence shows that lower-income people are bombarded with more – and more harmful – ads than those in wealthy neighbourhoods. Some opponents are fighting the public health threat these billboards’ messages pose, especially in less affluent areas with vacant lots and cheap land values.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe inequality of exposure \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany people consider outdoor adverts to be eyesores. But opposition campaigners point to the deeper effects of a glut of public advertising – for instance, causing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fcities\u002F2019\u002Fdec\u002F23\u002Fadvertising-breaks-your-spirit-the-french-cities-trying-to-ban-public-adverts\"\u003Emental overload\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.campaignlive.co.uk\u002Farticle\u002Fguerrilla-art-group-sabotages-outdoor-ads\u002F1141464\"\u003Eoverspending\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and exacerbating the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.equaltimes.org\u002Fthe-growing-global-movement-to-end#.Xij-OySnyEf\"\u003Eenvironmental consequences of overconsumption\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. This has led the anti-advertising movement to comprise a varied coalition of psychologists, environmentalists, public space activists and artists. The movement is also finding common cause with some public health researchers, as in the case of junk-food advertising.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJean Adams, a public health researcher at Cambridge University, has studied how advertising unequally affects health behaviours. “We know that advertising works. Food advertising influences what kind of food children express preference for. Most food advertising is for less healthy foods. So food advertising in itself contributes to less healthy diets, and, by extension, probably to obesity,” she explains.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Outdoor advertising, we do not consent to it. It’s there whether we want it or not – Carla Denyer","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne study of four US cities found that overall advertising density was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1468-0009.2009.00551.x\"\u003Etwo- to four-times higher in low-income postal codes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than in high-income ones. This is in large part because the land there is cheaper. Wealthier areas are also more likely to be deemed to have conservation or heritage value, and so it’s harder to obtain planning permission to erect ads there. Privately owned sites will generally have an easier time obtaining such permission, unless especially motivated or politically connected citizens mount opposition to it. In the UK, the exact procedures vary from council to council, although the National Policy Planning Framework sets out general stipulations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELess affluent areas (for instance, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cambridge.org\u002Fcore\u002Fjournals\u002Fpublic-health-nutrition\u002Farticle\u002Fsocioeconomic-differences-in-outdoor-food-advertising-in-a-city-in-northern-england\u002F192383F225D92A592658F950382D7E30\"\u003ENewcastle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, England) have more dense concentrations of billboards for less healthy foods. The Newcastle study found that 20% of the advertising land space was for food, with a KFC product being the most commonly advertised food. As Adams points out, “less healthy foods are cheaper, calorie-for-calorie and gram-for-gram”. Thus it’s not a paradox that people with less spending power are being disproportionately exposed to adverts for unhealthy food.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOutdoor advertising is also more prevalent in neighbourhoods with higher proportions of certain racial minorities, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com\u002Farticles\u002F10.1186\u002Fs12889-019-7821-y\"\u003Eblack residents in New York City\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. This holds even for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11524-006-9127-5\"\u003Emore affluent, predominantly black neighbourhoods\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In high-income white areas, there just wasn’t outdoor advertising,” says Sonya Grier, who researches marketing at American University in Washington, DC, and has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1468-0009.2009.00551.x\"\u003Eexamined outdoor-advertising density\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Living in an upper-income white neighbourhood was kind of protective” against marketing of products contributing to obesity. This was in stark contrast to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F331483408_%27Alisha_in_obesity-land%27_Is_food_marketing_the_mad_hatter\"\u003Einner-city minority neighbourhood\u003C\u002Fa\u003Es where billboards, bus shelters and walls commonly promote soda, fast food and sugar cereals. These visuals influence people by amplifying the many other kinds of unhealthy-food marketing – including on TV, magazines, radio and internet – aimed particularly at young people and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F286252437_Understanding_Community_Perspectives_A_Step_Towards_Achieving_Food_Marketing_Equity\"\u003Eminorities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA ‘double inequality’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn its own, advertising influences preferences for food high in salt, fat and sugar. But abundant public advertising is linked with not just poorer nutritional health, but also limited walking and recreational space caused by the uneven layout of cities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Carla Denyer, a city of Bristol councillor who also works for the Adfree Cities network, long-standing inequalities and dual carriageways cutting through more deprived communities mean that low-income residents are disproportionately exposed to outdoor billboards targeted especially at motorists zooming through.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDenyer gives the example of Lawrence Hill, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bristolpost.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbristol-news\u002Fmost-deprived-streets-bristol-poverty-886532\"\u003Eone of the poorest areas of\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Bristol, which is next to a confluence of major roads and has a very high concentration of outdoor adverts. “It has some of the worst air quality in the city, and yet it also has some of the lowest car-ownership rates in the city. So there’s a real kind of double inequality there. Because the people that live there are not the people who are causing this pollution, but they happen to live in it and they’re facing premature deaths and breathing problems in their children.” At the same time “they’re also being subjected to advertising telling them how great these SUVs are that are actually causing all of these problems.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPublic-health researcher Adams believes that the disparities in land value, and their consequences for unequal advertising, shouldn’t be dismissed. Whether inequalities built into cities are a product of neglect or discrimination, she advocates more regulation of public advertising in view of the public health impacts, particularly on more vulnerable groups.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFighting adverts\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome jurisdictions have had success in cutting out specific product categories that are deemed socially harmful. For instance, London has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-england-london-47318803\"\u003Ebanned posters for junk food\u003C\u002Fa\u003E across its public transport network in an attempt to curb child obesity (although it’s unclear what effect this has had). In France, proposals for the citizens’ climate convention have included suggestions to ban advertising \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fantipub.org\u002Fles-citoyen%c2%b7nes-vont-dans-le-sens-de-la-regulation-de-la-pub-pour-sauver-le-climat\u002F\"\u003Eharmful to the environment or to health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGovernmental regulation and policy implementation isn’t such a straight road, however, as evidenced by prior fights over advertising that threatens public health, such as tobacco. Tobacco-advertising regulation was a hard-fought victory for public health professionals, but Grier believes that the battle against junk food is likely to be more challenging.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERather than tackling powerful lobbying groups at the national level, it may be more effective to think small. “Local officials can consider things like zoning restrictions,” she says. “I think local officials can also think about how they might identify specific strategies for their locality that change the message environment, and work to incentivise the promotion of healthy food and disincentivise the promotion of unhealthy foods using the tools that they have at their disposal.” Reducing the overall space for advertising would be likely to reduce the advertising of unhealthy foods that form such a large share of marketing efforts, especially in relation to children, low earners and minorities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also scope for working with community groups. “We’ve done research that shows that there are significant numbers of community members that are concerned about these issues, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC5707955\u002F\"\u003Eespecially when they’re sensitised to them\u003C\u002Fa\u003E,” says Grier.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome cities have gone further than blocking specific categories of ads, by restricting outdoor advertising altogether. Distaste for ‘visual pollution’ has led to the restriction of outdoor billboards and signs in São Paulo. Some Indian cities have banned ads in certain public spaces where they were considered to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.deccanherald.com\u002Fspecials\u002Fpoint-blank\u002Fbengaluru-ward-panels-as-covid-19-warriors-859629.html\"\u003Eendanger public safety or block views\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut in Bristol, campaigners have had to combat each billboard one by one, using the National Policy Planning Framework. This allows for challenges on the grounds of road safety or public amenity. Denyer says that Adblock Bristol has successfully challenged about 75 digital outdoor ads so far, primarily using the road safety argument that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F288931602_A_field_study_on_the_effects_of_digital_billboards_on_glance_behavior_during_highway_driving\"\u003Edigital billboards are distracting to drivers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But “what we really need is for government and local councils to change their policy so that we don’t have to fight each individual planning application”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne concern is the potential loss to cities of badly needed revenue, for instance from rents and business rates, that come from advertising. But that common assumption is misguided, according to Denyer. She believes that the public income derived from advertising is minimal and would be dwarfed by the longer-term costs of dealing with air pollution, obesity and other ills associated with advertising.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Outdoor advertising, we do not consent to it. It’s there whether we want it or not,” emphasises Denyer. “And if we are forcing that experience on all the people that live in the more deprived areas of the city, then that’s worsening the inequalities all the more.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-08-20T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How outdoor advertising can deepen inequality","headlineShort":"The inequality of outdoor advertising","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"From billboards to posters, adverts are everywhere and can be an eyesore for anyone – but for communities they target the most, they’re also a public health risk.","summaryShort":"Why things like billboards are a public health and equality issue","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-08-19T20:07:39.995658Z","entity":"article","guid":"12347f9e-8aa9-4c17-bfe2-19c5ded35c9b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:53:41.351476Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200817-the-inequality-of-outdoor-advertising-exposure","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200438},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment","_id":"62df7fab43d9f46d3709760b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Amid wide unemployment during Covid-19, basic income schemes have gained fresh relevance. A successful Canadian scheme that's over four decades old could provide a road map for others.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEvelyn Forget was a psychology student in Toronto in 1974 when she first heard about a ground-breaking social experiment that had just begun in the rural Canadian community of Dauphin, Manitoba.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I found myself in an economics class which I wasn’t looking forward to,” she remembers. “But in the second week, the professor came in, and spoke about this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.utpjournals.press\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.3138\u002Fcpp.37.3.283\"\u003Ewonderful study \u003C\u002Fa\u003Ewhich was going to revolutionise the way we delivered social programmes in Canada. To me, it was a fascinating concept, because until then I’d never really realised you could use economics in any kind of positive way.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment was called ‘Mincome’, and it had been designed by a group of economists who wanted to do something to address rural poverty. Once it was implemented in the area, it had real results: over the four years that the program ended up running in the 1970s, an average family in Dauphin was guaranteed an annual income of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketplace.org\u002F2016\u002F12\u002F20\u002Fdauphin\u002F\"\u003E16,000 Canadian dollars \u003C\u002Fa\u003E($11,700, £9,400).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith unemployment likely to mount in the wake of Covid-19, the concept of introducing a basic income is once again back in vogue on both sides of the Atlantic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhy did these economists start Mincome those four decades ago? They wanted to see whether a guaranteed basic income for those below the poverty line could improve quality of life – a grand economic idea that had been around since the Enlightenment, but had barely been tested in practise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs one of just a handful of real-life basic income trials that has taken place over the past half century, little did they know that more than 40 years later, this experiment  would be at the centre of the discussion regarding the merits of introducing basic income on a larger scale.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBack in 1974, Canadian policy makers were inspired by a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.utpjournals.press\u002Fdoi\u002Fpdf\u002F10.3138\u002Fcpp.37.3.283\"\u003Ewave of social reforms\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which had been rolled out throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, including the introduction of universal health insurance across Canada in 1972. So, having garnered the support of Canada’s federal and provincial governments, University of Manitoba economist Derek Hum, along with Manitoba civil servants Ron Hikel and Michael Loeb, created a scheme in which Dauphin’s poorest residents could apply to receive monthly cheques to boost their existing income. At the time it was the most ambitious social science experiment ever to take place in Canada, and saw rates of hospitalisations fall, improvements in mental health, and a rise in the number of children completing high school.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It wasn’t a case of getting money to live and do nothing,” says Sharon Wallace-Storm, who grew up in Dauphin and was 15 when the experiment began. “They set a level for how much a family of three or four needed to get by. You applied showing how much you were making, and if you didn’t meet that threshold they would give you a top up.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘100 miles too far from anywhere’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment intrigued Forget, especially because of the sheer remoteness of Dauphin. Located in the middle of a vast plain, a five-hour drive from the capital of Winnipeg, Dauphin comprised little more than farming, and a small factory producing trainers. Even the town’s own inhabitants would jokingly refer to it as being “100 miles too far from anywhere”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut choosing Dauphin wasn’t random – it was simply a case of pragmatism. The economists needed a town of approximately 10,000 people – any smaller, and they would lack sufficient data to draw conclusions, while any bigger and it would cost too much – which they could drive to and from in a day. They drew a big circle around Winnipeg and happened upon Dauphin.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn total, the scheme ran for more than four years, with the primary goal of investigating whether a basic income reduced the incentive to work, one of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fprofile\u002FEvelyn_Forget\u002Fpublication\u002F282878565_Reconsidering_a_Guaranteed_Annual_Income_lessons_from_MINCOME\u002Flinks\u002F5621459c08ae70315b58cb74\u002FReconsidering-a-Guaranteed-Annual-Income-lessons-from-MINCOME.pdf\"\u003Emain public concerns\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at the time regarding such schemes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"At the time it was the most ambitious social science experiment ever to take place in Canada, and saw rates of hospitalisations fall, improvements in mental health, and a rise in the number of children completing high school","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHowever, it was abruptly stopped in 1979, a casualty of the political and economic turmoil of the mid-to late-1970s. A series of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.canadianbusiness.com\u002Fbusiness-strategy\u002Fthe-stagnant-70s\u002F\"\u003Eoil price shocks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E had led to rampant inflation and increasing levels of unemployment. This meant that by 1979, far more families in Dauphin were seeking assistance than the experiment had budgeted for, while the scheme’s payouts were rising with the inflation rate.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESoon, both the federal and provincial governments decided that supporting it was no longer viable, and so the experiment was scrapped. The many files of data were packed away in cardboard boxes, stored in a warehouse, and there they languished, unused and forgotten for nearly three decades.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUncovering the truth\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForget had long wondered what had happened to the social experiment that so captivated her in 1974. Merely hearing about it even changed her own career direction: she switched fields from psychology, andlater became a health economist. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, in 2008, she finallydecided to find out what had become of it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As a health economist, you become aware very quickly that we use the healthcare system to treat the consequences of poverty, and we do it in an inefficient and expensive way,” she says. “We wait until people live horrible lives for many years, get sick as a consequence, and then we go in all guns blazing to make things better.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForget discovered that the data had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Winnipeg regional office of Canada’s National Library and Archives. After gaining permission to analyse it, she was confronted with 1,800 dusty boxes packed full of tables, surveys and assessment forms, all of which needed to be digitalised.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter several years of painstaking work, she was finally able to publish \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.utpjournals.press\u002Fdoi\u002Fpdf\u002F10.3138\u002Fcpp.37.3.283\"\u003Ethe results\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, many of which were eye-opening. In particular, Forget was struck by the improvements in health outcomes over the four years. There was an 8.5% decline in hospitalisations – primarily because there were fewer alcohol-related accidents and hospitalisations due to mental health issues – and a reduction in visits to family physicians.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForget believes this was a direct result of the added security in people’s lives provided by the basic income. “I wanted to see whether doing something about poverty has an impact on people’s health and these results are really interesting,” she says. “An 8.5% reduction over four years is pretty dramatic.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJoy Taylor, who was 18 and newly married when the scheme began, remembers that people had much less to worry about financially during the course of the experiment, which improved their wellbeing. Her husband was suddenly able to get a loan to open a local record store, with banks being more willing to lend money to small businesses because of the guaranteed payments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere was also an increase in the number of adolescents completing high school. Before and after the experiment, Dauphin students – like many in rural towns across Manitoba – were less likely to finish school than those in the city of Winnipeg, with boys often leaving at 16 and getting jobs on farms or in factories. However, over the course of those four years, they were actually more likely to graduate than Winnipeg students. In 1976, 100% of Dauphin students enrolled for their final year of school.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Very often these people were the first in their family who’d ever finished high school,” says Forget. “When Mincome came along, families decided they could support their sons in school just a little bit longer, and, in some ways, I think that’s the most exciting result because we saw that investment in human capital.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther families who were on the programme at the time remember that certain things were suddenly more affordable. For Eric Richardson, the youngest of six children who was aged 10 when the experiment began, the introduction of basic income meant a trip to the dentist for the first time. “Normally, you didn’t get to go until you were old enough to pay for it yourself,” he says. “I remember it very well because I had 10 cavities and our dentist would drill your teeth without freezing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"For Eric Richardson, the youngest of six children who was aged 10 when the experiment began, the introduction of basic income meant a trip to the dentist for the first time","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut when the experiment ended in 1979, the improvements which had been seen in health and education soon returned to how things had been in 1974. Taylor remembers how many of the small businesses that had sprung up over the preceding four years began to vanish. Her husband was forced to close their shop, and the couple soon left Dauphin for good.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“After the programme ended, we moved to Ontario in 1980 because there was nothing to stay for anymore,” she says. “It just wasn’t doing very well.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, so, Dauphin faded back into anonymity – until now. Forget’s persistence in bringing the findings of Mincome to light has led both policy makers and academics around the world to revisit this long-forgotten experiment, as they ponder whether such a scheme could ever be viable on a much larger scale.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan basic income work across a whole country?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProponents of a nationwide basic income scheme \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fd41586-018-05259-x\"\u003Ehave argued\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that a system similar to Mincome, in which those earning less than a certain threshold receive top-up payments, are a necessary complement to the existing benefits system in order to reduce poverty. They feel that the stringent requirements attached to welfare programmes means that on their own, they provide insufficient support.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, critics point to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fiea.org.uk\u002Fthe-case-against-a-universal-basic-income-ubi\u002F\"\u003Ehuge administrative costs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E associated with providing a population-wide basic income, potentially supporting several million individuals. After all, just \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fd41586-018-05259-x\"\u003E2,128 people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in total were involved in the Mincome experiment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017, Luke Martinelli, an economist at the University of Bath, attempted to model how much such a scheme may cost the UK, with the cheapest estimate coming to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bath.ac.uk\u002Fpublications\u002Fassessing-the-case-for-a-universal-basic-income-in-the-uk\u002F\"\u003E£140 billion\u003C\u002Fa\u003E per year – on top of the existing welfare state costs. Critics have stated that no trial conducted so far has provided any indication of whether governments could afford such a large-scale programme, nor whether citizens would be willing to accept the higher levels of taxation needed to fund it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the things we do know from the Mincome experiment is that basic income does not appear to discourage the recipients from working – one of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fprofile\u002FEvelyn_Forget\u002Fpublication\u002F282878565_Reconsidering_a_Guaranteed_Annual_Income_lessons_from_MINCOME\u002Flinks\u002F5621459c08ae70315b58cb74\u002FReconsidering-a-Guaranteed-Annual-Income-lessons-from-MINCOME.pdf\"\u003Emajor concerns\u003C\u002Fa\u003E politicians have always held about such schemes. Forget found that employment rates in Dauphin stayed the same throughout the four years of Mincome, while a \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fjulkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi\u002Fbitstream\u002Fhandle\u002F10024\u002F161361\u002FReport_The%20Basic%20Income%20Experiment%2020172018%20in%20Finland.pdf?sequence-=1&isAllowed=y\"\u003Erecent trial in Finland\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – which provided more than 2,000 unemployment people with a monthly basic income of 560 euros ($630, £596) from 2017 to 2019 – found that this helped many of them to find work which provided greater economic security.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“They recently released the final results, which showed the nature of the jobs that people got once they received a basic income was changing,” says Forget. “So instead of taking on precarious part-time work, they were much more likely to be moving into full-time jobs that would make them more independent. I see that as a great success.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Critics have stated that no trial conducted so far has provided any indication of whether governments could afford such a large-scale programme, nor whether citizens would be willing to accept the higher levels of taxation needed to fund it","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut to understand some of the broader implications of how a basic income scheme may work across a larger population, some experts believe it may be necessary to first try it on a state-wide or regional level, before rolling it out on a nationwide scale can be considered.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis could provide governments with a better idea of what it could cost in practise, as well as analyse critical social factors such as what Greg Mason, an economist at the University of Manitoba, calls the ‘politics of envy’.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“All the experiments so far have only considered whether basic income affects the willingness to work of those receiving the extra payments,” Mason says. “But they haven’t looked at the people who are just above the threshold for receiving basic income. Those people could well become very resentful of anyone who isn’t working, and yet only earn slightly less than them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMason believes that for basic income to work on a larger scale, governments would need to find an eligibility income threshold that is reasonable enough to cover necessities, while not allowing people to live “the good life”. He predicts that such a threshold is likely to lie in the region of CAD$15,000 ($11,000, £8,800) – very similar to the equivalent sum which families in Dauphin received during Mincome.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough many questions do need to be answered surrounding the affordability of basic income on a larger scale, Forget believes that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could render it necessary to consider taking radical measures to plug gaps within existing welfare programmes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When Covid-19 came along and people started to lose jobs in Canada, we discovered that the suite of social programmes in place was really not up to the task,” she says. “You have this mismatch of inconsistent programmes, and you’ve got people falling through the gaps so they’re not getting the support they need. That’s only going to continue as many of the firms suffering now because of the pandemic are probably finished. With so much employment, I think basic income needs to be considered as it provides a much more coherent solution.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the residents of Dauphin who lived through the Mincome project during the 1970s, there are no doubts of its merits. “I’m a huge advocate of basic income to this day,” says Taylor. “Knowing that extra money was coming in made life that bit easier. You no longer needed to be afraid of paying the bills or what you were spending on food. It gave you that piece of mind.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Canada’s forgotten universal basic income experiment","headlineShort":"Canada's lost social experiment","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"Amid wide unemployment during Covid-19, basic income schemes have gained fresh relevance. A successful Canadian scheme that's over four decades old could provide a road map for others.","summaryShort":"What the world can learn about safety nets amid pandemic job loss","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-06-24T20:11:16.880295Z","entity":"article","guid":"1d6c5c5c-2fff-4ccf-b521-19e34bcadda5","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:50:46.21121Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200624-canadas-forgotten-universal-basic-income-experiment","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200438},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits","_id":"62df800043d9f46d1c4ba28b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":null,"bodyIntro":"Cases worth hundreds of millions can chip away at long-standing workplace inequality.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis is the latest story in \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fcapital\u002Ftags\u002Fthe-diversity-box\"\u003EThe Diversity Box\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, our new series looking at representation in the workplace.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost companies will be able to quickly point to their diversity scheme, whether it’s a well-thought out plan to create a more balanced workforce or a token public relations effort.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lack of diversity can show itself in ugly ways, when workers are discriminated against or harassed due to their age, race, gender, sexuality, and more.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOften these instances are swept under the rug or shrugged off and go unreported. But sometimes, people fight back against discrimination – and win, punishing companies that allow workplace discrimination to happen. In the process, these cases raise awareness about the broader issues of discrimination, harassment, representation and diversity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, individuals can sue their employers for enormous sums. Here are some landmark lawsuits that have commanded headlines through the years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClick or pinch to zoom on mobile.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClick or pinch to zoom on mobile.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClick or pinch to zoom on mobile.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EClick or pinch to zoom on mobile.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch by Miriam Quick. Design by Tiziana Alocci.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETo comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our\u003C\u002Fem\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCCapital\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Cem\u003Epage or message us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Capital\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\u003Cp\u003E{\"image\":{\"pid\":\"\"}}\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2018-08-16T22:47:29Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"","headlineLong":"The most influential US workplace discrimination lawsuits","headlineShort":"Do discrimination lawsuits work?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":false,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"How cases worth hundreds of millions can chip away at long-standing workplace inequality","summaryShort":"Some of them are worth hundreds of millions","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2019-07-18T15:09:00.060168Z","entity":"article","guid":"f2ebad3d-40ea-490e-8703-0daa3b845ffd","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-28T15:02:40.165167Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180815-the-most-influential-us-workplace-discrimination-lawsuits","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200438},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid","_id":"62df7eda43d9f46d9717afc5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Whether it's a small balcony, a home garden, or access to a park, outdoor space has long been a luxury for many – not a given. And the pandemic's made it even worse.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMoikgantsi Kgama has seen far too much of her apartment recently. She’s spent the pandemic inside her home in New York’s Harlem neighbourhood, an affordable housing flat which has no balcony, rooftop or private garden. A communications consultant by day and CEO of her own film company on the side, she spends her time working in a tiny home office alongside her husband, who lost his job in the concert industry when coronavirus hit. They’re also home-schooling their son, who’s developed insomnia due to the abrupt lifestyle change. Having no outdoor space makes everything worse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I don’t have anywhere to go, except outside into the pandemic – which feels extremely scary,” says Kgama. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudies have long shown \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC6651051\u002F\"\u003Ethat access to green or open space is often linked to income\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, particularly in cities. Covid-19 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fusa-spaces-minorities\u002Fprotests-pandemic-pile-pressure-on-u-s-public-space-idUSL8N2DO1RM\"\u003Ehas placed this issue front and centre\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: those with access to balconies, gardens or good, close neighbourhood parks have been benefiting from them during weeks of lockdown, while others have been trapped inside. Kgama says that she could walk to a park, but that would mean making her way through crowds of people gathered on the pavement to throw birthday parties. “You only see that in poor neighbourhoods,” she says. “People haven’t stopped doing that during the pandemic. I walked through one yesterday.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELacking that private outdoor space is something that “defines the haves and have-nots”, she feels. And there’s no guarantee living outside the city is better; poverty is rising in US suburbs and residents of emerging suburbs have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.brookings.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fthe-avenue\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F21\u002Fparks-make-great-places-but-not-enough-americans-can-reach-them\u002F\"\u003Esome of the lowest park access\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the nation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECovid-19 has shone a harsh light on numerous inequalities in our society. Is access to green space one we can fix?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrapped inside\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDecades of research have shown that spending time in green space is good for our physical and mental health – including boosting \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F238428905_Why_Is_Nature_BeneficialThe_Role_of_Connectedness_to_Nature\"\u003Eour emotional states and attention spans\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and improving our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnn.com\u002F2019\u002F11\u002F21\u002Fhealth\u002Fgreen-spaces-life-expectancy-wellness-trnd\u002Findex.html\"\u003Elongevity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Even a little goes a long way: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscience.sciencemag.org\u002Fcontent\u002F224\u002F4647\u002F420\"\u003Ea study in the 1980s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E showed that post-surgery patients assigned to hospital rooms with greenery outside recovered faster than those who didn’t have such accommodations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet in many cities, outdoor space – whether your own or in terms of proximity to parks – comes at a premium. Last month, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Feconomy\u002Fenvironmentalaccounts\u002Farticles\u002Foneineightbritishhouseholdshasnogarden\u002F2020-05-14\"\u003Estudy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from the Office of National Statistics revealed that one in eight British households had no access to green space at home, whether a private or shared space. That inequity was starker among ethnic groups: in England, black people are almost four times more likely than white people to have no access to private outdoor space. Access to public outdoor space can be a challenge, too: “There are about 100 million people in the US who don’t live within 10 minutes of a park or green space,” says Kimberly Burrowes, a researcher at the Urban Institute, a think tank based in Washington, DC that studies cities. And \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.brookings.edu\u002Fblog\u002Fthe-avenue\u002F2019\u002F08\u002F21\u002Fparks-make-great-places-but-not-enough-americans-can-reach-them\u002F\"\u003Ethe poorer an area is, the worse the park quality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, even if a park is close by.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People view nature as an amenity, not as an essential – Lorien Nesbitt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“People view nature as an amenity, not as an essential,” says Lorien Nesbitt, an assistant professor of urban forestry at the University of British Columbia in Canada. “I think we don’t always view urban nature as important as running water, housing, that kind of thing.” Nesbitt led a study last year \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F328030472_Who_has_access_to_urban_vegetation_A_spatial_analysis_of_distributional_green_equity_in_10_US_cities\"\u003Eexamining green space in 10 major US cities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Across the board, she says, green space was harder to access in lower-income neighbourhoods and in areas with mostly residents of colour. In general, in richer areas, it’s easier to find any kind of garden, rooftop or balcony greenery, ‘micro parks’ on pavements or city blocks, and even trees, which require long-term investment and maintenance, meaning they are found more often in those wealthier neighbourhoods.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoving further out of cities is a solution many seek. Yet, cheaper suburban life, with its houses and front and back gardens, isn’t always the solution. In some areas people (especially women and people of colour) may not feel safe in their gardens, or homes might be next to loud, pollution-heavy structures like a highway or airport. Not all suburbs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.citylab.com\u002Flife\u002F2019\u002F11\u002Fsuburbs-demographic-trends-population-data-immigration\u002F601546\u002F\"\u003Eare created equal\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, either: from 2000 to 2015, the poverty rate in US suburbs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.brookings.edu\u002Ftestimonies\u002Fthe-changing-geography-of-us-poverty\u002F\"\u003Egrew by 57%.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E “There are still marginalised people in suburban areas as well,” says Nesbitt. “It’s not so much about the amount [of green space], it’s the quality.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a place like the US, public green spaces are funded by city budgets (whose parks departments can often operate on a shoestring) from local tax dollars. In richer areas, green spaces can be high quality, since private non-profits can “conduct massive fundraising campaigns among the affluent stakeholders with access to these parks”, says Ingrid Gould Ellen, faculty cirector of New York University’s Furman Center, which researches urban policy. “Since state and local budgets seem likely to shrink [because of the pandemic], potentially dramatically, there's a worthwhile conversation about how to raise private funds to support investment in parks in lower-income neighbourhoods.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart solutions\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome cities have prioritised accessible green space more than others; in Vancouver, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvancouver.ca\u002Ffiles\u002Fcov\u002FGreenest-city-action-plan.pdf\"\u003E92% of residents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E live within a five-minute walk of green spaces. In Milwaukee, in the US state of Wisconsin, Burrowes points to an urban trail that was deliberately designed to makes its way through several neighbourhoods of colour, allowing residents greater access close to home. She says cities like these have nature-minded advocates in local government: she points to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tpl.org\u002F10minutewalk\"\u003E10-Minute Walk Challenge\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which challenges mayors to make parks a 10-minute walk from all homes by 2050. It’s a national initiative led by organisations like the US’s National Recreation and Park Association, and nearly 300 city mayors have signed on, with San Francisco \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sfchronicle.com\u002Fbayarea\u002Farticle\u002FSF-1st-city-in-nation-with-a-park-10-minute-walk-11150987.php\"\u003Ebecoming the first city\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to hit the challenge’s goal in 2017.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurrowes also points to New York City’s work with minority communities in Manhattan’s Lower East Side decades ago \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Flifeandstyle\u002F2015\u002Faug\u002F11\u002Fnew-york-lower-east-side-community-gardens\"\u003Eto create ‘pocket parks’ tucked into the city blocks that exist to this day.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Even when the city was gripped by crime, drugs and bankruptcy in the 1970s, it helped neighbourhood residents develop the public community gardens they made out of abandoned clearings that continue to provide green space for small public art events and other gatherings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen there’s the matter of balconies. “I live in affordable housing, and I’m grateful for the housing,” says Kgama. “But I was kind of thinking, ‘would it have hurt them to put a balcony here?’” She isn’t alone in that sentiment: from New York to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theglobeandmail.com\u002Freal-estate\u002Ftoronto\u002Frising-demand-for-balconies-poses-riddle-for-developers-intoronto\u002Farticle35997696\u002F?ref=http:\u002F\u002Fwww.theglobeandmail.com&\"\u003EToronto\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.citylab.com\u002Flife\u002F2020\u002F04\u002Fapartment-design-balcony-private-outdoor-space-zoning-laws\u002F610162\u002F\"\u003Ethere’s been more demand for balconies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E built into apartment units. Strict zoning laws and extra cost are roadblocks, however, as is the fact that bigger balconies can mean less space inside.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Balconies and communal rooftops were not common features of pre-war construction, and 57% of all units in New York City were built before 1947,” says New York University’s Ellen, who says small courtyards are more common, and many public housing buildings were built to include them. But many, like Kgama’s, don’t allow residents access, as that would require extra maintenance money.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dezeen.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F14\u002Fcoronavirus-pandemic-reveals-inequities-in-new-york-housing-say-local-architects\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESome local architecture firms\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, like New York City-based PRO, think now is the time to address this issue, with proposals to retrofit screened-in balconies onto the sides of World War Two-era brick buildings. Nathan Rich, the founding partner at PRO, \u003Ca href=\"points%20to%20a%20project%20in%20France%20\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epoints to a project in France\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that’s done something similar, adding balconies on to 1960s social housing developments. His firm is looking at buildings within the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which provides housing to low and middle-income residents, to design possible solutions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Covid continues to spotlight where these inequities are and what they look like – Kimberly Burrowes","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMost NYCHA buildings lack outdoor space, plus many of the buildings are ageing rapidly, with potentially huge maintenance costs – meaning any solutions need to be creative. “We are looking at strategies that would allow new balconies to perform multiple functions and piggyback on NYCHA maintenance efforts that are already underway,” says Rich.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENesbitt says changes don’t have to be so radical; even “view corridors” to parks from your home could help. Extra flowers on the street could work, too, because we can’t go to the park every day. “Especially if we’re busy, or a single parent, or low income and we have to work a couple [of] jobs. You’re not going to be in the park five blocks from your house – you will be walking down the street in front of your house, and that contact with nature is important.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA renewed conversation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, trying to increase access to outdoor space has been a goal of cities way before Covid-19 struck. But the conversation has taken on greater intensity since the pandemic has exposed just how unequal access can be. It’s not yet been possible to quantify the mental-health toll of long weeks of lockdown, and any correlation with access to outdoor space. But we do know that isolation \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcapmh.biomedcentral.com\u002Farticles\u002F10.1186\u002Fs13034-020-00329-3\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eis bad for everyone’s mental health,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and that people \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.kff.org\u002Fcoronavirus-covid-19\u002Fissue-brief\u002Fthe-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewho lost incomes or had low incomes to begin with experienced more stress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Covid continues to spotlight where these inequities are and what they look like,” says Burrowes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts hope this will accelerate pre-pandemic trends: a push for more balconies, better community gardens and easier entry points to parks. But this must come from city governments prioritising them. “We can have good housing and good access to nature – not one or the other,” says Nesbitt. “In the pandemic, that relationship with nature is really important.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKgama, meanwhile, is finally managing to get some fresh air – in Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her family bought plane tickets for $15 each and will fly down for a weeklong getaway. But she wishes it was even longer. If a second wave of Covid cases hits New York, it’ll mean being cooped up inside for months all over again. “If I could, we would’ve left for the whole summer,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What outdoor space tells us about inequality","headlineShort":"The luxury of having outdoor space","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"Whether it's a small balcony, a home garden, or access to a park, outdoor space has long been a luxury for many – not a given. And the pandemic's made it even worse.","summaryShort":"In Covid-19, balconies and gardens reveal a lot about inequality","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-06-17T18:54:44.408435Z","entity":"article","guid":"ba673f54-38dc-4ffb-aee5-731fe188df84","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid","modifiedDateTime":"2022-02-25T06:50:36.350566Z","project":"wwverticals","slug":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200617-the-luxury-and-privilege-of-a-balcony-or-yard-during-covid","cacheLastUpdated":1659602200439},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum","_id":"62df823143d9f46d1443b251","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Our brains don’t all work the same way. One New York-based software company sees that as a competitive advantage.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERajesh Anandan founded his company Ultranauts (formerly Ultra Testing) with his MIT roommate Art Shectman with one aim: one aim: to prove that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190719-neurodiversity\"\u003Eneurodiversity \u003C\u002Fa\u003Eand autism could be a competitive advantage in business.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There is an incredible talent pool of adults on the autistic spectrum that has been overlooked for all the wrong reasons,” says 46-year-old Anandan. “People who haven’t had a fair shot to succeed at work, because of workplace and workflow and business practices that aren’t particularly effective for anyone but are especially damaging for anyone who is wired differently.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe New York-based quality engineering start-up is now one of an increasing number of firms looking towards autistic talent. But while programmes at companies including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-world-work-autismatwork\u002Fautism-in-the-workplace-a-spectrum-of-hiring-choices-idUSKCN1SD0YB\"\u003EMicrosoft and accounting firm EY\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are small and focused around supporting neurodiverse workers in the office, Ultranauts has redesigned its entire business around neurodiversity, changing hiring efforts to actively recruit individuals on the autism spectrum and developing new workplace practices to effectively manage neurodiverse teams.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We set out to change the blueprint for work, and change how a company could hire, manage and develop talent,” says Anandan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENeurodiversity has risen to the top of the agenda around inclusion at work in recent years, yet it is not a common term. It refers to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fneurodiversity.io\u002F?option=com_content&view=article&id=1\"\u003Ethe range of differences in individual human brain function\u003C\u002Fa\u003E which can be associated with conditions such as dyslexia, autism and ADHD.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch by the UK’s National Autistic Society (NAS) shows that the figures around employment of people with autism in the UK are still very low. In its survey of 2,000 autistic adults, just \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.autism.org.uk\u002Fget-involved\u002Fmedia-centre\u002Fnews\u002F2016-10-27-employment-gap.aspx\"\u003E16% were in in full-time work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, despite 77% of people who were unemployed saying they wanted to work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe barriers to work for people with autism can still be huge, and Richmal Maybank, employer engagement manager at NAS, says many factors contribute to this. “Job descriptions can often have core tick-box behaviours, and can be quite general,” she says. “Forms look for ‘team players’ and ‘staff with great communication skills’ but lack specific information.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETerms like these – or interview questions such as ‘where you see yourself in five years’ – can be too general for people with autism, as many with the condition can find vague questionsparticularly hard to decipher. Additionally, people can feel uncomfortable disclosing their disability or feel challenged by open-plan workplaces, where they may feel they need to socialise or absorb uncomfortable levels of noise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People can feel uncomfortable disclosing their disability or feel challenged by open-plan workplaces, where they may feel they need to socialise or absorb uncomfortable levels of noise","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFive years in, 75% of Ultranauts’ staff are on the autistic spectrum – and one reason for this is its innovative approach to hiring. In other companies, assessing candidates often focuses heavily on communication competencies, which means neurodiverse voices can be excluded. But at Ultranauts there is no interview process and applicants don’t need relevant experience of specific technical skills. “We have adopted an approach to screening job applicants that is much more objective than you’ll find in most places,” says Anandan.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of using CVs and interviews, potential employees undergo a basic competency assessment in which they are evaluated against 25 desirable attributes for software testers, such as the ability to learn new systems or take on feedback. Following these initial tests, potential staff undergo a week of working from home fully paid. Potential recruits also know they can choose to work on a DTE (a desired-time equivalent) timetable, meaning they can take on as many hours as they feel comfortable managing, rather than being tied into full-time work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As a result, we have a talent screening process to take someone who has never done this job and at the end of that process have a 95% degree of confidence… whether people would be great at this,” says Anandan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe competitive advantages of ‘neurodiversity’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudies by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2017\u002F05\u002Fneurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage\"\u003EHarvard University\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bima.co.uk\u002FTech-and-Inclusion-Report\"\u003EBIMA\u003C\u002Fa\u003E have shown that embracing and maximising the talents of people who think differently can have huge benefits for a business. Having a neurodiverse workforce has been shown to improve innovation and problem solving, as people see and understand information in a range of different ways. Researchers have also found that accommodations made for neurodiverse staff members such as flexible hours or remote working can benefit neurotypical staff, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NAS say they have seen a rise in organisations reaching out to them to find out how they could better recruit autistic talent and neurodiverse workers, especially outside the IT sector. NAS offers suggestions for small changes, such as ensuring every meeting has an agenda. Agendas and similar tools can help neurodiverse staff focus on the relevant information needed and help people plan things in advance, making the meeting more accessible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The things we suggest are good practice for any company, not just people with autism. They aren’t expensive, and are often easy quick wins,” says Maybank. “Employers need to recognise cultures in their organisation and to understand the unwritten rules of their organisation, to help people navigate that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaybank, who has been working with autistic people for the last decade, says she’d like to see more mandatory training for managers around neurodiversity and more buddying programmes to help people create better social links at work. She also feels employers should look at different progression routes for employees who may not want to become managers.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut she says increased awareness of neurodiversity has improved understanding in workplaces. “People are becoming way more open about recognising different strands of autistic and neurodiverse behaviour,” she says. “People have a pre-conceived perception of what autism is, but it’s best to ask that person. People may be opposites of each other despite having the same condition.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETailoring new technology\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet it’s not just increased awareness; remote working and new technologies are also helping to support workers who may previously have struggled to enter the workforce.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\u002Fspan\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkplace tools including instant messaging platform Slack and list-making application Trello have improved communication for staff who may work outside a standard office environment. These tools can have additional benefits for people on the autistic spectrum, who might find things like face-to-face communication difficult.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltranauts has made use of these technologies, as well as creating its own tools to suit staff needs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A couples of years ago, a colleague on our team said they wished people came with a user manual,” says Anandan. So that’s exactly what they created, a self-authored guide called a ‘biodex’ which gives colleagues at Ultranauts all the information they need to find the best ways of working with a particular person.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing flexible about workplace set-up and tailoring company behaviours to cater for autistic needs has been a huge success for Ultranauts, which is beginning to share its experiences on best practice with other companies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnandan says he’s learnt that making a workplace inclusive for neurodiverse colleagues hasn’t added friction or inefficiency, but allowed people who have largely been ignored by society to show their true talents. “We’ve shown over and over… that we’ve delivered results better because of the diversity of our team,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191018-where-75-of-workers-are-on-the-autistic-spectrum-7"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Where 75% of workers are on the autistic spectrum","headlineShort":"The firm that got rid of job interviews","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Our brains don’t all work the same way. 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fill="#FA6400" d="M422,424H258c-0.552,0-1.052-0.224-1.414-0.586S256,422.552,256,422V90c0-0.552,0.224-1.052,0.586-1.414 S257.448,88,258,88h164c0.552,0,1.052,0.224,1.414,0.586S424,89.448,424,90v332c0,0.552-0.224,1.052-0.586,1.414 S422.552,424,422,424z"></path></g></svg><span>Sounds</span></a></li><li class="orb-nav-bitesize"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220804084128/https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize"><svg class="product-icon" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewbox="0 0 512 512" enable-background="new 0 0 512 512" xml:space="preserve" focusable="false" aria-hidden="true"><g><path fill="#6100A8" d="M134,400H78c-0.552,0-1.052-0.224-1.414-0.586S76,398.552,76,398V162c0-0.552,0.224-1.052,0.586-1.414 S77.448,160,78,160h56c0.552,0,1.052,0.224,1.414,0.586S136,161.448,136,162v236c0,0.552-0.224,1.052-0.586,1.414 S134.552,400,134,400z"></path><path fill="#7222C6" 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