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content: '\e125'; } .gelicon--apple::before { content: '\e126'; } .gelicon--interactive::before { content: '\e900'; } /* Social Icons */ .gelicon--share, .gelicon--recommend, .gelicon--comments, .gelicon--blog, .gelicon--smiley, .gelicon--love, .gelicon--twitter, .gelicon--facebook, .gelicon--google-plus, .gelicon--google, .gelicon--spotify, .gelicon--pinterest, .gelicon--tumblr, .gelicon--stumbleupon, .gelicon--linkedin, .gelicon--reddit, .gelicon--digg, .gelicon--instagram, .gelicon--whatsapp { font-family: 'gelicons-social' !important; } /* GEL */ .gelicon--share::before { content: '\e200'; } .gelicon--recommend::before { content: '\e201'; } .gelicon--comments::before { content: '\e202'; } .gelicon--blog::before { content: '\e203'; } .gelicon--smiley::before { content: '\e204'; } .gelicon--love::before { content: '\e205'; } /* THIRD PARTY */ .gelicon--twitter::before { content: '\e300'; } .gelicon--facebook::before { content: '\e301'; } .gelicon--google-plus::before { content: '\e700'; } .gelicon--google::before { content: '\e701'; } .gelicon--spotify::before { content: '\e304'; } .gelicon--pinterest::before { content: '\e305'; } .gelicon--tumblr::before { content: '\e306'; } .gelicon--stumbleupon::before { content: '\e307'; } .gelicon--linkedin::before { content: '\e308'; } .gelicon--reddit::before { content: '\e309'; } .gelicon--digg::before { content: '\e30a'; } .gelicon--instagram::before { content: '\e30b'; } .gelicon--whatsapp::before { content: '\e600'; } .mapboxgl-map { font: 12px/20px Helvetica Neue,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; overflow: hidden; position: relative; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); } .mapboxgl-canvas { position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0; } .mapboxgl-map:-webkit-full-screen { width: 100%; height: 100%; } .mapboxgl-canary { background-color: salmon; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-interactive, .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button.mapboxgl-ctrl-compass { cursor: -webkit-grab; cursor: grab; -moz-user-select: none; -webkit-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-interactive.mapboxgl-track-pointer { cursor: pointer; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-interactive:active, .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button.mapboxgl-ctrl-compass:active { cursor: -webkit-grabbing; cursor: grabbing; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-zoom-rotate, .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-zoom-rotate .mapboxgl-canvas { -ms-touch-action: pan-x pan-y; touch-action: pan-x pan-y; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-drag-pan, .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-drag-pan .mapboxgl-canvas { -ms-touch-action: pinch-zoom; touch-action: pinch-zoom; } .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-zoom-rotate.mapboxgl-touch-drag-pan, .mapboxgl-canvas-container.mapboxgl-touch-zoom-rotate.mapboxgl-touch-drag-pan .mapboxgl-canvas { -ms-touch-action: none; touch-action: none; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left, .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-right, .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-left, .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-right { position: absolute; pointer-events: none; z-index: 2; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-left { top: 0; left: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-right { top: 0; right: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left { bottom: 0; left: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-right { right: 0; bottom: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl { clear: both; pointer-events: auto; -webkit-transform: translate(0); transform: translate(0); } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-left .mapboxgl-ctrl { margin: 10px 0 0 10px; float: left; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-right .mapboxgl-ctrl { margin: 10px 10px 0 0; float: right; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left .mapboxgl-ctrl { margin: 0 0 10px 10px; float: left; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-right .mapboxgl-ctrl { margin: 0 10px 10px 0; float: right; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group { border-radius: 4px; background: #fff; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group:not(:empty) { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); } @media (-ms-high-contrast: active) { .mapboxgl-ctrl-group:not(:empty) { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px ButtonText; box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px ButtonText; } } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button { width: 29px; height: 29px; display: block; padding: 0; outline: none; border: 0; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button + button { border-top: 1px solid #ddd; } .mapboxgl-ctrl button .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon { display: block; width: 100%; height: 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 50%; } @media (-ms-high-contrast: active) { .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon { background-color: transparent; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button + button { border-top: 1px solid ButtonText; } } .mapboxgl-ctrl button::-moz-focus-inner { border: 0; padding: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 2px 2px #0096ff; box-shadow: 0 0 2px 2px #0096ff; } .mapboxgl-ctrl button:disabled { cursor: not-allowed; } .mapboxgl-ctrl button:disabled .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon { opacity: .25; } .mapboxgl-ctrl button:not(:disabled):hover { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus:focus-visible { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 2px 2px #0096ff; box-shadow: 0 0 2px 2px #0096ff; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus:not(:focus-visible) { -webkit-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus:first-child { border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus:last-child { border-radius: 0 0 4px 4px; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-group button:focus:only-child { border-radius: inherit; } .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' fill='%23333'%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' fill='%23333'%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: active) { .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' fill='%23fff'%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' 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 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: active) { .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='%23fff'%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' 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 0 110-7z'/%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' cy='10' r='2'/%3E%3C/svg%3E"); } .mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-background .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%3C/svg%3E"); } .mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-background-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='%23e54e33'%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%3C/svg%3E"); } .mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-waiting .mapboxgl-ctrl-icon { -webkit-animation: mapboxgl-spin 2s linear infinite; animation: mapboxgl-spin 2s linear infinite; } @media (-ms-high-contrast: active) { .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='%23fff'%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='%23999'%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 0 110-7z'/%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' cy='10' r='2'/%3E%3C/svg%3E"); } .mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-background .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%3C/svg%3E"); } .mapboxgl-ctrl button.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate.mapboxgl-ctrl-geolocate-background-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='%23e54e33'%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%3C/svg%3E"); } } @media (-ms-high-contrast: black-on-white) { .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'%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='%23666'%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"); } } @-webkit-keyframes mapboxgl-spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); } to { -webkit-transform: rotate(1turn); } } @keyframes mapboxgl-spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } to { -webkit-transform: rotate(1turn); transform: rotate(1turn); } } a.mapboxgl-ctrl-logo { width: 88px; height: 23px; margin: 0 0 -4px -4px; display: block; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; overflow: hidden; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='88' height='23' viewBox='0 0 88 23' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' fill-rule='evenodd'%3E%3Cdefs%3E%3Cpath id='a' d='M11.5 2.25c5.105 0 9.25 4.145 9.25 9.25s-4.145 9.25-9.25 9.25-9.25-4.145-9.25-9.25 4.145-9.25 9.25-9.25zM6.997 15.983c-.051-.338-.828-5.802 2.233-8.873a4.395 4.395 0 013.13-1.28c1.27 0 2.49.51 3.39 1.42.91.9 1.42 2.12 1.42 3.39 0 1.18-.449 2.301-1.28 3.13C12.72 16.93 7 16 7 16l-.003-.017zM15.3 10.5l-2 .8-.8 2-.8-2-2-.8 2-.8.8-2 .8 2 2 .8z'/%3E%3Cpath id='b' d='M50.63 8c.13 0 .23.1.23.23V9c.7-.76 1.7-1.18 2.73-1.18 2.17 0 3.95 1.85 3.95 4.17s-1.77 4.19-3.94 4.19c-1.04 0-2.03-.43-2.74-1.18v3.77c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 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0-.23-.11-.23-.23v-4.59c0-.98-.74-1.71-1.62-1.71-.85 0-1.54.79-1.6 1.8v4.5c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23zm53.615 0h-1.61c-.04 0-.08-.01-.12-.03-.09-.06-.13-.19-.06-.28l2.43-3.71-2.39-3.65a.213.213 0 01-.03-.12c0-.12.09-.21.21-.21h1.61c.13 0 .24.06.3.17l1.41 2.37 1.4-2.37a.34.34 0 01.3-.17h1.6c.04 0 .08.01.12.03.09.06.13.19.06.28l-2.37 3.65 2.43 3.7c0 .05.01.09.01.13 0 .12-.09.21-.21.21h-1.61c-.13 0-.24-.06-.3-.17l-1.44-2.42-1.44 2.42a.34.34 0 01-.3.17zm-7.12-1.49c-1.33 0-2.42-1.12-2.42-2.51 0-1.39 1.08-2.52 2.42-2.52 1.33 0 2.42 1.12 2.42 2.51 0 1.39-1.08 2.51-2.42 2.52zm-19.865 0c-1.32 0-2.39-1.11-2.42-2.48v-.07c.02-1.38 1.09-2.49 2.4-2.49 1.32 0 2.41 1.12 2.41 2.51 0 1.39-1.07 2.52-2.39 2.53zm-8.11-2.48c-.01 1.37-1.09 2.47-2.41 2.47s-2.42-1.12-2.42-2.51c0-1.39 1.08-2.52 2.4-2.52 1.33 0 2.39 1.11 2.41 2.48l.02.08zm18.12 2.47c-1.32 0-2.39-1.11-2.41-2.48v-.06c.02-1.38 1.09-2.48 2.41-2.48s2.42 1.12 2.42 2.51c0 1.39-1.09 2.51-2.42 2.51z'/%3E%3C/defs%3E%3Cmask id='c'%3E%3Crect width='100%25' height='100%25' fill='%23fff'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b'/%3E%3C/mask%3E%3Cg opacity='.3' stroke='%23000' stroke-width='3'%3E%3Ccircle mask='url(%23c)' cx='11.5' cy='11.5' r='9.25'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b' mask='url(/web/20211026230015im_/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/%23c)'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3Cg opacity='.9' fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E"); } a.mapboxgl-ctrl-logo.mapboxgl-compact { width: 23px; } @media (-ms-high-contrast: active) { a.mapboxgl-ctrl-logo { background-color: transparent; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='88' height='23' viewBox='0 0 88 23' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' fill-rule='evenodd'%3E%3Cdefs%3E%3Cpath id='a' d='M11.5 2.25c5.105 0 9.25 4.145 9.25 9.25s-4.145 9.25-9.25 9.25-9.25-4.145-9.25-9.25 4.145-9.25 9.25-9.25zM6.997 15.983c-.051-.338-.828-5.802 2.233-8.873a4.395 4.395 0 013.13-1.28c1.27 0 2.49.51 3.39 1.42.91.9 1.42 2.12 1.42 3.39 0 1.18-.449 2.301-1.28 3.13C12.72 16.93 7 16 7 16l-.003-.017zM15.3 10.5l-2 .8-.8 2-.8-2-2-.8 2-.8.8-2 .8 2 2 .8z'/%3E%3Cpath id='b' d='M50.63 8c.13 0 .23.1.23.23V9c.7-.76 1.7-1.18 2.73-1.18 2.17 0 3.95 1.85 3.95 4.17s-1.77 4.19-3.94 4.19c-1.04 0-2.03-.43-2.74-1.18v3.77c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.1-.23-.23V8.23c0-.12.1-.23.23-.23h1.4zm-3.86.01c.01 0 .01 0 .01-.01.13 0 .22.1.22.22v7.55c0 .12-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.1-.23-.23V15c-.7.76-1.69 1.19-2.73 1.19-2.17 0-3.94-1.87-3.94-4.19 0-2.32 1.77-4.19 3.94-4.19 1.03 0 2.02.43 2.73 1.18v-.75c0-.12.1-.23.23-.23h1.4zm26.375-.19a4.24 4.24 0 00-4.16 3.29c-.13.59-.13 1.19 0 1.77a4.233 4.233 0 004.17 3.3c2.35 0 4.26-1.87 4.26-4.19 0-2.32-1.9-4.17-4.27-4.17zM60.63 5c.13 0 .23.1.23.23v3.76c.7-.76 1.7-1.18 2.73-1.18 1.88 0 3.45 1.4 3.84 3.28.13.59.13 1.2 0 1.8-.39 1.88-1.96 3.29-3.84 3.29-1.03 0-2.02-.43-2.73-1.18v.77c0 .12-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.1-.23-.23V5.23c0-.12.1-.23.23-.23h1.4zm-34 11h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.11-.23-.23V8.22c.01-.13.1-.22.23-.22h1.4c.13 0 .22.11.23.22v.68c.5-.68 1.3-1.09 2.16-1.1h.03c1.09 0 2.09.6 2.6 1.55.45-.95 1.4-1.55 2.44-1.56 1.62 0 2.93 1.25 2.9 2.78l.03 5.2c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23h-1.41c-.13 0-.23-.11-.23-.23v-4.59c0-.98-.74-1.71-1.62-1.71-.8 0-1.46.7-1.59 1.62l.01 4.68c0 .13-.11.23-.23.23h-1.41c-.13 0-.23-.11-.23-.23v-4.59c0-.98-.74-1.71-1.62-1.71-.85 0-1.54.79-1.6 1.8v4.5c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23zm53.615 0h-1.61c-.04 0-.08-.01-.12-.03-.09-.06-.13-.19-.06-.28l2.43-3.71-2.39-3.65a.213.213 0 01-.03-.12c0-.12.09-.21.21-.21h1.61c.13 0 .24.06.3.17l1.41 2.37 1.4-2.37a.34.34 0 01.3-.17h1.6c.04 0 .08.01.12.03.09.06.13.19.06.28l-2.37 3.65 2.43 3.7c0 .05.01.09.01.13 0 .12-.09.21-.21.21h-1.61c-.13 0-.24-.06-.3-.17l-1.44-2.42-1.44 2.42a.34.34 0 01-.3.17zm-7.12-1.49c-1.33 0-2.42-1.12-2.42-2.51 0-1.39 1.08-2.52 2.42-2.52 1.33 0 2.42 1.12 2.42 2.51 0 1.39-1.08 2.51-2.42 2.52zm-19.865 0c-1.32 0-2.39-1.11-2.42-2.48v-.07c.02-1.38 1.09-2.49 2.4-2.49 1.32 0 2.41 1.12 2.41 2.51 0 1.39-1.07 2.52-2.39 2.53zm-8.11-2.48c-.01 1.37-1.09 2.47-2.41 2.47s-2.42-1.12-2.42-2.51c0-1.39 1.08-2.52 2.4-2.52 1.33 0 2.39 1.11 2.41 2.48l.02.08zm18.12 2.47c-1.32 0-2.39-1.11-2.41-2.48v-.06c.02-1.38 1.09-2.48 2.41-2.48s2.42 1.12 2.42 2.51c0 1.39-1.09 2.51-2.42 2.51z'/%3E%3C/defs%3E%3Cmask id='c'%3E%3Crect width='100%25' height='100%25' fill='%23fff'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b'/%3E%3C/mask%3E%3Cg stroke='%23000' stroke-width='3'%3E%3Ccircle mask='url(%23c)' cx='11.5' cy='11.5' r='9.25'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b' mask='url(/web/20211026230015im_/https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/%23c)'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3Cg fill='%23fff'%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23a'/%3E%3Cuse xlink:href='%23b'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E"); } } @media (-ms-high-contrast: black-on-white) { a.mapboxgl-ctrl-logo { background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='88' height='23' viewBox='0 0 88 23' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink' fill-rule='evenodd'%3E%3Cdefs%3E%3Cpath id='a' d='M11.5 2.25c5.105 0 9.25 4.145 9.25 9.25s-4.145 9.25-9.25 9.25-9.25-4.145-9.25-9.25 4.145-9.25 9.25-9.25zM6.997 15.983c-.051-.338-.828-5.802 2.233-8.873a4.395 4.395 0 013.13-1.28c1.27 0 2.49.51 3.39 1.42.91.9 1.42 2.12 1.42 3.39 0 1.18-.449 2.301-1.28 3.13C12.72 16.93 7 16 7 16l-.003-.017zM15.3 10.5l-2 .8-.8 2-.8-2-2-.8 2-.8.8-2 .8 2 2 .8z'/%3E%3Cpath id='b' d='M50.63 8c.13 0 .23.1.23.23V9c.7-.76 1.7-1.18 2.73-1.18 2.17 0 3.95 1.85 3.95 4.17s-1.77 4.19-3.94 4.19c-1.04 0-2.03-.43-2.74-1.18v3.77c0 .13-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.1-.23-.23V8.23c0-.12.1-.23.23-.23h1.4zm-3.86.01c.01 0 .01 0 .01-.01.13 0 .22.1.22.22v7.55c0 .12-.1.23-.23.23h-1.4c-.13 0-.23-.1-.23-.23V15c-.7.76-1.69 1.19-2.73 1.19-2.17 0-3.94-1.87-3.94-4.19 0-2.32 1.77-4.19 3.94-4.19 1.03 0 2.02.43 2.73 1.18v-.75c0-.12.1-.23.23-.23h1.4zm26.375-.19a4.24 4.24 0 00-4.16 3.29c-.13.59-.13 1.19 0 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url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='24' height='24' viewBox='0 0 20 20' xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill-rule='evenodd'%3E%3Cpath d='M4 10a6 6 0 1012 0 6 6 0 10-12 0m5-3a1 1 0 102 0 1 1 0 10-2 0m0 3a1 1 0 112 0v3a1 1 0 11-2 0'/%3E%3C/svg%3E"); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5); width: 24px; height: 24px; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; border-radius: 12px; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-right > .mapboxgl-ctrl-attrib.mapboxgl-compact:after { bottom: 0; right: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-right > .mapboxgl-ctrl-attrib.mapboxgl-compact:after { top: 0; right: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-top-left > .mapboxgl-ctrl-attrib.mapboxgl-compact:after { top: 0; left: 0; } .mapboxgl-ctrl-bottom-left > .mapboxgl-ctrl-attrib.mapboxgl-compact:after { bottom: 0; left: 0; } } @media screen and (-ms-high-contrast: active) { .mapboxgl-ctrl-attrib.mapboxgl-compact:after { background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg width='24' height='24' viewBox='0 0 20 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padding: 0 5px; color: #333; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } .mapboxgl-popup { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; will-change: transform; pointer-events: none; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top, .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-left, .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-right { -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom, .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-left, .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-right { -ms-flex-direction: column-reverse; flex-direction: column-reverse; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-left { -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-right { -ms-flex-direction: row-reverse; flex-direction: row-reverse; } .mapboxgl-popup-tip { width: 0; height: 0; border: 10px solid transparent; z-index: 1; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: center; -ms-grid-row-align: center; align-self: center; border-top: none; border-bottom-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-left .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: start; align-self: flex-start; border-top: none; border-left: none; border-bottom-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-right .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: end; align-self: flex-end; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-bottom-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: center; -ms-grid-row-align: center; align-self: center; border-bottom: none; border-top-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-left .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: start; align-self: flex-start; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-top-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-right .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: end; align-self: flex-end; border-bottom: none; border-right: none; border-top-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-left .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: center; -ms-grid-row-align: center; align-self: center; border-left: none; border-right-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-right .mapboxgl-popup-tip { -ms-flex-item-align: center; -ms-grid-row-align: center; align-self: center; border-right: none; border-left-color: #fff; } .mapboxgl-popup-close-button { position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; border: 0; border-radius: 0 3px 0 0; cursor: pointer; background-color: transparent; } .mapboxgl-popup-close-button:hover { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05); } .mapboxgl-popup-content { position: relative; background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); padding: 10px 10px 15px; pointer-events: auto; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-left .mapboxgl-popup-content { border-top-left-radius: 0; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-top-right .mapboxgl-popup-content { border-top-right-radius: 0; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-left .mapboxgl-popup-content { border-bottom-left-radius: 0; } .mapboxgl-popup-anchor-bottom-right .mapboxgl-popup-content { border-bottom-right-radius: 0; } .mapboxgl-popup-track-pointer { display: none; } .mapboxgl-popup-track-pointer * { pointer-events: none; -webkit-user-select: none; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } .mapboxgl-map:hover .mapboxgl-popup-track-pointer { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .mapboxgl-map:active .mapboxgl-popup-track-pointer { display: none; } .mapboxgl-marker { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; will-change: transform; } .mapboxgl-user-location-dot, .mapboxgl-user-location-dot:before { background-color: #1da1f2; width: 15px; height: 15px; border-radius: 50%; } .mapboxgl-user-location-dot:before { content: ""; position: absolute; -webkit-animation: mapboxgl-user-location-dot-pulse 2s infinite; animation: mapboxgl-user-location-dot-pulse 2s infinite; } .mapboxgl-user-location-dot:after { border-radius: 50%; border: 2px solid #fff; content: ""; height: 19px; left: -2px; position: absolute; top: -2px; width: 19px; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35); box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35); } @-webkit-keyframes mapboxgl-user-location-dot-pulse { 0% { -webkit-transform: scale(1); opacity: 1; } 70% { -webkit-transform: scale(3); opacity: 0; } to { -webkit-transform: scale(1); opacity: 0; } } @keyframes mapboxgl-user-location-dot-pulse { 0% { -webkit-transform: scale(1); transform: scale(1); opacity: 1; } 70% { -webkit-transform: scale(3); transform: scale(3); opacity: 0; } to { -webkit-transform: scale(1); transform: scale(1); opacity: 0; } } .mapboxgl-user-location-dot-stale { background-color: #aaa; } .mapboxgl-user-location-dot-stale:after { display: none; } .mapboxgl-user-location-accuracy-circle { background-color: rgba(29, 161, 242, 0.2); width: 1px; height: 1px; border-radius: 100%; } .mapboxgl-crosshair, .mapboxgl-crosshair .mapboxgl-interactive, .mapboxgl-crosshair .mapboxgl-interactive:active { cursor: crosshair; } .mapboxgl-boxzoom { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 0; height: 0; background: #fff; border: 2px dotted #202020; opacity: .5; } @media print { .mapbox-improve-map { display: none; } } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .partner-module { border-bottom: 1px solid #472479; border-top: 0; } .partner-module__link, .partner-module__link:visited { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; color: #444; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; padding: 0; text-decoration: none; } .partner-module__link:hover { background-color: #f5f5f5; } .partner-module__heading { display: inline-block; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: 16px 0; } .partner-module__partner-name { font-weight: bold; } .partner-module__partner-logo { display: block; height: 31px; margin: 12px 0; margin-left: 17px; width: 88px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .author-unit { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; line-height: 35px; } .author-unit--small-mobile { line-height: 30px; } .author-unit .author-unit__container { color: #4a4a4a; margin: 0 auto; } .author-unit .author-unit__container--desktop { margin: 0; } .author-unit__container { -ms-flex-align: baseline; align-items: baseline; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; padding: 10px 0; } .author-unit__text { font-style: italic; font-weight: 600; padding-right: 10px; text-decoration: none; } .author-unit__icon { color: #6a6a6a; padding-right: 14px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; top: 1px; } .author-unit__icon:hover { color: #00bbf2; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .uppercase-label { color: #8f8d8d; font-size: 12px; font-style: condensed; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-transform: uppercase; -webkit-transition: color 0.4s; transition: color 0.4s; } .uppercase-label--small { font-size: 11px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 14px; margin: 0; } .uppercase-label--medium { font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; } .uppercase-label--reith-condensed { font-weight: 400; } .uppercase-label--white { color: #ebebeb; } .uppercase-label--light-grey { color: #999; } .uppercase-label--dark-grey { color: #444; } .uppercase-label--large { font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px; } .uppercase-label--true-white { color: #fff; text-shadow: 0 1px 1px #193e6d; } .uppercase-label--arial { font-family: Arial; } .label-with-line { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .label-with-line__label { margin: 0 16px 0 0; } .body-text-card-inline-video { margin: 24px 0; position: relative; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ @-webkit-keyframes spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); } } @keyframes spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); } } .spinner { fill: #444; } .spinner__image { -webkit-animation: spin 1s linear infinite; animation: spin 1s linear infinite; } .spinner--worklife { fill: #8beed9; } .spinner--future { fill: #ffc857; } .spinner--culture { fill: #472479; } .spinner--travel { fill: #002856; } .spinner--earth { fill: #002856; } .spinner--white { fill: #fff; } .spinner--audio { height: 32px; width: 32px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .inline-video { height: 100%; } .inline-video__container { position: relative; } .inline-video__border-line { padding: 0 10px; } .inline-video .play-button__inline-video { bottom: 0; left: 0; position: absolute; z-index: 1000; } .inline-video__smp { background-color: #000; padding-bottom: 56.25%; } .inline-video__smp--loaded { background-color: unset; padding-bottom: unset; } .inline-video__description { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(106, 106, 106, 0.43); color: #737373; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; margin: 0 10px 0 3%; padding: 20px 0 12px; } .inline-video__description--desktop { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(106, 106, 106, 0.43); margin: 0 18px; padding: 28px 0 18px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .inline-image__description { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(106, 106, 106, 0.43); font-style: italic; margin: 0 10px; padding: 20px 0 12px; } .inline-image__description--desktop { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(106, 106, 106, 0.43); margin: 0 18px; padding: 20px 0 18px; } .inline-image img { border-radius: 0; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .inline-quote { border-left: 3px solid #575757; color: #575757; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -1.69px; line-height: 32px; margin: 0; padding-left: 22px; } .inline-quote--worklife { border-left: 3px solid #8beed9; } .inline-quote--future { border-left: 3px solid #ffc857; } .inline-quote--culture { border-left: 3px solid #472479; } .inline-quote--earth { border-left: 3px solid #002856; } .inline-quote h2 { font-weight: 300; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .inline-audio-player { background: none; } .inline-audio-player__smp-container { display: inline-block; width: 100%; } .inline-audio-player__smp-container > div { /* CreateSMPAudio */ display: inline-block; width: 100%; } .inline-audio-player__smp-container > div > div { height: 50px; position: relative; /* stylelint-disable-next-line selector-max-compound-selectors */ } .inline-audio-player__smp-container > div > div > div { padding: 0 !important; } .inline-audio-player__container { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .inline-audio-player__cta-holder { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #ededed; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; padding-right: 8px; } .inline-audio-player__cta-container { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .inline-audio-player__cta-container.initialising * { cursor: initial; pointer-events: none; -webkit-user-select: none; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } .inline-audio-player__cta-container.initialising button { opacity: 0.6; } .inline-audio-player__text { background: none; border: 0; color: #222; cursor: pointer; font-size: 18px; height: 25px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; line-height: 25px; margin-left: 12px; outline: inherit; padding: 0; } .inline-audio-player__text--offline { cursor: default; pointer-events: none; } .inline-audio-player__disclaimer { background-color: #e6711b; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; height: 25px; left: -110px; line-height: 12px; margin-left: 0; padding: 0 7px; position: relative; top: 25px; width: 66px; } .inline-audio-player__disclaimer:hover .inline-audio-player__arrow { -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); } .inline-audio-player__inner-arrow { color: #4d4d49; font-size: 10px; } .inline-audio-player__arrow-button { background-color: transparent; border: 0; margin-left: auto; outline: none; -webkit-transition: all 0.5s ease; transition: all 0.5s ease; } .inline-audio-player__arrow-button__open { -webkit-transform: rotate(180deg); transform: rotate(180deg); } .inline-audio-player__disclaimer-copy { color: #444; display: block; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0; line-height: 17px; margin-top: 16px; } .inline-audio-player__arrow { border: solid #fff; border-width: 0 2px 2px 0; display: inline-block; padding: 3px; position: relative; top: -1px; -webkit-transform: rotate(-45deg); transform: rotate(-45deg); -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .inline-audio-player__hidden { display: none; } .inline-audio-player .collapsible-container { background-color: #ededed; color: #444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 1rem; } .inline-audio-player .collapsible-container__hide { display: none; } .inline-audio-player .previous-button__inline-audio { margin-right: 1px; } .inline-audio-player__line { margin-top: 16px; } .inline-audio-player .previous-media-button { height: 50px; margin-right: 1px; width: 50px; } .inline-audio-player .previous-button__inline-audio { margin-right: 1px; } .copyright__text { color: #737373; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center; } @media (max-width: 767px) { .copyright__text { margin-top: 12px; } } .content-embed { width: 100%; } .infographic-embed__frame { width: 100%; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .article-video { height: 100%; position: relative; } .article-video img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } .article-video__overlay { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; top: 0; width: 100%; } .article-video__play-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; left: 50%; padding: 0; position: absolute; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); z-index: 1500; } .article-video__label { margin-bottom: 16px; } .article-video__image { bottom: 0; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } .article-video__image--hide { opacity: 0; } .article-video__playercore { display: block; } .article-video__playercore--mobile { display: none; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } .article-video__playercore--show { display: block; } .article-video--bordered { border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .hero-video { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 180px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; position: relative; z-index: 1; } .hero-video__video { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 80%; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; position: relative; width: 80%; z-index: 2; } .hero-video__video--desktop { left: 0; top: 65px; width: 71.5% !important; } .hero-video__video--mobile { height: 100%; width: 100%; } .hero-video__video--small-desktop { height: 70%; left: 0; top: 78px; width: 67%; } .hero-video--small-desktop, .hero-video--desktop { display: block; height: 720px; } .hero-video img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; -webkit-filter: brightness(40%); filter: brightness(40%); } @media all and (-ms-high-contrast: none), (-ms-high-contrast: active) { .hero-video img { opacity: 0.5; } } .hero-video--mobile { height: 280px; } .hero-video--medium-mobile { height: 430px; } .hero-video--tablet { height: 574px; } .hero-video--tablet .hero-video__video { margin-bottom: 10px; } .hero-video__play-button { position: absolute; z-index: 100; } .hero-video__video div div { position: inherit !important; position: unset !important; } .share-tools-popout { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #979797; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; padding: 30px 0 20px; position: relative; width: 300px; } .share-tools-popout__text { color: #444; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; margin: 0 18px 18px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; } .share-tools-popout__url-container { padding: 0 18px; width: 100%; } .share-tools-popout__articleurl { border: 1px solid #979797; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a39f9f; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-top: 0; padding: 12px 10px; text-align: center; width: 262px; } .share-tools-popout__close { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: unset; border: unset; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; position: absolute; right: 8px; top: 20px; } .share-tools-popout__close:hover .share-tools-popout__close-icon { color: #888; -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } .share-tools-popout__close-icon { color: #000; font-size: 16px; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .share-tools-popout__border-arrow { background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #979797; border-bottom: 0; border-right: 0; height: 12px; left: 40px; position: absolute; top: -7px; -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); width: 12px; } .share-tools-popout__tools { margin-bottom: 13px; } .share-tools-popout__details { -ms-flex-item-align: normal; -ms-grid-row-align: normal; align-self: normal; color: #444; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0; line-height: 16px; margin: 0; max-width: 180px; padding-left: 14px; } .share-tools-popout__copied, .share-tools-popout__copy { background-color: #000; border: unset; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 12px 6px; text-transform: uppercase; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; width: 110px; } .share-tools-popout__copy:hover { background-color: #555; } .share-tools-popout__copied .gelicon--yes { color: #ff9700; margin-left: 8px; } .share-button-with-popout { position: relative; z-index: 9999; } .share-button-with-popout__popout { max-width: 330px; padding-right: 8px; position: absolute; top: 53px; width: 100%; } .share-button-with-popout__popout--desktop { width: auto; } .article-end__line--long { margin-bottom: 24px; } .article-end__share-tools { margin-bottom: 0; } .article-end--tablet .article-end__line--long { margin-bottom: 36px; } .article-end--desktop .article-end__line--long { margin-bottom: 44px; } .article-end--desktop .article-end__share-tools { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; margin-bottom: 50px; } .article-end--desktop .article-end__share { margin-top: 0; } .article-end__share { margin-top: 5px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .article-share-tools { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .article-share-tools a, .article-share-tools button { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #e4e4e4; border-radius: 0; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; color: #979797; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 52px; margin-right: 2px; width: 52px; } .article-share-tools--dark a, .article-share-tools--dark button { color: #444; height: 54px; width: 54px; } .article-share-tools--dark a svg, .article-share-tools--dark button svg { stroke: #444; } .article-share-tools a:hover, .article-share-tools button:hover { background-color: #fff; } .article-share-tools .facebook-icon:hover { color: #3b5898; } .article-share-tools .email-icon:hover { color: #615f5d; } .article-share-tools .twitter-icon:hover { color: #47c7fa; } .article-share-tools .linkedin-icon:hover { color: #0077b5; } .article-share-tools .whatsapp-icon:hover { color: #25d366; } .article-share-tools .facebook-messenger { color: #0184ff; } .article-share-tools .ticked-icon { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #e4e4e4; border-radius: 0; -webkit-box-shadow: none; box-shadow: none; font-size: 11px; margin-right: 2px; padding: 3px; } .article-share-tools--popout > *, .article-share-tools--popout a { color: #020203; margin-bottom: 3px; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .domestic-disclaimer { background-color: #333; position: relative; } .domestic-disclaimer__content { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; margin: auto; max-width: 990px; } .domestic-disclaimer__content--desktop-small { max-width: 976px; } .domestic-disclaimer__content--desktop { max-width: 1248px; } .domestic-disclaimer__text { color: #d8d8d8; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px; margin: auto; padding: 8px 16px; } .domestic-disclaimer__text--tablet { font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 16px 54px 16px 16px; } .domestic-disclaimer__text--desktop { font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 0; max-width: 890px; padding: 14px 16px; } .domestic-disclaimer__close-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: unset; border: unset; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; padding: 0 16px 0 0; position: relative; } .domestic-disclaimer__close-button--desktop { padding: 0 16px 0 0; } .domestic-disclaimer__close-icon { color: #d8d8d8; font-size: 16px; } .domestic-disclaimer__close-icon--desktop { font-size: 22px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .section-header-text__text { background-color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 20px 0 rgba(153, 153, 153, 0.5), 0 2px 5px 0 rgba(153, 153, 153, 0.5); box-shadow: 0 0 20px 0 rgba(153, 153, 153, 0.5), 0 2px 5px 0 rgba(153, 153, 153, 0.5); margin: 0 8px; opacity: 0.95; padding: 16px; position: relative; z-index: 3; } .section-header-text__text--no-margin { margin: 0; } .section-header-text__ad { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: end; justify-content: flex-end; margin: 0 8px 8px; position: relative; top: unset; } .section-header-text__ad--desktop { margin: 0 0 8px; } .section-header-text__title { display: inline-block; } .section-header-text__title--large-margin { margin: 0 40px 16px 0; } .section-header-text__title--premium { border: 1.78px solid; padding: 8px; } .section-header-text__title-content { color: #444; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; margin: unset; } .section-header-text__title-content--tablet { font-size: 24px; } .section-header-text__title-content--desktop { font-size: 28px; } .section-header-text__description { color: #555; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; } .section-header-text__description--large { font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .section-header-unit { max-width: 1280px; position: relative; } .section-header-unit--tablet { height: 320px; } .section-header-unit--desktop { border-radius: 4px; height: 320px; overflow: hidden; } .section-header-unit__image { height: 320px; max-height: 320px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; } .section-header-unit__image img { left: 50%; position: relative; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } .section-header-unit__image--right img { left: unset; min-width: 100%; right: 0; width: unset; } .section-header-unit__image--left img { left: unset; min-width: 100%; right: unset; width: unset; } .section-header-unit__content { position: relative; -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%); transform: translateY(-50%); } .section-header-unit__content--desktop { bottom: 0; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; max-width: 420px; position: absolute; right: 32px; top: 0; -webkit-transform: none; transform: none; } .section-header-unit__content--advert { -webkit-transform: translateY(calc(-50% - 28px)); transform: translateY(calc(-50% - 28px)); /* - half the height of the advert so the text is still centered. */ } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .label-list { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; position: relative; } .label-list__line { width: 100%; } .label-list__content { margin: 30px 0 0 16px; width: 100%; } .label-list__content--tablet { margin: 34px 0 0 38px; } .label-list__content--desktop { margin: 42px 0 0 32px; } .label-list__list-item { margin: 0; padding: 0; } .label-list__link { color: #444; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none; } .label-list__link:hover { color: #adadad; } .label-list__link--large { font-size: 22px; line-height: 29px; } .label-list__link:not(:first-of-type) { margin-top: 8px; } .label-list__link--large:not(:first-of-type) { margin-top: 12px; } .label-list__list-items { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; margin-top: 36px; } .label-list__list-items--tablet { margin-top: 52px; } .label-list__list-items--desktop { margin-top: 46px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .offline-reading { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } .offline-reading__header { font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 16px; max-width: 220px; text-align: center; } .offline-reading__header--desktop { font-size: 18px; max-width: 460px; } .offline-reading__buttons { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; text-align: center; } .offline-reading__buttons--desktop { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .offline-reading__top-stories { margin-bottom: 24px; } .offline-reading__top-stories--desktop { margin: 0 16px 0 0; } .offline-reading__icon { display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 24px; width: 120px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .rectangle-image { background-size: cover; height: 74px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 132px; } .rectangle-image img { height: 100%; left: 50%; position: absolute; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: auto; } .rectangle-image--small { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; height: 32px; width: 56px; } .rectangle-image--large { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; height: 162px; width: 288px; } .rectangle-image--medium { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; height: 126px; width: 222px; } .rectangle-image--full-screen { padding-top: 56.25%; width: 100%; } .rectangle-image img { -webkit-transition: all 0.4s ease; transition: all 0.4s ease; } .rectangle-image__overlay { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); bottom: 0; height: 100%; left: 0; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; width: 100%; } .rectangle-image__overlay--culture { background-color: rgba(72, 41, 120, 0.6); } .rectangle-image:hover .rectangle-image__overlay { opacity: 1; } .rectangle-image:hover img { height: 108%; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .rectangle-story-item { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; height: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; margin: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 288px; } .rectangle-story-item__image-container:hover .rectangle-image__overlay { opacity: 1; } .rectangle-story-item__image-container:hover .rectangle-story-item__icon { background-color: #000; } .rectangle-story-item__image-container--culture:hover .rectangle-story-item__icon { background-color: #482978; } .rectangle-story-item__image-container:hover .rectangle-image img { height: 108%; } .rectangle-story-item__image-container { position: relative; width: 100%; } .rectangle-story-item--tablet { width: 222px; } .rectangle-story-item__container { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex: 1 1 auto; flex: 1 1 auto; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; margin-top: 3px; width: 100%; } .rectangle-story-item__label { color: #4a4a4a; display: block; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 16px; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 3px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; } .rectangle-story-item__label--worklife:hover, .rectangle-story-item__label--future:hover, .rectangle-story-item__label__travel:hover { background-image: none; } .rectangle-story-item__label--worklife > span:hover, .rectangle-story-item__label--future > span:hover, .rectangle-story-item__label__travel > span:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #4a4a4a; } .rectangle-story-item__label--culture:hover { background-image: none; } .rectangle-story-item__label--culture > span:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #482978; } .rectangle-story-item__line { display: block; margin: 16px 0; } .rectangle-story-item__author { color: #4a4a4a; display: block; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 35px; text-decoration: none; } .rectangle-story-item__title { color: rgba(46, 46, 46, 0.85); display: block; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.21px; line-height: 30px; text-decoration: none; } .rectangle-story-item__icon { background-color: #000; bottom: 0; color: #fff; font-size: 14px; height: 44px; line-height: 44px; position: absolute; text-align: center; -webkit-transition: 0.4s ease; transition: 0.4s ease; width: 44px; } .rectangle-story-item__title--white, .rectangle-story-item__author--white, .rectangle-story-item__label--white { color: #fff; } .rectangle-story-item__label--white:hover { border-bottom: 0; } .rectangle-story-item__label--white > span:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #fff; } .rectangle-article-group { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex: 1 1; flex: 1 1; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; position: relative; } .rectangle-article-group--tablet, .rectangle-article-group--desktop { -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .rectangle-article-group__article { display: inline-block; padding-top: 12px; } .rectangle-article-group__article--tablet { padding: 0 16px 0 0; } .rectangle-article-group__article--desktop { padding: 0 24px 0 0; } .fake-ad { -ms-flex-line-pack: center; align-content: center; -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background: #f6f6f6; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; padding: 8px; } .fake-ad__body { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background: #5ae9cb; color: #fff; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex: 0 0 auto; flex: 0 0 auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; } .fake-ad__text { -ms-flex-item-align: center; -ms-grid-row-align: center; align-self: center; color: #444; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; } .fake-ad--mpu .fake-ad__body { height: 320px; width: 320px; } .fake-ad--mpu .fake-ad__text { width: 320px; } .fake-ad--mobile-leaderboard .fake-ad__body { height: 50px; width: 300px; } .fake-ad--mobile-leaderboard .fake-ad__text { width: 300px; } .fake-ad--leaderboard .fake-ad__body { height: 90px; width: 728px; } .fake-ad--leaderboard .fake-ad__text { width: 728px; } .body-text-card-inline-image { margin: 24px 0; position: relative; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .body-text-card { color: #444; display: block; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; } .body-text-card__image, .body-text-card__video { margin: 24px 0; } .body-text-card__text { display: block; } .body-text-card__advert { margin: 20px 0; } .body-text-card__text div a { cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; } .body-text-card__text a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .body-text-card__text > div > p { margin: 0 20px 16px; } .body-text-card__text > div > p:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; padding-bottom: 0; } .body-text-card__drop-capped { float: left; margin: 0 8px 0 20px; padding-top: 6px; } .body-text-card__text--drop-capped p:first-of-type::first-letter { color: transparent; font-size: 0; } .body-text-card__text--flush-text > div > p { margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } .body-text-card__text--future div a:visited { color: #666; } .body-text-card__text--future div a { color: #002856; -webkit-text-decoration-color: #002856; text-decoration-color: #002856; } .body-text-card__text--travel div a { color: #589e50; -webkit-text-decoration-color: #589e50; text-decoration-color: #589e50; } .body-text-card__text--worklife div a { color: #0052a1; -webkit-text-decoration-color: #0052a1; text-decoration-color: #0052a1; } .body-text-card__text--earth div a { color: #0fbb56; -webkit-text-decoration-color: #0fbb56; text-decoration-color: #0fbb56; } .body-text-card__text--culture div a { color: #472479; -webkit-text-decoration-color: #472479; text-decoration-color: #472479; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .branding { -webkit-box-sizing: content-box !important; box-sizing: content-box !important; display: inline-block; height: 24px; padding: 12px 16px; width: 100%; } .branding__icon { display: inline-block; height: 24px; width: 100%; } .branding__icon g { fill: #fff; } .branding--medium { padding: 16px; } .branding--large { padding: 16px 24px; } .branding--worklife { background-color: #0052a1; } .branding--future { background-color: #002856; } .branding--culture { background-color: #472479; } .branding--earth { background-color: #0fbb56; } .branding--travel { background-color: #589e50; } .branding--travel svg, .branding--earth svg, .branding--culture svg, .branding--future svg, .branding--worklife svg { height: 24px; } .branding--small, .branding--small svg { height: 17px; } .branding__icon--medium, .branding--medium, .branding--medium svg { height: 22px; } .branding__icon--large, .branding--large, .branding--large svg { height: 24px; } .branding__icon--largest, .branding--largest, .branding--largest svg { height: 32px; } .branding__icon--small, .branding--travel .branding__icon--small svg, .branding--earth .branding__icon--small svg, .branding--culture .branding__icon--small svg, .branding--future .branding__icon--small svg, .branding--worklife .branding__icon--small svg { height: 17px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .swimlane-inner { background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto 100%; display: block; padding: 24px 16px; } .swimlane-inner--small { padding: 24px 8px; } .swimlane-inner--tablet { padding: 28px 16px 42px; } .swimlane-inner--small-desktop { padding: 30px 16px 42px; } .swimlane-inner--desktop { padding: 38px 16px 42px; } .swimlane { overflow: hidden; position: relative; z-index: 0; } .swimlane__black { background-color: #0e0e0e; } .swimlane__background-image { height: 500px; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; width: 915px; z-index: -1; } .swimlane__background-image--mobile { height: 181px; width: 320px; } .swimlane__background-image--tablet { height: 421px; width: 752px; } .swimlane__background-image--desktop { height: 500px; width: 915px; } .swimlane__background-image--atb { background-color: rgba(51, 51, 51, 0.8); background-size: cover; height: 100%; width: 100%; } .swimlane__item { margin: 0 0 25px; width: 100%; } .swimlane__item--desktop { margin: 0; } .swimlane__item--tablet { margin: 0 16px 25px 0; width: calc((100% - 48px) / 3); } .swimlane__item--tablet:nth-of-type(3n + 3) { margin-right: 0; } .swimlane__item--two-columns { margin-right: 0 !important; max-width: 572px; width: 50%; } .swimlane__item--four-columns { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-right: 16px; width: calc((100% - 48px) / 4); } .swimlane__item--four-columns:nth-of-type(4n + 4) { margin-right: 0; } .swimlane__items { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; margin-top: 24px; text-align: left; } .swimlane__items--desktop { -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; margin-top: 42px; } .swimlane__items--small-desktop { -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 30px; } .swimlane__items--tablet { -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; margin-top: 30px; } .swimlane__items--no-title { margin-top: 0; } .swimlane__content { margin: auto; max-width: 942px; text-align: center; } .swimlane__content--desktop { max-width: 1216px; } .swimlane__title { color: #fff; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2.92px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; } .swimlane__title--black { color: #010101; font-weight: 400; } .see-more-button-container-alt { color: #0e0e0e; } .follow-us-on { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; position: relative; } .follow-us-on__text { color: #fff; font-size: 16px; font-style: condensed; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; text-transform: uppercase; } .follow-us-on__links { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .follow-us-on__link:first-child { margin-right: 16px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .nav-bar { background-color: #fff; } .nav-bar__hidden-menu { display: none; } .nav-bar__visible-menu { display: block; } .nav-bar__no-scroll { max-height: 100vh; overflow: hidden; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .dot-with-label { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .dot-with-label__text { padding-left: 8px; } .dot-with-label__text a { text-decoration: none; } .dot-with-label__text:hover h2 { color: #adadad; } .sponsor-section { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; height: 100%; max-width: 530px; } .sponsor-section--menu { padding: 20px 0 16px 24px; } .sponsor-section__container { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; height: 100%; } .sponsor-section__container--desktop { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; } .sponsor-section__sponsor { color: #fff; padding-right: 16px; } .sponsor-section__sponsor-name { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 26px; margin: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .sponsor-section__sponsor-name--mobile { padding-bottom: 16px; } .sponsor-section__sponsor-name--desktop { font-size: 22px; } .sponsor-section__sponsor-name--menu { color: #fff; } .sponsor-section__sponsor-name--menu-desktop { font-size: 32px; } .sponsor-section__summary { color: #ebebeb; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-top: 16px; } .sponsor-section__advert { display: inline-block; } .icon-with-label { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .icon-with-label__icon { padding-right: 10px; } .full-width-image-article { width: 100%; } .full-width-image-article__container { min-height: 325px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; } .full-width-image-article__container--desktop { min-height: 400px; } .full-width-image-article__image { height: 100%; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 100%; } .full-width-image-article__image img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } .full-width-image-article__text { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; color: #fff; left: 50%; max-width: 488px; padding: 0 20px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 100%; } .full-width-image-article__text a { color: #fff; text-decoration: none; } .full-width-image-article__text .full-width-image-article-text__label { display: inline-block; font-size: 14.4px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3.6px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 11px; text-transform: uppercase; } .full-width-image-article__text .full-width-image-article-text__header { font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 42px; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .full-width-image-article__text .full-width-image-article-text__header--desktop { font-size: 33.6px; } .full-width-image-article__text .full-width-image-article-text__author { font-size: 16.6px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.13px; line-height: 42px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 28px; } .full-width-image-article__text .full-width-image-article-text__author--desktop { margin-top: 32px; } .full-width-image-article__background { background-image: radial-gradient(50% 49%, rgba(5, 36, 53, 0.37) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 83%); height: 100%; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } .full-width-image-article__link { color: #fff; text-decoration: none; } .more-articles { background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; -o-object-fit: cover; object-fit: cover; overflow: hidden; position: relative; -webkit-transition: background-image 0.4s; transition: background-image 0.4s; } .more-articles__heading { display: inline-block; margin: auto; max-width: 1272px; padding: 20px 0 0 16px; position: relative; z-index: 5; } .more-articles__stories { margin: 10px 16px 42px; max-width: 1232px; padding: 8px; position: relative; z-index: 4; } .more-articles__stories--small { padding: 0; } .more-articles__stories--tablet { margin: 24px 16px 72px; max-width: 1216px; } .more-articles__stories--desktop { margin: 56px 48px 92px; max-width: 1152px; } .more-articles__story-container:not(:first-of-type) { padding-top: 16px; } .more-articles__line { opacity: 0.3; padding-top: 16px; z-index: 5; } .more-articles__image-overlay { background-color: rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.3); bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; -o-object-fit: cover; object-fit: cover; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; z-index: 1; } .more-articles__image { opacity: 0; -webkit-transition: 0.6s; transition: 0.6s; } .more-articles__image img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } .more-articles__image--right img { left: unset; min-width: 100%; right: 0; width: unset; } .more-articles__image--left img { left: unset; min-width: 100%; right: unset; width: unset; } .more-articles__image--visible { opacity: 1; } .more-articles__story--two-columns, .more-articles__story--three-columns { padding-right: 16px; width: 310px; } .more-articles__story-container:nth-child(even) .more-articles__story--two-columns { padding-right: 0; } .more-articles__story-container:nth-child(3n + 3) .more-articles__story--three-columns { padding-right: 0; } .more-articles__stories--two-columns, .more-articles__stories--three-columns { -ms-flex-align: end; align-items: flex-end; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; padding: 16px; } .more-articles__stories--two-columns .more-articles-item__link, .more-articles__stories--three-columns .more-articles-item__link { pointer-events: all; } .more-articles__story-container--two-columns { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; width: 50%; } .more-articles__story-container--two-columns:nth-child(2) { padding-top: 0; } .more-articles__story-container--three-columns { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; width: 33%; } .more-articles__story-container--three-columns:nth-child(-n + 3) { padding-top: 0; } .more-articles__heading--small { padding: 20px 0 0 8px; } .more-articles__heading--desktop { max-width: 1264px; padding: 38px 0 0 16px; } .more-articles__heading--tablet { max-width: 1264px; padding: 24px 0 0 16px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .more-articles-item { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; position: relative; z-index: 5; } .more-articles-item__link { text-decoration: none; } .more-articles-item__container { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; width: 100%; } .more-articles-item__label { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 8px; } .more-articles-item__type { margin-right: 16px; position: relative; } .more-articles-item__icon { color: #fff; font-size: 12px; margin-right: 8px; } .more-articles-item__text { color: #fff; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; padding: 0; position: relative; text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.7); -webkit-transition: color 0.4s; transition: color 0.4s; } .more-articles-item__text--medium { font-size: 22px; line-height: 28px; } .more-articles-item__text--large { color: #ebebeb; font-size: 30px; line-height: 37px; } .more-articles-item__container--column { -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } .more-articles-item__image-container { position: relative; } .more-articles-item--two-columns { margin-right: 16px; } .more-articles-item__label--desktop { margin-top: 16px; } .more-articles-item__label--tablet { margin-top: 16px; } .more-articles-item__link:hover .more-articles-item__text { color: #adadad; } .most-popular { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .most-popular__inner { margin: 0 auto; max-width: 894px; padding: 45px 24px 21px; } .most-popular__inner--desktop { padding: 47px 0 86px; } .most-popular__header { color: #010101; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 2.92px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; } .most-popular__items { display: block; } .most-popular__items--desktop { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: 57px; } .most-popular-item { box-sizing: border-box; padding-top: 33px; } .most-popular-item:last-of-type { margin-bottom: 42px; } .most-popular-item--desktop { padding: 0 20px; width: calc(33.333%); } .most-popular-item--desktop:nth-child(3n + 2) { -ms-flex-order: 2; order: 2; padding: 38px 20px; } .most-popular-item--desktop:nth-child(3n + 3) { -ms-flex-order: 3; order: 3; } .most-popular-item--desktop:nth-child(n+4) { border-left: 1px solid #dadada; } .most-popular-item--desktop:last-of-type { margin-bottom: 0; } .most-popular-item a { text-decoration: none; } .most-popular-item__content { -ms-flex-align: end; align-items: flex-end; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; margin-top: 5px; } .most-popular-item__number { color: #cbcbcb; font-size: 40px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 32px; margin: 0 20px 0 0; width: 25px; } .most-popular-item__label { color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; margin: 0 0 0 45px; text-transform: uppercase; } .most-popular-item__title { color: #2e2e2ecc; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.17px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; } .most-popular-item__title--desktop { font-size: 16px; } .StickyElementContent { -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.5s; transition: -webkit-transform 0.5s; transition: transform 0.5s; transition: transform 0.5s, -webkit-transform 0.5s; } .StickyElementContent--is-undocked { left: 0; position: fixed; top: 0; width: 100%; } .StickyElementContent--is-hidden { -webkit-transform: translateY(-100%); transform: translateY(-100%); } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .error-page-header { position: relative; } .error-page-header__headers { margin-bottom: 16px; position: relative; z-index: 1; } .error-page-header__headers--tablet-plus { margin-bottom: 32px; } .error-page-header__description { color: #444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; } .error-page-header__play-icon { margin-right: 16px; } .error-page-header__play-icon button { color: #adadad; } .error-page-header__dot-label { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .styled-list { list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .styled-list__item { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .styled-list__item:not(:first-of-type) { padding-top: 8px; } .styled-list__item a { font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; } .styled-list__item--worklife a { color: #8beed9; } .styled-list__item--future a { color: #ffc857; } .styled-list__item--culture a { color: #472479; } .styled-list__item--earth a { color: #002856; } .styled-list__item--travel a { color: #002856; } .styled-list__text { color: #444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 20px; } .styled-list__dot { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; margin-top: 8px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .image-gallery-item { margin: 26px 0; } .image-gallery-item img { height: 100%; -o-object-fit: cover; object-fit: cover; width: 100%; } .image-gallery-item__image--landscape { margin: 20px 0 20px -3%; width: 106%; } @media (max-width: 1000px) and (min-width: 767px) { .image-gallery-item__image--landscape { margin: 20px 0 20px -16%; width: 116%; } } @media (max-width: 1180px) and (min-width: 1024px) { .image-gallery-item__image--landscape { margin: 20px 0 20px -8%; width: 108%; } } @media (max-width: 1365px) and (min-width: 1280px) { .image-gallery-item__image--landscape { margin: 20px 0 20px -42%; width: 142%; } } @media (min-width: 1366px) { .image-gallery-item__image--landscape { margin: 20px 0 20px -55%; width: 155%; } } .image-gallery-item__image--portrait { margin: 20px 0; width: 100%; } @media (max-width: 599px) { .image-gallery-item__image--portrait { margin-left: -3%; width: 106%; } } .image-gallery-item__image--portrait, .image-gallery-item__image--portrait img { max-height: 507px; min-height: 463px; } @media (max-width: 1279px) and (min-width: 768px) { .image-gallery-item__image--portrait, .image-gallery-item__image--portrait img { min-height: 818px; } } .error-page { position: relative; } .error-page__container { margin-bottom: 16px; } .error-page__container--tablet-plus { margin-bottom: 32px; } .error-page__title { margin-bottom: 12px; } .error-page__title--desktop { margin-bottom: 24px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .article-labels { font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-transform: uppercase; } .article-labels a { color: #fff; letter-spacing: 1px; text-decoration: none; } .article-labels__text:first-child { font-weight: bold; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .rectangle-story-group { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; margin: auto; position: relative; } .rectangle-story-group__articles { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex: 1 1; flex: 1 1; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; position: relative; } .rectangle-story-group__articles--small-tablet { -ms-flex-pack: unset; justify-content: unset; } .rectangle-story-group__articles--full-screen { display: block; } .rectangle-story-group__article { display: inline-block; padding-left: 18px; padding-top: 16px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--tablet { padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 22px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--desktop { padding-left: 22px; padding-top: 24px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--desktop:first-of-type { padding-left: 8px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--small-tablet { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; width: 50%; } .rectangle-story-group__article--full-screen { display: block; padding: 16px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--full-screen:first-of-type { padding-top: 0; } .rectangle-story-group__article--small-desktop { padding-left: 10px; } .rectangle-story-group__article--small-desktop:last-of-type { padding-right: 8px; } .rectangle-story-group__articles-container { margin: auto; max-width: 950px; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; } .rectangle-story-group__advert-mpu { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 16px 16px 24px; } .rectangle-story-group__advert-mpu--desktop { border-left: 1px solid #dadada; display: block; padding: 0 0 0 16px; padding-top: 0; } .rectangle-story-group__advert-mpu--small-desktop { display: block; padding: 0 0 0 8px; } .rectangle-story-group__hero--desktop { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .rectangle-story-group__article-hero--tablet { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .article-title-card-rectangle { width: 100%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image:hover .article-title-card-rectangle__overlay { opacity: 1; } .article-title-card-rectangle__overlay { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); bottom: 0; height: 100%; left: 0; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; -webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.5s ease; transition: -webkit-transform 0.5s ease; transition: transform 0.5s ease; transition: transform 0.5s ease, -webkit-transform 0.5s ease; width: 100%; will-change: transform; } .article-title-card-rectangle__overlay--culture { background-color: rgba(72, 41, 120, 0.6); } .article-title-card-rectangle__image { margin-right: 40px; max-height: 390px; max-width: 620px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: auto; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image img { display: block; min-height: 194px; min-width: 344px; width: 100%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image--tablet, .article-title-card-rectangle__image--desktop { margin-right: 0; width: 100%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image--tablet img, .article-title-card-rectangle__image--desktop img { width: 110%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image--preview-article { margin-right: 0; } .article-title-card-rectangle__image--index { margin-right: 0; max-width: 100%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__container { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; position: relative; } .article-title-card-rectangle__container--tablet, .article-title-card-rectangle__container--desktop { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; -ms-flex-direction: row; flex-direction: row; } .article-title-card-rectangle__container--preview-article { margin-right: 8px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__container--index { -ms-flex-align: initial; align-items: initial; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box { background-color: #fff; margin-left: 40px; padding: 16px 22px 0; position: relative; top: -22px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label { color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; text-transform: uppercase; width: -webkit-fit-content; width: -moz-fit-content; width: fit-content; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--worklife:hover, .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--future:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #4a4a4a; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--culture:hover { border-bottom: 1px solid #482978; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--index { color: #000; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.53px; line-height: 30px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--index--tablet { font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.74px; line-height: 44px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__label--index--desktop { font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.84px; line-height: 44px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__header { color: #2e2e2e; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.21px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-top: 12px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__header--desktop { font-size: 28px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__header--tablet { font-size: 26px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__header--index { color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.12px; line-height: 31px; margin-top: 4px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__author { color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.1px; line-height: 35px; margin: 8px 0 0; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box__author--tablet { margin: 14px 0 0; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--tablet, .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--desktop { left: -40px; margin: 0; padding: 40px; top: 0; -webkit-transform: none; transform: none; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--desktop { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--tablet { padding: 35px 22px 22px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--index { left: 0; margin-right: 40px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--index--tablet { margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 50px; padding: 30px 36px 0; top: -80px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-box--index--desktop { margin-left: 50px; max-width: 560px; top: -88px; width: 100%; } .article-title-card-rectangle__link { color: #000; text-decoration: none; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-container { display: block; max-width: 252px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__text-container--tablet, .article-title-card-rectangle__text-container--desktop { max-width: 320px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__preview-container { color: #4d4d4d; text-decoration: none; } .article-title-card-rectangle__preview-text { display: block; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 27px; max-width: 396px; } .article-title-card-rectangle__read-more { display: inline-block; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 4px; margin: 25px 16px 0 0; text-transform: uppercase; } .article-title-card-rectangle__arrow { color: #bababa; display: inline-block; -webkit-transform: rotate(-90deg); transform: rotate(-90deg); } .article-headline { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; padding: 43px 0; } .article-headline .article-labels { text-align: center; } .article-headline__line--short { margin-bottom: 40px; } .article-headline--largeTablet .article-headline__text { font-size: 32px; text-align: center; } .article-headline--tablet { padding: 31px 0; } .article-headline--tablet .article-headline__collection { margin-bottom: 24px; } .article-headline--tablet .article-headline__text { font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.84px; margin: 0 15px 23px; text-align: center; } .article-headline--mobile { padding: 20px 0; } .article-headline--mobile .article-headline__text { font-size: 24px; letter-spacing: -0.63px; margin: 0 15px 15px; text-align: center; } .article-headline--mobile .article-headline__collection { margin-bottom: 15px; } .article-headline__collection { margin-bottom: 40px; } .article-headline__collection a { color: #242424; } .article-headline__text { font-size: 45px; letter-spacing: -1.26px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 44px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .loading-spinner { margin: 0 auto; text-align: center; } .loading-spinner__message { color: #002756; display: block; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold; margin: 12px 0; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; } .loading-spinner__image { display: block; margin: 0 auto; width: 48px; } @media only screen and (min-width: 1600px) { .hero-image { height: 900px; position: relative; } .hero-image img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 1600px) { .hero-image { height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 56.25%; position: relative; } .hero-image img { height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .article-hero { height: 672px; margin: 0; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 100%; } .article-hero--small-mobile { height: 373px; } .article-hero--mobile { height: 486px; } .article-hero--small-tablet { height: 433px; } .article-hero--tablet { height: 433px; } .article-hero--tablet .article-hero__content { padding: 60px 15px 0; } .article-hero__content { margin: auto; max-width: 1004px; pointer-events: none; position: relative; z-index: 1; } .article-hero--desktop { height: 573px; } .article-hero--desktop .article-hero__content { padding: 50px 30px 0; } .article-hero--large-desktop .article-hero__content { max-width: 1276px; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content { padding: 60px 10px 0; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content-title, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content-title, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content-title { font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; max-width: 220px; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content-line, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content-line, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content-line { margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content-labels, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content-labels, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content-labels { margin-bottom: 15px; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content-cta, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content-cta, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content-cta { line-height: 22px; } .article-hero--small-tablet .article-hero__content-cta a, .article-hero--mobile .article-hero__content-cta a, .article-hero--small-mobile .article-hero__content-cta a { letter-spacing: 3px; } .article-hero__ambient-hidden { display: none; } .article-hero__background-ambient { bottom: 0; left: 0; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; z-index: -1; } .article-hero__background::after { background-image: linear-gradient(-63deg, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) 24%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 51%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.32) 67%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.51) 100%); content: ''; height: 100%; left: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } .article-hero__background img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } .article-hero__background--parallax img { -webkit-transform: scale(1.1); transform: scale(1.1); } .article-hero a { color: #fff; letter-spacing: 3px; text-decoration: none; } .article-hero__content-cta { clear: both; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 4px; line-height: 20px; max-width: 170px; pointer-events: all; text-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); text-transform: uppercase; } .article-hero__content-cta a { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; letter-spacing: 4px; } .article-hero__content-labels { font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; pointer-events: all; } .article-hero__content-line { background-color: #fff; border: 0; display: block; float: left; height: 1px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 300px; margin-top: 25px; width: 120px; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow { position: relative; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow::before { background: #fff; content: ''; height: 2px; left: 5px; margin-top: -1px; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; top: 50%; -webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease; transition: all 0.3s ease; width: 20px; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow::after { border-right: 2px solid #fff; border-top: 2px solid #fff; content: ''; display: inline-block; height: 10px; left: 16px; margin-top: 5px; opacity: 0.4; position: absolute; -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); width: 10px; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow--small::before { opacity: 1; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow--small::after { margin-top: 6px; opacity: 1; } .article-hero__content-right-arrow img { height: 11px; margin-left: 10px; width: 19px; } .article-hero__content-title { color: #fff; font-size: 50px; line-height: 54px; margin-top: 0; max-width: 450px; pointer-events: all; text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(51, 51, 51, 0.7); } .article-hero__content-title a { letter-spacing: -1.32px; } .article-hero__title-text { display: inline; } .article-hero__content-title > a:hover > div, .article-hero__content-subtitle > a:hover { background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, right top, color-stop(100%, currentColor), color-stop(0%, transparent)); background-image: linear-gradient(to right, currentColor 100%, transparent 0%); background-position: 0 1.15em; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 100% 2px; } .article-hero__content-subtitle { clear: both; color: #fff; font-size: 23px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 0; max-width: 440px; pointer-events: all; text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(51, 51, 51, 0.5); } .article-hero__content-subtitle a { letter-spacing: -1px; } .article-hero__content-title--small { font-size: 30px; line-height: 35px; } .article-hero__content-title--tablet { clear: both; font-size: 32px; letter-spacing: -0.84px; line-height: 42px; max-width: 264px; } .article-hero__content-title--small a { letter-spacing: -0.63px; } .article-hero__down-arrow { background-color: transparent; border: 0; bottom: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; left: calc(50% - 29px); margin: 0; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0; position: absolute; -webkit-transform: scale(0.5); transform: scale(0.5); } .see-more-button-container { color: #fff; } /* stylelint-disable */ @media screen and (min-width: 1000px) { .similar-articles-story { max-width: 900px; } } @media screen and (min-width: 601px) and (max-width: 999px) { .similar-articles-story { max-width: 600px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 600px) { .similar-articles-story { max-width: 300px; } } .related-articles { position: relative; } .related-articles__header { text-align: center; background-color: #000; color: #fff; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 3px; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 8px; text-transform: uppercase; } .related-articles__header--bright { margin: 20px 0 1.15ex; font-size: 13px; background-color: #d8d8d8; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 3; } .related-articles__list { list-style: none; padding: 0 0 1.5ex 0; margin: 0; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: row wrap; flex-flow: row wrap; /* .with-numbers */ } .related-articles__list li { -ms-flex-preferred-size: 100%; flex-basis: 100%; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-flow: row nowrap; -ms-flex-pack: start; justify-content: flex-start; -ms-flex-align: stretch; align-items: stretch; -ms-flex-line-pack: stretch; align-content: stretch; } .related-articles__list li > div { -ms-flex: 1 1; flex: 1 1; } .related-articles__list.with-numbers { counter-reset: related-numbers; list-style-image: url(data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7); margin: 0 35px; } .related-articles__list.with-numbers li::before { counter-increment: related-numbers; content: counter(related-numbers); font-weight: bold; font-size: 40px; -ms-flex-item-align: end; align-self: flex-end; line-height: 1.85; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18); -ms-flex: 0.1 0.1; flex: 0.1 0.1; -ms-flex-preferred-size: 1ex; flex-basis: 1ex; padding-right: 1ex; text-align: center; display: block; } .related-articles__list.with-numbers li { margin-bottom: 10px; } .related-articles--wide-layout { background-color: initial; margin-top: 20px; } ul.related-articles__list:not(.list-wide) li { max-width: 100%; } ul.related-articles__list:not(.list-wide).with-borders li:not(:last-of-type) { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); } ul.related-articles__list.list-wide li { max-width: 49.8%; } ul.related-articles__list.list-wide.with-borders li { border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); } .related-article { -ms-flex-align: stretch; align-items: stretch; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-flow: row nowrap; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; min-height: 90px; } .related-article__image { width: calc(90px + 0.5ex); -ms-flex: 0.3 0.3; flex: 0.3 0.3; min-width: 90px; max-width: calc(90px + 0.5ex); margin: 0; display: block; line-height: 0; -ms-flex-order: -1; order: -1; } .related-article__image img { width: 100%; border: 0; margin: 0 12px 0 0; } .related-article__text { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: column nowrap; flex-flow: column nowrap; width: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: start; justify-content: flex-start; -ms-flex-line-pack: start; align-content: flex-start; position: relative; padding: 12px 6px 12px 0; line-height: 1.5; } .related-article__text a { width: 100%; padding-left: 12px; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; text-decoration: none; } .related-article__text a + a { margin-top: 1ex; } .related-article__text br { display: none; } .related-article__title { color: rgba(46, 46, 46, 0.85); letter-spacing: -0.01em; -ms-flex: 1 1; flex: 1 1; } .related-article__title:hover { color: #2e2e2e; } .related-article__collection { display: block; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2.5px; line-height: 1.2; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; } .related-article__collection span { display: none; } .related-articles__list.square-images .related-article { margin: 0.75ex 0; } .related-articles__list.square-images .related-article:hover { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .related-articles__list.square-images.list-wide .related-article { margin: 1.25ex 1.75ex; } .related-articles__list.round-images a:hover { color: #000; } .related-articles__list.round-images .related-article { margin: 1.25ex 1.75ex; } .related-articles__list.round-images .related-article__title { padding-left: 10px; } .related-articles__list.round-images .related-article__image { width: calc(90px + 15px); max-width: calc(90px + 15px); margin: 0; } .related-articles__list.round-images .related-article__image img { border-radius: 50%; } .related-articles__list.round-images.list-wide .related-article { margin: 1.75ex 1.75ex; } .vertical-story-card-item { cursor: pointer; font-family: 'ReithSans'; height: 456px; margin: 20px 10px; position: relative; width: 297px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1007px) { .vertical-story-card-item { width: 276px; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .vertical-story-card-item { width: 276px; } } .vertical-story-card-item img { width: 100%; } .vertical-story-card-item__content-box { background-color: #fff; bottom: 0; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 5px #d8d8d8; box-shadow: 0 0 5px #d8d8d8; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; height: 111px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; position: absolute; right: 0; width: 275px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1007px) { .vertical-story-card-item__content-box { width: 261px; } } .vertical-story-card-item__content-box h1 { color: #4a4a4a; font-size: 0.75rem; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; margin: 0; padding: 0 10px; text-transform: uppercase; } .vertical-story-card-item__content-box h2 { color: #3d3d3d; font-size: 1.3125rem; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: -0.06px; line-height: 42px; margin: 0; padding: 0 10px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .see-more-button { border-bottom: 1px solid #979797; text-align: center; } .see-more-button__inner { background-color: transparent; border: 0; color: #6c6c6c; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 2.92px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 13px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; -webkit-transition: linear 0.6s; transition: linear 0.6s; } .see-more-button__inner-arrow { color: #6c6c6c; font-size: 10px; position: absolute; right: 9px; top: 2px; -webkit-transition: linear 0.3s; transition: linear 0.3s; } .see-more-button__inner-text { margin-right: 24px; } .see-more-button__inner:hover { color: #4a4a4a; } .see-more-button__inner:hover .see-more-button__inner-arrow { color: #4a4a4a; -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } .vertical-story-group { font-family: 'ReithSans'; position: relative; } .vertical-story-group img { -o-object-fit: cover; object-fit: cover; width: 100%; } .vertical-story-group__image-container { height: 370px; position: relative; width: 100%; } .vertical-story-group__image-container img { height: 100%; } .vertical-story-group__image-mask { background: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, right top, from(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)), to(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0))); background: linear-gradient(to right, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)); bottom: 0; left: 0; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .vertical-story-group__heading-container { color: #fff; left: 50%; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 80px; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .vertical-story-group__heading-container { top: 120px; } } .vertical-story-group__heading-container button { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.183rem; outline: none; padding: 15px 32px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; } .vertical-story-group__heading-container h1 { font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3.6px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .vertical-story-group__heading-container h2 { font-size: 2.1rem; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 42px; } .vertical-story-group__heading-container-landscape { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; left: 0; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 65px; width: 70%; } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .vertical-story-group__heading-container-landscape { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } } .vertical-story-group__heading-container-landscape h1 { color: #fff; font-size: 2.25rem; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: 0.95px; margin: 0; } .vertical-story-group__heading-container-landscape button { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.875rem; height: 60px; letter-spacing: 0.183rem; outline: none; padding: 15px 32px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 260px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .vertical-story-group__heading-container-landscape button { margin-top: 50px; } } .vertical-story-group__container { display: -ms-grid; display: grid; grid-auto-rows: minmax(auto, auto); grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(290px, 310px)); height: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; justify-items: center; margin-top: -210px; width: 100%; } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .vertical-story-group__container { margin-top: -120px; } } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .mapContainer .mapTitle { background: transparent; color: #fff; display: block; font-family: 'curiousSans-Bold', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3.6px; line-height: 1.1875em; margin-top: 2%; min-width: 25%; padding: 2%; padding-bottom: 0.375em; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 16px; padding-top: 0.375em; position: relative; text-align: center; z-index: 100; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer .mapTitle { font-size: 2.4em; } } .mapContainer .styled-line { margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; } .mapContainer button { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9); border: 0; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 60px; outline: none; padding: 2px; width: 60px; } .mapContainer button .gelicon { color: #589e50; font-size: 2.5em; vertical-align: middle; } .mapContainer button:hover { background-color: #f2f2f2; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer button { height: 50px; width: 50px; } .mapContainer button .gelicon { font-size: 2em; } } .mapContainer .navigationPanel { -ms-flex-align: end; align-items: flex-end; bottom: 0; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; left: 50%; max-width: 1200px; padding: 10px; position: absolute; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, 0); transform: translate(-50%, 0); width: 100%; } .mapContainer .zoomControls { background-color: #fff; } .mapContainer .mapboxgl-popup-content { border-radius: 0; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 3px 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) !important; box-shadow: 0 3px 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) !important; cursor: default; font-family: 'curiousSans-Bold', Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 300px; padding: 0 !important; text-align: left; } .mapContainer .mapboxgl-popup-content img { width: 300px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer .mapboxgl-popup-content { max-width: 190px; } .mapContainer .mapboxgl-popup-content img { width: 190px; } } .mapContainer .mapboxgl-ctrl-logo { display: none !important; } .mapContainer .map-marker svg { -webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-out; transition: all 0.1s ease-out; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer .map-marker svg { height: 52px; -webkit-transform: scale(0.75); transform: scale(0.75); } } .mapContainer .map-marker-active svg { -webkit-transform: scale(1.3); transform: scale(1.3); } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer .map-marker-active svg { height: 52px; -webkit-transform: scale(1); transform: scale(1); } } .mapContainer__articleInfo { padding: 0 18px; } .mapContainer__articleInfo .article-vertical a { color: #4a4a4a; display: block; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 16px; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 20px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; } .mapContainer__articleInfo .article-title { font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.21px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0.725em 0; } .mapContainer__articleInfo .article-title a { color: rgba(46, 46, 46, 0.85); text-decoration: none; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .mapContainer__articleInfo .article-title { font-size: 1.7em; } } .mapContainer__articleInfo .article-author { color: #4a4a4a; display: block; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.1px; line-height: 35px; margin: 1.45em 0; text-decoration: none; } .location-header { font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 2.92px; line-height: 19px; text-transform: uppercase; } .temperature-switcher { background: transparent; border: 0; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 300; white-space: nowrap; } .temperature-switcher:active { color: currentColor; } .temperature-switcher__active { font-weight: bold; } .temperature-switcher span { margin: 0 0.2ex; } .day { --w-day-font-size: 14px; --w-day-temp-font-size: 20px; --w-day-temp-font-size-big: 32px; --w-day-temp-font-weight: 600; --w-day-name-font-weight: 500; -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; color: #959595; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; font-size: var(--w-day-font-size); } .day--desktop { --w-day-temp-font-size: 24px; --w-day-temp-font-weight: normal; --w-day-name-font-weight: 600; } .day:first-of-type { color: #4b4b4b; } .day__name { font-weight: var(--w-day-name-font-weight); line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0.75em; text-transform: uppercase; } .day__symbol-header { display: block; height: 80px; margin: 7px 0 5px; width: 98px; } .day__symbol { display: block; height: 40px; margin: 7px 0 5px; width: 50px; } .day--desktop .day__symbol { height: 60px; margin-top: 15px; width: 70px; } .day__temp { font-size: var(--w-day-temp-font-size); font-weight: var(--w-day-temp-font-weight); line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0.75em; text-transform: lowercase; } .day__temp--header { color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold; } .day--mobile:first-of-type { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: row wrap; flex-flow: row wrap; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 3em; } .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__symbol { height: 60px; margin-right: 10px; overflow: visible; width: 80px; } .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__temp { font-size: var(--w-day-temp-font-size-big); font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0; } .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__location { font-size: 120%; font-weight: 500; margin: 1em 0; } .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__name { color: #959595; } .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__location, .day--mobile:first-of-type .day__name { text-align: center; width: 100%; } .weather { --w-height: 50px; --w-wrapper-margin: 24px; --w-days-flexbasis: 33%; margin-bottom: 2rem; } .weather--desktop { --w-height: 80px; --w-wrapper-margin: 50px; --w-days-flexbasis: initial; margin-bottom: 1rem; } .weather:not(.weather--desktop) .weather__days { -ms-flex-flow: row wrap; flex-flow: row wrap; } .weather:not(.weather--desktop) .day:first-of-type { -ms-flex-preferred-size: 100%; flex-basis: 100%; width: auto; } .weather__separator { border-right: 1px solid #dcdcdc; display: block; height: var(--w-height); } .weather__days { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-preferred-size: var(--w-days-flexbasis); flex-basis: var(--w-days-flexbasis); -ms-flex-pack: space-evenly; justify-content: space-evenly; margin-top: 2.5rem; } .weather__days--desktop { margin-top: 4rem; } .weather__header { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-flow: column; flex-flow: column; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: var(--w-wrapper-margin); } .weather__header button { margin-top: 1.5rem; } .weather__header--desktop { /* position the temperature switcher on desktop */ position: relative; } .weather__header--desktop button { margin: 0; position: absolute; right: 0; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .beta-btn { background-color: #e6711b; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; height: 25px; line-height: 12px; padding: 0 7px; width: 66px; } .beta-btn:hover .beta-btn__arrow { cursor: pointer; -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); } .beta-btn:hover .beta-btn__arrow--expanded { -webkit-transform: rotate(-35deg); transform: rotate(-35deg); } .beta-btn__copy { color: #444; display: block; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0; line-height: 17px; margin: 16px auto; max-width: 50%; } .beta-btn__arrow { border: solid #fff; border-width: 0 2px 2px 0; display: inline-block; padding: 3px; position: relative; top: -1px; -webkit-transform: rotate(-45deg); transform: rotate(-45deg); -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .beta-btn__arrow--expanded { -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg); transform: rotate(45deg); } .image-card { position: relative; } .image-card img { -o-object-fit: cover; object-fit: cover; width: 100%; } .image-card__heading-container { color: #fff; left: 50%; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 80px; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } .image-card__heading-container button { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: 0.183rem; outline: none; padding: 15px 32px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; } .image-card__heading-container h1 { font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3.6px; margin-top: 0; } .image-card__heading-container h2 { font-size: 2.1rem; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 42px; margin-top: 0; } .image-card__heading-container-landscape { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; left: 50%; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 90%; } .image-card__heading-container-landscape__mobile { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; } .image-card__heading-container-landscape h1 { color: #fff; font-size: 2.25rem; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: 0.95px; margin-top: 0; } .image-card__heading-container-landscape button { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.875rem; height: 60px; letter-spacing: 0.183rem; outline: none; padding: 15px 32px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 260px; } .destination-header { width: 100%; } .destination-header__container { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; min-height: 380px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0 16px; position: relative; } .destination-header__image { height: 100%; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 100%; } .destination-header__image img { bottom: -100%; display: block; height: 100%; left: -100%; margin: auto; min-height: 100%; min-width: 100%; object-fit: cover; position: absolute; right: -100%; top: -100%; width: 100%; } .destination-header__text { color: #fff; font-size: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.95px; line-height: 37.4px; max-width: 488px; padding: 0 20px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; width: 100%; } .destination-header__text a { color: #fff; font-weight: 300; text-decoration: none; } .destination-header__text--desktop { font-size: 36px; } .destination-header__text-container { border-bottom: solid 1px #fff; display: inline-block; line-height: 1.3; padding-bottom: 17px; } .destination-header__text-container--desktop { padding-bottom: 0.75ex; } .destination-header__link-page, .destination-header__advert { color: #fff; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin-top: 20px; position: relative; text-align: center; } .destination-header__link-page span, .destination-header__advert span { display: block; width: 100%; } .destination-header__link-page--desktop, .destination-header__advert--desktop { margin-top: 40px; } .destination-header__link-page { left: 14px; margin: 0; position: absolute; text-transform: uppercase; top: 20px; } .destination-header__link-page--desktop { left: 25px; top: 36px; } .destination-header__background { background-image: radial-gradient(50% 49%, rgba(5, 36, 53, 0.37) 50%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 83%); height: 100%; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%; } .destination-header a { color: #fff; text-decoration: none; } .filter { display: inline-block; max-width: 160px; position: relative; } .filter__button { background-color: #000; border: 0; color: #fff; font-size: 16px; padding: 16px; width: 160px; } .filter__content { background-color: #000; display: none; position: absolute; width: 160px; z-index: 1; } .filter:focus .filter__content, .filter:hover .filter__content { display: block; } .filter__content--open { display: block; } .filter__content button { background-color: #000; border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-style: italic; padding: 12px 16px; text-decoration: none; width: 100%; } .filter__content button:hover { background-color: #494848; } .callout-box-card { background-color: #eaeaea; color: #4a4a4a; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left; } .callout-box-card img { height: 100%; width: 100%; } .callout-box-card__container { padding: 0.2rem 1.5rem; } .callout-box-card__container h3 { font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 16px; margin: 1rem 0; text-transform: uppercase; } .callout-box-card__container h4 { font-size: 28px; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: -0.21px; line-height: 35px; } .callout-box-card__container .body { font-size: 16px; font-weight: lighter; letter-spacing: -0.12px; line-height: 31px; } .callout-box-card__container .body a { color: #4a4a4a; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .see-more-button { border-bottom: 1px solid #979797; text-align: center; } .see-more-button-inner { background-color: transparent; border: 0; color: #6c6c6c; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 2.92px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 13px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; } .see-more-button-inner--light { color: #b4b4b4; } .see-more-button-inner__arrow { color: #6c6c6c; font-size: 10px; position: absolute; right: 9px; top: 2px; } .see-more-button-inner__arrow--light { color: #b4b4b4; } .see-more-button-inner__text { margin-right: 24px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .load-more-button { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } .load-more-button__refresh.gelicon--refresh { margin-right: 16px; -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } .load-more-button__downarrow { color: #adadad; font-size: 22px; -webkit-transition: 0.6s; transition: 0.6s; } .load-more-button__loading .load-more-button__refresh.gelicon--refresh { -webkit-animation: spin 2s linear infinite; animation: spin 2s linear infinite; } .load-more-button__downarrow:first-of-type { padding-right: 16px; } .load-more-button__downarrow:not(:first-of-type) { padding-left: 16px; } @-webkit-keyframes spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } 100% { -webkit-transform: rotate(-270deg); transform: rotate(-270deg); } } @keyframes spin { 0% { -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } 100% { -webkit-transform: rotate(-270deg); transform: rotate(-270deg); } } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .basic-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #adadad; border-radius: 4px; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 0 #fff, 0 2px 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 0 #fff, 0 2px 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08); color: #193e6d; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 20px; height: 54px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; min-width: 222px; text-align: center; -webkit-transition: 0.6s; transition: 0.6s; } .basic-button--worklife { color: #0052a1; } .basic-button--future { color: #002856; } .basic-button--culture { color: #472479; } .basic-button--earth { color: #0fbb56; } .basic-button--travel { color: #589e50; } .basic-button__text { color: #444; font-family: 'BBC Reith Sans Cd'; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; -webkit-transition: 0.6s; transition: 0.6s; } .basic-button__text--white { color: #fff; } .basic-button__text--curious { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; } .basic-button__text--worklife { color: #0052a1; } .basic-button__text--future { color: #002856; } .basic-button__text--culture { color: #472479; } .basic-button__text--earth { color: #0fbb56; } .basic-button__text--travel { color: #589e50; } .basic-button::before { padding-right: 16px; } .basic-button:hover { background-color: #dedede; } .basic-button--background-light-blue:hover { background-color: #dfe8ff; } .basic-button--background-worklife { background-color: #0052a1; } .basic-button--background-future { background-color: #002856; } .basic-button--background-culture { background-color: #472479; } .basic-button--background-earth { background-color: #0fbb56; } .basic-button--background-travel { background-color: #589e50; } .basic-button--background-worklife:hover { background-color: #4494e4; } .basic-button--background-future:hover { background-color: #ffc857; } .basic-button--background-culture:hover { background-color: #472479; } .basic-button--background-earth:hover { background-color: #002856; } .basic-button--background-travel:hover { background-color: #002856; } .basic-button__text--bold { font-weight: bold; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .read-more-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-direction: column; flex-direction: column; font-weight: bold; position: relative; width: 224px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .AdFrame { display: -ms-inline-flexbox; display: inline-flex; } .AdFrame--default { background-color: #f6f6f6; } .AdFrame--dark-grey { background-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.8); } .AdFrame--centre-aligned { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .text-with-styled-background { height: inherit; position: relative; width: 100%; } .text-with-styled-background--collection { display: inline-block; width: unset; } .text-with-styled-background--center-align { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .text-with-styled-background__text { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; color: #444; display: block; font-size: 20px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0 0 0 10px; position: relative; } .text-with-styled-background__text--large { font-size: 26px; line-height: 30px; padding: 0 0 0 24px; } .text-with-styled-background__text--medium { font-size: 22px; line-height: 28px; } .text-with-styled-background__text--remove-padding { padding: 0; width: 100%; } .text-with-styled-background__text--largest { font-size: 38px; line-height: 47px; } .text-with-styled-background__text--worklife { color: #0052a1; } .text-with-styled-background__text--future { color: #002856; } .text-with-styled-background__text--culture { color: #472479; } .text-with-styled-background__text--earth { color: #0fbb56; } .text-with-styled-background__text--travel { color: #589e50; } .text-with-styled-background__text--blue { color: #0052a1; } .text-with-styled-background__text--collection { font-size: 28px; line-height: 34px; padding: 0; } .text-with-styled-background__text--collection--medium { font-size: 32px; line-height: 38px; } .text-with-styled-background__text--collection--large { font-size: 38px; line-height: 47px; } .text-with-styled-background__line-container { bottom: 0; margin-left: 13px; position: absolute; width: calc(100% - 26px); } .text-with-styled-background__line { background-color: rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.05); height: 26px; max-width: 240px; position: relative; } .text-with-styled-background__line--large { bottom: -10px; height: 42px; max-width: 340px; } .text-with-styled-background__line--narrow { height: 26px; max-width: 100%; } .text-with-styled-background__line--medium { bottom: -10px; height: 36px; max-width: 340px; } .text-with-styled-background__line--largest { max-width: 100%; } .text-with-styled-background__line-container--collection { width: calc(100% + 26px); } .text-with-styled-background__line-container--no-margin { margin: 0; } .text-with-styled-background__line--collection { height: 26px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .previous-media-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #000; border: 0; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 16px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; outline: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; } .previous-media-button__icon--white svg { fill: #fff; } .previous-media-button span { height: 18px; width: 16px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .simple-header { color: #444; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin: 0; } .simple-header--large { font-size: 28px; line-height: 34px; } .simple-header--simple { font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; } .simple-header--small { font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 28px; } .simple-header--smallest { font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; } .simple-header--medium { font-size: 24px; line-height: 28px; } .simple-header--regular { font-size: 22px; line-height: 28px; } .simple-header--condensed-bold { font-stretch: condensed; } .simple-header--condensed-bold.simple-header--large { line-height: 37px; } .simple-header--condensed-bold.simple-header--regular { line-height: 28px; } .simple-header--white { color: #fff; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .play-button__inline-audio, .play-button__inline-video { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #000; border: 0; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 16px; height: 49px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; outline: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 49px; } .play-button__inline-audio .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video .gelicon--play { color: #ececec; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; } .play-button__inline-audio--worklife .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video--worklife .gelicon--play { color: #8beed9; } .play-button__inline-audio--travel .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video--travel .gelicon--play { color: #002856; } .play-button__inline-audio--future .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video--future .gelicon--play { color: #ffc857; } .play-button__inline-audio--culture .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video--culture .gelicon--play { color: #472479; } .play-button__inline-audio--earth .gelicon--play, .play-button__inline-video--earth .gelicon--play { color: #002856; } .play-button__inline-video:hover { background-color: #ececec; } .play-button__inline-video:hover .gelicon--play { color: #000; } .play-button__inline-audio { color: #fff; font-size: 22px; height: 50px; padding: 0; width: 50px; } .play-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border: 2px solid #5ae9cb; border-radius: 50%; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 22px; height: 80px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; outline: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 80px; } .play-button:hover { color: #5ae9cb; } .play-button--white { border: 4px solid #fff; } .play-button--white:hover { color: #fff; } .play-button--white .gelicon--play { color: inherit; } .play-button--worklife { border: 2px solid #8beed9; } .play-button--worklife:hover { color: #8beed9; } .play-button--travel { border: 2px solid #002856; } .play-button--travel:hover { color: #002856; } .play-button--future { border: 2px solid #ffc857; } .play-button--future:hover { color: #ffc857; } .play-button--culture { border: 2px solid #472479; } .play-button--culture:hover { color: #472479; } .play-button--earth { border: 2px solid #002856; } .play-button--earth:hover { color: #002856; } .play-button--desktop { font-size: 30px; height: 76px; width: 76px; } .play-button--background-hover:hover { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .error-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #000; border: 0; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 22px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; outline: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; } .error-button .gelicon--alert { color: #ececec; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .simple-p-tag { color: #444; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; margin: 0; } .simple-p-tag--large { font-size: 28px; line-height: 34px; } .simple-p-tag--medium { font-size: 27px; letter-spacing: -1.69px; line-height: 32px; } .simple-p-tag--quote { color: #575757; } .simple-header--serif-light-italic { font-style: italic; line-height: inherit; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .text-summary__text { font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0; text-align: left; } .text-summary__text--blue { color: #193e6d; } .text-summary__text--black { color: #000; } .text-summary__text--grey { color: #6a6a6a; } .text-summary__text--dark-grey { color: #444; } .text-summary__text--left { text-align: left; } .text-summary__text--right { text-align: right; } .screen-reader-only { border: 0; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px); -webkit-clip-path: inset(50%); clip-path: inset(50%); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; position: absolute !important; width: 1px; word-wrap: normal !important; } .inline-html { display: block; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .drop-capped { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; border: 2px solid #444; color: #444; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; float: left; font-size: 58px; font-weight: bold; height: 84px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; margin: 8px 10px 4px 0; text-transform: uppercase; width: 84px; } .drop-capped--worklife { border-color: #8beed9; } .drop-capped--future { border-color: #ffc857; } .drop-capped--culture { border-color: #444; } .drop-capped--earth { border-color: #002856; } .drop-capped--travel { border-color: #002856; } .drop-capped--desktop { margin-right: 24px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .close-nav { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: unset; border: unset; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; position: relative; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .close-nav__icon { color: #fff; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 20px; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .close-nav:hover .close-nav__icon { color: #cecece; -webkit-transform: rotate(90deg); transform: rotate(90deg); } .close-nav__label { display: inline-block; margin-right: 12px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .nav-label { color: #4e4e4e; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px; margin: auto; max-width: 1280px; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .nav-label:hover { color: #8e8e8e; } .nav-label--menu { color: #ebebeb; } .nav-label--menu:hover { color: #cecece; } .nav-label--white { color: #fff; } .nav-label--curiousSans { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .nav-links__link { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; padding-right: 24px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; } .nav-links__link--active p { border-bottom: 2px solid #002856; font-weight: bold; } .nav-links__link--active--menu p { border-bottom: unset; } .nav-links__link--active--worklife p { border-bottom: 2px solid #0052a1; } .nav-links__link--active--culture p { border-bottom: 2px solid #472479; } .nav-links__link--active--earth p { border-bottom: 2px solid #0fbb56; } .nav-links__link--active--travel p { border-bottom: 2px solid #589e50; } .nav-links__icon { background-color: #0052a1; bottom: 10px; height: 2px; position: absolute; width: 80px; } .nav-links__link--menu { display: block; padding-right: unset; } .nav-links__icon--menu { display: none; } .nav-links__icon--menu-tablet { width: 60px; } .nav-links__icon--worklife { background-color: #0052a1; } .nav-links__icon--future { background-color: #002856; } .nav-links__icon--culture { background-color: #472479; } .nav-links__icon--earth { background-color: #0fbb56; } .nav-links__icon--travel { background-color: #589e50; } .nav-links__link--menu p { font-size: 26px; padding: 0 0 32px 24px; } .nav-links__link--menu-desktop p { font-size: 32px; line-height: 42px; padding: 0 0 44px 100px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .burger-nav { background: transparent; border: 0; color: #0052a1; cursor: pointer; font-size: 20px; outline: none; padding: 0; } .burger-nav--worklife { color: #0052a1; } .burger-nav--future { color: #002856; } .burger-nav--culture { color: #472479; } .burger-nav--earth { color: #0fbb56; } .burger-nav--travel { color: #589e50; } .burger-nav--medium { font-size: 16px; } .burger-nav--small { font-size: 12px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .nav-menu { background-color: #0052a1; display: block; height: 100%; left: 0; min-height: 100vh; opacity: 0.98; overflow: auto; position: fixed; top: 0; width: 100vw; } .nav-menu--worklife { background-color: #0052a1; } .nav-menu--future { background-color: #002856; } .nav-menu--culture { background-color: #472479; } .nav-menu--earth { background-color: #0fbb56; } .nav-menu--travel { background-color: #589e50; } .nav-menu__close-nav { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; margin: auto; max-width: 1280px; padding: 16px 8px 60px; } .nav-menu__close-nav--desktop { padding: 20px 16px 70px; } .nav-menu__sponsored { background-color: rgba(34, 34, 34, 0.5); height: 100%; margin-bottom: 32px; } .nav-menu__sponsored--desktop { margin-bottom: 44px; } .nav-menu__sponsored-container { padding: 20px 16px 16px 24px; } .nav-menu__sponsored--desktop-container { margin: auto; max-width: 1264px; padding: 20px 16px 20px 100px; } .nav-menu__follow-us { padding: 52px 0 34px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .ad-slot { display: inline-block; } .ad-slot__container { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .ad-slot__label { max-width: 120px; min-width: 112px; padding-right: 8px; text-align: right; } .ad-slot--leaderboard { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; } .ad-slot__label--mpu, .ad-slot__label--leaderboard { margin-bottom: 8px; max-width: unset; padding-right: unset; text-align: right; } .ad-slot__container--mpu, .ad-slot__container--leaderboard { display: inline-block; -ms-flex-wrap: unset; flex-wrap: unset; } .ad-slot__fake--sponsor { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 31px; min-width: 88px; } .ad-slot__fake--mpu { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 250px; min-width: 300px; } .ad-slot__fake--mpu-large { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 600px; min-width: 300px; } .ad-slot__fake--leaderboard-large { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 90px; min-width: 728px; } .ad-slot__fake--leaderboard-medium { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 50px; min-width: 320px; } .ad-slot__fake--leaderboard-small { background-color: #5ae9cb; height: 50px; min-width: 300px; } .ad-slot__label--dark { color: #dcdcdc; } .ad-slot--dark { background-color: #f6f6f6; padding: 8px; } .ad-slot--black { background-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.8); padding: 8px; } .open-nav { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: unset; border: unset; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-pack: end; justify-content: flex-end; padding: 0; position: relative; -webkit-transition: 0.4s; transition: 0.4s; } .open-nav__icon { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .open-nav__label { display: inline-block; margin-right: 12px; } .play-icon { background: transparent; border: 0; color: #fff; font-size: 12px; outline: none; padding: 0; } .play-icon--red { color: #f00; } .play-icon--grey { color: #999; } .play-icon--medium { font-size: 16px; } .play-icon--large { font-size: 20px; } .camera-icon { background: transparent; border: 0; color: #fff; font-size: 12px; outline: none; padding: 0; } .camera-icon--red { color: #f00; } .camera-icon--grey { color: #999; } .camera-icon--medium { font-size: 16px; } .camera-icon--large { font-size: 20px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .nav-build-bar { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: auto; margin: auto; max-width: 1280px; width: 100%; } .nav-build-bar--mobile { height: auto; -ms-flex-pack: justify; justify-content: space-between; } .nav-build-bar--mobile .nav-build-bar__title-content { white-space: pre-wrap; } .nav-build-bar--tablet { height: 58px; } .nav-build-bar--desktop { height: 60px; } .nav-build-bar__links { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; -ms-flex-wrap: wrap; flex-wrap: wrap; height: 100%; -ms-flex-pack: end; justify-content: flex-end; margin-left: auto; overflow: hidden; } .nav-build-bar__sponsored-brand { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; margin-left: 8px; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap; } .nav-build-bar__sponsored-brand--no-brand { margin-left: 0; } .nav-build-bar__branding { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; padding: 0 8px 0 0; } .nav-build-bar__branding--tablet { padding: 0 30px 0 0; } .nav-build-bar__branding--desktop { padding: 0 80px 0 0; } .nav-build-bar__title-content { border: 1.78px solid; color: #444; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; margin: unset; padding: 8px; width: -webkit-fit-content; width: -moz-fit-content; width: fit-content; } .nav-build-bar__title-content--tablet { font-size: 24px; white-space: nowrap; } .nav-build-bar__title-content--desktop { font-size: 28px; } .nav-build-bar__open-nav { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 48px; } .nav-build-bar__open-nav-button { display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; padding-left: 8px; } .nav-build-bar__sponsored { background-color: #f6f6f6; border: 1px solid #d3d3d3; height: 48px; padding: 0 16px; } .nav-build-bar__open-nav--desktop { padding-right: 16px; } .nav-build-bar__open-nav--mobile { -ms-flex-pack: end; justify-content: flex-end; max-width: 100px; width: 100%; } .info-icon { background: transparent; border: 0; color: #fff; font-size: 12px; outline: none; padding: 0; } .info-icon--red { color: #f00; } .info-icon--grey { color: #999; } .info-icon--medium { font-size: 16px; } .info-icon--large { font-size: 20px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .styled-dot { background-color: #5ae9cb; border-radius: 50%; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px 0 rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.5); box-shadow: 0 1px 2px 0 rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.5); cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 6px; width: 6px; } .styled-dot--no-cursor { cursor: unset; } .styled-dot--medium { -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; height: 10px; width: 10px; } .styled-dot--dark-blue { background-color: #193e6d; } .styled-dot--purple { background-color: #362e67; -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; } .styled-dot--black { background-color: #000; -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; } .styled-dot--grey-green { background-color: #008e9b; -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; } .styled-dot--dark-green { background-color: #589e50; -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; } .styled-dot--worklife { background-color: #8beed9; } .styled-dot--future { background-color: #ffc857; } .styled-dot--culture { background-color: #472479; } .styled-dot--earth { background-color: #002856; } .styled-dot--travel { background-color: #002856; } .styled-dot--worklife-prime { background-color: #0052a1; } .styled-dot--future-prime { background-color: #002856; } .styled-dot--culture-prime { background-color: #472479; } .styled-dot--earth-prime { background-color: #0fbb56; } .styled-dot--travel-prime { background-color: #589e50; } .styled-dot--large { -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 1px 0 rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.5); box-shadow: 0 1px 1px 0 rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.5); height: 16px; width: 16px; } .styled-dot--small { -webkit-box-shadow: unset; box-shadow: unset; height: 8px; width: 8px; } .styled-dot--grey { background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .email-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 11px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .email-icon:hover { background-color: #000; } .email-icon--red:hover { background-color: #f00; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .facebook-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 15px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .facebook-icon:hover { background-color: #3b5998; } .facebook-icon--blue { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #3b5998; color: #3b5998; } .facebook-icon--blue:hover { background-color: #3b5998; color: #fff; } .facebook-icon--white { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #fff; color: #fff; } .facebook-icon--white:hover { background-color: #fff; color: #3b5998; } .facebook-icon--small { font-size: 20px; height: 38px; width: 38px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .hero-header { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; } .hero-header__header { font-family: 'CuriousSansBold'; color: #fff; font-size: 38px; line-height: 40px; margin: 0; text-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(25, 62, 109, 0.7); } .hero-header__header--large { font-size: 44px; line-height: 48px; } .hero-header__header--medium { font-size: 38px; line-height: 47px; } .hero-header__header--small { font-size: 28px; line-height: 34px; } .hero-header__header--black { color: #000; text-shadow: unset; } .hero-header__header--grey { color: #adadad; text-shadow: unset; } .ticked-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #13de99; border-radius: 50%; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); box-shadow: 0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .ticked-icon--small { font-size: 12px; height: 38px; width: 38px; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .google-plus-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 26px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .google-plus-icon:hover { background-color: #d34836; } .google-plus-icon--red:hover { background-color: #f00; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .reddit-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 26px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .reddit-icon:hover { background-color: #ff4500; } .reddit-icon__hide { display: none; } .reddit-icon--red:hover { background-color: #f00; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .linkedin-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 13px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .linkedin-icon:hover { background-color: #0077b5; } .linkedin-icon--red:hover { background-color: #f00; } .share-button { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #fff; border: 1px solid #e4e4e4; color: #444; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; letter-spacing: 3px; padding: 18px 16px; text-transform: uppercase; -webkit-transition: 0.6s; transition: 0.6s; width: 110px; z-index: 55; } .share-button .gelicon--share { margin-right: 10px; -webkit-transition: 0.3s ease-in; transition: 0.3s ease-in; } .share-button:hover .gelicon--share, .share-button .gelicon--share-sharing { -webkit-transform: rotate(-180deg); transform: rotate(-180deg); } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .whatsapp-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 13px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .whatsapp-icon:hover { background-color: #25d366; } .whatsapp-icon--red:hover { background-color: #f00; } /* stylelint-disable property-no-unknown */ .twitter-icon { -ms-flex-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: #193e6d; border-radius: 50%; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: -ms-flexbox; display: flex; font-size: 13px; height: 50px; -ms-flex-pack: center; justify-content: center; text-decoration: none; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.6s; transition-duration: 0.6s; width: 50px; z-index: 55; } .twitter-icon:hover { background-color: #1da1f2; } .twitter-icon--light-blue { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #1da1f2; color: #1da1f2; } .twitter-icon--light-blue:hover { background-color: #1da1f2; color: #fff; } .twitter-icon--white { background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid #fff; color: #fff; } .twitter-icon--white:hover { background-color: #fff; color: #1da1f2; } .twitter-icon--small { font-size: 18px; height: 38px; width: 38px; }/* stylelint-disable */ html, body { margin: 0; padding: 0; } #root *, #root *::before, #root *::after { box-sizing: border-box; } #root article, #root aside, #root figure, #root footer, #root header, #root nav, #root section { display: block; } body { background: #fff; } .app__body { display: flex; flex-direction: column; min-height: 100vh; overflow: visible; position: relative; } .app__domestic-disclaimer { bottom: 0; position: fixed; width: 100%; z-index: 5000; } .main { display: flex; flex: 1 0 auto; flex-direction: column; } .navigation { background-color: #fff; display: none; margin: auto; max-width: 1248px; padding: 4px 16px 0; position: relative; z-index: 1000; } @media (min-width: 1008px) and (max-width: 1279px) { .navigation { max-width: 976px; } } @media (min-width: 600px) { .navigation { padding: 0 16px 1px; } } @media (min-width: 600px) and (max-width: 1007px) { .navigation { max-width: 990px; } } @media (min-width: 300px) and (max-width: 399px) { .navigation { padding: 4px 8px; } } .navigation--display { display: block; } .navigation-sticky--undocked { background-color: #fff; width: 100%; z-index: 10000; } .StickyElement { position: relative; z-index: 1501; } .loader { display: none; height: 100%; left: -99999px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; transition: 0.2s opacity; width: 100%; z-index: 1000; } .loader--is-active { background: white; display: block; left: 0; opacity: 1; } .loader__body { display: none; left: 50%; position: fixed; top: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%) translateY(-50%); } .loader__body--show-loader { display: block; } .no-js .loader { display: none; } .article-headline__text:focus { outline: none; } .article__main { display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; margin: 0; width: 100%; } @media (max-width: 1023px) and (min-width: 768px) { .article__main { width: 80%; } } .article__subcontainer { display: flex; justify-content: flex-end; position: relative; width: 100%; z-index: 999; } @media (max-width: 1667px) and (min-width: 1194px) { .article__subcontainer { width: 97%; } } @media (min-width: 1680px) { .article__subcontainer { justify-content: center; width: 80% !important; } } @media (min-width: 1900px) { .article__subcontainer { margin: auto; width: 71% !important; } } .article__side-mpu { min-height: 810px; } .article__side-mpu > div { background: #f1f1f1; display: inline-block; padding: 0 8px 8px; } .bbccom_standard_slot { background: transparent !important; } .article__body { background-color: #fff; flex: 1 1 auto; margin-top: -56px; max-width: 700px; width: 100%; /* stylelint-disable-next-line order/order */ } .article__body-content { overflow-wrap: break-word; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1007px) { .article__body { margin: 0 auto; position: relative; top: -56px; width: 82%; z-index: 100; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { .article__body { margin-top: 0; } } @media (min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1180px) { .article__body { margin-left: 3%; width: 97%; } } @media (max-width: 1007px) { .article__body { margin-top: 0; } } .article__mpu { flex-basis: 333px; flex-grow: 0; height: auto; } .article__body-content, .article__body .article__partner, .article__author-unit { padding: 0 10px; margin-bottom: 0; } @media (min-width: 650px) { .article__body-content, .article__body .article__partner, .article__author-unit { padding: 0 18px; } } @media (min-width: 1023px) { .article__body-content, .article__body .article__partner, .article__author-unit { padding: 0 6% 0 18px; } } .article__container { display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; } .article__container + .related-articles { margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .article__intro { color: #4d4d49; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 24px; padding: 14px 0 0; } @media (min-width: 650px) { .article__intro { font-size: 26px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -1.63px; line-height: 37px; } } .article__end { clear: both; padding-top: 36px; } .article__fade-story { background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 0%, #fff 100%); bottom: 0; height: 210px; position: absolute; width: 100%; z-index: 1501; } .article__fade-story--show { display: block !important; } .article__body--short { height: 700px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; } @media (min-width: 768px) { .article__body--short { height: 800px; } } .article__load-more { bottom: 24px; display: block !important; -ms-grid-column: 1; -ms-grid-column-span: 1; grid-column: 1 / span 1; left: 50%; position: absolute; transform: translateX(-50%); z-index: 1502; } .article--hidden { display: none !important; } .article__similar-articles { flex: 1 0 333px; max-width: 333px; } .article__similar-articles--hidden { display: none; } .article__similar-articles--show { display: block; } @media (max-width: 1365px) and (min-width: 1280px) { .hero-video__video { max-height: 534px; width: 73.5% !important; } } @media (min-width: 1366px) { .hero-video__video { left: 5.5%; max-height: 534px; max-width: 949px; width: 70% !important; } } @media (min-width: 1668px) { .hero-video__video { left: 14%; } } @media (min-width: 1900px) { .hero-video__video { left: 18.5%; } } .inline-audio { display: block; padding-top: 8px; } .article__audio-ad { display: flex; position: relative; margin: 17px 0 14px; } @media (max-width: 767px) { .article__audio-ad { margin: 2px 0 6px; } } .article__audio-ad .bbccom_slot { 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class="screen-reader-only">Share on Facebook</span></a><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015/https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues%3Focid%3Dww.social.link.linkedin&title=Should%20young%20workers%20still%20have%20to%20'pay%20their%20dues'?" class="linkedin-icon gelicon--linkedin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" id=""><span class="screen-reader-only">Share on Linkedin</span><div id="LinkedInIcon"></div></a></div></div><div class="copyright__text b-reith-sans-font">(Image credit: Getty Images)</div><div class="hero-image"><picture><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05tkm.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05tkm.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05tkm.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05tkm.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tkm.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tkm.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05tkm.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05tkm.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><img draggable="false" title="(Credit: Getty Images)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tkm.jpg" alt="(Credit: Getty Images)" id=""/></picture></div></div><div class="article__container"><div class="article__main"><div class="article__subcontainer"><article class="article__body"><div class="article__author-unit"><div class="author-unit author-unit--smal-mobile"><div class="author-unit__container author-unit__container--desktop"><a class="author-unit__text b-font-family-serif" target="" rel="" id="">By Kate Morgan</a><span class="b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300">27th October 2021</span></div><div class="author-unit__line"><div class="styled-line styled-line--dark-grey styled-line--large"></div></div></div></div><div class="article__body-content"><div class="article__intro b-font-family-serif">Fetch coffee, file expense reports, take the night shift – entry-level workers are expected to do the grunt work. But is there a point to this professional hazing?</div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="drop-capped b-reith-sans-font drop-capped--worklife">W</div><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--drop-capped body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>When Caitlin, a 24-year-old in Pennsylvania, US, graduated from her nursing program about a year ago, she was assigned to the night shift.</p> <p>“Most new nurses are sent into the night shift, which some people love,” she says. “For me it just wrecked my body and my life. I went into a terrible depression. I’m a super extroverted, daytime, sunshine person. It totally messed up my eating habits, my hormones, everything.”</p> <p>Caitlin, who is withholding her surname for job security, says her circadian rhythm was so thrown off, she became unable to drive herself home after a shift without falling asleep. “Once,” she says, “I woke up in the opposite lane, a half-second from a head-on collision.” </p> <p>She approached her superiors and human resources to try to get her hours changed, to no avail. “The way you get to day shift is a seniority list based on when you started,” says Caitlin. “In order for me to get a full-time day shift position, I had to basically wait for people to quit, retire or leave. At the time, there was a day-shift position available, but they wouldn’t give it to me because there was someone who’d been there longer than me. It was a tough lesson: they weren’t going to let me skip the line.”</p> <p>Ultimately, says Caitlin, she wasn’t shocked by that outcome. As one of the newest nurses on staff, she knew she was expected to work those overnight hours, no matter how tough it was. “You’ve got to just pay your dues,” she says. “I was kind of taught that is how life works. You’re at the bottom until you work your way up to the top.”</p> <p>That’s generally the accepted narrative in the working world: everybody has to start somewhere – and that somewhere is often not glamourous. Across industries, it’s expected that those on the lowest rung of the ladder will take on the grunt work, be assigned the least-desirable shifts or do the time-consuming tasks more senior employees don’t want. Do those things, and the assumption is that you’ll eventually be initiated as a member of the team, prove you’re worthy of better or more enjoyable work and move out of that rookie role.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body__pull-quote"><blockquote class="inline-quote b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 inline-quote--worklife"><h2 class="simple-header b-reith-sans-font b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 simple-header--serif-light-italic simple-p-tag--medium simple-p-tag--quote">Hazing is saying, ‘you have to do this to be one of us, to be part of our group’. It’s paying the cost of entry – Benjamin J Thomas</h2></blockquote></div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>“There are formal elements that indicate someone is ‘in.’ You have a signed contract, and you get a pay cheque,” says Benjamin J Thomas, an assistant professor of management and organisational studies at Radford University and the University of Louisville, US. “But then there are more invisible forces. These expectations are unspoken. They’re not in any handbook.”</p> <p>But while the culture of ‘paying your dues’ – and even being hazed by elder staff along the way – may be ubiquitous, it may not necessarily be the best way to bring new staff into the fold. This approach to entering a group’s ranks may be human nature to some extent, but it also may tip work cultures from taxing to toxic.</p> <p><strong>The ‘human nature’ of hazing</strong></p> <p>For rookie workers, taking on the lowest-level – sometimes seemingly demeaning work – can sometimes feel like hazing, rather than skill building. That’s not entirely incorrect, says Thomas. In a way, younger workers <em>are</em> getting hazed – but not in the egregious, secret-society ways we often associate with hazing. “We hear the word and think it’s toxic, bad, degrading,” he says. </p> <p>Really, he explains, hazing just refers to those invisible expectations that are created for people who want to join an established group, whether it’s cultural, societal or professional. In other words, it’s just another term for paying your dues. “Hazing is saying, ‘you have to do this to be one of us, to be part of our group’. It’s paying the cost of entry.” </p> <p>Importantly, the idea that entry-level workers are expected to perform the least desirable tasks extends far past the workplace. “It’s not a new phenomenon, or one tied just to work. Pre-industrial societies haze each other. It seems to just be a human thing. To become an adult in many cultures, you have to go through some kind of ordeal, and that’s a form of hazing. Humans just do this to each other.”</p> <p>Still, in the modern working world, it’s especially widespread. As many as 75% of American employees<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015/http://www.aldocimino.com/thomas_cimino_meglich_2021.pdf"> report having witnessed or participated in hazing</a>, or say they’ve been on the receiving end.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body__image-text article-body__image-text--landscape"><div id="worklife/article/20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-p0b05tpf"><div><picture><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05tpf.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05tpf.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05tpf.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05tpf.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tpf.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tpf.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05tpf.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05tpf.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><img draggable="false" title="Lower-level workers are tasked with grunt work, like doing the daily coffee run for the office higher-ups (Credit: Getty Images)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05tpf.jpg" alt="Lower-level workers are tasked with grunt work, like doing the daily coffee run for the office higher-ups (Credit: Getty Images)" id=""/></picture><div class="inline-image__description b-reith-sans-font"><div class="text-summary"><p class="text-summary__text text-summary__text--grey text-summary__text--left">Lower-level workers are tasked with grunt work, like doing the daily coffee run for the office higher-ups (Credit: Getty Images)</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>“Most people who do the hazing were themselves hazed,” says Thomas, “so they’re just sort of carrying on tradition for tradition’s sake. And then there’s a fairness issue. The thought is, ‘I had to go through it, so if you’re going to be here, you must go through it also.’”</p> <p><strong>The upsides to hazing?</strong></p> <p>Although these reasons may not necessarily seem valid enough to perpetuate a structure that leaves young workers bearing the brunt, this system also has some benefits.<strong> </strong></p> <p>In some cases, says Thomas, assigning new workers the most gruelling, unpleasant or time-consuming tasks can actually be an effective way to help them learn. “In a lot of professions where you’re doing work that feels like a waste of time, you’re really engaging in what might be called tacit learning,” he says. “You’re getting many, many micro-lessons, learned through first-hand experience.”</p> <p>It’s a model that goes back to the earliest days of industrialisation, and continues today: all trades are performed by masters and apprentices, and the latter is expected to learn by doing the mundane tasks assigned by the former.</p> <p>“There will always be a difference in expertise between newcomers and experienced people,” says Thomas. “And newcomers will always have to find ways to gain expertise. Paying their dues is a good way to do that.”</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body__pull-quote"><blockquote class="inline-quote b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 inline-quote--worklife"><h2 class="simple-header b-reith-sans-font b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 simple-header--serif-light-italic simple-p-tag--medium simple-p-tag--quote">It’s like, OK, get on your hands and knees and clean the poop off the floor just like the rest of us did – Caitlin</h2></blockquote></div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>Having a shared experience, even – or especially – if it’s not enjoyable, can also bond people together effectively. “There are studies that show groups that employ hazing have stronger measures of cohesion,” adds Thomas. “And this is the double-edged sword of it: the people who are left at the end are closer, more knitted to each other, they identify more strongly with each other.”</p> <p>And most people aren’t seriously scarred by the period of time spent paying their dues – hence the perpetuation of the system, and their willingness to do it to others.</p> <p>“I think you have to have a sense of humour,” says Caitlin, the nurse. “Yes, you’re the new kid and you need to get your feet wet and learn, so you get the gross jobs. But that’s where everybody started. So, it’s like, OK, get on your hands and knees and clean the poop off the floor just like the rest of us did.”</p> <p>When people who have been subjected to hazing are asked about it, says Thomas, “there’s a not-insignificant number who will laugh about it. They look back on it with warmth and affection, and something almost like nostalgia.”</p> <p>Already, says Caitlin, the long night shifts and dirty jobs have bonded her to her colleagues, both at her level and above. </p> <p>“We’ll laugh about it all later at the bar,” she says. “There’s a lot of camaraderie. I’ve become like the little sister of the unit, and it’s because I’m a good worker and I’ve got grit. I do hard work and I don’t complain about it, and that is what our culture is about. You’re going to do the dirty work and laugh about it later, and that’s how you make it on our unit. We’ve had people who are prima donnas and don’t want to do the dirty work, and they no longer work on our unit.”</p> <p><strong>The creep of toxicity</strong></p> <p>A culture of dues-paying might not be all bad, but there is a difference between expecting young workers to do certain tasks versus creating an unfair environment – or even a toxic one.</p> <p>During her first year on the job, which corresponded with the height of the pandemic, Caitlin says the fairness scale began to tip too far. “I worked nights for weeks straight in ‘Covidland’ – what we call the Covid side of our unit. We started noticing none of the older staff got Covid assignments, and it was <em>all </em>the new nurses were doing.” It took almost a year, she adds, to learn the basic skills she needed to do her job outside the Covid ward. “It was really mentally exhausting, and I almost walked away from nursing because of it. When it comes to the point where your mental health and physical health are in danger, the line has been crossed.”</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body__image-text article-body__image-text--landscape"><div id="worklife/article/20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-p0b05v2t"><div><picture><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05v2t.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:1200px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1600x900/p0b05v2t.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05v2t.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:880px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/1280x720/p0b05v2t.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05v2t.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:576px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05v2t.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05v2t.webp" type="image/webp"/><source media="(min-width:224px)" srcset="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p0b05v2t.jpg" type="image/jpeg"/><img draggable="false" title="There's a fine line between asking workers to pay their dues at the start of their career and a hazing culture that turns toxic (Credit: Getty Images)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015im_/https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/976x549/p0b05v2t.jpg" alt="There's a fine line between asking workers to pay their dues at the start of their career and a hazing culture that turns toxic (Credit: Getty Images)" id=""/></picture><div class="inline-image__description b-reith-sans-font"><div class="text-summary"><p class="text-summary__text text-summary__text--grey text-summary__text--left">There's a fine line between asking workers to pay their dues at the start of their career and a hazing culture that turns toxic (Credit: Getty Images)</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>This rings true for 24-year-old Thulasi Seshan, who found the process of paying her dues as an organiser on major US political campaigns to be completely untenable. She worked 12-hour days – or longer – doing field work, data entry and phone calls. Plus, the door-to-door canvassing of the job also meant that, as a woman of colour, she dealt with almost daily incidents of racism or misogyny.</p> <p>Seshan says the idea of hazing bottom-rung workers isn’t a bad idea in theory. “You’re young, you’re energetic, you work hard, learn the ropes and we’ll give you more responsibility,” she says. “But instead it’s become, ‘let’s take these young people and burn them into the ground’.”</p> <p>But after taking on that grunt work, Seshan never moved up the ladder: instead, she left politics.</p> <p><strong>A homogeneity problem</strong> </p> <p>Underrepresented workers like Seshan leaving due to hazing represents another problem: the perpetuation of homogeneous organisations. </p> <p>In her experience, Seshan found the workers who did make it through the grunt-work stage were people with financial security or family assistance to make an underpaid position workable. Often, they also had local homes at which they could stay. “It’s a lot harder if you’re black and don’t have a family home in Northern Virginia [close to job headquarters in Washington, DC]. The result is homogeneity of people at the top.”</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body__pull-quote"><blockquote class="inline-quote b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 inline-quote--worklife"><h2 class="simple-header b-reith-sans-font b-font-family-serif b-font-weight-300 simple-header--serif-light-italic simple-p-tag--medium simple-p-tag--quote">It’s become, ‘let’s take these young people and burn them into the ground’ – Thulasi Seshan</h2></blockquote></div><div><div class="body-text-card b-reith-sans-font"><div class="body-text-card__text body-text-card__text--worklife body-text-card__text--flush-text"><div><p>Although this may not always be the case, Thomas also recognises organisational homogeneity as a knock-on issue. In a system where the goal is for newcomers to “prove themselves”, not everyone will; for some employees, the work will prove too difficult or unfair, and they may not ever move up the ladder or be accepted by the team. “The result – the people who are left – is often a group of people who are, in some way, the same.” </p> <p>However, Thomas says there may be reasons to believe we could be beginning to move away from the long-accepted system of young workers paying their dues. “Gen Z may not be attracted to these groups that are more homogenous,” he says. “They might not necessarily <em>want </em>to earn a place there, and they might not be willing to pay the dues.”</p> <p>Still, says Thomas, the culture has existed for so long, and is so pervasive, it won’t necessarily change easily. Although there are ways to “increase group cohesion and shared identity without this” system, getting rid of the hazing culture involves someone to step up.</p> <p> “Who’s going to be the first to change it?” he says. “Someone is going to have to be the first to say, ‘when it’s time for you to be part of the group, I’m just going to let you in – no dues required”.</p></div></div></div></div><div class="article__end"><div class="article-end article-end--tablet"><div class="article-end__line--long"><div class="styled-line styled-line--worklife styled-line--medium"></div></div><div class="article-end__share-tools"><div class="article-share-tools article-share-tools--popout article-share-tools--dark"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211026230015/mailto:/?subject=Shared from 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phone","creationDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","entity":"image","guid":"","id":"p09xsggl","modifiedDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","project":"","slug":"","url":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fychef.files.bbci.co.uk\u002F$recipe\u002Fp09xsggl.jpg","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"p09bl4n5":{"urn":"urn:external:nitro:image:p09bl4n5","_id":"616ff51c45ceed1de024428e","copyright":"Alamy","fileSizeBytes":166587,"mimeType":"image\u002Fjpeg","sourceHeight":1080,"sourceUrl":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\u002Flive-galileo-interface-mt-resources-imagebucket-1a92e5tj3b5d6\u002Fp0\u002F9b\u002Fl4\u002Fp09bl4n5.jpg","sourceWidth":1920,"synopsisLong":"","synopsisMedium":"Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon is among the executives leading the charge to get workers back into their seats, as quickly as possible (Credit: Alamy)","synopsisShort":"(Credit: Alamy)","templateUrl":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fychef.files.bbci.co.uk\u002F$recipe\u002Fp09bl4n5.jpg","title":"solomon.jpg","creationDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","entity":"image","guid":"","id":"p09bl4n5","modifiedDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","project":"","slug":"","url":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fychef.files.bbci.co.uk\u002F$recipe\u002Fp09bl4n5.jpg","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"p09bl42x":{"urn":"urn:external:nitro:image:p09bl42x","_id":"616ff52145ceed28ce2e69db","copyright":"Alamy","fileSizeBytes":305812,"mimeType":"image\u002Fjpeg","sourceHeight":1080,"sourceUrl":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\u002Flive-galileo-interface-mt-resources-imagebucket-1a92e5tj3b5d6\u002Fp0\u002F9b\u002Fl4\u002Fp09bl42x.jpg","sourceWidth":1920,"synopsisLong":"","synopsisMedium":"Leading tech 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than anything, employers' personal preferences will guide whether or not workers find themselves back at their desks (Credit: Alamy)","synopsisShort":"(Credit: 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Alamy)","templateUrl":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fychef.files.bbci.co.uk\u002F$recipe\u002Fp09bl4jj.jpg","title":"man-at-desk.jpg","creationDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","entity":"image","guid":"","id":"p09bl4jj","modifiedDateTime":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","project":"","slug":"","url":"https:\u002F\u002Fweb.archive.org\u002Fweb\u002F20211026230015\u002Fhttps:\u002F\u002Fychef.files.bbci.co.uk\u002F$recipe\u002Fp09bl4jj.jpg","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976}},"articles":{"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon","_id":"616ff68245ceed446f435acf","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Although some joke about being 'scarred' by past bad jobs, workplace-induced emotional trauma is real – with long-lasting effects.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Emily started her first job in the legal industry, she was cautiously optimistic. After her graduation, the then-22-year-old was looking forward to joining the labour market. One of the managers at the office was also a woman of colour – a hopeful sign for the company’s culture – and she was excited about her salary, which felt substantial for a first-time worker.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, she also saw some red flags: for one, an office culture built around drinking – so much so, she says, that she was asked to take shots with higher-ups after her final interview. “I'm a highly susceptible 22-year-old, just getting out of college, who wants to win the approval of the cis white [staffers]. I drank a lot more than I should have,” recalls Emily, whose name has been changed due to the sensitivity of her claims.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe says she experienced constant pressure to overwork, racial harassment and was pushed to engage with graphically violent and racist content. She experienced exhaustion to the point that she begged for a medical leave at the end of her first year. After threatening to quit, she was approved for time off; at the end, she realised she couldn’t go back. Ultimately, she quit – a decision she feels saved her life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I thought about jumping off the [building’s] balcony at one point,” says Emily. “It was like, no one ever comes up here except for the marketing team. If I go up here and just jump, it'll be fine. It's 32 stories, it'll definitely kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmily held her position for only a year, and never formally reported her experiences. But now, almost three years after leaving, the job haunts her. She ties many of her current struggles with mental illness to her past workplace – still panicking after hearing an email notification at the weekend, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile society has long associated workplace trauma-induced mental illness with certain occupations like firefighting and the military, the notion of trauma developed from a toxic job or workplace is becoming increasingly recognised throughout the workforce.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn March, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FDesmond_Hardy\u002Fstatus\u002F1366769177353191428\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eviral Twitter thread\u003C\u002Fa\u003E exposed its prevalence. Well after leaving a job, people shared that anything from retracing their old commute to otherwise-banal office socialising might induce \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fkimikoko73\u002Fstatus\u002F1366811333983936518\"\u003Echest pains\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FRdotSpoon\u002Fstatus\u002F1366805126015410182\"\u003Emuscle spasms\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and more.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven without a clinical designation, workplace-induced trauma is a tangible issue – one that’s especially gaining attention as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos\"\u003Eyounger generations grow more vocal about their mental-health struggles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. What do workers do when they can’t shake the ripple effects of a toxic workplace – and how can they heal?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETricky environments\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkplace-induced trauma can stem from several causes: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thecut.com\u002Farticle\u002Fracism-at-my-job-literally-gave-me-ptsd.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eracism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fworkplace-trauma-is-real_b_5848977ee4b05d636ae936d7\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebullying\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, poor work-life boundaries and job insecurity. It’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fnews.bbc.co.uk\u002F2\u002Fhi\u002Fbusiness\u002F3563450.stm\"\u003Enot a new concept\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS1359178915000026\"\u003Eresearch over the past two decades\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has highlighted its rising prominence – and some workers have come to refer to it as ‘workplace PTSD’.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr Chi-Chi Obuaya, a London-based psychiatrist and mental health professional, is hesitant to associate these forms of workplace-induced trauma with the clinical definition of PTSD. However, he confirms that this damage is real, though he notes workers may conflate trauma with developing PTSD, and may possibly be experiencing other anxiety or depression disorders instead.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, no matter how people refer to their struggles, workers have reported long-term impact on their careers, such as changing how they make career decisions, perceive safety in the workplace, interact with superiors and more.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, even with work now outside the physical office, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home\"\u003Etoxic conditions haven’t necessarily improved\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Obuaya says the Covid-19 forced transition to remote work has perpetuated poor working environments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There's a perceived need to almost take the presenteeism that was a problem with face-to-face working, now online. You've got to constantly be available on Zoom, and people can see what you're doing,” says Obuaya. “People feel under pressure with their work.” He adds that these experiences are especially difficult – and can precipitate mental disorders – in workplaces in which bullying was already an issue.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMichelle K Duffy, Vernon Heath Chair of Work and Organizations in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, US, adds that the pandemic-linked changes to work have complicated our cultural assumptions about what to expect, and what we’re entitled to, in the workplace. As such, we may not know what constitutes acceptable workplace behaviour or demands in this ‘new normal’ – or how to access help if something feels wrong. And this ambiguity can quickly breed toxicity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPower play\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home\"\u003EToxic work environments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E can cause long-lasting emotional damage in part, Duffy suspects, because of how blurred the boundaries between work and life can be. “In the past, if we talked about trauma from an abusive supervisor or toxic colleagues, people considered it a ‘personal problem’,” says Duffy. But it’s hard separating your “personal problem” from work when it’s a place where you may spend 40 or more hours of your week.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd because the workplace has come to play a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs\"\u003Esignificant role in our psyches\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Duffy says that “when the safety of the workplace is violated for people, it's really hard”. If the workplace doesn’t recognise the problem and provide support, it can be more challenging for the traumatised person to process – and they may end up blaming themselves. “Without that structural change for you, without the workplace recognising [the harm], it's hard to move through that [violation]. People are really hard on themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Well after leaving a job, people shared that anything from retracing their old commute to otherwise-banal office socialising might induce chest pains, muscle spasms and more","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThose who have experienced trauma in the past – whether linked to gender, racism or other bigotry – can particularly struggle in toxic work environments. “If you have a hostile workplace, or a supervisor who's aggressive or some dynamics with colleagues that feel intimidating or toxic, that can trigger prior memories for people who have had trauma,” says Dr Shaili Jain, a physician and trauma researcher at Stanford University. “Real symptoms can start manifesting in reaction to the current-day situation.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo matter the type of issue a worker experiences, the most damaging environments are also generally the hardest places to report problems. One major factor is power imbalances between managers and lower-level workers; in hierarchy-driven workplaces, workers may find it especially challenging to complain to supervisors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA lack of communication can become even more of a problem when gender, race or age dynamics are in play. Emily, for example, says she constantly felt discomfort trying to create boundaries at her toxic job because her superiors – largely white men – dismissed her attempts to detach from their drinking culture, and suggested she couldn’t “fit in” with the company culture without participating.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese dynamics can combine to make trauma more acute and longer lasting – a major problem for workers of all stripes, no matter how the ‘severity’ of their individual experiences.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHope for reprieve?\u003Cbr \u002F\u003EAlthough workplace-induced trauma may be alarmingly present, there may be some hope on the horizon.\u003Cbr \u002F\u003EAn increasing number of people recognise the damage toxic workplaces can do – and have become more comfortable talking about it, says Duffy. In the past few years, workers have grown more vocal, sharing experiences of sleepless nights, anxiety and panic attacks, all induced by unhealthy work environments.\u003Cbr \u002F\u003EJain says we will soon face a reckoning on workplace safety in all its forms, with the countless “traumatised workers” forced into frontline roles by Covid-19 making the reality of workplace trauma unavoidable. Jain also mentions the collapsing of work-life boundaries for remote office workers, and resulting mental-health difficulties, as part of a coming referendum on work trauma.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHope for reprieve?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough workplace-induced trauma may be alarmingly present, there may be some hope on the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn increasing number of people recognise the damage toxic workplaces can do – and have become more comfortable talking about it, says Duffy. In the past few years, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bodyandsoul.com.au\u002Fwellbeing\u002Fi-got-ptsd-from-my-office-job\u002Fnews-story\u002F8040e58b18a27fd1812dadf2af314766\"\u003Eworkers have grown more vocal, sharing experiences \u003C\u002Fa\u003Eof sleepless nights, anxiety and panic attacks, all induced by unhealthy work environments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJain says we will soon face a reckoning on workplace safety in all its forms, with the countless “traumatised workers” forced into frontline roles by Covid-19 making the reality of workplace trauma unavoidable. Jain also mentions the collapsing of work-life boundaries for remote office workers, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-coronavirus-the-possible-long-term-mental-health-impacts\"\u003Eresulting mental-health difficulties\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as part of a coming referendum on work trauma.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Those who have experienced trauma in the past – whether linked to gender, racism or other bigotry – can particularly struggle in toxic work environments","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, Jain is hoping to see workplaces embrace mental-health support for their employees. “Organisations that just gave lip service to these things will have to actually build psychological pathways for the rehabilitation of their workforce, if they want to maintain their profitability and their productivity,” she says. “It is a massive call for employers to take action, definitely on a policy and governmental level.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJain adds that the burden particularly falls on employers to be more in tune with their workforce, recognising signs like absenteeism and presenteeism as well as low morale and high turnover.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, there’s no telling when – or if – these workplaces will change. This means that, unfortunately, the burden may fall on workers to seek help and induce progress. Workers can try to create better work boundaries and push for culture change both within and outside the workplace. Importantly, experts stress that seeking independent mental-health care is critical to helping overcome trauma.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the first place to start is taking your experiences seriously – whether or not your workplace does.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmily, who is still navigating launching her career, continues to feel residual effects of the trauma she experienced in her workplace. “[My past job] changed essentially everything about the way that I think about work, making work relationships, professionalism,” she says. However, in the last few years, she’s found some reprieve through sharing her experiences and receiving mental-health treatment. She’s validated that her experiences were not only real – but they were more common than she thought.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you are struggling to cope in the UK, contact the Samaritans on the free helpline 116 123, or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fprogrammes\u002Farticles\u002F1qwRrh0980VFd6zG3c0MFb6\u002Finformation-and-support\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Eplease click on this link\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to access support services. In the US, contact the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800 273 8255, or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsuicidepreventionlifeline.org\u002F\"\u003Echat online\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Additional international resources are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.opencounseling.com\u002Fsuicide-hotlines\"\u003Eavailable here\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-19T14:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why long-term workplace trauma is a real phenomenon","headlineShort":"The truth about 'workplace PTSD'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Although some joke about being 'scarred' by past bad jobs, workplace-induced emotional trauma is real – with long-lasting effects.","summaryShort":"Some joke about being scarred by bad jobs, but workplace-induced trauma is real","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-18T20:06:57.951974Z","entity":"article","guid":"f4aa9041-03a1-4b65-a834-305162ce28ec","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:21:56.875506Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917957},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves","_id":"616ff67e45ceed46a33c6404","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"People who chronically brag and boast are grating – and, at times, repellent. But a surprising truth about narcissists might help us feel unexpected compassion for them.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a world where humility is valued, some of the most grating people are those who constantly name-drop, brag, claim credit and opine about their brilliance. These qualities set off loud alarm bells of a narcissist in our presence – the kind of person who makes us roll our eyes and gnash our teeth.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s hard to find compassion for a someone who’s full of themself – and, in many cases, it’s unclear why we’d \u003Cem\u003Ewant \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eto sympathise with the people who repel us most. However, research indicates that unlike Narcissus staring at himself reflecting in the pool, many narcissists actually aren’t in love with themselves after all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EQuite the opposite, in fact.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMuch of the time, a narcissist’s behaviour isn’t driven by self-love – rather, self-hatred. New findings reinforce this idea, noting that narcissistic behaviour like flexing on social media might come from low self-esteem and a constant need for self-validation. The fact that some narcissists might actually dislike themselves not only debunks the common school of thought around braggarts, but also suggests that we might want to rethink the way we interact with narcissists.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E'They don't feel good'\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Narcissists tend to be very charming and outgoing, and they can make very good first impressions,\" says Robin Edelstein, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, US. \"But they also tend to be somewhat disagreeable, lacking in empathy and manipulative.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an employment setting, that can mean taking credit for other people's work, blaming colleagues for mistakes, taking advantage of others to get ahead or responding to feedback with hostility, explains Edelstein. Socially, this may manifest as showing off on social media, or usurping attention over brunch at the expense of someone else.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA common misconception is that this behaviour stems from intense self-love, self-obsession and self-centredness. But the cause could be just the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Narcissistic individuals are actually really hamstrung by insecurity and shame, and their entire life is an attempt to regulate their image,\" says Ramani Durvasula, a licenced clinical psychologist and professor at California State University, Los Angeles. \"Narcissism has never been about self-love – it is almost entirely about self-loathing.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's long been established that there are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F1992-03870-001\"\u003Etwo types of narcissists\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: \"vulnerable\" ones, who have low self-esteem and crave affirmation, and \"grandiose\" ones, who have a genuinely overinflated sense of self.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0191886921001550?via%3Dihub\"\u003EA new study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from New York University shows that grandiose narcissists might not be considered narcissists at all, because their behaviour could resemble psychopathy – a related condition in which people act with no empathy in self-serving ways. The research team suggests vulnerable types are the true narcissists, because they don't seek power or dominance, but rather affirmation and attention that elevate their status and image in the minds of others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"They do not feel good about themselves at all,\" says Pascal Wallisch, clinical associate professor at New York University and senior author of the study. \"The paper is not to demonise narcissists at all – on the contrary, we need a lot more compassion.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Narcissism has never been about self-love – it is almost entirely about self-loathing – Ramani Durvasula","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe study involved nearly 300 undergraduate university students, who answered questionnaires that measured personality traits, like being insecure or unempathetic, with statements like \"I tend to lack remorse\" or \"It matters that I am seen at important events\". They found that unlike grandiose narcissists, vulnerable narcissists were the group who most manifested insecurity and other related traits.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, when you see someone name-dropping at work, plastering selfies on Instagram or being touchy to feedback that makes them look bad, they could very well be a vulnerable (or \"true\") narcissist. Their constant need for attention and apparent obsession with self comes from deep insecurities they're trying to cover up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA vicious cycle\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, seeking positive reinforcement to make ourselves feel better is something everybody does from time to time – and doesn’t necessarily make someone a narcissist.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Seeking out self-enhancement is a normal aspect of personality. We all try to seek out experiences that boost our self-esteem,\" says Nicole Cain, associate professor of clinical psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, US. But narcissism can lead to \"self-enhancement becomes the overriding goal in nearly all situations, and may be sought out in problematic and inappropriate ways\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn these cases, behaviours aimed at boosting external validation can backfire, because people end up liking the individual less. Wallisch calls the resulting cyclic, repetitive behaviour a \"maladaptive cascade\", a self-defeating cycle that comes in three phases. It starts off with a vulnerable narcissist fearing that others aren't perceiving them in a certain way – so then they self-aggrandise to alleviate that fear. But paradoxically, others are put off by the behaviour, leading the narcissist right back to square one – and, in fact, the other person might view them even less favourably than before. That's what interests Wallisch most: the narcissist clearly isn't being rewarded for this behaviour, but they do it anyway, because they mistakenly view it as a means of alleviating pain and fear.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Narcissistic people have an idea of how they want to be seen, and don't feel they measure up to that,\" says Durvasula. \"So, they have to portray themselves [in a certain way], and then because they behave badly to do that, they end up experiencing social rejection anyhow, and the cycle keeps happening.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"For narcissists, \"self-enhancement becomes the overriding goal in nearly all situations\" – Nicole Cain","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile this rarely ends in a good place, Wallisch suggests that \"we can't take these behaviours at face value, especially if someone is boasting and blustering\". He adds, \"It doesn't mean they actually feel good about themselves. Something is lacking in their life.\" He says these kinds of vulnerable narcissists might actually hate themselves. \"It's very sad and tragic. They feel like they are never going to be good enough. If they become a billionaire, that's not going to help with the [root] psychological issue.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMisunderstood and misnamed?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere's still a lot we don't know about narcissists in general, though. Some experts say the tug of war between self-love and self-loathing, and the idea they're self-promotional because they want to hide insecurities, doesn't fully explain the behaviour.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"This is a very hard question to test,\" says Edelstein. \"How do you really know what a person feels deep down but is either unwilling or unable to express?\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's also not clear how understanding what's driving narcissism will help curb the behaviour. Most narcissists don't realise that they are the problem, says Edelstein, something that makes tackling the issue hard. \"Narcissists tend to be resistant to change because they see the locus of most problems in others rather than themselves,\" she says. \"I think a person needs to be fairly self-motivated for any sort of intervention to be effective for any personality trait, but narcissism seems to be particularly sticky.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECain, who suggests intensive psychotherapy is the best way to treat narcissism, says workers dealing with narcissistic colleagues should recognise that they are unlikely to be able to change them, persuade them or win an argument with them. \"Set realistic expectations for your interactions with them. At work, clearly define roles. Don't get pulled into a competition with them,\" she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemembering that their actions may well come from a place of insecurity could also help you view them with more compassion. \"I think the best strategy for dealing with narcissists may be to try to understand where they're coming from,\" says Edelstein, \"and that much of their behaviour comes from deep-seated insecurities and attempts to minimise their own vulnerabilities – as opposed to a reflection of your own inadequacies.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"I think people cover up mental pain quite a bit – by posturing, and other things,\" says Wallisch. \"It's adds to the tragedy. They're misunderstood.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-16T20:27:15Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why some narcissists actually hate themselves","headlineShort":"The big misconception about narcissists","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"People who chronically brag and boast are grating – and, at times, repellent. But a surprising truth about narcissists might help us feel unexpected compassion for them.","summaryShort":"We think we know why people brag and boast, but we may be entirely wrong","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-15T19:56:11.370028Z","entity":"article","guid":"32f9b332-fcba-4ee2-8f44-0f9a6be893a7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:21:52.857323Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos","_id":"616ff68b45ceed4daa007c22","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"TikTok may not seem like a conduit for social impact, but Gen Z are using the platform to usher in acceptance around mental-health struggles, which could make a lasting change in the workplace.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETwenty-three-year-old Londoner Max Selwood has a popular TikTok account, but not the kind you might expect. Unlike the dance trends and cooking how-tos that blew up on the platform in 2020, Selwood’s videos focus on a less fun – but also popular – subject: mental health.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESelwood, who has anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posts clips about \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@maxselwood\u002Fvideo\u002F6894230940168637698?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6800389322076949765&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1\"\u003Esocial anxiety\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@maxselwood\u002Fvideo\u002F6891624734790782210?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6800389322076949765&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1\"\u003Emood changes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@maxselwood\u002Fvideo\u002F6882809123033959682?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6800389322076949765&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1\"\u003Etoxic masculinity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@maxselwood\u002Fvideo\u002F6861622064739093766?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Foembed.vice.com%2F&referer_video_id=6800389322076949765&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1\"\u003Emore\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. He first started posting about mental health on Instagram about three years ago, but began posting on TikTok not long before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“TikTok has a younger demographic, [and] I want them to be able to see that it's fine to feel [bad], it’s fine to feel great, and if you do have mental health issues, it’s absolutely fine to address them and speak to people about them,” says Selwood. He adds that these posts help him work through his own feelings, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross social media, discussions of mental illness from Generation Zers like Selwood are everywhere; a 2018 Pew Research Center report showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Finternet\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F28\u002Fteens-and-their-experiences-on-social-media\u002F\"\u003Eone-third of 13- to 17-year olds surveyed regularly posted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about their feelings on social media. This is especially the case on TikTok, where Gen Z reportedly makes up \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwallaroomedia.com\u002Fblog\u002Fsocial-media\u002Ftiktok-statistics\u002F\"\u003Emore than 60%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of the platform’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F09\u002F15\u002Fbytedance-douyin-has-600-million-daily-active-users.html\"\u003Ebillion-plus users\u003C\u002Fa\u003E globally.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis shift toward talking about psychological wellness couldn’t be more timely: mental health is a major concern for Gen Z and millennials, who report disproportionally worse mental health than older generations. According to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdashboard.askattest.com\u002Fresults\u002Fsurvey\u002FFEPXSWMCM364XW\"\u003E2020 survey of 1,000 Brits aged 18-65 by consumer data-research firm Attest\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, less than half said they had “good” mental health, but three times as many Gen Z and millennials said they had “very bad” mental health compared to older participants.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough publicly addressing mental health has historically been a taboo, Gen Z is posting away despite the prospect of discrimination or ramifications from broadcasting their struggles. What is it about Gen Z that is driving this boldness and shift – and is there something they’ve figured out that the rest of us haven’t yet? Experts say it has to do with a sea change we’re witnessing around mental illness broadly, but it’s also unique to the generational experiences of young people today. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPutting it out there\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, entrenched stigma around mental illness fostered an unwillingness to openly discuss such issues, causing lower diagnosis and treatment rates in older populations for illnesses such as depression and anxiety. A 2019 study in the UK showed that baby boomers were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bupa.com\u002Fnewsroom\u002Fnews\u002Fbaby-boomers-brushing-off-mental-health-issues\"\u003E“brushing off” mental health problems\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “I think a lot of older generations are probably suffering in silence” because of their unwillingness to confront the stigma, says Lisa Strohschein, president of the Canadian Population Society and a sociology professor at the University of Alberta.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Users are racking up millions of views talking through their panic attacks, depression and OCD","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut Gen Z is bucking that trend, and TikTok has become one place where it’s most obvious. Social media is often associated with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.telegraph.co.uk\u002Fhealth-fitness\u002Fmind\u002Ffuture-gen-zs-mental-health-fix-unhappiest-generation-ever\u002F\"\u003Eworsening mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so it’s somewhat ironic that young users are relying on these very platforms to subvert expectations around mental health. But TikTok has created a space to discuss mental health in a vulnerable, supportive way; the platform’s format – almost like a video call – fosters intimate connection in a way that other platforms such as Instagram don’t.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsers are racking up millions of views talking through their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psycom.net\u002Ftik-tok-therapy-for-anxiety\u002F\"\u003Epanic attacks, depression and OCD\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. One \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.foxnews.com\u002Flifestyle\u002Fviral-tiktok-challenge-stress-depression-anxiety-test\"\u003Elate-2020 TikTok trend\u003C\u002Fa\u003E had users taking a 15-minute online test rating depression, anxiety and stress, then sharing their results. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fav\u002Fuk-england-hampshire-51706717\"\u003ETherapists on the platform are also gaining traction,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and advice-laden \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F01\u002F12\u002Fwell\u002Fmind\u002Ftiktok-therapists.html\"\u003E“therapy TikTok”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is on the rise, too. Although these posts don’t provide the full spectrum of professional help those struggling may need, they do provide an outlet and raise awareness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Gen Z are the loudest new voices, some experts note that millennials across the globe helped pave the way to changing attitudes about sharing mental-health struggles. Psychologist B Janet Hibbs, author of The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years, credits millennials with de-stigmatising these discussions. “Millennials were the pioneers in pointing out to the other generations that they had sustained what I would call a systemic betrayal, of ‘work really hard and you'll be fine’,” she says, a trend she also sees manifesting in Gen Z.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt makes sense that Gen Z would pick up the ball from millennials and run with it, as both have been shaped by global crises. Both the 2008 recession and 9\u002F11 greatly impacted millennials experiences, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.axios.com\u002Fgeneration-z-coronavirus-9a1e4f14-9fde-4627-9465-cca29d4b7848.html\"\u003Eexperts expect Gen Z\u003C\u002Fa\u003E will be similarly marked by the coronavirus. Hibbs and Strohschein suggest that these crises have lowered the sense of risk in Gen Z, and heightened their interest in de-stigmatising discussion around barriers that hold them back, including mental health.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat’s the risk?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is, of course, inherent professional risk around such vocalisation. Research shows that many employees, especially of older generations, withhold disclosure of mental-health struggles; some also express worry about their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fstore.samhsa.gov\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fd7\u002Fpriv\u002Fsma08-4337.pdf\"\u003Eviability as a job candidate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or fear \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fps.psychiatryonline.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1176\u002Fappi.ps.201900606\"\u003Eworkplace stigmatisation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E if they’re seen as emotionally unstable or vulnerable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Selwood says he’s not worried about the risks – and research suggests he’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fhr-today\u002Fnews\u002Fall-things-work\u002Fpages\u002Fmental-illness-and-the-workplace.aspx\"\u003Enot the only member of Gen Z who agrees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe support and validation Selwood has received from strangers and family alike has made him less afraid of repercussions, including at work. “If, for instance, my boss sends me, ‘Oh, I’ve just seen your TikTok, for the clients, would you mind not posting about [it]?’ I'd literally be like, ‘No…’ It would be like someone expressing their love for the LGBTQ community and your boss telling you, ‘Can you please not talk about that, because I don’t think it’s appropriate?’ It is appropriate, because it is a fact of life. Everyone has mental health, just like we have physical health,” says Selwood.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut he acknowledges not everyone can operate from that mentality. Selwood works with social-media influencers for his day job, and says he has full support from his colleagues and clients alike for his content. “My colleagues have always been extremely supportive. But I understand that, obviously, in some jobs you need to be careful with what you post,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Everyone has mental health, just like we have physical health – Max Selwood","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, how careful should workers of all stripes be about these posting trends? It’s a fine line to walk – and one that we may not yet know enough about. Along with not seeming supportive of employees, Kimberly O’Brien, an industrial-organisational psychologist and professor at Central Michigan University, says that any employer that decided to bring up an employee’s social media posts about mental health would be risking a messy legal battle. “Looking at an employee's social media and making a work decision based on what they post falls under employment law,” says O’Brien.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.wellable.co\u002F2021-employee-wellness-industry-trends-report\"\u003Eincrease in employer support for psychological wellness programmes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E may be a positive indicator that expression is increasingly acceptable. “It depends on where you look, but between 60% and 90% of workplaces have some sort of health promotion. And that may include stress reduction of some sort, and stress is just one part of mental health, but it's somewhere that they're moving,” says O’Brien.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELosing ‘fear and loathing’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth Hibbs and Strohschein express optimism that changes in how we discuss mental health, pioneered by millennials and taken further by Gen Z, will contribute to greater progress around both mental-health and disability accommodations. They suspect we’re reaching a moment of de-stigmatisation in which employer expectations around mental health are shifting, expedited in part by the coronavirus pandemic’s normalisation of disability accommodations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStrohschein believes younger workers will keep pushing boundaries around these conversations – especially as the pandemic has so rapidly transformed work. There’s also hope in past precedents, too, such as a move toward workplace acceptance of LGBTQ workers. “It can change super quickly,” says Hibbs. “Things that have been uber-stigmatised can lose their fear and loathing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EO’Brien says we’re witnessing that change in real time. “It takes a long time [for it to translate], because the decision makers in the workplace are not going to be typically Gen Z and millennials. I wonder if these stereotypes [about young people] are going to make people go, ‘Oh, well, they're just younger, and part of being young is to be dramatic and angsty’. Or if they're going to say, ‘Look, you're a liability.’ But I'm not really seeing any trends on that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, O’Brien sees the change in mental-illness acceptance happening across our culture  – even if only Gen Z is taking to TikTok about it. “It’s [part of] the whole zeitgeist right now to be more understanding that mental health is health, your brain is part of your body. And when you say it's all in your head, turns out your head is in your body,” she says. “When Gen Z is posting about it … everyone is being affected by the breaking down of that stigma and that taboo. Somebody who is maybe 40 who is out of work and comes back, they'll also have that same change.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESelwood is also hopeful that change is happening – and feels social media will be a major catalyst in reaching a new level of acceptance in years to come. In the meantime, though, he’ll keep focusing on his corner of the internet. “At the end of the day, my goal is just to help. If one person sees it, and it helps one person, then I'm happy with that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-01T13:17:18Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The unlikely place young workers fight mental-health taboos","headlineShort":"An end to a major workplace taboo?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"TikTok may not seem like a conduit for social impact, but Gen Z are using the platform to usher in acceptance around mental-health struggles, which could make a lasting change.","summaryShort":"The unlikely place young workers are fighting stigma around mental wellness","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-01T00:28:30.877939Z","entity":"article","guid":"aafbe228-ab83-420a-8817-6cb1e8bd2c80","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:19:26.796384Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917957},"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":"616ff67645ceed3fc637ff9a","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmeredith-turits"],"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\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":["p09flk12"],"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":["p09ftgbj"],"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":["p09flkc1"],"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":["p09flk8p"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p09flkc1"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210415-why-long-term-workplace-trauma-is-a-real-phenomenon","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-the-unlikely-place-young-workers-fight-mental-health-taboos"],"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":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"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":"2021-09-02T05:22:21.281217Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917956},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change","_id":"616ff6d645ceed6bba294667","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic was a golden opportunity to fix the most toxic parts of work culture – yet we made many worse. Why?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn July, Mark, who works for a small technology company in East London, emailed his manager to tell her that he had tested positive for Covid-19. His boss didn’t ask any questions; instead, she expressed sympathy, wished him a speedy recovery and told him to take as much time off as he needed.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMark, whose surname is being withheld for job-security concerns, didn’t actually have Covid-19. In truth, he was exhausted and anxious; the toll of the pandemic, coupled with working 80 hours a week, and being expected to be on call around the clock, had become too much to handle. The 40-year-old was feeling severely depressed, and suspected that he might be on the cusp of a serious \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong\"\u003Eclinical burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“At that moment it was just so much easier to say I had the virus,” he explains, admitting that he felt some guilt for lying. “The stigma around mental health is real: questions are asked and judgements are made. The only good thing about Covid is that everyone just accepts it as a reason to be out of action, feels sorry for you and then moves on.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn early 2020, as the pandemic started spreading aggressively around the world, almost every industry was forced to adapt its way of working – in many cases, overnight. Management experts framed this as potentially positive: they were swift to forecast that this period of extreme and forced experimentation \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsloanreview.mit.edu\u002Farticle\u002Fhow-companies-are-winning-on-culture-during-covid-19\u002F\"\u003Ewould provide a rich and unique opportunity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to stamp out some of the most insidious elements of toxic workplace culture: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a glorification of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Eoverwork\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and an entrenched authority bias that stops employees from speaking up when things don’t feel right.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut as businesses reopen and companies begin to explore ways of operating that are fit for a post-pandemic world, there’s evidence that much still needs to be done to dismantle the relics and features that most prominently perpetuate unhappiness and ill health in the workplace. Mark’s experience is just one brutal and vivid example of this. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA missed opportunity\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor years, it’s been widely acknowledged that many elements of modern workplace culture are problematic – and even damaging. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the past few decades, technology in globally interconnected companies and industries has introduced a fresh level of competition and speed. Almost anyone was given the opportunity to work from anywhere at any time, which led to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Eoverwork and overtime becoming dangerously glorified\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Workaholism emerged as a sign of praiseworthy ambition and commitment to corporate causes, even as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us\"\u003Edetrimental health effects\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of never switching off became \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190610-how-to-tell-if-youve-got-pre-burnout\"\u003Eimpossible to ignore\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There’s much evidence that harmful pre-pandemic ways have simply been adapted for the remote world","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMany consultants, managers and workplace experts witnessing the evolution of labour practices were acutely aware of these harmful shifts, and agonised over how to fix what was broken. But the relentless grind of everyday life provided scant opportunity to reflect and ultimately challenge such an entrenched status quo. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, when Covid-19 hit, businesses all around the world were forced to pause, assess and recalibrate. As companies retooled how they worked, and made decisions for how their workforces would go forward, this collective breath provided a rare opportunity to remedy the most insidious parts of working culture. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExcept, despite this open window, little seems to have changed. Even as workplace practices have been fiercely debated and discussed, there’s much evidence that harmful pre-pandemic ways have simply been adapted for the remote world, raising fears that even as we re-invent work in a hybrid and flexible way, toxic culture could endure – or even worsen, becoming even more rife and ubiquitous. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBad – and getting worse?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The arrival of the pandemic first seemed to put the work-to-death mentality on hiatus,” says Maryam Meddin, the founder and CEO of a behavioural health clinic in London called The Soke. “But after a while, it emerged that ‘working from home’ had somehow morphed into ‘living at work’, and people were working even longer hours than before.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is particularly evidenced in the evolution of presenteeism, wherein employees come to work as a performative measure, despite being sick or fatigued. As a huge chunk of the global labour market moved out of the office and into a remote set-up during the pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity\"\u003Epresenteeism silently shifted into the digital workplace\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman working at home in the dark","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this year, amid a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-54289152\"\u003Ereported rise in companies using surveillance software\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to ensure that employees put in the hours while working from home, cybersecurity company Kaspersky surveyed 2,000 full-time workers in the UK. A quarter of respondents admitted to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fworkplaceinsight.net\u002Fworking-from-home-surveillance-drives-rise-of-digital-presenteeism\u002F\"\u003Eworking harder out of fear that their superiors would think of them as lazy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a proportion that rose to 40% among those who had monitoring software installed on the devices they were using for work.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd, overall, poor pandemic workplace culture has meant that workers are putting in far more hours: a late-2020 survey \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frh-us.mediaroom.com\u002F2020-11-23-Working-Weekends-a-Reality-for-Nearly-7-in-10-Remote-Professionals-Robert-Half-Research-Shows\"\u003Eby HR consultancy Robert Half\u003C\u002Fa\u003E showed that 45% of respondents were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frh-us.mediaroom.com\u002F2020-11-23-Working-Weekends-a-Reality-for-Nearly-7-in-10-Remote-Professionals-Robert-Half-Research-Shows\"\u003Eworking more during the week than before the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a trend that the researchers attributed to the flexibility “[making] disconnecting extremely difficult”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe knock-on effect of this increase in work is clear: an October 2020 study of more than 3,600 UK employees showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bupa.com\u002Fnewsroom\u002Four-views\u002Fbitc-mental-health-at-work-20\"\u003Ework-related pressure as the most common cause of mental health issues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by far. More than a third of respondents put symptoms of poor mental health down to workload, long hours and not taking enough leave, and almost one-third said their mental ill-health was caused by not feeling supported in their role, potentially an indication of their reluctance to share their circumstances. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, as many employers begin to shift into hybrid-work arrangements, these effects may only worsen, experts warn. “The danger is that with some people continuing to work remotely whilst their colleagues opt to go back into the office, the ‘work-from-homers’ will feel a pressure to prove their commitment on an ongoing basis and continuously turn the dial up on a culture of overwork,” says Meddin. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA matter of trust\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheories vary on why so many companies have failed to use the pandemic pause to fundamentally reset the damaging elements of corporate culture. Some say that panic and uncertainty discouraged managers from trying anything that was not familiar. Economic fears, others contend, led to a myopic focus on short-term gains, like financial revenue, at the expense of everything else. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut many also suggest that managers did not – and many still do not – appreciate the root cause of some of the most problematic workplace practices: a lack of trust. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"So many of the working practices that we’ve all become accustomed to are not built on the premise of trust – Peter Cheese","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Managers need to trust their employees in the same way as they need to engage with employees to trust them. But so many of the working practices that we’ve all become accustomed to are not built on the premise of trust,” explains Peter Cheese, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the UK’s professional association for human resource management professionals. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECheese explains that managers at all levels and in every industry must be trained to appreciate the contributions of employees not “based on how many hours they spend in the office or how many texts they can answer in the middle of the night, but on their output and outcomes”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough the decades, he explains, managers have become accustomed to evaluating the performance of their employees based on easily measurable factors: hours spent at work, or money generated for the business, for example. Humans like standard yardsticks against which they can measure and compare things, but we must appreciate that productivity comes in many forms, he adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Managers have to trust that employees understand their duties and responsibilities without being constrained and policed every hour of the day, and we need employees to know that managers trust them and trust their judgements,” adds Cheese. “Employees want to feel empowered. If they don’t, that will affect their engagement as well as their productivity.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile trust issues were already rampant prior to the pandemic, Cheese suggests that the unfamiliarity of remote working may have exacerbated them in some situations. Suddenly not being able to physically keep an eye on what members of the team were doing might have been disconcerting for some managers, who then overcompensated by checking in excessively over phone and email. Employees, in turn, could have interpreted that as a sign of not being trusted, creating tension and stress among seniority levels. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply, not only did companies not use the pandemic to mend trust issues among their workforces, they doubled-down on many elements of corporate culture based on distrust. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has left employees feeling even more stifled and unable to speak up, amplifying anxiety, stress and poor mental health. Mabel Abraham, professor of management at Columbia Business School in New York, says it’s imperative that employers “create an environment that helps employees feel comfortable making their needs and preferences known”. “People will only speak up if they feel like they are being listened to and if they are not concerned about potential penalties for sharing their views,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo easy solution \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EComing up with a way to eradicate the most damaging habits, beliefs and patterns of behaviour is extremely challenging, not least on account of their entrenched nature.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPaul Young is a former assistant psychologist in Britain’s National Health Service. He decided to pursue his PhD in workplace psychology at Loughborough University, UK, after spending a decade in the financial-services sector and witnessing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards\"\u003Ea variety of workplace cultures\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over that time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Undoubtedly, employers have a huge role to play in influencing work cultures and creating environments which are supportive of employee wellbeing,” says Young. But he argues that employees also have agency to develop their own personal resources to cope with adversity and stressors at work, and that companies should do more to help their people to tap into the resources they need. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne potential pitfall that Emma Parry, a professor of Human Resource Management at Cranfield School of Management, in the UK, sees is that organisations make changes as a knee-jerk reaction to potential problems: that they panic and grasp for quick fixes. “Whereas at the outset of the pandemic, it was necessary to act quickly to be reactive to the situation, now is the time to ensure that any organisational development is evidence-based,” she says. She adds it’s important for managers to invite feedback from employees both through surveys and frank conversations, “so they can examine the culture and shared values of the organisation in a systematic way”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I think there has been a lightbulb moment in society where young people especially are not prepared to put up with toxic work cultures – Paul Young","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAbraham, of Columbia, says that she considers one of the greatest challenges to be that companies often become “paralysed by where to even begin in addressing these seemingly huge issues”. “To make these changes realistic organisational leaders must treat this as they would any other business problem and devise an actionable strategy to tackle the issue piece by piece, otherwise it will be insurmountable,” she says.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut despite all the undeniable headwinds, Meddin of The Soke is confident that harmful behaviour can be eradicated, giving rise to workplaces where the culture is built on empathy, compassion and – most importantly – trust. “On average, it takes between eight to 12 weeks for behaviour to become ingrained,” Meddin says, “so I have faith that we have the capacity to form new habits.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung says that even just the fact that we’re talking about issues like mental health more is encouraging. “I feel very optimistic that, in general, workplaces in the future will be better informed and more geared towards maximising employee wellbeing,” he says. “I think there has been a lightbulb moment in society where young people especially are not prepared to put up with toxic work cultures and environments which are detrimental to their health,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, while there might be plenty of grim evidence that things got worse during the pandemic, it might be wrong to think of the window of opportunity as closing any time soon. What Young calls a “lightbulb moment” might indeed be the catalyst for progress to come.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-18T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why the worst parts of work can't easily change","headlineShort":"Why can't we fix bad work culture?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man eating noodles at his desk","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic was a golden opportunity to fix the most toxic parts of work culture – yet we made many worse. Why?","summaryShort":"Despite a chance for change, some of the most toxic parts of work have got worse","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-17T20:06:01.969728Z","entity":"article","guid":"93381fd6-67b7-4ffc-b68d-a41fa72fdadf","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:27:45.643224Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917961},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious","_id":"616ff6cc45ceed61de7201ea","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Traditionally, we aspire to climb the career ladder – but our definition of success is evolving into something increasingly personal.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you had told Faruk Mengüç seven years ago that he would one day become a goat farmer, he probably would have laughed in your face. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBack then, Mengüç, now 37, was working as a senior post-production co-ordinator at Harpo Studios in Chicago, home of The Oprah Winfrey Show. It was a tiring but mostly satisfying existence for the father of two, whose family hails from Turkey. Then in 2015, the studio where he worked announced that it was moving to Los Angeles, so Mengüç took on another position in media, but found himself overworked.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We were living in a big house in the suburbs. My wife, who had previously worked in finance, was retraining to be a teacher and we had to earn a living ... so I often worked seven days a week, and rarely saw my family,” he says. “I was miserable.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMengüç’s wife, Holly, had grown up in Vermont, so in late 2016 the family packed up and moved about 950 miles to Burlington, a small city in Vermont on the eastern shoreline of Lake Champlain, roughly 60 miles from the Canadian border. Initially, Mengüç found work for a local television talk show, but quickly realised that if he was going to make major life changes for the sake of his and his family’s wellbeing, they might need to be more dramatic. “I just didn’t feel like I was doing work that really fulfilled my goals in life,” he recalls.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAround the middle of 2017, after trying his hand at milking an acquaintance’s cows on a nearby farm, he had something of an epiphany. “After a day of work, every single part of my body hurt. I was only earning $10 an hour, but it also felt amazing and I’d never been so happy,” he says. “For the first time in my life, I was doing meaningful work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHolly took to rural life, too, and the couple began working as farmhands. They quickly adapted to a new routine: rising early, labouring in the elements and learning the meteorological challenges of each season. Their experiment with a totally different lifestyle was a success; later this year, the couple hope to buy their own farm in a town south of Burlington. It will be a home for them, their daughters and a burgeoning herd of milking goats that currently numbers about 230. “The goat milk market is extremely strong,” explains Mengüç. “It’s an exciting time for all of us.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I just didn’t feel like I was doing work that really fulfilled my goals in life – Faruk Mengüç","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMengüç’s seismic life shift is perhaps more extreme than what most will ever undergo, but it’s nonetheless representative of a trend that’s engulfing at least one generation of the working population. Priorities are morphing. The idealised perfect career track might once have looked like a staircase, a linear journey with intermittent pay rises and regular promotions that signify professional progress. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut that’s rapidly changing. We’re not necessarily becoming less professionally ambitious, experts say, but our collective understanding of ambition – as a concept in the context of work – is evolving into something less standardised, more subtle, increasingly personal and often quite complex for employers wedded to tradition to understand. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA generation reconsidering \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps one of the clearest manifestations of this trend is the extent to which swathes of today’s workforce are prioritising their wellbeing over big salaries and titles. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent high-profile example was gymnast Simone Biles \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fsport\u002Folympics\u002F58081505\"\u003Ewithdrawing from several Olympic finals\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in July to prioritise her mental health. But it’s a wider shift that’s becoming increasingly evident across a plethora of industries, and one that the Covid-19 pandemic has undoubtedly catalysed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Faruk Mengüç and his goats","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than half the employees questioned in a recent survey by Australian software company Atlassian and PwC, for example, said that they would \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.atlassian.com\u002Fblog\u002Fleadership\u002Freturn-on-action-report-2021-employee-expectations\"\u003Econsider changing jobs to access remote-work opportunities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, seen as more beneficial for work-life balance. An even greater proportion said that they would forego a promotion if it meant safeguarding their mental health. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Career goals have taken a back seat as employees wrestle with the need to balance work with family life, mental health and wellness,” wrote the accompanying report’s researchers. “The pressures of high-powered roles and the exhaustion that comes from being ‘always on’ just don’t seem worth it anymore.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis trend seems particularly pronounced in younger workers. A Prudential Financial survey of 2,000 Americans conducted earlier in 2021 showed that more than a third of those between the ages of 25 and 40 said \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.prudential.com\u002Fpresskits\u002Fpulse-american-worker-survey-is-this-working.htm\"\u003Ethey planned to look for a new job post-pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared with about a quarter of workers overall. An earlier survey, conducted in 2019, found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mindsharepartners.org\u002Fmentalhealthatworkreport\"\u003E75% of millennials had in the past resigned from jobs to preserve their mental health.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause such a sizable contingent of the workforce seems to be reconsidering their priorities in life and work, our collective attitude towards the stereotype of professional success seems to be changing too. It’s become more socially acceptable to admit to wanting more out of life than a lot of money and status. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There's a growing recognition that a dramatic change is something to applaud,” says Victoria Bryan, a former journalist and editor who quit her Berlin-based corporate job in 2018 at the age of 37 to qualify as a commercial airline pilot, with part of her training New Zealand. “Everyone who I told was overwhelmingly supportive and many said they were in awe of my courage to try something new and follow my dream, even if it meant less money and lots of uncertainty in the short term.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘No longer about the pay cheque’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGian Power considers himself to be part of a cohort of young people – broadly defined as millennials and younger, or those born after the early 1980s – whose interpretation of professional ambition has evolved in recent years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Professional success for many is now about finding happiness in their life – Gian Power","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHaving started his career at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt in 2012, he quit corporate life and founded his own company in November 2017, partly to give himself autonomy over his work life. His London-based business, TLC Lions, partners with large corporations to support their inclusion, mental-health and talent-development agendas. It aims to help companies cater to the evolving needs of the workforce, and their changing definition of success and professional fulfilment.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“[Work’s] no longer simply about the pay cheque,” says Power. “Professional success for many is now about finding happiness in their life.” Asked whether he believes that an insidious \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Eculture of presenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has diminished the appeal of promotions among members of his generation, Power agrees, vehemently. “100%. I’ve had friends quit their corporate jobs without a next job lined up. Why? Because they can’t take it anymore,” he says. “They are not inspired by their leaders and they don’t aspire to be at the top if it means only financial gain and a real loss of happiness.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Pearce, professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, US, echoes this. “I've seen more of my students over the last decade opting for what I call ‘the purpose path’. They are willing to sacrifice the mega-payday in order to engage in work that contributes to human flourishing - including their own,” he says. “Many are choosing not to climb career ladders that have the potential to cause significant harm to their spiritual, mental and physical wellbeing.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman working late in the office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, a term coined by Anthony Klotz of Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School in May this year, has in recent months gathered pace, culminating in what some have termed a full-blown \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Elabour market loyalty crisis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Lockdown gave people the opportunity for self-reflection and many concluded that the well-trodden path to the top of a corporate pyramid no longer looks desirable; that professional success can look different. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The pandemic has reinforced the fact that life is short and that life is more than work,” says Pearce. It’s accelerated a trend that was already rapidly taking shape well before Covid-19, he adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs such, he adds, in order to retain talent, employers need to radically rethink what Pearce calls the employee value proposition. Companies must ask themselves, what value an employee can derive from working for that particular company beyond their compensation and benefits package.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“So many organisations focus so intently on goals, strategies and metrics that they fail to really step back and ask the question ‘why do we exist?’,” he says. “Organisations that are able to answer the purpose question in a clear and compelling way will be better able to attract and retain a purpose-driven workforce.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA long-term trade off\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile many workplace experts applaud the collective quest for a better work-life balance, as well as the widespread change in how we think about success, Anat Lechner, a clinical associate professor of management and organisations at NYU Stern School of Business, explains that there’s a complexity to the discussion that can’t be ignored.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s important to appreciate that most people can’t afford to take a step back like that because they have to worry about putting food on the table and paying the bills,” she says.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELechner says that it’s critical that individuals are aware of both the long-term and the short-term consequences of the professional decisions they make. There’s a risk, she says, that someone who’s extremely focused on their short-term wellbeing might fail to appreciate that nothing can replace hard work when it comes to living comfortably into old age, and perhaps supporting a family. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Younger workers must understand that they’re going to have to live with the longer-term consequences of the choices they make today – Anat Lechner","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, evidence suggests that young workers are falling behind on their finances. A research report published in the US in 2020 showed that the proportion \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiaainstitute.org\u002Fpublication\u002Fmillennials-and-money\"\u003Eof young adults with outstanding student loan debt had increased from 34% in 2012 to 43% in 2018\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. More than half said that they were concerned that they may not be able to pay off their student debt and 37% reported that they would not be able to come up with $2,000 in 30 days. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the UK, meanwhile, research by financial services company Royal London showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.procentia.com\u002Fus\u002Fnews\u002Fpeople-are-saving-less-into-their-pensions#:~:text=Stopped%20or%20reduced%20contributions%20for%20millennials&text=Research%20by%20Royal%20London%20found,18%20to%2034%20age%20group.\"\u003E40% of 18 to 34-year olds decreased their pension contributions during the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or stopped making contributions entirely, even as life expectancies continue to rise across much of the western world. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELechner says that there’s a risk of being too short-termist. “Particularly these younger workers must understand that they’re going to have to live with the longer-term consequences of the choices they make today when it comes to working hard and earning money,” she says.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn essence, it’s a balancing act. Recalibrating our understanding of what ambition and career success means in favour of a safeguarding mental health and wellbeing can no doubt be advantageous, but every decision we make must be practical and rooted in an understanding of our personal and financial commitments throughout our lives. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFaruk Mengüç, for one, is unperturbed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As farmers, we’ve now got everything that was missing in our lives before as busy career professionals,” he says. “Money and promotions might be nice, but they can never truly sum up success. Perhaps some people might say I’ve become less professionally ambitious, but I’ve certainly never been happier than I am now, and at the end of the day you can’t put a price on that.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf anything, adds Mengüç, he’s gained \u003Cem\u003Emore\u003C\u002Fem\u003E ambition through this life change – though, now, it looks different than before.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUpdate 9 Sept 2020: This article has been updated to more accurately reflect Faruk Mengüç's correct age and work history as well as provide clarifying details around his work as a goat farmer and the size of his milking herd.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How workers are re-defining professional ambition","headlineShort":"Is our definition of ambition changing?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Faruk Mengüç at work","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Traditionally, we aspire to climb the career ladder – but our definition of success is evolving into something increasingly personal.","summaryShort":"Workers still want professional success – but what that means is evolving","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-08T22:19:38.570908Z","entity":"article","guid":"3deb2aac-f930-4657-bdea-fa479ced87a8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-09T19:12:44.024984Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917960},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism","_id":"616ff67e45ceed444b157e3a","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"In homogeneous organisations, even the most talented hires can feel tokenised. It's a problem that hits everyone hard.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECheyenne’s interview to become an assistant at a large New York City hair salon only lasted five minutes before she got the job. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere were dozens of employees at the salon, but few were black like Cheyenne. At first, she was excited for the chance to improve her skills, and maybe even open some doors for those coming up after her. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut after a few weeks, the aspiring hairstylist says she began to feel less like a welcomed addition and more like a prop. She says out of the approximately 40 stylists, only one was black. And Cheyenne was one of just a few black assistants. “I realised the only other black women in the salon were always placed in areas where you could see them from the front,” says Cheyenne, 30. “It was almost like they were being showcased.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECheyenne says when wealthy, diverse clients would enter, staff would go out of their way to introduce her and include her in conversations. Once those patrons were gone, however, she says she was ignored by the manager, scheduled to work longer days than her counterparts and strongly encouraged to straighten her naturally curly hair to meet the salon’s unspoken “presentation standards”. Cheyenne says she didn’t have any way to prove she might have been a token hire, and didn’t want to seem “ungrateful”, given how few black people were there. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when she found out from a few friendly colleagues that some of the other employees were placing bets on how long she’d survive on the job – she was told many diverse employees before her had made quick exits because they didn’t feel they belonged – Cheyenne hit her breaking point and resigned. “They were just joking about how I lasted longer than they thought I would,” says Cheyenne. “I don't think [the salon owners] were trying to be diverse. I think they were trying to \u003Cem\u003Eseem \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ediverse.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I don't think [the salon owners] were trying to be diverse. I think they were trying to seem diverse – Cheyenne","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECheyenne says she was left feeling like a token: a member of a previously excluded group, often hired or promoted as a symbolic gesture toward inclusivity. Within social science, researchers define a token as an employee belonging to a minority group that constitutes less than 15% of the total population in a workplace.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen a predominantly homogenous organisation attempts to appear inclusive by hiring or promoting one or two people from underrepresented communities, the feeling and perception of tokenism can hit hard. While many cope with the roadblock either out of economic necessity or as the bitter price of reaching their career goals, it can leave others at a crushing crossroads. In Cheyenne’s case, it meant leaving the industry entirely after that experience, even though she’d dreamed of doing hair since childhood, and knew she was good at it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETokenism can be a personal problem for the individual, setting up diverse employees to fail no matter their role or potential value in an organisation. But it can also mean trouble for everyone. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Set up to fail from day one’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe perception of tokenism can be corrosive in small offices as well as large, high-profile workplaces, even those that appear harmonious on the surface.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn July, the New York Times reported white \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FPhil_Lewis_\u002Fstatus\u002F1411675647693541382?s=20\"\u003EAmerican sports broadcaster Rachel Nichols made comments on a recording\u003C\u002Fa\u003E implying her black colleague, Maria Taylor, was on the verge of being promoted at ESPN because the company was “feeling pressure” for its “record on diversity”. The publicised comments spotlighted what many employees from marginalised groups have endured behind closed doors for years: intimations that their identity, regardless of their unique skill set, is why an employer hired them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Having that level of visibility can definitely lead to self-doubt and some internal feelings of ‘unsureness’ – Aneika Simmons","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBeing regarded as a token by colleagues – or worrying that you are one – can have long-term repercussions for an employee’s mental health.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch shows a token hire – no matter how accomplished and capable – “can have higher levels of depression and stress”, says Aneika Simmons, a professor of management at Sam Houston State University, Texas. “Over time, that stress can lead to feelings of helplessness, and it can lead to feelings of de-personalisation – all of these things that can lead to burnout.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2019, Simmons and her colleagues published an analysis of more than 80 studies in the past 25 years on the consequences of tokenism. They discovered overall, those who found themselves to be solo minorities or one of very few in a workplace were unfairly viewed as a representative of their entire minority group and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.aom.org\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.5465\u002Famp.2015.0154\"\u003Efaced heavier scrutiny from both higher ups and their peers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“These are brilliant people. I mean, these are people that are highly intelligent, highly capable. But that continued pressure of having that level of visibility can definitely lead to self-doubt and some internal feelings of ‘unsureness’,” says Simmons.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found some exceptions, namely men working in traditionally women-dominant fields, like nursing and teaching. In those instances, men could attain higher positions more quickly than women. But in most areas, Siri Chilazi, a gender and organisations researcher at Harvard Kennedy School, says an employee who is considered a token can be “set up to fail from day one”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Sceptical man","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Research shows that their voices get drowned out in deliberations,” says Chilazi, who has advised Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and academic institutions on issues of equality. “They're more likely to be interrupted in meetings. They are less likely if they make a contribution or idea or suggestion [to be given the] same due consideration as ideas voiced by majority members.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChilazi says those in the minority are often not given the same “assumption of credibility” as everyone else, usually the result of unconscious bias. And that can prevent a level playing field to succeed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECementing stereotypical views \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnsurprisingly, these effects can contribute to higher turnover and, consequently, lower morale – something that not only affects the individual, but the entire organisation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Tokenism hurts company culture not only today, but well into the future, because it cements stereotypical views about who is ‘ready’ or ‘competent’ or ‘successful’ or ‘a leader’,” says Chilazi. When those narrow parameters persist, and only workers who fit a traditional mould are given opportunities to shine, organisations can “lose out on competent and high-performing employees for no reason”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor companies aiming to be more inclusive and representative, particularly in higher ranks, one way to help new employees feel like they belong is through “cluster hiring”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis type of hiring strategy, which involves hiring a cohort of people across disciplines or departments simultaneously, began largely at colleges and universities trying to diversify their faculty. Researchers documented \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Furbanuniversitiesforhealth.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fdocuments\u002FFaculty_Cluster_Hiring_Report.pdf\"\u003Eresults of cluster hiring\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at 10 public research universities in a 2015 report. “We found that the practise can increase diversity if it's intentional,” says Julia Michaels, who managed the project, and is now the executive director for the Center for Public University Transformation at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in Washington, DC. “Intent really matters.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman watching presentation","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EExperts say cluster hiring is gaining momentum outside post-secondary institutions as well. There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest when people make multiple decisions at once, “we rely less on stereotypes and biases in that decision-making process, and the outcomes of our decisions are more diverse”, says Chilazi. Prejudices may also become easier to spot.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Oftentimes what I see is [organisations] run the numbers once a year at the end of the year. So, it's retrospective, it's looking back and they go, ‘oh my goodness, we hired nine senior level people and eight of them are men’,” says Chilazi. “They basically had no idea because they were each individual appointments, throughout the year, spread around. Different people were probably in charge of making those decisions. And no one was tracking the numbers as you go. If they had made those nine appointments in a cluster at the same time, it would have been painfully obvious.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChilazi says changes need to happen at the top, but also among workers who are part of majority groups, by calling out exclusionary behaviour, and practicing more inclusive actions. For supervisors, that can mean ensuring all employees, including and especially those who are ‘onlys’ in the room, are heard in meetings and have equal access to opportunities. For colleagues, it can be as simple as showing new hires around, inviting them to after-work social activities and offering a friendly ear for support. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if you feel you’re being tokenised at work, Simmons suggests becoming familiar with your company’s guiding principles and your own job description. “If behaviour within an organisation is appearing to marginalise them and violate company core values, they can be used to undergird conversations with leadership about a lack of opportunity,” says Simmons.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOpening a discussion with the boss isn’t always that easy, comfortable or even possible. Cheyenne said she tried talking to her manager, but even an attempt at casual conversation in the elevator was rebuffed. What she had hoped would be an opportunity to get a foot in the door at that Manhattan hair salon left her “burned out” and “discouraged”. She says leaving was the best decision for her, but that doesn’t mean the effects of feeling tokenised departed when she did. The experience shakes her confidence to this day, she says, making her constantly question “the validity of my successes or rejections”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why diverse hires can't always escape tokenism","headlineShort":"Why diverse hires are 'set up to fail'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Group at meeting","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"Woman watching presentation","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"In homogeneous organisations, even the most talented hires can feel tokenised. It's a problem that hits everyone hard.","summaryShort":"Why even the most talented diverse hires can't escape tokenism","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-06T19:48:42.677798Z","entity":"article","guid":"3938f30f-7072-44c0-8ab5-ba462a3807b2","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-07T12:43:24.744159Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917961},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","_id":"616ff68b45ceed2c1d6f0fee","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"'Entry-level' jobs used to be the way for new graduates to enter the workforce. But many are now requiring prior experience.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs anyone who’s graduated from university or applied for their first job in recent years can attest to, something new – and alarming – has happened to entry-level jobs: they’ve disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent analysis of close to 4 million jobs posted on LinkedIn since late 2017 showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fhirings-new-red-line-why-newcomers-cant-land-35-jobs-george-anders\u002F\"\u003E35% of postings for “entry-level” positions asked for years of prior relevant work experience\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That requirement was even more common in certain industries. More than 60% of listings for entry-level software and IT Services jobs, for instance, required three or more years of experience. In short, it seems entry-level jobs aren’t for people just entering the workforce at all. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd while that first job is harder than ever to get, it’s also more important than ever, says Alan Seals, an associate professor of economics at Auburn University, US. It may be the bottom-most rung on the employment ladder, but a worker’s first position sets the tone for their career.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The most important time in your career is the first three years,” he says. “The quality of your first employer really matters. So, how do you get that first job?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe simple answer is workers need something more than motivation or a college degree to enter the workforce now, whether it’s lots of internships, or the connections to get around a complex application process without an algorithm weeding them out. But not everybody has access to those advantages, and the result is that workers are being left behind.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe rise of the internship\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn ever-growing internship market means more young people are fleshing out their resumes before they even leave university, says Seals, who notes many students are now getting their first internship after first year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Internships are now the entry level,” he says. “Most of the students in college are doing or trying to do internships, and now it’s increasingly common to do more than one.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Internships are now the entry level – Alan Seals","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESeales says this fact impacts the entry-level job market on multiple fronts. First, companies can save money by using interns to do that work without having to pay junior employees; the more interns a company has, the fewer entry-level jobs it’s likely to open.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecond, because applicants with one or more internships on their resume aren’t tough to come by, those who don’t have internship experience are left out in the cold. That can happen to students who can’t afford an unpaid or low-paid internship, or those who have trouble securing one. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In some cases, you need to have had an internship to get an internship. It’s also tough if you’re an ethnic minority,” says Seals. A February 2020 study he co-authored \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nber.org\u002Fpapers\u002Fw26729\"\u003Eshowed that employers are “less likely to respond to [intern] applicants with Black-sounding names”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and much more likely to hire those who’ve had internships before. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdd to that the fact that the vast majority of internship opportunities are geographically located near major cities, meaning those who don’t already live there or can’t relocate are out of luck.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This is a problem – in the United States, the internships are on the coasts,” says Seals. “Those are the most expensive places in the country to live. If you’re in college in a region with no internships, now you need to not only get an internship, but find a way to afford moving there for a summer. If you have no knowledge of how the system works or how to gain access to these elite levels and places, you’re left behind.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe automated office\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not only internships that have replaced the entry level job. Many of them have been eliminated over recent decades as tools and technologies are introduced to do the same work – without the paycheck.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09w5g1j"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“A lot of what would have been classified as entry-level 30 years ago has gone away because of automation,” says Scott Dettman, CEO of Avenica, a US-based career-matchmaking service for new graduates. “Think about things like product research, scheduling or ordering office supplies. Creating presentations – there used to be whole teams that did that. Now we have Microsoft PowerPoint.” Work that once fell to a group of early-career employees can be done by one person, in a fraction of the time. “It’s a huge optimisation increase – we can do a lot more with a lot less,” says Dettman. “But it’s also taken a lot of those roles that were more administrative in nature.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat’s left at the “entry level”, then, are often jobs that require more interpersonal communication, higher-level responsibilities or consumer-facing roles, which many companies are reluctant to trust to a newly-minted graduate.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The roles that exist now are in customer service, claims management, project management, those kinds of things,” says Dettman. “But there’s a different level of rigour to that work, and some industry knowledge that goes into those things. Increasingly, people have gotten almost skittish hiring right out of school. I’ll talk to executives who are like, ‘we’re happy to hire entry-level people… as long as they have two years of experience’.’” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe job application and hiring system has also been automated, which only makes things more difficult for entry-level workers who may be a good fit for a role, but who lack the right resume buzzwords.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There are major problems with the hiring processes,” says Dettman. “We’ve made it so that applicants will hit ‘easy apply’ and apply for 200 jobs in an hour. It’s flooding these talent acquisition teams with so many applicants that they’re basically forced to rely on algorithms to weed out candidates. So, they start to look for key terms, key skills, key identifiers.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In some cases, you need to have had an internship to get an internship – Alan Seals","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERight off the bat, this puts people with fewer or no internships, or a degree in a less-related major or from a less-reputable school, at a disadvantage. Plus, there’s only a slim chance the average college graduate’s resume will include all the skills and experience required by a given job.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Employers are unhappy with the level of talent they’re getting in the entry-level space,” says Dettman. “So, instead of trying to take corrective action, they’ve increased experience requirements. In the last five years, we’ve seen a 20% increase in the number of skills required on job listings.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe flawed system\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of this adds up to an incredibly tough entry-level job market. And the inability to land a solid role in a worker’s desired field right out of college can impact their careers in a major way, for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The data and the statistics definitely bear it out; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.burning-glass.com\u002Fresearch-project\u002Funderemployment\u002F\"\u003E43% of college graduates don’t have a college-level job in their first job after school,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” says Dettman. “The same study suggested that about two-thirds of those people are underemployed for the next five years.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe wage gap between people working a college-level job and those who end up in a role that doesn’t make use of their degree is about 22%, adds Dettman. “That’s well over $100,000 in lost earnings in the first decade of employment.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09w5fvg"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis perpetuates economic inequality, as it disproportionately affects people who didn’t – or couldn’t afford to – have internships. It also, ironically, can keep people who had to work a minimum wage or service job while in school from getting a position related to their major once they graduate. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Being from the lower class can be an obstacle,” says Seals. “We found that having a job on campus, in food service or whatever, seems to harm you. I think it signals class, which is part of the reason we’ve got inequality issues and a lot of people are shut out from entry-level employment.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding a workaround\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s a deeply flawed system, says Seals, but until it changes, there are ways to work around it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you get out of college, can’t get a job in your field right away, and go work at a restaurant or at Starbucks or something, do not put that on your resume,” says Seals. His research suggests listing a service or retail job can be detrimental when applying for other work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to “hacking the algorithm” of an automated job search system, Dettman says sometimes the best way to get through is to go around.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There’s reason to be optimistic that, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the system is undergoing a shift","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Find people who do that job today, and engage them,” he says. “Every company will interview people who are referred by internal employees, especially if those people do similar jobs. The best way to break in is to go around the automated pipeline. Ask if they can put your resume in front of a hiring manager, who will likely then actually review it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s reason to be optimistic that, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the system is undergoing a shift. Jobs replaced by PowerPoint aren’t coming back, but the increasing ubiquity of remote work means more access to internships and a hiring pool expanding outside major metropolises. And the pandemic has – and continues to – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newsweek.com\u002Fjobs-requiring-no-work-experience-jumped-18-percent-early-2021-amid-labor-shortage-1625456\"\u003Eshake up requirements and pay for entry-level jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as well as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbi.org.uk\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-unique-challenges-of-recruiting-for-entry-level-positions-in-2021-and-beyond\u002F\"\u003Ehow many of them actually exist\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So, there are more changes to come.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, says Dettman, keeping vast swaths of qualified workers from becoming under-employed will require a bigger paradigm shift. That may mean moving away from one-size-fits-all systems for sorting job applicants, reevaluating what skills a job really requires and broadening the definition of relevant experience.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I’m not anti-algorithm,” he says, “but when we have poorly-written job descriptions and resumes that don’t tell the whole story, we have incomplete data.” Better hiring practices, he suggests, might focus on an individual’s accomplishments, characteristics and potential, rather than just the number of years of prior experience or technical skills on their resume.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Rebuilding entry-level jobs and getting people hired means getting away from the resume and changing the conversation to: who is this person really?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-20T16:51:23Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why inexperienced workers can't get entry-level jobs","headlineShort":"Why entry-level jobs are disappearing","image":["p09w5fwx"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p09w5fvg"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210906-are-we-becoming-less-ambitious","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"'Entry-level' jobs used to be the way for new graduates to enter the workforce. But many are now requiring prior experience.","summaryShort":"How can workers enter the workforce when all jobs require experience?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-19T19:57:47.486247Z","entity":"article","guid":"427ddb44-2939-4dd5-a7ae-03f4c168f188","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-29T11:41:40.447421Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917957},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean","_id":"616ff67a45ceed343a5d205f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fsophia-epstein"],"bodyIntro":"Recruiters hire candidates they think will fit with the company culture. But this is a process rife with biases – and keeps workers from roles they deserve.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJob rejections are like break ups – they’re never fun, but some are worse than others. \u003Cem\u003E‘We were impressed by your resume, but you’re not a cultural fit’\u003C\u002Fem\u003E is the \u003Cem\u003E‘it’s not you, it’s me’\u003C\u002Fem\u003E of job rejections. It’s vague, confusing and almost always means there was something about you personally they didn’t like, but didn’t want to say out loud.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESandra Okerulu experienced this firsthand earlier this year. She applied for a role at a New York-based company and had an interview which went “perfectly”, she says. The company told her that her experience was what they were looking for, and she’d get an email about a second interview shortly. But she heard nothing for days.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Then I got an email saying I wasn’t a good fit, so they went with somebody else,” she says. “I wondered what would have been a good fit, because my resume matched up to what the company was looking for. So, is it because I’m not a guy, or is it because of my sexual orientation or the colour of my skin? You think about stuff like that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09ytxc8"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman looks at computer with disappointment","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOf course, candidates understand job interviews are about more than checking qualifications. They’re also compatibility assessments – if your working style and behaviours mean you’ll function well within an organisation. The problem is that too often, these assessments are subjective – and it’s well known that people are biased in favour of people like them. That can mean candidates who look, act or sound different to recruiters are at an immediate disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing assessed – or dismissed – for ‘cultural fit’ is an issue that affects workers of all stripes. A rejection can leave demoralised candidates struggling to decode what they did wrong. “I actually cried for days about it because I just knew there was more behind it, but I couldn't put my finger on it,” says Okerulu. It can also leave certain workers unable to access particular roles or sectors. And research shows it’s actually in companies’ interests to stop doing it if they want to build better teams.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValue judgment\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECultural fit is supposed to indicate whether your working preferences and values match the company you’re applying to join. If you want to work from home, for example, you’d fit well in a company with a work-from-home policy. If you’re a staunch environmentalist, you won’t be a cultural fit for a pro-coal-mining lobby. And if you’re keen to preserve work-life balance, then a just-finding-its-feet start-up likely isn’t a great fit. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, however, the definition of cultural fit can vary widely. For some recruiters, it can mean simply: will we get along? Wanting to socialise with new colleagues isn’t a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when your opinion of an applicant becomes the deciding factor.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We tend to recruit people that are very similar to ourselves, or very similar to groups of people we already work with,” says UK-based organisational psychologist Gemma Leigh Roberts. ‘Similar’ can mean anything from similar personalities and social preferences to physical attributes. The well-documented principle of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.annualreviews.org\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1146\u002Fannurev.soc.27.1.415\"\u003Ehomophily\u003C\u002Fa\u003E indicates that similarity breeds connection, in every setting from marriage to work. “So sometimes, when someone’s talking about a candidate not being a cultural fit, that’s what they're talking about,” says Roberts, “and that’s not acceptable feedback”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Being assessed – or dismissed – for ‘cultural fit’ is an issue that affects workers of all stripes","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of decision-making can arbitrarily cut qualified candidates out of the running. During a study of hiring practices in elite banks and other service firms, Northwestern University management professor Lauren Rivera found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F0003122412463213\"\u003Einterviewers would look to their own backgrounds and experience\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to determine what predicts good performance, then discount candidates who didn’t share those same qualities. Sometimes this was done unconsciously, other times it was overt. At one bank, they only wanted lacrosse players. “They said, ‘All the MDs [managing directors] here play lacrosse, so that’s why we look for a lacrosse player. He’ll do awesome here,’” Rivera explained on a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ted.com\u002Ftalks\u002Fworklife_with_adam_grant_reinventing_the_job_interview\u002Ftranscript?language=en\"\u003Epodcast\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. When she asked if they ever hired people who didn’t play lacrosse, they said, “No”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHiring for the status quo\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELacrosse could be substituted for anything: a college paper editor, an Ivy Leaguer, someone well-spoken with straight teeth and a sharp wardrobe. The elements that could influence perceptions of cultural fit are myriad, and will of course differ among workplaces. Yet the outcomes of relying on cultural fit when hiring are more uniform. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Recruiting people that always ‘fit’ the culture is really dangerous, especially from a diversity perspective,” says Roberts, the organisational psychologist. And it can happen anywhere. “I've seen biases in small, fast-paced start-ups in the tech world,” she says, “and I've seen it in huge global banking institutions that have been around for hundreds of years.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When companies reject applicants based on cultural fit, they are likely perpetuating racism, ageism and sexism in the process","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHiring for cultural fit tends to favour the status quo in the company, whether that relates to race, gender, age, socioeconomic level or even lacrosse abilities. That makes it harder for anyone who doesn’t ‘fit the mould’ to get into sectors where they are currently under-represented.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhite men still have an overall advantage in terms of cultural fit, as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthesocietypages.org\u002Fspecials\u002Ffortune-500-ceos-2000-2020-still-male-still-white\u002F\"\u003Ealmost 90%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of Fortune 500 CEOs fit that demographic. Women, especially women of colour, workers from minority groups and gender non-binary individuals have to deal with a different type of glass ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, a third of employers say they are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indy100.com\u002Fnews\u002Ftransgender-workers-employers-less-likely-hire-lgbt-workplace-report-8401021\"\u003E‘less likely’ to hire transgender workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to a 2018 report. Hiring discrimination against black applicants in the US \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2017\u002F10\u002Fhiring-discrimination-against-black-americans-hasnt-declined-in-25-years\"\u003Ehasn’t declined in 25 years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a 2017 study showed. That’s not surprising considering, across all the US companies with more than 100 employees, black people make up just \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fwhy-are-there-still-so-few-black-ceos-11601302601\"\u003E3% of executive and senior-level roles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (that includes just four black Fortune 500 CEOs).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther groups are affected, too. Tech companies in Silicon Valley, for example, reportedly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002Fd54b6fb4-624c-11e7-91a7-502f7ee26895\"\u003Edo not see older job candidates as a good fit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In fact, a 2021 report from employment non-profit Generation found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.generation.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F07\u002FMeeting-the-Worlds-Midcareer-Moment-July-2021.pdf\"\u003Ethat only 15% of hiring managers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, across seven countries, saw over-45s applying to entry-level positions as a good cultural fit. Extroverts, meanwhile, are usually seen as more of a ‘fit’ than introverts, as businesses have a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness-to-business\u002F2018\u002Ffeb\u002F23\u002Fhow-extroverts-are-taking-the-top-jobs-and-what-introverts-can-do-about-it\"\u003Elong\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fmanifesto-introversion-diversity-inclusion-belonging-glen-cathey\u002F\"\u003Ehistory\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of rewarding confident talkers. People with disabilities have to apply for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.independent.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fuk\u002Fhome-news\u002Fdisabled-people-jobs-applications-more-able-bodied-stats-employment-a7970701.html\"\u003E60%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E more jobs than those without. And fat people are seen as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC4853419\u002F\"\u003Eless suitable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E candidates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09ytxyp"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman sits across from two people interviewing her","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThat means that when companies reject applicants based on cultural fit, they are likely perpetuating racism, ageism and sexism in the process. “Culture fit is a cop out,” says Bayo Adelaja, CEO of diversity consultancy Do It Now Now in London. “They’re not saying, ‘we don’t think you’ll get along with people’. They’re saying, ‘we’re lazy; we don't want to do the work to include this new human being’.” It’s a lot easier to cite ‘cultural fit’ in a job rejection email than interrogate your own personal biases to ensure they’re not clouding your judgement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, there’s a significant downside for companies who rely on cultural fit: they can end up very homogenous. Research shows that teams with a diverse mix of genders, races and sexual orientations are actually better for business. They are more likely to improve market share, develop new products and win endorsement from decision-makers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s not about liking each other,” says HR consultant and ex-Netflix chief talent officer Patty McCord. “We’re coming together at work to be a team, to deliver something on behalf of our customers, clients or constituents.” To do that properly, companies need people who have different perspectives. “If you go out to hire people who are just like you, it’s unlikely you’re going to solve a problem that people just like you haven't already solved,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Cultural add’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome companies are aware of issues that come with hiring for cultural fit. And although some are trying to evolve, the problem currently persists.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many underrepresented groups, the threat of cultural fit pushes them to tone down who they are. “People actively try to edit their CVs to take out their culture, anything that resembles it, so that they are more likely to get some interviews,” says diversity consultant Adelaja.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOthers resort to modifying aspects of how they present or behave in an effort to fit in. Gustavo Razzetti, Chicago-based CEO of consultancy Fearless Culture, saw this happen when he was working with a tyre manufacturing company. A key member of the leadership team was a very extroverted, aggressive white male, and people were being hired who’d get along with him. But some introverts got jobs by putting on a front. “They had to pretend that they were like him in order to be hired, and in order to succeed,” says Razzetti. “They were pretending to be someone else just to please the boss, and they were really unhappy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"\"If you try to maintain your culture, at all costs, and you don't allow people to come and drive your culture forward, then you're not maximising the potential of your business”","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERazzetti suggests that while you can’t remove intrinsic bias from an organisation, there are ways to game the system. When he applied for jobs at companies where he wasn’t an obvious fit, he would pitch himself as a wildcard. “I would tell people ‘If you’re looking for someone to keep steering the ship in this direction, that’s not me. I’ll shake things up and make a change’,” he explains. “So, I was being pre-emptive.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut really, the onus should be on companies to evaluate and adjust their practices. “A lot of people still think about culture as if it's static,” explains Tara Ryan, director of people experience at London fintech startup Monzo, which recruits for ‘culture add’ not ‘culture fit’. “But if you try to maintain your culture, at all costs, and you don't allow people to come and drive your culture forward, then you're not maximising the potential of your business.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other risk is that candidates will self-select out of the hiring process – and look elsewhere, to employers with more inclusive attitudes. That’s been the case for Okerulu, who is looking for a job that’s a cultural match for her, not the other way around. “I want to know if they fit what \u003Cem\u003EI’m\u003C\u002Fem\u003E looking for.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-20T18:52:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What does being a 'cultural fit' actually mean?","headlineShort":"Why firms hire for 'cultural fit'","image":["p09ytx6c"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two men sit across from a third man interviewing for a job","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210812-why-the-worst-parts-of-work-cant-easily-change","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210902-why-diverse-hires-cant-always-escape-tokenism"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Recruiters hire candidates they think will fit with the company culture. But this is a process rife with biases – and keeps workers from roles they deserve.","summaryShort":"Workers aren't getting hired because they don't fit into a workplace","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-19T19:43:22.31841Z","entity":"article","guid":"80850f68-afbd-4ecb-a1cc-025fa024655a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-19T19:43:22.31841Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917960},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues","_id":"6178653945ceed0236397941","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"Fetch coffee, file expense reports, take the night shift – entry-level workers are expected to do the grunt work. But is there a point to this professional hazing?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Caitlin, a 24-year-old in Pennsylvania, US, graduated from her nursing program about a year ago, she was assigned to the night shift.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Most new nurses are sent into the night shift, which some people love,” she says. “For me it just wrecked my body and my life. I went into a terrible depression. I’m a super extroverted, daytime, sunshine person. It totally messed up my eating habits, my hormones, everything.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECaitlin, who is withholding her surname for job security, says her circadian rhythm was so thrown off, she became unable to drive herself home after a shift without falling asleep. “Once,” she says, “I woke up in the opposite lane, a half-second from a head-on collision.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe approached her superiors and human resources to try to get her hours changed, to no avail. “The way you get to day shift is a seniority list based on when you started,” says Caitlin. “In order for me to get a full-time day shift position, I had to basically wait for people to quit, retire or leave. At the time, there was a day-shift position available, but they wouldn’t give it to me because there was someone who’d been there longer than me. It was a tough lesson: they weren’t going to let me skip the line.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, says Caitlin, she wasn’t shocked by that outcome. As one of the newest nurses on staff, she knew she was expected to work those overnight hours, no matter how tough it was. “You’ve got to just pay your dues,” she says. “I was kind of taught that is how life works. You’re at the bottom until you work your way up to the top.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s generally the accepted narrative in the working world: everybody has to start somewhere – and that somewhere is often not glamourous. Across industries, it’s expected that those on the lowest rung of the ladder will take on the grunt work, be assigned the least-desirable shifts or do the time-consuming tasks more senior employees don’t want. Do those things, and the assumption is that you’ll eventually be initiated as a member of the team, prove you’re worthy of better or more enjoyable work and move out of that rookie role.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Hazing is saying, ‘you have to do this to be one of us, to be part of our group’. It’s paying the cost of entry – Benjamin J Thomas","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“There are formal elements that indicate someone is ‘in.’ You have a signed contract, and you get a pay cheque,” says Benjamin J Thomas, an assistant professor of management and organisational studies at Radford University and the University of Louisville, US. “But then there are more invisible forces. These expectations are unspoken. They’re not in any handbook.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while the culture of ‘paying your dues’ – and even being hazed by elder staff along the way – may be ubiquitous, it may not necessarily be the best way to bring new staff into the fold. This approach to entering a group’s ranks may be human nature to some extent, but it also may tip work cultures from taxing to toxic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ‘human nature’ of hazing\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor rookie workers, taking on the lowest-level – sometimes seemingly demeaning work – can sometimes feel like hazing, rather than skill building. That’s not entirely incorrect, says Thomas. In a way, younger workers \u003Cem\u003Eare\u003C\u002Fem\u003E getting hazed – but not in the egregious, secret-society ways we often associate with hazing. “We hear the word and think it’s toxic, bad, degrading,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReally, he explains, hazing just refers to those invisible expectations that are created for people who want to join an established group, whether it’s cultural, societal or professional. In other words, it’s just another term for paying your dues. “Hazing is saying, ‘you have to do this to be one of us, to be part of our group’. It’s paying the cost of entry.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, the idea that entry-level workers are expected to perform the least desirable tasks extends far past the workplace. “It’s not a new phenomenon, or one tied just to work. Pre-industrial societies haze each other. It seems to just be a human thing. To become an adult in many cultures, you have to go through some kind of ordeal, and that’s a form of hazing. Humans just do this to each other.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, in the modern working world, it’s especially widespread. As many as 75% of American employees\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.aldocimino.com\u002Fthomas_cimino_meglich_2021.pdf\"\u003E report having witnessed or participated in hazing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or say they’ve been on the receiving end.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0b05tpf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Most people who do the hazing were themselves hazed,” says Thomas, “so they’re just sort of carrying on tradition for tradition’s sake. And then there’s a fairness issue. The thought is, ‘I had to go through it, so if you’re going to be here, you must go through it also.’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe upsides to hazing?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough these reasons may not necessarily seem valid enough to perpetuate a structure that leaves young workers bearing the brunt, this system also has some benefits.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some cases, says Thomas, assigning new workers the most gruelling, unpleasant or time-consuming tasks can actually be an effective way to help them learn. “In a lot of professions where you’re doing work that feels like a waste of time, you’re really engaging in what might be called tacit learning,” he says. “You’re getting many, many micro-lessons, learned through first-hand experience.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s a model that goes back to the earliest days of industrialisation, and continues today: all trades are performed by masters and apprentices, and the latter is expected to learn by doing the mundane tasks assigned by the former.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There will always be a difference in expertise between newcomers and experienced people,” says Thomas. “And newcomers will always have to find ways to gain expertise. Paying their dues is a good way to do that.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s like, OK, get on your hands and knees and clean the poop off the floor just like the rest of us did – Caitlin","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHaving a shared experience, even – or especially – if it’s not enjoyable, can also bond people together effectively. “There are studies that show groups that employ hazing have stronger measures of cohesion,” adds Thomas. “And this is the double-edged sword of it: the people who are left at the end are closer, more knitted to each other, they identify more strongly with each other.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd most people aren’t seriously scarred by the period of time spent paying their dues – hence the perpetuation of the system, and their willingness to do it to others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think you have to have a sense of humour,” says Caitlin, the nurse. “Yes, you’re the new kid and you need to get your feet wet and learn, so you get the gross jobs. But that’s where everybody started. So, it’s like, OK, get on your hands and knees and clean the poop off the floor just like the rest of us did.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen people who have been subjected to hazing are asked about it, says Thomas, “there’s a not-insignificant number who will laugh about it. They look back on it with warmth and affection, and something almost like nostalgia.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready, says Caitlin, the long night shifts and dirty jobs have bonded her to her colleagues, both at her level and above. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We’ll laugh about it all later at the bar,” she says. “There’s a lot of camaraderie. I’ve become like the little sister of the unit, and it’s because I’m a good worker and I’ve got grit. I do hard work and I don’t complain about it, and that is what our culture is about. You’re going to do the dirty work and laugh about it later, and that’s how you make it on our unit. We’ve had people who are prima donnas and don’t want to do the dirty work, and they no longer work on our unit.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe creep of toxicity\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA culture of dues-paying might not be all bad, but there is a difference between expecting young workers to do certain tasks versus creating an unfair environment – or even a toxic one.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring her first year on the job, which corresponded with the height of the pandemic, Caitlin says the fairness scale began to tip too far. “I worked nights for weeks straight in ‘Covidland’ – what we call the Covid side of our unit. We started noticing none of the older staff got Covid assignments, and it was \u003Cem\u003Eall \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ethe new nurses were doing.” It took almost a year, she adds, to learn the basic skills she needed to do her job outside the Covid ward. “It was really mentally exhausting, and I almost walked away from nursing because of it. When it comes to the point where your mental health and physical health are in danger, the line has been crossed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p0b05v2t"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis rings true for 24-year-old Thulasi Seshan, who found the process of paying her dues as an organiser on major US political campaigns to be completely untenable. She worked 12-hour days – or longer – doing field work, data entry and phone calls. Plus, the door-to-door canvassing of the job also meant that, as a woman of colour, she dealt with almost daily incidents of racism or misogyny.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESeshan says the idea of hazing bottom-rung workers isn’t a bad idea in theory. “You’re young, you’re energetic, you work hard, learn the ropes and we’ll give you more responsibility,” she says. “But instead it’s become, ‘let’s take these young people and burn them into the ground’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut after taking on that grunt work, Seshan never moved up the ladder: instead, she left politics.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA homogeneity problem\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderrepresented workers like Seshan leaving due to hazing represents another problem: the perpetuation of homogeneous organisations. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn her experience, Seshan found the workers who did make it through the grunt-work stage were people with financial security or family assistance to make an underpaid position workable. Often, they also had local homes at which they could stay. “It’s a lot harder if you’re black and don’t have a family home in Northern Virginia [close to job headquarters in Washington, DC]. The result is homogeneity of people at the top.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s become, ‘let’s take these young people and burn them into the ground’ – Thulasi Seshan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAlthough this may not always be the case, Thomas also recognises organisational homogeneity as a knock-on issue. In a system where the goal is for newcomers to “prove themselves”, not everyone will; for some employees, the work will prove too difficult or unfair, and they may not ever move up the ladder or be accepted by the team. “The result – the people who are left – is often a group of people who are, in some way, the same.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Thomas says there may be reasons to believe we could be beginning to move away from the long-accepted system of young workers paying their dues. “Gen Z may not be attracted to these groups that are more homogenous,” he says. “They might not necessarily \u003Cem\u003Ewant \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eto earn a place there, and they might not be willing to pay the dues.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, says Thomas, the culture has existed for so long, and is so pervasive, it won’t necessarily change easily. Although there are ways to “increase group cohesion and shared identity without this” system, getting rid of the hazing culture involves someone to step up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E “Who’s going to be the first to change it?” he says. “Someone is going to have to be the first to say, ‘when it’s time for you to be part of the group, I’m just going to let you in – no dues required”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Should young workers still have to 'pay their dues'?","headlineShort":"Is professional hazing ever justified?","image":["p0b05tkm"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Fetch coffee, file expense reports, take the night shift – entry-level workers are expected to do the grunt work. But is there a point to this professional hazing?","summaryShort":"\"It's become, 'let's take these young people and burn them into the ground'\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-26T20:29:38.008595Z","entity":"article","guid":"6f556407-13ef-4dfa-bd08-44f852af678c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-26T20:29:38.008595Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211025-should-young-workers-still-have-to-pay-their-dues","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917956},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire","_id":"616ff68c45ceed446f435ad8","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We all want to be more productive. But research shows that schedules don't suit some tasks – and can even make us enjoy them less.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPaul Scharf is a meticulous time tracker and scheduler. As a fully remote worker long before ‘work-from-home’ entered the common lexicon, Scharf has been tracking his workdays for the past seven years. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Once I started [tracking], I just never stopped,” says Scharf. “Initially, it was just to see how many hours I was working, but then I started evaluating how I allocate time across different tasks, hobbies and passion projects. It became a way for me to prevent multi-tasking and be more honest with myself.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScharf, whose interest led him to a role as head of the engineering department at a time-tracking software company, regularly pores over his detailed time logs to optimise his workflow. “I always schedule at least a day in advance, right down to my breaks, half-hour daily walks, mealtimes – even what I’ll eat,” he says. Scharf believes that organising the micro-details of his day helps allay \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-covid-19-how-to-learn-a-new-skill-in-coronavirus-quarantine\"\u003Edecision fatigue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “I don’t want to be sitting there at lunchtime thinking, do I want a sandwich or a salad?” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even a hyper-organiser like Scharf is aware of the line between organising time to enhance productivity versus viewing it as an end goal, or a litmus test to define a life well spent. “When I’m with family or involved in a leisure activity, productivity isn’t the goal. I actually greatly value time away from schedules,” he concedes. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo where, exactly, is the line? For many people, time management is a huge priority. That means allocating windows to particular tasks, with a view to optimising days for maximum productivity. Yet some experts suggest that there are tasks that don't fit well into a calendar grid, such as creative work or leisure activities. In fact, research shows that scheduling these activities could actually reduce our ability to perform them, as well as our enjoyment of them. There are also emotional impacts and consequences of hyper-organisation, particularly when something doesn’t go to plan. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, there are alternative strategies to time management that can mitigate some of these downsides, helping us stay on course without feeling shackled to our calendars.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy some tasks don’t suit scheduling\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur obsession with optimising time can be traced back to the 1700s, when the desire to afford exotic goods imported to Western Europe drove us to work more, and more efficiently, explains Brad Aeon, assistant professor at the School of Management Sciences at the University of Québec in Montréal. Aeon believes time management as a concept gained traction when we started equating time with money. “When you put a price tag or monetary value on your work, i.e. 200 dollars an hour, your time becomes commodified, and you want to make the best out of it,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman working at home","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs organising our time became more of an individual responsibility, rather than one regulated by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.taylorfrancis.com\u002Fchapters\u002Fedit\u002F10.4324\u002F9781003087236-5\u002Fre-ordering-temporal-rhythms-dale-southerton\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Efixed institutional constraints\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newyorker.com\u002Ftech\u002Fannals-of-technology\u002Fthe-rise-and-fall-of-getting-things-done\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Etraditional 9-to-5 employment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, more tools entered our arsenals. “It’s the productivity treadmill,” says Aeon. “As productivity standards rise, the higher standard becomes normalised.” Today, many of us approach time management with even more precision, squeezing blocks into our schedules as we try to turn daily planning into an exact science. Yet not all tasks and activities – whether professional or personal - lend themselves well to scheduling. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a start, some intellectual tasks may not benefit from excessive scheduling. A review of decades of research shows that \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.emeraldinsight.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1108\u002FS1534-0856%282012%290000015015\"\u003Escheduling time tightly can induce a sense of time pressure\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that can help with efficiency, but not necessarily performance, explains Aeon. “This means a tight schedule can help you achieve more or less acceptable results in a short amount of time, but if you want to create a masterpiece, it’s not going to work.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETasneem Ali, a 20-year-old sophomore at Habib University in Karachi, Pakistan, finds it difficult to schedule her time accurately for essays analysing her favourite poetry, for example. “My ideas don’t take an appointment before coming to me,” she says. While her professors might encourage scheduling small steps in the writing process across weeks or a month, “I might just hammer out 3,000 words in one night if I’m feeling inspired.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen there are leisure tasks, which many of us jot down in our calendars to ringfence time for them. Yet research by Selin A Malkoc, associate professor of marketing at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, shows that scheduling ‘fun’ tasks can actually reduce our enjoyment of them. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn one of her \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fposeidon01.ssrn.com\u002Fdelivery.php?ID=345071025031103101103004085000076066105031089055030062103114116025003106106093028124126000024009054122012125120095114066113110018038048082088075081103021078005006077017055082125070114106065123082070017085116120100095088080105001115113119127120085096&EXT=pdf&INDEX=TRUE\"\u003Erandomised experimental studies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Malkoc set up a coffee shop on campus during finals week and offered students vouchers for a free cookie. While half the students could collect their cookie any time between 1800 and 2000, the other group was asked to write down the time they anticipated they’d swing by so logistical arrangements could be made. While students who committed to a time invariably had a higher likelihood of showing up, those with a wider window to collect their cookie reported enjoying it 18% more than the strictly scheduled group.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Structuring our lives too temporally robs leisure of its innate spontaneity and enjoyment","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is because structuring our lives too temporally robs leisure of its innate spontaneity and enjoyment. “Scheduling a leisure activity (vs. experiencing it impromptu) makes it feel more work-like and diminishes its utility, both in terms of excitement in anticipation of the activity as well as experienced enjoyment,” the study found. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe emotional impact of over-optimisation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToo much optimisation can also affect how we view time as well as impact our emotions. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn an individual level, disruptions to our schedules can have negative effects. We know, for example, that interruptions can trigger anxiety and annoyance (though research shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fpeople-are-increasingly-interrupted-at-work-but-its-not-all-bad-124058\"\u003Eif we consider the interruption ‘time worthy’, we may view it more positively\u003C\u002Fa\u003E). Ali, for example, doesn’t believe in assigning immutable windows for writing. “If I set a time limit, I’m erasing all the variables of human life. What if my mother comes in and sits down? I can't do my essay with her in the room… If I only give myself three hours, I spend more [time] having a panic attack.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch also shows that scheduling our time too rigidly can make us feel that we have less of it. “When we create boundaries around scheduled time, it makes our utilisation of \u003Cem\u003Eun\u003C\u002Fem\u003Escheduled time less meaningful,” says Malkoc. Our sense of time gets warped as a scheduled work task approaches, she explains, because \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1509\u002Fjmkr.46.4.543\"\u003Eour perception of time is non-linear\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, if a meeting is at 1600, our perception of the hours before the meeting will make us think of them as being progressively less sufficient, almost as if time shrinks towards the task. In her \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Fjcr\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F45\u002F5\u002F1085\u002F4996321\"\u003Eresearch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which focuses on how limited a time period \u003Cem\u003Efeels\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, rather than how fast it actually goes by when using it, Malkoc found that participants tended to cram that time before a meeting (which they deemed insufficient to take on a substantial project due to the looming commitment) with less meaningful work, such as emails.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman waiting at an airport counter","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, the way we fetishise having airtight schedules has wider implications for society. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Time waste, even minor, is a major cause of anger in the United States,” Aeon points out. “Hyper-organising our time can make us less patient and, in some cases, less likely to help other people out,” he says, referencing the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwhatsthepont.blog\u002F2016\u002F05\u002F28\u002Fthe-good-samaritan-experiment-no-time-to-care\u002F\"\u003EGood Samaritan experiment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a social psychology test from the 1970s suggesting that feelings of time scarcity significantly reduce our capacity to care about other people. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther research suggests that simple reminders of how fast-paced life has become, such as being exposed to pictures of fast food, can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww-2.rotman.utoronto.ca\u002Ffacbios\u002Ffile\u002FHouse,%20DeVoe,%20&%20Zhong,%202014%20SPPS.pdf\"\u003Ehamper our enjoyment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of pleasurable events. People who are paid by the hour \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.aom.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.5465\u002Famj.2007.26279171\"\u003Espend less time volunteering\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, notes Aeon, because the value of their time is so specifically quantified and the commodification of time so deeply entrenched that they don't want to give any away for free. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERedefining time management\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are, of course, various ways we can mitigate these downsides, using targeted strategies, reframing how we understand ‘time management’ as a concept and giving power back to ourselves as the creators of our schedules, instead of letting them dictate our lives. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMalkoc recommends performing work tasks back-to-back, then leaving large blocks of time unscheduled for hobbies, leisure or work projects requiring deep concentration. And if there are slots in the middle in which you might find yourself ‘devaluing’ that time, she says: “Trust your clock, not your gut.” If, for instance, you have ‘only’ an hour before a meeting, remind yourself, “I could watch two shows in 55 minutes. That’s a lot of time.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAeon also warns against scheduling leisure time too rigidly. “Instead of having a rigid schedule with start and end times, you can simply decide what activities you want to do without adhering to a precise schedule (e.g. going to the museum in the morning and to the beach in the afternoon).”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Organising our time can certainly make our lives better, but that depends on what you manage your time for - Brad Aeon","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMalkoc’s research has also shown that when people schedule roughly – by drawing lines outside the confines of the calendar grid, adding question marks or shading in large blocks of time, people perceive the activity to be just as fun as a spontaneous, impromptu one. Yet this doesn’t lend itself to the digital world; as Malkoc points out: “There isn't a real way to schedule roughly in a calendar.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, we can’t go through life shunning schedules completely. Some experts suggest we focus on using time-tracking as a means to an end. For example, Laura Vanderkam, a writer and speaker, proposes \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flauravanderkam.com\u002F2018\u002F10\u002Fwelcome-to-list-of-100-dreams-week\u002F\"\u003Ecurating a list of 100 dreams\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. By doing this, we aren’t simply tracking for the sake of data and productivity – or to bill a client. Instead, we’re being mindful about spending time on what matters. Or, as she says, prioritising ‘the good stuff’. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAeon, meanwhile, suggests different approaches fit different personality types. When we start \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20171114-why-you-shouldnt-try-to-be-a-morning-person\"\u003Eidentifying our chronotypes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, natural rhythms and personality styles, a schedule can be “a perfect glove made just for you,” he says. He believes it takes trial, error and a great dose of ‘knowing thyself’ to create a schedule that’s an accurate reflection of our values, identity and beliefs. “Ultimately, organising our time can certainly make our lives better. But that depends on what you manage your time \u003Cem\u003Efor\u003C\u002Fem\u003E,” Aeon concludes. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring his last vacation to Ireland, Scharf managed to find his happy medium between structured and unstructured time through mindful time organisation and rough scheduling. “The only things we had scheduled were the flight there, the flight back and the car we’d rent. Every day, we decided which bed and breakfast to go to, and a few cool places to see on the way. We had nobody waiting for us, no hotel to check into—we took beautiful detours and just enjoyed the coast. It was potentially the best vacation of my life,” said Scharf. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe loved it so much he never left. Today, Scharf lives in Ireland with his wife and two-year-old daughter, happy to track and schedule his workday just as diligently as he upholds free-flowing family time and leisure. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETry it out sometime. If your schedule allows.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why hyper-organisation can backfire","headlineShort":"Why hyper-organisation backfires","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man looking out of window","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We all want to be more productive. But research shows that schedules don't suit some tasks – and can even make us enjoy them less.","summaryShort":"No matter how hard you try, you can't schedule every task","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-12T20:04:00.080449Z","entity":"article","guid":"f5439722-11d2-4b17-928b-9f8e7b16b2f6","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:27:36.758492Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917961},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety","_id":"616ff67d45ceed2c1d6f0fd9","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Stress, anxiety, productivity: mindfulness is often touted as a solution to nearly everything. But research shows that you can actually take meditation too far.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor around 20 years, I’ve struggled with periods of anxiety, and turned to mindfulness meditation as a means of quelling those feelings. At its best, the benefits would often perfectly match the hype. Focusing my attention on my breath or my body would calm my nagging internal voice, and I’d return to normal life feeling energised and invigorated.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFar too often, however, I’d end the session feeling much worse than when I began. Rather than relaxing, my heart would begin to accelerate, or my inner monologue would take a nasty turn, as unpleasant memories and feelings of failure and hopelessness flooded my mind. These events became so frequent that I now only use mindfulness occasionally.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI had assumed that I was just uniquely bad at taming my thoughts. Yet a growing body of research suggests that such stories may be surprisingly common, with one study from 2019 showing that at least \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0216643\"\u003E25% of regular meditators have experienced adverse events\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, from panic attacks and depression to an unsettling sense of “dissociation”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven these reports, one researcher has even founded a non-profit organisation, Cheetah House, that offers support to ‘meditators in distress’. “We had more that 20,000 people contact us in the year 2020,” says Willoughby Britton, who is an assistant professor in psychiatry and human behaviour at Brown University. “This is a big problem.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow could something that is apparently so beneficial for so many people turn out to have such disturbing effects for others? And are there any ways to gain the benefits of meditation without running into these risks?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"woman meditating","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘You can only crank up your attention dial so far’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn any discussion of mindfulness, it’s important to remember that there are many different techniques that train particular types of thinking and being. The best-known strategies are mindful breathing, in which you focus on the feelings of respiration, and the body scan, in which you pass your attention from head to toe, noting any physical sensations that arise in the course of the session.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese kinds of practices are meant to ground you in the present moment and the effects can be seen in brain scans, with growth in the insula cortex, a region that is involved in bodily perception and emotion. As a result, mindfulness training can leave us more in touch with our feelings, which is important for good decision making. Many mindfulness practices also encourage a more general “observing awareness”, in which you train yourself to notice your thoughts and feelings without reacting or judging. With practice, this can increase your capacity for emotional regulation so that you are no longer as susceptible to flashes of anger, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIdeally, these changes should complement each other and result in greater wellbeing. But that’s only possible if they occur in balance and moderation. Unfortunately, some meditators may pass the optimum point on either one of these elements, leading to distress.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We’ve had an overwhelming number of people contacting the lab and saying, ‘I can't feel anything, I don't feel any love for my family. What do I do?’ – Willoughby Britton","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETake the effects of body scan, with the heightened activity in the insular cortex. “It’s like somebody turned up the volume knob, and the intensity of all your emotions is going to be louder,” says Britton, whose recent paper reviewed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS2352250X18301453\"\u003Ethe potential ways that meditation could backfire\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Eventually, your sensitivity to every slight change could become overwhelming. The result could be full-on panic attacks, as, indeed, around \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0183137\"\u003E14% meditators reported in a Portuguese study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther meditators might have the opposite problem. Studies have shown that meditation can increase activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for instance, which in turn regulates the limbic system, and the amygdala, another region where emotional salience is processed. In the right amount, prefrontal control over the limbic system can result in better focus and less emotional reactivity, says Britton. But when that’s taken beyond optimal levels, it can blunt all emotions, both negative and positive, so that they no longer feel extreme joy or happiness. In extreme cases, this can result in the unsettling sense of “dissociation” from their life – which affected around 8% of meditators in the Portuguese study.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough Cheetah House, Britton has heard from many people experiencing this sense of numbness. “We’ve had an overwhelming number of people contacting the lab and saying, ‘I can't feel anything, I don't feel any love for my family. What do I do?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBesides these more extreme reactions, Britton has shown that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.brown.edu\u002Fresearch\u002Flabs\u002Fbritton\u002Fsites\u002Fbritton-lab\u002Ffiles\u002Fdocs\u002FBritton2010%20%20MBCT%20and%20PSG%20sleep.pdf\"\u003Eoverzealous meditation can even damage sleep\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Among people undergoing an eight-week mindfulness course, those who meditated for more than 30 minutes a day, five days a week, tended to have worse sleep quality than those who spent less time in mindful contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man without sleep","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Similar to attention-enhancing drugs like coffee, Ritalin and cocaine, meditation can increase focus and alertness,” says Britton. “But when taken too far that can lead to anxiety, panic and insomnia, because there is both neuroanatomical and neurochemical overlap between attention and arousal systems in the brain. You can only crank up your attention dial so far before you start feeling anxious or stop sleeping.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe bigger picture\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, mindfulness does appear to benefit many people.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Probably, for the average person, it can help with mental health promotion,” says Julieta Galante at the University of Cambridge, who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosmedicine\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pmed.1003481#pmed.1003481.ref007\"\u003Erecently conducted a meta-analysis reviewing the evidence to date\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Overall, she found that there was a positive effect, though there was large variation between studies. Like Britton, she thinks that we need more nuance in our understanding of the specific situations in which mindfulness may or may not be useful, alongside a greater investigation of the potential adverse effects.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We really haven’t even started to unpack this,” says Galante. She notes that most of the studies have only looked at the effects over relatively short time periods, whereas some of the adverse effects may not emerge until much later – which is important to understand, since she points out that the standard advice is to continue meditating every day for the rest of your life. “My concern is that more and more people are practising meditation every day. And maybe it’s all fine during an eight-week course, but what happens then?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking outward?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat can we do if our own mindfulness practice is no longer working as anticipated? Galante’s meta-analysis showed that in many cases, mindfulness was no better for mental health than many other positive interventions, like physical exercise. In which case, the simplest option may be to switch to another activity that is also known to boost your overall wellbeing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"One study showed that at least 25% of regular meditators have experienced adverse events, from panic attacks and depression to an unsettling sense of “dissociation”","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor those who still like the idea of contemplation, it may be time to consider a broader range of techniques. Certain religious traditions encourage practitioners to focus on things outside your body, for instance – such as a bunch of flowers on your desk or even a passage from a poem. These may be better at calming overwhelming feelings of anxiety, or coaxing yourself out of those feelings of dissociation than observing your body or your breathing, says Britton. There’s also a growing interest in meditative techniques that encourage you to think about others’ perspectives and to cultivate feeling of compassion – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success\"\u003Estrategies that are especially effective against feelings of loneliness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the moment, some people may feel like they have to stick with one particular strategy – like mindful breathing or the body scan – without considering the alternatives. But this is a mistake, says Britton. “We should really honour the diversity of contemplative practices that are available, because they all do different things, and people would have a much better chance of matching what they need, if they had a bigger buffet of choices.” Each person should choose the best technique – and the correct “dose” – for their particular situation, rather than doggedly pursuing a plan that is not working.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Britton thinks that these issues should be incorporated into all mindfulness courses – in much the same way that the visitors to a gym are taught about the potential for injury. “It comes down to giving meditators a bit more agency.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd as I discovered myself with my own ill-fated attempts to gain mindfulness, this may sometimes include the decision that enough is enough.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-- \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\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\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\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-02-04T13:50:29Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How too much mindfulness can spike anxiety","headlineShort":"The dark side of mindfulness","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Stress, anxiety, productivity: mindfulness is often touted as a solution to nearly everything. But research shows that you can actually take meditation too far.","summaryShort":"Why meditation can blunt your emotions and spike anxiety","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-02-03T23:41:52.655966Z","entity":"article","guid":"1fa89893-b93e-4d24-ab2d-50833f9f7698","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:18:12.700325Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917962},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap","_id":"616ff65b45ceed363d2eaaa7","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We have a finite amount of time, yet we still strive to accomplish infinite goals. Why do we put this pressure on ourselves – and how can we stop?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHere’s a simple question that might provoke a mild existential crisis. Without performing the calculation, guess how many weeks the average person will live? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe answer, for an average lifespan of around 80 years old, is 4,000. Even centenarians will only live to 5,200. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you’re like me, this realisation may trigger a sense of dread, followed by a greater determination to make the most of this short time on Earth. Surely it makes sense to try to pack as many activities as possible into each day, to be sure we meet our goals before we shuffle off this mortal coil?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, this may be the very worst thing we can do to live a happy and fulfilling life. In his new book, Four Thousand Weeks, psychology writer Oliver Burkeman argues that this only leads to disappointment and unhappiness – thanks to a phenomenon known as the “productivity trap”. In his view, we would do far better to \u003Cem\u003Eslow down\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, rather than \u003Cem\u003Espeed up\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, if we are to make the most of our short lifespans.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe tyranny of time\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnxieties about time’s passing are not exactly unique to modern life. In around 29 BC, the Roman poet Virgil, wrote “fugit inreparabile tempus” – “time flies irretrievably” – which expresses some anxiety at the passing of the days. Similar thoughts about time somehow escaping us can be found in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsites.fas.harvard.edu\u002F~chaucer\u002Fteachslf\u002Fclkt-par.htm\"\u003EChaucer\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fquotes\u002F37753-i-wasted-time-and-now-doth-time-waste-me-for\"\u003EShakespeare\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurkeman, however, believes that humankind’s peculiar preoccupation with time – and, in particular, whether we spend it “productively” – became much greater with the common usage of the clock and the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. Before then, the natural rhythms of the day guided people: “The cows needed milking when they needed milking, and you couldn't decide to sort of do all the milking for the month in a couple of days,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce people started working in mills and factories, however, their activities had to be coordinated more precisely – often to optimise the use of the machines they were running. This led to a greater focus on scheduling and the creation of the timetable – along with the realisation that our productivity could be carefully monitored. And the resulting pressure, to get more done in less time, seems to have grown exponentially in the second half of the 20th Century. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe self-help industry has catered to these anxieties, with many volumes over the last four decades offering tips for better time management. “The implication from these books is that, with the right technique, you might be able to deal with pretty much any obligation that comes your way. You could launch as many of the life ambitions that you wanted, with a perfectly optimised daily routine,” says Burkeman. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ‘productivity trap’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, it often doesn’t work that way. Burkeman describes the drive for efficiency and productivity as a kind of “trap”, since you never truly escape the feeling that you should be doing more.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConsider a basic goal, such as optimising your email correspondence. You might think that you could get to a kind of Zen state where you have nothing in your inbox at the end of each day, and reply to each message as it comes in. Unfortunately, each email you send is likely to trigger further replies and tasks to complete, which can lead the messages to pile up again.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that work often begets work means that many efficient employees are soon stretched beyond capacity, as their manager keeps adding to their responsibilities. As Burkeman writes in Four Thousand Weeks: “Your boss isn’t stupid. Why would she give the work to someone slower?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s really a recipe for stress – the idea that you can do something superhuman with your time – Oliver Burkeman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EProductivity hacks may therefore help you to get more done, but that increased efficiency won’t relieve your stress and improve your wellbeing, or create more free time for the things that really matter to you.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurkeman compares common time-management techniques to the addition of lanes on the motorway. “They’re meant to ease congestion, but they only attract more cars,” he said in our conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe hedonic treadmill\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also good psychological reasons why we may never be satisfied with our current activities – at work or in our personal life – that lead us to put ever increasing pressure on ourselves. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHumans have an annoying habit of becoming habituated to positive changes in our life – a phenomenon known as the “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FB9780124114784000047\"\u003Ehedonic adaptation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”. You might expect that a job promotion would be a suitable reward for all your toil – but the research shows it often won’t leave you much happier than your current position. No matter how productive you are, and what you achieve, you’ll always want more for yourself\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurkeman’s notion of the productivity trap also reminds me of a study from Rutgers University, US, and the University of Toronto. Some participants were asked to list \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.3758\u002Fs13423-018-1436-7#Sec13\"\u003E10 activities that could make them feel better in their life\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – priming them to think of happiness as an active pursuit. Afterwards, they scored much lower on a questionnaire about their current wellbeing than participants who had instead been asked to count their blessings in the present moment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFurther probing found that the reduced happiness was linked to a sense that time was somehow slipping away: rather than leading the participants to feel positive and proactive, the thought of all those activities had made them even more acutely conscious of how little time they actually had to achieve it all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEscaping the trap\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Burkeman thinks that our relentless drive for productivity is a futile attempt to escape the harsh truth about our 4,000 weeks on Earth. “It’s alluring to try to spend your time improving your routines and rituals – but that’s simply helping you to avoid confronting the truth about how finite you are,” he says. “And it’s really a recipe for stress – the idea that you can do something superhuman with your time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Burkeman’s view, we could all reduce our anxiety if we simply accepted our limited capacity to achieve all that we would like in life. He has a few pointers for practical action \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first may seem obvious, but is all too easy to forget: we need to limit the number of goals we pursue at any one time. You might prioritise moving house and writing a book, for example – while realising that your piano lessons will have to wait. Although it may feel disheartening to neglect something that matters dearly to you, you’ll be able to make bigger strides towards the goals that you’ve actually chosen, than if you were pursuing too many things simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can switch between goals, of course, as your life progresses – once you’ve moved house, say, there will be room in your schedule for learning the piano. But in general, Burkeman thinks we’ll be much happier if make a conscious decision to put certain projects on hold, in place of the continuous realisation that we’re not living up to our unrealistic expectations. “You're just reconciling yourself with being a finite human,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When you face this reality, it’s actually really liberating – Oliver Burkeman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor our day-to-day work, Burkeman is also an advocate of the “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wired.com\u002Fstory\u002Fproductivity-got-done-list\u002F\"\u003Ehave done list\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” – a kind of parallel to the “to do list” that starts out empty each morning, but fills up with each task that you have completed. Importantly, many of those tasks may have been distractions that would have never been on your actual to do list, but which were nevertheless important to achieve. In this way, the practice helps you to reframe your workload so that you feel a greater sense of accomplishment, rather than simply stressing about all the things that you have yet to finish. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurkeman readily admits that he has found it hard to shift his own mindset and accept the limits of what he can achieve in his 4,000 weeks – but it’s worth the perseverance. “When you face this reality, it’s actually really liberating,” he says. “You see that you have been fighting a futile battle. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOliver Burkeman’s book \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oliverburkeman.com\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFour Thousand Weeks\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in the US, and Bodley Head in the UK. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Foliverburkeman\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@oliverburkeman\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davidrobson.me\u002Fthe-intelligence-trap\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is the author of \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. His next book is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, to be published in early 2022. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-10T14:01:06Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How to escape the 'productivity trap'","headlineShort":"How to escape the 'productivity trap'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We have a finite amount of time, yet we still strive to accomplish infinite goals. Why do we put this pressure on ourselves – and how can we stop?","summaryShort":"Why the relentless pursuit of doing infinite things in finite time is \"futile\"","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-09T19:48:14.744165Z","entity":"article","guid":"72625d43-6556-42ea-93eb-0e6391027ed0","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:27:28.719891Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917962},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68cc396643","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"bodyIntro":"Mindfulness may have many benefits – but the latest research shows it can also make some people more selfish.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMindfulness is said to do \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002F2012\u002F07-08\u002Fce-corner\"\u003Emany things for our psyche\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: it can increase our self-control, sharpen our concentration, extend our working memory and boost our mental flexibility. With practice, we should become less emotionally reactive – allowing us to deal with our problems more calmly. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne ‘benefit’ that you might not expect to gain, however, is heightened egotism. Yet a recent study suggests that, in some contexts, practicing mindfulness really can exaggerate some people’s selfish tendencies. With their increased inward focus, they seem to forget about others, and are less willing to help those in need. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis finding, alone, should not be a cause for you to cease meditating, if you do find it useful in other ways. But it adds to a growing body of research suggesting that mindfulness training can have undesirable side effects as well as potential benefits – and many psychologists now believe that the potentially negative consequences of certain meditative practices should be advertised alongside the hype. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ‘me’ in meditation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsyarxiv.com\u002Fxhyua\u002F\"\u003Estudy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E comes from Michael Poulin, an associate professor in psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, who wanted to investigate whether the effects of mindfulness might depend on its cultural context and the existing values of the people who are practicing it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe was particularly interested in the ways people think about themselves – their “self-construal”. Some people take a more independent viewpoint, focused on personal characteristics. If they are asked to describe themselves, they might emphasise their intelligence or their sense of humour. People with an interdependent view, on the other hand, tend to think of themselves in terms of their relations to others. If they are asked to describe themselves, they might say that they are a “daughter” or “father” or “college freshman” – things that emphasise social roles or group membership.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithin any population, there will be a mix of both attitudes, but on average interdependence is higher in Asian countries like China and India – where Buddhism originated – whereas \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cambridge.org\u002Fcore\u002Fjournals\u002Fbehavioral-and-brain-sciences\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fweirdest-people-inthe-world\u002FBF84F7517D56AFF7B7EB58411A554C17\"\u003Epeople in the US, UK and Europe tend to be more independent-minded\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09s45fk"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man meditating","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETo see whether this would influence the effects of mindfulness in the West, Poulin invited 366 college students into the lab and first gave them a questionnaire measuring their independence or interdependence. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHalf were then asked to perform a meditation focused on the sensation of breathing. The control group were given a “sham” meditation that involved sitting and letting their mind wander for 15 minutes. The exercise may have been relaxing, but it wasn’t designed to increase their mindfulness. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext came a test of pro-social behaviour, in which the students were told about a new project to help fund a charity for the homeless. They were then given the opportunity to stuff envelopes with marketing material advertising the scheme, which would be sent to the university’s alumni – but they were told there was no obligation to do so, if they wished to leave early. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESure enough, Poulin found that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsyarxiv.com\u002Fxhyua\u002F\"\u003Eeffects of the meditation depended on people’s existing attitudes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. If they were already interdependent, then the people who took the mindfulness exercise were willing to spend much more time on the charitable task; overall, they stuffed about 17% more envelopes than the control group. If they were independent-minded, however, the exact opposite occurred – the mindfulness had made them even more self-centred, so they were less willing to help the homeless. Overall, they stuffed around 15% fewer envelopes than the control group. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be sure the finding was robust, Poulin’s team conducted a second experiment, in which the participants were first given a short text written either in the first-person singular \u003Cem\u003E(I)\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, or first-person plural \u003Cem\u003E(we). \u003C\u002Fem\u003EAs they read the text, they had to click on all the pronouns – a simple task \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1111\u002F1467-9280.00162\"\u003Eknown to prime either independent or interdependent thinking\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. They then completed the meditation tasks and, to test their pro-sociality, were asked whether they wanted to devote time to chat online with potential donors for the homelessness charity. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce again, the mindfulness exercise exaggerated the effects of their self-perception, driving increased altruism among the interdependent-minded, and decreased altruism among the more independent-minded. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGiven that many Americans \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1037\u002F0033-295X.98.2.224\"\u003Escore highly on measures of the independent self-construal\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, that’s a lot of mindfulness practitioners who may be affected. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘McMindfulness’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe finding provides new material for critics of the mindfulness movement. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERonald Purser, a professor of management at San Francisco State University, has been chief among them. In his book McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality, published in 2019, he described the ways that the ancient practices have become divorced from the original Buddhist teachings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Mindfulness has become a stripped-down, DIY, self-help technique – Ronald Purser","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Mindfulness practice was intended to lead to the clear insight that despite appearing separate, all phenomena – including our sense of self – are, in their true nature, relative and interdependent,” he tells me. In many of its new incarnations in the West, however, it is marketed as a tool to boost productivity and performance. “Mindfulness has become a stripped-down, DIY, self-help technique,” says Purser – another tool to get ahead of others. He was not surprised by Poulin’s findings – anecdotally, he had heard of similar effects. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThomas Joiner, a professor of psychology at Florida State University and author of Mindlessness: The Corruption of Mindfulness in a Culture of Narcissism, is similarly emphatic. He says that the Buddhist practices have been “perverted” into “a self-focused, self-glorification mechanism”. Like Purser, he believes that Poulin’s paper helps to show the consequences of this. “I think it makes my case that when you take genuine mindfulness and drop it into certain context, a monstrosity can result.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Middle Way\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is fair to say that Purser’s and Joiner’s views on mindfulness fall at the more extreme end of the spectrum; in general, psychologists studying mindfulness remain optimistic about the practice’s potential to improve wellbeing in many areas of life. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psychologicalscience.org\u002Fnews\u002Freleases\u002Fmindfulness-and-meditation-need-more-rigorous-study.html\"\u003EThere does, however, seem to be increasing concern that some the benefits have been overhyped\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and that the potential downsides have been under-investigated. Some studies suggest that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety\"\u003Emindfulness can heighten anxiety and trigger panic attacks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in certain people, for example – a danger that is not often mentioned in the many books, apps and courses promoting the practice. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe need much more transparency about these less-desirable side-effects – including its potential to increase selfish behaviour. “I absolutely think that those who promote or practise mindfulness should be aware of this potential issue,” says Poulin.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09s45p3"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman meditating","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe also need greater research into the many kinds of mindfulness techniques. Mindful breathing, which Poulin used in his experiment, is the most popular mindfulness exercise, and if you have only a superficial interest in the field, it may be the only technique you know. But there are many others, each of which may help to develop a particular set of skills. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETania Singer, the director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, has provided some of the strongest evidence for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs12671-017-0716-z\"\u003Ethe diverse effects of the different techniques with a detailed nine-month trial\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Over many sessions, the participants completed exercises aimed at improving “presence”, such as mindful breathing, as well as techniques such as “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fggia.berkeley.edu\u002Fpractice\u002Floving_kindness_meditation\"\u003Eloving kindness meditation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, which involved deliberately thinking about our sense of connection with others – including close friends and complete strangers. They also took part in pair work aimed at “mindful listening”, in which each person had to pay particular attention to another’s descriptions of emotional situations. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll the while, Singer tracked the effects with detailed questionnaires, including measures of compassion – which increased significantly following the loving-kindness meditation and pair work. Intriguingly, these exercises also seemed to produce the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fadvances.sciencemag.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fadvances\u002F3\u002F10\u002Fe1700495.full.pdf\"\u003Ebiggest reduction in people’s stress responses\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “You learn not just to listen empathically; you learn to open up your own vulnerability.” This allowed the participants to recognise the “shared humanity” of positive and negative feelings, she says – a mindset that subsequently helped them to better cope with stressful situations in the rest of their life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPoulin agrees that these other mindfulness techniques may counteract the effects he had observed, for people who follow a comprehensive programme. He is more concerned about overly simplistic courses that market mindfulness as a simple way to gain a brain boost. “With the rise of apps and the use of mindfulness within corporations to increase productivity, for example, sometimes the moral dimension of mindfulness is lacking,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny time we try to change our mental function, it has the potential to create widespread consequences for our behaviour – and we should be cautious of any product or service that claims to offer a “quick fix”. It is time, in other words, to be a bit more mindful about the way we use mindfulness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davidrobson.me\u002Fthe-intelligence-trap\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDavid Robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is the author of The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes. His next book is The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World, to be published in early 2022. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-17T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How mindfulness could make you selfish","headlineShort":"Can mindfulness make you selfish?","image":["p09s44y0"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman meditating","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-hyper-organisation-can-backfire","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210805-how-to-escape-the-productivity-trap"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Mindfulness may have many benefits – but the latest research shows it can also make some people more selfish.","summaryShort":"How mindfulness could backfire and inflate your ego","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-16T20:50:40.264529Z","entity":"article","guid":"e68b5676-2c8a-4898-b520-f960c1626ea7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:27:54.548635Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917961},"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":"616ff6cb45ceed5bd10bdee8","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\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\u003E \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":"2021-09-02T05:17:10.428791Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917962},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should","_id":"616ff67f45ceed343b6757a4","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"bodyIntro":"Giving compliments makes us anxious, but new research shows that praising people has huge benefits – for both parties.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“The happy phrasing of a compliment,” the writer Mark Twain once noted, “is one of the rarest of human gifts, and the happy delivery of it another.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwain was describing a meeting with the Emperor of Germany, who had praised his books. But we can all surely identify with the sentiment: receiving sincere and well-expressed praise can feel as good as an unexpected windfall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, our anxieties about the ways others may perceive our own words can prevent us from giving compliments ourselves. No one, after all, wants to come across as clumsy, patronising or fawning. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Compliments are the easiest way to make other people – and, as a result, ourselves – feel better,” says Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioural science at the University of Chicago. “But when a kind thought comes to mind, people often don’t say it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet three new studies on the psychology of compliment giving and receiving suggest that our fears about the ways our praise will be received are completely unfounded. And by letting go of that awkwardness, we could all enjoy better relationships with our friends, family members and colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe rule of reciprocity\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is only relatively recently that psychologists have paid much attention to our compliments, with the majority of early research examining their persuasive potential.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn one memorable study from 2010, Naomi Grant, an associate professor in psychology at Mount Royal University in Calgary, invited participants to take part in a study of “impression formation”. As the participants filled in a rather dull questionnaire, an actor – posing as an introductory psychology student – struck up a conversation that involved casually complimenting the participant’s clothing. After a bit more idle chat, the actor then mentioned that they were handing out flyers about a university careers event, and asked the participant whether they would like to take a handful to hand around themselves.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The more people believe that one good turn deserves another, the more likely they are to follow a compliment with a helpful deed","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe effects of the flattery were dramatic, with\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F01973533.2010.497456\"\u003E 79% of the participants offering to help with the event publicity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared with only 46% of participants in a control group, who had not received the compliment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGrant’s most recent study shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F01973533.2010.497456\"\u003Ethis comes from a sense of reciprocity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In general, the more people believe that one good turn deserves another, the more likely they are to follow a compliment with a helpful deed. In English, we often say that we are “paying” someone a compliment – and Grant’s research would suggest that we often do consider it to be part of a transaction.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sense of reciprocity may also explain why positive feedback can be such a powerful tool in the workplace. A study by researchers at technology company Intel and Duke University in the US showed that verbal praise was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0149206314535441\"\u003Emore effective at increasing productivity than cash bonuses\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “People generally don’t realise that something so small could have such a big impact,” explains Vanessa Bohns, a professor of social psychology at Cornell University, US, and author of You Have More Influence Than You Think.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeglected benefits\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, Bohns’s own research shows that we rarely appreciate the power of our words. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking with Erica Boothby at the University of Pennsylvania, Bohns asked participants to go to an assigned location on campus and to deliver a small compliment to a random stranger. (To reduce potential misunderstandings about their motives, the participants were asked to approach someone of the same gender.) To check their preconceptions, the participants first had to estimate how pleased, flattered or awkward the person would feel to receive the praise. After they delivered the comment, they then gave the recipient of their compliment a sealed envelope containing a short survey questioning how the stranger \u003Cem\u003Eactually\u003C\u002Fem\u003E felt about the exchange.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09q4dlf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAcross numerous experiments, the researchers found that the participants significantly under-estimated \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F0146167220949003\"\u003Ehow happy the other person would be to hear the praise\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and significantly over-estimated how cringe-worthy they would find the encounter. “They felt like this interaction was going to go super awkwardly, and that they would be kind of clumsy in their delivery,” says Bohns. But the real exchange was far more pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEpley has been exploring similar ideas with Xuan Zhao, a psychologist at Stanford University – but rather than focusing on exchanges between strangers, they asked their participants to compliment someone that they already knew. Like Bohns and Boothby, Epley and Zhao found that the participants were consistently pessimistic in their predictions of the conversation. They assumed that their acquaintance would be less pleased, and feel more awkward, than they actually felt when receiving the compliment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDelving further, Epley and Zhao found that these fears seemed to arise from the participants’ perceptions of their own social “competence”; they worried they wouldn’t articulate the compliment correctly, without striking the wrong tone. “It turns out the recipient doesn’t give two farts about that,” says Epley. “They just care about how nice or kind the compliment is.” (The study is awaiting publication at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsyarxiv.com\u002Fd7cra\"\u003Ethe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.) \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s about letting the other person feel seen,” says Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECompliment calendars\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is, of course, the danger that you might overdo it. If you compliment a friend, partner or colleague excessively, they might become bored of your praise or even start to find it a bit cloying.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The etiquette is to stick to compliments that really convey someone's social value – Vanessa Bohns","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet further work by Epley and Zhao suggests that this reaction, too, is far less likely than we might believe. In this study, they again recruited pairs of participants who already knew each other. One member of each pair was asked down five separate compliments for their acquaintance. The researchers then delivered these compliments to the recipient, piecemeal over the following week, with one compliment a day.\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003EOverall, the recipients’ pleasure at hearing the praise \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F15298868.2020.1761438?journalCode=psai20\"\u003Edid not decline over the course of the week\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “They just felt great, every day,” says Epley.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you are hoping to apply this research yourself, Bohns emphasises the importance of context. Clearly it is not appropriate to compliment someone’s appearance if there is ever any risk that you might be objectifying them. “The etiquette is to stick to compliments that really convey someone's social value,” she says. That might include praise on a presentation, or the way they handled a difficult client.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you do have a kind thought that marks genuine respect for the other person, the message of the scientific research is clear: share it. Contrary to Twain’s aphorism, you do not require any rare gift to show your appreciation of someone’s best qualities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It doesn’t cost anything,” says Zhao. “It’s a really efficient way to make other people feel happy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davidrobson.me\u002Fthe-intelligence-trap\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Robson\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E is the author of \u003Cstrong\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E (out now in paperback). His next book is \u003Cstrong\u003EThe Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E, to be published in early 2022. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-27T14:15:09Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why we don't dole out many compliments – but should","headlineShort":"The selfish reason to praise others","image":["p09q4dcx"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210111-why-self-compassion-not-self-esteem-leads-to-success","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Giving compliments makes us anxious, but new research shows that praising people has huge benefits – for both parties.","summaryShort":"We rarely tell people we value them as often as we should. Why does it matter?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-26T20:47:49.146274Z","entity":"article","guid":"11b96f69-ed19-49be-b3bb-b4a53189a028","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:26:48.203495Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917962},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas","_id":"616ff68645ceed3fc04b955f","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We wrongly assume that the best ideas come to us quickly – a cognitive illusion that limits our creativity.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhether you are a scriptwriter trying to find the right plot twist for the next episode of your sitcom, an entrepreneur searching for the name of a new product or a programmer trying to fix a software bug, you’ll know the feeling. After an initially productive brainstorm, you find new ideas increasingly hard to come by. Expending any further energy feels like a wasted effort, so you decide to call it a day, and quickly choose one of your first suggestions as the best possible solution. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of us assume that creativity declines over time, and that our first ideas originate from our best and freshest thinking. Yet according to cutting-edge new research by Brian Lucas, a professor of organisational behaviour at Cornell University, this assumption could not be more wrong – and we’re falling victim to a phenomenon known as the “creative-cliff illusion”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best ideas, he says, come to those who wait. And by learning to exercise a bit of patience and perseverance, we can all find more innovative solutions to our problems. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe accessibility principle\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELucas’s theory originates from a logical consideration of the way ideas are formed. For any problem, the more obvious solutions are going to be within easy reach – perhaps resembling something that you have previously encountered, with a few tweaks for the current situation. That initial idea generation is incredibly satisfying – Lucas compares it to the hit you might get after eating a sweet.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The first thing you consider is probably what everyone else is considering, which means that they're not novel – Brian Lucas","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce you’ve exhausted those possibilities, any further solutions will come more slowly, and will require much more mental effort to draw out and develop. Lucas proposes that the frustration and hard work, give the impression that you are facing rapidly diminishing returns, and the sense that your creativity is about to drop off a cliff. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn reality, the \u003Cem\u003Enumber \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eof ideas may indeed have fallen, but the \u003Cem\u003Equality\u003C\u002Fem\u003E of each individual idea could be much higher – with the extra thinking contributing to greater originality and insight. If you work through the frustration, you may therefore find a truly innovative concept that stands out from all the other ideas. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s the basic principle of accessibility: the first thing you consider is probably what everyone else is considering, which means that they're not novel,” says Lucas. “So, you have to push past those to get to the things that are a little more unique.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFalse beliefs\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELucas put his theory to the test with a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fpnas\u002F117\u002F33\u002F19830.full.pdf\"\u003Eseries of experiments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the first of which tasked participants with creating strategies to increase donations to a local charity. To assess their beliefs in the creative-cliff illusion, the participants first had to predict how creative they would be (on a scale of -50 to +50) at various intervals, before actually beginning the assignment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Colleagues in a brainstorming session","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESure enough, Lucas found a remarkable mismatch between people’s assumptions and their actual abilities. Most participants believed their creativity would decline rapidly when they were around halfway through the allotted time. Yet, independent judges of their work found that the quality of the ideas – as defined by their novelty and usefulness – stayed stable, or actually rose throughout the task. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESubsequent experiments asking participants to consider a creative challenge from their own personal lives – with regular progress reports over a five-day period – replicated these findings. Lucas also examined whether people’s backgrounds affected how susceptible they were to the creative-cliff illusion. As you might hope, regular experience of creative problem solving did make people a bit less susceptible, he found. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe power of persistence\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his final experiment, Lucas investigated the consequences of the creative-cliff illusion. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked into whether the erroneous assumption that participants had exhausted their most creative work led people to abandon brainstorming before they reached their best ideas. (That’s because it was possible that even if people assumed their ideas were declining, they would continue persevering anyway - in which case the creative-cliff illusion would be less relevant to actual workplace behaviours.) \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo test this possibility, Lucas asked the participants to rate a series of statements on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree): \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPeople tend to generate their best ideas first\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA person’s best idea is usually among the first few ideas generated\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIdeas generated earlier are often better than ideas generated later\u003C\u002Fem\u003E \u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey then took part in a short brainstorming session – in this case, a cartoon-caption competition, with a maximum $150 (£109) prize – which they were free to finish whenever they wanted. As expected, the higher they scored the statements, the less time they spent on the task, and the worse the quality of their ideas. Indeed, each additional point on the scale corresponded to 18% fewer solutions that were deemed to be “highly creative” by the independent judges.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Your best ideas will typically take more iterations and more resources than you might initially expect,” concludes Lucas.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 3:20 rule\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Lucas’s tests of the creative-cliff illusion examined relatively short brainstorming sessions, he suspects the effects may accumulate in more ambitious projects.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People typically approach long-term projects by breaking them into sub-goals and tasks,” he says. “A product-launch team may spend the afternoon brainstorming ideas about suppliers, or a writer might spend the weekend developing a character’s backstory. Our data suggest that within each of these tasks, people could fall prey to the creative-cliff illusion.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If you're trying to put three good ideas on the table, you should probably be asking your team to generate 20 – Brian Lucas","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHis research has immediate implications for managers and leaders. At the very least, they might try to gauge their team’s general beliefs about brainstorming, and correct the misperception that creativity drops after a certain amount of time – so that team members know to persevere past the ‘cliff’.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe should also try to incorporate the findings into the structures of our working practices – such as budgeting much more time and resources for the idea generation and development process. In general, Lucas suggests a simple rule of thumb: “If you're trying to put three good ideas on the table, you should probably be asking your team to generate 20.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWilma Koutstaal, a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, agrees that recognizing the creative-cliff illusion could be useful for anyone trying to innovate. “One of the things I try to teach my students is that we need to be patient with our own thought processes and give ourselves the time to have ideas emerge,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELucas’s findings also chime with some recent observations by Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, who is director of the Creativity and Emotions lab at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She recently surveyed various ‘creatives’ – artists, designers and writers – and asked them to describe the emotions they feel during their work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Lucas’s work shows, many lay people assume that innovation comes easily and feels “fun”, she says. “But the number one thing these creatives mentioned was frustration,” she says, as they worked through their problems. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s only by learning to live with those uncomfortable feelings, as we traverse the creative cliff, that we can come up with work that is truly novel. \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\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise Your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E (Hodder & Stoughton\u002FWW Norton) – out now in paperback. He is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fd_a_robson\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E@d_a_robson\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":true,"displayDate":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How the 'creative-cliff illusion' limits our ideas","headlineShort":"How we're duped by the 'creative cliff'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a man on a cliff at sunset","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"File image of a woman staring at her laptop","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We wrongly assume that the best ideas come to us quickly – a cognitive illusion that limits our creativity.","summaryShort":"How the 'creative-cliff illusion' keeps us from generating our best ideas","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-20T20:02:38.007391Z","entity":"article","guid":"7bd1824d-93ae-46e0-9993-53f0ed3621ee","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:21:24.960907Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity","_id":"616ff6bf45ceed612303f0fa","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Amid grim times, putting on your biggest smile may seem like the best coping mechanism. However, that approach could be harmful – but luckily, there’s another way through.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOver the last year, as the pandemic has morphed from terrifying to inconvenient to long-term life-altering event, our coping mechanisms have had to adapt and evolve. Yet there have been differences in the ways we’ve approached time spent in isolation.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor some, positivity has been essential to coping with the crisis – many have relished a chance to slow down and reevaluate, felt grateful to still have a job or kept the good things in perspective (even while balancing virtual schooling, remote work and keeping the family safe). Of course, staying upbeat and expressing gratitude are hardly adverse practices, but this unrelenting optimism – known as ‘toxic positivity’ – paints negative emotions as a failure or weakness. Plus, there are few things more grating than encountering a toxic positivist when you’re grappling with grim reality. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd failing to acknowledge hardships can have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.healthline.com\u002Fhealth\u002Fmental-health\u002Ftoxic-positivity-during-the-pandemic#What-is-toxic-positivity?\"\u003Ea detrimental effect on our mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Persistent reminders to reflect on ‘how good we have it’ in the midst of strife and struggle don’t make sadness, fear or anxiety dissipate, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1467-6494.2008.00496.x?casa_token=nPKaaqztcc8AAAAA%3AmiQv74Ib81zAxhSRlkAq-QpgFVCEcjrQUQ4RVqYU167g1HELJSeLha_ZDATgnsZ1oZPmouimdqFSwg\"\u003Eresearch shows\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Instead, suppressing negative emotions can actually \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS016503271200208X?casa_token=noAoCBN0jt4AAAAA:vk9nIBG0amN84blEaje26ktHY86j3A_KPIUFMaLzV9QIcnuygfeQnmT-u3bj7tFVEnBAq18x\"\u003Emake us feel worse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy contrast, another mindset approach boasts a more realistic framing. ‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F07\u002Fopinion\u002Fcoronavirus-mental-health.html\"\u003ETragic optimism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’ posits there is hope and meaning to be found in life while also acknowledging the existence of loss, pain and suffering. First defined by Austrian psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl in 1985, proponents of tragic optimism maintain there is space to experience both the good and the bad, and that we can grow from each. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts suggest that this kind of philosophy may be exactly what we need to cope as we’re still trudging through the pandemic – and may help us once we’re on the other side, too. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding meaning amid chaos\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETragic optimism, says Emily Esfahani Smith, offers a perspective on adversity that helps people weather crises with more resilience and grow as a result of them. “It acknowledges the difficulties and the pain and the suffering of what's going on, and at the same time, the ability to maintain hope,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"To be tragically optimistic is a happy medium where instead of crushing our spirit, difficulties and challenges provide us with a learning moment","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA cornerstone of the philosophy is the ability to find meaning and purpose amid challenges and setbacks. “Suffering is a part of life, and the question is how are you going to cope with it?” explains Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning. “A lot of people are going to deny or ignore their suffering, and a lot of other people are going to be completely overwhelmed by it.” To be tragically optimistic is a happy medium where instead of crushing our spirit, difficulties and challenges provide us with a learning moment, like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theatlantic.com\u002Fhealth\u002Farchive\u002F2013\u002F03\u002Fthe-benefits-of-optimism-are-real\u002F273306\u002F\"\u003Ere-framing the stress of giving a public speech as a challenge\u003C\u002Fa\u003E rather than a threat. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe realities of the pandemic can make finding the bright side a very difficult endeavour, which is why acknowledging the loss, pain and guilt of our situations is so beneficial. At the start of lockdowns in the UK last spring, Jessica Mead, a PhD student in the psychology department at Swansea University, sought to measure changes in wellbeing among residents. Naturally, wellbeing levels plummeted as a result of the pandemic, but Mead and her colleagues found participants who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F344955232_Predictors_of_wellbeing_during_the_COVID-19_pandemic_Key_roles_for_gratitude_and_tragic_optimism_in_a_UK-based_cohort\"\u003Eshowed tragic optimism coped more effectively\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with the trauma of the pandemic. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EParticipants ranked how strongly they agreed with statements such as, “I have learned how to face and adapt to whatever life throws at me” and “I accept what cannot be changed in my life”. Those who most strongly identified with the statements were measured as exhibiting tragic optimism. People who had accepted that life comes with difficulties – and were prepared for them – coped with lockdowns more effectively than those who did not.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a woman in a car making the 'OK' sign","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMead also found that tragic optimists looked to things like their relationships with friends and family to find meaning. She points out that finding meaning in tough times is a deeper process than a short-term fix such as playing video games for a few hours to zone out. “Focusing on meaning might take a bit longer for people to develop that relationship with whatever does bring them meaning, but it will be so much more long-lasting,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom stress to growth\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur mindset may not only affect how we cope with the pandemic on a day-to-day basis, but also how we emerge from it in the months to come.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s OK to feel bad, it's OK to feel anxious. Welcome to human club – Paul Wong","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome who experience a traumatic event have difficulty coping and may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-coronavirus-the-possible-long-term-mental-health-impacts\"\u003Emajor concern for many mental-health professionals\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as we anticipate the end of the pandemic. This can be the case for many who depend on toxic positivity; encouraging people to be optimistic and grateful when they may be going through very tough times doesn't encourage growth on the other side of tragedy, says Mead. And while positivity can, in the right amounts, have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Fswlh\u002F3-scientific-studies-that-prove-the-power-of-positive-thinking-616477838555\"\u003Ebenefits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, taken to extremes it can also leave people feeling guilt, shame or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fmargiewarrell\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F05\u002Fhad-a-tough-week-sometimes-feeling-bad-is-good-for-you\u002F?sh=2bfe591a78d5\"\u003Ein denial about their real feelings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn contrast, however, others find trauma gives them a new lease on life, an altered perspective known as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.apa.org\u002Fmonitor\u002F2016\u002F11\u002Fgrowth-trauma\"\u003Epost-traumatic growth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Tragic optimism helps facilitate this: by accepting and sitting with the distressing feelings the pandemic has foisted upon us, we can use them as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblogs.scientificamerican.com\u002Fbeautiful-minds\u002Fpost-traumatic-growth-finding-meaning-and-creativity-in-adversity\u002F\"\u003Efodder for personal development\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPaul Wong, a psychologist and professor emeritus of Trent University in Ontario, says the road to this transformation may be uncomfortable, because life currently isn’t easy. “It’s OK to be lonely,” he says. “It’s OK to feel bad, it's OK to feel anxious. Welcome to human club.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut instead of letting these negative feelings overwhelm us – or ignoring them completely, as is par for the course in toxic positivity – embracing tragic optimism means making a daily effort to feel comfortable with loneliness or anxiety. In these moments, we may learn we enjoy solitude, that we highly value community or discover who we want to be on the other side of the pandemic. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, although it may feel tempting just to grin and bear it, taking the slightly more uncomfortable route of a tragic optimist may actually help us see that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel – and help us take a breath as we wait to reach it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"'Tragic optimism': The antidote to toxic positivity","headlineShort":"The antidote to toxic positivity","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of pensive man on a couch","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Amid grim times, putting on your biggest smile may seem like the best coping mechanism. However, that approach could be harmful – but luckily, there’s another way through.","summaryShort":"Why 'tragic optimism' can help you cope better than always staying sunny","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-08T20:56:21.77765Z","entity":"article","guid":"06dde5dd-4a46-412e-8925-c11904de8dad","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:19:30.4606Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures","_id":"616ff67f45ceed46a33c6407","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjessica-mudditt"],"bodyIntro":"Too much optimism can derail projects and even put your health at risk, say experts – but the right amount can propel you bravely toward success.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGina Vangeli’s life hasn’t been easy. As a child, she was bullied; as an adult, she faced abuse, along with the breakdown of two marriages and recurring health problems – including being hit by a truck in 2016. Last year, Covid-19 wiped out the 52-year-old’s livelihood as a pastry chef. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo make ends meet, the single mother of four in Melbourne, Australia, has been volunteering at a food bank in exchange for food parcels, and also selling second-hand furniture. She stayed productive during the long months of lockdown by writing a book, taking courses and rejigging her pastry business to include an online component. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I saw the pandemic as a new chapter in my life,” she says. “It wasn’t a bad chapter. And it will be over soon. Right now, I’m honestly pretty excited about the future and where my business is going. The kids are older, and I feel that my time is going to be a bit more freed up.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy her own admission, Vangeli looks on the bright side of life. She tends to overestimate the likelihood of positive events happening to her, and subsequently underestimate potentially negative ones. This is known as ‘optimism bias’, something that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cell.com\u002Fcurrent-biology\u002Ffulltext\u002FS0960-9822(11)01191-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982211011912%3Fshowall%3Dtrue\"\u003E80% of the global population\u003C\u002Fa\u003E possess to some degree. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThinking positively is an evolutionary hallmark, because it facilitates envisioning what is possible, allowing us to be courageous and innovative. Levels of optimism bias vary according to our mental state and current circumstances, and there are ways to temper or increase it. That’s good, because a surfeit of optimism can lead to underestimating risk. Understanding where you sit on the optimism spectrum can help you adjust for your bias – and maybe even make better choices.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Resistant in the face of reality’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the root of optimism bias are two assumptions: first, that we possess more positive traits than the average person; second, that we have some kind of control over the world around us. “Without [optimism bias], the human species would not have progressed,” says Shelley Laslett, CEO of Sydney-based Vitae.Coach, which uses neuroscience and technology as a business-coaching tool.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09fwsqg"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Gina Vangeli","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELaslett credits optimism bias as the trait that allows us to try new, potentially difficult things, because it provides us with a certain amount of confidence that doing so will go well. It also stops us from worrying over uncertainties, such as the future.    \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat is most surprising about this bias, says Tali Sharot, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, is that it is “resistant in the face of reality”. Despite unexpected negative events happening to us – or seeing them on the news – it is the positive events that tend to leave the biggest impression on our belief systems. We simply “learn better” from good things happening around us, which perpetuates the bias. Bad things tend to be given less credence, and some people ignore them altogether. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn overabundance of optimism, however, can lead to an inadequate assessment of potential hazards. A common example is planners underestimating budgets and timeframes. It could also mean failing to take out insurance, or not wearing a helmet while cycling – or maybe even catching Covid-19 through complacency. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People with optimism bias think, ‘I'll do the right thing by taking precautions, and therefore I'm less likely to get Covid-19 than others’,” explains Sharot, who has written multiple books on optimism. “They may also believe they are healthier than the average person, or have genes that make them more resistant.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOptimism bias occurs with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0960982211011912\"\u003Eequal prevalence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E across the global population, but culture plays a role by influencing how optimistic or pessimistic people consider themselves. In cultures in which optimism is considered a good thing, such as the US and Australia, people are more likely to self-identify as optimists, explains Sharot. “In cultures such as France, and to some degree the UK, they are more likely to say they are a realist, or even a pessimist. But the tests prove they actually have optimism bias.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I think it is optimism that causes success rather than success generating optimism, although I'm sure it's a bit in both directions – Tali Sharot","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOnly 10% of people are considered bias-free – yet one in two people with optimism bias believe themselves to be bias-free. Another 10% have pessimism bias, with lawyers often found among this group. “It's unclear if it's because more pessimistic people decide to become lawyers, or whether being trained to look for the worst-case scenario reduces optimism,” says Sharot. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAge has perhaps the most striking influence. “Optimism bias reaches rock bottom in mid-life,” says Sharot. “One reason may be stress, because we know from experiments that stress reduces optimism bias. Stress is highest during midlife, potentially because there's a lot going on with taking care of kids, elderly parents and leading busy professional lives.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDialling it up or down\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have found that optimism bias is a product of both nature and nurture. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC4637169\u002F\"\u003EStudies of twins\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for example, show that genetics play a 30% to 40% role, with nurture accounting for the rest. That’s useful, because understanding the role optimism bias plays in your life – and learning how to influence your own levels of optimism – can help you harness its benefits and avoid pitfalls.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn our careers, for example, optimism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, according to Sharot. “If you believe that positive things will happen, it boosts your motivation to try harder and that can change the actual outcome. And when we expect positive things, we're happier and that has a positive effect on our health by reducing things like anxiety.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOptimism is also linked to success in multiple domains, whether it's business, politics or sports. CEOs tend to be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fuqua.duke.edu\u002Fduke-fuqua-insights\u002Fceo-optimistic-open-risk\"\u003Emore optimistic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than the average person, as are \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Faffectivebrain.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2015\u002F05\u002Foptimism_and_entrepreneurship_-_a_double-edged_sword.pdf\"\u003Eentrepreneurs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, whose optimism increases further once they take the leap into starting their businesses. “I think it is optimism that causes success rather than success generating optimism, although I'm sure it's a bit in both directions,” says Sharot.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09fwsyt"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Opening Ceremony at Athens Olympics, August 2004","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAmerican psychologist Martin Seligman teaches people to cultivate a more optimistic viewpoint by ascribing permanent causes to positive things and temporary ones to negative things. A person may say, ‘That project went well because I am a good engineer’ or ‘That project failed because I didn’t put enough time into it’. The message is that good things happen for reasons inherent to the individual, while bad things are attributed to causes that can be remedied, such as last-minute preparations. This cultivates a positive self-view that makes us optimistic about our future prospects. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s also possible to guard against the downside of optimism bias; the failure to accurately anticipate risk. The Olympic Games are notorious for overblown budgets; research shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F254252215_Why_costs_overrun_Risk_optimism_and_uncertainty_in_budgeting_for_the_London_2012_Olympic_Games\"\u003Ethe average cost over-run\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from bid estimates for the Games since 1976 has been more than 200%. That’s because organisers tend to be overly optimistic about how much they can achieve and underestimate the associated timelines and costs. If future bidders wanted to safeguard against this bias, they could bear this research in mind and correct accordingly, increasing their estimates by 200% to avoid incurring such significant overspends. These days, institutions and companies try to anticipate this bias; the UK Government’s Treasury guidance \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fuploads\u002Fsystem\u002Fuploads\u002Fattachment_data\u002Ffile\u002F191507\u002FOptimism_bias.pdf\"\u003Eincludes a comprehensive section\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on correcting for it, for example. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the workplace, Laslett suggests keeping a diary of projections and outcomes in order to assess your own level of bias, so as to adjust for it if needed. Doing so might result, for example, in allowing three weeks to complete a project, rather than two. “During a meeting, play devil's advocate. Ask ‘What if these scenarios played out? How would we respond?’. Contingency planning can help make a plan more likely to reflect reality than just the optimism someone might feel about an initiative.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESeeing a situation from all angles is always preferable, adds Laslett, saying: “Any strength overplayed becomes a weakness: that is to say, blind optimism is never good.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut a little optimism does go a long way. Vangeli feels confident that optimism has served her well throughout her life, propelling her onwards in even the most trying circumstances. And that same optimism may well position her for success when the pandemic is under control and normal life – including her pastry business – can restart.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How 'optimism bias' shapes our decisions and futures","headlineShort":"How to know if you have 'optimism bias'","image":["p09fws03"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Optimistic woman","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210331-how-the-creative-cliff-illusion-limits-our-ideas","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210414-why-some-narcissists-actually-hate-themselves"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Too much optimism can derail projects and even put your health at risk, say experts – but the right amount can propel you bravely toward success.","summaryShort":"You're probably on the optimism spectrum – only 10% of people are bias-free","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-05-06T19:59:06.573398Z","entity":"article","guid":"8fa89bb5-f009-4fc4-bdb1-8c23799f8d69","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:22:29.845325Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917962},"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":"61771f6d45ceed0d8155a5d1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"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":["p09zrfmd"],"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":["p09zrfd3"],"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":["p09zrdy3"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210813-how-mindfulness-could-make-you-selfish","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210722-why-we-dont-dole-out-many-compliments-but-should","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210427-how-optimism-bias-shapes-our-decisions-and-futures"],"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":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"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":"2021-10-25T21:43:13.806499Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211022-why-were-so-terrified-of-the-unknown","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917961},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office","_id":"616ff67f45ceed43b7481def","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fpeter-yeung"],"bodyIntro":"We assume remote work is here to stay – but some of the loudest voices in the corporate world are rallying to get employees back in offices.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs populations get vaccinated, and many countries prepare for something of a return to normality, companies that have been forced into remote-work arrangements for the past year now face a complicated decision. Should bosses let workers stay at home, bring everyone back to the office or find a solution in between?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBusinesses are answering in different ways. Some have been quick to herald a completely new world of work, like file-hosting service Dropbox, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.dropbox.com\u002Ftopics\u002Fcompany\u002Fdropbox-goes-virtual-first?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslogin&stream=top\"\u003Ewent “virtual first”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, in 2020, pointing to the benefits of “non-linear workdays” and “employee experience”. But others, like tech giant \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fzuck\u002Fposts\u002F10111936543502931\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and insurance company \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-england-norfolk-55738780\"\u003EAviva\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E,\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E are opting for a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200824-why-the-future-of-work-might-be-hybrid\"\u003E“hybrid\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E”\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E model, offering greater flexibility and independence for workers while maintaining certain structures.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet some employers, particularly within the finance industry, suggest the long-term role of remote work has been overstated, and that the office will continue to serve as an important hub. “It’s not a new normal,” Goldman Sachs CEO \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56192048\"\u003EDavid Solomon said at a Credit Suisse Group AG conference\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in February. “It’s an aberration that we are going to correct as quickly as possible.” Jes Staley, chief executive of Barclays, voiced similar sentiments in January, describing remote working as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-01-26\u002Fstaley-erdoes-sound-alarm-that-remote-work-is-starting-to-grate\"\u003Ea short-term measure that was not sustainable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe structure of the post-pandemic work world therefore remains up in the air, despite some workers’ assumptions that office life has changed forever. It may be hard to know exactly what set-up an individual employer may choose when the time comes, but understanding why opinions are so diverse – and why some sectors are keen to have employees back in house – may help workers prepare for a future that may look different than they anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09bl4n5"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Goldman sachs CEO david solomon","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Not ideal for us’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pushback from the finance sector has noticeably emerged in the last few months.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESolomon said the investment bank, which is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56452494\"\u003Ecurrently in the spotlight for its working culture\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, had operated throughout 2020 with “less than 10% of our people” in the office. But although admitting the pandemic had helped push digitalisation, creating more efficient ways of business, the Goldman Sachs CEO raised fears over the impact on collaboration and the company’s 3,000 \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003Enew starters\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “I do think for a business like ours, which is an innovative, collaborative apprenticeship culture, this is not ideal for us,” he explained.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBarclays’s Staley said it was “remarkable” that remote working had worked as well as it had. But at a meeting at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Staley said that going forward, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fdavos-meeting-finance-erdoes-idUSL1N2K12DG\"\u003Ehe had concerns\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “It will increasingly be a challenge to maintain the culture and collaboration that these large financial institutions seek to have and should have.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMary Erdoes, head of asset and wealth management for JPMorgan Chase & Co, voiced concerns over the long-term impact of remote working at the same meeting. “It is fraying. It is hard,” she said. “It takes a lot of inner strength and sustainability without the energy that you get from being around other people.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It will increasingly be a challenge to maintain the culture and collaboration that these large financial institutions seek to have and should have – Jes Staley","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat’s clear is that employers and employees now know far more about remote working than they did at the start of the pandemic. Although all recognise there are positives, such as more flexibility for workers and potentially lower overhead for employers, concerns also abound about the impact remote work could have on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues\"\u003Etrust\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Fwfh-doesnt-have-to-dilute-your-corporate-culture\"\u003Ecompany culture\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, how \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003Eyoung people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003E’s careers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003E progress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and how employees \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffortune.com\u002F2021\u002F03\u002F21\u002Fcollaboration-remote-work-from-home-covid\u002F\"\u003Ecollaborate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E Each company is carefully assessing the best path for them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe more generalised opposition to remote working stems from “old-school” perspectives from “older, greyer, C-suite executives”, according to Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics (GWA), a research and consulting firm focused on the future of work. “They have a mentality of ‘butts in seats’,” she says. “Managers don’t trust employees to work untethered. Especially in investment, which is very metrics-orientated – it can be a worry that workers aren’t working.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Lister adds that the role of mentorship is more important in finance – compared with the more laissez-faire approach of tech – which could be a factor. “It’s very difficult to onboard new employees or cultivate young employees who need mentoring in the hallways and elevators,” she says. “We haven’t found a way to replicate that virtually.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09bl42x"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Facebook HQ","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Bloom, a management expert and economics professor at Stanford University, believes the mindset in the finance industry is based on the goal of preserving company culture as well as employees’ job motivation. This emphasis on working culture, he adds, is due to the “top-down” hierarchies more common in legacy organisations. “They don’t want gig workers,” he says. “And they don’t want employees checking in from a Greek café or Thai beach resort.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Bloom says, since the pandemic struck, other more legitimate fears about remote working have surfaced: reduced productivity, due to the current lack of space and privacy and, for parents, the presence of children; loss of informal interactions that allow creativity; and the mental burden of employees always having to be switched on digitally.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Practising what they are preaching’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeading voices in the tech industry have been backing remote work and the advantages that it brings since fairly early on in the pandemic, however. They cite evidence that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscholar.harvard.edu\u002Ffiles\u002Feharrington\u002Ffiles\u002Fharrington_jmp_working_remotely.pdf\"\u003Eworking from home can result in increased productivity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as well as providing better work-life balance, a wider workforce talent pool for hiring and greater employee inclusivity and retention.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMark Stuart, co-director of Leeds University’s Digital Futures at Work Research Centre, says part of the reason for the tech industry’s early support for remote working was that many companies were already experimenting with it. “Tech companies were doing it anyway,” he says, “while for other sectors like finance, there is more effort needed to bring about those changes” because companies are often larger and older.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"They don’t want gig workers. And they don’t want employees checking in from a Greek café or Thai beach resort – Nicholas Bloom","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EComputer manufacturer Dell’s workforce was already 25% remote pre-pandemic, and that is set to continue further. “Yes, [remote working] is absolutely here to stay,” CEO Michael Dell \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.crn.com\u002Fslide-shows\u002Fmobility\u002Fmichael-dell-yes-remote-working-is-absolutely-here-to-stay-\u002F1\"\u003Etold CRN in March\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “We’re not going to dictate the answer for other companies, but what we definitely see is this hybrid, work from anywhere situation is going to continue.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFacebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, has been keen to point out that his confidence in the shift to remote working is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2020\u002F5\u002F21\u002F21265780\u002Ffacebook-remote-work-mark-zuckerberg-interview-wfh\"\u003Ebased on technology already in development\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “We’re working on a lot of remote presence technology and products,” he told The Verge in May. “So, if you’re long on VR and AR and video chat, you have to believe in some capacity that you’re helping people be able to do whatever they want from wherever they are. I think that that suggests a worldview that would lead to allowing people to work more remotely over time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlan Felstead, a professor at Cardiff University, who led a report into homeworking commissioned by the Welsh parliament, says that besides the widely touted arguments for remote working, the tech industry has another very obvious motive: profit. “Tech companies obviously have a vested interest in this,” he says. “Unlike in other sectors, vocally supporting remote working is helping them to sell their products. Tech companies are practising what they are preaching.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Stanford’s Bloom also argues the typical employee for a tech company is much more inclined to want to work remotely – one of the reasons why he believes the industry has gone ahead with working from home. “You can imagine who they employ,” he says. “They are techy men in their 20s and 30s who are happy to do it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09bl4fr"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"workers back at desks","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpect some nuance\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s certainly widespread demand for flexibility in the workforce. According to software company Buffer’s 2021 State of Remote Work report, 97.6% of those surveyed would \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbuffer.com\u002F2021-state-of-remote-work\"\u003Elike to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their career\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut whether workers will return to public transport and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180110-what-workers-around-the-world-do-for-lunch\"\u003Eal-desko lunches\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or transition to a new world of weekly virtual work socialising nights, very much depends on the sector you work in, your job role and, more arbitrarily, what your boss wants, according to experts.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite opposition to remote work in the majority of the finance industry, some executives have expressed a midway view. “Going back to the office with 100% of the people 100% of the time, I think there is zero chance of that. As for everyone working from home all the time, there is also zero chance of that,” Daniel Pinto, COO of JPMorgan Chase & Co, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F09\u002Fjpmorgans-call-for-the-stock-market-spacs-fintech-rivals-and-ceo-succession.html\"\u003Etold CNBC in February\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, even tech chiefs are taking a more balanced approach. In March, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that Google \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.google\u002Finside-google\u002Fcompany-announcements\u002Finvesting-america-2021\u002F?_ga=2.136105465.990308983.1616077969-1362956889.1616077969\"\u003Eplans to invest more than $7bn (£5.07bn) in offices and data centres in the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E this year. “Coming together in person to collaborate and build community is core to Google's culture, and it will be an important part of our future,” he said in a blog post. The company also expects employees to work in-person for at least three days a week after the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F12\u002F14\u002Ftechnology\u002Fgoogle-delays-return-to-office-and-eyes-flexible-work-week.html\"\u003Eplanned return to offices on 1 September\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, The New York Times \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F12\u002F14\u002Ftechnology\u002Fgoogle-delays-return-to-office-and-eyes-flexible-work-week.html\"\u003Ereported\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Newspaper headlines are written on key companies and there’s a tendency to generalise,” says Stuart. “Differences have been overstated. The reality is much more nuanced and rather than sector it will depend more on the nature of work people do, the working patterns they have, their occupational profiles.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe message: don’t assume that remote work is going to stay – or go. But there are unlikely to be hard-and-fast rules.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-25T15:16:51Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The bosses who want us back in the office","headlineShort":"The bosses who want us back at work","image":["p09bl4jj"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p09bl4n5"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We assume remote work is here to stay – but some of the loudest voices in the corporate world are rallying to get employees back in offices.","summaryShort":"Some companies want employees in the office – so don't assume you'll stay home","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-24T20:01:26.037007Z","entity":"article","guid":"eb35f57d-a770-41e6-95fb-3a9ae8885d2e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:20:53.098042Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us","_id":"616ff68245ceed48710afab5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Alarming new research shows that people working more than 54 hours a week are at major risk of dying from overwork. It’s killing three-quarters of a million people each year.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELisa Choi ignored the first symptoms. After all, the 53-year-old business analyst was a very active, fit vegetarian, who cycled frequently and avoided high-fat foods. She was far from the typical victim of a heart attack.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the Seattle-based Choi was working 60-hour workweeks, including evenings and weekends. She was facing tight deadlines and managing complex digital projects. This workload was utterly normal to her. “I have a really high-stress job… I’m usually on overdrive,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt wasn’t until several months ago, when she suddenly started feeling an anvil-like pressure on her chest, that she began to take her symptoms more seriously. In the hospital, it turned out that she had a tear in her artery. This is a hallmark of a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a relatively rare heart condition that particularly affects women and people younger than 50. Told that she would need an angioplasty to open up her artery, Choi thought, “I don’t have time for this. I’m scheduled for migrations at work, and I’m doing all this stuff.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Choi, many are also finding themselves in ill health due to intense work schedules. New, sobering research – said to be the first-ever study to quantify the global burden of disease from working long hours – has shown how bleak the situation is.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a paper published 17 May, authors from institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggest that, each year, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0160412021002208\"\u003Ethree-quarters of a million people are dying from ischaemic heart disease and stroke, due to working long hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. (Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, involves narrowed arteries. Choi’s SCAD is different from conventional ischaemic heart disease, but stress and high blood pressure are major factors in both.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, more people are dying from overwork than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews-room\u002Ffact-sheets\u002Fdetail\u002Fmalaria\"\u003Efrom malaria\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. This is a global health crisis, demanding attention from individuals, companies and governments alike. And, if we don’t solve it, the problem may not only continue – it could get worse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow overwork affects health\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, published in the journal Environment International, researchers systematically reviewed data on long working hours, defined as 55 hours or more per week; health impacts; and mortality rates from most of the world’s countries, from 2000 to 2016. The authors controlled for factors like gender and socioeconomic status, in order to tease out the pure effects of overwork on health.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-57139434\"\u003Estudy establishes that overwork is the single largest risk factor for occupational disease\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, accounting for roughly one-third of the burden of disease related to work. “For me personally, as an epidemiologist, I was extremely surprised when we crunched these numbers,” says Frank Pega, a WHO technical officer and the lead author of the paper. “I was extremely surprised by the size of the burden.” He describes the findings as moderate, but clinically significant.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I was extremely surprised when we crunched these numbers. I was extremely surprised by the size of the burden – Frank Pega","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere are two major ways that overwork can reduce health and longevity. One is the biological toll of chronic stress, with an uptick in stress hormones leading to elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. Then there are the changes in behaviour. Those logging long hours may be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201123-the-psychology-behind-revenge-bedtime-procrastination\"\u003Esleeping little\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, barely exercising, eating unhealthy foods and smoking and drinking to cope.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd there are particular reasons to worry about overwork both while we’re still in the Covid-19 pandemic, and looking at life thereafter. The pandemic has intensified some work stresses while bringing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210308-why-zoom-fatigue-wont-last-forever\"\u003Enew forms of workplace exhaustion\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndia has become the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-asia-india-56961940\"\u003Eepicentre of the global pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with more than 25 million cases of Covid-19. But the pandemic is affecting health in other ways as well. Sevith Rao, a physician and founder of the Indian Heart Association, explains that South Asians are already at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F12\u002Fwell\u002Flive\u002Fwhy-do-south-asians-have-such-high-rates-of-heart-disease.html\"\u003Ehigh risk of heart disease\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Now, “with the Covid pandemic we have seen an increase in work from home, which has blurred work-life balance among many individuals, leading to disrupted sleep patterns and exercise; this has in turn increased the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoreover, the pandemic has resulted in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women\"\u003Eworst economic downturn since the Great Depression\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Previous recessions have actually been followed by increases in working hours. “It seems almost like a perverse effect,” Pega acknowledges, in light of the widespread job losses during a recession. But “the reality seems to be that the people who are still working have to work more to compensate for the job losses.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHotspots of overwork\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the data in the paper, 9% of the world’s population – a number that includes children – is working long hours. And, since 2000, the number of people who are overworking has been increasing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverwork affects different groups of workers in very different ways.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMen work longer hours than women in every age group. Overwork peaks in early middle age, although the health effects take longer to turn up. (The study authors used a 10-year lag period to track the effects of overwork on the onset of disease; after all, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20160912-is-there-such-thing-as-death-from-overwork\"\u003E“death by overwork”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E doesn’t happen overnight.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"woman at desk late","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe data also show that people in Southeast Asia seem to be working the longest hours; people in Europe, the shortest. Pega explains that there may be cultural reasons for the larger proportion of people in Asia working long hours. As well, many people work in the informal sector in low- and middle-income Asian countries. As Pega points out, “People in the informal economy might have to work long hours to survive, they might be working multiple jobs, they might not be covered by social protection laws.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the flip side, many Europeans enjoy a working culture that celebrates lengthy holidays and substantial rest periods. This more relaxed attitude is enshrined in law; for instance, the European Union’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fec.europa.eu\u002Fsocial\u002Fmain.jsp?catId=706&langId=en&intPageId=205\"\u003EWorking Time Directive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E bars employees from working more than 48 hours a week on average.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even in some European countries, especially outside of France and Scandinavia, there’s been an \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Faei.pitt.edu\u002F93656\u002F1\u002FLEQSPaper92.pdf\"\u003Eincreasing proportion of high-skilled workers working extreme hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E since 1990 (after the peak of unionisation and the related employee protections). Tellingly, the Austrian health minister \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-europe-56735927\"\u003Eresigned from his job in April\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, saying that he had developed high blood pressure and high blood sugar while overworking during the pandemic. His public announcement was unusual not just because of his high-profile position, but also because he was actually \u003Cem\u003Eable to leave\u003C\u002Fem\u003E his exhausting job.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOver in Seattle, Choi has also been fortunate, in that her colleagues have been supportive of her need to slow down at work. Since not everyone can afford to work more balanced hours, and not everyone will get a wake-up call before a fatal stroke or heart attack, there’s an urgent need to tackle this health crisis now.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECombatting overwork\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf trends continue in the same direction, overwork – and the associated health harms – will only increase. This is especially worrying, given how many societies \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Eglorify overwork to the point of burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And, as our work hours have ticked up during the pandemic, with few signs of stopping, those suffering from spending too many hours on the clock will only increase.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe burden to disrupt the cycle falls on both employers and employees in some way – and all may need to work together in order to rein in overwork and the subsequent issues that follow.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Those logging long hours may be sleeping little, barely exercising, eating unhealthy foods and smoking and drinking to cope","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn general, Pega urges workplaces to embrace flexible work, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190710-could-you-share-your-job\"\u003Ejob shares\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and other means of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Ftravail\u002Finfo\u002Fpublications\u002FWCMS_706159\u002Flang--en\u002Findex.htm\"\u003Eimproving balance in work schedules\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. They should also take occupational-health services seriously. And Rao comments, “We at the Indian Heart Association believe that increased education and screening is key to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s clearly a role for individual workers to reshape their attitudes to work as well – we can all try to push back against the pull of overwork that keeps so many of us glued to our phones late into the evening. The sooner workers do this, the better position they’ll be in; since overwork is a risk that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ahajournals.org\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1161\u002FJAHA.119.015753\"\u003Eaccumulates over years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.webmd.com\u002Fheart\u002Ffeatures\u002Fjob-stress-and-your-heart\"\u003Epreventing it from becoming chronic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E may reduce the severity of the worst health risks (although there’s not enough evidence on when the risk crosses over from short-term to chronic).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the most sweeping changes would need to occur at the governmental level. Pega says, “we already have solutions. People have put in place limits on the maximum number of hours we should be working” – for instance with the European Working Time Directive, or other right-to-disconnect laws. In countries with strong laws on limiting work, what’s key is enforcing and monitoring those laws. And in countries with weak social safety nets, anti-poverty measures and welfare programmes can lower the number of people working themselves to the bone out of sheer necessity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, the problem of overwork – and the ill health it breeds – will continue if we don’t make changes in our working lives. And change isn’t impossible. “We can do something,” insists Pega. “This is for everybody.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-05-19T12:21:45Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How overwork is literally killing us","headlineShort":"The deadly effects of working too hard","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"person working alone in skyscraper","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Alarming new research shows that people working more than 54 hours a week are at major risk of dying from overwork. It’s killing three-quarters of a million people each year.","summaryShort":"More than 750,000 people are dying each year from working long hours","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-05-18T21:57:32.11752Z","entity":"article","guid":"5c7a7496-4bef-4784-b149-95f81df3e7d7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:23:27.735278Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity","_id":"616ff68145ceed44851c9dd1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"If the pandemic has taught us anything about work, it's that we don't need to be pulling long hours in an office to be productive. So, why is presenteeism still so important?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt's almost hard to imagine a time in which people spent at least 40 hours a week in a physical office (and often even longer to impress the boss). But in the pre-pandemic workforce, this kind of ‘presenteeism’ – being physically in your seat at work just to look dedicated, no matter how unproductive – was just another fact of office life. Before the pandemic, data from one UK survey showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-47911210\"\u003E80% of workers said presenteeism existed in their workplace\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with a quarter of the respondents saying it had got worse since the prior year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut now, remote work has provided bosses and workers alike with an overdue opportunity to re-evaluate this ingrained presenteeism. We've long known presenteeism is problematic: it can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2016-04-12\u002Fpresenteeism-costing-the-economy-billions\u002F7318832\"\u003Ecost a nation's economy tens of billions of dollars\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as sick people drag themselves into the office and infect others; it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.telegraph.co.uk\u002Fbusiness\u002F2018\u002F11\u002F23\u002Fjapan-battles-slay-presenteeism-work-culture-takes-toll\u002F\"\u003Ecreates toxic environments that lead to overwork\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as people putting in long hours piles pressure on everyone else to do the same. We know it's productivity that matters, not being chained to your desk or computer – and it's a conversation we've been having \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2004\u002F10\u002Fpresenteeism-at-work-but-out-of-it\"\u003Efor years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, despite a golden chance to ditch the practise amid a new work world, the emphasis on presenteeism is alive and kicking. Now, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity\"\u003Epresenteeism has simply gone digital\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: people are working longer than ever, responding to emails and messages at all hours of the day to show how 'engaged' they are. And, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office\"\u003Eas bosses call workers back into the office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, evidence is mounting that we perhaps haven’t moved the dial on presenteeism at all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, despite what we know, why is presenteeism still so emphasised? It’s not simply that bosses are hungering to hover over workers as they toil. Rather, subconscious biases keep the practise intact – and unless we do a better job acknowledging its harm, and set up workplaces to discourage it, we’re likely to be slaves to presenteeism forever.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy managers still fall for presenteeism\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClinging to a presenteeism culture just favours those “who have the time to show up early and leave late”, says Brandy Aven, associate professor of organisational theory, strategy and entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, US. Aven also points out that this can unfairly favour some workers over others – parents may have no choice but to leave early, for example.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet as bad as presenteeism is, there are some indications that people who don't put in face time may actually get penalised. For example, although almost unfathomable now, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nbcnews.com\u002Fnews\u002Fus-news\u002Fcoronavirus-has-lifted-work-home-stigma-how-will-shape-future-n1205376\"\u003Etelecommuting has generally been stigmatised\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as irresponsible, and has subsequently held some workers back. A 2019 study, for example, found that telecommuting workers who worked at companies in which remote work was unusual \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F336681767_Is_there_a_price_telecommuters_pay_Examining_the_relationship_between_telecommuting_and_objective_career_success\"\u003Eexperienced slower salary growth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09kgqlr"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese factors can alarm workers, many of whom have come to fear that a lack of physical office presence will stunt success. And the normalisation of remote work amid the pandemic hasn’t necessarily changed this; in 2020, researchers from human-resources software company ADP found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fuk.adp.com\u002Fabout-adp\u002Fpress-centre\u002F2020-11-03-workers-feel-the-pressure-of-presenteeism-post-covid-19.aspx\"\u003E54% of British workers felt obliged to physically come into the office at some point during the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, especially those in their early-and mid-careers, despite the rise in flexible working.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeigh Thompson, professor of management and organisations at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Business, US, says there are two key psychological phenomena that fuel presenteeism.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe first is the ‘mere-exposure effect’, which holds that the more a person is exposed to someone or something, the more they start to grow affinity. “If I've seen one person 10 times for every one time I’ve seen somebody else, I'm just naturally going to like them more,” explains Thompson. If a particular worker makes themselves more visible, they may naturally ingratiate themselves to others just by being there – even if the others don't realise it, or can’t pinpoint what is it they like about the ‘presentee’. “[You might say],'I don't know, I like their smile, I like their attitude – they're leadership material’,” says Thompson. And, before you know it, the presentee might get a raise or promotion.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis bias exists alongside another psychological concept called the ‘halo effect’: associating positive impressions of someone with their actual character. “You start to think of the person who's bringing you coffee or asking about your weekend as maybe ‘a sweet guy’ – but then I take the mental step of thinking you're a productive worker, too,” says Thompson. “You're nice, and then I immediately bloom that out to, ‘the guy must be a hard worker as well’ – even though you've given me no evidence in this coffee-cup situation to make me think that you're a hard worker.” This can lead to promotions or other benefits going to in-person workers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShowing up for the sake of it\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIronically, despite the potential rewards of showing your face at the office, workers aren’t actually necessarily more productive when they’re putting in that face time or working overtime. Still, workers feel the need to perform – both in person and now digitally – since managers don’t necessarily \u003Cem\u003Eknow \u003C\u002Fem\u003Etheir workers aren’t actually accomplishing anything extra.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, during the pandemic, the number of hours worked around the world have gone \u003Cem\u003Eup\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, not down. In 2020, over the course of the year, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fgraphic-detail\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F24\u002Fpeople-are-working-longer-hours-during-the-pandemic\"\u003Eaverage daily working hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E increased by more than a half hour on average. The idea is, \u003Cem\u003Eif everyone else is online, I need to be, too\u003C\u002Fem\u003E. Many bosses only see the most visible people, so they assume those are the most productive employees.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"As bad as presenteeism is, there are some indications that people who don't put in face time may actually get penalised","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a relatively new problem. Back when the economy was more manufacturing-centric, it was easier to measure tangible outcomes: this gets built, this doesn’t. But “as we've shifted to a knowledge economy, it's much squishier to measure what output actually looks like”, says Scott Sonenshein, professor of organisational behaviour at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business in Houston, Texas. So, in lieu of something measurable, managers tend to think workers are producing as long as they’re at their desks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers know managers value this visibly – and so they fall into the presenteeism trap, especially as they see their peers doing the same. This is especially true in times of economic instability – such as we’re experiencing right now, due to Covid-19 – when workers fear the stability of their jobs. They work because they \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fig.ft.com\u002Fspecial-reports\u002Fhealth-work\u002F2019\u002F\"\u003Ewant to prove they can tough out stress and excel, as well as be reliable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this ultimately backfires, since the quality of workers’ output suffers as a result of this rush to perform. In the UK, for instance, 35 workdays are lost per worker per year in the UK due to presenteeism, and research also shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2019\u002F03\u002F20\u002Fstanford-study-longer-hours-doesnt-make-you-more-productive-heres-how-to-get-more-done-by-doing-less.html\"\u003Eproductivity plummets after working more than 50 hours a week\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to stamp out presenteeism\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, in an era in which work practices have undergone seismic transformations, and have triggered unprecedented scrutiny, there’s an urgent need to reduce the emphasis on presenteeism, both physically and digitally. Even though more workers don't have a place to physically be present, many still feel like they need to be virtually present at all times.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Elike burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which also fundamentally threatens the way we work, fixing huge, existential issues including presenteeism requires a big, top-down overhaul of what’s valued in the workplace and why.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09kgqg9"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESonenshein says a great place to start is for workers, especially leaders, to model healthier behaviour. Once people are finished for the day, leave. Log off. Workers who hang around just to be performative can pressure other workers to do the same, which creates a vicious, toxic cycle.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s easier said than done, of course. This is why the impetus is also on managers to be more aware of why presenteeism happens – by learning about their own biases, and about phenomena like the mere-exposure and halo effects. Experts also advocate for better, clearer metrics teams can use to measure productivity beyond “who leaves the office last” or “who's responding to emails at daybreak”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThompson says a great place to start is simply by looking at raw performance: “I think bosses and supervisors need to ask themselves a priori; ‘Here's what my team’s going to be working on next month, or next quarter. What are my baseline expectations, and who is going above and beyond them’?\" \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sad truth is, though, that the hallmarks of presenteeism still exist in this new world of work. ”That's not sustainable. People are going to eventually burn out – this has been a big struggle for people for the last 15 months,” says Sonenshein. “It’s this arms race for who seems to work the most.” That the behaviour has transferred from physical desks to online shows how deeply it's ingrained in our work lives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“You would hope that during a pandemic, there would be a switch.” But, without a good hard look at our ingrained biases, transformation may be tough. “Unfortunately,” says Sonenshein, “I'm not sure things are really going to change.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-07T15:50:17Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why presenteeism wins out over productivity","headlineShort":"Why bosses still want us in the office","image":["p09kgqcg"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210518-how-overwork-is-literally-killing-us","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"If the pandemic has taught us anything about work, it's that we don't need to be pulling long hours in an office to be productive. So, why is presenteeism still so important?","summaryShort":"Bosses still cling to outdated notions of presenteeism – why?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-06T20:09:41.711785Z","entity":"article","guid":"35da7269-4b4d-48c0-a85e-9e0a97ab162d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-14T08:25:46.235266Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity","_id":"616ff74045ceed5cc35d3fec","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Allowing workers to 'fail up' can yield talented leaders. But only some people are allowed to fail without penalty, while others never get the chance.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s the lacklustre associate who makes partner despite a poor record, even though you’ve been working around the clock at the same firm without even a glance from the bosses. It’s getting passed up for that big account after being at an agency for five years, only to see your unremarkable-but-charismatic colleague score the project after two. Or maybe it’s that ineffective manager who, despite poor people skills, continues to get more staff and responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost of us know the frustrating feeling of watching someone ‘fail upward’: landing successively sweeter gigs even after professional mediocrity or missteps. It turns out, allowing employees to fail up isn’t necessarily bad and can sometimes yield talented, resilient leaders. What is troubling, experts say, is the significant gap between who’s allowed to fail without penalty on the way up – and who never gets that chance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy people fail up\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMultiple factors set the stage for ordinary hires to fail upward. One of the reasons the phenomenon persists, says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a business psychology professor at Columbia University in New York City, is because hiring managers, decision-makers, even voters can be easily “seduced” by characteristics incompatible with good leadership, such as overconfidence.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch published in Leadership Quarterly in 2019 showed that across multiple studies, hiring managers consistently saw \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F335800148_Playing_the_trump_card_Why_we_select_overconfident_leaders_and_why_it_matters\"\u003Eleadership potential in those who demonstrated inflated confidence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in their skills. At the same time, this type of extreme hubris, which Chamorro-Premuzic says men exhibit more than women, often runs counter to actual competence. In social psychology circles, it’s known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“The frustrating thing is that we have known for four or five decades what attributes we should be selecting for… and yet we don't do it,” says Chamorro-Premuzic, who also serves as the chief talent scientist at the workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup. “We started focusing so much on style, extraversion, assertiveness, lean in, be confident, brand yourself, make eye contact, body language, that we forgot to focus on substance.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd even if arrogance doesn’t win over a hiring manager, similarities in race, gender, self-presentation and personal experiences can increase a worker’s chances of success. Research published in the American Sociological Review \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.asanet.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002Fsavvy\u002Fjournals\u002FASR\u002FDec12ASRFeature.pdf\"\u003Esays “cultural matching” can have a significant effect on applicants’ evaluations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and “often outweighed concerns about absolute productivity”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce an individual is promoted, they become more visible to management, recruiters and other leaders; experience on a resumé begins to hold more value than actual performance outcome. And perhaps most importantly, once an employee is promoted, bosses become invested in that person’s success because it becomes a reflection of their own judgement. Failures are downplayed and losses are spun into wins. “It’s very easy to remain strategically ignorant about our mistakes,” says Chamorro-Premuzic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs people continue to move up, he says we’re conditioned to believe that their positions are the result of merit – and rarely ask questions about how they got there.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe privilege of failing up\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we do ask those questions, however, the role of privilege becomes more evident.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=gDrAodhwbxc&t=0s\"\u003Epanel held during the 2019 Austin Film Festival\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the co-creators and co-writers behind the Emmy Award-winning drama series Game of Thrones explained that while they were both writers, neither had any television experience when the show began. David Benioff and DB Weiss said they were allowed to take several risks even though it was their first time running a production. And their unaired original pilot required re-casting, re-writes and re-shoots before it was finally accepted: “It took more than one try, which we were fortunate to get a second chance,” said Weiss. Benioff added: “A lot of the mistakes were basic, elemental writing mistakes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In a lot of organisations, the people who are allowed to fail and fail up… are overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly white – Ruchika Tulshyan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe comments at the festival \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FReaganGomez\u002Fstatus\u002F1188460097820749829?s=20\"\u003Esparked a larger conversation on social media\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about who, exactly, is allowed to fail in workplaces and still get support, another chance and, as in this case, find their way to success.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In a lot of organisations, the people who are allowed to fail and fail up, the people who are allowed to learn from those mistakes and still be given an opportunity to get back up again, are overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly white,” says Ruchika Tulshyan, founder of the Seattle-based inclusion strategy firm Candour.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA 2020 research paper from Utah State University reveals \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fepdf\u002F10.1111\u002Fgwao.12463\"\u003Ewomen and BIPOC employees in elite leadership roles who make even minor missteps at work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – from dress code to displays of emotion – can be judged much more harshly than white men. “For many of us, we only have one shot to try,” says Tulshyan. “Therefore, we will instinctively try and safeguard ourselves … If you don’t feel like you can take risks in your career, it is that much harder to grow.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe report, which explores issues of racism and bias not often covered through traditional research methods, also concludes that gendered or racialised leaders were often seen as “outsiders” and even viewed as menacing to a workplace’s status quo.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Outsiders’ presence is experienced as a disruption, even a threat, and they are often confronted with a burden of doubt regarding their competence, suspicion regarding their trustworthiness, infantilization of their roles and] hyper-surveillance of their work performance,” wrote co-author and sociologist Christy Glass.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith that added scrutiny, mentorship and “sponsorship” – where supervisors not only guide workers but also advocate for their promotions and pay increases – become particularly important on the way to the top. But even that contingency is fraught. Research shows sponsors will most often \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.payscale.com\u002Fdata\u002Fmentorship-sponsorship-benefits\"\u003Echoose protégés of the same gender and the same race\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “So, if the majority of your executives are white, and the majority of executives are white male, guess who gets that second chance to prove themselves after they have failed? And that's how we create this pipeline where women, and especially women of colour, are really overlooked in these conversations and in these sorts of opportunities,” says Tulshyan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, if there are more women and people of colour in leadership, that pipeline should start to change, right? Not exactly, because also studies show that when women and minorities advocate for other women and minorities, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2016\u002F03\u002Fwomen-and-minorities-are-penalized-for-promoting-diversity\"\u003Ethose advocates are penalised with worse performance reviews\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When women and minorities advocate for other women and minorities, those advocates are penalised with worse performance reviews","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“We are labelled aggressive and confrontational and too assertive and difficult to work with and not being a team player, even though we might exhibit the same characteristics [as men],” says Jodi-Ann Burey, a writer and podcast host who recently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Fstop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome\"\u003Eco-wrote an article with Tulshyan about racial and gender bias in the workplace.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow do we effect change?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth Tulshyan and Burey say failing at work, when it’s the result of a professional misstep and not a moral one – such as sexual harassment, racism or generally making your employees miserable – is necessary and can be critical to good leadership in the future. People can often learn the greatest lessons from having to pick themselves up again after a poor performance, difficult challenge or blunder on the job.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThey also say being rewarded after those kinds of failures isn’t awful either. In the case of the Game of Thrones showrunners, they were allowed to experiment, take chances and learn along the way with support from higher-ups invested in their success. Eventually, their work produced a monumental hit series. The problem is that everyone isn’t afforded the same room to make mistakes in a safe environment and without swift cost. “You tell me one black woman who would have had that huge of a budget to pull something like that off and without any experience,” says Burey.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChanging the workplace so that all employees can be recognised for their successes and supported through their failures is crucial to building a more meritocratic environment. This begins, says Burey, with acknowledging issues of racism that breed an environment in which women of colour are disproportionately labelled as not up to the task while when white men are allowed to fail as part of their development process. “That awareness could look like conversations, that awareness could look like metrics and tracking who has been moving up and who hasn’t been. And that awareness could immediately look like action, maybe changing the language or culture around failure.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETulshyan suggests companies can go one step further by using failure as a learning opportunity in meetings or boardrooms for every employee. Normalising failure can encourage people to take more risks and think outside the box, which can level the playing field and allow talent to rise based on innovation and ideas rather than who’s most visible. “You do need to have an environment where people can take risks and where they can fail without fear of retaliation.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChamorro-Premuzic, who has studied the intersection of personality and leadership for decades, says people involved in hiring processes also need to start focusing on more meaningful characteristics for management positions, such as empathy, humility and integrity – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.kcl.ac.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fmen-outnumber-women-in-leadership-because-we-mistake-confidence-for-competence\"\u003Emeasures by which women tend to score higher\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – rather than giving a free pass to those with extreme confidence or who appear to fit in better.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"'Failing up': Why some climb the ladder despite mediocrity","headlineShort":"Why underperforming workers 'fail up'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Allowing workers to 'fail up' can yield talented leaders. But only some people are allowed to fail without penalty, while others never get the chance.","summaryShort":"The reason some people climb the career ladder despite mediocrity or mistakes","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-03T22:01:12.027431Z","entity":"article","guid":"c52d1262-f887-482c-a38b-23ae7247f9b8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:19:19.47371Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917964},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers","_id":"616ff6c545ceed66b96a98f7","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"We think of ageism as an issue affecting older workers. But experts say it's hitting young workers harder than ever.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELeia was fresh out of college when began working as a member of a business-development team at a mid-size tech company. Though her skills had earned her the job, she was the youngest person in the team. “Everybody else was pretty much twice my age,” she says. Leia went into the job with gusto, identifying inefficiencies and suggesting how to streamline things. Some of those working above her didn’t like that. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I exhibited ‘too much ambition’ in the eyes of my superiors,” she says. “I heard about comments being made behind my back. There were a couple times when my superiors referred to my age right in front of me, saying I was too young: ‘What does a 23-year-old know about these things?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeia, whose surname is being withheld for privacy concerns, tried to change things by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210503-how-looking-young-can-shape-your-career\"\u003Ealtering her appearance at work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “It was like, what can I do to mitigate them not taking me seriously? I changed the way I dressed. I tried to dress older, more ‘ladylike’. I changed my mannerisms and tried to act older,” she says. “It worked, to an extent.” The comments about her age and perceived inexperience lessened, but Leia says she still felt like her growth potential was limited. She left the company soon after.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat Leia experienced was ageism, traditionally seen as something only older people face. For instance, older workers might be judged based on assumptions that they won’t fit into a progressive office dynamic or learn technology as quickly. That phenomenon certainly exists; a US study showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aarp.org\u002Fwork\u002Fworking-at-50-plus\u002Finfo-2018\u002Fage-discrimination-common-at-work.html\"\u003Enearly two-thirds of workers aged 45 and older had seen or experienced age discrimination\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But younger workers face age discrimination, too. In fact, new research shows it may actually be the youngest team members who are bearing the brunt of workplace ageism right now, potentially impacting on their careers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReverse ageism is real – and worse than ever\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s no question age discrimination is a problem affecting older workers, says Michael North, an assistant professor of management and organisations at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “But doesn’t it cut both ways? The answer is a resounding yes,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to data from a study to be published in August in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, co-authored with Stéphane P Francioli, North says it could be argued that ageism is “a slightly \u003Cem\u003Eworse\u003C\u002Fem\u003E problem targeting the young”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Older workers have always had negative-leaning opinions about the young","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETraditional workplace hierarchy prizes seniority, with older staff on top and younger workers who start out on the bottom rung expected to climb the ladder over time. More recently, as technology has changed the way companies operate, older workers have been stereotyped (erroneously, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fadigaskell\u002F2020\u002F12\u002F10\u002Folder-workers-are-just-as-keen-on-learning-as-younger-workers\u002F?sh=37e699034658\"\u003Erecent research indicates\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) as less adaptable, slower learners – a major driver of the more commonly-recognised kind of ageism.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOlder workers, meanwhile, have always had negative-leaning opinions about the young. North says it’s a “generational cycle” that goes back thousands of years; the ‘kids these days’ attitude has existed as long as there have been kids to criticise. In workplaces, this has traditionally translated into lower initial expectations of younger workers, who are expected to maintain a hard-working but humble profile as they learn the ropes from more experienced colleagues.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the ageism today’s millennial and \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210729-why-younger-workers-want-hybrid-work-most\"\u003EGen Z workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are facing, North believes, is more acute – and derives from pervasive perceptions that they are entitled, lazy radicals. “In this case,” he says, “it’s not just a life-stage critique. This is something more extreme.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their study, Francioli and North asked respondents of all ages to rate their general feelings towards today’s younger adults and older people – and young adults came off poorly. “People seem to like even older adults, who people think are the primary targets of ageism, more than they like younger adults,” says North. Participants were also asked to compare today’s young people to previous cohorts. “Even when they reflect on young adults from the ‘40s, ‘60s, ‘80s, etcetera, people still harbour the coldest feelings toward today’s younger adults.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen North and Francioli asked people what words sprang to mind about younger adults, some of the responses were more positive – words like “ambition”, “intelligence” and “tech-savvy”. But when it came to more negative terminology, says North, the number-one response was “entitled”, with “coddled”, “disrespectful” and “radical” also used repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOrganisational expert Lauren Stiller Rikleen says that when she published her first book, on hiring and promotion, she was asked to speak at a wide variety of companies. “I noticed that everywhere I was speaking, in the question-and-answer portion it was always hostile questions about younger people entering the workplace,” she says, with words like “disloyalty” and “entitlement” used repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERikleen believes that the working habits of millennials and Gen Z, and their inclination to prioritise a work-life balance, may cause older people in management to chafe. “People judge others by their own standard. So, that senior person may have succeeded through the traditional measures of success: long hours, missing family events, constantly being in the workplace. When they see behaviours that aren’t similar – leaving work to go work out or for family dinner, taking health and wellness measures – the result can be a stereotype of, ‘Well, that person isn’t acting like I did’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelf-perpetuating cycle?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen pre-conceived notions influencing broad dislike of millennial and Gen Z workers combine with traditional seniority structures, the result can be a workplace environment that holds young people back more than ever, negatively impacting on career trajectory, stunting progress and getting in the way of opportunities for mentorship and promotion.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If people on senior levels are writing them off because of assumptions, the younger people won’t get the opportunities they need to succeed,” says Rikleen. “And that becomes a self-perpetuating cycle because they look around and think, ‘Nobody’s taking an interest in my career, I’m going to look elsewhere’. Then the senior person is like, ‘See? I knew it.’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The working habits of millennials and Gen Z, and their inclination to prioritise a work-life balance, may cause older people in management to chafe","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERikleen believes that bringing attention to the problem of youth-related ageism will help organisations recognise it. “We have to start having more open conversations about this, as opposed to quiet rumbling,” she says. “We also have to recognise ageism in any direction as a bias. I’ve said this to people in older generations a lot: you’d never use the language you’re using if you were talking about race or gender. But because you’re talking about young people, there’s a sense that you can just say it and it’s OK. We have to acknowledge the ageist way in which people talk as a real bias, and one that needs to be treated that way in the workplace.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat means companies need to incorporate it into training and policy on other biases, educating staff and leadership on the issue and arming employees with resources to address it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that, in many industries, if workers can stick it out long enough, they may hit a kind of mid-career ‘sweet spot’ where their abilities and credentials aren’t being questioned. Though for some, cautions Rikleen, that moment might be coming later than it used to.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think even in workplaces where younger workers are criticised there’s often a traditional mentality of, ‘Oh, they’ll settle down when they have their first kid, or get a mortgage,’” she says. “For a lot of today’s young people, that’s happening later and later.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeia, who left the corporate world to found a marketing start-up, says eliminating ageism entirely will ultimately require a fundamental change to corporate culture, which has long tied seniority to skill.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We prize years of experience a little too much, and I don’t think years of experience and skill are necessarily correlated,” she says. “Steve Jobs was 21 when he founded Apple. We don’t know how much younger people actually have to contribute. Hopefully, more employers are realising it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-05T12:25:06Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The 'acute' ageism problem hurting young workers","headlineShort":"Why reverse ageism is worse than ever","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We think of ageism as an issue affecting older workers. But experts say it's hitting young workers harder than ever.","summaryShort":"Why the youngest workers are bearing the brunt of age discrimination","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-04T20:48:39.456408Z","entity":"article","guid":"ace7813a-75c3-4f9d-9184-198381428749","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:27:11.992569Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917964},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead","_id":"616ff6d345ceed6bb8346735","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"We're constantly taught the recipe for getting ahead is to put our heads down and outwork everyone else. But that's not quite right.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article contains strong language some readers may find offensive\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELate this summer, UK author Kate Lister had a realisation that resonated. On Twitter, she wrote: “How old were you when you realised your original plan of being really nice, working really hard, & taking on much more than you should in the hope you would be automatically rewarded for this without asking, was totally shit?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECynical or not, the sentiment resonated: more than 400,000 people have liked or retweeted it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite adages and advice that tell people from a young age hard work will get you everywhere, it really won’t, says Jeff Shannon, an executive coach, and author of Hard Work is Not Enough: The Surprising Truth about Being Believable at Work. He believes “hard work is a good start”, and early in your career, it can certainly help you establish yourself in a job. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it’s not enough to take you all the way to the top. “At a certain point you look around and realise, wow, everyone works hard at this level. Expertise and hard work just become the expectation, and will not help you up the ladder.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, yes, it’s unfair the system doesn’t simply value hard work flat out – but it’s an important reality for workers to grapple with, especially if they’re struggling to climb the ladder. To really get ahead, you need to be doing more than just your job. Realisations like Lister’s often come on the heels of watching colleagues with similar (or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity\"\u003Efewer\u003C\u002Fa\u003E) abilities soar, while your career stagnates. More often than not, those who rise are the ones willing to politick their way to the top, while you were too busy just working hard to notice you should be working the room.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHard work, says Shannon, doesn’t much matter if no one recognises you’re doing it. To translate that effort into promotions and advancement, especially in a changed world of work, you have to make people notice it – and you.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09whb2x"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ‘tiara effect’ trap\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHard work is still very important, says Carol Frohlinger, president of US-based consulting firm Negotiating Women, Inc. But simply waiting for someone to pick up on it is detrimental. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrohlinger calls this tendency the “tiara effect” (a term Sheryl Sandberg also cited in Lean In). “People work really hard and deliver fabulous results and hope that the right people notice and come along and place a tiara on their heads. But that usually doesn’t happen,” she says. “One of the things that can happen to people who do good work and nothing else is that they’re under the radar. So, when there’s an opportunity for promotion, nobody thinks of them. They’re just forgotten, in a benign sort of way.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis flies in the face of societal training that begins as early as primary school, when students are taught that the quiet, hard workers are those most likely to prosper. Because teachers reward such qualities in early years, we tend to expect our eventual bosses will, too. It’s frustrating, then, to enter the working world only to discover this engrained lesson is often incorrect.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, as Shannon notes, hard work alone typically goes unnoticed after a certain point, because everyone around you is working at or about the same level. If you don’t draw attention to yourself in other ways, it’s easy to fade into the background.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile both men and women are susceptible to supervisors overlooking their hard work, Frohlinger says women are often more negatively impacted, because it’s generally seen as more acceptable for men to talk about their accomplishments. “For women, it can be seen as bragging, and bragging women can be punished,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"To climb the ladder, it’s necessary to be not just a great worker, but a bit of a politician","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, how do you get around the stereotype? The answer – for men as well as women – is to find a way to draw attention to your endeavours without waiting for something as infrequent as a yearly review or performance self-assessment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“What happens in a lot of companies and organisations is that you wait until the very end of the year, when you do the ‘I love me’ [self-assessment] memo,” says Frohlinger. “But you just can’t wait a year.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe suggests giving the boss more frequent, albeit succinct, updates, and being sure to put accomplishments in context. “It could be just a quick email with some bullet points: here are my wins, and here’s what they did for us,” she says. “Here’s why it was helpful for our team, or how it saved the company money.” Frequency and word choice matter, adds Frohlinger. “Nobody wants to hear it every day. Using phrases like ‘my team and I’ helps you make yourself look good while also sharing the kudos.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFraming is important, too. A boss may find it odd to get an unsolicited update singing your own praises, but it’ll go over better cast as a check-in or a way to “keep them in the loop”, says Frohlinger.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe value of politics\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet in most offices and industries, proven ability alone isn’t enough to help you get ahead, because you also need to be likeable and memorable. “If you want to have impact and influence, people need to trust and believe in you,” says Shannon, the same way they do a candidate they support.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09whb4j"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBasically, to climb the ladder, it’s necessary to be not just a great worker, but a bit of a politician.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E “You need to be seen as a leader,” says Frohlinger. “You need to be liked: by people at your level, by people above you and by people below you. When you evaluate work, the research is quite clear – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fideas.repec.org\u002Fa\u002Fspr\u002Fjbecon\u002Fv91y2021i1d10.1007_s11573-020-00976-0.html\"\u003Epeople who are liked get better ratings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, even if their work is the same.” And therein lies the unfair truth: you and a colleague may have the exact same skills and work ethic, but if they’ve spent more time making friends and influencing people, they’ll look better at their job. Bosses are human, too, and it’s simply a basic instinct for them to favour people they like. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, it is very possible to increase your political capital at work. There are basic tactics that can make you a well-liked member of the office, simply by paying attention to your colleagues. “You need to think about how to connect with people other than just on the work,” says Frohlinger. “Do we have a shared hobby or interest? Let’s say I know you like gardening, and I see this gardening article and I send it to you. That’s pretty simple, but you’re going to like me more.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile it may seem a bit manipulative, that kind of glad-handing doesn’t actually hurt anyone, and it’s what may be necessary to get ahead. It may require a reorganisation of priorities for those who’d rather focus on their to-do list over socialising. But going against that instinct can be beneficial. It’s all part of career maintenance, which Frohlinger says is every worker’s responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you don’t take care of your career,” she says, “nobody else is going to do it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-27T13:19:30Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why hard work alone isn't enough to get ahead","headlineShort":"Why hard workers often go unnoticed","image":["p09whb4z"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210916-why-inexperienced-workers-cant-get-entry-level-jobs","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210730-the-acute-ageism-problem-hurting-young-workers"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We're constantly taught the recipe for getting ahead is to put our heads down and outwork everyone else. But that's not quite right.","summaryShort":"Why you need more than grit and a good work ethic to excel","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-26T20:10:25.428852Z","entity":"article","guid":"568a4da3-06b0-47b3-b4c7-30081f3ef3cf","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-27T13:20:43.840579Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917964},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend","_id":"6175b70a45ceed483e245084","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjoanna-york"],"bodyIntro":"Employees often assume human resources is there to help. But given HR really works for the company, is it ever really on our side?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs employees, we often believe that HR exists to fix our problems, such as getting paid on time or managing workplace misconduct; we often expect them to advocate for us when we’re in tricky situations. In many cases, staff have no one else to turn to when things go wrong at work. A trip to HR can feel like a safer option than bringing up an issue with a boss directly, and more proactive that complaining to trusted colleagues. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, HR has an image problem: one study showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.teamblind.com\u002Fblog\u002Findex.php\u002F2018\u002F08\u002F13\u002Fsurvey-70-percent-of-tech-employees-say-hr-is-not-their-friend\u002F\"\u003E70% of employees don’t trust their personnel department\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find countless examples of employees who feel deeply wronged by HR. Some vent online, publicising the failings of the department on social media and in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.susanjfowler.com\u002Fblog\u002F2017\u002F2\u002F19\u002Freflecting-on-one-very-strange-year-at-uber\"\u003Eblog posts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Others simply give up on HR and sue their employer; in 2020 the number of rulings on workplace litigation in the US \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.workplaceclassactionreport.com\u002F\"\u003Ehit a record high\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf we think HR departments are failing employees, it may feel unwise to trust them with our most difficult workplace issues. In fact, problems can arise when there’s often a disconnect between what we expect from HR and what HR is actually tasked with delivering. While employees may feel HR processes should right workplace wrongs, company leadership may think that the HR department is there to protect the organisation. In this context, is it a misconception for employees assume that HR is there to help them? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELosing battle?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA typical visit to an HR department might begin like this: a problem has emerged in the workplace, been left to fester and when it reaches a point where someone can’t stand it anymore, they turn to HR. Companies often tell new joiners that HR is there for them and, as a result, employees believe that if they turn to them their problem will be heard and resolved.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There is no role within HR departments as it currently defined, that is 100% for the employee – Dr Gena Cox","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a misconception, says Tampa, Florida-based organisational psychologist Dr Gena Cox. “Employees think that the function of HR is to support employees. That contrasts significantly from what a leader of an organisation would say, and it also contrasts significantly from the reality of how HR spends its time. There is no role within HR departments as it currently defined, that is 100% for the employee.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most obvious functions of an HR department are hiring, firing and getting people paid. Beyond this, organisations have a choice about what the department can focus on. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn successful departments, says David D’Souza, of HR advisory body the Charted Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), London, “the people profession is there to help the organisation achieve its ambitions, through helping people excel within the organisation”. Fundamentally, this means supporting employee growth, making people feel positive and effective in their work and building a sense of commitment to the organisation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet Steve Browne, chief people officer for a Cincinnati, Ohio-based restaurant chain with more than 1,000 staff, sees some HR departments focusing too heavily on legal aspects of the role – in other words, defending the company from getting sued. “Many HR professionals are very literal,” says Browne. “They learn the rules, the laws, the regulations and that's how they run HR.” In these kinds of firms, directing unhappy employees to the HR department is less a means of resolving problems fairly and more a way of mitigating potential threats.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09znpkt"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two colleagues talking","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis means that when disputes arise, HR departments often walk a line between delivering the outcome the employee wants and the outcome the organisation wants. In departments where HR is focused on retaining staff, people who raise workplace issues may get a proactive and supportive response. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, if the balance of power is skewed towards management in the company, employees may stand little chance of getting the outcome they are seeking. Employees will lay bare details of experiences to an HR professional, “only to be shocked to discover that at the end of it, they are in a losing battle”, says Cox. Raising an issue could even rebound. “The minute you walk into HR, you have to decide, is it is this a big enough issue that I'm willing to risk the possibility of retribution.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA key relationship\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne key factor in defining how an HR department is run and what it can offer to employees is the relationship between HR and the leadership of an organisation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The people profession has got a key role to play in helping ensure the organisation's got a healthy culture, but it's almost impossible to do that in isolation, especially if you have a senior team that wants to operate in a diametrically opposed way,” says D’Souza. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe attitudes of senior management in particular define the issues HR has the power to act on. Cox says in good organisations, HR leaders report directly to the CEO, rather than a head of operations, for example. In the best organisations, the work of the department is given parity with other traditionally influential departments such as sales or engineering. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, in many companies this does not happen – a 2021 Sage report revealed that 59% of company leaders said \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sage.com\u002Fen-gb\u002Fsage-business-cloud\u002Fpeople\u002Fresources\u002Fresearch-analyst-reports\u002Fhr-in-the-moment-impact-through-insights\u002F\"\u003EHR did not play a leading role in the organisation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and 54% of HR leaders agreed they were not taking a lead on defining company culture. That can mean, says Cox, that when it comes to deeply ingrained social issues like diversity and inclusion, “HR in some organisations does not have the power it would need in order to even raise these”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09znpn4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"HR interview","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOther factors may also prevent HR from performing the role we expect of it. Line managers, for example, have a crucial role to play in managing people and addressing issues before they become serious enough to involve the HR team. But in reality, many fall short; research shows half of employees feel \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.quantumworkplace.com\u002Ffierce-conversations-effective-workplace-communication-miscommunication\"\u003Ethey can’t say what they want\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to their managers. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet defaulting all issues to HR is a mistake, D’Souza says, as it devalues what the department is there for. “The people profession is a strategic function. It's about the culture of an organisation, it's about how people are recruited into it, and how people progress within it, and how they're enabled to perform. And all too often it gets drawn into small transactional areas.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood faith and positive trends\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, what does this mean for employees with a difficult workplace issue? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECox suggests workers who foster good relationships with their managers build influence they can use to solve issues themselves when they arise, avoiding involving HR altogether. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“HR is not a guarantee of anything – it's an additional layer of complication,” she says. “If you deal first with what you can control, that means setting up the positive relationship with your manager, which is a long-term game that you play with over time. And then if you can't get what you need, you might have to go to HR, but go knowing that it might not be a magic solution.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn cases where people do want to approach HR about an incident, D’Souza advises they make notes about what happened and are clear on timings, who said what, the impact it had and the outcome they want. He says, “they're the key things that the HR team are going to need to be able to take that seriously and take it forward.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There will be countless examples of HR teams quietly and effectively supporting people through incredibly difficult circumstances - David D’Souza","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHe also suggests approaching HR in good faith; he believes that departments often do deal with problems for employees effectively but discreetly, meaning there are many positive stories we don’t hear about HR. “There will be countless examples of HR teams quietly and effectively supporting people through incredibly difficult circumstances,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrowne says he and his team spend a lot of time talking to staff to pre-empt and work through problems. That means taking a non-defensive attitude towards getting sued by employees. “I have a great relationship with a lawyer should I need them, but if we continually work with our people to the best of our ability, the likelihood of people actually taking action diminishes.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven in people-centric HR teams like Browne’s, employees need to be realistic. When issues are raised, the HR team is not there to act as a friend that is automatically on your side, but rather as professionals with a job to do. According to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cipd.co.uk\u002FImages\u002Fcode-of-professional-conduct-april-2020_tcm18-14510.pdf\"\u003ECIPD guidelines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, this means upholding ethical and legal standards, and treating people on all sides of the issue respectfully and fairly. In complex situations, working out the right procedure to ensure conflicts are resolved correctly can be a lengthy process requiring ongoing conversations, negotiations and support for multiple staff members. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news, however, is that now more than ever, companies are realising that valuing employees as individuals whose needs matter is important. Recent studies indicate that in the wake of the pandemic, job-hunters are overwhelmingly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fwhat-your-future-employees-want-most\"\u003Eseeking out the kind of work environments that rely on people-centric HR teams\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr Simmy Grover, organisational psychologist and academic at UCL London, says that corporate attitudes towards HR are changing in line with these expectations. “Companies understand the importance of their people,” she says, “and once they realise that, actually, they've got an entire department that is focused on people, if they give it power and the resources aligned with their organisational strategy, they will do phenomenally well. It’s the ones that don’t catch on who may get left behind.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs much as companies are moving toward change, however, workers still need to remember that HR have a job to do that goes beyond offering sympathy and support. So maybe keep some friends closer than others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Is HR ever really your friend?","headlineShort":"Is HR ever really your friend?","image":["p09znny6"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"HR chat","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Employees often assume human resources is there to help. But given HR really works for the company, is it ever really on our side?","summaryShort":"You go to HR when you have work problems – but is it on your side?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-24T19:41:55.201696Z","entity":"article","guid":"febbd3c0-1b6d-449d-98a2-22fe878b87a8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-24T19:41:55.201696Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211022-is-hr-ever-really-your-friend","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917963},"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":"616ff68245ceed2c1d6f0fe3","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":"2021-09-02T05:25:09.021382Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917973},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity","_id":"616ff6c545ceed61450ffe70","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Since the pandemic hit, we’ve been using more digital tools to work longer hours, creating a cognitive load that’s tough on our brains. How do we fix that?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELate last year, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fdelia_cai\u002Fstatus\u002F1330597127131684870\"\u003Etweet\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from BuzzFeed trends editor Delia Cai went viral: “Another day of staring at the big screen while scrolling through my little screen so as to reward myself for staring at the medium screen all week,” she joked. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt seems right on. More than a year into the pandemic, we are glued to our screens. And it’s not only about binging movies and scrolling through TikTok. As remote work has set in, we’re relying entirely on digital tools to keep in touch with each other and get our work done. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis all-virtual-all-the-time nature of our everyday has led to a worrisome spike in ‘digital intensity’. It’s not just that we’re increasingly using digital tools to work; it’s that we’re also using digital tools more to \u003Cem\u003Ework more. \u003C\u002Fem\u003EA new survey from Microsoft \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fworklab\u002Fwork-trend-index\u002Fhybrid-work\"\u003Etracked the habits of more than 30,000 users in 31 countries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over the last year, and the results are alarming. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People spend 148% more minutes in weekly Teams meetings,” says Jared Spataro, Microsoft corporate vice-president. “An average user is sending 42% more chats after hours, and 200% more chats on weekends. Our customers received 40 billion more emails in February of 2021 than in February of 2020.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe numbers track with Spataro’s personal experience. He and his team are certainly spending more time in front of their screens. Employees, he says, are attending more and more meetings – sometimes unnecessarily – just to demonstrate they’re present and engaged. Spataro says he’s also “having more one-on-ones than I’ve ever had in my life”, which he attributes to “a base principle: humans crave connection”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll this plugged-in time is creating a cognitive load that’s tough on our brains. There are some short-term fixes that can help alleviate this digital intensity, but the issue is also driving a larger conversation about what communication – and our jobs in general – should look like in a whole new world of work.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Huge cognitive overhead’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, it makes sense that the shift to remote work has meant more time in front of screens. Meetings used to take place in person; now our only option is virtual interaction. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, a San Diego-based remote work consultancy, cautions that some of the numbers in the Microsoft study should be taken with a pinch of salt. “The criticism is: of course, Teams is being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessofapps.com\u002Fdata\u002Fmicrosoft-teams-statistics\u002F\"\u003Eused more now;\u003C\u002Fa\u003E nobody was using it before,” she says. Working from home naturally requires virtual tools, so the increased usage of Microsoft’s video conferencing app (or similar increases for platforms such as Zoom) is to be expected.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In real life, our brains aren’t wired to look at a flat image of a person on a grid – Michael Bohan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut that’s not to say other data in the study isn’t concerning. The report also showed that the workday has lengthened by an hour in many countries, and the average meeting is a full 10 minutes longer. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The overworking is real,” says Lister, “and it stems from your screen being right there in front of you, all the time. You don’t have the social cues you had in the office, around getting up and going to lunch, or quitting at the end of the day, so you just keep working.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFeeding into these longer working hours is the fact that we’re pinging colleagues more with chats, sending more emails and scheduling more meetings to replace the casual interactions we used to have passing in the office corridor, or leaning over to ask a desk-mate a question.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd although before the pandemic we might have put aside our digital platforms for an in-person team meeting, a lunch-break or a commute, now these online tools are constant companions. Switching between them, moving from email to internet browsers to Slack, for example, taxes our cognitive processes. Toss in constant video chats, and things get even worse. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In real life, our brains aren’t wired to look at a flat image of a person on a grid,” says Dr Michael Bohan, the director of Microsoft’s Human Factors Engineering Lab. “Brains are wired in the real world, and designed to use body cues, and all this other subtle stuff in order to process and communicate.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man on work video chat with multiple participants","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDuring a virtual meeting, with multiple participants in little boxes, our brains try to process each participant individually, listen, comprehend and take in visual cues. Even before you start trying to focus on the meeting’s agenda, your brain is working overtime. “You might not be aware of it consciously,” says Bohan, “but just working on a screen puts this huge cognitive overhead on your brain.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe more meetings there are, the worse it gets. In one study, Bohan and his research team \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fworklab\u002Fwork-trend-index\u002Fbrain-research\"\u003Eobserved people’s brain activity during a series of simulated virtual meetings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. They tracked how often the participants produced alpha waves – which appear in brains at rest – and beta waves, which appear when the brain is hard at work. What they saw was a nearly endless string of beta waves over the course of a day of meetings. “At the end of the day, that build-up of beta waves was strongly associated with people feeling exhausted and anxious,” says Bohan. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeetings aren’t the only problem, however. Your brain produces beta waves anytime you’re processing a lot of information at once – in other words, almost anytime you’re staring at a screen. And after a period of sustained beta-wave production, your brain’s processing starts to slow down. The more you try to push through to get all the work done, the harder that becomes to do. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShort-term fixes\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that something as simple as a 10-minute break, if used correctly, can help mitigate the effects of digital intensity. Breaking up long stretches of meetings or on-screen work can help with beta wave build-up. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you give yourself a break, and do something like meditation, reading, sketching, doodling – anything that turns your brain to something more relaxing,” says Bohan, it will begin to produce alpha waves. After the break, “you’ll be more engaged and focused”, he adds. “Taking breaks lets you reset, and maintain better brain health across the day.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Couple on the sofa, watching multiple devices","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA daunting workload – exacerbated by the fact that working virtually is often more difficult and time consuming – may make a meditation break seem like an impossible luxury. But there are substantial benefits; a period of alpha waves restores cognitive function, and can make you more productive. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpataro says Microsoft is trying to address video chat’s cognitive overload issue by developing new software features. He points to “together mode”, a virtual filter in Teams that puts meeting participants on a shared background (Zoom has introduced a similar option, called Immersive Scenes). By eliminating participants’ individual boxes and backgrounds, the filters strive to reduce some of the subconscious processing taking up cognitive space. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut reducing our digital intensity problem is not just about tweaking video-chat platforms. Part of the problem, says Spataro , is that a year into the pandemic, we’re still trying to replicate our old work patterns in a radically new at-home environment. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s not working. We’ve entered a new era,” he says. “We need new habits, new practices, new cultural understandings. We need to learn new skills and patterns, and create new cultural norms.” Instead of seeing workers as “robots in a factory”, we should be building a new culture that sees workers as “elite athetes”. “Everything we know about athletic training applies; we need intense sessions of work, then recovery. And the recovery is just as important.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Let’s do it better’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELister believes this kind of change begins with re-assessing how we communicate at work. “A video meeting is not the answer every time we need to talk to someone. Long meetings with one person talking, and everyone else listening? That should be a memo.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We need to look at every process and ask: why are we doing this? – Kate Lister","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EShe believes that most meetings – in person or in the virtual world – are “wasteful”. Now, when they’re happening on screen, “many people sit and multi-task, which is a whole other cognitive-load issue. They’re doing that because they shouldn’t be in the meeting in the first place. Meetings have been broken for a long time… why should we replicate that in the virtual world?” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo reduce overworking, Lister says companies have to communicate policies and expectations to workers clearly. “Some people work best at 0300, but if I get a note from my manager at 0300 and don’t see it until 0800, I’m going to feel like I’m behind the curve,” she says. “Companies have to be intentional about saying, ‘You are not expected to answer that email at 0300’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut micromanagement should be avoided, adds Lister. “Management by presence”, as she calls it, is what leads to people spending far too much time on video calls and in chats – suffering from digital intensity. Ending presenteeism means creating a culture where workers know they can – and \u003Cem\u003Eshould \u003C\u002Fem\u003E– be logging off. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinding new ways to connect with our colleagues, and reducing the number of daily meetings, emails and virtual check-ins will do more than lessen the digital load. It will also pave the way for a reinvented post-pandemic workplace, which most expect to be a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200824-why-the-future-of-work-might-be-hybrid\"\u003Ehybrid\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of old and new. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We need to look at every process,” says Lister, “and ask: why are we doing this? Is there a way to do this more effectively? Let’s not replicate what we’ve always done virtually. Let’s figure out how to do it better.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Is there an antidote to 'digital intensity'?","headlineShort":"How 'digital intensity' is hurting us","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Tired woman staring at laptop","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"Tired man staring at laptop","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Since the pandemic hit, we’ve been using more digital tools to work longer hours, creating a cognitive load that’s tough on our brains. How do we fix that?","summaryShort":"Virtual work is taxing our brains – so how do we fix it?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-25T19:03:22.134518Z","entity":"article","guid":"9676351d-4936-44a2-9ce3-bb9b73356ba2","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:22:17.193222Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917965},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time","_id":"616ff67f45ceed3fc04b9557","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmaddy-savage"],"bodyIntro":"Even before Covid-19, the lines between our work and private lives were blurring. As we edge out of the pandemic, why does setting better boundaries still feel so tough?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of my most vivid pandemic memories involves hurtling angrily down a hill on my bike. I was desperately late to meet friends for a run because I’d been caught up chatting to a colleague on a messaging app. It was a Saturday morning. He’d pinged me to ask questions about a project the following week, and I’d responded. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to psychotherapists including Alivia Rose, a spokesperson for the UK Council of Psychotherapy, many people have been struggling with defining boundaries between home and work, especially as the pandemic has raged on. After years of being “already very attached to our phones”, she believes lockdowns, office closures and more limited social lives added fuel to the norm that we’re “always available”. “It’s been building... and I think the pandemic brought something to a head.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA poll from UK professional trade union Prospect showed more than 30% of remote workers say they have found it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprospect.org.uk\u002Fnews\u002Ftwo-thirds-of-uk-home-workers-back-a-right-to-disconnect-poll-shows\u002F\"\u003Eharder to switch off from work during the pandemic,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and a similar proportion are working more unpaid hours than in pre-Covid-19 times. According to one global study, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.atlassian.com\u002Fblog\u002Fteamwork\u002Fdata-analysis-length-of-workday-covid\"\u003Eaverage daily working time increased by 30 minutes a day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2020, compared to 2019. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we transition into a new post-pandemic working world, there’s no shortage of discussion about the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fexplainers-55957105\"\u003Eimpact all this has had on our mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But although most of us are increasingly aware of the dangers of blurred boundaries, figuring out how to create healthier ones seems to be much trickier. Psychologists and career coaches alike say understanding why it’s so hard is a vital step toward a more balanced future. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnological convergence\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaya Middlemiss, who’s written books about remote working, says it’s important to take a step back to acknowledge just how much technology has normalised the lack of boundaries in our lives. As recently as 15 years ago, commuter trains were typically packed with people reading books and newspapers, rather than checking their mobiles, while fewer people took their work computers or phones home. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s only in the last four or five years that there’s been this technological convergence where every messaging application is available to every device,” says the British writer, who’s based in Valencia, Spain. This, she argues, has obviously created more freedom and flexibility around where and when we work. But it’s also “really blurred the boundaries for knowledge workers in every location”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Work is never ‘done’, [so] it's really difficult often to know when you're finished for the day, when you've done enough – Maya Middlemiss","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs we all know, this situation became more exaggerated as millions of people \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210217-is-it-bad-to-you-work-from-your-bed-for-a-year\"\u003Ebegan working from bedrooms\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and kitchen tables on a daily basis last year. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnna Vogel, a career coach from Stockholm, argues that even before the pandemic, having our work phones next to us on the sofa in the evenings, or even choosing to check office email on our personal devices, was an automatic reflex that had “crept up” on many people. “Just having the access [to technology] like that, the feeling that ‘we can do it’, made it easier for people to accept that ‘we are going to do it’,” she says. “And now we're kind of there and we don't really know how to get back.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, digitalisation itself has shifted and sped up the nature of our work, with many of us tackling a quicker and more constant flow of new tasks and information, in contrast to the analogue era, says Middlemiss. This means “that work is never ‘done’, [so] it's really difficult often to know when you're finished for the day, when you've done enough.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe challenge of corporate norms\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome businesses and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210517-can-the-right-to-disconnect-exist-in-a-remote-work-world\"\u003Eeven national governments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are starting to tackle these challenges head on with specific policies, for example banning emails out-of-hours, or encouraging staff to turn off notifications at weekends. But in many workplaces, says Vogel, the shift towards “limitless, boundaryless” communication possibilities has created strong corporate norms that are tricky to untangle for those craving a better balance. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat was the case for Angelica Sykes, 28, who, until recently, had worked in marketing for tech and finance firms in Europe and Asia since leaving school. “One boss would call me at 5 a.m. and I would be expected to answer. I worked during my annual leave, and there were always emails coming in,” she reveals.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09m6bm0"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Anna Vogel","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWith many colleagues working similarly hard, she describes the situation as “very normalised to the point I didn’t see an issue with it”. It was only after she switched to a job at a consultancy firm with a much bigger focus on boundary setting that she realised how “bonkers” and “unhealthy” her routines had become. She still sometimes gets messages outside standard working hours, because her team is encouraged to work flexibly, but knows she’s no longer expected to respond immediately. “When I see an email now, I'm not filled with dread.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEconomic insecurity\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMiddlemiss says a core problem at companies where ‘always-on’ has become the norm, is that staff can be too worried to speak up in case of potential repercussions. Some are concerned about being viewed as less hard-working. Others – especially during the pandemic – daren’t speak up due to a more “general insecurity about the future of the job or their organisation”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I was so scared of losing my job,” agrees Sykes. “The pandemic made that so much worse because the market was so volatile, particularly for people in marketing.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMiddlemiss’ advice for those working for companies without a clear strategy for how and when it’s appropriate to unplug is to “start modelling the behaviour that you think would be ideal to iterate towards”. For example, using public channels like Slack to over-communicate what you’re working on, when you’ll be available and when you’re planning to go offline. She accepts, however, that this may be easier said than done. “I do appreciate that if you're not in that [managerial] position, it's much harder to initiate it and be the changemaker,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"One boss would call me at 5 a.m. and I would be expected to answer – Angelica Sykes","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf shifting your own communication style doesn’t help the situation, Vogel advises discussing your concerns directly with other colleagues and identifying whether there are common concerns that you can share with your manager as a group. “When we come together, that’s when we can make a change,” she argues. In 2021, “most people know” that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190912-what-wartime-munitionettes-can-teach-us-about-burnout?\"\u003Eunrested, stressed employees aren’t likely to perform at their best\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, she argues, but it might be worth reminding bosses of the evidence. That said, the Swedish career coach acknowledges that these kinds of open conversations might go down better in countries like hers, which have a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20151124-the-best-city-for-working-families\"\u003Elong history of celebrating balance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, than in parts of Asia or the US which have “a longer way to go” when it comes to embracing boundaries and flexible working. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow we think about work\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile external factors like technologies, managers, business culture and even national norms clearly have a major impact, experts agree that the way we approach boundaries also has a lot to do with how we think and act as individuals. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlivia Rose at the UK Council of Psychotherapy says some of us simply feel more guilty than others about logging off and embracing our free time. That can make it harder to ignore notifications or postpone tasks, even if we know they’re not urgent, like I did when I spent that Saturday morning messaging a colleague. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People just immediately ‘become’ guilty and then act on it,” says Rose. “But the key is to start bringing some awareness to the situation.” She advises asking ourselves why we’re feeling guilty in that moment and who exactly is pushing us to react. “We tend to find out there isn’t anybody doing it, that is our own quite pushy boss that we have inside ourselves saying ‘work, work, work’ endlessly, and we have to interrupt that by questioning ourselves, how rational is this?” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe next step, advises Vogel, is to “stay with the feeling of guilt without acting on it”. So, even if your colleagues have got used to you responding to messages late at night, “experiment and see what happens if you answer at nine o'clock next morning. In many cases, nothing will happen.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09m6cd4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman on her laptop in bed","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESetting healthy boundaries is also strongly connected to how we value work, says Vogel. People who enjoy their jobs or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs\"\u003Esee them as a core part of their identities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E can often be tempted to work harder and put in longer hours, and put less value on “rest, play, breaks, good sleep and exercise”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the pandemic, she says, some of us also ended up with a skewed balance because we lost other aspects of our lives that added meaning and value. “I hear a lot from coaching clients that they don't find a place to really ‘refill’ outside of work because they don’t see people in the same way as before,” she says. “It’s like ‘why am I going to close the computer?’, ‘what am I going to do?’ ‘I don’t feel like watching Netflix so, okay, I might as well work’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith mass vaccination programmes around the world now nudging many of us into a new normal and helping to bring back more options for how we spend our leisure time, her best advice is simply to keep reminding ourselves that creating – and enjoying – boundaries is good for us. “How (and what time) you re-charge and rest is very individual, the most important thing is that we get it in one way or another,” says Vogel. “It’s about allowing yourself to do that. To see that this is just as important as being productive.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs for me, I still sometimes struggle to take a breath before responding to every work message. But I’ve asked my clients to help me, by sticking to emails instead of the online platforms I also use for private socialising. Truth be told, I’m still sometimes in a rush for my Saturday runs, but these days that’s usually down to lingering over my morning tea, rather than responding to pings from my colleagues.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why it’s so hard to put boundaries on our time","headlineShort":"How to claw back your personal time","image":["p09m6c7k"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man checks his phone while riding a bike","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p09m6cd4"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210423-is-there-an-antidote-to-digital-intensity"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Even before Covid-19, the lines between our work and private lives were blurring. As we edge out of the pandemic, why does setting better boundaries still feel so tough?","summaryShort":"Work is creeping into personal time more than ever. How do we draw red lines?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-27T20:02:56.676036Z","entity":"article","guid":"a16b8cd2-c003-450f-8d28-317c05757c70","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-14T08:25:23.172112Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917964},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home","_id":"616ff6c945ceed66ba57c73d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Working outside the office should help de-escalate workplace toxicity. But in reality, dysfunctional workplace culture may actually get worse when you’re at home.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Nikolina swapped the office for home working in early 2020 as the pandemic swept the globe, she hoped her company’s toxic culture might improve. “I thought my work would be a lot less stressful without my boss watching my every move,” says the 22-year-old Prague-based content writer. “I was so wrong.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, her supervisor found new ways to monitor the team virtually, using software such as TeamViewer and Hubstaff. “I guess not having all his employees nearby really affected him, because he became obsessive, micromanaging every single aspect of our working hours and finding the smallest things to critique,” says Nikolina, whose is withholding surname for privacy concerns. “Our stress levels were high, knowing that any moment our boss could check on us, and we were all collectively going crazy.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those employed in toxic office settings, the shift to remote work may have seemed like a silver lining of Covid-19: a chance to enjoy much-needed distance from a negative atmosphere. But, as Nikolina discovered, unpleasant work dynamics can follow us home – and in some cases, get worse, as isolation may aggravate the challenges of working with bosses or colleagues behaving badly. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToxic work cultures can have major impacts on employee wellbeing – which is why it’s particularly vital for people to understand their options for protecting themselves. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EToxic from the top down\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToxic workplaces can take many forms, but they share a common thread among employees: negativity and harm. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A toxic work culture is one where workers are exposed to psychosocial hazards,” says Aditya Jain, an associate professor in human resource management at Nottingham University Business School, who has studied stress, wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. “They may have little or no organisational support, poor interpersonal relationships, high workload, lack of autonomy, poor rewards and a lack of job security.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Our stress levels were high, knowing that any moment our boss could check on us – Nikolina","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe consequences of such work cultures, says Jain, are wide-ranging. They may include individual physical health impacts, like heart disease or musculoskeletal disorders, poor mental health and burnout, as well as organisational fallout, like reduced attendance, engagement, productivity and innovation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost toxic work cultures originate with poor management, whose bad habits can be contagious. “Destructive behaviours at the top trickle down,” says Manuela Priesemuth, an associate professor in the management and operations department at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, US, who has researched \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2020\u002F06\u002Ftimes-up-for-toxic-workplaces\"\u003Eabusive managers and toxic workplaces\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “If executives engage in toxic behaviour, people in the organisation assume this behaviour is accepted and they engage in it, too. Soon enough, a toxic climate is formed, where everybody thinks, ‘This is just how we act around here’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, these toxic behaviours would take place in person, during meetings, presentations or casual interactions. Now, they occur over calls and in messages. And although you might assume distance would reduce some of these tensions, experts say being away from the office is more likely to do the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Angry boss - file image","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Toxic cultures persist in remote settings, such that we see similar hostility over Zoom chats or email,” says Priesemuth. “Distance or anonymity can enhance negative behaviours – it’s sometimes easier to send a rude or threatening message than say it in person.” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210216-how-boredom-can-be-a-force-for-good-or-bad\"\u003EPandemic fatigue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is another contributing cause of bad behaviour. “Psychological distress and depletion are some of the main drivers of aggressive behaviours in the workplace. People might just have shorter fuses, which translates into less civil communication and discourse,” she adds.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Nikolina’s case, after going remote, her boss’s already controlling behaviour started to feel more like harassment than supervision. “He would randomly call and demand you share your screen, or ask us to screen record our entire day. If he noticed a drop in activity for more than 10 minutes, you would get a Zoom check-in or TeamViewer session – even when people tried to take a shower or cook dinner.” She says he also messaged employees with urgent requests at midnight, and forbade them to take days off. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“My entire team suffered under his management,” she says. “Personally, I was in a constant state of anxiety and had a lot of trouble sleeping at night, staying up late hours thinking [about work].”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Destructive behaviours at the top trickle down – Manuela Priesemuth","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EExperts say that having a boss who is a bully can be especially harmful in remote work environments, like many are experiencing now. The person still needs to interact with the bully, says Jain, but may find the behaviour harder to handle when they are at home, suffering from a lack of social interaction, feelings of emotional exhaustion and the work-life imbalance stemming from blurred personal and professional lines. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Working remotely can make the situation worse, as the individual might not be able to get informal social support from their colleagues or take recourse from grievance mechanisms through HR because they’re isolated and feel less empowered,” he adds. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoping with a toxic culture\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGetting rid of toxic work culture, say Jain and Priesemuth, involves companies identifying and addressing the root causes of the dysfunction, which is often bad management. But that doesn’t mean employees have to wait around hoping things will get better. Educating yourself on your rights, whether via your company’s employment policies or local laws, can be an empowering first step. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Being aware of your employer’s legal obligations is useful, as you can hold them to account,” says Jain. Many countries regulate working hours, time off and holidays, with the UN’s International Labour Organization’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Fglobal\u002Fstandards\u002Fsubjects-covered-by-international-labour-standards\u002Fworking-time\u002Flang--en\u002Findex.htm\"\u003Eguidelines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E serving as a baseline international standard. “Having this awareness can also help in pushing back on managers whose expectations have become unreasonable or unfair since the transition to remote work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man in a video meeting","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you’re a victim of bullying or otherwise unprofessional behaviour, it’s a good idea to save those emails or chats, or write down what was said on calls. “Gathering evidence of hostility can be a useful tool to substantiate any claims that might be raised through HR or senior management,” says Priesemuth. “Also, it’s beneficial to try to find allies – perhaps colleagues who have similar experiences or witnessed any transgressions – who can serve as a support system or help address the problem.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBanding together with your peers can only go so far if there’s no meaningful HR department or system for raising a grievance, however, as was the case in Nikolina’s small company. “There was no such thing as HR or leadership that could be reached with any issues or complaints,” she says. “Our boss was our only point of contact and his attitude was that we should be grateful for our jobs and salary. In the end, I quit, along with many others, once the pandemic started spawning remote jobs. Now I have the creative freedom and peace of mind to develop my own business, a dating and relationship website.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf changing jobs isn’t feasible at the moment, however, you can take measures to make yourself less vulnerable to toxic behaviours. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Setting stronger boundaries between work and your outside life has been useful for employees,” says Priesemuth. “Research has shown that it can reduce job-related stress and increase employee wellbeing.” While this can be very challenging with a toxic boss, you can try taking small steps like turning your phone off after a certain hour of the evening, signing out of email and simply making yourself unavailable. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, Priesemuth emphasises that these coping techniques may only temporarily mitigate the effects of a toxic remote work environment – not solve them permanently. If your company leadership ultimately fails to take feedback and implement change from the top down, toxicity will probably persist, and your feelings of anxiety and fear will likely linger. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery employee's situation is different, of course – and not every worker has the same amount of wiggle room to make changes, if any at all. No matter what your circumstances, it’s important to remember just how damaging toxic work environments can be, whether remote or in person; just shrugging off your negative environment can only make things worse. While strong boundaries, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise\"\u003Esocial support\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and stress management may help, you may want to eventually consider moving on if things don’t improve. If nothing else, these strategies can buy you time until you land the next, healthier gig.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why toxic workplace cultures follow you home","headlineShort":"How remote work worsens toxic culture","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Unhappy woman staring at laptop","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Working outside the office should help de-escalate workplace toxicity. But in reality, dysfunctional workplace culture may actually get worse when you’re at home.","summaryShort":"Bad workplaces can stay bad even if you’re not in office – or may even get worse","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-04T19:28:05.05587Z","entity":"article","guid":"69580ebe-1f76-4810-8298-edec4922d53d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:21:21.209495Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917965},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy","_id":"616ff68345ceed422a6caf09","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"More employers are providing mental-health benefits to employees. But is this what workers want – and can they actually help keep people well?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Eliza, 31, first went to work at a large US investment firm six years ago, it was a “’we don’t talk about our feelings at work’ kind of place”, says Eliza, who is withholding her surname for job-security concerns. “It’s money, so it’s all about numbers, numbers, numbers. There was no place for a compassionate work culture. That’s what I felt like I worked in for years.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the job came with benefits – gym access, catered lunches, happy hours – “it was never like, ‘oh, we have to actually care for people in their lives’”, she says. But two or three years ago, Eliza noticed things beginning to change. “The company started hosting workshops and classes on how to take care of yourself, improve your sleep hygiene, that kind of thing. They were creating a forum to talk about mental health.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is a growing expectation, experts say, for companies to take responsibility for supporting employees’ emotional stability. And although a shift towards mental health benefits began before the pandemic, the challenges of the past year have made mental health at work a more pressing concern than ever.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Workplace mental health was at an inflection point prior to the pandemic,” says Kelly Greenwood, CEO of Mind Share Partners, a San Francisco-based workplace training firm. “I think because of the pandemic, and the dire need to support people through its challenges, that has accelerated.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn theory, the support is long overdue. But it’s not as straightforward as workers receiving new benefits, then easily finding improved mental health. As these programmes roll out across companies, the reality is that it’s more complicated to address wellness with employees, and that these adjustments may simply be the tip of the iceberg for keeping employees safe, healthy and happy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew benefits, old fears?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn recent years, and across industries, an increasing number of companies have begun adding wellness and mental health care resources to employee benefit packages.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring the pandemic, those offerings have increased exponentially. According to the 2021 Employee Wellness Industry Trends report from Wellable, a company that designs corporate wellness programmes, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.wellable.co\u002F2021-employee-wellness-industry-trends-report\"\u003E88% of companies in the United States are investing more in mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. More than 80% are spending more on stress-management and resilience resources, and more than half of the companies surveyed are offering new \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210202-how-mindfulness-can-blunt-your-feelings-and-spike-anxiety\"\u003Emindfulness and meditation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E programmes . The report indicates that: “These programmes have been growing in popularity in recent years, and the unique challenges created by COVID-19 have only accelerated the demand. Bereavement, isolation, loss of income, and fear are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. Encouragingly, employers are taking notice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEliza, who’s seen an increase in the number of wellness programmes, classes and workshops at her investment firm, feels “the pandemic forced this urgency, like, we’re literally going to lose people quickly if we don’t do something”, she says. “We’ve seen more policy changes this year than in the last six years that I’ve worked here. They’ve added a ton of benefits. They’ve added childcare benefits, increased leave policies. Parents were saying, ‘it is impossible for me to work from home. The company swiftly answered that with, ‘our benefits have increased: we will cover up to 80% of in-home childcare’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, while companies are recognising the need, and increasingly providing benefits like access to wellness apps, telehealth therapy sessions and mindfulness programmes, there’s no guarantee workers will take advantage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Do I want classes on meditation? Yes. But do they move the needle on the stuff that matters, that will actually change the way an employee feels? No – Eliza","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn many workplaces, a more traditional divide between the personal and professional persists, and lingering stigma keeps many people from even bringing up mental health with their colleagues or bosses. “People are still afraid they won’t get the job or get promoted if they talk about it,” says Barbara Harvey, global lead for inclusion and diversity research at the UK’s Accenture Research. Workers may be concerned that even ostensibly private resources, like virtual access to a therapist, won’t remain totally under wraps if they’re governed by management. And many are uncomfortable engaging authentically in workshops or seminars with their colleagues and bosses listening in.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELaura, a 32-year-old working at a start-up, who has similarly asked to withhold her surname, agrees. “Leadership thinks what people want is to have the forum to break down or talk,” she says, “but that’s backward. People don’t want to really open up to their colleagues, and if they did, they probably wouldn’t do it at a company workshop.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimply, employees may not want to opt into corporate wellness programmes because these resources are not entirely the right kind of help. “Do I want classes on meditation? Yes. But do they move the needle on the stuff that matters, that will actually change the way an employee feels? No,” says Eliza.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"right","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn environmental adjustment\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, Harvey says any mental health resources are a net positive: “I won’t disparage the apps, or the mindfulness programmes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while those are nice extras, she says that what employees really require are measures that address the root causes of their need for mental health help in the first place. It’s well intentioned, but not good enough, says Harvey, for companies to provide resources that are reactive, designed to help someone already in distress. “If you’re not doing that alongside creating a supportive work environment, then you’re not resolving the problem, you’re just putting a plaster on it,” she says. “The two have to go hand-in-hand.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means instituting proactive policies like flexible hours and schedules as well as investing in relationship building among teams and between managers and employees. These, plus regular assessment of whether there’s balance between job loads and the resources workers have to complete them, all contribute to meaningfully lower levels of stress, anxiety and burnout.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We have mental-health days, but everything’s reactive, not proactive. When you offer a mental-health day because you can see someone’s burnt out, but you don’t lighten the workload, it makes the stress worse,” says Laura. “It’s a noble start, but it’s not a lot of putting your money where your mouth is. I think fundamentally that would start with truly lightening the workload.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If you’re not doing that alongside creating a supportive work environment, then you’re not resolving the problem, you’re just putting a plaster on it – Barbara Harvey","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent study, Harvey’s research team found\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.accenture.com\u002F_acnmedia\u002FPDF-112\u002FAccenture-Its-Not-1-4-Brochure.pdf\"\u003E the six criteria that make a supportive organisation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, ranging from work-life balance to how safe employees would feel disclosing a mental-health condition to colleagues and leadership. “In supportive organisations, the incidence of mental-health issues dropped by 40%, and workers there felt almost twice as likely to be able to cope with the everyday stresses of work,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd employers that focus on creating a more supportive overall culture may find their employees more willing to take advantage of the other wellness benefits the company is investing in. In supportive organisations, Harvey’s team found, people found it easier to talk about mental health, and were more likely to know where to go for help and advice.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, although some workers are grateful for the extra corporate support with wellness benefits, many experts and workers alike feel there’s an extra step necessary: structural change. So, what actually may make the biggest impact is building work cultures that aren’t just \u003Cem\u003Enot bad\u003C\u002Fem\u003E for mental health, but that actively promote and contribute to wellbeing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In the most supportive workplaces,” says Harvey, “individuals were four times more likely to say, ‘work is good for my mental health’. So much of what work offers is good for our mental state. It gives us a sense of purpose, camaraderie, connection, a feeling we’re achieving something. If you can manage the stress, and you’re given the resources you need, you get these places that are actually really good for you.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEliza agrees that resources are nice, but change is really the answer. “All you have to do is ask your employees what they need. And they’ll say, ‘I need to work less hours. I need to be compensated enough to pay for childcare and groceries and to meet my needs. I need more resources at work to do my job. I need to feel safe when I need time off. I need to not be afraid that I’ll fall behind’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-24T12:08:41Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Can companies actually help workers stay happy and healthy?","headlineShort":"Can companies help workers stay happy?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"More employers are providing mental-health benefits to employees. But is this what workers want – and can they actually help keep people well?","summaryShort":"Many employers think they give employees good resources – but it's not so simple","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-23T20:58:50.739502Z","entity":"article","guid":"d053b979-1177-4456-bd95-2a7de86eb49c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:20:37.631221Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire","_id":"616ff67a45ceed2c1d6f0fd5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The explosion in productivity tech means we can track everything from our steps to our to-do list. But should we?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEvery day, Alex Donohue wakes up and checks how well he slept using the smartwatch that his wife brought him as an anniversary present. On work calls, he paces around the car park of his office to make sure that he fits in 10,000 steps a day. He describes tracking his screen time as a “ritual”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDonohue, a 31-year-old founder of a London-based PR agency, is a self-professed productivity addict. He’s one of a growing number of people who see optimising their time using technology as an increasingly important part of their lives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd there’s certainly no shortage of tools to help him out. While we once might have scribbled our to-do list down on a Post-it or used email flags to prioritise tasks, the last few years have ushered in a boom in apps promising to help us organise our time better and maximise our output. In a world in which everything seems trackable, and workplace ideas about time-management have comprehensively crossed over into our personal lives, these tools can seem irresistible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet the technologies we use to optimise our days can also start to control them. Since the pandemic hit and time has taken on a new meaning, it may be time to rethink our buy-in, and question whether logging, tracking and uploading tasks into various apps is really the path to success. Despite the raft of productivity products to choose from, perhaps the old methods of assessing what you’d accomplished in a day weren’t really so inadequate after all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy productivity boomed\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe desire to keep on top of your task list is hardly a new phenomenon. Leonardo da Vinci was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zmescience.com\u002Fother\u002Ffeature-post\u002Fleonardo-da-vinci-todo-list\u002F\"\u003Ewriting to-do lists\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as far back as 1490, while Benjamin Franklin famously created \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastcompany.com\u002F3021379\u002Fthe-amazing-history-of-the-to-do-list-and-how-to-make-one-that-actually-worksw-to-be-a-better-person-and-get-shit-done-738cbcce3b6a\"\u003Ea 13-week plan for self-improvement\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the early 1700s. A few decades later, publishers were printing the first examples of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bostonglobe.com\u002Fideas\u002F2013\u002F06\u002F01\u002Fthe-daily-planner-american-history\u002FWncDRG5hq7B9m0w3cE5jkM\u002Fstory.html\"\u003Edaily planners\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as people in industrialising nations grew interested in how to make more money.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Alex Donohue","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201230-how-the-pandemic-could-redefine-our-productivity-obsession\"\u003Ecultural obsession with personal productivity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has been a relatively recent phenomenon as society digitalised and time-saving technology became a modern fixation. In the 1990s and early 2000s, technology that we now take for granted was promoted as a time-saving tool – shared calendars could eliminate complicated discussions to line up meetings, while search engines could save us hours digging up information.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the opportunity to produce more with potentially less work, it’s no wonder so many embraced a lifestyle that beckons more output through optimisation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, there’s a template for why maximum productivity is so desirable: success. High-profile individuals – particularly those working for the tech companies that designed some of these tools – began to attract attention for their personal productivity habits. Who could forget Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fkevinkruse\u002F2015\u002F10\u002F12\u002Fjack-dorsey-productivity-secret\u002F?sh=64fc87f136ad\"\u003E16-hour work days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (including 0500 hydrotherapy sessions), or Google employee Marissa Mayer’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Ffeatures\u002F2016-marissa-mayer-interview-issue\u002F\"\u003E130-hour work weeks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E? With the routines of high-achieving individuals increasingly fetishised, the digital productivity industry boomed, making its way into our offices, our leisure time and our homes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, it’s estimated that global sales of wearable devices that track daily activity and allow users to get notifications on the go will reach \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.statista.com\u002Fstatistics\u002F487291\u002Fglobal-connected-wearable-devices\u002F#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20connected%20wearable,than%20one%20billion%20by%202022.\"\u003E$1bn (£730m) by 2022\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Companies continue to innovate; apps such as\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\u002Fspan\u003EForest, which encourages users to plant a virtual ‘tree’ that only thrives when the user is doing a focused task, have become increasingly commonplace.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClaire Wu, a neuroscientist, says that part of the attraction for users is the way many of these apps ‘reward’ users. “When you tick off an item on your to-do list, or see your step count or sleep hours go up in an app, it creates a feedback loop where you experience an immediate reward,” she says. “Without these tools, goals can also seem quite faraway and intangible. Productivity and optimisation tools help people to break down goals, and incorporate the same addictive and reward-based elements that you might find in a mobile game or social media app.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Claire Wu","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile ticking off an item on an old-fashioned to-do list might give us some level of satisfaction, technology games our desire to do more and rewards us in more overt ways. “A common theme in many apps is a representation of progress, such as badges or hitting a certain number,” explains Wu. “But these can start to become more important than the outcome itself – for example, a person might do a workout but don’t get the expected badge or points, and feel like the whole effort was a waste of time. But really, the workout is much more important than some arbitrary points.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWu, who founded an app that helps people achieve long-term health optimisation goals, believes that some productivity tools can place pressure on users. She thinks that people may use metrics, and by extension their personal productivity, as a measure of how “good or bad they are as a person”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorking harder, not smarter?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also the question of whether we can really assess how much these apps are contributing to our output. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Our lives and work are increasingly digital,” says Almuth McDowall, professor of organisational psychology at Birkbeck, University of London. “But it’s a complex world, and there is an information overload. Good apps, well used, can help us to negotiate this. But there is still a question of whether we’re really interested in becoming more productive, or simply ‘doing more to seem effective’.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Why are we not getting better at managing the quality of our output? - Almuth McDowall","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EData certainly suggests that employees are struggling with a software overload. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techrepublic.com\u002Farticle\u002Femployees-switch-apps-more-than-1100-times-a-day-decreasing-productivity\u002F\"\u003EResearch conducted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2018 showed that the average operational support worker \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techrepublic.com\u002Farticle\u002Femployees-switch-apps-more-than-1100-times-a-day-decreasing-productivity\u002F\"\u003Eswitched among 35 different applications more than 1,100 times\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during their working day. Yet despite the deluge of apps and tools, productivity is \u003Cspan\u003Ein decline\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E in most highly industrialised countries, while \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-does-burnout-recovery-always-require-radical-change\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E is on the rise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Evidence shows that working hours and the time that we spend in online meetings is increasing, so it may be that we are working harder, not smarter,” suggests McDowall. “Why are we not getting better at managing the quality of our output?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA step back, to think\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInto this mix, of course, has come Covid-19, disrupting our lives, working patterns and habits – and for some, it’s been an opportunity to recalibrate how they assess performance. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I have always worked in a digital environment where utilising the latest tools has been par for the course,” says Rob Weatherhead, a 39-year-old advertising and technology consultant based in Bolton, UK. “Trello, Jira, smart watches, fitness trackers, food trackers. You name it, I’ve tried it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Rob Weatherhead","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet in the last year, since he’s been responsible for his own remote work efficiency, Weatherhead has found himself discarding most of these technologies and “reverting back to a good old-fashioned task list”, using a pen and paper. “I realised that some of the tools were actually unproductive. I was breaking tasks down into minutiae just so that there were more things to move into the ‘done’ column. I’ve sold my Apple watch and ditched all of my life trackers. I know whether I’ve had an efficient or effective day, and I don’t need technology to tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESandra Bond Chapman, a cognitive neuroscientist at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbrainhealth.utdallas.edu\u002Fprograms\u002Fthe-brainhealth-project\u002F\"\u003ECenter for BrainHealth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at the University of Texas, Dallas, believes that the fundamental shifts caused by the pandemic could permanently change the way people like Weatherhead view productivity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Before the pandemic people were 24\u002F7 non-stop on the go,” she says. “People are now stepping back and thinking about the qualitative aspects of being productive over the quantitative... Instead of how many things we have done, we now have an opportunity to shift towards the measures that matter most – was I more innovative? Was I more purpose-driven? Was I more socially-driven?”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBack to discipline?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECertainly for Weatherhead, a year away from the office has given him the chance to tune back into his instincts, understanding when technology is really helping and where it’s costing more time than it’s saving.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProductivity app enthusiast Donohue, meanwhile, still tracks everything from his calorie intake to his workload – but he says it is important to be realistic about what technology offers. While it can help motivate us to stay organised and on track, he’s aware that productivity also relies on our innate drive and built-in toolkit. Many apps, he reflects, propose what appear to be easy solutions to life problems; they appear helpful initially but sometimes can compound the problem.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It's easier said than done but perhaps some of the solutions are linked to discipline, efficiency and ability to concentrate – which can be solved without technology,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor now, he’s started to block out time to work on tasks based on deadlines that he’s set for himself rather than relying only on tools to control his day. Whilst apps and technology can take us so far, it seems that our own judgement could remain one of our most valuable productivity tools.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why relying on productivity tools can backfire","headlineShort":"Is the productivity tool 'ritual' over?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a man looking at his phone in front of his laptop","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"The explosion in productivity tech means we can track everything from our steps to our to-do list. But should we?","summaryShort":"On the quest for maximum productivity, we may be making our lives harder","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-02-09T21:00:31.764478Z","entity":"article","guid":"af21626d-c428-46d0-afd0-711b062f2978","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:18:24.375095Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917965},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong","_id":"616ff65c45ceed36423fbf09","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic has pushed many to the brink. But although we're exhausted and overwhelmed, some experts say we're not actually as burned out as we may think.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn lots of occasions, I’ve told myself – and my friends and colleagues – that I’m experiencing burnout. Making a living as a freelancer can often mean working long hours, and trying to keep a lot of very different plates spinning at once. A few times a year, I hit what feels like a creative wall: I’m fresh out of good ideas, and I just really need to nap. For a long time, I’ve been calling that burnout. But I’ve been wrong.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe tend to think of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190610-how-to-tell-if-youve-got-pre-burnout\"\u003Eburnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as an intangible – one of those things we can’t define, and we just know when we feel it. Right now, more of us may be feeling it than ever. In this stage of the pandemic, after more than a year spent trying to navigate its challenges, the general feeling is that we’ve all hit the wall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there \u003Cem\u003Eis\u003C\u002Fem\u003E a scientific definition of burnout, and standards by which to measure it. And based on that criteria, a lot of folks who think they’re burnt out – myself included – really aren’t. That doesn’t mean we aren’t on the way there, though, and understanding how to really measure burnout can help individuals and organisations change course before it’s too late.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat burnout is – and isn’t\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1981, Christina Maslach, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, developed the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fjob.4030020205\"\u003EMaslach Burnout Inventory\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (MBI), to define and measure the condition.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The challenge is people use the term to mean different things,” says Maslach. “It’s a catchy term, so people apply it to all kinds of stuff. So, are we all speaking the same language?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe MBI attempts to clarify the subject by evaluating burnout based on three criteria: exhaustion or total lack of energy, feelings of cynicism or negativity toward a job and reduced efficacy or success at work. Respondents get scores in all three areas along a continuum, from more positive to more negative. A burnout profile requires a negative score in all three.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People use burnout as a synonym for tired, and they’re missing the point that there’s a world of difference between those two states – Michael Leiter","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“There’s a tendency to think if you score negatively on one measure, you’re burnt out,” says Maslach, but that’s an incorrect usage of the MBI. The biggest misconception about burnout, adds Michael Leiter, a Nova Scotia-based organisational psychologist and the co-author, with Maslach, of The Truth About Burnout, is that it’s the same as exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People use burnout as a synonym for tired, and they’re missing the point that there’s a world of difference between those two states,” says Leiter. He gives the example of obstetricians, who often work chaotic schedules. “They’re delivering babies at all hours of the night, and they’re totally exhausted, but they’re bringing new life into the world, and making people’s lives better, and they care about that work. That’s overextended and exhausted, but it’s not burnout.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are plenty of others who meet one of the MBI criteria. “The second largest group, after people who are just exhausted, is people who aren’t fully engaged,” says Leiter. “They’re going to work and it’s not exciting, it just pays the bills. There’s another group that are just cynical. They don’t care about the clientele, or the work.” Still others may have low efficacy, with careers that are stalled for one reason or another.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut fewer people can report that all three conditions apply. I can’t. While I’ve definitely experienced exhaustion, and even some disengagement, I still love what I do and haven’t become cynical about my work. It takes all three – exhaustion, cynicism and lack of efficacy – to get what’s scientifically defined as burnout. The majority of us aren’t there.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s not an epidemic; it’s over-diagnosed,” says Leiter. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem, or that conversations around burnout aren’t increasing for a reason. “Qualities of burnout \u003Cem\u003Eare\u003C\u002Fem\u003E on the rise,” concedes Leiter. “Certainly, more people are heading in that direction.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBurnout isn’t black and white \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBurnout is a spectrum, and most of us are on it. Early this year, when job search site Indeed surveyed 1,500 US workers across ages and industries, more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indeed.com\u002Flead\u002Fpreventing-employee-burnout-report\"\u003Ehalf reported that they’re experiencing burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And more than two-thirds said the pandemic had made burnout worse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat survey did not use the MBI, and chances are most of those respondents were using the colloquial definition of burnout, not the scientific one. But while burnout – the kind defined by three negative MBI scores – is a profile that Maslach says typically applies to 10% to 15% of people, that doesn’t mean everyone else is all the way on the other end of the spectrum.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, Maslach and Leiter’s newer research identifies three profiles in between: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS2213058615300188\"\u003Eoverextended, ineffective and disengaged\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Evidence suggests more than half of employees fall into one of these profiles, with a strong negative score in exhaustion, efficacy or cynicism. They’re not yet burnt out – but they’re on the way.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09ftfy7"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor people in many professions, says Leiter, things have only got worse as a result of the pandemic, with efficacy issues especially becoming overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Schoolteachers have struggled to continue teaching, and haven’t felt accomplished,” he says. “They just know they’re not being the teacher they were before, and that’s discouraging. It’s the same for physicians. It’s improved, but early in the game there were no protocols for dealing with Covid, and everything they were doing was wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThose issues have shifted the data on burnout. A study conducted between March and June of 2020 administered a series of tests, including a burnout inventory similar to the MBI, to more than 3,500 healthcare workers in the UK, Poland and Singapore. Just under \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0238666\"\u003E67% measured as burnt out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile historically the true burnout profile for employees in all professions hovers just above 10%, Maslach says “that’s clearly gone up” in light of the pandemic. Now, she believes, it may be closer to 20%.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd that’s a huge problem, because true burnout can’t be fixed with a vacation or a wellness retreat.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When people really get to the extreme, the vast majority can’t go back to the same employer or the same kind of work,” says Leiter. “They have to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201112-has-the-meaning-of-work-changed-forever\"\u003Echange careers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Burnout runs so deep – just even the feel of going into that building, or that \u003Cem\u003Esort \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eof building can be a trigger. It very often prompts career change.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy measurement matters \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAvoiding true burnout on a wide scale is vital, especially because it could mean a drain of qualified people from skilled professions. That’s where the MBI, and tests like it, become invaluable tools.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELearning that I was not, in fact, experiencing real burnout was helpful. I was able to evaluate what I was actually feeling (overextension), and start thinking about what was causing that and what changes I could make. That is the point of a burnout inventory; it’s not really about diagnosing or ruling out burnout. In fact, says Maslach, “it’s not a diagnostic tool at all. People have misused it that way, but it’s a research measure.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s not an epidemic; it’s over-diagnosed – Michael Leiter","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThough it’s administered to individuals, what the MBI is really designed to measure is their environment. “If there are negative scores, it doesn’t mean the problem is the individual. It’s what they’re responding to,” says Maslach. “You’re not trying to figure out who it’s happening to, you’re trying to figure out whyit’s happening. You don’t use it by itself, you use it with other data to say \u003Cem\u003Ewhy \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eis the pattern of scores the way it is? Those scores should be used as warning signals.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn organisation seeing scores on the negative end of the spectrum should be acting quickly, says Maslach, and that doesn’t mean \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy\"\u003Eoffering yoga classes or mindfulness seminars\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Work is getting tougher, longer and harder to do. People are working more hours because they’re scared they won’t get a promotion, or will lose their job. Doing more with less is at the heart of corporate culture, and that’s not how people do the best work,” she says. “There’s this gigantic self-care industry out there all focused on how to cope with that stress; but to prevent, or reduce, or eliminate burnout, it’s not about fixing the people. It’s about fixing the job.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not actually about measuring how many workers are or are almost burnt out, says Maslach. It’s about identifying workplaces with unmanageable workloads, and using that information to give employees more control, better tools and the discretion to figure out how to do their jobs better – without burning out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There’s that old saying, ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,’” says Maslach. “The thrust of our argument is, why don’t you change the heat? How about redesigning the kitchen?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-29T14:27:13Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why we may be measuring burnout all wrong","headlineShort":"The three components of burnout","image":["p09ftfz4"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210208-why-relying-on-productivity-tools-can-backfire"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic has pushed many to the brink. But although we're exhausted and overwhelmed, some experts say we're not actually as burned out as we may think.","summaryShort":"There's a scientific definition for burnout – and most don't actually meet it","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-28T20:01:08.093072Z","entity":"article","guid":"e108dc11-1d63-4bab-bafc-ce192141729f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:22:25.964226Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917965},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job","_id":"616ff67e45ceed444b157e38","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Falex-christian"],"bodyIntro":"We're working more hours than ever, whether a late-night email or an early call. How did all these unpaid hours become part of the job?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Erik took his first job as a junior associate at an international law firm, he knew the normal rules of nine-to-five didn’t apply. Based in Hong Kong, his employer was as prestigious as it was notorious for running new recruits into the ground. Monstrous workloads and late nights were non-negotiable. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s simply a given in the legal industry,” explains Erik. “Generally, lawyers don’t get paid overtime. Very occasionally, I’d have to pull an all-nighter.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow working in Beijing, Erik has moved up the corporate ladder. Further into his career, there are fewer workdays that bleed into the following morning. A conventional working week, however, remains elusive. “Working towards 40 hours a week would be a light week for me,” he says. “My hours depend on my clients’ needs – I don’t have the option of working fewer.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDrawn-out days at the desk quickly rack up. In the UK, pre-pandemic, more than five million workers averaged an extra 7.6 hours a week, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tuc.org.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworkers-uk-put-more-ps35-billion-worth-unpaid-overtime-last-year-tuc-analysis\"\u003Econtributing to £35bn in unpaid overtime\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Now, according to global figures from the ADP Research Institute, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.adpri.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F04\u002F23084556\u002FWFV-Global_2021_US_Screen_697691_162389_FV.pdf\"\u003Eone in 10 people say they work at least 20 hours a week for free\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. On average, workers are posting 9.2 hours of unpaid overtime every week. Across the world, overwork figures have sharply risen in the wake of Covid-19 – with free hours more than doubling in North America, particularly.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemote working has intensified the problem. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Ffeb\u002F04\u002Fhome-workers-putting-in-more-hours-since-covid-research\"\u003Eaverage global workday has lengthened by nearly two hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and research has shown that most UK employers acknowledge \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fworkplaceinsight.net\u002Fover-half-of-uk-employers-say-their-staff-work-additional-unpaid-hours-every-day\u002F\"\u003Estaff work additional, unpaid hours every day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Workers can attribute the uptick in overtime to a loss of work-life boundaries; as commutes, offices and lunch breaks have disappeared for many knowledge workers, so too has the hard line between signing on and off. Inboxes fill over breakfast. Deadlines spill into the evenings. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.motherjones.com\u002Fpolitics\u002F2021\u002F09\u002Fmy-bosses-at-mckinsey-made-us-get-on-2-a-m-zoom-calls\u002F\"\u003EZoom meetings\u003C\u002Fa\u003E run into the early hours. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor many workers, keeping switched on beyond closing time has become the expectation rather than an exception. But it’s rarely explicitly spelled out verbally, let alone in writing. Rather, it’s a tacit understanding between employer and employee: forget contracted hours, you can only log off once you’re done for the day.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut how did it get this way – and what happens next?\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe root of the problem\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECovid-19 may have exacerbated the problem, but unpaid overtime has been part of many jobs for decades. In industrial times, employees had weekly fixed hours; working beyond closing time meant reimbursement. But by the mid-20th Century, office culture boomed, swelling ranks of salaried, middle-class professionals. The number of jobs measured by tangible output shrank. In the modern workplace, tasks could no longer be neatly delineated like on the factory floor; ambiguity over when work was ‘finished’ gave rise to unpaid overtime. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Fundamentally, it comes down to a mix-up of signals that longer hours are linked to productivity – Grace Lordan","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that businesses based their office hours on industry’s eight-hour workday meant that knowledge workers were already spending too long at their desks. “The type of labour many of us do today, intensive work in front of a computer, can’t cognitively be done for more than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0927537116302445\"\u003Efive hours\u003C\u002Fa\u003E a day,” says Abigail Marks, professor of the future of work at Newcastle University Business School, UK. Yet despite this, workdays gradually got longer and longer. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGrace Lordan, associate professor in behavioural science at the London School of Economics, highlights the 1980s as a turning point. In the UK and the US, Thatcherism and Wall Street popularised the idea of increasingly long hours. If you wanted that big promotion, you had to devote yourself to the workplace – working overtime became a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Estatus symbol\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Fundamentally, it comes down to a mix-up of signals that longer hours are linked to productivity,” explains Lordan. “In the 1950s, office workers would see their families for dinner. By the 1990s, they’d \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office\"\u003Ebe lucky to see them on weekends\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs economies globalised, working hours were only going one way. But then technology hit the accelerator. By the 2010s, everyone had a digital tether that connected them to their work morning, noon and night. Inboxes were ever-present; work-related calls and messages invaded the same communication tools people used for socialising. “The smartphone was the death knell for working hours,” says Marks. “As soon as you put work email on your phone, people will take advantage. Then, you get into the habit of always being available.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow we normalised overwork\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the pandemic hit, office \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has become even more digitised. Remote work has created an environment in which managers can call on staff around the clock. “I’m expected to respond to clients’ requests,” explains Erik. Although that may no longer necessitate all-nighters, working into the early hours continues. “Most of the time, I manage to coordinate with clients in different time zones. But if we’re closing a transaction, I may need to stay late.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09yjllv"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman working late at home","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn some countries, cultural expectations feed into excessive office hours. In Japan, for instance, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190718-karoshi\"\u003Eoverwork is important professional currency\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Here, hard work demonstrates that you’re a loyal employee,” explains Jeff Kingston, director of the Asian Studies major at Temple University’s Tokyo campus. “And it means your boss is more likely to accelerate your climb up the corporate ladder. Working hard, and spending long hours to impress your boss, is seen as a real virtue.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElsewhere working long hours can be the product of peer pressure, a desire to get ahead or reacting to our environment. “We like to follow others,” says Lordan. “On your first day at your new job, you look for non-verbal social cues to fit in. If there are people working late or into the weekend, you’re more likely to copy that behaviour.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe also hate saying no. If the boss emails after hours, we reply. If there’s a 0600 Zoom call, we dial in. If we need to work late, we’d rather do it than kick up a fuss – even if such commitment isn’t reflected in our salary. “It’s embedded in employees,” says Marks. “People are always scared of losing their jobs, and that someone will do a better job than them. If everyone else is doing it, you have to do it as well.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are sector-specific pressures, too. Employees in some creative jobs are meant to feel ‘lucky’, so \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fuqua.duke.edu\u002Fduke-fuqua-insights\u002Fkay-passion-exploitation\"\u003Eworking a few extra hours is assumed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In finance, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards\"\u003Epulling an all-nighter is a rite of passage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on the way to becoming a partner. Challenging such social norms in the workplace is seen as taboo. “As humans, we want to be seen as being nice and amenable,” says Lordan. “It all fits into our narrative that we’re hard workers and collaborative. Long hours traditionally measure hard work and productivity – and so we work unpaid overtime.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy change isn’t so easy\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet there are signs that the workforce has had enough of long working weeks and midnight calls. Millions of people around the world are quitting their jobs as part of what’s being called the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Optimists might suggest that, with the labour market thriving, employees can finally call the shots and demand an end to unpaid overtime. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If everyone else is doing it, you have to do it as well - Abigail Marks","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe reality, however, is different. “The group voting with their feet are typically those in their later career – the ones who can afford to go,” says Lordan. “Younger generations don’t have that luxury. Competition for jobs at firms which demand long hours remains fierce. It comes down to people wanting to fit in with a working culture established long before they walked through the office doors – it’s very difficult to break that.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking extended hours is also so baked into office culture that many businesses rely on overtime. It’s why, even amid a pandemic, familiar practices have returned: big financial firms notorious for long-hours working culture \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210323-the-bosses-who-want-us-back-in-the-office\"\u003Ehave already demanded staff return\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to the office five days a week. If bosses mandate long office-based days and unpaid overtime, it’s hard for employees to take a stand and say no. “It’s those at the top who are the gatekeepers for opportunities and promotion,” says Lordan. “If they believe in presenteeism, those beneath them will find it hard to not work that extra hour.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERobust government legislation could help bring change, says Marks. The current trend is for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210819-the-case-for-a-shorter-workweek\"\u003Efour-day working weeks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with trials in the likes of Iceland, Spain and Ireland. She has doubts on whether the idea will succeed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Organisations do very well out of free labour. But many employers aren’t in a place to suddenly reduce workloads, so employees will probably have to cram five days’ worth of work into four.” And even when governments issue directives on working hours, it’s bosses – not ministers – who ultimately set the tone. In Japan and South Korea, for example, it’s clear that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.insider.com\u002Fjapanese-probe-reveals-37-percent-investigated-offices-illegal-overtime-2021-8\"\u003Ecultural pressures still override legislative efforts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at many firms. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is, of course, a body of research showing that working fewer hours boosts \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210819-the-case-for-a-shorter-workweek\"\u003Eproductivity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But for knowledge work, the difficulty lies with how we measure output. Clearly, that marker shouldn’t be time. Lordan says it has to be task-based – it’s the only way of keeping unpaid overtime in check. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut this will require a new perspective from senior leaders. “Ultimately, managers need to define what has to be done and allow their employees to do it. If you want positive change, you need to get more managers, who aren’t as controlling, in key roles.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven if overtime is hard to eradicate, the pandemic has magnified conversations around working culture. It’s increasingly leading to employee activism. Lordan cites the recent case of Goldman Sachs: young bankers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-58054983\"\u003Ewere given a pay rise\u003C\u002Fa\u003E following their complaints of working 95-hour weeks. It could, perhaps, be the start of a shift. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As long as there are high-paying companies with senior management that hold the belief that hours equal productivity, you will always have professional workers sacrificing self and wellbeing to make the cut,” says Lordan. “Over time, those who care more about their work-life balance will choose the companies that offer greater flexibility.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How working unpaid hours became part of the job","headlineShort":"How unpaid hours became part of the job","image":["p09yjlp5"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman working late","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210622-why-its-so-hard-to-put-boundaries-on-our-time","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-why-we-may-be-measuring-burnout-all-wrong","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We're working more hours than ever, whether a late-night email or an early call. How did all these unpaid hours become part of the job?","summaryShort":"Why we accept unpaid overtime as a given when we take a job","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-18T20:06:41.19725Z","entity":"article","guid":"10610c84-d925-43ba-8d1a-6c347ab71fd8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-18T20:07:10.869738Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211013-how-working-unpaid-hours-became-part-of-the-job","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917964},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise","_id":"616ff6c845ceed6304039eaf","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"With socialising at a near halt during the pandemic, our social muscles have atrophied. We may have to re-train ourselves to be with others again – but how?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs host of the podcast Dear Prudence, Daniel M Lavery mostly dishes out advice from his base in New York. But he occasionally reveals his own anxieties as well, as on a recent episode when responding to a lonely graduate student who was apprehensive about social contact during the Covid-19 pandemic. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.stitcher.com\u002Fshow\u002Fdear-prudence\u002Fepisode\u002Fmoving-for-mom-81506400\"\u003ELavery found this relatable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E:\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E It's really, really hard to think about being around people again. One of the things that’s struck me as I think about the possibility of someday again being in like a crowded room with other people without a mask on is, like, I have spent a very long time longing desperately for such a day, and I also sometimes now catch myself having this sort of like panicked response… I don’t want to be afraid of that, that’s the thing I want. And yet, I also have this, you know there’s a part of me that now reacts in a way that I did not used to, which is terror.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELots of us are in the same boat. We’ve been forced to be asocial, at least in physical terms, for a year now. As a result, many are finding that any in-person social interaction is awkward – it feels like we have to re-learn how to sit in a room with another human. Even dreaming has been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scientificamerican.com\u002Farticle\u002Fthe-covid-19-pandemic-is-changing-our-dreams\u002F\"\u003Etransformed in unprecedented ways\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with a trend of nightmares about social distancing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, when things open up again, is there going to be a learning curve to feeling ‘normal’? Have our social muscles atrophied in some way, and do we have to ‘retrain’ them?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, these muscles are fairly resilient, and accounts from places that have been less affected by Covid-19 suggest that it doesn’t take long to return to some version of a social normal. Still, some hiccups are to be expected along the way, so it will help to be prepared for them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYour brain in isolation\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not surprising many of us might be feeling socially ‘rusty’. We’ve all, to varying extents, experienced loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic, two things that can be linked to cognitive decline in specific ways.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"elbow bump","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, people with smaller and less complex social networks \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Fnews\u002F2010\u002F101226\u002Ffull\u002Fnews.2010.699.html\"\u003Etend to have a smaller amygdala\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the brain’s emotion-processing centre. Chronic loneliness can affect levels of hormones associated with stress and social bonding; one effect may be a greater propensity to depression. In general, lonely people tend to be more \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41598-021-81966-2\"\u003Eparanoid\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0272735816303336?via%3Dihub\"\u003Enegative\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProlonged isolation also affects \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.the-scientist.com\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhow-social-isolation-affects-the-brain-67701\"\u003Ememory and verbal recall\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Social creatures, humans included, need plenty of interactive stimulation to keep their brains in good order. So, if you’re finding more words escaping from the tip of your tongue these days, lockdown may be playing a part. For me, for 90% of the time now, I’m speaking only to my partner, in very familiar conversational patterns. I feel a bit shaky when it’s time to chat with a friend, as if it requires dredging up a once-familiar language. When people are cleared to spend time together again, it may be hard to find the right words.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, as individual circumstances vary so widely, so too will the transition back into post-pandemic social life. An unemployed, medically vulnerable person who’s spent the entire period living alone may find the next phase more disorientating than a financially secure person living in and working from a big, shared house. Overall, some of the behavioural changes can reverse quickly with a return to more typical social patterns.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Daniela Rivera, a biologist at the Universidad Mayor in Santiago, believes that physical changes in the brain, such as those connected with memory, won’t budge so easily. With shrinkage in some parts of the brain, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.the-scientist.com\u002Ffeatures\u002Fhow-social-isolation-affects-the-brain-67701\"\u003Ememory function can be impaired\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for years following periods of social isolation – and with it our ability to connect easily with other people.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"With shrinkage in some parts of the brain, memory function can be impaired for years following periods of social isolation","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not just how our brains may have changed, however. Overall, psychologists are seeing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F11\u002F12\u002Fsmarter-living\u002Fcovid-social-anxiety.html\"\u003Emore adults report stress over social interactions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, ranging from not knowing how to bookend interactions without a handshake or a hug, to running out of things to talk about. But certain groups are particular sources of worry.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe situation is especially thorny for people with social-anxiety disorder. “Maintaining the progress is really important – because once you are not around people, as we haven’t been for almost a year now, it’s very easy to slip back into old patterns,” reflects Marla Genova, a former psychology researcher who coaches people with social and speaking anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also concerns about schoolchildren who have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC7467008\u002F\"\u003Efallen out of sync socially\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the start-stop uncertainty of lockdowns. “At this age, the brain is still developing and refining neuronal connectivity; thus it is a critical phase to develop social abilities that will define their interactions with peers,” explains Rivera. She worries the prolonged isolation could lead some to develop social phobia. Elderly people, meanwhile, are more likely to be living alone, and may be less comfortable with technological devices to preserve social contact.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERivera predicts that changes that could emerge in some vulnerable people during the re-socialising period could include hyperactivity, intolerance, irritability and anxiety, among others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to ease back in\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProtracted lockdowns and different cultures will make for varied experiences as regions emerge from lockdown. But some commonalities and lessons are emerging.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"masked brunch","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPhysical contact, a previously taken-for-granted aspect of being around other people, is likely to feel odd for a while. For Andre Robles, who manages a travel company in Quito, Ecuador, where some reopening has taken place as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.worldometers.info\u002Fcoronavirus\u002Fcountry\u002Fecuador\u002F\"\u003Ecases rumble on\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, “It is a bit weird to see a society that was very warm to be a bit distant in greetings. An elbow bump has become the new hello sign.” Other people are finding it awkward to ease back into hugs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe element that has required some calibration for Melanie Musson, an insurance specialist who lives in the US state of Montana, is figuring out everyone’s different attitudes toward risk. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmontana.maps.arcgis.com\u002Fapps\u002FMapSeries\u002Findex.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\"\u003ECases are now slowly declining\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the state, which has been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thenation.com\u002Farticle\u002Fsociety\u002Fmontana-covid-pandemic\u002F\"\u003Ebitterly divided\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over mask-wearing. “Things do feel strange when I run into people who are Covid-conscious,” Musson explains. “Since I mainly surround myself with people who aren’t, I live in a bubble of normalcy. There are many people around who disagree with that and who aren’t comfortable with that, though. My bubble gets popped when I realise that a lot of people haven’t returned to normal.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, masked socialising is helping things feel more normal in Singapore, says Roger Ho, a psychologist at the National University of Singapore: “Life is as usual with ‘mask on’.” Previous experiences of mask-wearing, such as during the Sars epidemic, and high adherence to government mask mandates have helped. Ho suggests that more public education in places where there is resistance to masks could help socialising this way feel less strange.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"One of the few bright sides of the protracted process of vaccine rollout is that “that slowness of this process is going to aid in readjustment” – Richard Slatcher","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne way to reduce both judgement about hangouts and nervousness about crowds is to restrict your social circle, and many people are reporting doing just that. The writer behind the French culture blog Matilda Marseillaise, who lives in Adelaide, Australia, considers, “It’s probably not been a year in which you would introduce some of your friends to other friends that they don’t know. So that’s a part of the sensitivity and awkwardness around Covid. Not wanting to make the friends circle too wide.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, a number of people have mentioned being more selective about who they choose to socialise with, as a matter of both physical and psychological comfort. The research of Richard Slatcher, a psychologist at the University of Georgia, and his colleagues suggests the massive loss of casual social contact has been partially offset by the increased strength of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F0020764020966631\"\u003Eimmediate family bonds\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and close friendships, which people generally value more. Part of the social readjustment may be about learning how to reallocate time and energy away from family and back to friends, colleagues and acquaintances, without losing the closeness built up with loved ones.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReadjust, slowly\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the process, it’s important to be patient and kind with ourselves. As the US National Social Anxiety Center \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnationalsocialanxietycenter.com\u002F2020\u002F09\u002F09\u002Fsocial-anxiety-during-the-pandemic-blessing-or-curse\u002F\"\u003Ehas advised\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, “keep in mind that every single one of us is now socially awkward to a certain extent”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere doesn’t need to be a rush to cast off the awkwardness, either. One of the few bright sides of the protracted process of vaccine rollout is that “that slowness of this process is going to aid in readjustment”, says Slatcher. He emphasises our resilience, adding, “Some of the stresses to come, like entertaining guests in one’s home again, will be enjoyable stress.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"new years wuhan china 2021","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd for those who think they may have a tougher time reintegrating into society, treatment for social-anxiety disorder can provide some insights. This frequently involves exposure therapy, or gradual exposure to uncomfortable situations in order to build up more tolerance for them. Despite social-distancing rules, there are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnationalsocialanxietycenter.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F27\u002Fhow-to-practice-exposure-therapy-for-social-anxiety-in-the-midst-of-a-quarantine\u002F\"\u003Estill ways to get in that exposure\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, such as exchanging comments on social media or sharing opinions to practise assertiveness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAvoidance of social situations can just \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC7467010\u002F\"\u003Ebreed more avoidance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So social-anxiety coach Genova encourages people to have no more than a couple of days of isolation in a row, where possible. Biologist Rivera, meanwhile, recommends “different types of environmental enrichment” to moderate the stress of isolation. This could include physical activity like bicycling, social activity like virtual coffee catchups, cognitive activity like brain-training games as well as emotional activity like therapy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, even if we have to steel ourselves these days to pick up the phone, awkwardly mime a hug or work out whether we’re comfortable when a friend suggests meeting up, it may help to remember the social resilience on display in pockets around the world. The instantly iconic photos of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-asia-china-53816511\"\u003Eswimming pool full of revellers in Wuhan, China\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, where the pandemic began, exemplify how the world will eventually be able to circle back socially.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-02-23T13:03:17Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why we may have to re-learn to socialise","headlineShort":"Why we may need to relearn to socialise","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"With socialising at a near halt during the pandemic, our social muscles have atrophied. We may have to re-train ourselves to be with others again – but how?","summaryShort":"As we return to seeing our family and friends, we may struggle to adjust","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-02-22T20:59:59.798179Z","entity":"article","guid":"1865f466-e3c6-4748-8bef-9442e67e3459","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:19:07.235235Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders","_id":"616ff6c045ceed612b26b94b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Blending both extrovert and introvert personality types can make you indispensable in the office – and finding that balance is a skill we can all master.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt's like asking someone if they're a cat person or a dog person – so basic, almost tribal: are you an extrovert or an introvert?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEach of these identities has its own strengths and weaknesses, yet it seems there's constant debate about which it is better to be. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fslate.com\u002Fhuman-interest\u002F2013\u002F08\u002Fintroverts-on-the-internet-a-match-made-in-heaven.html\"\u003ESome say\u003C\u002Fa\u003E the internet has a \"love affair\" with introverts, and that being an introvert is, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fintrovert_b_3790923\"\u003Eat long last, cool\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, particularly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fintrovert-tweets-march_l_5e855fc7c5b60bbd734efe5b\"\u003Eduring the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That's likely a reaction to a culture that has long seemed to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2012\u002Fapr\u002F01\u002Fsusan-cain-extrovert-introvert-interview\"\u003Ecelebrate and reward extroverts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, especially \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fwhy-does-america-love-its_b_4456437\"\u003Ein many Western countries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com.au\u002Fextrovert-career-success-advantages-psychology-study-2019-5\"\u003Eparticularly in the workforce\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, where they're able to use their natural people skills. Complicating things further, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2010\u002F12\u002Fthe-hidden-advantages-of-quiet-bosses\"\u003Esome research\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has shown that introverts can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fnews\u002Fon-leadership\u002Fwp\u002F2017\u002F04\u002F17\u002Fintroverts-tend-to-be-better-ceos-and-other-surprising-traits-of-top-performing-executives\u002F\"\u003Eoutshine extroverts as leaders\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, despite the fact that the confident demeanour of an extrovert fits many people's image of a typical CEO.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, which is it? Who has more of an edge, and who's more successful at work: bubbly, outgoing workers; or reserved, restrained ones? The answer, it turns out, is those who can be both: the chameleon-like ambivert.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBlending the best of both personality types can make you indispensable in the office, experts say. And although acting like both extrovert and introvert might feel tricky at times, it’s a skill we can all master, with a little practice.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe 'ambivert advantage'\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdam Grant, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, coined the term 'the ambivert advantage' in a 2013 study that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffaculty.wharton.upenn.edu\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2013\u002F06\u002FGrant_PsychScience2013.pdf\"\u003Echallenged notions of extroverts being more successful and productive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a sales environment. After studying 340 call-centre employees, Grant found that the workers who made the most sales revenue were those who fell in the middle of the extroversion scale. In fact, the results made a bell curve: the worst performers were the workers who were either extremely introverted, or extremely extroverted.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Because they naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening, ambiverts are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale,\" Grant writes in the study. But ambiverts are also \"more inclined to listen to customers' interests and less vulnerable to appearing too excited or overconfident\".\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKarl Moore, an associate professor of management at McGill University and associate fellow at Oxford University, who has studied ambiverts for years, estimates that 40% of top business leaders are extroverts, 40% are introverts and 20% are \"true ambiverts\", based on interviews with 350 C-suite executives. But he believes that the unprecedented circumstances created by the pandemic have forced leaders of all stripes to try and act more like ambiverts.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his upcoming book, We Are All Ambiverts Now, Moore says that the situation we were all thrust into required more leaders to call upon the strengths of both extroversion and introversion. For example, bosses needed to listen and take feedback in order to provide flexible and empathetic work environments for staff, but they also needed to broadcast clear and demonstrative enthusiasm to rally and guide the team into the unknown.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"What [the pandemic] means is that the CEO needs to listen a lot – a great leader is a great listener,\" says Moore. \"But [they] also need to be able to give the inspiring 'guys, I am confident we can make it through this crisis'.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E'Adapt to what's necessary'\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, whether it's sales figures or muddling through a once-in-a-century catastrophe, it's good to be an ambivert. But how do you become one?Actually, say the experts, it’s very doable. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20191030-the-helpful-upside-of-office-personality-tests\"\u003EMost of the popular personality tests\u003C\u002Fa\u003E will place you on a sliding scale of extroversion anyway, so ambiversion is likely within your grasp.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"It's more about adaptive leadership style\" than about thinking you need to re-haul your entire personality, says Alisa Cohn, a start-up and CEO coach based in New York City. \"I think it's less about working on your [perceived] weaknesses than it is about building up your ability to push yourself outside your comfort zone.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's not just CEOs who benefit from ambiversion either, she says. In fact, the earlier in your career you build these skills, the better, since \"the benefits will improve over time”. For people who identify as extroverts, this may mean being consciously quieter in meetings; for introverts, it may mean contributing more in meetings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"It might be a specific behaviour: to listen longer or to ask another question and listen to the answer. To be more extroverted, it might be to initiate conversation or make small talk,\" says Cohn. \"I like the idea of practising the behaviour three, four, five times a day in little micro doses so you can do that a lot more easily without getting exhausted. And then score yourself.\" Keep track of how often you do these things each day, and if you met your goal.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe also recommends spotting a role model you admire in your office who has the introvert or extrovert qualities you're looking to emulate, so you can watch their behaviour and model yours on them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMoore talks about working with an introverted CEO, Claude Mongeau, the former chief executive of Canadian National Railway, for his research. He says Mongeau worked with a leadership coach who gave him a clicker – like the one a bouncer outside a nightclub uses to count patrons – to keep track of every extroverted skill he practised each day. These were small things, like saying hello to someone or commenting on the weather. Moore says he was still very much an introvert, but realised to be an effective CEO, he had to channel his extroverted side.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoore, an extrovert himself, says that channelling his inner ambivert has helped him in his own career, both as a researcher and for his radio show, in which he interviews CEOs. “On my radio show, 98% of the time I'm quiet, because I'm asking [the guest] a question, 'Where are you from, what does your family do?'.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing an ambivert means being aware of your own natural social style, and knowing when the situation may call for just the opposite: \"The most successful leaders are the ones who can recognise a situation and adapt their style as necessary,\" says Cohn.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAvoiding the mental toll\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe only downside is that this adaptation can wear you down. \"You need to act like both. The problem is, it's exhausting,\" says Moore.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut remember, being an extrovert or an introvert comes down to how you are energised – either from the outside world or your internal one. So, when you try to go against natural preferences, it uses more \"mental calories\", says Cohn, and it's important to refill that mental energy tank.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor introverts, that might mean a solitary afternoon at home with a book or if you're at work, a 15-minute break outside alone on a bench. For extroverts, it might mean surrounding yourself with people. Moore says his preferred ‘extrovert break’ when he's on business is to find a restaurant and sit at the bar for dinner, so he can talk to other patrons. \"It stimulates me. It gets my dopamine levels going, because I'm with people.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's important to reiterate that few people are 100% one or the other. But becoming an ambivert is something more active; it's deciding which switch to flip, and when. Sharpening that skill could mean all the difference – not just for you, but for the people you work with, too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECohn says one of her clients, an introverted manager, worked hard to strengthen his extroverted side by talking more in meetings, and responding more enthusiastically with confirming gestures like nodding. The result? His team \"felt like there was more harmony in the meeting\", says Cohn. \"It made them feel more important and empowered.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"It wasn't about him,\" she says. \"It was about other people feeling heard, feeling met.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders-4"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why ambiverts are better leaders","headlineShort":"Why ambiverts are better leaders","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Blending both extrovert and introvert personality types can make you indispensable in the office – and finding that balance is a skill we can all master.","summaryShort":"The hybrid personality type that can help you succeed and excel","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-22T21:28:04.19992Z","entity":"article","guid":"6f2ddcf4-607d-41f4-af72-540b5141e467","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:20:45.752411Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world","_id":"616ff6ca45ceed68cc396645","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic has kept us from our workplaces, and changed our personalities as a result. As we dive back in, we can take steps to empower ourselves back to normal.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMaybe you've been asked to chair Monday morning's team meeting – actually in person in a physical office – and you're feeling an uncharacteristic flutter of nerves in your stomach. What's more, you're going to have to set an alarm to make the 0700 train into the city. You're tossing and turning in bed the night before, fretting about the early start.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you're wondering what's happened to you, you're not alone. The last months have forced many of us into reclusive lifestyles with unstructured schedules. You might feel profoundly changed by the pandemic, and wonder how on earth you're going to adapt to life in the office again.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut you can.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can think of your personality traits – such as your boldness, friendliness and ambition – as akin to your set of inbuilt strategies for coping with life as well as relating to other people. For much of the last century, the received wisdom in psychology was that these traits are fixed early in life: American psychologist and philosopher William James \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.co.uk\u002Fbooks\u002Fedition\u002FThe_Principles_of_Psychology\u002FLusgKkvz9rwC\"\u003Efamously pegged the solidifying moment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at age 30.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the perspective of most personality experts today is very different. Humans are by nature highly adaptable. We're always learning and changing, and this applies to our traits. A range of new findings, including many longitudinal studies that have tracked the same people through their lives, show that although personality is relatively stable, it is to an extent malleable, even in later life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has major implications for how we think about the personal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how we might best prepare ourselves for re-entry after months of on-off lockdowns. Thankfully, you can now exploit the malleability of personality to get yourself into the optimal psychological shape for re-entry into the world of work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBroad patterns of change\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile our genes lay the foundations for our particular personality – programming our ‘factory settings' – that is not the whole story; life events, social roles and relationships can and do shape us, too. And, for many people, few life events have been as radical or tumultuous as the pandemic. We won't have been changed in a uniform way. There hasn't been a shift to a single ‘lockdown personality', because the pandemic has been different for everyone.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, for many of us, there will have been some broad patterns of change that will pose distinct challenges as restrictions ease.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"By working to restore or even enhance your conscientiousness, you'll be better placed to meet your deadlines, organise your workflow and excel in your duties","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, if, like most people, you've been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise\"\u003Eunable to socialise much\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, especially in person, and you've spent a good deal of time alone, then it's likely that you will have experienced a significant decline in trait extroversion. Over time, you might have come to feel less energetic and sociable. Challenges that used to feel like a breeze might now seem daunting. Studies have shown that loneliness can trigger reduced extroversion, and prompt a series of psychological changes that then can further exacerbate the situation, such as a heightened fear of slights and rejection.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, if you've experienced unemployment during the pandemic, or your employment was suspended for weeks or months at a time, you might well have experienced drops in your trait conscientiousness (your levels of self-discipline and ambition). Research has shown that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2015-04970-001\"\u003Eunemployment has this effect because of the loss of structure to our days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as well as the loss of work-based reward for diligence, punctuality and effort. This might manifest as a decline in your motivation levels, and a lapse into a less structured lifestyle.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs vaccination programmes gather pace, and restrictions hopefully continue to ease in many countries across the globe, economic commentators are predicting that the world won't just return to how it was before the pandemic. Rather, it will rebound with force – the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-56932023\"\u003Eeconomy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-57008220\"\u003Ejob opportunities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are set to rise at a pace not seen for a generation. This could be an exciting time for many people's careers, but it might also feel daunting, especially if the pandemic has shaped you to become more introverted and less conscientious.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERevitalising extroversion\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is nothing inherently wrong with being introverted, of course. But if your chosen career involves socialising, leadership and high energy, then by boosting your extroversion, you will find it easier to mix again in teams, to network and seize opportunities as they arise. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, by working to restore or even enhance your conscientiousness, you'll be better placed to meet your deadlines, organise your workflow and excel in your duties.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn Be Who You Want, I explain how you can deliberately change your traits both from the inside out and the outside in. For example, as you prepare for re-entry, to boost your trait extroversion from the inside out, you could practise trying to be more optimistic. Strong extroverts are more optimistic than average, and this is what motivates them to seek out reward – they expect things to go well.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most empirically supported exercises for boosting optimism is the so-called \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0222386\"\u003EBest Possible Self Intervention\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Spend half an hour or so each week imagining yourself in the future, after everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded at accomplishing all the goals of your life. Repeat this exercise and over time you should find your willingness to engage and take risks increases.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, there are ways to revitalise your extroversion from the outside in – for instance, if you have a romantic partner, friend or friends who bring you out of your shell, plan to spend more time with them if you can. Our close relationships represent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Ffulltext\u002F2017-05125-003.html\"\u003Ean important influence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on our personality traits. Most importantly, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1467-8721.2009.01657.x\"\u003Edifferent people\u003C\u002Fa\u003E tend to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F15298868.2016.1194314\"\u003Ebring out different aspects of our characters\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. By being more strategic about who you spend your time with, you can rediscover the more outgoing side to your character.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBoosting conscientiousness\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, there are ways to reinstate your trait conscientiousness from the inside out, for example by checking your beliefs about willpower. Do you see it as akin to a fuel that is drained by demand, or as more like a dynamo that generates power with use? Try to practise seeing effort as rewarding and self-sustaining. People who take this view \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fdx.doi.org\u002F10.1111\u002Fjopy.12225\"\u003Etend to be protected from fatigue and distraction\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, showing performance gains the longer they work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou might also tune into the way your emotions could be causing you to be avoidant. Procrastination used to be considered a time-management issue, but psychologists today recognise that it's an emotional problem. Address your fears around a task (don't forget to ask for help if you need it) and then identify the very next step you need to take to progress.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Just because the pandemic changed you in ways that are counterproductive for the modern workplace doesn't mean you can't take ameliorative steps to adapt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou can also work on your conscientiousness from the outside in, by making tweaks to your environment that facilitate your goals; for instance, make a habit of preparing in the evening what you will need for work the next morning, wear headphones in an open-plan office to block out distraction and use apps to set limits to your social-media use. Highly conscientious people don't have more willpower; rather, they're more savvy at avoiding temptation in the first place. As you prepare for re-entry, you can establish supportive habits to help you rediscover the self-discipline you had before the pandemic. Over time, it will become second nature again.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood news about progress\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe good news is that simply by recognising how you might have been changed by recent events, you've already taken a crucial first step in preparing for re-entry. So, be honest about the current version of you, and then take heart that change goes both ways: just because the pandemic changed you in ways that are counterproductive for the modern workplace doesn't mean you can't take ameliorative steps to adapt.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext, the more specific your plans for personal change, the more likely you are to succeed. Merely wishing for the best is unlikely to be helpful. Lay out a clear plan and then stick to it – persistence is key.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso, recruit the help of others if you can. Tell them what you're trying to achieve; even better, see if they want to join you. Accountability to others will give you a motivational boost, and make the process of personality change much more fun.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinally, your manager has a key role to play here, too – if you can, it's worth letting them know that you and other members of your team might have been changed by what everyone's been through. We need our team leaders to be patient: it's going to take us a little time to rediscover our former selves, but we will. And managers – be supportive and communicate clearly what's expected of your team as they re-enter the world of work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe've been through a lot. Let's help each other get back to business. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChristian Jarrett is author of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsychologywriter.org.uk\u002Fbe-who-you-want\u002F\"\u003EBe Who You Want: Unlocking The Science Of Personality Change\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-11T16:45:33Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How to train your personality to re-enter the world","headlineShort":"How to prepare yourself for re-entry","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic has kept us from our workplaces, and changed our personalities as a result. As we dive back in, we can take steps to empower ourselves back to normal.","summaryShort":"The pandemic has changed your personality – here's how to change it back","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-10T20:00:54.668155Z","entity":"article","guid":"99b9fe07-af40-4887-b84a-266540082e8a","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:24:29.525409Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety","_id":"616ff68445ceed48ec13a086","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fdavid-robson"],"bodyIntro":"We often cringe after conversations, convinced we made a bad impression. But research says we may be more likeable than we think.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter meeting someone for the first time, do you see yourself as a glittering conversationalist, a kind of Wildean wit whose \u003Cem\u003Ebons mots\u003C\u002Fem\u003E sparkled and delighted? Or do you find yourself wincing at every possible \u003Cem\u003Efaux pas\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, imagining all the ways you may have bored or offended?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you identify with the former description, you are in the minority. Multiple studies show the average person takes a rather low opinion of their conversational abilities, and the social impressions they leave.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn most situations, we are often much more pleasant company than we imagine, yet we forget all the cues of friendliness towards us, and think we were irritating or dull. It is as if we are remembering a completely different conversation from the one that actually happened.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mismatch between our perceptions of our social performance, and others’ opinions of us, is known as the “liking gap”, and it may limit our ability to form connections in our personal lives, and also stand in the way of mutually beneficial collaborations at work. Like many of our brain’s biases, the liking gap can be hard to correct – but the latest research suggests there are ways to overcome this common form of social anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPersonal inspiration\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe initial investigation into the liking gap was inspired by the personal experience of Erica Boothby and Gus Cooney, who are both psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania, US. Boothby was talking to a new acquaintance one day, as Cooney sat close-by. To Cooney, it was obvious that the conversation had gone well – yet Boothby was distinctly worried about the impression she had given.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09x8mcc"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man in center holds a drink while laughing with friends on either side of him","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESuspecting this was a common phenomenon, they set about devising \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0956797618783714\"\u003Ea series of experiments to test people’s impressions of their encounters with others\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the first study, they paired up students for five-minute ice-breaking conversations, then asked them to rate how much they liked them, with questions on whether they wanted to talk to the person again, or whether they imagined being friends. Each participant was also asked to guess how the other person would answer those questions: whether \u003Cem\u003Ethey\u003C\u002Fem\u003E would want to meet again or would like to be friends.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs suspected, they found that most participant’s estimations of their partner’s responses were consistently – and unrealistically – pessimistic. In general, each person had made a better impression than they thought they had – offering the first evidence for the liking gap.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be sure it was a common phenomenon, the team replicated the experiment among general members of the public attending various personal development workshops. Time and again, they found a liking gap in the participants’ responses.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne study examined the impressions of university dorm-mates, with questionnaires in September – when they first met – and follow-ups in October, December, February and May. The researchers found the liking gap, firmly established on the first meeting, persisted for several months, until the roomies had eventually formed a more stable relationship with more accurate judgements of each other’s feelings. “It lasted for the better part of a year,” says Cooney.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The mismatch between our perceptions of our social performance, and others’ opinions of us, is known as the “liking gap”","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou might expect gender differences in the results, but – at least for the platonic relationships that they have been investigating – Boothby and Cooney’s research suggests that the liking gap is equally important for men and women.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir latest paper, published earlier this year, looked at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS074959782030399X\"\u003Ethe liking gap in groups\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, including teams of engineers. They found that the phenomenon is just as present in group meetings as it is in one-on-one conversations – with the participants consistently underestimating how much their teammates liked them. And that seemed to have important consequences for the workplace. The greater the liking gap between someone and their peer, the less comfortable they felt asking for advice or giving feedback, and the less interested they were in collaborating again.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMissed signals \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe liking gap may simply arise from too much introspection. We are so busy worrying about the impression we’ve given – and agonising over every tiny thing that we might have said wrong – that we miss all the positive signals. We don’t notice someone’s laughter or encouraging smile or the warmth in their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis tendency seems to emerge when we’re very young. Wouter Wolf and colleagues at Duke University, US, recently asked pairs of children to build a tower block together. After,  the researchers asked them to rate how much they liked their partner, and how much their partner liked them. Four-year-olds showed no evidence of the liking gap – they correctly appraised how much their partner liked them. By five, however, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F0956797620980754\"\u003Ethe children were already underestimating the chances that their new acquaintance would want to be their friend\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09x8mzt"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two girls in a dorm room. Left one girl sits on a bed while focusing on her laptop, right one girl sits at a desk while focusing on her laptop.","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“When you're very young, you might just assume that if someone’s nice to me, then they actually feel that way about me,” says Wolf, who is now an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “Young children don’t really have this notion of politeness.” As the child gets older, however, they start to realise that people may be covering up their irritation or boredom. “There’s more uncertainty in relating someone’s behaviour to how they actually feel about you.” And this means that they start second-guessing other people’s reactions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA little self-awareness can, of course, be healthy. “It could make sense for me to call out some of my flaws, so that I could correct them next time I talked,” says Cooney. No-one wants to find out that they’ve been an unwitting irritation to their acquaintances. But many of us are far too pessimistic. And those judgements prevent us from connecting with people who may really appreciate us, despite our slightly clumsy conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStranger danger?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research on the liking gap echoes \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1080\u002F15298868.2020.1816568\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Enumerous studies examining our general fears of talking to strangers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E like taxi drivers, waiters or people in the park. In general, we imagine that conversations with others will be much more arduous than they really are – which of course, means that we are less likely to start chatting in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People are just terrified of the awkward silence,” says Gillian Sandstrom at the University of Essex, UK. It seems that both before and after our interactions, we let negative thinking cloud our judgement of what could otherwise be a pleasant encounter.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The phenomenon is just as present in group meetings as it is in one-on-one conversations","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESandstrom, who was also a co-author on the original liking-gap study, had suspected that a little bit of education about the art of conversation might ease our anxieties. But an intervention along these lines didn’t end up having much effect on participants’ subsequent experiences of a conversation with a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe suspects that the tips might have simply drawn the participants’ attention to the ways they could slip up – amplifying their negative internal voice. “They might become stuck inside their own head.” Sandstrom’s work suggests that repeated practice is the best way to ease our anxieties: the more people talk to strangers, the less they worry about their ability to do so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Cooney, the basic understanding of the liking gap has provided an inoculation against the usual social anxieties. “It just jogs me out of that negative thinking,” he says. If you do find yourself agonising over a conversation, he suggests you put yourself in the other person’s shoes, and question whether the person would have really noticed or remembered the supposed faux pas.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the few cases that you have dropped a real clanger, you can frame the embarrassment as a lesson learnt, which will improve your next meeting. Most of the time, however, you can go easy on yourself. The chances are that you were more much more likeable than you think.\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 in early 2022.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-01T16:04:25Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why you make better first impressions than you think","headlineShort":"Why people like you more than you think","image":["p09x8mss"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two people holding mugs converse on a bench outside a coffee shop","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210218-why-we-may-have-to-re-learn-to-socialise","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-why-ambiverts-are-better-leaders","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-how-to-train-your-personality-to-re-enter-the-world"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"We often cringe after conversations, convinced we made a bad impression. But research says we may be more likeable than we think.","summaryShort":"We are overly paranoid about the way we are perceived","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-30T18:53:42.336135Z","entity":"article","guid":"c9dd8818-83d3-46c1-b3c1-e9fa7557d7d3","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-30T19:06:01.649003Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods","_id":"616ff67b45ceed3a5f163844","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Spending $200 on French fries or €5,000 on a burger seems utterly improbable. But consumers across the world are increasingly willing to shell out for over-the-top dishes.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Golden Opulence Sundae at New York City’s Serendipity3 restaurant lives up to its name: three scoops of Tahitian vanilla ice cream are topped with 23-karat edible gold leaf, spoonfuls of Grand Passion dessert caviar, a handcrafted gilded sugar orchid and Amedei Porcelana and Chuao chocolate, made from rare Venezuelan beans. The dish is served in a Baccarat Harcourt crystal goblet, and must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance to give the restaurant time to procure the exotic ingredients. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt $1,000 (£730), it’s far more than Chantha Thach ever imagined spending on a dessert. “For me, growing up middle-class, $1,000 is someone's rent – maybe not New York rent, but someone's rent somewhere,” says the personal trainer. But in December 2019, her aunt and cousins came from Ohio for their first real visit in nearly a decade, and before lunch at Serendipity3, her aunt revealed a surprise: she had ordered the sundae. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShared among the table of six, tasting the dessert worked out at just under $170 per person. And the way Thach describes the experience, it was worth every penny. “I literally savoured every spoonful,” she says. “I mean, obviously it was the best dessert I've ever had in my life.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of superlative is exactly what the dish was designed for. It was added to Serendipity3’s menu in 2004 for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=RVxKm2TELAQ&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=GuinnessWorldRecords\"\u003EGuinness World Records title of “most expensive dessert”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The restaurant also holds the records for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.guinnessworldrecords.com\u002Fworld-records\u002Fmost-expensive-sandwich\"\u003Emost expensive sandwich\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (a $214 grilled cheese paired with South African lobster tomato bisque), the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.guinnessworldrecords.com\u002Fworld-records\u002F515082-most-expensive-milkshake\"\u003Emost expensive milkshake\u003C\u002Fa\u003E ($100, served in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted glass) and, as of July 2021, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.guinnessworldrecords.com\u002Fworld-records\u002F655477-most-expensive-french-fries-chips\"\u003Emost expensive French fries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E ($200, blanched with Dom Pérignon champagne and topped with truffle salt, truffle oil, truffled cheeses and shaved black truffles).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe restaurant is hardly alone in its pursuit of culinary extravagance. In Voorthuizen, Netherlands, De Daltons restaurant debuted a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frobbreport.com\u002Ffood-drink\u002Fdining\u002Fworlds-most-expensive-burger-1234622819\u002F\"\u003E€5,000 burger\u003C\u002Fa\u003E last month, featuring the highest-grade A5 Japanese wagyu beef, Alaskan king crab and Iberico ham. In Las Vegas, Wally’s Wines and Spirits is now offering diners a chance to spend their winnings on a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvegas.eater.com\u002F2021\u002F7\u002F15\u002F22578670\u002Fwallys-wine-spirits-expensive-dry-aged-rib-eye-steak-resorts-world-open\"\u003E$1,000 200-day dry-aged rib-eye steak\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And one high-end culinary creation that lives on in lore is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flondonist.com\u002F2016\u002F07\u002Fworld-s-most-expensive-cronut-goes-on-sale-in-shoreditch\"\u003Ea caviar-laden cronut for £1,500\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, from London’s Dum Dum Donutterie.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile shelling out eye-watering sums for a slab of meat or a plate of fried potatoes may seem ludicrous to some, these dishes are an effective marketing trick – as demonstrated by weeks-long waiting lists and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=rNuIOpfA2HA\"\u003E‘\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=rNuIOpfA2HA\"\u003EI tried it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=rNuIOpfA2HA\"\u003E’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=rNuIOpfA2HA\"\u003E-style\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=7zi0bi-RDj4&ab_channel=MrBeast\"\u003EYouTube videos\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that rack up tens of millions of views. Even as the pandemic has dampened opportunities (and, in many cases, appetites) for conspicuous consumption, why do these big-budget menu items remain so popular? Do we feel like now, more than ever, we deserve a treat? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimed to splurge?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Serendipity3, at least, the pricey French fries were intended to drum up excitement around the restaurant’s reopening after more than a year of renovations and pandemic-related closures. Beyond generating headlines, the dish also quickly racked up a 10-week waiting list.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat the publicity stunt was successful comes as no surprise to Aaron Allen, founder of Chicago-based restaurant consultancy Aaron Allen & Associates. As a restaurant, introducing an over-the-top menu item “is a great way of being able to capture attention”, he says. Serendipity3 earned ample publicity for its gilded sundae when it was released, and now its latest product appears to be made for the post-pandemic climate. With more people feeling comfortable travelling and dining out, the timing is right to offer a dish that’s decadent, but not completely out of reach for the customer who’s eager to splurge.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We've all been locked up long enough that spending 20%, 30%, 40% more at a restaurant doesn't feel like it has to be reserved for birthdays and anniversaries anymore – Aaron Allen","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“We've all been locked up long enough that spending 20%, 30%, 40% more at a restaurant doesn't feel like it has to be reserved for birthdays and anniversaries anymore,” he says. This shift in customers’ attitudes is also encouraging more restaurants to add lavish dishes like Tomahawk steaks – an extra-large, head-turning ribeye cut – for two or four people to their menus, where they previously may have balked at the price, he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Anat Keinan, an associate professor of marketing at Boston University, US, people may be more willing to indulge when circumstances nudge them towards taking a long-term perspective. In her research, she’s found that when you ask people about their regrets and priorities in the short-term, they tend to focus on concerns such as not working hard enough, not dieting or exercising enough or not saving enough money. By contrast, when you ask them to think back over the past five or 10 years, or look to the future, they tend to prioritise and regret missing out on pleasurable experiences.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECircumstances like travel (as in the case of Thach’s aunt), as well as major events like the pandemic, encourage this kind of long-range perspective. People become more inclined to say, “‘Oh, you know what, I don't want to miss out on opportunities to be happy and have these special experiences with my family, with my friends,’” says Keinan. “And that allows them to have these special experiences without feeling guilty.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese over-the-top dishes check all the boxes of what Keinan refers to as “collectible experiences”: they’re iconic, rare (as demonstrated by the waitlists), unique, extreme and Instagrammable. Together, these qualities make for a memorable experience – one that’s enjoyed not just in the moment, but also through anticipation in the lead-up and with photos and memories afterwards. When we have special occasions that we want to commemorate, “we want these unique and memorable and rare experiences to help mark these occasions”, she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen Thach had her decadent meal, her aunt was celebrating the successful year she’d had with her business. To her niece, she emphasised that an indulgence like the ice cream sundae “is a life experience that doesn't come often or easy, and she's worked really hard to get to this point so she wanted to share that with me”, says Thach. “I think that's why it meant more to me than just like, 'Oh, I spent $1,000 on this dessert'. lt meant a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The Emirates effect’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, it wouldn’t have been difficult to ring up a comparable tab for a full meal at a high-end restaurant in the city. But part of the attraction of a novelty item like an over-the-top pastry or burger is its high-low appeal: it’s a food that’s usually affordable and widely accessible – much like a plate of fries or a burger.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Everybody knows what it's like to eat a burger,” says Leigh Caldwell, a cognitive economist, partner at London-based Irrational Agency and author of The Psychology of Price. “So, you're more likely to notice that there's a €5,000 burger than if it was some kind of fancy tasting menu from [New York City’s three-Michelin-Star] Eleven Madison Park. You wouldn't see that as relevant to yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd even if you don’t splurge on the big-ticket order, its very existence may change your experience of dining at that restaurant. Caldwell points to what he refers to as “the Emirates effect”, in reference to the airline’s ultra-luxurious first-class private suites.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Even if you're flying economy for $400, you still have this idea that some of that magic of the $30,000 flying apartment in the sky is going to spill over into your little economy seat at the back,” he says. Similarly, with a $200 plate of fries, “this one item has a halo effect and makes you think that the rest of the menu, the rest of the experience that you're going to get is still something quite special”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis, he offers, is one reason Burger King debuted a limited-run \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Flifeandstyle\u002Fwordofmouth\u002F2008\u002Fjun\u002F19\u002Fthe95burger\"\u003E£95 ($130) Waygu beef burger\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2008; even if few people got to taste the menu item, it furthered the chain’s messaging of being a more premium fast-food option. “The information contained in a price does many of the same things that a well-managed brand does,” says Utpal Dholakia, a professor of marketing at Rice University. “It creates all these associations in your mind about what to expect and what the quality of the product will be like.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven if the only thing you knew about the Golden Opulence Sundae were its price, he says, you’d already have a vivid image in your mind about what it might look and taste like – and, more importantly to the restaurant, what kind of experience you might have there, no matter what you order.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a marketing move, it has the opposite effect of, say, offering a Groupon for 99-cent French fries, he says. It draws in customers who are likely less price-sensitive and gives the restaurant more pricing power over the overall menu. “If you want to communicate that you have a certain quality, a certain ambience, a certain experience,” says Dholakia, “a really effective way to do that is with a really high price.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the pandemic continues to limit consumers’ spending opportunities, every trip and restaurant meal now feels, to many, like a special occasion. So, long as diners are in such a celebratory mood, why not fill the void with gold leaf and caviar?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“With the way we have lived our lives in the last year-and-a-half, many of us are itching to do these types of things,” says Dholakia, “so this is an opportune time to offer these kinds of outsized experiences.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-27T21:54:16Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why people pay thousands for opulent 'experience' foods","headlineShort":"Why there's a wait list for $200 fries","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Spending $200 on French fries or €5,000 on a burger seems utterly improbable. But consumers across the world are increasingly willing to shell out for over-the-top dishes.","summaryShort":"Why some people are paying thousands to taste opulent 'experience dishes'","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-26T19:55:18.396663Z","entity":"article","guid":"aeb697b2-56a9-4376-9085-2ee2bc0d7aa3","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:28:22.149492Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes","_id":"616ff6cb45ceed68203beca5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"In a year of travel restrictions, aviation-related experiences have become a proxy for the freedoms and frivolities of our pre-pandemic lives.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EKaryn Thomas hasn’t set foot outside Australia since October 2019, but she has chased the vivid green glow of the Southern Lights through the skies just north of Antarctica. That’s because the avid traveller was on the first-ever \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.chimuadventures.com\u002Fen-au\u002Fsouthern-lights-flight-day-trip-sydney\"\u003EAurora Australis flight\u003C\u002Fa\u003E earlier this month, organised by the company Chimu Adventures, which chartered a Qantas Dreamliner for an adventure that began and ended at Sydney Airport. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Arriving at the airport late in the afternoon with bags packed was very exciting,” says Thomas, a keen photographer. “Getting on the plane you had the pillow, the blankets and the snack packs, so it did bring back memories of international travel and the excitement. Everyone felt like they were going somewhere special – the same as going overseas.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAustralia’s borders have been closed for more than a year because of the pandemic (this week it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-australia-56796679\"\u003Eopened a travel ‘bubble’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with New Zealand), so the 10-hour trip offered the kind of plane adventure that is otherwise inaccessible at the moment. It’s one of several such experiences that have become popular over the past year. When Qantas offered a seven-hour ‘flight to nowhere’ in October out of Sydney that flew passengers over the Outback and Great Barrier Reef, seats reportedly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2020-09-18\u002Fqantas-flight-to-nowhere-sells-out-in-10-minutes\u002F12676570\"\u003Esold out in fewer than 10 minutes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Other airlines have launched pop-up restaurants inside jumbo jets, tours of crew training facilities and at-home delivery of in-flight meals – all of which have become hot-ticket items even as the airline industry deals with its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iata.org\u002Fen\u002Fpressroom\u002Fpr\u002F2021-02-03-02\u002F\"\u003Eworst-ever crisis\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a year of travel restrictions and cancelled plans, these kinds of aviation-related experiences seem to have become a proxy for the freedoms and frivolities of our pre-pandemic lives. And for the airlines, these new creative endeavours have helped keep brands in the public eye – and remind some of us of the excitement of flying at a time when we feel more grounded than ever. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe rise of airline experiences\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENiche plane experiences actually pre-date the pandemic. In 2017, Tokyo-based entertainment company First Airlines began offering faux flights in which visitors entered a mock plane, settled into a fake first-class seat and used VR goggles to journey around the world while enjoying “in-flight” meals. Bookings were reportedly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-health-coronavirus-japan-vr-travel\u002Fvirtually-identical-grounded-japanese-try-foreign-holidays-with-a-difference-idUSKCN258179\"\u003Eup 50% last year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but there’s now competition from real airlines that have branched out in imaginative ways.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Dining experience on an A380 at Singapore's Changi airport 31 Oct 2020","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELike Qantas, Royal Brunei Airlines and Taiwan’s EVA Air have offered ‘flights to nowhere’. Singapore Airlines initially planned one, too, but dropped the idea amid criticism over its environmental impact. It then launched a pop-up restaurant on A380 double-decker superjumbos parked at Changi Airport, which ran for two weekends in October with meals costing up to S$600 ($450, £325). It also ran tours of its training facilities last year, and is currently operating an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.krisshop.com\u002Fen\u002Fstore\u002Fsiahome\"\u003Eat-home meal delivery service\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that has received nearly 1,500 orders (each of which is intended for two people) since 5 October. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"With the Covid-19 pandemic drastically reducing the number of flights operated by the SIA Group, we created unique activities that would allow us to engage with our fans and customers,” says Lee Lik Hsin, Executive VP-Commercial at Singapore Airlines. This remains the primary goal, he adds, because while these activities have brought in a bit of much-needed cash, “they will not make up for the significant drop in airline revenue”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJapan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) has experimented in a similar way; it ran a 1.5-hour \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.anahd.co.jp\u002Fgroup\u002Fen\u002Fpr\u002Fsnapshot\u002F20200825.html\"\u003EHawaii-themed sightseeing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E 'flight to nowhere’ in August; has sold 34,000 food sets for at-home dining; and has a new restaurant on a Boeing 777 at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, with meals that cost up to ¥59,800 ($550, £395) in “first class”. Ryu Arashi, manager of corporate communications for ANA, explains that these kinds of activities have offered “new opportunities to generate revenue with the assets we possess, and at the same time, these ideas have been a great way to communicate with our customers”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"View out of plane window on ANA 'Hawaii flight'","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMilena Nikolova, author of Behavioural Economics for Tourism, sees these new experiences as a clever way to keep brands alive and top of mind. “A crisis is actually a good time to be super smart about your marketing and maintain visibility,” she says. “By finding a creative way to adapt, these airlines can work on their brand identity, which is going to be important when the market recovers because the competition will be fierce.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experiences the airlines are offering play into nostalgia customers may be feeling about the fact that they can’t currently travel, she adds. “This is, from a psychological point of view, a smart thing [for airlines] to do.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A tangible link to the before times’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBritish Airways, Finnair and El Al Israel Airlines have also offered some form of meal-delivery during the pandemic, but the majority of these new airline experiences have been launched in the Asia-Pacific region. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELower Covid-19 caseloads and stricter border closures could partly explain why, but perceptions of local airlines may also play a role. Residents of large nations such as the United States, which has nearly a dozen major carriers, tend to have far less affection for their airlines, says Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, but in some Asia-Pacific nations the situation is different. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think what’s important to understand is that, in many countries, airlines are a source of pride,” he explains, adding that to work for Asia’s top carriers is considered a very prestigious job. Flying in a premium cabin is also a fairly luxurious experience, with food so well-received that some regional airlines even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.amazon.com\u002FAbove-Beyond-Collection-Singapore-International\u002Fdp\u002F9812617604\"\u003Epublish their own cookbooks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Flag carriers such as Singapore Airlines or Thai Airways are still regarded with a lot of respect and are viewed as an extension of the country,” notes Harteveldt. “They’re a bridge from that country to other parts of the world,” which is why loyal customers have been so attracted to these novel experiences.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Hawaii-themed ANA 'flight to nowhere'","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd of course, while there will always be aviation enthusiasts who just really like planes, there are understandable psychological reasons why a broader range of people might want to embrace any kind of travel-related activity they can right now.  “[Planes] represent the freedom to explore, the freedom to conduct your business and the freedom from being bound to the Earth,” says Harteveldt. “They’re a tangible link to the before times.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENikolova, the behavioural economics expert, agrees. “When you think about it, planes are probably the crappiest part of the trip,” she says. “It’s just that they are an accessible proxy for the sense of being free and the sense of being able to go places.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Felt like an adventure’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause many of us can’t – or won’t – fly at the moment, Nikolova says we may be temporarily romanticising the experience – and, as a result, some people are embracing activities that replicate parts of it. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut she doesn’t believe that these activities will last long after the pandemic subsides, or that they’ll feed into a renewed love affair with flying. She suspects that while we’ll probably enjoy our first few post-pandemic flights, this feeling will wear off quickly as new hygiene norms radically alter the comfort of the experience in the same way new security norms did after the 9\u002F11 attacks.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, while we’re grounded, a big-ticket experience on a plane or even a compact meal served in an aluminium tray has proved to be a rewarding way for some people to scratch the travel itch – or indulge in a little escapism. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThomas says that everyone on her aurora flight from Sydney “was excited to be on a holiday, even though it was only 10 hours”. Sure, they may have taken off and landed at the same airport. “But it felt like we’d gone away and had this massive adventure.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The creative experiences indulging our nostalgia for planes","headlineShort":"The people on board 'flight to nowhere'","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Aurora Australis, taken from a plane on 10 April 2021","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"In a year of travel restrictions, aviation-related experiences have become a proxy for the freedoms and frivolities of our pre-pandemic lives.","summaryShort":"Some are taking part in creative experiences to satisfy their hunger to fly","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-04-21T20:01:17.553716Z","entity":"article","guid":"2b3736d2-2c64-4784-b711-09a166d68c51","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:22:13.587149Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start","_id":"616ff68145ceed375838fe66","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Why do we tend to assume that fun events will go by really quickly?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor many people, vacations can’t come soon enough – especially for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.valuepenguin.com\u002Fnews\u002Famericans-cancel-travel-coronavirus\"\u003Ethe half of Americans who canceled their summer plans\u003C\u002Fa\u003E last year due to the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut when a vacation approaches, do you ever get the feeling that it’s almost over before it starts?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf so, you’re not alone.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1247\"\u003EIn some recent studies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.business.rutgers.edu\u002Ffaculty\u002Fgabriela-tonietto\"\u003EGabriela Tonietto\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rotman.utoronto.ca\u002FFacultyAndResearch\u002FFaculty\u002FFacultyBios\u002FMaglio.aspx\"\u003ESam Maglio\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Feccles.utah.edu\u002Fteam\u002Feric-vanepps\u002F\"\u003EEric VanEpps\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and I conducted, we found that about half of the people we surveyed indicated that their upcoming weekend trip felt like it would end as soon as it started.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis feeling can have a ripple effect. It can change the way trips are planned – you might, for example, be less likely to schedule extra activities. At the same time, you might be more likely to splurge on an expensive dinner because you want to make the best of the little time you think you have.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhere does this tendency come from? And can it be avoided?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENot all events are created equal\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen people look forward to something, they usually want it to happen as soon as possible and last as long as possible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe first explored the effect of this attitude in the context of Thanksgiving.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe chose Thanksgiving because almost everyone in the US celebrates it, but not everyone looks forward to it. Some people love the annual family get-together. Others – whether it’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.huffpost.com\u002Fentry\u002Fpsychologists-thanksgiving-dinner-stress_n_59ee86b1e4b03535fa937e9c\"\u003Ethe stress of cooking\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fthetakeout.com\u002Fsurvey-americans-hate-doing-dishes-on-thanksgiving-1845653105\"\u003Ethe tedium of cleaning\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fdreading-thanksgiving-with-the-family-follow-this-advice-1542118843\"\u003Ethe anxiety of dealing with family drama\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – dread it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The more participants looked forward to their Thanksgiving festivities, the farther away it seemed and shorter it felt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, on the Monday before Thanksgiving in 2019, we \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1247\"\u003Esurveyed 510 people online\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and asked them to tell us whether they were looking forward to the holiday. Then we asked them how far away it seemed, and how long they felt it would last. We had them move a 100-point slider – 0 meaning very short and 100 meaning very long – to a location that reflected their feelings.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we suspected, the more participants looked forward to their Thanksgiving festivities, the farther away it seemed and shorter it felt. Ironically, longing for something seems to shrink its duration in the mind’s eye.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWinding the mind’s clock\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost people believe the idiom “time flies when you’re having fun”, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1177\u002F0956797609354832\"\u003Eand research\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has, indeed, shown that when time seems to pass by quickly, people assume the task must have been engaging and enjoyable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe reasoned that people might be over-applying their assumption about the relationship between time and fun when judging the duration of events yet to happen.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, people tend to reflexively assume that fun events – like vacations – will go by really quickly. Meanwhile, pining for something can make the time leading up to the event seem to drag. The combination of its beginning pushed farther away in their minds – with its end pulled closer – resulted in our participants’ anticipating that something they looked forward would feel as if it had almost no duration at all.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1247\"\u003EIn another study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, we asked participants to imagine going on a weekend trip that they either expected to be fun or terrible. We then asked them how far away the start and end of this trip felt like using a similar 0 to 100 scale. 46% of participants evaluated the positive weekend as feeling like it had no duration at all: They marked the beginning and the end of the vacation virtually at the same location when using the slider scale.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThinking in hours and days\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur goal was to show how these two judgments of an event – the fact that it simultaneously seems farther away and is assumed to last for less time – can nearly eliminate the event’s duration in the mind’s eye.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe reasoned that if we didn’t explicitly highlight these two separate pieces – and instead directly asked them about the duration of the event – a smaller portion of people would indicate virtually no duration for something they looked forward to.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe tested this theory in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1247\"\u003Eanother study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, in which we told participants that they would watch two five-minute-long videos back-to-back. We described the second video as either humorous or boring, and then asked them how long they thought each video would feel like it lasted.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We often rely on our subjective feelings – not objective measures of time – when deciding how long a period of time will feel and how to best use it","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWe found that the participants predicted that the funny video would still feel shorter and was farther away than the boring one. But we also found that participants believed it would last a bit longer than the responses we received in the earlier studies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis finding gives us a way to overcome this biased perception: focus on the actual duration. Because in this study, participants directly reported how long the funny video would last – and not the perceived distance of its beginning and its end – they were far less likely to assume it would be over just as it started.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile it sounds trivial and obvious, we often rely on our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1093\u002Fjcr\u002Fucy043\"\u003Esubjective feelings – not objective measures of time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – when deciding how long a period of time will feel and how to best use it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo when looking forward to much-anticipated events like vacations, it’s important to remind yourself just how many days it will last.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou’ll get more out of the experience – and, hopefully, put yourself in a better position to take advantage of the time you do have.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESelin Malkoc is an associate professor of marketing at The Ohio State University.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-06T15:33:17Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why vacations feel like they’re over before they even start","headlineShort":"Why holiday trips go by in a flash","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":[],"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Why do we tend to assume that fun events will go by really quickly?","summaryShort":"The reason fun events seem over before they even start","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-05T19:58:16.881108Z","entity":"article","guid":"74ea1031-384e-4fb8-bbe2-33950256e593","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-07T20:31:01.329143Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy","_id":"616ff6c645ceed64a86d7979","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Faysha-imtiaz"],"bodyIntro":"Some people try to make every hour of leisure perfect, while others hate taking time off altogether. Have we forgotten how to enjoy free time?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELeisure is the prize, right? We work hard, so we want to play hard; we look forward to our time off, believing that the more leisure time we have, the better life will be. Enjoying that time – or savouring that coveted end goal – should come naturally. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, research shows that both having and deciding how to spend leisure time can be very stressful. Some people feel enormous pressure to maximise their downtime with the best choices: researching more, anticipating and spending more money. But, as data prove, this pressure to maximise our fun might get in the way of our enjoyment of leisure itself. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, some people struggle to view leisure as worthwhile at all. These individuals – often in high-stress, high-paying jobs – prioritise productivity to the extent that they can’t enjoy time off, often to the detriment of their mental health. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever different their problems with leisure, both groups struggle with enjoying time off for the same reason: the way we perceive and value leisure has changed, problematically. Understanding this evolution, and finding ways to change our attitudes, could be beneficial for everyone – and help people to start enjoying themselves again. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe changing concept of leisure\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Leisure has dramatically evolved over the centuries and across cultures,” says Brad Aeon, assistant professor at the School of Management Sciences at the University of Québec in Montréal. “One thing that’s consistent about leisure, however, is that it has always been contrasted with work.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo-thousand years ago, concepts of work and leisure were associated with servitude and freedom, respectively. In Ancient Greece, explains Aeon, most of the labour was outsourced to slaves, while wealthier parts of society pursued other activities. “Leisure was an \u003Cem\u003Eactive \u003C\u002Fem\u003Estate of mind. Good leisure meant playing sports, learning music theory, debating qualified peers and doing philosophy. Leisure was not \u003Cem\u003Eeasy\u003C\u002Fem\u003E, but it was supposed to be gratifying.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Today we’re seeing yet another transition: a lack of leisure time now operates as a powerful status symbol","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAeon believes that a shift occurred when the Romans started viewing leisure as a way of recuperating in preparation for more work, a transition that accelerated significantly during the Industrial Revolution. By the 1800s, the kind of leisure that signified status had shifted, too; the wealthy led overtly idle lives. A popular example is philosopher Walter Benjamin’s description of the fashion, around 1893, to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonewaystreet.typepad.com\u002Fone_way_street\u002F2009\u002F10\u002Fa-turtle-on-a-leash.html\"\u003Ewalk through arcades with a turtle on a leash\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnat Keinan, associate professor of marketing at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, has conducted extensive research on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS2352250X18300514\"\u003Esymbolic value of time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. She explains today we’re seeing yet another transition: a \u003Cem\u003Elack\u003C\u002Fem\u003E of leisure time now operates as a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww0.gsb.columbia.edu\u002Fmygsb\u002Ffaculty\u002Fresearch\u002Fpubfiles\u002F19293\u002FConspicuous%20Consumption%20of%20Time%20JCR.pdf\"\u003Epowerful status symbol\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “On Twitter, celebrities ‘humblebrag’ about ‘having no life’ and ‘being in desperate need of a vacation’,” she points out. In the workplace, being part of the long-hours working culture is still seen by many as a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210507-why-we-glorify-the-cult-of-burnout-and-overwork\"\u003Ebadge of honour\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.                                                                                                     \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, those with the most money to spend on leisure are most likely also putting in the longest hours. “Highly educated people (think surgeons, lawyers, CEOs) often go for well-paid jobs that require highly productive candidates willing to work long hours,” explains Aeon. “This means that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdirect.mit.edu\u002Frest\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F89\u002F2\u002F374\u002F57702\"\u003Ethose who complain the most about not having enough free time are wealthy and educated\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.” That fuels the idea that we must maximise leisure’s ‘hedonic utility’, or enjoyment value, when we actually do get some time off – and make every hour count. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe leisure maximisers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEconomists call the idea that we must maximise our time off the intensification of the value of our leisure time. In his book, Spending time: The Most Valuable Resource, US economist Daniel Hamermesh explains that “our ability to purchase and enjoy goods and services has risen much more rapidly than the amount of time available for us to enjoy them”.  This pressure manifests in our decisions. “We feel like we want to have the best bang for our buck \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\u002Fem\u003E minutes,” explains Aeon, “So we invest more money in leisure. Better hotels, better movie experiences – like IMAX or Netflix in 4K – better everything.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09vxswm"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Mountain-climber taking a selfie","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAll this can lead to hours poring over reviews diligently planning leisure activities. That might not necessarily be a bad thing, researchers have found, as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11482-009-9091-9\"\u003Epre-trip anticipation greatly accounts for vacationers' happiness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But too much anticipation might set us up for a seemingly zero-duration holiday. New research shows that we \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmyscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1247\"\u003Ejudge future positive events as both farther away and shorter than negative or neutral ones\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, leading us to feel like a holiday is over as soon as it begins. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually, the way we chase top-notch leisure experiences has made recreation more stressful than ever. High expectations may clash with our experienced reality, making it feel anti-climactic, while trying to concoct the best vacation or leisure experience ever can fuel performativity.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn her 2011 research paper, Keinan first posited that some consumers work to acquire collectable experiences that are unusual, novel or extreme because it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww0.gsb.columbia.edu\u002Fmygsb\u002Ffaculty\u002Fresearch\u002Fpubfiles\u002F5169\u002Fproductivity_orientation.pdf\"\u003Ehelps us reframe our leisure as being productive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. By working through our experiential checklist instead of seeking simply to enjoy the moment, she writes, we build our “experiential CV”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd just like a traditional resume, where we show off our best selves, this experiential CV can become a breeding ground for competition. Keinan believes social media exacerbates our focus on productive leisure. Referencing a 2021 research paper, she suggests people are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fconsumerresearcher.com\u002Fstatus-pivoting\"\u003Epivoting to signal their status and accomplishments in alternative domains \u003C\u002Fa\u003E – in this case, the use of their free time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Users post carefully curated slide shows of themselves crossing marathon finish lines and climbing Machu Picchu. Conspicuous consumption used to be a wayfor people to display their money through scarce luxury goods. Now, they flaunt how they spend their valuable time only on activities that are truly meaningful, productive or spectacular,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe people who hate leisure\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome struggle to enjoy leisure at all. Some try to ‘hack’ leisure by applying productivity techniques, says Aeon, like listening to a podcast while jogging or watching Netflix shows at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2019\u002F10\u002F29\u002Fstyle\u002Fnetflix-speed-playback-video.html\"\u003Etwice the regular speed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Others may not truly take time off at all. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1080\u002F15332845.2021.1872251\"\u003Eonly 14% of Americans take two weeks' vacation in a row\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a finding in keeping with the overwork culture. The same study reports that as of 2017, 54% of American workers didn’t use up their vacation time, leaving 662 million days reserved for leisure unused. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the problem, new research shows, is how comprehensively \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS0022103121001013?dgcid=coauthor\"\u003Ewe internalise the message that leisure is wasteful\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Selin A Malkoc, associate professor of marketing at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and co-author of the study, says certain people perceive leisure as lacking value, even when it doesn’t interfere with their pursuit of goals. These negative beliefs about leisure are associated with lower reported happiness and greater reported depression, anxiety and stress.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Certain people perceive leisure as lacking value, even when it doesn’t interfere with their pursuit of goals","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMalkoc describes two types of leisure: ‘terminal leisure’, where the activity and the goal are ‘fused’ together, like attending a Halloween party just for fun, is immediately rewarding and an end goal in itself; and ‘instrumental leisure’, like taking a child trick-or-treating and thereby ‘checking off’ parental duties, which is a means to an end and feeds a long-term goal. The ability to enjoy terminal leisure is a stronger predictor of wellbeing than enjoyment of instrumental leisure, the study showed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn one of the study’s experiments, Malkoc and her co-authors wanted to see if they could manipulate participants’ beliefs about leisure and get them to enjoy it more. Each group was presented with a different version of an article that framed their understanding of leisure, either as wasteful in terms of goal-achievement, unproductive or as a productive way of managing stress. Participants were then asked to evaluate how well-written the article was. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut researchers were more interested in what came afterwards. They offered participants a break and gave them a funny cat video to watch to see how much they enjoyed it.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, priming our beliefs about leisure only works in one direction, the researchers found – the wrong one. Those who read the articles framing leisure as wasteful enjoyed the experience 11% to 14% less than the baseline (the control group, who read about coffee makers), while those cued to believe it is productive did not experience bolstered enjoyment levels. In other words, trying to prime participants’ receptivity towards enjoying leisure more was about as effective as having them read about coffee, suggesting that our attitudes are deeply entrenched. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s a sobering finding. “We had this group of undergraduate students in the lab doing a series of mostly mind-numbingly boring studies – there’s nothing enjoyable about it,” says Malkoc, “And then, we offer them a mental break to watch a fun video. The fact that even though they couldn’t use those brief moments for something better, they \u003Cem\u003Estill \u003C\u002Fem\u003Ecouldn’t enjoy themselves... attests to the strength of their belief.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09vxt06"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Bored man at dinner","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMalkoc also compared samples from different nations. Participants from India and America, both nations with overwork cultures, endorsed the belief that leisure is wasteful more strongly than participants from France, which has social norms, “less restrictive of enjoying life and having fun”. In fact, while Malkoc estimates about 30% of the population endorses the ‘leisure is wasteful’ belief on average, this varies greatly across cultures, going as high as 55% in the Indian subsample and as low as 15% in the French sample, she explains. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHope for leisure intensifiers and avoiders\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, there are ways to help both groups. The first, regardless of which end of the spectrum you fall on, is to relax the productivity mindset. Keinan says a way to do this is by “assuming a broader perspective on life and anticipating your \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.harvardmagazine.com\u002F2009\u002F09\u002Fthe-poor-payoff-of-pleasure-postponed\"\u003Elong-term regrets\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as it allows people to enjoy the present more”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those seeking to intensify leisure, Aeon recommends using the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1467-9280.1993.tb00589.x\"\u003Epeak-end rule\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a cognitive bias that influences the way we remember events. For example, he says, at the dentist’s office, we remember the peak (when the pain was at its worst) and the end (the candy we’d get as we left); the average sum of these experiences adjusts the emotional intensity. So, for holidays, he recommends doing one thing that’s “completely insane” in the middle, such as bungee jumping, and one equally grandiose thing at the end (for instance, a spa day or indulgent meal) to elevate the entire experience and maximise hedonic utility overall. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe recommends using \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tandfonline.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1080\u002F04419057.2009.9674592\"\u003Emindfulness to help savour leisure experience\u003C\u002Fa\u003Es. “It expands your \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Fchapter\u002F10.1007\u002F978-3-319-01634-4_11\"\u003Esubjective perception of time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (i.e., you feel like you have more of it) \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\u002Fem\u003E enhances memory formation, which means you’ll not only feel like your vacations lasted longer, but you’ll remember them a lot better.” And in keeping with research on anticipation, having multiple smaller vacations to look forward to rather than one massive one could also maximise our enjoyment value. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those who find it hard to take time off to begin with, Keinan suggests using a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.journals.uchicago.edu\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1086\u002F688218\"\u003Efunctional alibi\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – a practical excuse for enjoying themselves. “Having a ‘functional alibi’ that articulates a purpose for an activity (such as the health and productivity benefits of taking a much-needed vacation) allows many consumers to relax without feeling guilty,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The only ‘right’ way to do leisure is to relax, let your guard down, make good memories","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECombating the ‘leisure is wasteful’ mindset might also mean emphasising the value of an activity by aligning it with another utilitarian goal, instead of trying to reframe leisure as a concept. “Vacations are meant to be ‘terminal’, but we can have different goals embedded within them,” says Malkoc. A trip to Disneyland, for example, might have terminal value for the children, and offer instrumental leisure for the parents. “Making them understand… that this is a way to get productive or fuel another purpose might help them let their guard down and enjoy it a little bit more.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEnjoying leisure might even be a learned response, similar to the way we build up stamina gradually at the gym. Smaller vacations – a 30-hour getaway at a hotel – might be just short enough for such individuals to leave responsibilities behind. For longer trips, Malkoc suggests allowing driven individuals to work for a short window once a day might actually be less stressful than asking them to unplug completely. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor both groups – and even those somewhere in the middle – the persistent fear that we are not using our time ‘right’, whether by having an extravagantly ‘collectable’ experience or just being uber productive, can derail the very purpose of leisure. Because the only ‘right’ way to do leisure is to relax, let your guard down, make good memories and trust the pieces will fall into place. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you approach a vacation with a ‘should’ mindset, you might be messing it up,” warns Malkoc. “Don’t let your belief that you ‘need to get the best out of this’ get the best of you.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-17T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The way we view free time is making us less happy","headlineShort":"Why free time can feel so stressful","image":["p09vxs17"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Bored woman on beach","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-people-pay-thousands-for-opulent-experience-foods","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210420-the-creative-experiences-indulging-our-nostalgia-for-planes","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210830-why-vacations-feel-like-theyre-over-before-they-even-start"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Some people try to make every hour of leisure perfect, while others hate taking time off altogether. Have we forgotten how to enjoy free time?","summaryShort":"The way we view leisure time and downtime is making us less happy","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-16T22:12:24.783009Z","entity":"article","guid":"bacf953d-45ac-4e2d-937d-0453ba4a1795","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-16T22:12:41.004442Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917966},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated","_id":"616ff67645ceed39457d9ad1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Young super-achievers both fascinate and frustrate us. This love-hate relationship tells us a lot about culture – and ourselves.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Amanda Gorman performed her poetry at US President Joe Biden’s inauguration, she ignited a media frenzy. Part of the reason was her powerful and poignant work, but there was also another factor: her age. At 22, Gorman is America’s youngest-ever inaugural poet, after becoming \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.latimes.com\u002Fentertainment-arts\u002Fbooks\u002Fstory\u002F2021-01-17\u002Famanda-gorman-biden-inauguration-poet\"\u003Ethe first national youth poet laureate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003Cspan\u003Eat 19\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E. Her much-praised performance led to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.latimes.com\u002Fentertainment-arts\u002Fbooks\u002Fstory\u002F2021-01-22\u002Famanda-gorman-books-bernie-meme-treatment\"\u003Eviral memes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, multiple \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2021\u002F01\u002F28\u002Fmedia\u002Famanda-gorman-penguin-books-one-million-trnd\u002Findex.html\"\u003Ebook deals\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2021\u002Fjan\u002F27\u002Famanda-gorman-img-models-youth-poet-laureate\"\u003Econtract\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with talent management agency IMG Models.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGorman joins the ranks of other young super-achievers venerated by society, like Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen, who became a grandmaster aged 13; Argentine football player Lionel Messi, who joined Barcelona’s pro team at 17; classical-music prodigy Alma Deutscher, who at 10 was the youngest British composer signed by an agent; and Pakistani women’s education activist Malala Yousafzai, who at 17 was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize recipient. History books will record not only their talents, but the fact that their achievements came so young.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet it’s not just the most famous prodigies that Western culture idolises. We glorify young achievement across the board through media awards like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fconsent\u002F?toURL=https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002F30-under-30\u002F2021\u002F\"\u003EForbes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002F30-under-30\"\u003EInc\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.’s 30 Under 30 lists, Glamour’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glamour.com\u002Fabout\u002Fcollege-women-of-the-year\"\u003ECollege Women of the Year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E awards and Time’s recently-inaugurated \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftime.com\u002F5916772\u002Fkid-of-the-year-2020\u002F\"\u003EKid of the Year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E awards. Such lists spotlight young people accomplishing impressive feats in art, science and business, many of which have a wider positive impact.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s clear that we’re fascinated by success that comes at an early age. In fact, we view young people’s achievements differently to those of older people because of our perceptions around innate talent as well as age-related stereotypes and media sensationalism. Yet while young achievements can certainly spark awe, they can also induce envy or negative comparison. Understanding how we respond to young brilliance could help us put aside our biases – and better appreciate the inspiration these young people offer. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Genius is effortless’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are several reasons why we’re primed to extol the accomplishments of the young, including attitudes toward giftedness, societal norms about life milestones and evolving cultural expectations of young people.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E A key factor is the misconception that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fideas\u002Fvideos\u002Fis-innate-talent-a-myth\u002Fp086wjwk\"\u003Etalent is innate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, rather than the result of years of labour. “There’s an idea that genius is effortless, and that hard work is somehow less fascinating or valuable,” says psychologist Tanja Gabriele Baudson, who researches giftedness, stereotypes and identity development at Mensa Germany and the Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education. Research shows that effortless achievement is often equated with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F267864357_%27Smart_students_get_perfect_scores_in_tests_without_studying_much%27_why_is_an_effortless_achiever_identity_attractive_and_for_whom_is_it_possible\"\u003E“authentic” intelligence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in Western societies, while hard work can be seen as “boring” and a sign of a lack of intelligence, according to a 2014 study of British and Swedish students. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There’s an idea that genius is effortless, and that hard work is somehow less fascinating or valuable –Tanja Gabriele Baudson","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen young achievers emerge, we assume they must be unique talents because they haven’t had time to put in those years of effort. Yet they too have worked for their success; Gorman, for instance, had to overcome an auditory-processing disorder and speech impediment in childhood; Carlsen began playing chess at age five; and Messi started playing soccer at four. Their accomplishments aren’t just the result of natural talent, but years of practice. “Outstanding achievement in any domain requires both innate ability \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\u002Fem\u003E hard work,” emphasises Baudson.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA contributing factor is how much each young star is disrupting what we perceive as the traditional life trajectory. “We tend to think of the life course and careers in stages, each with their own set of norms and milestones,” explains Hannah Swift, senior lecturer in social and organisational psychology at the University of Kent, who has researched ageism, equality and workplaces. “When one such milestone is met before these norms dictate, it can seem extraordinary.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"left","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThat’s particularly true if achievements come early in certain fields. “We’re somewhat conditioned to seeing youthful poets and mathematicians, [whereas] novelists, philosophers and scientists [tend to be older],” says Jonathan Plucker, professor of educational psychology and talent development at Johns Hopkins University and president of the US National Association for Gifted Children. “Athletics offer similar examples, in that certain sports have superstars emerge in their teens, yet for other sports that is a rare exception.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn today’s society, a young mega-achiever reaching new heights tends to be a newsworthy event. “Because media platforms are youth-oriented, achievements of younger people can be propelled and celebrated,” says Swift. “This perpetuates a cycle that under-represents [the success of] older people.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet this cycle is a relatively new one. “Most historical societies took youthful contributions and labour for granted,” says Mary Jo Maynes, professor of history at the University of Minnesota. “Children and youth – in farming and working-class communities, at least – were expected to take on a huge realm of activities that we now regard as adult. These young people, as valued as they were, were not singled out for doing what was expected of them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the evolution of Western society, however, ideas of what children should focus on pivoted away from work and responsibility toward school and play. “Modern Western understandings of childhood and development infantilise young people to an extent that produces low expectations,” says Maynes. “We are pleasantly surprised by young people’s accomplishments perhaps because we have relatively low expectations for the young.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"We love to laud people for amazing achievement – but only a little more than we like to take them down – Jonathan Plucker","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd in a world with no shortage of negative headlines, sometimes a gifted young person doing something brave, beautiful or incredible is just the feel-good news we need. According to a 2016 study, positive news stories – including those about people overcoming adversity to find success – made readers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F303853684_Positive_News_Makes_Readers_Feel_Good_A_Silver-Lining_Approach_to_Negative_News_Can_Attract_Audiences\"\u003Efeel happier than negative stories\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “It’s human nature to be surprised by very early – or very late – examples of extraordinary achievement in life,” says Plucker. “We love the unexpected.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe dark side of young success \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs much as young go-getters’ triumphs can provide a vicarious thrill, however, they can also invite scrutiny and criticism. “I think most people have a love-hate relationship with precocity,” says Plucker. “In many Western societies, we love to laud people for amazing achievement – but only a little more than we like to take them down.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the US Masters Tournament in 1997, he skyrocketed to fame for being the youngest person and first African American to win the prestigious golf championship. Yet when news broke in 2009 of the then-33-year-old’s reported marital infidelities, the headlines veered ruthlessly from his success to his poor personal choices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s not just salacious scandals that cause young achievers to disappoint. At age 14, US tennis player Jennifer Capriati was the youngest woman ever to win a match at Wimbledon, going on to win an Olympic gold medal at 16. But in the ensuing decade she struggled. Despite winning Grand Slam tournaments and hitting the top spot in the rankings toward the end of her career, much of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finews.co.uk\u002Fsport\u002Ftennis\u002Fmarta-kostyuk-jennifer-capriati-child-prodigy-119864\"\u003Emedia narrative around her\u003C\u002Fa\u003E centres on the idea that she didn’t live up to her young promise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWatching young prodigies fall from grace can trigger a feeling of schadenfreude among onlookers. “We love to see talented young people achieve impressive things, but there is also a sense of envy always lurking in the background,” says Plucker. Beyond jealousy, he says, negative emotions toward young achievers could be due to feeling that your own accomplishments are underappreciated by comparison.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETaking satisfaction in seeing gifted youth fail also goes hand-in-hand with the misconception that they haven’t worked as hard as others to succeed, says Baudson. By that logic, their downfall “restores the balance and belief in a just, meritocratic world, where people get what they deserve for hard work”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut success is not a zero-sum game, and there are a litany of factors that contribute to success beyond natural ability and hard work, including personality, environment and support system. Just like the challenges that come with every age, life stage and skill level, the success that accompanies each will always be unique to each person.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We should not make our own definition of success contingent on others’ success,” says Baudson. “We do not become better when others fail, and we do not become worse when others succeed. Bench-marking yourself against prodigies is unhelpful. “It makes more sense to apply a clear-cut criterion of what you want to achieve and focus on your personal progress.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, when young talents like poet Gorman rise to the fore, we can recognise them as the rare gifts they are, instead of holding them to impossible standards or judging ourselves for being less exceptional. Just like the feel-good headlines they spark, young stars can inspire and brighten our world for as long as they shine.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-02-16T18:31:19Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why our relationship with young achievers is so complicated","headlineShort":"Our love-hate view of young achievers","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Young super-achievers both fascinate and frustrate us. This love-hate relationship tells us a lot about culture – and ourselves.","summaryShort":"We venerate prodigies – but this can also inspire a complicated relationship","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-02-15T21:16:49.797395Z","entity":"article","guid":"f869b476-165b-4f96-9e0d-17f700dc8649","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:18:44.176363Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones","_id":"616ff67f45ceed3fc20a33a9","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"There’s lots of pressure to live up to certain life achievements on a strict timeline. But those milestones are often arbitrary – and way more harmful than we realise.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ENakul Singh is on track. At 30, he’s finishing up his residency in ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear specialty hospital in Boston, looking forward to starting his fellowship year and thinking about marrying his girlfriend in the next couple of years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThis is just how he had envisioned things would go. “My personal goal was to be married or engaged by the time I was finishing my residency,” he says. These goals didn’t match up to any intrinsic logic or biological necessity. “I don’t know why. It just seemed like the right sort of timeframe,” he says. When he looked around at what everyone else was doing, it seemed like they were getting married in their late 20s or early 30s, so he matched up his expectations and plans to follow suit. Plus, his grandparents kept teasing him to get married before they died.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBut Singh wasn’t always so sure that life would go according to plan. While his friends started to get serious with their significant others right after college, he was single, wondering when he was going to find his person. He stressed over getting into the right medical school, then winning a good residency. Life felt uncertain and, as he waited and waited to meet the right partner, he worried that he was falling behind.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EEvery society has a few important life milestones, and those achievements are often tied to a specific timeline. For instance, Western societies prioritise moments like graduating from college at 22, getting married by 30, having kids and buying a house before 35. We mark success by ticking off the boxes, and worry that missing a deadline means we’re failing in our lives or careers. But where do those metrics come from?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAs it turns out, these all-important deadlines are often arbitrary, and the pressure to achieve them sometimes comes from amorphous, unidentifiable places. They also aren’t as set in stone as they may seem. From generation to generation, changes in technology and the economy, advances in science and even the political climate can turn what once seemed like a social necessity into an antiquated expectation. Understanding where these expectations come from, and how they differ from the reality we live in now, is important for making personal milestones that are meaningful, instead of clinging to outdated expectations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe mystery of social norms\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EFrom the moment humans pop out of the womb, we are ready to learn. We pick up the language around us and learn the rules of our society, what behaviour is allowed, what’s considered good or bad. “We’re absolutely built that way: to learn norms and to comply with them,” says Jeffrey Arnett, a senior research scholar at Clark University in Massachusetts who studies emerging adulthood. “For the most part we do what’s expected of us.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EHow these norms get set is a combination of social, economic and technological factors. “These things develop and we’re all aware of them and we all follow them, but nobody determines them,” says Arnett. “It’s this aggregation of millions of people thinking about things and making decisions and talking to each other. Nobody’s really in control of it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAmong these influences, parents and families play a huge role, especially around expectations for timing around marriage and kids. For instance, most baby boomers in Western societies generally married in their 20s, bought a house and had kids soon after. Subsequently, they transferred those expectations and that timeline to their millennial children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"These things develop and we’re all aware of them and we all follow them, but nobody determines them – Jeffrey Arnett","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBut millennials in the US and the UK aren’t hitting those milestones; instead, they’re getting on married an average of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F14\u002Fmillennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2\u002F\"\u003Eseven years later\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than their parents, and haven’t married at all. And the age women first give birth has consistently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity\u002Fpopulationandmigration\u002Fpopulationestimates\u002Farticles\u002Fmilestonesjourneyingintoadulthood\u002F2019-02-18\"\u003Erisen over the past 40 years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so most millennial women are having children later than their baby boomer parents – waiting until age 29 or older. Similarly, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.urban.org\u002Fresearch\u002Fpublication\u002Fmillennial-homeownership\"\u003Ehomeownership rate for millennials is 8% lower \u003C\u002Fa\u003Ethan it was for the preceding two generations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThat’s because parents aren’t the only factors that influence these milestones, and millennials were born into a very different world than the one their parents knew, and navigate it in a very different way.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EMillennials are, on average, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F14\u002Fmillennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2\u002F\"\u003Ebetter educated\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than previous generations – nearly 40% in the US have a bachelor’s degree compared to only a quarter of baby boomers. That means they’re entering the workforce later, so they start saving for homes later, too. “We certainly realise more and more the importance of education and training,” says Arnett. “That means you’re not likely to be self-sufficient at 19 or 20.” \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.newamerica.org\u002Fmillennials\u002Freports\u002Femerging-millennial-wealth-gap\u002Fhomeownership-and-living-arrangements-among-millennials-new-sources-of-wealth-inequality-and-what-to-do-about-it\u002F\"\u003EDebt from financing college, along with rising home costs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, also means that fewer millennials can afford to buy homes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAnd although expectations that women get married and have kids haven’t changed, ideas about gender norms have shifted. “There was a lot of pressure on women to find a man and get married,” says Arnett. “If you didn't, what else were you going to do?” But now it’s much more common for women to pursue education and careers. Since the mid-1990s, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity\u002Fpopulationandmigration\u002Fpopulationestimates\u002Farticles\u002Fmilestonesjourneyingintoadulthood\u002F2019-02-18\"\u003Emore women have attended university than men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So, while in 1966, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F14\u002Fmillennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2\u002F\"\u003Eonly 40% of women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E aged 22 to 37 were employed, in 2020, 72% of millennial women were participating in the workforce.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThat interest in education and career has changed when women have kids. A New York times analysis showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002Finteractive\u002F2018\u002F08\u002F04\u002Fupshot\u002Fup-birth-age-gap.html\"\u003Ewomen with college degrees have children an average of seven years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E later than women who don’t go to college, and that education level was a greater factor in delaying having kids than other factors like home prices. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAdvances in science and technology also have had a huge impact on these expectations. Take the example of birth control, which allowed women to start being sexually active years before they planned to marry or have children. “That gives people so much more decision-making power over whether to enter marriage or parenthood,” says Arnett. “That is truly revolutionary.” Right now, it’s considered fairly normal to start exploring sexuality perhaps a decade before marriage, something he notes was unprecedented before the latter half of the 20th Century.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBut while economic and educational realities have changed drastically, our social expectations haven’t kept pace. One survey by the US Census Bureau showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002FCensus\u002Flibrary\u002Fpublications\u002F2017\u002Fdemo\u002Fp20-579.pdf\"\u003Ethe majority of Americans believe people should be economically independent by age 21\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But the same survey also found that the majority of the country didn’t think most students would be done with college until age 22. This contradiction sets people up to fail milestones, even as they work desperately to achieve them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘The tyranny of the should’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ENewer generations are feeling the stress. They still feel pressure to live up to their parents’ and grandparents’ norms, even if those expectations really aren’t relevant anymore. One survey showed that, on average, adults \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flongevity.stanford.edu\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F02\u002FMilestones-.pdf\"\u003Eolder than 25 still plan to get married, have kids and buy a home all before age 30\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, even though the number of people actually able to do so has decreased with every generation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EThat gap between what recent generations think they ought to be achieving and what is possible in today’s financial and educational climate is having a massive impact on their mental health. “In general, greater discrepancies between what people want and what they actually do reliably predict poorer health and wellbeing,” wrote the survey’s authors. The researchers also suggest that the increasing inability to reach major life milestones in the timeframe we set for ourselves may be one explanation for the rise in ‘deaths of despair’, drug overdoses and suicides caused by vanishing jobs and bleak economic outlook.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People tend to make big, globalised exaggerations like, “everyone is getting married” or “everyone has more money than I do” – but that’s not true","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ECharlotte Housden, an occupational psychologist based in Kent, UK, calls this social pressure the “tyranny of the should”. She counsels people who are feeling stressed that they are falling behind to remember that they aren’t alone. Lots of people struggle with the misconception that they aren’t measuring up to society’s standards. She says people tend to make big, globalised exaggerations like, “everyone is getting married” or “everyone has more money than I do”. But that’s not true. “It’s a thinking error,” she says. “Some people have more money. Some people are getting married.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EAnd she warns that achieving these goals – either by getting a high paying job or buying a nice home – won’t necessarily make you happy. \"It’s about finding your fit,” she says. Housden recommends taking a moment to separate what it is that you really want and what it is that you feel your parents or family expect. “Understand where your drivers are coming from,” she says. “Is it you that wants to go to college or is it your parents? Is it something you really want?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EHousden emphasises focusing on achievements that make you happy, rather than achievements that conform to parental or social expectations. But, she acknowledges, that’s easier said than done.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"right","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ESingh spent much of his mid-20s thinking he had fallen hopelessly behind his friends. But as he aged, he started to gain more confidence in his own path. “I hadn’t met anybody that I wanted to start my life with and that was OK,” he says. “I was putting in the work and becoming the person I wanted to become.” He was lucky to enjoy what he calls “Indian boy privilege”, which gave him a break from the family pressure to get married. Because many of his friends also pursued graduate and professional degrees, he didn’t feel self-conscious about being in school for so long and delaying certain milestones like buying a home or having kids.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003EBut he acknowledges that he wouldn’t feel so confident and laid back now if he hadn’t found his girlfriend and started getting life to conform to the milestones he’d set. “I think it would be a lot harder for me to feel satisfied,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"BodyA\"\u003ESingh’s path took longer than he expected, but there is evidence that these ideas about when we should settle down and have kids are starting to change. The US Census survey also showed that the vast majority of Americans believe that finishing school and getting a job are important markers of adulthood, more so than getting married or having kids. There’s less judgement about living with parents for a period of time after college, and more emphasis on education and financial security. So, while these expectations seemed fixed and finite, the truth is that they’re changing all the time – even if you may not think so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-22T16:26:47Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The tyranny of life milestones","headlineShort":"Why millennials don't hit milestones","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"There’s lots of pressure to live up to certain life achievements on a strict timeline. But those milestones are often arbitrary – and way more harmful than we realise.","summaryShort":"Society tells us we need to keep our lives on a schedule – but why?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-21T20:23:33.245258Z","entity":"article","guid":"ba144d49-34be-4caa-b7b6-6da5f462088b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:20:26.469759Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong","_id":"616ff6cb45ceed614449869b","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fhannah-hickok"],"bodyIntro":"More than ever, people are succeeding at different ages. Why do we hold onto the notion of 'late bloomers'?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDoree Shafrir considers herself to be a late bloomer. She got married at 38, had her first child at 41 and generally sees herself as having been late “to dating, to sex, to marriage, to motherhood, to finding the kind of work I truly like to do, to being comfortable in my own skin”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the road hasn’t always been smooth, the Los Angeles-based author, 44, now has gratitude for her journey, along with a new perspective on the milestones she once felt she was missing. “These goals are relatively arbitrary and culturally prescribed,” she says. “I now see that the things I saw as ‘mistakes’ were just another part of my story.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShafrir views her memoir, Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer, as a “gentle corrective to the idea that we’re supposed to do things on a schedule”. Yet it’s a notion that’s deeply entrenched. Many of us feel – consciously or otherwise – that our paths should fit into a rigid timeline of professional and personal milestones. We may judge ourselves negatively if we hit these milestones ‘late’, in part because of a societal tendency to venerate youthful achievement.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet plenty of people find career fulfilment, financial prosperity or rewarding relationships in their own timeframe. In fact, research shows it’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flongevity.stanford.edu\u002Fmilestones\u002F\"\u003Eincreasingly common to accomplish major life events at a later age\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than previous generations. Given that we’re living longer, switching careers more often and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201112-has-the-meaning-of-work-changed-forever\"\u003Eseeking more meaning\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in our work, it makes sense for more people to ‘bloom’ later in life. And as they do, the stigma of succeeding at an older age – including the idea that it’s less impressive and more surprising than doing so young – is an increasingly outdated and narrow-minded view of age and achievement. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe timeline of success\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that we use the ‘late bloomer’ label at all partially stems from our expectation that people accomplish certain life goals around specific, often young ages – and those who miss those marks are ‘behind’. Culturally, we tend to normalise particular timelines – and often view those who adhere to them as more successful – due to a widespread fixation \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated\"\u003Eon youthful achievement\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Often, modern ideals of success come with the pressure to make it as young as possible.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"These goals are relatively arbitrary and culturally prescribed. I now see that the things I saw as ‘mistakes’ were just another part of my story – Doree Shafrir","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, we may treat early-in-life accomplishments as either the norm or, in exceptional cases, inspiring, while older success merely meets our minimum expectations – or, in more extreme views, is even seen as ‘late’. Yet, while we’ve bought into this sooner-is-better narrative, we’re not actually hitting the milestones culture sets us up to chase.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA 2017 Stanford study showed that across generations, people’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flongevity.stanford.edu\u002Fmilestones\u002F\"\u003Eideal timing for achieving life milestones has, on average, remained consistent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: start a full-time job by 22, start saving for retirement by 25, marry by 27, buy a home by 28 and start a family by 29. Every age group, however, has experienced a successive drop in the actual percentage of people hitting those deadlines in comparison to the previous generation, with 25-to 34-year-olds showing the largest gap between ideal and actual timing. The researchers concluded that chasing these antiquated targets is “setting up younger generations to fail”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet even as more of us are ‘blooming’ later, discussions around late bloomers are unchanged. We continue to be surprised by stories of later-in-life success, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002F24-people-who-became-highly-successful-after-age-40-2015-6\"\u003Eframe them as outside of the norm\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, in spite of their prevalence, both now and throughout modern history.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In the current system, if you haven’t been identified as accomplishing something at an early age, we assume you’re not capable of it,” explains Todd Rose, author of Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment, who studies cultural attitudes towards success and individuality. “We’re surprised when someone that’s not young makes a major contribution – we don’t know how to make sense of it, and view it as a curious one-off rather than an underlying trend.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xzwgf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat late bloomers stand to gain\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe construct of late bloomers is not only outdated, but can also be toxic to those who do succeed later in life, after the age they’re ‘supposed’ to reach a milestone. Such people may struggle with feelings of failure, negative self-comparison to others, and even the sense that they’ve been forgotten or left behind.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We’ve all internalised the myth of young success to the point where, depressingly, a lot of older folks have bought into it as well,” says Rose. “We need to get past the idea that fast is smart and slow is dumb, and the attitude that ‘if I’m older it’s too late for me’. We can’t continue to leave it to late bloomers to scrape by, and hope the existing system doesn’t crush them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, removing pressure to succeed on a certain timeline is not only good for mental health, but it can also enable the people we currently label ‘late bloomers’ to enjoy the distinct successes that come with achieving later. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of these strengths and skills are a direct result of spending more time on self-discovery, learning and even failure. “Late bloomers may have faced additional challenges on their pathway to achievement, leading them to develop more resilience,” says Chia-Jung Tsay, an associate professor at University College London, who studies the psychology and perception of performance and advancement. “Such people may be more prepared to adapt to difficult circumstances, uncertainty and change.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In the current system, if you haven’t been identified as accomplishing something at an early age, we assume you’re not capable of it – Todd Rose","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBeyond increased flexibility, a longer road to success also brings opportunities to discover and cultivate meaningful values and passions that are personally resonant, rather than what society pushes us towards. “What allows late bloomers to break through is that they’ve had to accumulate enough experience to realise that following someone else’s view of a successful life is never going to lead them where they want,” says Rose. “My research shows that people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who are unfulfilled and make a pivot in their lives or careers often end up making incredible contributions.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShafrir made one such swerve when she left her dream job in traditional journalism to launch a podcast in her 40s. Despite feeling like a failure at various moments along the way – like when she dropped out of a PhD programme, moved away from New York and undertook fertility treatments – in hindsight, she saw the value in her winding path. Despite fears and doubts, she realised she’d “found something better – something that, I was sure, made more of an impact on other people’s lives, and my own”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShifting the narrative\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClearly, we’re due for a reset in how we view accomplishments in terms of age – we simply can’t afford to maintain a bias that leads to overlooking a whole band of the population’s untapped potential.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As a society, we need to change our mindset that views late bloomers as an anomaly,” says Rose. “There’s absolutely zero relationship between the age or speed at which you achieve something and the ultimate contribution you can make.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Shafrir learned this lesson in her own time, she hopes future generations will be spared from the age-related achievement pressures she faced – particularly as a woman. “We need to remain vigilant and continue to challenge the status quo that ultimately doesn’t serve so many of us,” she adds.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pandemic may offer one such opening for culture to begin to course-correct. “The disruption creates an opportunity for us to intentionally shift the zeitgeist and see late bloomers in a new way,” says Rose. “The ‘late bloomer’ concept is a relic of a time when we thought pace equalled ability. Now, we’re shifting towards work being a source of fulfilment, not just income. Once people realise that fulfilment produces excellence, not the other way around, we can help people to make their best contributions, whenever they occur.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-15T12:54:16Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why saying 'late bloomer' is wrong","headlineShort":"Why saying 'late bloomer' is wrong","image":["p09xzwb9"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210211-why-our-relationship-with-young-achievers-is-so-complicated","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-the-tyranny-of-life-milestones"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"More than ever, people are succeeding at different ages. Why do we hold onto the notion of 'late bloomers'?","summaryShort":"Many people are succeeding later in life – why do we see it as an exception?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-14T20:00:46.423367Z","entity":"article","guid":"8af0892f-9382-4156-8a75-56f079879c1e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-14T20:00:46.423367Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings","_id":"6171c4f645ceed63384e0271","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Faysha-imtiaz"],"bodyIntro":"Rejecting an invitation can lead to hurt feelings. But new research suggests choosing your excuse carefully can help smooth the process.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Karachi-based couple Zawar and Manahyl started sending invitations for their October wedding, they were convinced they’d hit all the right notes. They created WhatsApp groups to organise oodles of pre-wedding festivities, and delivered invitations to family members by hand to honour tradition. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHappily expecting enthusiastic responses, they were dejected and upset when excuses started rolling in from some of their intended guests. “It really became a defining moment and made us re-evaluate our relationship with people we loved... people we thought loved us back,” they shared. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe’ve all felt that sting when someone declines our invitation. When we invite someone to a social engagement, we’re asking them to do more than just attend a gathering at a stipulated time. We’re inviting them into a meaningful part of our lives. We may even subconsciously design the event with the intended guests’ experience in mind, and equate acceptance with values like closeness or friendship. That means that even if the other person offers a credible reason for turning down our invitation, we can feel slighted.    \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENew research links this reaction to our perceptions of choice and control. If we believe our invitation is declined due to factors beyond the intended guests’ control, we take it less personally and chalk it up to circumstance, rather than feeling shunned because we feel they \u003Cem\u003Echose \u003C\u002Fem\u003Enot to attend. Understanding differences between types of refusals is important to help us moderate our response as inviters – and might even enable us to more considerately decline invitations as invitees ourselves. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn the receiving end\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People hate having their invitations declined because it’s a form of social rejection from [those] they care about most,” explain US-based psychologists Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer, who have recently published a book about shared social identities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When someone rejects us, it sends a deep and powerful signal that our status in the group might not be as secure as we had hoped – Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFeeling bad due to a declined invitation may also be an evolutionary response, they explain. “Almost the entirety of our history involved living in small groups, and getting excluded... would have meant near certain death. [Our brains are] uniquely attuned to signs of inclusion and exclusion. When someone rejects us, it sends a deep and powerful signal that our status in the group might not be as secure as we had hoped. People have a visceral reaction to this type of threat.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet new research shows the type of reason invitees cite when declining an invitation plays a huge role in how the inviter perceives the response. Research published by the Journal of Consumer Psychology shows \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmyscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1226\"\u003Ethat citing financial scarcity is a better way to decline an invitation than time scarcity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In other words, declining a social invitation by saying, “I don’t have the money” is interpreted better by the inviter than the invitee saying, “I don’t have the time”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09zdqny"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Tables and chairs ready for a wedding","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the studies in the research focused specifically on 132 couples planning their weddings. The couples were asked to reflect on how they perceived invitation rejections (which were based on either time or money-related excuses) and use a seven-point scale to indicate how much they deemed the excuse to be outside the intended guest’s control as well as how trustworthy they found the excuse. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe couples were asked how close they felt to their intended guests, both before and after receiving their reasons for rejecting their invitation. The difference was pronounced, says Grant E Donnelly, assistant professor of marketing at The Ohio State University, US, and one of the authors of the research: the negative impact of receiving a time-related excuse was about \u003Cem\u003Etwice\u003C\u002Fem\u003E as strong as the effect of receiving a money-related excuse. “Invitations are just incredibly intimate,” he explains, “You’re making yourself vulnerable. When there’s a time-excuse rejection, the inviter infers they [the invitee\u002Fs] don't have time for \u003Cem\u003Eme\u003C\u002Fem\u003E as opposed to thinking they don’t have time, period. You fill in the blanks.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s because we view money as being something we exercise a limited degree of control over, with external factors influencing how much of it we can access and non-discretionary expenses vying for limited funds. Time, though, is perceived as something everyone has equal access to – we’re all granted 24 hours a day, explains Donnelly, and we believe we have more discretionary control over how we spend it. This makes time-scarcity rejections feel like a matter of volition and not \u003Cem\u003Ewanting\u003C\u002Fem\u003E to make time, versus not \u003Cem\u003Ehaving\u003C\u002Fem\u003E funds.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoney over time\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a wider context, Donnelly and his co-authors also ran Twitter data analytics on 2,649 tweets (all directed to a specific person with an @ sign and communicating scarcity of either money or time). They found that Twitter users were twice as likely to ‘like’ a tweet communicating money scarcity as temporal scarcity. So, for example, “I legit don’t have money for breakfast”, is likely to garner twice as many likes as saying, “I have a paper to write and can’t leave the house”, partially because citing a lack of time so often functions as status-signalling. In other words, citing a lack of time might come across as ‘humble-bragging’, and distances the recipient of the communication.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09zdr6g"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Friends and family having a BBQ","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn another study that was part of the same research, Donnelly and his co-authors organised a short ‘get-to-know-you’ conversation among participants. The participants were split into speaking and listening roles, and those assigned the talking role were further divided into two groups: one was instructed to talk about why they couldn’t give more time to charity, and the other group would explain why they couldn’t give more money. “So, listening participants either heard how someone was so busy and had no time or why they had no money,” says Donnelly. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen, after returning to their cubicles, listeners were asked to divvy up pictures of toilets and puppies to be ranked by the person they conversed with and themselves. Those who had heard time-related excuses directed fewer pictures of puppies to the other participant, sending more toilets their way and keeping more of the inherently pleasing pictures of puppies for themselves. This suggests that we feel more pro-social towards people with financial scarcity excuses, rather than time alone. And the fact that such a marked difference emerged in conversations less than three minutes long, and without our investment in them attending a personal event, attests to how quickly the message is internalised. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen processing messages related to time or money, the research shows, we seem hardwired to identify with financial scarcity – not temporal constraints. And as a result, when our invitation is rejected due to money troubles, we look on it far more kindly than a rejection linked to an overly busy schedule. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"One sure-fire way to hurt relationships is to say you don't have time. Generally, people have this lay belief that you prioritise the things you value. So, it's almost a personal insult of you not valuing them,\" says Donnelly. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People probably find rejections that blame money troubles, childcare needs or other adverse circumstances less hurtful because it makes it seem like the decision is outside of our friends' control,” add Bavel and Packer, meaning it’s “not a rejection at all, just an unfortunate turn of events”.\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Talk it through’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EArmed with this knowledge, it may seem as if we have solved the problem of how to decline an invitation without causing offence. Indeed, citing a lack of funds as a reason for turning down an invitation comes with another benefit; it also protects relationships because “you’ve matched the first mover [the inviter] in vulnerability”, says Donnelly. “It’s an intimate disclosure eliciting a low-power position and fostering a closer bond; it makes the inviter feel special and in the know.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"One sure-fire way to hurt relationships is to say you don't have time. Generally, people have this lay belief that you prioritise the things you value – Grant E Donnelly","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet Donnelly recognises citing a lack of funds isn’t always relevant: “Saying you don't have energy works, too, because energy reserves can fluctuate and be depleted.” A working paper by Harvard Business School also indicates turning down an invitation because of Covid-19 contagion risk is also seen as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hbs.edu\u002Fris\u002FPublication%20Files\u002F21-012_54708b3f-1142-49cb-8c0b-eb1f2109d905.pdf\"\u003Ewell within the scope of ‘uncontrollability’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhatever you choose, Donnelly recommends providing detailed evidence to solidify the trustworthiness of the excuse, mainly by stressing how it rests outside our locus of control. He concedes, though, that citing a lack of funds (or even a lack of time) may lead to increased monitoring by the inviter, as the more details are offered, the more opportunity there might be for them to scrutinise how we do spend our time, our money or both. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESusan Schlossberg, former director of the National League of Junior Cotillions, a US-based etiquette organisation, cautions against using financial scarcity excuses too liberally and adds that even if the intended guest declines, he or she would hopefully still purchase a nice gift (it need not be expensive). To prevent hurt feelings, she recommends a heart-to-heart with the inviter, “otherwise people may take it personally and make that proverbial mountain out of a molehill”.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor inviters like Zawar and Manahyl, acceptance has come from objectively taking stock of declined invitations – not dwelling on what they might symbolise – and attributing them to reasons beyond their guests’ control, financial or otherwise. They’re finding joy in the people who can come, and indeed, in each other, as they count down the final days to their wedding.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the end, the fact that it still matters so much to us when an invitation is declined may be an uplifting sign, because it shows that we care about people and our connection to them. As Donnelly says, “In some ways, it gives me some sort of belief in humanity.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How to decline invitations without bruising feelings","headlineShort":"A better way to decline an invitation?","image":["p09zdq67"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Annoyed couple on a bench","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210929-how-the-liking-gap-fuels-social-anxiety","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210914-the-way-we-view-free-time-is-making-us-less-happy","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-why-saying-late-bloomer-is-wrong"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Rejecting an invitation can lead to hurt feelings. But new research suggests choosing your excuse carefully can help smooth the process.","summaryShort":"Choosing the right excuse matters if you don’t want to bruise feelings","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-think"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-21T19:52:14.845029Z","entity":"article","guid":"aafd15ef-14a3-44c7-b1dd-e82600534ace","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-21T19:52:14.845029Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211021-how-to-decline-invitations-without-bruising-feelings","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917965},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point","_id":"616ff68545ceed49a63bc944","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjosie-cox"],"bodyIntro":"People are no longer prepared to return to pre-pandemic ways of working. If pressed to do so, many may choose to quit instead.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn early July, after more than a decade working for a French bank, Marie could see no other option but to resign from her Paris-based role. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mother of two, whose surname is being withheld for professional reasons, enjoyed her job in the firm’s wealth-management division. But in June, her bosses determined that, given the global pandemic continued to show signs of easing, everyone in the team would soon be ordered back to the office full time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarie’s husband had recently been offered a lucrative job in London. When he accepted, the prospect of the young parents holding down careers in two different countries looked unproblematic, because of the workplace changes that Covid-19 had triggered. Marie had been enthusiastic about the prospect of moving to London and catching the Eurostar train to Paris a few times a month for work, but as her employer started to insist on a return to in-person working, it became obvious that something would have to give. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I’d just spent well over 12 months proving that I was able to do my job entirely remotely, so being told that there was no longer any flexibility at all in terms of my physical location was extremely frustrating,” she says. “I tried for several weeks to come up with a solution, but in the end, I could see no other option than to quit. I loved working in finance, but my priority now is to find a new job that works for me and my family,” she adds. “And that may well be in a different industry.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-56025355\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Evaccination rates around the world\u003C\u002Fa\u003E tick up, giving employers like Marie’s the impetus to recall people to the office, businesses are confronting an uncomfortable reality: employees’ needs and preferences have changed. Many are no longer prepared to return to the way of working that was conventional before the pandemic. If pressed to do exactly that, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.businessinsider.com\u002Fquit-job-flexible-remote-working-from-home-return-to-office-2021-6\"\u003Emillions are choosing to quit instead\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Being told that there was no longer any flexibility at all in terms of my physical location was extremely frustrating – Marie","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis trend has gathered so much momentum that academics are now speaking of a fundamental shift in power dynamics away from employers and toward workers. If businesses want to retain the loyal talent they need to stay competitive, experts argue they must listen to the needs of the labour market and adapt quickly.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe lessons from loss\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlmuth McDowall, professor and assistant dean of the department of organisational psychology at London’s Birkbeck University, explains that losses during the last 18 months have proven transformational. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We’ve all experienced loss... losing loved ones, losing our freedom, losing human contact,” she says. “Many of us also had to juggle home-working with full-time caring, as children were off school.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese life events felt so significant, says McDowall, that they caused us to revisit our priorities and sent many of us on a quest for work that feels purposeful – for a job that comes with some greater form of meaning.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09q0p0p"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A busy office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESimultaneously, having seen what is possible under extreme circumstances, many workers feel more prepared now than ever before to challenge assumptions around what an ideal worker looks like, and what the parameters and norms of the working world should be. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe effects of this momentous rethink are starting to show. In a survey of more than 2,000 people in the UK and Ireland conducted in March,  more than a third of respondents said \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhr.personio.de\u002Fhubfs\u002FEN_Downloads\u002F202104_HRStudy_UKI.pdf\"\u003Ethey were looking to change roles in the next six to 12 months\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or once the economy had strengthened. The researchers concluded businesses not actively catering to the evolving needs and demands of employees risked “sleepwalking towards a talent exodus”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, meanwhile, data indicate that such an exodus is already under way. A record \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2021\u002F06\u002F09\u002F4-million-people-quit-their-jobs-in-april-to-find-better-work.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E4 million people quit their jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in April alone. Since then, the resignation rate has eased, but remains elevated.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA loyalty inflection point\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnthony Klotz, an associate professor of management at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, coined the term “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2021-05-10\u002Fquit-your-job-how-to-resign-after-covid-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” in May. Observing that there were close to 6 million fewer resignations in the US during 2020 than there were in 2019, Klotz correctly predicted that, as the pandemic subsides, the “would-be quitters” who “sheltered in place” in 2020 were likely to act on their plans to leave their employers.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“What we’re seeing now is a clear decrease in organisational commitment due to a confluence of factors,” he says. Echoing McDowall, he says that employees have gained a new perspective on what’s truly important to them – “the pandemic brought death to our doorstep and that causes people to reflect” — but there are also other important reasons why loyalties have wavered. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s quite possible that many people no longer define themselves as much through their jobs as they used to – Anthony Klotz","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Work takes up a huge part of who we are. During the pandemic, identities changed. People spent more time with their families, some might’ve thought more about entrepreneurial ventures, side hustles or other pastimes away from their day job,” he says. “It’s quite possible that many people no longer \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs\"\u003Edefine themselves as much through their jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as they used to.” That, Klotz elaborates, “means that they are less emotionally attached to their employer”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFlexibility over finance?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother element contributing to employees’ dwindling commitment is the decision by some companies to require workers to return to the office in person, as in Marie’s case. In particular, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210426-is-extreme-working-culture-worth-the-big-rewards\"\u003Efinance sector\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has come under fire for ordering workers back. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn May, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which is America’s largest bank, sparked a backlash when he said that working from home simply does not work for those \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-jp-morgan-ceo\u002Fworking-from-home-doesnt-work-for-those-who-want-to-hustle-jpmorgan-ceo-idUSKBN2CL1HQ\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewho want “to hustle”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. And in June, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said that if most employees were not back to work at the bank's Manhattan headquarters in September, he \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Farchegos-capital-management-blowup-prompted-review-morgan-stanley-2021-06-14\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ewould be \"very disappointed\"\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGlobally, the culture of banking is still rooted in face time and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Epresenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Most financial organisations champion the value of in-person meetings to pitch for business and hash out deals, meaning that remote arrangements were always only going to be temporary. But in light of employees becoming more discerning, this might have to change too. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09pzzrp"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman works from home as her son plays in the background","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERegardless of the sectors, explains Klotz, companies that are ordering staff back into the office full time with no exceptions are going to have to find a way to “pitch that in an appealing way”. To stay competitive, businesses like banks and tech companies – some of which have adopted a remote culture indefinitely but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2021\u002F06\u002F04\u002Fbig-tech-office-openings\u002F\"\u003Emany of which have not\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – must understand that, while digital nomadism and remote work were not widely available before the pandemic, they will be from now on.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeither Klotz nor Almuth McDowall necessarily anticipate an industry-wide talent drain to materialise – mostly because there is such a broad spectrum of how individual organisations look to be structuring their post-pandemic workplaces in any given sector – but they both agree that businesses will lose good employees if they are not careful.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Work arrangements is a brand new and important criteria that [employees] will care about going forward,” says Klotz. “People will want to choose the work arrangement that is best for whatever stage of life they’re in, and companies will have to take that into account when determining how they operate.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA recent PwC survey found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pwc.com\u002Fus\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Fconsulting\u002Fworkforce-of-the-future\u002Flibrary\u002Fworkforce-pulse-survey.html\"\u003Eemployees increasingly want to be compensated for their work not just with money, but with flexibility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “[We’ve also] found that younger workers are more likely than older employees to accept smaller pay increases for non-monetary benefits, including extensive \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy\"\u003Emental health benefits\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, unlimited sick time, flexible work hours and remote work options,” says Bhushan Sethi, who jointly leads PwC's global people and organisation practice. In the wake of the pandemic, he adds, “these incentives can be the difference between a candidate accepting the job or not”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe empowered employee \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStories like Marie’s cast a grim light on the process of readjusting to a post-pandemic work world, but there is overarching evidence that Covid-19 has been a catalyst for good when it comes to the power that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office\"\u003Eemployees in the labour market can yield\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, Klotz argues that we are actually in the process of witnessing the dawn of the “era of the empowered employee”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, the number of unemployed people has comfortably exceeded the number of available jobs for most of the last two decades, but currently the two measures are almost at level pegging, something that economists describe as an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fu-s-job-openings-held-at-record-level-headed-into-summer-11625674595?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eexceptionally tight labour market\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Honestly, I can hardly recall a time when the job market was so much in the employee’s favour and that’s definitely a good thing,” says Klotz. “Wages have to go up. Companies have to adapt. But it may well be a slow period of experimentation.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“As an organisation, you don’t just want to capture people’s bodies, but you want to capture their hearts too. And it’s that bit that’s going to prove tough.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why worker loyalty is at a breaking point","headlineShort":"Is worker loyalty at a breaking point?","image":["p09pzyzf"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman who has resigned sits looking at her phone","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"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\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"People are no longer prepared to return to pre-pandemic ways of working. If pressed to do so, many may choose to quit instead.","summaryShort":"Why workers aren’t hesitating to leave companies they were loyal to","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-25T19:49:28.658806Z","entity":"article","guid":"7711a184-0d7f-4935-97c8-f7c27b7254d1","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-28T12:48:16.406573Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917972},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home","_id":"616ff68245ceed41697e58b6","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Remote work offered 'quiet deliverers' who flew under the radar in the office a chance to really stand out.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the pandemic closed her office and forced Veronica Wortman Ploetz and her whole team to work from home, she became more productive, almost right away. Wortman Ploetz, a senior manager in a leadership training organisation, considers herself an introvert.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I get my energy from being alone and recharging,” she says. In the early morning hours, when her house was quiet, she was suddenly able to accomplish more than she typically could in a busy – and for her, draining – office environment.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I’d get up at 5 a.m. and instead of having to go through the rigamarole of getting ready, feeding the dogs, the laundry list of things to get out the door and do the 45-minute commute, I was just in the zone,” says Wortman Ploetz. “I got everything done when I felt energised in that quiet time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the transition to remote work in early 2020 was abrupt for everyone, some found themselves thriving more than others – in many cases, thanks to their personality type. Many introverted workers found working from a distraction-free environment preferable. Client needs also changed in ways that benefited introverts’ skillsets, while virtual communication offered introverts more opportunities to share their thoughts. For ‘quiet deliverers’ who may once have flown under the radar, remote work offered not only a less taxing day-to-day, but also an opportunity to combine that extra energy with new ways of working – and really stand out. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn introvert’s moment to shine\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the uncertain days at the outset of the pandemic, the needs of companies and their clients experienced a shift, and workers who could meet them stood out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“While extroverts are celebrated for being outgoing, action-oriented and enthusiastic, introverts bring analytical thought and empathy,” says Richard Etienne, a Surrey-based branding expert who lectures on introverts at work. “During the pandemic, those skills immediately became incredibly sought after. Introverts are reliable; people who take one project at a time and do it thoroughly. They’re good at deep thought and forming personal connection. That was really important during the period when companies were trying to hold onto clients.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"While extroverts are celebrated for being outgoing, action-oriented and enthusiastic, introverts bring analytical thought and empathy – Richard Etienne","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fopinion\u002Farticles\u002F2021-06-13\u002Fthe-big-question-as-pandemic-subsides-is-remote-work-here-to-stay\"\u003EBloomberg interview\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Patty McCord, former head of HR at Netflix, said it was clear managers were newly aware of the skills of employees who didn’t command attention before. She referenced a senior executive at a Fortune 100 company who had a “matrix of skills” she once used to identify a great salesperson: “able to control a room, a lot of energy and charisma, confident, blah, blah, blah. And it completely flipped during the pandemic,” said McCord.  Suddenly, that company’s best employees were “the quiet ones who would just get on a call with a client and listen”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmpathy and a propensity toward more thoughtful communication made introverts shine, adds Beth Buelow, a career coach and author of The Introvert Entrepreneur. “That tendency to put others in the spotlight, to hold up the team and be that silent partner, is a strength,” she says. “That is part of what managers and leaders witnessed coming through. They needed the empathetic listener. The person who was willing to step back and be like, ‘I hope you’re doing OK; how can we help?’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA refreshing change of pace\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn top of having the right innate skill set, many introverts benefited from the move away from a physical office environment. That because the traditional office, in many ways, really did not suit workers with more introverted personalities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The workplace was created by extroverts, for extroverts,” says Etienne. Open-concept offices are the worst offenders, he explains. “The ease with which people can access your space without invitation can be intense.” In one role, Etienne recalls, “I had a desk by the lifts – the elevators. I couldn’t get 15 minutes of peace.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s tough on someone with an introverted personality, since constant conversation can be draining. While extroverts, in contrast, are energised by social interaction, says Etienne, “at the end of the day, the introvert is spent”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"left","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWortman Ploetz says many who know her might be surprised that she describes herself as an introvert. She spends a lot of time in meetings and hands-on training sessions, but ultimately, she says, “where I draw my energy from is being in a quiet place, alone”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENeuroscience helps back up the theory. Studies show \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medicaldaily.com\u002Fbrain-introvert-compared-extrovert-are-they-really-different-299064\"\u003Eextroverts are less sensitive to dopamine\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and thus require a lot of stimulation to be sufficiently energised. Introverts are far more sensitive to the brain chemical, and over-stimulation can quickly become tiring.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn general, adds Buelow, introverts pay a price for each social interaction throughout the day. That cost dipped considerably with the shift to remote work. “They’re not recharging when they’re in the office and stimulated all the time,” she says. “Just by virtue of having the solitude at home, you have more opportunities, more balance. Your alone to social time ratio is much healthier.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEtienne considers himself a more introverted person. Like Wortman Ploetz, he says he’s ultimately become more productive while working from home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I felt more in control of the management of my time,” he says. “For example, I think we’ve all been through this: you finish a meeting and you’re walking back to your desk and someone spots you and you have a conversation. And you lose the time to process the meeting you’ve just finished, and reset. That doesn’t happen anymore. Now, I can have my moment of reflection in silence, without disturbance. With things like Zoom and Teams there are even ‘do not disturb’ settings; you literally \u003Cem\u003Ecan’t \u003C\u002Fem\u003Emessage me.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlaying to an introvert’s strengths\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond providing more peace and quiet, the new, introvert-friendly work environment made space for those personalities to stand out in other ways.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The physical meeting table disappeared, and with it went the hierarchical structure of the loud people gathered together at the centre and the introverts on the fringes,” says Etienne. And, he adds, those who might have been hesitant to jump into the fray in a conference room were empowered by virtual meeting spaces.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If one has a fear of public speaking, working remotely allowed that person to speak to their expertise, maybe even to thousands of people, but they’re just seeing a green light at the top of their laptop screen,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The workplace was created by extroverts, for extroverts – Richard Etienne","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EVirtual meetings also tend to have fewer interruptions and overlapping speakers. “The etiquette of the platform is different,” says Buelow. “You’re much more aware of if you’re interrupting or talking on top of someone.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA slightly slower conversational pace gives introverts the time they need to collect their thoughts. “They have more time to reflect, and then when they offer something, it’s meaningful,” she says. Plus, virtually, “there are more tools at your disposal to contribute to the conversation. It’s not just whoever can get a word in edgewise; there’s the chat, ‘raising your hand’, reactions you can send”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlus, extroverted, louder colleagues are less likely to dominate a virtual space than a physical one. “Around the table, some people take up more energy; they occupy more space,” says Buelow. “Virtually, everyone’s occupying the same space. It evens out the energy.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe lasting impact\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the return to the office – and all its costly stimulation – Buelow is optimistic that lessons learned from remote work will make leaders and workplaces more accommodating to introverts. The definition of the “star employee”, she says, has changed. “Traditionally, we considered ‘contribution’ to mean talking,” she says. “I think we’ve learned that contribution can take many forms, and it’s not necessarily about the person that talks the most.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are tactics leaders can use to make sure more introverted employees can continue to contribute, even if the team is transitioning back to in-person work. Simple solutions, like having brain-storming sessions or small-group chats prior to discussion with the full group, can go a long way, says Buelow.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“It’s a consideration about how to honour those who would like a few minutes to think quietly before sharing their thoughts,” she says. “As we go back to the office, leaders need to be asking, ‘are we offering a diversity of ways to contribute?’. There’s a ton of ways of doing that – it just requires some creativity.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWortman Ploetz says the lessons learned about how different personality types can best perform is “something we’re bringing back to the office. There’s a couple people on my team who need that quiet time. So, maybe they’ll book a conference room, or put up some visual indicator on their desk or door that says ‘please come back another time’. And it’s not offensive. It’s just that this person doesn’t want to be distracted. I don’t know if we would have understood that before, but we do now.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWortman Ploetz says she’s also maintaining some of the habits that made her so productive at home. “I’m much more diligent about when I will accept meetings on the calendar,” she says, “and I make sure there’s space between them, even if it’s 15 minutes. I think that’s a healthy boundary I wouldn’t have had without the pandemic.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-16T14:35:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why introverts excelled at working from home","headlineShort":"The workers who excelled from home","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Remote work offered 'quiet deliverers' who flew under the radar in the office a chance to really stand out.","summaryShort":"Why the office's 'quiet deliverers' ended up as the biggest remote-work stars","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-15T20:41:52.062723Z","entity":"article","guid":"2c52821a-c1fc-4b17-9b87-62515b7d8278","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:26:17.303026Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917972},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed","_id":"616ff6c345ceed4e3000df61","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Companies are increasingly using automated video interviews to assess candidates. How do you get through this potentially uncomfortable experience?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt may not feel remotely natural to sit in front of a computer screen and talk about yourself to an artificial prompt – but that’s exactly what many people could find themselves doing at their next job interview. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince Covid-19 struck, hiring managers have had to think creatively about how to streamline their interview processes. With traditional face-to-face meetings on hold, the solution for some has come in the form of asynchronous video interviews, or AVIs, in which applicants film themselves answering a predetermined set of questions, with no human interviewer present. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn some cases, these recordings are then evaluated by a hiring manager, in others artificial intelligence and facial analysis software are used to assess candidates. Companies report that this type of interviewing can make the hiring process more efficient, but for applicants this job screening method − which may feel like a one-way Zoom conversation – can be uncomfortable. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the pandemic continues to prevent in-person meetings, job seekers in manufacturing, retail and other industries are more likely to find themselves chatting with a bot at their next interview. Adapting to this format and understanding how to maximise the chance of a positive interview could be key to a successful job hunt. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaving time\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven before the pandemic, AVIs were being used as the first stage of recruitment in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, tech, business and finance sectors, according to Carlos Flores, a career management specialist at Rutgers University in the US state of New Jersey. While exact statistics are hard to come by (AVIs have been adopted relatively recently by major companies and market reports don’t distinguish between them and face-to-face video interviews), experts say that for larger organisations with a national workforce of lower-skilled positions, AVIs have become a convenient way to skim through hundreds or thousands of applicants at a faster rate. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHireVue, one of the leading interview technology companies, says it is used today by more than 700 businesses, including a third of Fortune 500 companies, who collectively have conducted over \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hirevue.com\u002Fpress-release\u002Fhirevue-surpasses-ten-million-video-interviews-completed-worldwide\"\u003E10 million interviews\u003C\u002Fa\u003E through its platform. Modern Hire, another interview technology platform, supported over 20 million assessments and interviews, and saw \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmodernhire.com\u002Fnewsroom-article\u002Fmodern-hires-banner-year-in-2019\u002F\"\u003Ea 40% increase in users\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in 2019.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of Walmart","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet it wasn’t long ago that the idea was unpopular. Around 2012, only about 10% of top-positioned businesses had adopted any form of video interviewing; the majority preferred an initial telephone assessment and an in-person interview to follow, says Janine Woodworth, director of strategic service at recruitment software provider Jobvite. But as technology matured and smartphone usage expanded – making it easier for candidates to use the software no matter their location − many companies are taking a second look at video interviewing as a whole, including the use of AVIs for initial screenings, Woodworth says. “They’re able to get the assessments out more quickly to a wider range of candidates like that.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA leading grocer in the southern United States, for instance, streamlined its hiring process during the pandemic by conducting as many as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mytotalretail.com\u002Farticle\u002Fone-retailer-is-hiring-amid-covid-19-and-hiring-fast-heres-how\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E15,000 AVIs per day\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to HireVue CEO Kevin Parker. The grocer realised that its previous method of setting up in-person interviews was wasting too much time; arranging appointments, exchanging emails and rescheduling could take weeks. Allowing candidates to apply on their own time, and skip the hassle of meeting a hiring manager in person, has made it possible for regional chains and even giants like Walmart to fill new roles in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcorporate.walmart.com\u002Ffacing-the-outbreak\u002Fnew-hires\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ea matter of days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOne-way interviews\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHiring managers using this software may see multiple benefits, but for applicants using an AVI for the first time, the transition may feel strange.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne major difference is the timing of the interview itself. Rather than scheduling an appointment, the applicant can sit in front of their computer or phone to record their answers whenever they are free. If their day is filled with work, childcare or other duties, they can schedule the interview during a suitable break.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen they begin, they are prompted with a series of questions, often displayed in plain text on the screen, such as: “Introduce yourself, and tell us a bit about your background and experience” or “Describe your most recent holiday, and what made it special”. Depending on the platform and the position they’re applying for, they might also be asked to perform small exercises or play a game – activities that can test their ability to multitask or brainstorm on the fly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of candidates waiting for a job interview","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen candidates submit their interviews, their recordings are processed in one of two ways. The hiring manager can opt to receive the videos directly and evaluate them without the use of any further technology, or they can be run through a complex AI system which assesses facial and linguistic information to determine how well candidates compare to previous successful hires.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are challenges; AVIs can vary in the amount of time allotted for each answer, and not every programme will give candidates unlimited preparation time or allow them to re-record a section if they are unhappy with their first attempt. Applicants also won’t be able to ask any questions about the company they’re applying to, unlike a standard interview, and poor internet connections or blurry webcams can cause trouble for applicants wanting to make a good impression. Then there’s the fact that candidates don’t know exactly how their interviews will be evaluated. “I think it makes them lose confidence as a result of the experience because . . . there’s too much unknown,” says Kyra Sutton, professor of human resource management at Rutgers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecording a video monologue can be particularly hard for some candidates who are not speaking in their native language. Sutton’s international students have told her that, when preparing for an AVI, they worry they could be penalised for mispronouncing a word or bungling their grammar. And when it comes to how the interview is assessed, there is the issue of AI algorithms tainted with the same \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.upturn.org\u002Fstatic\u002Freports\u002F2018\u002Fhiring-algorithms\u002Ffiles\u002FUpturn%20--%20Help%20Wanted%20-%20An%20Exploration%20of%20Hiring%20Algorithms,%20Equity%20and%20Bias.pdf\"\u003Epre-existing hiring biases\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20180806-how-hidden-bias-can-stop-you-getting-a-job\"\u003Ehuman counterparts\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShowing your best self\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet if this kind of recruitment method becomes more widespread, understanding how to speak well into the void could become a key element of a successful job hunt.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"You have to be more prepared and comfortable before you start - Cristoph Hohenberger","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EExperts say that before pressing the record button, it’s important to plan for questions that could come your way. There’s no room for improvisation or pleasantries during an AVI, and answers need to be efficient and to the point.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“You have to be more prepared and comfortable before you start,” says Cristoph Hohenberger, co-founder of AI-driven recruitment platform Retorio. Just like in a standard interview, being confused by a question or not having much to say can reflect poorly on a candidate. And because of the highly structured nature of AVIs, candidates won’t be able to ask for clarifications.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpeaking at a slow and even pace into a camera can be difficult, Hohenberger says. The best way to sound natural is to imagine someone sitting across from you; smile often and make steady eye contact. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0278431917307521?via%3Dihub\"\u003EProper aesthetics matter\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in AVI assessments, and anything distracting in the background may catch the eye of a human evaluator. “I would try to be in front of a neutral background,” he says. “And I would wear something that’s appropriate for the job.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps most importantly, Hohenberger says, candidates should be themselves. Trying to squeeze in too many references to your qualifications or keywords that applicants think might win favour with an AI can appear insincere and harm your overall performance. Applicants should assume their recordings will be judged by a fellow human, he says, and apply the same courtesy as in a normal conversation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy staying calm in front of the camera and embracing the one-sided nature of the format, job seekers give themselves the best chance of success. “It’s a monologue rather than a dialogue,” says Hohenberger.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-11-06T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Asynchronous video interviews: The tools you need to succeed","headlineShort":"The rise of the ‘monologue’ interview","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a woman talking into a laptop","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Companies are increasingly using automated video interviews to assess candidates. How do you get through this potentially uncomfortable experience?","summaryShort":"The job interview that's like a one-way Zoom","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-11-05T20:47:18.521258Z","entity":"article","guid":"78f6fd82-0215-49ce-ada6-d32a1f376ed8","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:14:03.352895Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917968},"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":"616ff74645ceed6bb96b47c9","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmark-johanson"],"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\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":["p09qkgll"],"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":["p09qkgtn"],"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":["p09qkg2l"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Job interview","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210713-why-introverts-excelled-at-working-from-home","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201102-asynchronous-video-interviews-the-tools-you-need-to-succeed"],"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":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"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":"2021-09-02T05:26:59.679508Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries","_id":"616ff6cf45ceed6be9561a32","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Transparency around salaries can arm marginalised workers and close the wage gap. But in the US, many workers still can't talk about pay.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Naomi's former boss called her in for a stern talking-to, she had no idea it was illegal to prevent workers from having salary discussions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the time, Naomi, whose surname is being withheld on job security concerns, had been hiring for a position under her at a Seattle-based marketing firm. “There was another co-worker I thought might be a candidate. She asked me how much it paid. We weren’t at the stage where we were telling outside recruits that information, but it made sense to me that she’d want to know, so I told her.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the colleague used that knowledge to negotiate a pay rise for her existing position, the leadership blamed Naomi. “I got called into my boss’s office for ‘arming her’ with that information. It was a message like, ‘you hurt the company’,” she says. “I definitely felt like I had done something wrong… but I also felt like I had done something right, even though it was against the rules.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many sectors in the US, a combination of longstanding taboos and company policies keep people from discussing how much money they make – a phenomenon known as 'pay secrecy'. Despite legislation that prohibits companies from punishing workers who disclose their pay, many people still work in environments where they don’t or can’t talk about money – something that has profound knock-on effects on wage equality. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe still-delicate subject of salary\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In the United States, the National Labor Relations Act of the 1930s protects workers’ rights to discuss their pay,” says Shengwei Sun, senior research associate at the Washington, DC-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR). “But we still find that over \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fiwpr.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F01\u002FPay-Secrecy-Policy-Brief-v4.pdf\"\u003Ehalf the workers in the United States are subject to pay secrecy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s the result of social taboos, company cultures or formal policies which, despite being outlawed, persist. Taboos endure because many people are taught that it’s rude to discuss money. Companies can often foster cultures that discourage the sharing of salary information and at 20% of companies, according to the IWPR report, there are actual gag orders. The latter is blatantly illegal, says Sun, but a lack of enforcement means the companies are almost never called out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I definitely felt like I had done something wrong… but I also felt like I had done something right – Naomi","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECompanies are motivated to promote pay secrecy, either covertly or overtly, because it often saves them money. It can mean that new hires don’t know what kind of a salary is reasonable for their role – and some may end up receiving lower pay as a result. It can also affect workers already on the career ladder; if people aren’t aware they’re underpaid in comparison to their colleagues, they’re less likely to ask for – or have the leverage to secure – large pay rises. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this practice affects some groups of people more than others. It impacts particularly women and members of minority groups who tend to be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.payscale.com\u002Fdata\u002Fgender-pay-gap\"\u003Epaid less\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than white male counterparts. These groups \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay\"\u003Eface more challenges\u003C\u002Fa\u003E negotiating for fair pay – which then feeds into the enduring wage gap. “A lack of knowledge about who makes what within organizations contributes to the continuing disparity,” reads the IWPR paper. In environments with less pay secrecy, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nber.org\u002Fpapers\u002Fw25834\"\u003Estudies show\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, the wage gap between white male employees and everyone else is smaller.  \u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENaomi believes she and her colleague caught the wrong end of an informal pay-secrecy policy, in part because of who they were. “We were two youngish women,” she says. “I was probably not quite 30 when this happened, and the other woman was around the same age. We had all of these older corporate men with a lot of years of experience telling us we were being unprofessional. Everything felt very futile.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two women office workers chatting over coffee","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EExperiences like Naomi’s can occur across companies of all types. A 2017 study in the journal Social Science Researchshows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F28599765\u002F\"\u003Etwo characteristics\u003C\u002Fa\u003E influence the likelihood of a pay secrecy rule: market sector and union membership. Government and public sector employees and union members are least likely to work under a policy of pay secrecy. “By contrast,” according to the IWPR report, “just one in ten private sector workers report that pay information is public at their workplace.” That holds across private and non-unionised companies of all shapes and sizes. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMoving the needle\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGrowing awareness of pay secrecy and its damaging impacts could perhaps contribute to a shift, however. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMillennials and Gen Z employees in the US, for example, are beginning to push the envelope on pay; the IWPR survey shows they’re nearly twice as likely as baby boomers to discuss money with their colleagues. Sun attributes this to the challenges facing younger workers, like graduating into a recession and a trend towards more precarious employment. “That’s shifting attitudes toward work and fairness,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also some positive news for women; while they are more likely to be subject to pay secrecy, “they’re also more likely to violate that policy”, says Sun. According to the IWPR data, more than 35% of women working under a salary discussion ban say they talk about pay anyway, compared to just 24% of men. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent years have also brought more clarity around best practice on transparency: many workers favour a non-specific kind of salary disclosure where firms reveal ranges, averages and information about wage gaps rather than individual data.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"As soon as they’re mandated to release the information, they start giving raises and trying to fix the problem – Ricardo Perez-Truglia","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERicardo Perez-Truglia, associate professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, points to Denmark, where the government required mid-sized companies to share information about the pay gap between men and women. Soon after, data shows \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nber.org\u002Fsystem\u002Ffiles\u002Fworking_papers\u002Fw25435\u002Fw25435.pdf\"\u003Ethe gaps at those companies got smaller\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “In Canada, there was a similar mandate for academics,” he adds. “What happened was the gender \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww150.statcan.gc.ca\u002Fn1\u002Fpub\u002F11f0019m\u002F11f0019m2019018-eng.htm\"\u003Epay gap for faculty positions in Canadian universities shrunk\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from 10% to, like, 9%. It wasn’t a magical solution, but it moved things in the right direction.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s likely, Perez-Truglia hypothesises, that the simple act of forcing companies to go public is enough to make them re-evaluate their pay scale. “The leadership is thinking: this looks really bad, and I’m worried the employees will be demoralised if they found out. Or it might leak, and it’ll be a scandal, and we’ll lose clients and it’ll be terrible. So, as soon as they’re mandated to release the information, they start giving raises and trying to fix the problem.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the National Labor Relations Act has been in place since the 1930s, it’s not always well understood, says Sun. Many people, both workers and employers, have no idea it protects their right to discuss pay. In the US, more laws banning pay secrecy and preventing employer retaliation against those who share information have been passed since the NLRA. In 2014, President Barack Obama \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fobamawhitehouse.archives.gov\u002Fthe-press-office\u002F2014\u002F04\u002F08\u002Fexecutive-order-non-retaliation-disclosure-compensation-information\"\u003Ebanned\u003C\u002Fa\u003E pay secrecy policies at firms contracted with the federal government, while since the mid-2000s, 17 states have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dol.gov\u002Fagencies\u002Fwb\u002Fequal-pay-protections\"\u003Epassed their own laws,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E each slightly different from the next, outlawing the practice. But Sun says loopholes and weak enforcement mean that even employers who are found in violation of these laws are “usually subject only to minor fines and penalties”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Workers don’t know about their rights, and employers don’t know pay secrecy is illegal – Shengwei Sun","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which requires \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffas.org\u002Fsgp\u002Fcrs\u002Fmisc\u002FR43262.pdf\"\u003Elarge companies to report median salaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. However, the law was rendered essentially toothless when regulators adopted a proposal for a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sec.gov\u002Fnews\u002Fpressrelease\u002F2015-160.html\"\u003E‘shortcut’ calculation.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Though the law calls for “the median of the annual total compensation of all employees” to be released, the shortcut means the company can report the median of a single employee’s salary instead. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s as close as the US has come to a federal law mandating that firms publish salary ranges or ratios, like those that exist in nations such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fmagazine-40669239\"\u003ENorway\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.equalityhumanrights.com\u002Fen\u002Fadvice-and-guidance\u002Fgender-pay-gap-reporting\"\u003Ethe UK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.legislation.gov.au\u002FDetails\u002FC2016C00895\"\u003EAustralia\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for example. A newly-passed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.natlawreview.com\u002Farticle\u002Fpatchwork-pay-transparency-laws-continues-to-evolve\"\u003Estate law in California\u003C\u002Fa\u003E requires that most employers with more than 100 workers release salary data. Similar laws are under consideration in other states, including New York and Rhode Island. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut for now, especially for private corporations, the decision to be transparent is an independent one. Some companies, like Starbucks and tech companies Buffer and Glitch, are making the choice on their own, but they remain the minority. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMandated pay disclosures, says Sun, serve a purpose because if there is a disparity, the company needs to justify it. “It pushes the employer to really think about why they pay some workers lower than others,” she says. In their absence, more widespread change will require a cultural shift: employers changing their policies because they care more about employees than the bottom line, she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Workers don’t know about their rights, and employers don’t know pay secrecy is illegal,” Sun says. “And the cost of violating such rules is pretty small. Passing legislation is just the first step. Worker education and employer education create public pressure and gives workers more power.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-12T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Pay secrecy: Why some workers can't discuss salaries","headlineShort":"How 'pay secrecy' holds down workers","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Office worker looking out of a window","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Transparency around salaries can arm marginalised workers and close the wage gap. But in the US, many workers still can't talk about pay.","summaryShort":"Why some US workers must keep hush about their salaries","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-11T20:00:32.313148Z","entity":"article","guid":"72f9329c-f159-49fe-9579-5e98052ba29f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:26:02.250693Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917968},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay","_id":"616ff68345ceed49f0453151","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Women and minorities ask for – and are offered – lower salaries than white men. It’s a problem called the 'ask gap' – and fixing it can pay major dividends.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter switching industries from education to tech, Jess Jones wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect in terms of salary. After all, software engineers earn a lot more than teachers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, the 31-year-old New Yorker embarked on a huge amount of research into pay: taking part in career coaching, attending networking events, contacting software engineers on LinkedIn and using the salary calculator of the recruitment platform Hired. The message she got was that she should make herself uncomfortable in salary negotiations – or, as she puts it, to “ask for a number that makes me want to throw up”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"pf0\"\u003EJones was at a major advantage going into negotiations armed with knowledge about appropriate salaries for her position. But most people don’t come with the same fire power. Research shows that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190429-the-loopholes-that-disguise-the-gender-pay-gap\"\u003Epay gap\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which is well documented, partly stems from the ‘ask gap’: the difference in salary expectations between groups, which undercuts women and minorities in particular. Closing this gendered and racialised ‘ask gap’ can pay major dividends for careers, reducing long-term salary inequality.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ask gap in salary negotiations\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many fields, men expect higher salaries than women with comparable qualifications. A study of online jobseekers in Argentina found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fideas.repec.org\u002Fp\u002Fudt\u002Fwpecon\u002F2018_02.html\"\u003Ewomen ask for 6% less on average\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – and this gap increases in male-dominated occupations. A survey of US doctors in residency showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjamasurgery\u002Farticle-abstract\u002F2749068\"\u003Ewomen’s ideal starting salary averaged 92%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of men’s ideal.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a survey by compensation company PayScale, in the US, the median job offer for women with similar qualifications to men is $69,200 (£49,000). That’s $2,200 (£1,550) less than for men.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese numbers might not seem that worrying on their own. But pay gaps at the start of a career compound. “Over time it builds up, because the percentage of raises is usually based on the base salary, so that accumulates over the years,” explains Zhaleh Semnani-Azad, a management professor at California State University, Northridge. “So, this is where women do miss out long term.” Some researchers have estimated that a difference of $1,000 (£700) in starting salary could lead to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F0361684318800492\"\u003Ecumulative loss of a half-million dollars\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (£353k).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"A difference of $1,000 (£700) in starting salary could lead to a cumulative loss of a half-million dollars (£353k)","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAsk gaps have many culprits, but key among them is the devaluation of women relative to men, and employees of colour relative to whites. Often people internalise these expectations. It can be harder for women to accurately assess their value, says Semnani-Azad. This might lead women to accepting the first job or salary offer, while \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketwatch.com\u002Fstory\u002Ffemale-graduates-accept-job-offers-faster-than-men-and-for-less-money-11621874871\"\u003Emen are more likely to wait for higher offers to land\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWomen may be apprehensive about coming across as greedy or pushy in negotiations, or about hiring managers withdrawing or lowballing offers. In contrast, “in general, men don’t put much thought into these things”, according to Semnani-Azad; men are also more likely to have inflated perceptions of their value. “Men are more comfortable asking, and they don’t need to worry about experiencing backlash.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210108-why-do-we-still-distrust-women-leaders\"\u003Edouble backlash\u003C\u002Fa\u003E means that it can be hard for women to ‘win’ at negotiating, no matter which tack they take. “If they’re too forceful or masculine, there’s a negative perception that they’re not collaborative, they’re not cooperative… But if they’re too nice and they’re collaborative or communal, then they’re perceived to be weak, or maybe not as competent,” explains Semnani-Azad. She’s experienced \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F0361684318800492\"\u003Enegotiation backlash\u003C\u002Fa\u003E herself, when it was clear that male hiring managers didn’t expect her to negotiate offers, and started downplaying her achievements in response. This kind of backlash affects women of colour in particular; black women are especially likely to be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.essence.com\u002Fnews\u002Fmoney-career\u002Fblack-womens-pay-day-august-22-2019-career-advice\u002F\"\u003Eunfairly perceived as too aggressive in negotiating\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWomen are not inherently or universally softer negotiators. For instance, there’s plenty of research showing that “women have been successful if they have been negotiating on behalf of someone else”, says Semnani-Azad. In other words, women are either more comfortable, or viewed more favourably, when \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pon.harvard.edu\u002Fdaily\u002Fbusiness-negotiations\u002Fwomen-and-negotiation-narrowing-the-gender-gap\u002F\"\u003Ethey’re not negotiating for themselves\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – partly because of societal expectations that they be ‘nice’. Of course, there are differences in negotiation styles not only \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.semanticscholar.org\u002Fpaper\u002FBargaining-While-Black%3A-The-Role-of-Race-in-Salary-Hernandez-Avery\u002F53c6ed1f05c8f5923ae9a373eebc6a7e50662b28\"\u003Eacross race\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and gender, but other factors \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F295084961_Dignity_face_and_honor_cultures_A_study_of_negotiation_strategy_and_outcomes_in_three_cultures\"\u003Eincluding nationality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and sexuality.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENarrowing the ask gap\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne recruitment company tackling this disparity is New York City-based Hired, which is geared mainly toward employees in the tech sector. Because these workers’ skills are so in demand, they have more power than many low-skilled workers. For instance, on Hired, companies first approach prospective employees, rather than the other way around.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"woman getting ready for job interview","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELike many job-search platforms, Hired used to leave a blank field for each applicant’s desired salary. But in 2018, the company started filling in that field with the median salary for the role, based on data from its users. This simple change \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fninaroussille.github.io\u002Ffiles\u002FRoussille_askgap.pdf\"\u003Eeradicated the gender ask gap of 3.3%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E among Hired users, “mostly because women are asking for more, and slightly because men are asking for less”, says Nina Roussille, an economist at the London School of Economics, who carried out independent research using non-confidential data from Hired. Essentially, after the 2018 change, all of the applicants gained more information on their true value according to the market. This depended on factors like location, with the gender expectation gap being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhired.com\u002Fh\u002Fwage-inequality-report\u002F2021\u002F\"\u003Etwice as large in London\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as in the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn general, Hired says they are trying to remove the subjectivity from decisions about what salary to offer – on the employee’s side, but also the employer’s. Josh Brenner, Hired’s CEO, refers to this as “providing visibility and guidance”, which makes for a more efficient hiring process all around. For example, Hired sends out salary bias alerts to companies that are offering lower salaries than typical for that role and sector. Granted, not every company changes its tune in response; these alerts lead to changes in offer salaries 4.3% of the time. But when a salary adjustment occurs, it’s significant, averaging $20,000 (£14,000).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWays forward\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClearly, more wage information is necessary, especially for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F270799384_The_gender_gap_in_pre-career_salary_expectations_A_test_of_five_explanations\"\u003Epeople starting out in their careers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. But it’s not sufficient for closing ask gaps.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, Roussille’s research shows that a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fninaroussille.github.io\u002Ffiles\u002FRoussille_askgap.pdf\"\u003E2.5% final offer gap persists for Hispanics\u003C\u002Fa\u003E using Hired, even controlling for the asking salary. And when employees learn of salary gaps, race affects whether this will actually change. Hired’s data indicates that when white employees point out salary discrepancies, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhired.com\u002Fh\u002Fwage-inequality-report\u002F2021\u002F\"\u003Etheir pay is bumped up 28% of the time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. For Hispanics, this happens in only 15% of cases.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat’s needed first is awareness of disparities in ask gaps – and what perpetuates them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst, companies or governments can end the practice of basing salary offers on people’s previous salaries. “Women are coming in with a history of lower salaries usually. And so, this provides firms with an anchor for women that’s lower than the anchor for men for a given resume. And so that essentially perpetuates the gender gap,” explains Roussille. Positively, “there’s actually now in the US a number of states that banned salary history questions from employers. And there’s early evidence that this has helped reducing both the gender pay gap and the minority pay gap.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When white employees point out salary discrepancies, their pay is bumped up 28% of the time. For Hispanics, this happens in only 15% of cases","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENegotiation training could help, but it would need to be more nuanced and culturally specific. “Existing trainings on negotiation… tend to look at it from more of a universal perspective,” says Semnani-Azad. “And oftentimes, the recommendations of behaviour or the prescribed strategies and approaches are very broad, and there isn’t much consideration for the subsets of these demographic groups and how they themselves react, or how their opponents might react to them.” Plus, such training puts the onus to change on women and minorities, rather than the system stacked against them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn general, one common suggestion is to foster minority-group networking and mentorship. Yet although that’s very helpful for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200807-the-docility-myth-flattening-asian-womens-careers\"\u003Enurturing underrepresented leaders\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, it can actually have a detrimental effect on salaries. That’s because when \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.semanticscholar.org\u002Fpaper\u002FBargaining-While-Black%3A-The-Role-of-Race-in-Salary-Hernandez-Avery\u002F53c6ed1f05c8f5923ae9a373eebc6a7e50662b28\"\u003Eblack employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fninaroussille.github.io\u002Ffiles\u002FRoussille_askgap.pdf\"\u003Ewomen\u003C\u002Fa\u003E take their cues about reasonable salaries from each other, they’re hearing of lower salaries than what white men earn (and tell each other about). This perpetuates a vicious circle of lower expectations. Software engineer Jones was aware of this, and deliberately contacted both men and women on LinkedIn so that her salary expectations wouldn’t be skewed downward.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt isn’t fair that people like Jones have to do so much more research than white men, to have a better chance of appropriate pay. In Jones’ case, it certainly paid off – she ended up with a salary higher than the initial offer for her first software engineering job, and she’s just marked her one-month anniversary in the role.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUntil the ask gap is eliminated, she’ll still be telling her friends and peers exactly what she earns. Even though she sometimes struggles with having these touchy conversations, she tells them, “I want to make sure that you get what you deserve.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-18T15:29:38Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How the salary 'ask gap' perpetuates unequal pay","headlineShort":"How the 'ask gap' changes your salary","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Women and minorities ask for – and are offered – lower salaries than white men. It’s a problem called the 'ask gap' – and fixing it can pay major dividends.","summaryShort":"The problem that sets up women and minorities for a lifetime of earning less","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-17T19:50:03.66126Z","entity":"article","guid":"7507acc0-e6b6-49d7-b5de-faa78b6c7b28","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:24:49.000096Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917968},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps","_id":"616ff67c45ceed3d49682e36","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"CEO pay is soaring. Average pay is stagnating. Some campaigners are pushing to shrink the gap – or make companies pay up.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe head of McDonald’s earns a whopping 1,939 times more than the company’s median worker. At Facebook, it’s 94 times more. And these aren’t the most extreme examples.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany people feel that the gap between a company’s highest and median pay, known as its pay ratio, shouldn’t be sky high – an opinion that’s held \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hbs.edu\u002Ffaculty\u002FPages\u002Fitem.aspx?num=47954\"\u003Earound the world\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gsb.stanford.edu\u002Ffaculty-research\u002Fpublications\u002Famericans-ceo-pay-2016-public-perception-survey-ceo-compensation\"\u003Eacross ideological lines\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Increasingly, government officials are taking notice, and subsequently proposing taxes on companies that maintain pay ratios over a certain threshold. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese measures, which have been increasing in the past few years, take aim at inequality, and generate revenue to fund vital public services. They’re also an uplifting way for people to feel like change is in motion. But despite the upsides, some people are warning that these taxes could have worrying effects.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Almost too large to comprehend’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2019, among the 500 largest companies listed on one of the US stock exchanges, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Faflcio.org\u002Fpaywatch\"\u003Eaverage gap between CEO and median worker pay\u003C\u002Fa\u003E was 264:1.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The scale is almost too large to comprehend without some type of external source informing you,” says Bhavya Mohan, a marketing professor at the University of San Francisco. (Indeed, in one study, participants guessed that the ratio between top pay and average unskilled pay was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hbs.edu\u002Ffaculty\u002FPages\u002Fitem.aspx?num=47954\"\u003Eless than 10% of the actual figure\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.) Mohan started her research in this area “because when I first stumbled upon what CEO pay ratios are like at large, publicly traded companies, I was shocked”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlong with generating outrage, knowledge of these figures can influence the way consumers act: Mohan’s research showed that in Switzerland, sales dropped at companies with skewed ratios following news coverage of these pay discrepancies. And in one study she and her colleagues conducted, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1033\"\u003EUS consumers were offered a gift card to one of two comparable clothing retailers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Gap Inc. (which at that point had a pay ratio of 705:1) and Urban Outfitters (whose pay ratio was only 3:1). When the shoppers learned about these pay ratios, “the preferences completely shifted”, says Mohan.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOf course, this was a controlled experiment, and Mohan acknowledges that information about business practices has to be clearly apparent to potential customers (rather than buried in annual financial statements) to have any likely impact on their purchasing behaviour. But this information helps demonstrate widespread outrage about salary inequality, which has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210125-why-ceos-make-so-much-money\"\u003Egot much worse since the 1980s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and the rise of free-market ideology (notably Thatcherism in the UK and Reaganomics in the US). Average CEO pay in the US climbed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002Fjcpy.1033\"\u003Emore than 900% between 1978 and 2014\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – compared to just 11% for average worker pay. These practices have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fips-dc.org\u002Freport-executive-excess-2021\u002F\"\u003Econtinued even during the Covid-19 pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, with a number of companies cutting lower-paid jobs while boosting the compensation packages of executives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGaining momentum\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of this has spurred activists against extreme pay ratios to push harder for action – especially in the US, which has the world’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1933226\u002Fsan-franciscos-tax-on-ceo-pay-takes-aim-at-inequality\u002F\"\u003Emost severe corporate inequality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne way to address the issue is levying taxes against the worst offenders. Portland, the largest city in the state of Oregon, was the first to successfully implement a tax on high pay ratios (although it wasn’t the first to try). In 2016, the city passed a law levying a 10% tax surcharge on any publicly traded company operating locally if the CEO earned at least 100 times the median pay. The tax rose to 25% for a 250:1 ratio. According to a spokesperson for the City of Portland, in 2019, the last full year for which data is available, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.portlandoregon.gov\u002Fcitycode\u002Farticle\u002F663142\"\u003EPay Ratio Surtax\u003C\u002Fa\u003E raised close to $4.9m (£3.46m).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe tax amounts raised each year have been modest, but proponents of the law have said that the intent was to inspire others. And this seems to have worked. In 2020, San Francisco passed a similar law. In March 2021, the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sanders.senate.gov\u002Fpress-releases\u002Fnews-sanders-and-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-combat-corporate-greed-and-end-outrageous-ceo-pay\u002F\"\u003Eintroduced in Congress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Lawmakers have proposed a number of similar bills around the country, some of which go further than the pioneering Portland law. San Francisco’s measure will apply to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcalmatters.org\u002Fcalifornia-divide\u002F2020\u002F11\u002Fsan-francisco-ceo-tax-income-gap\u002F\"\u003Egross receipts of large private and public companies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E alike, and is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1933226\u002Fsan-franciscos-tax-on-ceo-pay-takes-aim-at-inequality\u002F\"\u003Eexpected to raise\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at least 12 times as much revenue as Portland’s. The proposed Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act would be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sanders.senate.gov\u002Fpress-releases\u002Fnews-sanders-and-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-combat-corporate-greed-and-end-outrageous-ceo-pay\u002F\"\u003Etriggered at the 50:1 level\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for companies earning at least $100m a year.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESarah Anderson of the Institute for Policy Studies, who is one of the US’s foremost advocates for narrower pay ratios, believes that now is a key time to propel the movement around lower pay ratios. “I think there’s momentum because we’ve just gone through a year when frontline essential workers demonstrated how essential they are to our economy and our public health. And it makes it even more obvious that it’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210125-why-ceos-make-so-much-money\"\u003Enot one individual in the CEO office\u003C\u002Fa\u003E who is practically singlehandedly creating corporate value.” Yet many corporate reward practices stubbornly stick to this idea that one person at the top should get all the credit.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In 2019, the Pay Ratio Surtax raised close to $4.9m (£3.46m) in the City of Portland","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAlong with placating workers and generating some revenue, Anderson hopes that companies will not see the measures as purely punitive, but rather something that could end up benefitting them. “I hope that more and more companies will see that this is good for the bottom line to narrow these gaps, and that it will \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0022103118300829\"\u003Ebring out the best in their employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that they feel like they’re getting a fair reward for their pay,” adds Anderson. She thinks that a ratio around 25:1 would be fair. In other words, if a CEO makes $5m, median pay at that firm should reach $200,000.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAs effective as advertised?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, not everyone is sold.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than any other country, the US has a long history of both requiring CEO pay disclosure and trying to effect change around dramatic pay ratios. Although meant to be helpful, these attempts have all done more harm than good, says Kevin Murphy, a professor of finance and economics at the University of Southern California. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, according to Murphy, one reason top-brass pay is so high in the US is because of past well-intentioned legislation that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpapers.ssrn.com\u002Fsol3\u002Fpapers.cfm?abstract_id=3153147\"\u003Eended up making the problem worse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, instead of dampening CEO compensation as intended. Now, for instance, enormous executive pay generally doesn’t come in the form of base salaries, but in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210125-why-ceos-make-so-much-money\"\u003Eperformance-linked stocks and shares\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Pay packages are composed this way partly in response to a 1993 law that set a $1m limit on how much of executive salaries companies could deduct from tax. The law generally \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.propublica.org\u002Farticle\u002Fthe-executive-pay-cap-that-backfired\"\u003Edidn’t lead to lower executive salaries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as hoped – and compensation packages actually increased overall because companies became extra generous with bonuses instead. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMurphy argues that revolts against high CEO pay, like the movement to tax large pay ratios, are politically motivated, not based on sound economics. For one thing, companies are ingenious in finding ways around these kinds of taxes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EPlus, people like Murphy contend that taxing pay ratios is a blunt instrument for attempting to tackle pay inequality. Many global companies have high ratios because they employ lots of part-time workers (like Starbucks, whose pay ratio is 1,675:1) or employees based in lower-income countries; conversely, some companies have low ratios because technically their \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1933226\u002Fsan-franciscos-tax-on-ceo-pay-takes-aim-at-inequality\u002F\"\u003Efranchises are treated as independent entities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. A pay ratio tax may end up being a tax on industries dependent on low-skilled workers. “That ratio itself doesn’t tell us a lot about income inequality, or even how much the CEO is making. It tells us a lot more about what the what the structure of the business is,” says Murphy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese taxes probably won’t transform the pay practices of large companies, says Ani Huang, who leads the Center on Executive Compensation, a Washington, DC-based organisation representing HR executives. She believes that because executive compensation is fundamentally market- and performance-based, “increasing taxes based on the ratio of the CEO’s pay to the pay of the median employee is unlikely to change this basic premise” of how companies determine executive pay.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, the Portland Business Alliance, which has been opposed to the surtax there, is unaware of any members changing their practices in response to the tax. On the other hand, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1933226\u002Fsan-franciscos-tax-on-ceo-pay-takes-aim-at-inequality\u002F\"\u003Eaffected companies haven’t pulled out of Portland\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to avoid paying it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the last few decades are any indication, CEO pay will only continue to get more inflated, even despite measures like pay ratio taxes. But more and more, legislators and campaigners will be watching – and likely getting bolder about tackling it head-on. So, while these pay ratio taxes may not drive much immediate change in corporate pay practices, they are driving more attention to outrage against salary inequality.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEither way, the tax will still bring in some money for public services, and so campaigner Anderson argues that this is a win-win situation. “Companies do have a choice: they can either narrow their gaps by cutting CEO pay or lifting up worker pay, or they can pay a bit more in taxes… and we can use that to help reduce inequality in other ways.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-14T15:15:08Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The push to penalise big corporations with huge pay gaps","headlineShort":"A fix for sky-high CEO pay?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"CEO pay is soaring. Average pay is stagnating. Some campaigners are pushing to shrink the gap – or make companies pay up.","summaryShort":"If your top boss earns 100 times more than you, should your company pay up?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-13T19:55:26.324756Z","entity":"article","guid":"a19e4dcd-9947-4c40-aae4-dcd06bffa2f5","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:24:37.463981Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917969},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts","_id":"616ff67f45ceed46a33c6406","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmark-johanson"],"bodyIntro":"Pay is a major factor in whether a candidate takes a job – or even applies in the first place. But for employers, the politics of making salaries public are complicated.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYou’re scrolling through LinkedIn when you come across a promising job ad. The description is inspiring, the team members look compatible and you meet most of the qualifications for the role. Then, when you get to the part about the expected salary, you find that instead of an actual figure there are phrases like “depending on experience” or simply “competitive”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat do those words even mean? And why don’t companies simply list the salary upfront? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In traditional corporate environments, the salary is often hidden because it’s a game of cat and mouse trying to figure out what salary the candidate is currently on, what they’re expecting, and what the company is willing to pay,” explains Tom Harmsworth, the UK managing director at property-technology company WeMaintain, which operates in the UK, France and Singapore.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut this lack of disclosure hurts workers. Knowing the expected salary upfront lets a candidate understand whether a job will be financially viable for them. It also streamlines conversations later in the hiring process. This chimes with data from a 2018 LinkedIn survey, in which the overwhelming majority of respondents (61%) said \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fbusiness\u002Ftalent\u002Fblog\u002Ftalent-acquisition\u002Fjob-description-heatmap\"\u003Ecompensation was the most important part of the job description\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. A Glassdoor study showed similar results, with salary (67%) being the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glassdoor.com\u002Femployers\u002Fblog\u002Fsalary-benefits-survey\u002F\"\u003Etop factor jobseekers look for in ads\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENevertheless, many employers still leave out compensation details in adverts, often out of fear it may put them at a competitive disadvantage, or cause resentment among existing staff.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet, there’s a growing global movement to make salary transparency not only a new norm, but rather the law. That’s because an increasing body of research shows that companies who are forthcoming about their wages can attract better, more diverse talent, making salary transparency an actionable way of creating a more equitable workplace.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wkf1m"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"man looking for job on phone","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPlaying their cards close\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESeveral reasons help explain why only \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.payscale.com\u002Fcbpr\"\u003E12.6% of global companies published the pay range\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for a role within their job ads last year, according to a 2021 report from Seattle-based compensation data company Payscale.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Employers don’t want to publicise how much they pay, in part, because it’s going to create resentment among organisational members,” explains Eddy Ng, the Smith Professor of Equity and Inclusion in Business at Queen’s University, Canada. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an ideal world, everyone doing the same job would make the same amount of money when they start. But that’s not always the case. In certain labour markets, employers may have to pay higher salaries to attract the best talent, which could cause conflict internally if existing employees – particularly ones who started at a lower wage – could easily view that information.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The other thing, of course, is when you make compensation public it makes it easier for the competition to poach your employees,” adds Ng, noting they can use this information to compete for – and potentially win over – the best candidates. “If you keep compensation private, in a way, it protects the employer and also allows the employer greater discretion.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany employers also withhold salary information to give them more negotiation leverage with potential candidates as they advance to latter stages in a recruitment process – particularly as more jobs go remote. For example, securing additional information about a prospective employee’s physical location – be it a low-cost rural area or high-cost urban centre – might be a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200928-should-you-get-paid-based-on-where-you-live\"\u003Ekey factor in determining compensation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and ultimately can enable employers to save money.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Employers don’t want to publicise how much they pay, in part, because it’s going to create resentment among organisational members – Eddy Ng","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome companies also fear that if they list a salary band, all applicants will expect to receive the figure at the top end of that range, even if that figure is only reserved for the most qualified candidates. Receiving an offer at the bottom end – and accepting it – may lead to resentment right from the start.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom a candidate’s perspective, all these factors may signal systemic issues within companies, who haven’t considered or effectively implemented policies around compensation. Shelly Holt, the chief people officer at PayScale, says much of the hesitancy around salary transparency comes from companies that lack both formal pay structures for their roles and confidence in their salary bands, often due to market fluctuations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA competitive advantage?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut while some companies may remain cagey around listing pay, Holt says there’s a competitive advantage in moving towards disclosure. Organisations that are more transparent about their salaries can win over the best candidates and attract diverse applicants.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWeMaintain’s Harmsworth believes “advertising the salary banding upfront starts the process off on the right foot and reflects [a company’s] aptitude for transparency”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccordingly, WeMaintain is among the companies moving toward complete salary transparency. Late last year, it distributed a salary and equity policy to its roughly 100 employees. This explains its pay banding, which is determined not by age or experience, but rather achievement and contribution. It then publicly listed salary bands on all job adverts this year in an attempt to combat gender pay gaps, and also encourage more women to apply for roles in the historically male-dominated industry of mechanical engineering.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wkf02"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"woman in interview happy","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHarmsworth says they’ve reaped dividends. “Being upfront about the salary banding has definitely resulted in us seeing more female candidates,” says Harmsworth, adding that “if the salary banding isn’t there, I think there can be a tendency for some of the better talent on the market to not apply”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENg adds managers who claim to be serious about diversity, equity and inclusion may want to take a second look at how their company actually communicates that in job listings. “If I know a company publicises compensation, it conveys a message to me that this employer tries to be fair,” he says. “On top of that, it also helps build trust.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEquality also extends to helping improve the gender pay gap. Holt adds: “Pay transparency actually closes that gender pay gap, and that’s likely because we know that women are less likely to negotiate and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay\"\u003Emore likely to be penalised for asking for higher pay\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, Holt says as more companies promote pay transparency, they may begin to change the way the market works. “You are starting to force organisations to share more about how they’re paying and to really reduce that inequality problem that exists,” she says, adding “innovative companies that are wanting to win in the talent market will try new things and push these efforts forward”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA win-win\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, there does appear to be a broader trend toward more salary transparency. In Latvia, for example, a new law that came into effect in 2019 makes it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flikumi.lv\u002Fta\u002Fen\u002Fen\u002Fid\u002F26019-labour-law\"\u003Emandatory to post expected salaries on all job advertisements\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Innovative companies that are wanting to win in the talent market will try new things and push these efforts forward – Shelly Holt","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, Colorado became the first state to enact a law similar to Latvia’s earlier this year. It \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fleg.colorado.gov\u002Fbills\u002Fsb19-085\"\u003Erequires employers to disclose hourly wages or pay ranges\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in all employment listings, with fines for not complying between $500 and $10,000 per violation. The law built on a wave of new regulations in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hrdive.com\u002Fnews\u002Fsalary-history-ban-states-list\u002F516662\u002F\"\u003E21 US states\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that prohibit employers from asking applicants about their salary history. Now, several of those same US states concerned about salary history are looking to follow Colorado’s lead in making pay expectations a right for all jobseekers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToms Blodnieks, the chief operating office of Riga-based time-tracking software company DeskTime, says while competitors do use these publicly available figures to compete for talent, he thinks it’s been largely a win-win for both employees and employers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Potential employees are very thankful that we show the salary because time is important and we don’t waste any of it,” he says. “From our side, as well, we don’t waste our time with checking resumes of people who are clearly thinking of a higher or lower salary than we will offer.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMoves like these have forced businesses to look at salary transparency in a fresh light. Yet, they’ve not been without their detractors. Major companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Cigna and Nike have included language in their job listings (which do not include explicit salary expectations) that specifically \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.coloradoexcluded.com\u002F\"\u003Eprohibits workers in Colorado from applying\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to tracking website Colorado Excluded. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPayScale’s Holt thinks the move toward more pay transparency will take a while to catch on, particularly for large multinationals. But she does see signs that the tide may be shifting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think there are going to be societal pressures that continue to push this, particularly in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion,” she explains. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point\"\u003Emarket is tightening\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, she adds, “so just doing things the way we’ve always done it isn’t going to help organisations get ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-22T14:17:09Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why companies don't post salaries in job adverts","headlineShort":"Why job adverts don't include salaries","image":["p09wkf19"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210708-pay-secrecy-why-some-workers-cant-discuss-salaries","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210615-how-the-salary-ask-gap-perpetuates-unequal-pay","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210610-the-push-to-penalise-big-corporations-with-huge-pay-gaps"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Pay is a major factor in whether a candidate takes a job – or even applies in the first place. But for employers, the politics of making salaries public are complicated.","summaryShort":"Why getting employers to reveal salaries is \"a game of cat and mouse\"","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-21T21:51:52.592749Z","entity":"article","guid":"0bf3a981-bd0d-4ac5-bce7-464d1f783a0b","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-21T21:51:52.592749Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917968},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long","_id":"6170916645ceed69713e52e6","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fbryan-lufkin"],"bodyIntro":"Many hiring managers make candidates wait for weeks when they apply for jobs. Can't they speed things up?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere’s an urgency to hiring, for both parties involved. Once they apply, workers want to get into new jobs quickly, to start earning their salaries and snap into the rhythm of a novel position. Speedy hiring is also important for employers, since vacant roles cost companies both lost productivity and inefficient distribution of resources to compensate for empty seats.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven though hiring \u003Cem\u003Eshould\u003C\u002Fem\u003E move fast, however, it never has – even now as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fbusiness-health-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-67a34a2e9c416155bab6af1b0e3cfcf1\"\u003Eso many are people currently looking for new jobs amid a great talent reshuffle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and employers are eager to get these workers into their ranks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERealistically, in many places, recruitment takes weeks – sometimes well more than a month. Logistical issues, industry-specific processes or factors unique to a given job all feed into the turnaround time from job advertisement to formal offer. But although the long, drawn-out process can be frustrating, there may be an upside for candidates to hanging in there during the hiring marathon.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘All about retention’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHiring processes that feel endless have “been a long-standing issue, even pre-pandemic”, says Theresa Adams, senior knowledge advisor at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Managers typically have their own job, and when they have an open position, technically may have two jobs – Theresa Adams","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2017, when researchers from US job-search platform Glassdoor analysed the results of more than 83,000 job interviews across industries in 25 countries, they found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.glassdoor.com\u002Fresearch\u002Ftime-to-hire-in-25-countries\u002F\"\u003Ethe average interview process took 23.7 days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. That’s a slight increase from 2016, when the average time was 22.5 days. (Results varied widely by country; in Brazil, the average in 2017 was 39.6 days, compared to 16.1 in India. Glassdoor attributes this to variances in labour market regulations – how easy it is to hire and fire people.) In the US, there’s been a marked increase in the length of hiring processes. Between 2010 and 2015, Glassdoor found that the average time \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fresourcesandtools\u002Fhr-topics\u002Ftalent-acquisition\u002Fpages\u002Fu.s.-hiring-time-increased.aspx\"\u003Eincreased by 10 days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, hiring processes vary by industry and job type. Adams says that while it doesn’t take much time to fill positions in retail or food service, recruiting for knowledge industry roles can take longer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s supported by data: in August 2021, LinkedIn \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fcan-you-wait-49-days-why-getting-hired-takes-so-long-george-anders\u002F\"\u003Eanalysed 400,000 confirmed hires on its platform\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to see how long the recruitment process took. They found that the fields in which hiring took longest were engineering and research, which took a median of 49 and 48 days respectively; the shortest were customer service and administrative jobs, which took a median of 34 and 33 days respectively. Another study, conducted in 2017 by DHI Group and Workable, found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fresources.workable.com\u002Fstories-and-insights\u002Ftime-to-hire-industry\"\u003Efilling positions in industries like construction can be as quick as 12.7 days\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on average – but financial services can take as long as 44.7 days.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EA drawn-out hiring process often includes multiple interviews – four, five, even six rounds. Often, companies are holding out for the 'perfect candidate', and string along workers in the process. But increasingly, job-seekers are losing patience, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews\"\u003Ethis marathon process is causing workers to walk\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"The never-ending job interview","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECompany size is also a factor in recruitment timelines.Bigger companies tend to “have larger, more powerful HR departments, which leads to more centralisation and structure in hiring”, says Michael Gibbs, clinical professor of economics at Booth School of Business, University of Chicago. These firms will likely have longer processes and ask candidates to meet more people. “Given the difference in resources between a Fortune 500 company and a start-up with perhaps a few dozen employees, this makes complete sense,” adds Stephen M Rakas, an executive director at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, US.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many sectors, extra hurdles like drug tests, personality tests, background checks and skills assessments \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fastcompany.com\u002F3048421\u002Fwhy-the-hiring-process-takes-longer-than-ever\"\u003Ehave become more common\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, adding more steps to the recruitment process. But hiring has always come with time-consuming logistics: screening CVs, interviewing candidates, scheduling follow-up interviews with other hiring managers. Though artificial-intelligence systems and HR departments can take on some of this, busy managers juggling multiple priorities will also have to be involved – potentially causing delays.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Managers typically have their own job, and when they have an open position, technically may have \u003Cem\u003Etwo\u003C\u002Fem\u003E jobs,” says Adams.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09z917x"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECompanies of all stripes also increasingly want to be sure that they’re choosing a candidate who will stay in the role. “More than ever, recruitment is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean\"\u003Ea question of fit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: companies want to make sure they are getting the right people, but also want to make sure that they are the right company for those people,” says Michael Smets, professor of management at University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. “Recruitment is expensive, and recruiting people who leave shortly after because they are unhappy is a waste of time and money for everyone involved.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, research has shown structured interviews – in which interviewers spend extra effort to prepare questions and possible assessments ahead of time – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fprofile\u002FRobert-Dipboye\u002Fpublication\u002F234095559_Structured_and_unstructured_selection_interviews_beyond_the_job-fit_model\u002Flinks\u002F0fcfd50f07cc277c11000000\u002FStructured-and-unstructured-selection-interviews-beyond-the-job-fit-model.pdf\"\u003Eproduce better recruits than unstructured interviews\u003C\u002Fa\u003E involving a chat with a candidate about their CV. Plus, more structured processes that involve more people can help avoid unconscious bias in hiring; if more than one person is involved in interviewing, there’s less chance the candidate will fall victim to the biases of a sole recruiter. Gibbs says that a key reason hiring takes longer “is to reduce risks of discrimination and broaden the pool of talent to consider”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFind your fit \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, none of this really makes candidates waiting days or weeks to hear back from prospective employers feel much better.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile some applicants understand why the process takes so long, many still have to endure interviewing processes \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews\"\u003Ethat seem interminable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which can be worse depending on the company. The recruitment process also seems to have become less courteous; \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Fjackkelly\u002F2021\u002F02\u002F17\u002Fa-new-study-by-indeed-confirms-that-ghosting-during-the-hiring-process-has-hit-crisis-levels\u002F?sh=78232a1999c4\"\u003Eghosting\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (by both employer and candidate) is widely reported, as is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fbreadcrumbing-your-work-search-mike-bell\u002F\"\u003Ebreadcrumbing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, when potential employers lead candidates on. When you factor in candidates’ perceptions that it’s a job-seekers’ market, it’s easy to understand why people are baffled or even fed up when recruiters seem to be dragging their feet.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELong recruitment processes can, of course, backfire on employers, when candidates end up losing interest in the job. Long gaps between interviews and poor communication can encourage applicants to apply elsewhere instead. Adams says a process that feels too long can be a bad sign; maybe the job isn’t a great fit for \u003Cem\u003Eyou\u003C\u002Fem\u003E. “They [the candidate] may perceive that employer to not be considerate or employee-centric by making them wait so long, so they may choose not work with them,” says Adams.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet there are also powerful reasons for candidates to persist through lengthy hiring processes. “The more thoughtful the organisation is in making decisions, the better the long-term outcome is going to be for both the applicant who gets hired and the organisation,” says Brent Smith, associate professor of management and psychology at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Conversely, whizzing through the hiring process can “result in a bad hire – and result in termination”, says Adams. You might not have all the skills needed, and your new job could end up being a miserable experience – you could even get fired.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, Adams says companies can make certain changes to expedite hiring, like having realistic expectations about whom they’ll be able to hire. “I don’t think the perfect candidate exists,” she says. “I think educating hiring managers to be more flexible and open-minded with candidates can certainly help” lessen the time everyone has to wait for the position to be filled. Clearer and more frequent communication from hiring managers during the process can also help candidates understand how the recruitment is progressing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut she suggests candidates also need to be patient with employers, particularly now as they grapple with post-pandemic demands for autonomy and flexibility. Even in a job-seekers’ market, it’s important for candidates to be realistic about how much time companies need to assess applicants’ suitability.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think candidates need to manage their expectations,”she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-21T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why hiring takes so long","headlineShort":"Why hiring takes forever","image":["p09z8yg2"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Many hiring managers make candidates wait for weeks when they apply for jobs. Can't they speed things up?","summaryShort":"Why employers drag out the job application process for weeks – or months","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-20T21:59:57.761351Z","entity":"article","guid":"6b5b6178-1451-4723-a7f8-7c4fb25d6af7","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-21T16:14:48.513673Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211020-why-hiring-takes-so-long","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917967},"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children","_id":"616ff60245ceed0a925e8d88","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"From their academic success to their social skills and mental health, the pandemic is a crisis for today’s children – and the fallout may follow them for the rest of their lives.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen today’s children and adolescents grow up, will they see themselves as a “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FLost_Generation\"\u003Elost generation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, whose lives will forever fall in the shadow of a global pandemic?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe school closures are one of the most visible – and controversial – means by which Covid-19 is affecting young people. According to Unesco, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.unesco.org\u002Fnews\u002Freopening-schools-when-where-and-how\"\u003Ethe education of nearly 1.6 billion pupils in 190 countries has so far been affected\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – that’s 90% of the world’s school-age children. And at the time of writing, there are still no definite plans for opening the schools of around half of these children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere has been much \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fpii\u002FS2468266720300827\"\u003Edebate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E over the exact role that school closures have played containing the overall spread of the virus. It is just over five months since the novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, meaning that the data describing its transmission and the effects of any particular measure are still patchy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut according to Richard Armitage, in the division of public health and epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, those legitimate scientific questions about the effectiveness of school closures \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flanglo\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS2214-109X(20)30116-9\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Eshould not be taken as a justification\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for re-opening them prematurely. “An absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe know, after all, that transmission is higher in densely-packed, indoor spaces, and although the danger to children may not be as high as the risk to the adults teaching them, the virus does seem to evoke an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fnews-room\u002Fcommentaries\u002Fdetail\u002Fmultisystem-inflammatory-syndrome-in-children-and-adolescents-with-covid-19\"\u003Eextreme reaction in a very small number of paediatric cases\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Crucially, children may become carriers who transmit the virus to the most vulnerable members of society, such as their grandparents. After all, they’re not exactly known for their fastidious hygiene.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of which may make a full return to normality unlikely for most children in the next few months. And when that is combined with the other stresses of living in isolation under quarantine, it may have some serious consequences – delaying their cognitive, emotional and social development. For those in the most critical periods of adolescence, it may even increase the risk of mental illness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince the poorest will be hardest hit by all of these effects, lockdowns are expected to widen the existing inequalities across the globe, with repercussions for years to come. “It’s disadvantaged children who pay the greatest price here, as they will fall the furthest behind, and have the fewest resources available to ‘catch up’ once the pandemic threat has passed,” says Armitage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Children wearing plastic face visors attend a class in Japan. (Credit: Getty Images)","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome experts, such as Wim Van Lancker, a sociologist at the University of Leuven in Belgium, go as far as to describe it at as “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flanpub\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS2468-2667(20)30084-0\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Ea social crisis in the making\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo what are the facts? And what can be done to mitigate these problems before it is too late?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe attainment gap\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELet’s first consider the consequences for the child’s intellectual development.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome clues to these effects come from studies of \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fftp.iza.org\u002Fdp2923.pdf\"\u003Eshort-term school closures due to snow\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In 2007, Dave Marcotte, a professor in public affairs at American University in Washington DC, examined the standardised test scores of third, fifth and eighth graders in Maryland. The effects of school closures were greatest for the youngest children, with each lost day resulting in around 0.57% fewer children reaching the expected grades in reading and maths. The average school lost around 5 days, in total, due to bad weather – resulting in around a 3% drop in the overall pass rate – equivalent to roughly one child in a classroom of 30.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYou might also like:\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200527-coronavirus-how-covid-19-could-redesign-our-world\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHow Covid-19 could redesign our world\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200520-why-lockdown-life-feels-like-its-going-faster\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EWhy time seems to be going faster while we are in lockdown\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200528-why-most-covid-19-deaths-wont-be-from-the-virus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EWhy most Covid-19 deaths won't be from the virus\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EClearly, even relatively brief periods of time out of education can have a lasting impact. It’s not just the missed opportunities for learning that need to be considered during the current crisis, however. The more serious concern is that, when schools are closed for long periods, many children will begin to forget what they already know – a regression that will be much harder to remedy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarcotte points to studies of children’s progress over the school year. As you might expect, most children show steady improvements throughout the terms, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.3102\u002F00346543066003227\"\u003Ethis can regress – sometimes radically – during the long summer school holiday\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, particularly in subjects such as maths. “In the United States, about 25% of what is gained during the academic year is lost over the course of the summer,” Marcotte says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf schools don’t reopen until September, many children will have spent more than 20 weeks in a row away from school – an unprecedented amount of time away from education, meaning we can’t simply extrapolate from the existing data. “We just don't know if it's a linear increase in learning loss, or if it may be something even larger that sort of compounds on itself,” says Marcotte. Given that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fhealth-16320306\"\u003Etime spent in education appears to shape adult IQ\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – this could result in serious, lifelong effects on their cognitive ability.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarcotte hopes that attempts at remote learning may help to prevent that set-back, but he is sceptical that it can fully make up the difference. “Making real-world connections and spending time with peers, and focusing on lessons, is so much easier when you're in the same room and engaged,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A seesaw covered in official tape at a closed playground in Moscow (Credit: EPA)","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the worst-case scenario, some students may actually regress even more than they would during a normal school break, he says, since they will also lack the opportunity for intellectually nourishing activities like music lessons, trips to the museum and library, or summer camps. Children will be missing the regular reinforcement of what they’ve learned at school and all these chances to expand their general knowledge and understanding of the world.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWidening inequalities\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot all children will be affected in the same way – leading some experts to fear that this will widen the (already highly significant) gap in educational achievement between richer and poorer families.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe know, for example, that the learning loss during the US summer vacations depends on the child’s background. Some studies have found that richer children actually \u003Cem\u003Eimprove\u003C\u002Fem\u003E their reading performance over the period, while it is the poorer families who tend to show the greater losses, since they have fewer educational resources over the holidays.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile governments are trying to encourage home schooling, it relies on a good computer and reliable internet connection to be able to access the school’s resources, and a quiet room to study. Home schooling also assumes that the parents themselves are sufficiently educated, and have enough time, to be able to help with the lessons. “This assumption unfortunately does not [always] hold, meaning many children’s academic development will grind to a halt during school closures, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, further widening the attainment gap,” says Armitage. A recent study from the UK found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ifs.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002F14848\"\u003Echildren from richer families are spending about 30% more time on home learning than those from poorer families\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVan Lancker agrees that access to a quiet study area, with an internet connection, is a huge issue for many people. “Those are the circumstances which are not very likely for children living in poverty and over-crowded households,” he says. “We're facing a very, very long period of several months in which groups of disadvantaged children may not have been able to learn very much, and so the gap will have widened when school starts again next term.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lockdown may disproportionately affect the children of first-generation immigrants, since they may have fewer opportunities to learn and practice their second language outside of the home.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENor will these inequalities end once the schools start to re-open. Research by Alison Andrew, Sarah Cattan, Monica Costa Dias and colleagues at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a think tank in London, UK, shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ifs.org.uk\u002Fpublications\u002F14848\"\u003Epoorer families are less willing to allow their children to return to education\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “We know from the evidence that’s coming out, on who’s been most affected health-wise by the coronavirus, that individuals from poorer backgrounds are more likely to have been exposed,” says Alison Andrew. “And this might be increasing concern among individuals in poorer households.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A student having a virtual lesson using a tablet (Credit: EPA)","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s worth bearing in mind that the economic effects of the virus – such as job losses – are expected to increase poverty in general. If nothing is done to make up these amplified class divides, the effects may linger for years. “The younger you are, the more likely it is that there will be consequences well into your adult life,” says Van Lancker. “We know these effects accumulate over time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMental health\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the child’s intellectual development may be the most obvious victim of these shutdowns, it’s by no means the only thing at risk. Teachers are often the first people to notice deteriorating mental health among their students and to encourage them to seek treatment, and many schools provide counselling and psychotherapy on site. In the US, for instance, around \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjamapediatrics\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2764730\"\u003E13% of adolescents receive mental healthcare from their schools\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Indeed, for a sizeable chunk – 35% – of vulnerable adolescents being treated for mental health issues, schools are the \u003Cem\u003Eonly \u003C\u002Fem\u003Esource of support for their problems.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In general, children with more siblings appear to develop social skills at a quicker rate, so it may be that it’s only children who are worst affected.","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt is possible to provide some help remotely, but so-called “telemental health services” are far from ideal – since they face exactly the same barriers that make distance learning difficult. “Mental health services also involve a degree of privacy, and not all families have the living arrangements to allow for that,” explains Ezra Golberstein at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Once again, it will probably be the poorest families who suffer the most.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout regular contact with students, teachers and counsellors will also be unable to report suspected cases of abuse. “For many children, home is an unpleasant, undesirable, and unsafe place to be, and school provides a much-needed shelter,” says Armitage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGolberstein pointed me to one recent analysis of data from Florida, which found a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpapers.ssrn.com\u002Fsol3\u002Fpapers.cfm?abstract_id=3601399\"\u003E27% \u003Cem\u003Ereduction\u003C\u002Fem\u003E in alleged cases of abuse during March and April 2020\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. It seems highly unlikely that abusers have mended their ways during this period, suggesting that a large number of cases are going unreported as a result of the closures.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sad truth is that the amount of child abuse – and indeed all kinds of domestic abuse – will have probably increased throughout the pandemic. “If people are confined to overcrowded households and living in deprived circumstances, this is already associated with the high likelihood for domestic abuse,” says Van Lancker. And at least for the moment, many of these crimes can be hidden by the pandemic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A demonstration in NYC for equality in all schools (Credit: Alamy)","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAdolescence is considered to be a critical period for the development and treatment of mental health issues – and if those problems are left untreated, they may be much harder to remedy in later life.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArrested development\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe broader consequences of the outbreak – including the anxiety of growing up during a global pandemic, and the fear for family members – remain to be seen. But children are highly perceptive of their parents’ and carers’ worries and it \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flanchi\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS2352-4642(20)30097-3\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Eseems likely that they will absorb some of this angst\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – whether it’s worry about the disease itself, the job losses, or the strains of isolation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a comparison, Louise Dalton and Elizabeth Rapa in the department of psychiatry at the University of Oxford point to research on the children of people with HIV or cancer. Often, young children engage in “magical thinking” – believing that their own thoughts or behaviours are the cause of the event. “They end up blaming themselves unnecessarily, and sometimes feel incredibly guilty,” Dalton says – which may also happen during this crisis. For children or adolescents of any age, the uncertainty and the loss of their own freedom will be hard to process and could lead to long-term behavioural problems.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, Dalton and Rapa feel that parents have not been given enough information about these issues and the way to deal with them. “Children's emotional needs are completely being neglected at the moment,” Rapa says. So although children have been given abundant material on the physical effects of the disease and the ways to avoid contagion, government health campaigns have provided very little guidance on how to cope with the stress. “[Children] are now experts on viral transmission, but they're not being taught how we can talk about this and deal with such important things.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s also unclear how the isolation and physical distancing may influence the development of socioemotional skills, like regulating your feelings, exercising self-control and managing conflicts with your peers. It’s now known that time in education is essential for helping children to mature – particularly if their parents aren’t modelling those skills at home – and the time out may delay their progress. In general, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0265407502193001\"\u003Echildren with more siblings appear to develop social skills at a quicker rate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so it may be that it’s only children who are worst affected. (Though only children may benefit in other ways – their parents can probably spend more time helping them personally with home schooling, for instance.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A group of Japanese students walking into a museum (Credit: Alamy)","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“We don't have any truly similar experience that we can look to in the past to try to see what happened,” says Golberstein. “But kids are sensitive and responsive to their environments, and stressors early in life have consequences for child development, mental health, and human capital development, so I am quite concerned.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo easy answers\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are no easy solutions for these issues. To prevent the widening inequalities in education, teachers need to provide alternatives for work that requires a computer or internet connection, for example. “Teachers need to be sure that children are able to fulfil their tasks, even in deprived conditions,” says Van Lancker.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGovernments can also implement schemes like mobile libraries that will ensure children can get the reading materials they need. “These are small things, but they can really make a difference in keeping the learning going,” he adds. In the long term, schools will need to look carefully at the children who have been hit hardest by the crisis and consider special measures that could help to make up for the losses.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore generally, Rapa and Dalton argue that parents and carers need to have open and honest conversations with their children about the emotions the whole family are feeling as a result of the pandemic. The temptation may be to put a brave face on the situation, but simply ignoring the underlying tensions will only backfire, they say. For this reason, they’ve recently created a video \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblackpoolbetterstart.org.uk\u002Fcovid19-update\u002F\"\u003Eoutlining the most constructive ways to have those conversations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  “Once everyone starts talking about [the stresses], things do get better,” says Rapa.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnly with a concerted effort from parents, teachers, social workers, psychiatrists and politicians can we be sure that children of all classes can emerge from the crisis ready to cope and thrive in the post-Covid-19 world.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E* David Robson is the author of \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.davidrobson.me\u002Fthe-intelligence-trap\"\u003EThe Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise Your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, which examines evidence-based ways to improve learning, creativity and problem solving. 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\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs an award-winning science site, BBC Future is committed to bringing you evidence-based analysis and myth-busting stories around the new coronavirus. You can read more of our \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ftags\u002Fcovid-19\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECovid-19 coverage here\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoin one million Future fans by liking us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCFuture\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, or follow us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Future\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fbbcfuture_official\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EInstagram\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this story, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpages.emails.bbc.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002F?ocid=fut.bbc.email.we.email-signup\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003Esign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuture\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fculture\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECulture\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWorklife\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, and \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ftravel\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETravel\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, delivered to your inbox every Friday.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children-12"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-06-04T01:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How Covid-19 is changing the world’s children","headlineShort":"How Covid-19 is changing children","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A girl on a balcony poses with a picture she drew (Credit: Reuters)","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"future","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"From their academic success to their social skills and mental health, the pandemic is a crisis for today’s children – and the fallout may follow them for the rest of their lives.","summaryShort":"We may witness the consequences for years to come","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-06-04T02:22:32.619974Z","entity":"article","guid":"cdf9cdb9-946d-4636-8dd1-24babcb18668","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-01T17:22:02.509855Z","project":"future","slug":"20200603-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-worlds-children","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains","_id":"616ff60745ceed03057eeadc","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The toys we give to children and the traits they are assigned can have lasting impacts on their lives, writes Melissa Hogenboom.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EMy daughter is obsessed with all things girly and pink. She gravitated to pink flowery dresses that are typically marketed for girls before she even turned two. When she was three and we saw a group of children playing football, I suggested she could join in when she was a bit older. \"Football is not for girls,\" she replied, firmly. We carefully pointed out that girls, though in the minority, were playing too. She was unconvinced. However, she's also boisterous and loves to climb and jump, attributes often described as boyish.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHer overt ideas about what girls and boys should do were somewhat unexpected so early on, but considering how gendered many children's worlds are from the outset, it's easy to see how this occurs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese initial divisions may seem innocent, but over time our gendered worlds have lasting effects on how children grow up to understand themselves and the choices they make – as well as how to behave in the society they inhabit. Later, gendered ideas continue to influence and perpetuate a society which unknowingly promotes values linked to toxic masculinity, which is bad news for all of us, however we identify. So how exactly does our obsession with gender have such a lasting impact on our world? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe idea that women were intellectually inferior to men was regarded as fact several centuries ago. Science has long sought to find the differences that underlined this assumption. Slowly, numerous studies have now debunked many of these proposed differences, and yet our world remains stubbornly gendered.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you think about it, this is wholly unsurprising due to the way we are socialised as infants. Parents and caregivers don't mean to treat boys and girls differently, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Fbuy\u002F2005-02259-007\"\u003Ebut evidence shows they clearly do.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E It starts before birth, with mothers describing their baby's movements differently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flibrarysearch.lse.ac.uk\u002Fprimo-explore\u002Ffulldisplay?vid=44LSE_VU1&docid=44LSE_ALMA_DS21141245400002021&lang=en_US&context=L\"\u003Eif they know they are having a boy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Male babies were more likely to be described as \"vigorous\" and \"strong\", but there was no such difference when mothers did not know the sex.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEver since it was possible to identify biological sex from a scan, one of the first questions asked of prospective parents is whether they are having a boy or a girl. Before then, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20120320-can-babys-bump-predict-gender\"\u003Ethe shape and size of a bump\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has been used to guess the sex, despite there being no evidence this works. More subtle are the different words we use to describe boys and girls, even for the exact same behaviour. Throw gendered toys into the mix and this reinforces the subtle traits and hobbies that are already assigned to male and female.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYou might also like:\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20191001-the-word-gap-that-affects-how-your-babys-brain-grows\"\u003EWhy the way we talk to children really matters\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20190930-the-sexist-myths-about-gender-stereotypes-that-wont-die\"\u003EThe sexist myths that won't die\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20160907-clues-to-your-personality-appeared-before-you-could-talk\"\u003EThe early clues to your personality\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe way children play is a hugely important part of development. It's how children first develop skills and interests. Blocks encourage building whereas dolls can encourage perspective taking and caregiving. A range of play experiences is clearly important. \"When you only funnel one type of skill building toys to half of the population, it means that half of the population are going to be the ones developing a certain set of skills or developing a certain set of interests,\" says Christia Brown, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChildren are also like little detectives, working out what category they belong to by constantly learning from those around them. As soon as they understand what gender they fit into, they will naturally gravitate towards the categories that have been thrust upon them from birth. That's why from the age of about two, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.2044-835X.2011.02027.x\"\u003Egirls tend to navigate more to pink\u003C\u002Fa\u003E things while boys will avoid them. I witnessed this first-hand when my then two-year old stubbornly refused to wear anything she perceived as slightly boyish, despite my futile attempts not to overtly gender her clothing early on.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt's no surprise then that pre-school children learn to identify with their gender so young, especially as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2018-05827-007\"\u003Eparents and friends tend to give children toys associated with their gender\u003C\u002Fa\u003E early on. Once children understand which \"gender tribe\" they belong to, they become more responsive to gender labels, explains Cordelia Fine, a psychologist at the University of Melbourne. This then influences their behaviour. For instance, even how a toy is presented \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0193397314000689\"\u003Ecan change a child's interest in it\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Girls have been found to be more interested in typically boyish toys if they were pink, for instance.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has consequences though. If we only give girls and not boys dolls or beauty sets, it primes them to associate themselves with these interests. Boys can be primed to like more active pursuits by toy tools and cars.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F0891243205284276\"\u003Eboys clearly enjoy playing with dolls and buggies too\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but these are not as typically bought for them. My son cradles a toy baby just as his sister did and likes to push it around in a toy buggy. \"Boys in the first years of life are also nurturing and caring. We just teach them really early that that's a 'girl skill', and we punish boys for doing it,\" says Brown.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Parents of boys often talk about how they are more boisterous and enjoy rougher play, while girls are more gentle and meek","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIf from infancy, boys are discouraged from playing with toys we might associate as feminine, then they may not develop a skill set that they might need later in life. If they are discouraged by their peers from playing with dolls, while at the same time they see their mother doing most of the childcare, what does that say about whose role it is to care? And so we enter the realm of \"biological essentialism\", where we ascribe an innate basis to a behaviour that is, when you delve a bit deeper, highly likely to be learned.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EToys are one thing, but traits are also prone to gendered stereotyping. Parents of boys often talk about how they are more boisterous and enjoy rougher play, while girls are more gentle and meek. The evidence suggests otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, studies show that our own expectations tend to frame how we view others and ourselves. Parents \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F26168009\u002F\"\u003Ehave attributed gender neutral angry faces as boys\u003C\u002Fa\u003E while happy and sad faces are labelled as girls. Mothers are more likely to emphasise their boys' physical attributes – even setting more adventurous targets for boys than for girls. They also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0022096500925979\"\u003Eover-estimate crawling abilities\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for their sons compared to daughters, despite there being no reported physical difference. So, people's own biases could be influencing their children, and so reinforcing these stereotypes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELanguage plays a powerful role too – girls reportedly speak earlier, a small but identifiable effect but this could be due to the fact that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F25367542\u002F\"\u003Eresearch also shows\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that mothers speak more to their baby girls than to baby boys. They speak \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002F9471001\u002F\"\u003Emore about emotions to girls too\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In other words, we unknowingly socialise girls to believe they are more talkative and emotional, and boys aggressive and physical.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrown explains that it's clear why these misconceptions then continue later in life. We disregard the behaviours that do not conform to the stereotypes we expect. \"So you overlook all the times the boys are sitting there quietly reading a book or all the times that girls are running around the house loudly,\" she says. \"Our brains seem to skip over what we call stereotype inconsistent information.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"square","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EParents will also buy their girls toys and clothes typically marketed for boys but rarely the reverse, often in an attempt to be gender neutral. This in itself gives an interesting insight into how we view gender. Males have always been viewed as the dominant and powerful sex, meaning parents, whether overtly or not, will discourage boys from liking girly things. As Fine explains, \"we start to see manifestations of the gender hierarchy – boys seemingly starting to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.2044-835X.2011.02027.x\"\u003Erespond\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to the 'stigma' of femininity even in this early period [of childhood].\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt reveals why parents are much more comfortable with girls in boys clothes than boys in girls clothes. Or why growing up as a tomboy attracted positive comments for me – I never liked dolls and loved climbing trees. The opposite occurs for boys who dress or act girly. To be seen as girly or exhibiting feminine traits diminishes status for men – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2011-27429-001\"\u003Ethose who do so even earn less\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGender scholars agree that these preferences are highly socially conditioned – but there remains disagreement about \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs10508-008-9430-1\"\u003Ewhether any gendered behaviour is innate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, for instance, there is evidence that girls who have been exposed to higher levels of androgens in the womb,\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1467-9280.1992.tb00028.x\"\u003E prefer toys\u003C\u002Fa\u003E we typically categorise as for boys. Even here\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fhow-we-inherit-masculine-and-feminine-behaviours-a-new-idea-about-environment-and-genes-82524\"\u003E Fine points out it could be the environment shaping their preferences\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. These girls do not consistently show \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1467-9280.1992.tb00028.x\"\u003Ebetter spatial ability\u003C\u002Fa\u003E either – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbooks\u002F2019\u002Fmar\u002F11\u002Fbooks-that-explode-the-myths-about-gender\"\u003Ea skill that is often said to be better in men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe also know that babies are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41598-020-66576-8\"\u003Eextremely sensitive to social cues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E around them, they can spot differences early on. Regardless of how these preferences develop, it is adults as well as peers who continue to condition and expect certain behaviours, creating a gendered world with worrying consequences.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Women will also do worse on a test if they are first told that their sex typically does worse","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, when girls first enter pre-school – a gender gap in maths \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aeaweb.org\u002Farticles?id=10.1257\u002Fapp.2.2.210\"\u003Edoes not exist\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1177\u002F2332858416673617#abstract-1\"\u003Eit later begins to widen\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as their teacher and self-expectations come into play. This is especially problematic because these reinforced gender stereotypes are \"at odds with the contemporary gender egalitarian principle that your sex shouldn't determine your interests or future\", says Fine.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen specific toys are marketed to boys it could also be changing the brain to strengthen the connections that are involved in, for instance, spatial recognition. Indeed, when one group of girls played the game Tetris for three months\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com\u002Farticles\u002F10.1186\u002F1756-0500-2-174\"\u003E, the brain area involved in visual processing was larger\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than for those who did not play the game. If girls and boys are presented with different types of hobbies, brain changes could naturally follow suit. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscientist and author Gina Rippon of Aston University explains, the fact that we live in a gendered world itself creates a gendered brain. It creates a culture of boys who feel conditioned to behave in more typically masculine traits – they may get excluded by peers if they do not. If we focus on differences, it also means, as Rippon says, we begin to accept myths such as boys being better at science and girls at caring.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis continues as adults. Women have been shown to underestimate their abilities when asked how well they scored on maths tasks, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11199-015-0486-9\"\u003Ewhereas men will overestimate their scores\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Women will also do worse on a test if they are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.plos.org\u002Fplosone\u002Farticle?id=10.1371\u002Fjournal.pone.0114802\"\u003Efirst told that their sex typically does worse\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Of course this could and does affect school, university and career choices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven more concerning is the idea that the way some masculine traits are emphasised early on and then conditioned, is linked to male sexual violence against women. We know for instance that the individuals who perpetrate sexual violence \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1002\u002F9781118574003.wattso003\"\u003Etend to be high in \"hostile masculinity\"\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, says psychologist Megan Maas of Michigan State University. These are the beliefs that men are naturally violent, need to have sexual fulfilment, and that women are naturally submissive.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EStudies also show that girls who are heavily into princesses \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0272431618776132\"\u003Eare more concerned with their appearance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and more likely to \"self-objectify – so they think of themselves as a sexual object,\" says Maas. The girls that scored highest on \"sexualised gender stereotypes\" also downplayed traits associated with intelligence. Early on, both girls and boys have been shown to view attractiveness as \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0165025419862361\"\u003Eincompatible with intelligence and competence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\" a study found.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrown and colleagues \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F1089268020954363\"\u003Ehave now also argued in a 2020 paper \u003C\u002Fa\u003Ethat sexual assault by men against women is so common precisely because of the values we condition onto children. This socialisation comes from a combination of parents, schools, the media and peers. \"Sexual objectification for girls starts really early,\" says Brown.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne reason that these gendered ideas and self-assumptions continue to exist is, in part, because \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20190930-the-sexist-myths-about-gender-stereotypes-that-wont-die\"\u003Ethere are still regular reports of innate brain differences between men and women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. However, most brain imaging studies that do not find any gender differences don't mention gender at all. Or still others are unpublished. This is known as the \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F1979-27602-001\"\u003Efile drawer\" problem\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – when no effects are found, they are simply not mentioned or scrutinised.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-12"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When we consider situations that might invoke empathy, women and men respond the same, it's just that from an early age, women have been socialised to act upon this apparently feminine emotion more","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-13"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd of those that do find small differences, it's hard to truly show how much culture or stereotyped expectations play a role. Adult brains cannot be neatly categorised into male brains and female brains either. In a study analysing 1,400 brain scans, neuroscientist Daphna Joel and colleagues found \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fcontent\u002F112\u002F50\u002F15468\"\u003Eextensive overlap between the distributions of females and males for all grey matter, white matter, and connections assessed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\". That is, overall we are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F2005-11115-001\"\u003Emore similar to each other than different\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. One study even showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpsycnet.apa.org\u002Frecord\u002F1994-25279-001\"\u003Ewomen acted just as aggressively as men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a video game when they were told their gender would not be disclosed, but less so when told the experimenter knew if the participants were male or female.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt follows that women tend to be considered as less aggressive and more empathetic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we consider physiological responses to situations that might invoke empathy, women \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fasu.pure.elsevier.com\u002Fen\u002Fpublications\u002Fsex-differences-in-empathy-and-related-capacities\"\u003Eand men actually respond the same\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, it's just that from an early age, women have been socialised to act upon this apparently feminine emotion more.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means that in order for there to be any significant change, people have to first understand their biases and be mindful of when their preconceptions don't fit into the behaviours they see. Even small differences of what they expect of girls versus boys can build up over time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-14"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"portrait","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-15"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt's therefore worth remembering \u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\u002Fem\u003E people are conditioned to think that boys are more boisterous and take note of the times this is not true. My daughter is certainly just as loud – if not more so – as her brother, while he also loves pretending to cook. While these are not necessarily representative examples, they also don't fit into our ideas of what boys and girls like. It would be easy for me to otherwise have highlighted my son's propensity to climb on everything and my daughter's preference for pink, glossing over the numerous times she plays with cars and he with dolls.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen our children do inevitably start pointing out gendered divisions we can help by revising stereotypes with other examples, such as explaining girls can and do play football and that boys can have long hair too. We can also encourage a diverse range of toys regardless of what gender they are intended for. We need to provide as many opportunities as possible \"for them to have experiences that go against this sort of avalanche of gendered play\", says Maas.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf we fail to understand that we are more alike from birth than we are different and treat our children accordingly, our world will continue to be gendered. Undoing these assumptions is not easy, but perhaps we can all think twice before we tell a little boy how brave he is and a little girl how kind or perfect she is.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMelissa Hogenboom is the editor of BBC Reel. Her upcoming book, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmelissahogenboom.com\u002Fbook\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Motherhood Complex\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, is out 27 May 2021. She is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fmelissasuzanneh\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@melissasuzanneh\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoin one million Future fans by liking us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCFuture\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, or follow us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Future\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fbbcfuture_official\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInstagram\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this story, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpages.emails.bbc.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002F?ocid=fut.bbc.email.we.email-signup\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Esign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fculture\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECulture\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorklife\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, and \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ftravel\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETravel\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, delivered to your inbox every Friday.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains-16"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-05-25T01:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The gender biases that shape our brains","headlineShort":"The lasting impact of children's toys","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"future","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The toys we give to children and the traits they are assigned can have lasting impacts on their lives, writes Melissa Hogenboom.","summaryShort":"Stereotypes we experience as children have lasting effects on how we behave","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-05-25T00:00:22.249522Z","entity":"article","guid":"d9d92b83-8401-41a2-9875-422bec9ba58f","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-01T17:41:45.654523Z","project":"future","slug":"20210524-the-gender-biases-that-shape-our-brains","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers","_id":"616ff60f45ceed10e528e4d7","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Few other mammalian dads invest as much time and care in rearing their offspring – or even the children of others – compared to human fathers.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELee Gettler is hard to get on the phone, for the very ordinary reason that he's busy caring for his two young children. Among mammals, though, that makes him extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Human fathers engage in really costly forms of care,\" says Gettler, an anthropologist at the University of Notre Dame. In that way, humans stand out from almost all other mammals. Fathers, and parents in general, are Gettler's field of study. He and others have found that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.journals.uchicago.edu\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1086\u002F686149\"\u003Erole of dads varies widely between cultures\u003C\u002Fa\u003E — and that some other animal dads may give helpful glimpses of our evolutionary past.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany mysteries remain, though, about how human fathers evolved their peculiar, highly invested role, including the hormonal changes that accompany fatherhood. A deeper understanding of where dads came from, and why fatherhood matters for both fathers and children, could benefit families of all kinds.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"If you look at other mammalian species, fathers tend to do nothing but provide sperm,\" says Rebecca Sear, an evolutionary demographer and anthropologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Mothers carry the burden in most other animals that care for their children, too. (Fish are an exception – most don't tend their young at all, but the caring parents are usually dads. And bird couples are famous for co-parenting.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven among the other apes, our closest relatives, most dads don't do much. That means mums are stuck with all the work and need to space out their babies to make sure they can care for them. Wild chimps, for example, give birth every four to six years. Orangutans wait as long as six to eight years between young.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ancestors of humans, though, committed to a different strategy. Mothers got help from their community and their kin, including fathers. This freed them up enough to have more babies, closer together – about every three years, on average, in today's nonindustrial societies. That strategy \"is part of the evolutionary success story of humans\", Gettler says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome clues about the origin of doting fatherhood come from our close primate relatives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EStacy Rosenbaum, a biological anthropologist at the University of Michigan, studies wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda. These gorillas provide intriguing hints about the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.annualreviews.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1146\u002Fannurev-anthro-102218-011216\"\u003Eorigins of ape dads\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as Gettler and co-authors Rosenbaum and Adam Boyette argue in the 2020 \u003Cem\u003EAnnual Review of Anthropology\u003C\u002Fem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMountain gorillas are a type of eastern gorilla. They differ from western gorillas — a separate species more often seen in zoos — in their habitat and diet. Rosenbaum is more interested in another thing that sets mountain gorillas apart: \"Kids spend a ton of time around males,\" she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThose males may or may not be their dads. Male mountain gorillas don't seem to know or care which young are theirs. But nearly all males tolerate the company of the youngsters. Unlike any other great ape that's been studied in the wild, these males – bruisers twice the size of females, with huge muscles and teeth – are essentially babysitters. Some pick up the youngsters, play with them and even sleep cuddled together.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis male company can protect very young gorillas against predators, and it keeps the young from being killed by intruding males. Another important benefit might be social, Rosenbaum speculates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe young gorillas mingling around an adult male might pick up social skills like human toddlers do from their peers at day care. Additionally, research has shown that the relationships between young gorillas and adult males persist as they grow up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Babysitting may benefit male gorillas in another way, too: by making them more attractive","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnother tantalising hint about how male gorillas benefit the young in their group comes from a recent paper on young mountain gorillas whose mothers died. Losing their mothers didn't make these orphans more likely to die themselves, the researchers found. Nor did they experience other costs, such as a longer wait before having their own young. The orphans' relationships with others in their group, especially dominant males, seemed to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Felifesciences.org\u002Farticles\u002F62939\"\u003Eprotect them from ill effects\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMountain gorilla males aren't the only primates to ally with kids. Adult male macaques also spend time with young. And baboon males form \"friendships\" with females and their young, which are often (but not always) their own offspring. These behaviours cost the male primates almost nothing. So, while the males may give their own offspring a survival boost, it's not a big deal if they spend time with some unrelated youngsters too.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYou might also like:\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20210222-the-unusual-ways-western-parents-raise-children\"\u003EIs the Western way of raising children odd?\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20190606-how-to-be-a-good-father-to-a-newborn-son-or-daughter\"\u003EThe secret of being a good father\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20161014-why-billionaires-have-more-sons\"\u003EWhy billionaires have more sons\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut babysitting may benefit male gorillas in another way, too: by making them more attractive. \"One of our speculations is that females actually prefer mating with males who do a lot of interacting with kids,\" Rosenbaum says. She's found that male gorillas who do more babysitting earlier in life go on to father \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fs41598-018-33380-4\"\u003Emany more children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E when they're older. Macaques, too, seem to be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS1090513819301199\"\u003Emore attractive to females\u003C\u002Fa\u003E if they've spent more time hanging out with kids.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnthropologists used to assume that fatherly behaviour could evolve only in monogamous animals, Rosenbaum says. Species like the mountain gorillas undermine that assumption. They also show that, despite what scientists have long thought, male animals don't have to choose between spending their energy on mating or parenting. It seems taking care of kids can be a way of getting mates.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudies of human dads and stepdads have hinted at the same idea. \"A lot of guys will willingly enter into relationships with kids they know aren't theirs,\" says Kermyt Anderson, a biological anthropologist at the University of Oklahoma. That investment might seem paradoxical from an evolutionary perspective. But Anderson's research suggests that men invest in stepchildren and even their own biological children partly as an investment in their relationship with the mother. When that relationship ends, fathers tend to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS1090513899000239\"\u003Ebecome less involved\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA human dad who cares for his children or stepchildren is different, of course, from an ape or monkey who just lets youngsters hang around. But Gettler and Rosenbaum wonder whether our own ancestors had similar habits to mountain gorillas or macaques. Under the evolutionary pressures they faced, these friendly tendencies toward children could have ratcheted up into devoted fatherhood.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome clues to the evolutionary history of fatherhood are also written in the molecules of men's bodies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGettler worked on a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fcontent\u002F108\u002F39\u002F16194\"\u003Elong-term study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of men in the Philippines, gathering biological data from them in their early 20s and following up five years later. He and his colleagues found that men with higher testosterone in their early 20s were more likely to have partners and children later on, when researchers followed up. But those new dads no longer had high testosterone — it had dropped dramatically, especially if they had a newborn at home. Once a man's youngest child was a toddler, his testosterone began to creep back upward.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETestosterone is linked to mating and competitive behaviour in male animals. Suppressing it might be nature's way of preparing fathers to cooperate with their partners and care for children, the researchers say. Although caring fathers are rare among mammals and most other animals, many can be found among birds — and those bird fathers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.jstor.org\u002Fstable\u002F2462170?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents\"\u003Ealso experience testosterone dips\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProlactin is another hormone linked to paternal behaviour in birds — this time, doting bird dads have more of it — and some studies have hinted at a similar effect in humans. Although we're only distantly related to birds, evolution may have used the same mechanisms to encourage fatherly behaviour in both animals. Understanding those mechanisms better might help us learn how fatherhood evolved. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"If we understand the physiological pathways that underpin care in those other species, we can look to see if the same signatures occur in human fathers,\" says Gettler.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt's clear human fathers are unusual in their attention to their children. \"However, it's also clear that fatherhood in humans is quite variable,\" Sear says. Not all dads are doting, or even present.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Research has shown that fathers can have important roles in directly caring for their children, for example, and teaching children language and social skills","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut that doesn't necessarily affect basic survival. In a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS1090513807001055\"\u003E2008 paper\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, Sear and co-author Ruth Mace asked whether children with absent fathers are likelier to die. They reviewed data on child survival from 43 studies of populations around the world, mostly those without access to modern medical care. They found that in a third of the studies looking at fathers, children were more likely to survive childhood when their dad was around. But in the other two-thirds, fatherless kids did just as well. (By contrast, every study of children without mothers found they were less likely to survive.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"That is not what you would expect to see if fathers are really vital for children to thrive,\" Sear says. Rather, she suspects that what's vital are the jobs fathers perform. When a father is missing, others in the family or community can fill in. \"It may be that the fathering role is important, but it's substitutable by other social group members,\" she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat is that role? Historically, Gettler says, anthropologists have viewed fatherhood as all about \"provisioning\" — bringing home the bacon, literally. In some foraging communities, more successful hunters also father more kids. But Gettler hopes to help expand the definition of a father. Research has shown that fathers can have important roles in directly caring for their children, for example, and teaching children \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC4114767\u002F\"\u003Elanguage\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and social skills.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFathers may also help their children by cultivating relationships in their communities, Gettler says. When it comes to survival, \"Networking can be everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA dad's job also varies culturally. For example, in the Republic of the Congo, Gettler works with two neighbouring communities. The Bondongo are fishers and farmers – they value fathers who take risks to gain food for their own families. Their neighbours, the BaYaka, are foragers who value fathers who share their resources outside their families.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"In the West we have this idealisation of the nuclear family,\" says Sear: a self-reliant, heterosexual couple in which dad does all the provisioning and mum all the childcare. But worldwide, she says, families like this are very rare. A child's biological parents may not live together exclusively, for life or at all, Sear \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Froyalsocietypublishing.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1098\u002Frstb.2020.0020\"\u003Ewrites\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a recent paper. Childcare and food can come from either parent — or neither. Among the Himba of Namibia, for instance, children \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007%2Fs12110-014-9211-6\"\u003Eare often fostered\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by extended family.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"Possibly the key defining feature of our species is our behavioural flexibility,\" Sear says. Assuming that certain roles are \"natural\" for fathers or mothers can make parents feel isolated and stressed, Sear writes. She hopes research can broaden our understanding of what fathers are for, and what a human family is. That might help societies to better support families of all kinds — whether they have dads like Gettler who are busy chasing the children around, or dads who are away fishing, or no dads at all. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\"I think we need to take a much more non-judgmental view of the human family, and the kinds of family structures in which children can thrive to improve the health of mothers, fathers and children,\" says Sear.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E* This article \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fknowablemagazine.org\u002Farticle\u002Fliving-world\u002F2021\u002Fevolution-dad\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginally appeared\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E in Knowable Magazine, and is republished under a Creative Commons licence.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoin one million Future fans by liking us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCFuture\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, or follow us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Future\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fbbcfuture_official\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EInstagram\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this story, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpages.emails.bbc.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002F?ocid=fut.bbc.email.we.email-signup\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003Esign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, called \"The Essential List\". A handpicked selection of stories from \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBBC Future\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fculture\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECulture\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWorklife\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ftravel\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETravel\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, delivered to your inbox every Friday.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-28T01:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The riddle of how humans evolved to have fathers","headlineShort":"Why human dads are unusual","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":false,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":[],"primaryVertical":"future","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Few other mammalian dads invest as much time and care in rearing their offspring – or even the children of others – compared to human fathers.","summaryShort":"Compared to other mammals, human fathers play a huge role in raising children","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-28T04:49:45.163337Z","entity":"article","guid":"8b377402-8987-4043-8e1f-dcd95a4fa899","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-14T15:07:41.551762Z","project":"future","slug":"20210625-the-riddle-of-how-humans-evolved-to-have-fathers","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"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":"616ff67c45ceed3db2336b17","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\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":null,"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":"2021-09-02T05:27:21.171108Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210804-birdnesting-the-divorce-trend-in-which-parents-rotate-homes","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19","_id":"616ff5d745ceed761467fc24","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The evidence so far suggests that children are less vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus, but they can still be infected. Why does the virus seem to affect children differently?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere is much debate about the credibility of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Ftechnology-51975377\"\u003Erecent tweet\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by entrepreneur Elon Musk suggesting children are \"essentially immune\" to the coronavirus. So far, the narrative has been that while the coronavirus may cause severe, or even fatal, disease in the elderly, the outcomes for children are reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENevertheless, there have been a few concerning reports of young people being seriously affected by the virus. These, together with school closures implemented last week in many countries around the world alongside strict social distancing measures, have made many parents worry about the effect it could have on their children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan children be infected with the coronavirus?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes. Just as with adults, children exposed to the coronavirus can be infected with it and display signs of Covid-19. “At the beginning of the pandemic, it was thought that children are not getting infected with the coronavirus, but now it is clear that the amount of infection in children is the same as in adults,” explains Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford. “It’s just that when they do get the infection they get much milder symptoms.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that children under 19 years of age comprised \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjama\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2762130\"\u003E2% of the 72,314 Covid-19 cases\u003C\u002Fa\u003E logged by February 20th, while \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fmmwr\u002Fvolumes\u002F69\u002Fwr\u002Fmm6912e2.htm?s_cid=mm6912e2_w\"\u003Ea US study of 508 patients\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, reported no case fatalities among children, with this group accounting for less than 1% of the patients in hospital.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It could be that the virus has preferentially affected adults at the moment because there has been workplace transmission and transmission during travel,” says Sanjay Patel, a paediatric infectious diseases consultant at Southampton Children’s Hospital. “Now that adults are spending more time with their children we might see a rise in infection in children, but we might not.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EYou might also like:\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E• \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200317-covid-19-how-long-does-the-coronavirus-last-on-surfaces\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHow long does coronavirus last on surfaces?\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E• \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200324-covid-19-how-social-distancing-can-beat-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EWhy social distancing might last for some time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E• \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200323-coronavirus-will-hot-weather-kill-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EWill hotter weather kill the coronavirus?\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOverall global trends seem to suggest children are less likely to be infected than adults, especially older adults, but it is very possible the data is biased by the fact that, in some countries, testing is only offered to those who show up in hospital with severe symptoms of Covid-19, very few of whom are children.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Clearly, more children are infected than we think,” says Patel. “We are not testing every child in the country.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does the coronavirus affect children differently from adults?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It is a remarkable observation, in the global literature that we have for coronavirus already, that even children with very serious medical conditions, who are on immunosuppressive therapies or on cancer treatments, are much less affected than adults, especially older adults,” says Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, whose researchers have recently identified a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ovg.ox.ac.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fcovid-19-vaccine-development\"\u003Evaccine candidate for Covid-19\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn general, children with Covid-19 experience milder symptoms than adults. But a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Flive\u002Fworld-52101615?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5e833bd26d8c9806657fed4e%26Girl%20of%2012%20is%20%27Europe%27s%20youngest%20victim%27%262020-03-31T12:53:06.279Z&ns_fee=0&pinned_post_locator=urn:asset:dddb2af2-c6c4-44e0-8ed8-84dc9d7131b7&pinned_post_asset_id=5e833bd26d8c9806657fed4e&pinned_post_type=share\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E12-year-old girl from Belgium\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-52114476\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E13-year-old boy from London\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, UK, have both died in recent days, making them the youngest victims in Europe. A 14-year-old in China has also been reported to have died after being infected with the virus. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EData from a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpediatrics.aappublications.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fpediatrics\u002Fearly\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F16\u002Fpeds.2020-0702.full.pdf\"\u003EChinese study of Covid-19 in children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E confirmed slightly more than half showed mild symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches and sneezing; while around a third showed signs of pneumonia, with frequent fever, a productive cough and wheeze but without the shortness of breath and difficulty breathing seen in more severe cases.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGraham Roberts, an honorary consultant paediatrician at the University of Southampton, explains: “Children (with Covid-19) are predominantly affected in their upper airways (nose, mouths, and throats) so they get cold-like features rather than the virus managing to access their lower airways, ie lungs, and giving the pneumonia and life-threatening Sars picture that we see with adult patients.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proportion of children who went on to develop severe or critical Covid-19 illness with breathlessness, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and shock was much lower (6%) than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjama\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2762130\"\u003Eamong Chinese adults\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (19%) – especially older adults with chronic cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. A small proportion of children (1%) did not show any signs of infection at all, despite harbouring the virus. In comparison, only 1% of infected adults remained asymptomatic.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The million dollar question is whether the majority of infected children just have very mild symptoms, or whether children are actually not getting infected with the virus, certainly not as much as adults are,” says Patel.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy do children infected with the coronavirus fare better than adults?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The virus is so new that we don’t really know”, says Roberts, who is also director of the David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, in Newport, UK.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“One of the likely reasons is that the virus needs a protein on the surface of a cell (a receptor) to get into the inside of a cell and start causing problems,” he says. “The coronavirus seems to use the Angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE-2) receptor for this purpose. It may be that children have less ACE-2 receptors in their lower airways (lungs) than in their upper airways, which is why it is their upper airways (nose, mouths and throats) that are predominantly affected.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It is not so much that children are not being as affected, but that something changes as a person gets much older that makes one more likely to be affected – Andrew Pollard","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis may explain why children infected with the coronavirus seem to get more of a cold rather than a pneumonia or the life threatening Sars picture that is seen in adults. The coronavirus’s affinity for the ACE-2 receptor was demonstrated in cell lines and in mouse models in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fnm1267\"\u003Elaboratory studies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as early as 2003, and in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fnature12711\"\u003Egenome studies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of novel coronaviruses RsSHC014 and Rs3367 (related, but not identical, to the SARS coronavirus) isolated from Chinese horseshoe bats in 2013.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPollard says there may be another explanation. “It is not so much that children are not being as affected, but that something changes as a person gets much older that makes one more likely to be affected.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe puts this down to the ageing of the immune system (immunosenescence), which makes the body less able to fight off new infections. “However, we don’t see immunosenescence in young adults, and it’s very clear that even young adults have a higher risk of severe disease than children do so that is probably not the whole answer,” adds Pollard.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are many ways in which the immune system of a child differs from that of an adult, not least because the immune system of children is still very much a work in progress: children, especially those in nursery or school, are exposed to a large number of novel respiratory infections and this might result in them having higher baseline levels of antibodies against viruses than adults.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Children seem to mount more intense responses (to viral infections) than adults, such as high fevers that you just don’t see very often in adults,” says Roberts. “It is very possible that the children’s immune systems are better able to control the virus, localise it to their upper airways without it causing too many other problems and eliminate the virus”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It might also be that children previously infected with the other four types of coronavirus might experience cross protection from previous infections,” adds Patel.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the authors of the study of childhood cases in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.medrxiv.org\u002Fcontent\u002F10.1101\u002F2020.03.19.20027078v1.full.pdf\"\u003EChina\u003C\u002Fa\u003E suggest that because children have fewer chronic cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, they are more resilient to severe coronavirus infection than elderly adults.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Children, with immature immune systems, appear to be less capable of mounting cytokine storms to fight off viral infections","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Very few children have severe Covid-19 infection,” says Pollard. “That does suggest that there is something fundamentally different about the way they are handling the virus.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is a third reason as to why children don’t seem to be getting severely ill with Covid-19. In critically ill adults, an overzealous immune response to fight off the virus – termed a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flancet\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS0140-6736(20)30628-0\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Ecytokine storm\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – appears to do more harm than good, causing multi-organ failure. Children, with immature immune systems, appear to be less capable of mounting cytokine storms to fight off viral infections.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile this hypothesis is yet to be proved in Covid-19, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpediatrics.aappublications.org\u002Fcontent\u002F113\u002F1\u002Fe7.long\"\u003Estudies of immune responses in children during the 2003 Sars outbreak\u003C\u002Fa\u003E proved that, unlike adults, children did not mount an overtly elevated cytokine response.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan children, with mild or no illness, transmit the Coronavirus to others?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, they can.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This is the big issue,” says Roberts. “Many think that children are at low risk and we don’t need to worry about them, and yes, that is true for children who don’t have chronic medical conditions like immunodeficiencies. What people are forgetting is that children are probably one of the main routes by which this infection is going to spread throughout the community.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe coronavirus is transmitted from an infected person to a non-infected person through direct contact with the respiratory droplets of an infected person (generated through coughing and sneezing), and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. This means that children infected with the coronavirus, with very mild or no illness, can transmit the infection to others, especially family members and elderly relatives.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Children with very mild disease are probably going to be one of the major contributors to spreading the virus across the population,” says Roberts. “This is why schools closing are crucial to reducing the rate at which the pandemic spreads across the UK.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHave we seen a similar pattern, with other viruses, where children experience milder illness than adults but are important spreaders of the infection?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, influenza is one such virus that most of us are familiar with.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Influenza is often just a runny nose in a child, in the older members of the population it can lead to hospitalisation, intensive care, or can be fatal,” says Roberts. He has an important message: “A few years ago the government (in the UK) brought in flu vaccinations for children. That wasn’t particularly to protect children in the population, that was to stop children from passing influenza to their elderly relatives who can be much more affected by it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe principle holds true for the coronavirus. The risk of Covid-19 to children themselves is low, the risk of them transmitting it to vulnerable elderly or ailing relatives, is high.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Chinese data suggests that young children, particularly infants, are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than other age groups","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnother example is the swine flu (H1N1) virus, responsible for the flu pandemic of 2009 and 2010. “H1N1 infection was preferentially much worse in pregnant women and the elderly, with children having some tummy symptoms but much milder than in adults,” says Patel.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDoes Covid-19 affect children of different ages differently?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt appears so. The Chinese data suggests that young children, particularly infants, are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than other age groups. While severe or critical illness was reported in one in 10 infants, these rates decreased dramatically as children grew older so that in children aged five years or older, only three or four in 100 developed severe or critical illness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There is a predilection for preschoolers,” says Roberts. “They have small airways, and they are less robust that older children in fighting off the infection. They are also more likely to be admitted to hospital because they are so young.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat about teenagers? \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“At some stage children turn into adults,” says Roberts. “In teenagers, we see a maturation in the immune system into a more adult pattern, which may be less effective at controlling this virus. It is important to remember, however, that we know very little about this virus, we are really speculating in terms of trying to understand why we are seeing the epidemiology that we are seeing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjamanetwork.com\u002Fjournals\u002Fjama\u002Ffullarticle\u002F2762130\"\u003EIn the Chinese study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, no deaths were reported among children aged nine years and younger, while the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpediatrics.aappublications.org\u002Fcontent\u002Fpediatrics\u002Fearly\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F16\u002Fpeds.2020-0702.full.pdf\"\u003Eonly death in children under 19\u003C\u002Fa\u003E occurred in a 14-year-old. On 23 March, the UK also reported a Covid-19 related death in an 18-year-old with an underlying health condition before a 13-year-old was reported to have died on 1 April in London.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan Covid-19 affect newborns?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the pandemic is still unfolding in many parts of the world, there are at least two cases of confirmed infection in newborns – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fworld-asia-china-51395655\"\u003Eone in Wuhan, China\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2020\u002Fmar\u002F14\u002Fnewborn-baby-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-in-london\"\u003Eone in London in the UK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. It is not yet known whether these babies contracted the infection in the womb, or after being born. In both cases, their mothers tested positive for the virus.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do we know about how the coronavirus affects babies in the womb?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot much.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile coronaviruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) can affect the pregnant woman as well as her baby, causing miscarriages, premature delivery, and poor growth of the baby, similar patterns have as yet not been reported for mothers with Covid-19.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-12"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-13"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EHowever, these findings are based on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flaninf\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS1473-3099(20)30192-4\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Etwo small studies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and national guidelines about the risks of Covid-19 in pregnancy, to the mother and to the baby, are being constantly updated. Nevertheless, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Fcovid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people\u002Fguidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults\"\u003EPublic Health England\u003C\u002Fa\u003E advises that pregnant women are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (Covid-19) and recommends them to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures for up to 12 weeks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow can families protect children from being infected with the coronavirus?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGood hand washing, social distancing and disinfecting surfaces and objects which may harbour germs are the cornerstones of limiting the spread of the virus. The “catch it, bin it, kill it” practise is as important to decreasing the spread of Covid-19 as flu. “Do the basics properly,” says Patel. “If you’re in a communal area, if you touch anything, don’t touch your face before washing your hands well.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe NHS website contains \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nhs.uk\u002Fconditions\u002Fcoronavirus-covid-19\u002F\"\u003Einformation about the measures families can take to protect themselves\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from Covid-19. Unicef has produced guidance for parents on \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unicef.org\u002Fstories\u002Fnovel-coronavirus-outbreak-what-parents-should-know\"\u003Ehow to protect their children\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from catching the coronavirus.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan families protect elderly and vulnerable relatives from being infected by children?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYes, but it will not be easy. Of the three measures – good hand-washing, social distancing and disinfecting surfaces and objects – distancing is the only failsafe method to protect elderly and vulnerable relatives from being infected, either by children or by anyone else.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Looking at family interactions on mother’s day, I saw loads of families with grandparents, parents and children together,” says Patel. “I think that is absolutely terrifying – the data is very clear about the high risk for severe disease in the elderly, especially those with preexisting medical conditions. Keeping children away from grandparents is just the right thing to do – why take the risk.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-14"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In almost all circumstances, children are safe from severe Covid-19 disease – Andrew Pollard","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-15"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe separation of apparently healthy children from elderly relatives may seem an unnecessarily stoic measure, however it is important to remember that while most children infected with the coronavirus show only mild signs of illness, or no signs at all, they can still transmit the virus to others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELimiting the spread of the coronavirus and containing the Covid-19 pandemic will depend as much on the success of social and behavioural changes, as on modern medicine and scientific advances.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy it’s important to talk to children about Covid-19\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“With so much of the narrative about Covid-19 taking place at the societal level, one thing we really need parents to do is reassure their children that children are not going to die from Covid-19. It’s really important that we get this message out,” says Patel. “We know, as paediatricians, that children fear the worst but they don’t often articulate that with us.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPollard agrees. He suggests that parents should reassure their children that “in almost all circumstances, children are safe from severe Covid-19 disease”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Children and teenagers are worried for their families,” says Linnea Karlsson, a professor and child psychiatrist at the University of Turku, Finland. “We need to explain to children and teenagers that these are exceptional circumstances, and that we wouldn’t be asking them to make exceptions to their normal routines if it wasn’t.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We need to explain to them that in situations like these we need to think about taking care of everyone, not just ourselves and our families.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* \u003Cem\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwhat0-18.nhs.uk\u002Fpopular-topics\u002Fcoronavirus\"\u003EHealthier Together\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Cem\u003E network contains advice for parents on how to talk to children about COVID-19.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAs an award-winning science site, BBC Future is committed to bringing you evidence-based analysis and myth-busting stories around the new coronavirus. You can read more of our \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ftags\u002Fcovid-19\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECovid-19 coverage here\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoin one million Future fans by liking us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCFuture\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, or follow us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Future\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fbbcfuture_official\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EInstagram\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this story, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpages.emails.bbc.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002F?ocid=fut.bbc.email.we.email-signup\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003Esign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19-16"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-04-01T01:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why children are not immune to Covid-19","headlineShort":"Why children are not immune to Covid-19","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"future","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"The evidence so far suggests that children are less vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus. But they can still be infected by the virus.","summaryShort":"Most young people are less severely affected, but they can still catch the virus","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-04-01T00:00:08.7298Z","entity":"article","guid":"4d25a3ec-a3b0-4c1b-b236-408e67ba5514","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-01T17:17:21.573847Z","project":"future","slug":"20200330-coronavirus-are-children-immune-to-covid-19","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting","_id":"616ff6d345ceed69724464bb","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Many parents downplay caring responsibilities at work to show commitment. Covid-19 has exposed the challenges that parents face – but will it change anything?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAs we head into 2021, Worklife is running our best, most insightful and most essential stories from 2020. Read our full list of the year’s top stories \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Ftags\u002Fbest-of-worklife-2020\"\u003Ehere\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESix months after my daughter was born, I was back in the office, bleary eyed but eager to prove myself in a new position. A few weeks later, when I needed a few days off because of chickenpox at her day-care, I dreaded having to tell my team. Despite supportive colleagues, I felt intense pressure to act like nothing had changed. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore, the job had always come first, something that had been key to getting ahead. Back at work as a mother, I was stressed because I couldn’t control my time, worried I now seemed more unreliable and anxious about the next time this might happen. I barely mentioned my daughter in the office; I would never have included an anecdote like this in my writing at that time. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThree years on, I realise it’s important to do so because this stress isn’t unique to me. Many people face the same pressure, because living up to workplace ideals is often not compatible with caring responsibilities, children or otherwise. This harms caregivers, who are statistically more likely to be women. Many of us respond by downplaying these responsibilities or convincing colleagues we can do just as much overtime as before, because we know that if we don’t, we risk falling victim to the numerous biases that hold mothers back. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to the world of “secret parenting”. Economist Emily Oster coined this relatable phrase \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theatlantic.com\u002Fideas\u002Farchive\u002F2019\u002F05\u002Fnormalize-parenthood-workplace-dont-hide-it\u002F589822\u002F\"\u003Ein a 2019 article\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in which she urged parents to “come clean” about the nature of their lives. And while the pandemic – and our abrupt shift to home working – has forced many of our hands, it’s not clear whether unveiling the responsibilities we have outside the office will bring meaningful change.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGender perceptions and workplace culture\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESecret parenting can start as early as pregnancy. Research shows that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F249667888_Gender_Shows_First-Time_Mothers_and_Embodied_Selves\"\u003Esome women hide their pregnancies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, especially in roles in which they feel they have to compete with men and don’t want to reveal anything that might “get in the way” of work. Working women often feel the need to go “above and beyond” normal standards during pregnancy, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fj.1468-0432.2009.00485.x\"\u003Eanother study showed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as well as hide any sickness for fear of appearing unreliable.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt continues after birth. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sciencedirect.com\u002Fscience\u002Farticle\u002Fabs\u002Fpii\u002FS0277953607001487\"\u003EWomen report wanting to hide their breastfeeding\u003C\u002Fa\u003E at work because it is taboo, and doing so is such an obvious gendered difference that highlights their new status as mothers. There are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mother.ly\u002Fwork\u002Fwhy-are-women-expected-to-work-like-they-dont-have-children-and-mother-like-they-dont-work\"\u003Eplenty of anecdotes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about women feeling forced to prove they can still work overtime and offering to work even when their children are ill as well as those who purposely don’t share photos of their children \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.emerald.com\u002Finsight\u002Fcontent\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1108\u002FIJGE-07-2017-0032\u002Ffull\u002Fhtml\"\u003Eor talk about them at all\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The evidence tells us that motherhood is one of the major sources of weakness in career trajectories - Shireen Kanji","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThat women feel the need to behave this way is no surprise. Mothers have long been seen as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Ffact-tank\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F12\u002Fdespite-challenges-at-home-and-work-most-working-moms-and-dads-say-being-employed-is-whats-best-for-them\u002F\"\u003Eless committed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2004\u002F10\u002Fthe-maternal-wall\"\u003Eless competent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a work environment. They are passed over for promotions \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hrmagazine.co.uk\u002Farticle-details\u002Ffathers-twice-as-likely-to-be-promoted-as-mothers\"\u003Ewith greater frequency than fathers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aauw.org\u002Fissues\u002Fequity\u002Fmotherhood\u002F\"\u003Eless likely to be hired than non-mothers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. When flexibility is available, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fspssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fjosi.12012\"\u003Ethose who use it face bias\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F0018726714557336\"\u003Emore likely to be pigeon-holed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E into roles with less responsibility. We know the gender pay gap \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fgraphic-detail\u002F2019\u002F01\u002F28\u002Fhow-big-is-the-wage-penalty-for-mothers\"\u003Ewidens after childbirth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; wages of working mothers \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fww.w.jthomasniu.org\u002Fclass\u002F781\u002FAssigs\u002Fbudig-wage.pdf\"\u003Edrop for each child a woman has\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “The evidence tells us that motherhood is one of the major sources of weakness in career trajectories,” says Shireen Kanji, professor of work and organisation at Brunel University London. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, some women change jobs or leave the workforce because of these pressures. When Kanji interviewed women who had left high-profile careers, many gave examples of secret parenting, including taking sick days to avoid telling colleagues their children were ill. Women needing time off to care for children served as a “particularly unwelcome reminder that employees care about their children and by implication not enough about the organisation”, her \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1111\u002Fgwao.12011\"\u003E2013 study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E showed. One respondent was told to ask family to watch her child, rather than take a day off. Another, a freelancer working in TV, was told never to mention her children, and felt that doing so affected how much work she got.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of people working late in a big-city office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is because, as sociologists have long pointed out, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1177\u002F089124390004002002\"\u003Eworkplaces are structured around men rather than women,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and still have an ingrained image of the “ideal worker”; an employee who always puts work first. “Anything that signals otherwise diminishes you in the eyes of your employers,” says Daniel Carlson of the University of Utah. “This notion that women are going to be distracted is presumed... The whole notion of secret parenting stems from the desire to hide this to save one’s career.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis structural issue is in some ways a legacy of beliefs still prevalent in individualistic countries like the US that good fathers provide for the family and good mothers stay at home.  Surveys show \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewsocialtrends.org\u002F2009\u002F10\u002F01\u002Fthe-harried-life-of-the-working-mother\u002F#public-views-on-the-changing-role-of-women\"\u003Ethese social attitudes still exist\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: both women and men \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Ffact-tank\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F12\u002Fdespite-challenges-at-home-and-work-most-working-moms-and-dads-say-being-employed-is-whats-best-for-them\u002F\"\u003Ereport that working makes it more difficult to be a good parent\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Only a third of respondents in the same Pew Research Center survey thought that working full time was best for mothers, while 21% agreed that women with very young children shouldn’t work for pay at all.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen there’s the enduring stereotype that women are more capable in the domestic sphere, men in the office, which despite being dispelled by research still has a significant impact on how we frame paid work and family life. “It’s understandable that women feel this relentless work\u002Ffamily conflict because we’re asking the impossible. Women have entered the paid labour force, but we have not seen the changes in men at home to pick up more of the domestic work,” says sociologist Caitlyn Collins of Washington University in St Louis.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Once caregiving duties are identified and made salient, they are seen as less devoted to the job - Elizabeth Hirsh","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese gendered perceptions still heavily influence workplace culture; historic legal cases are as illuminating as they are sobering. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fjournals.sagepub.com\u002Fdoi\u002Fabs\u002F10.1177\u002F0891243220946335#.X1KdB6yVkh0\"\u003EIn her 2020 analysis of carer discrimination in Canada over 30 years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, researcher Elizabeth Hirsh at the University of British Columbia found that while cases in general were on the rise, they played out differently for men and women. Because pregnancy made it harder for women to hide the fact that they were mothers, the workplace disputes they experienced – over job assignments or contract terminations – were often based on presumptions about their commitment. “Once caregiving duties are identified and made salient, they are seen as less devoted to the job,” says Hirsh. Men, however, didn’t have their fatherhood exposed by pregnancy, and generally gave reasons other than parenting to explain requests for flexibility – something that had unexpected consequences in court. Men found it harder than women to win against employers because they had mentioned their caring responsibilities less; they had been caring ‘in secret’ even more than women. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Normalising care work’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, as many of us work from home amid Covid-19, parenting is more visible than it’s ever been. The pandemic has blurred lines between family and work, causing unprecedented stress to parents who have been forced to combine jobs and childcare. The juggle has been obvious, with children popping up on work video calls, meetings being rescheduled around them and parents promising speedy work responses – once the kids are in bed. Yet although the pandemic has gone a long way toward normalising something previously hidden, the associated biases against mothers have not gone away.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a mother working from home with her child","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, childcare being more evident could simply \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women\"\u003Ereinforce negative attitudes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E toward caring responsibilities. The strain of working while parenting could make judgement and discrimination more likely; in the US, the Center for WorkLife Law has found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.uchastings.edu\u002F2020\u002F06\u002F11\u002Fworklife-caregiver-legislation\u002F\"\u003Ediscrimination against caregivers has been increasing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. There have also been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F09\u002F05\u002Ftechnology\u002Fparents-time-off-backlash.html\"\u003Ereports of resentment\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from workers who don’t have children about perceived special favours for parents. And while \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2020\u002Fjun\u002F17\u002Fgender-roles-parenting-housework-coronavirus-pandemic\"\u003Ereports suggest\u003C\u002Fa\u003E fathers in some nations are increasing their share of caring work, working mothers have left jobs or reduced their hours in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200630-how-covid-19-is-changing-womens-lives\"\u003Egreater numbers than fathers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Experts are worried that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-why-this-recession-disproportionately-affects-women\"\u003Eimpacts on women\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from the crisis could \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Fglobal\u002Fabout-the-ilo\u002Fnewsroom\u002Fnews\u002FWCMS_749398\u002Flang--en\u002Findex.htm\"\u003Eerase years of progress on gender equality.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere is a glimmer of positivity in all this gloom; the pressures that compel parents to downplay caring responsibilities do not happen everywhere. In Sweden, for instance, both parents can take advantage of family-friendly policies without any stigma attached. Collins, who spoke to numerous Swedish mothers for her research, found that family life is openly welcomed as a priority, creating a “culture of support” in which both men and women can be upfront about balancing work and childcare. She cites an intriguing clash of cultures in a case where Swedish employees worked for an Australian firm. When one mother declined a meeting late in the afternoon, her Swedish boss suggested she should hide her reason for doing so, since their Australian CEO would find leaving early for childcare duties unacceptable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his research, Carlson has found that it is the combination of two factors that could create real change : making caring responsibilities more public, and passing more of the load onto fathers. “The more we normalise care work and other obligations, especially for fathers, [the more] it starts to diminish the penalties to take on those responsibilities, and certainly lowers gaps and discrimination due to sexism,” he says. In certain circles, “working from home has laid bare that so many of us have family obligations, and people are becoming far more understanding of this”.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps that means that one day I will stop disguising the fact that I’m dialling into a video call from outside in the rain because I’m hoping my daughter will take a nap instead of interrupting the meeting. And maybe we will stop cringing each time a company highlights that paid time off will probably largely benefit parents – inadvertently signalling that they cannot put in as much dedicated time as everyone else. Supportive policies are important, but even where leave is available, fathers in particular \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F04\u002F17\u002Fparenting\u002Fpaternity-leave.html\"\u003Eoften don’t take it for fear of being stigmatised.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUntil policies recognise this, bosses set examples and work cultures change their perception of the “ideal worker”, aspects of parenting will likely remain secretive, even if children keep interrupting video calls. We shrug it off and agree that yes, they’re quite cute, masking the stress bubbling away under the surface.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMelissa Hogenboom is the editor of BBC Reel. She is \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fmelissasuzanneh\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E@melissasuzanneh\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E on Twitter. Her upcoming book, The Motherhood Complex, is out in May 2021.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-11-23T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The corporate ideals driving ‘secret parenting’","headlineShort":"What's driving 'secret parenting'?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of the silhouettes of a mother and child","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"Many parents downplay caring responsibilities at work to show commitment. Covid-19 has exposed the challenges that parents face – but will it change anything?","summaryShort":"Why some people never mention their children at work","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-11-23T02:50:33.735466Z","entity":"article","guid":"258ec2b1-bf6a-4de8-bf86-a3b53975eed4","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:14:53.580509Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917974},"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":"616ff68745ceed416161f25e","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fchristine-ro"],"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 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":["p09tygjs"],"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":["p09tygnd"],"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":["p09tygsc"],"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":["p09tygbl"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Angry truck driver","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":["p09tygnd"],"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews"],"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":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"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":"2021-09-08T13:51:34.493237Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917971},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation","_id":"616ff65a45ceed22b610e746","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"When key employees resign or are fired, this can set off a chain reaction known as 'turnover contagion'. This may especially be the case during the pandemic and Great Resignation.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt’s been years since I last quit a job, but I remember it well. When our boss announced abruptly that she was leaving our small non-profit, the meeting room was full of shocked, unhappy expressions. She’d transformed the organisation into a more efficient yet inspiring place to work, and we were all sorry to see her go.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESoon after the arrival of her successor – who had a very different style – I resigned as well. My closest colleague followed suit a week later. Another colleague left as soon as she had another job lined up. This meant that nearly half the employees had left in the span of a few months.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis type of mass departure – which management experts dub ‘turnover contagion’ – is all too common. It can involve multiple employees independently reacting to the same change in personnel in policy (like the fashion subscription company that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.buzzfeednews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fcarolineodonovan\u002Fstitch-fix-employees-quitting\"\u003Elost one-third of its stylists\u003C\u002Fa\u003E after scrapping its flexible-work policy). But there’s also a powerful psychological effect of seeing your peers leave, which can motivate you to start wondering if the grass is greener on their side.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe strength of turnover contagion depends on which employees leave, and the kind of circumstances they leave under. So, especially in today’s uncertain labour market, good managers should be strengthening employee retention and recruitment, to avoid being left captaining a ship without a crew. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESocial animals\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with so much of human behaviour, turnover is socially influenced. “A core idea behind our turnover-contagion research is that people are herd animals. We take our cues from others,” explains Will Felps, a management professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. “It’s like in the wildlife documentaries, where a herd of water buffalo will bunch up at the edge of a river they are collectively considering crossing. They’ll wait for a few brave ones to jump in and make it across before doing so themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese social cues are especially strong when the water buffalo – or colleague – is a leader, work buddy or counterpart. People in ‘structurally equivalent’ roles are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbooks.google.co.uk\u002Fbooks?id=j4SrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT205&lpg=PT205&dq=structurally+equivalent+roles+turnover&source=bl&ots=9IawE5Ve_c&sig=ACfU3U1QWJQT1uXpDto8iPyeRlppjDDN5w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiNzpqxiPDyAhURhlwKHQgXARMQ6AF6BAgwEAM#v=onepage&q=structurally%20equivalent%20roles%20turnover&f=false\"\u003Eoften influenced by each other\u003C\u002Fa\u003E: “If you notice that somebody in the same job is leaving, you may not know them personally, but if they’re in the same role as you are, that might be contagious,” says Peter Hom, a management professor at Arizona State University, US. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe social signal is intensified if the exiting employee is openly criticising the workplace, or bragging about a new prospect. A demoralised, unstable, fragmented workforce is one that’s likely to be looking around for new opportunities. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if a good boss leaves, that can trigger worker resignations on the spot (like the struggling restaurant where \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002Fantiwork\u002Fcomments\u002Fotnmtn\u002Fhalf_of_the_staff_at_work_quit_today\u002F\"\u003Ehalf the staff quit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E alongside a beloved manager) or ones that cascade for months (like the hospitality company where the resignations of general managers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbooks.google.co.uk\u002Fbooks?id=j4SrDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT202&lpg=PT202&dq=li+et+al.+2018+months+turnover+hospitality&source=bl&ots=9IawE5W9Xk&sig=ACfU3U3yR5iWHbEeM3A-dES0G-SCvZV-Fg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi9rYKVivDyAhUIRkEAHcG5BcEQ6AF6BAguEAM#v=onepage&q=li%20et%20al.%202018%20months%20turnover%20hospitality&f=false\"\u003Eincrease turnover of core employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E).\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"They know it’s one thread that can really take apart their talent management efforts that they’ve been investing in for years – Nita Chhinzer","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“It really does cause a mass exodus. The higher up we are, the more likely we are to have almost a wave effect between levels,” according to Nita Chhinzer, a human resources professor at the University of Guelph, Canada. “That’s where a lot of HR folks that I know are actually shaking in their boots… they know it’s one thread that can really take apart their talent management efforts that they’ve been investing in for years.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also a contagious effect to star employees leaving (like in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftheconversation.com\u002Fis-quitting-contagious-depends-on-who-else-leaves-and-whos-in-charge-163146\"\u003Ethe car dealerships\u003C\u002Fa\u003E where strong salespeople leaving motivates other salespeople to move on as well). “Some of my research shows that when the strongest performers on a team leave the employment environment, then others would suddenly start to re-evaluate the relationship with the workplace and think about leaving,” says Chhinzer. It’s less contagious when a poor performer leaves, because “we think to ourselves that the exit of poor performance is actually \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210608-why-a-revolving-door-of-team-members-is-fuel-for-success\"\u003Equite functional for the organisation and quite desirable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChhinzer says that this is a universal pattern. “Collectivist cultures will still be more heavily influenced by the perceptions of others because they’re in a collectivist society; they believe that they all belong to the same group. And individualistic cultures are impacted by the exit of others, because we’re trying to maximise our own individual benefit. So, it makes us think about our cost–benefit equation at work and wonder if we missed something.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne pandemic trend has been social media posts by employees at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fox5ny.com\u002Fnews\u002Ffamily-dollar-employees-at-nebraska-store-walk-off-job-cite-low-pay-and-long-shifts\"\u003Ediscount shops\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.indy100.com\u002Fviral\u002Fmcdonalds-staff-quit-viral-tiktok-b1875432\"\u003Efast-food restaurants\u003C\u002Fa\u003E announcing that the business has closed because nearly all the staff have quit. These workers aren’t just individually fed up with low pay and tough working conditions during the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. They’re fed up en masse.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo Felps, this makes sense, because resignations can be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fleeds-faculty.colorado.edu\u002Fdahe7472\u002FHekman%20turnover%20AMJ%20final.pdf\"\u003Eparticularly infectious during times of uncertainty\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The ‘social proof’ that lets us know that quitting is acceptable is especially important “when faced with novel, risky or ambiguous situations. Covid ticks all three boxes”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“So, in the current circumstances, if just a few people choose to leave an organisation, it is likely to prompt a number of other people to start seriously looking for other employment,” continues Felps. “This can domino, causing a tsunami of people to quit over a short period of time. So, I’d expect a lot of turnover contagion to be happening at the moment.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EF Ali, 25, and several of her colleagues recently quit on the same day amid a perfect storm of Covid-era instability, poor management, harsh conditions and the sacking of a key colleague. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EF Ali (whose full name has been withheld) had been working as a Covid screener and receptionist for a for-profit medical facility in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. In her few months on the job, many things troubled her: the differential treatment between white employees and racial minorities like her; management’s hostility to staff unionisation efforts; and the short staffing that meant that patient care was compromised.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If just a few people choose to leave an organisation, it is likely to prompt a number of other people to start seriously looking for other employment – Will Felps","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“There were days when we had two nurses on the entire floor of 40 patients,” she reports. “It was not unusual to be outside the building and see staff who work directly with patients crying or frustrated or angry, you know, unable to deal with the consequences of seeing their patients suffer.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe final straw was when a fellow receptionist and friend, whom F Ali describes as an extremely dedicated employee, was fired suddenly under the pretext that she was using her phone too much (although it was necessary to use phones to communicate with colleagues on different floors). “That really broke me,” F Ali remembers. She suspects that management were firing receptionists in order to replace them with lower-paid Covid screeners. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EF Ali immediately sent an angry email to several executives slamming their poor treatment of staff, and announcing her resignation. Two other receptionists quit on the same day. These were partly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year\"\u003Erage quit\u003C\u002Fa\u003Es, and as F Ali remembers, “It was very gratifying to come in the next day and see one of the upper admin having to work the desk.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESignificantly, though, these quits were triggered by the dismissal of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20171106-popularity-at-work-still-matters-whether-we-like-it-or-not\"\u003Ewell-liked\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, reliable colleague, whose absence would have made things harder on the remaining staff in addition to feeling searingly unfair. She may not have been a star performer in the sales sense, but she was key to the morale of a company where staff worked closely together. This aligns with Chhinzer’s research showing that employees who create a pseudo-family at work are more likely to be affected by turnover contagion than employees who work fairly independently.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to stem the tide\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn employer desperate to curb an exodus might try to stop employees from telling each other about their exit plans, but this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fleeds-faculty.colorado.edu\u002Fdahe7472\u002FHekman%20turnover%20AMJ%20final.pdf\"\u003Ewould be counterproductive\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. So would \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fbooks.google.co.uk\u002Fbooks?id=knatDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=%E2%80%9Cthe+more+monitoring+present,+the+higher+the+turnover+rate%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=ZKQun-bBXW&sig=ACfU3U1yJHwcgzriUU3Mj8-gQNKmmhoBxA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiLh-qmk_DyAhWTasAKHWsGB1AQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9Cthe%20more%20monitoring%20present%2C%20the%20higher%20the%20turnover%20rate%E2%80%9D&f=false\"\u003Eusing surveillance to monitor workers’ intentions to leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. These kinds of strong-arm tactics are likely to breed more distrust and animosity, only making the open door seem more appealing to employees.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead of shutting down conversation, being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.emerald.com\u002Finsight\u002Fcontent\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1108\u002FLODJ-12-2020-0548\u002Ffull\u002Fhtml\"\u003Emore open about why staff are leaving\u003C\u002Fa\u003E will help dampen rumours. For example, if someone resigns for family reasons, that’s less likely to lead to turnover contagion than quitting due to job dissatisfaction. But if there’s a mysterious hush around  a departure, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210818-why-gossiping-at-work-is-good-for-you\"\u003Epeople will speculate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and potentially assume the worst. “One of the cautionary notes we have for managers is that they need to be very clear as to why that person left, if it’s a non-work-related reason,” says Chhinzer. “We can turn off turnover contagion when we see that it was a non-work-related reason why a person left.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFelps encourages executives to take more positive practical steps to “nip quitting in the bud”, even if doing so seems like a big expense now. “The most obvious ways to build up barriers to leaving include financially and symbolically expressing your appreciation for employees’ remarkable efforts during this difficult time. And while pay increases might cut into profit margins in the short run, I would predict that it is better than risking the kinds of implosions that can happen when turnover contagion gets out of control.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe departure of key employees is a critical time to invest in the remaining employees, and in recruiting new staff. Yet too many employers do the exact opposite: try to save money by burdening the existing employees with more work, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002FAskReddit\u002Fcomments\u002Fnm7u3r\u002Fwhat_happened_at_your_job_that_caused_a_mass\u002Fgzmxb4i\u002F?context=3\"\u003Ecreates a vicious cycle of stress and resignations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, F Ali isn’t confident that the collective quitting in the for-profit healthcare sector has led executives to reconsider their approach to retention. “They’re giving bonuses, but they’re not increasing the pay for the existing nurses,” says F Ali. Most of her nurse friends “are quitting their jobs for other jobs that are giving them bonuses and higher wages because their own employers aren’t willing to keep them on at a higher wage”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf a workplace doesn’t address the underlying factors that make turnover contagion more likely among its staff, it may find itself the subject of the next viral TikTok video or Twitter photo after its employees leave in droves. Surely no company wants to be \u003Cem\u003Ethat\u003C\u002Fem\u003E one.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-16T16:24:19Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"'Turnover contagion': The domino effect of one resignation","headlineShort":"Why quitting spurs a domino effect","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"When key employees resign or are fired, this can set off a chain reaction known as 'turnover contagion'. This may especially be the case during the pandemic and Great Resignation.","summaryShort":"'Turnover contagion': Why one resignation sparks off others","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-15T20:02:00.797076Z","entity":"article","guid":"962c5e3b-bda4-4c70-be80-b4c86369f659","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-15T20:02:00.797076Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917971},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete","_id":"616ff67a45ceed36f7144bcc","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fanna-jones"],"bodyIntro":"Ten years ago, workplaces were all about tangible perks. But now workers want something different from their employers.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the past decade or so, it has sometimes felt like companies have been in a perks arms race to attract talent. Free snacks, break-room pool tables or in-house gyms: the more ‘fun’ the space and the better the freebies, the thinking went, the more likely people were to want to dedicate their working hours (and then some) to the organisation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs pandemic restrictions ease and bosses try to entice staff back to offices, some companies are turning once again to these kinds of special incentives. Goldman Sachs is giving workers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Fsep\u002F06\u002Fsweet-deal-uk-workers-lured-back-to-office-with-bonuses-and-ice-cream\"\u003Efree ice cream\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; investment company Nuveen has put in new rooftop gardens for employees, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2021\u002F08\u002F25\u002Fbusiness\u002Freturn-to-office.html\"\u003Ecomplete with beehives\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; while PwC is giving all staff a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002Fsep\u002F06\u002Fsweet-deal-uk-workers-lured-back-to-office-with-bonuses-and-ice-cream\"\u003Ecash bonus of £1,000\u003C\u002Fa\u003E as their way of “helping everyone adjust”.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet in recent months, study after study has shown that employees are thinking \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.myhrtoolkit.com\u002Fblog\u002Fbest-workplace-perks\"\u003Efar more holistically\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about potential jobs. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think nowadays people are beginning to see beyond ‘come and work in our jazzy office’, or ‘Fruit Fridays’,” says Zofia Bajorek, senior research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies in Brighton, UK. Rather than gimmicky perks, people are now looking for workplaces that accommodate their changing, individualised needs. And potential employees are more prepared than ever to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fwhat-your-future-employees-want-most\"\u003Eprioritise these requirements \u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F05\u002Fwhat-your-future-employees-want-most\"\u003Eover job status or pay\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, does that mean the office perk as we know it is redundant as an incentive – or is it simply evolving into something that looks very different? If so, what \u003Cem\u003Ecan\u003C\u002Fem\u003E companies offer their staff to entice them on board, or even back to their desks? \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe ‘nice to haves’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s widely known the pandemic has made many people re-evaluate their working lives. Much has been written about the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, as workers consider leaving their jobs, rather than return to commuting and long – and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Eoften performative\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – office-based hours. Employers are well aware, and many are scrambling for new ways to retain employees. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne technique for those companies who want to lure their people back is to promise them a more enticing workplace. But Linda Morey-Burrows, principal director of London-based interior design firm MoreySmith, says they cannot just rely on the sort of in-office attractions they offered before. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople working at home have managed just fine – and remained productive – without free coffee and massages. Many are also less stressed. But the downside of homeworking, for some, has been the isolation, or juggling work around family duties or housemates. So, a tempting office will be one that is “an extension of your home, but without the chaos”, says Morey-Burrows, offering an environment, social atmosphere or technological provision that can’t be found elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wwf4r"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two workers in a nice office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EA recent MoreySmith survey showed Covid-conscious \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.moreysmith.com\u002Fthe-evolving-normal\u002F\"\u003Eemployees now want office provisions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E like good-quality showers and bike racks (so they can avoid crowded public transport), as well as access to open spaces and windows that actually open. But Morey-Burrows says the major practical perk companies can offer is “a feeling of safety and comfort” in which to work. “The workplace is so important to be able to create either a sanctuary for some, where they can have peace and quiet, and for others to have the sense of energy, belonging and social interaction,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome companies are also hoping that a revamp of their wellbeing packages will appeal to workers. But Bajorek, who has studied such schemes, is fairly cynical about whether these kind of perks – or indeed the provision of more people-centric offices – can really benefit recruitment and retention. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile they might be the “nice to haves”, she says, they’re pointless if employees are feeling overworked, burned out, over-monitored or undermined. She believes companies instead need to focus on the elements workers increasingly see as valuable; training, progression, some autotomy and, perhaps most importantly, flexibility.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmployee-specific flexibility\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIndeed, ‘flexibility’ has become one of the corporate buzzwords of the pandemic. Future Forum, Slack’s consortium researching the future of work, recently surveyed 10,000 knowledge workers worldwide to ask what mattered to them most in a job. “Flexibility is very important to people,” says Brian Elliott, vice-president at Slack and executive leader of Future Forum. “In terms of a benefit and a perk, after compensation it’s the second-most important thing in our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffutureforum.com\u002F2021\u002F06\u002F15\u002Ffuture-forum-pulse\u002F\"\u003Eresearch results\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElliott says for a communication company, Slack itself used to be remarkably office-based, with only 5% of staff working off site, and those on site benefiting from in-house baristas, snacks bars and sweeping views. But as Covid-19 spread and employees were stuck at home, the company quickly introduced perks that reflected this new demand for flexibility.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In terms of a benefit and a perk, after compensation [flexibility is] the second-most important thing in our research results – Brian Elliott","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThese included “Friyays”, a once-a-month company-wide Friday off where “everything goes quiet” so no-one fears missing out, as well as no-question emergency leave, where “if you needed time off, we gave you time off”. To counter fears remote working would mean losing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210804-hybrid-work-how-proximity-bias-can-lead-to-favouritism\"\u003Ecareer-enhancing face-time\u003C\u002Fa\u003E with colleagues or bosses, the company introduced a “one dials in, all dial in” policy for meetings to “level the playing field”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the company also recognises that working from home has been a fairly miserable experience, rather than a perk, for some staff. So, it has partnered with WeWork to give all staff on-demand access to a coworking space. Elliott says it’s been “a huge relief” to the people who really need to get out of the space they were working in. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElliott sees this sort of employee-specific flexibility as central to the future of workplace perks, particularly as flexibility has proved so beneficial to previously disadvantaged groups in the workplace, like working mothers and caregivers. But in the battle for talent, he adds, employers will also need to demonstrate very clearly how they are giving their staff “self-determination” over their careers, clarity over their responsibilities and transparency over performance evaluation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValues and purpose\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cbr \u002F\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts also point to other important factors employees are now weighing in their post-pandemic choice of workplace. These are factors that employees connect with on a deeper, values-driven level, instead of obvious perks. Rather than focusing on decked-out offices or corporate retreats, they say, people want to feel that they’re working at a place they care about. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElliott believes many of Slack’s employees were drawn to the company’s mission to “make people’s working lives simpler”. He believes it’s important for employers to recognise that the need for purpose goes even deeper than that for many. \"People are looking for places where they feel like they not only belong with the company, but they have the opportunity to make a difference in the world,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wwfg3"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A happy worker at an office desk","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBajorek, of the Institute for Employment Studies, agrees young people in particular “really value” contemporary issues like climate change and racial equality, and want to be seen to work for organisations that actively support these causes. While that might not be a perk, per se, research suggests that employers who give their staff the means – and time – to engage in activities that speak to their morals and values may well have an upper hand in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gartner.com\u002Fsmarterwithgartner\u002Fcorporate-advocacy-of-social-issues-can-drive-employee-engagement\"\u003Eemployee engagement\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of this, of course, places fresh demands on already stretched management. It is, after all, far easier to buy a round of drinks or negotiate a deal with a local gym than it is to cater to potentially hundreds of dispersed employees with disparate needs and requests. And there’s also the risk that offering different perks to different people could create resentment, undermining all the benefits of the perks. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElliott says the new demands hybrid working places on managers to monitor workers on their output rather than their presence is going to force many to develop an entirely new skill set.  Having a boss who can both articulate goals and objectives and anticipate their employees’ emotional and professional needs may well be \"the biggest perk\" for individuals, he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBajorek says the pandemic has crystallised what 20 years of research into workplace dynamics has been saying: “If you want someone to do a good job, you don’t need to give them perks, you have to give them a good job to do.” So, as the world gradually re-opens, she says, employers should actively engage their staff in discussions about what perks they actually want, and will make use of, but also listen to what they want from their job overall. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“What the pandemic has really highlighted is you want to have an organisation that trusts in you, that gives you voice, that listens to your concerns and actually values the work that you do,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Are office perks obsolete?","headlineShort":"Are office perks obsolete?","image":["p09wwdk4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"An office worker playing table football","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Ten years ago, workplaces were all about tangible perks. But now workers want something different from their employers.","summaryShort":"If companies want workers back in seat, it will take more than unlimited snacks","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-29T22:45:46.538918Z","entity":"article","guid":"4f28b3e9-dfb6-44eb-99fc-6b21a179ca96","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-29T23:17:21.17886Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917970},"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":"616ff68345ceed4486108b20","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":"2021-09-02T05:27:41.007354Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917971},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs","_id":"616ff67f45ceed422a6caf03","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"For many, the pandemic has deteriorated our relationship with our jobs. Can you re-ignite the spark – and should you even try?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIt wasn’t long into the pandemic that Danielle, a 31-year-old public-school teacher in New Jersey, US, realized almost everything she loved about her job had disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“I still loved teaching, but the circumstances didn’t allow me to do my job the way I wanted to do it,” she says. “The way I think students learn best is through talking to each other and asking questions, and we couldn’t do any of that. They weren’t allowed to work in groups, they barely talked. I felt like Charlie Brown’s teacher from Peanuts: ‘wah waah waaah wah...’ It was awful.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EShe never doubted teaching was her calling before the pandemic, but Danielle began to dread going to work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThroughout the past year and a half, many employees have similarly felt their relationships to their once-loved jobs deteriorate, as work has become remarkably different. Some found pre-existing disinterest amplified, while others discovered a new level of distaste for their positions or entire fields. And although not every worker has to \u003Cem\u003Elove \u003C\u002Fem\u003Etheir position, keeping the relationship positive – or at least neutral – is key for many to get through the day.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EMillions of workers now at odds with their professions are in tough situations: it can be unnerving to be in a job you no longer feel connected to, especially if you don’t have an alternative on the horizon; and difficult to know whether you’re just going through a phase of disinterest, or if your spark is permanently out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ESo, what next? Is there a way to re-ignite your passion for a job you once felt good doing – and should you even\u003Cem\u003E try?\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWaning interest\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThere’s a very clear and current phenomenon of people experiencing a waning interest in their work, says Jon M Jachimowicz, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Particularly in the beginning of Covid, people started spending a lot more time at home and that gave them a lot more downtime,” he says. “When you’re in the office and it’s hectic, you don’t have as much space and time to think. It’s hard to zoom out and think about the next month, year or five years of your life. Being at home kind of forces that on you, for better or worse. It made people start to question: how can I live a life or have a career that’s in line with what I’m actually interested in?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIn addition to increased worker introspection, Stacey Lane, an Oregon, US-based career coach and consultant, says a drop in interest could be because many jobs were stripped down to their most essential components. Workers who may have said they enjoyed their jobs before going remote realized it wasn’t the work itself they liked.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Suddenly, people were no longer going into a workplace, and they no longer had those social connections. And for a lot of people, that’s what ties them to their job, whether they realize it or not,” she says. “It wasn’t the actual job they were doing – it was the culture, the people, and you just can’t translate that into remote work. It’s all really a package, until it’s not, and then you’re like, ‘eh, I’m actually not interested in this at all’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EStill, others lost interest, says Jachimowicz, because doing their jobs during the pandemic became unusually tough, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003Eemployers didn’t do enough to help\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“We’re seeing it a lot in people who don’t feel supported, or who feel overworked,” he says. “The most common thing I hear these days is that employees are burned out, either because the workload has increased, or because this thing we call a psychological contract – all the unwritten trust that exists between organization and employee – has been breached. People react with a loss of interest and a desire to leave their jobs.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis is especially evident, adds Jachimowicz, in professions people tend to enter largely because of an interest in the work, be it the field or the company itself. Nursing and teaching, he says, are examples of jobs that have seen an exodus of formerly passionate people. “There’s been a lot more early retirements from teachers,” he says. “Would this have happened in non-Covid years? Probably not.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQuit\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E or re-kindle?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EStaying at a job while your interest in work wanes is difficult, especially if that disinterested feeling has popped up suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There may be ways to fire up a positive relationship with your job – even if it means simply making it more palatable for now","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThe most obvious solution, of course, is to leave. This is what Lane has seen happen on a mass scale during \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003E“the Great Resignation”.\u003C\u002Fa\u003E Lane has observed many with poor relationships to their jobs choose to quit in the past several months, including clients who “hated their jobs before the pandemic, but for one reason or another wouldn’t quit”. The “major disruption” of the pandemic has opened a door for change for many workers – and many people who don’t like their jobs are choosing to walk through it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EBut, adds Lane, losing interest in a job is a normal reaction to the pandemic shake-up. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to quit or change careers. There may be ways to fire up a positive relationship with your job – even if it means simply making it more palatable for now, while you look for an alternative.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EShe suggests it can help to take stock of the things you like most about your work, even if you haven’t gotten to experience them for a while. Reminding yourself of what captured your interest in the first place can motivate you to rediscover those things about your job. “It’s getting clarity about what you liked, and what you’re missing now,” she says, and “using that information for self-reflection.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIf what you enjoyed was collaboration, for instance, you could ask to be assigned to more group projects. If it was face time with a mentor or mentee, you can work to make more time for that. And even if the ongoing pandemic means it’s not possible yet, simply recalling what you once loved can rekindle the feeling.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThis was a huge component of what saved Danielle’s relationship with her teaching job. At first, Danielle felt detached and checked out, but as the pandemic wore on, she says, taking stock of her feelings helped her become more passionate than ever. “It made me feel like, wow, this year is terrible, but I love my job so much,” she says. Pining for what previously seemed routine – working with students in small groups, talking and laughing during class, even the ability to teach in person, rather than online – helped her realize the joy she derives from even the mundane aspects of work. “Thinking about all of the things I missed, all of the time, made me realize how much I do love my job in a regular time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Is it good for people to be passionate about their work? Of course. But is it necessary? Of course not – Jon M Jachimowicz","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003ERe-lighting the spark might also require switching up your routine, and finding something to get excited about. That might take the form of a side project, or a new collaborative effort with your colleagues. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Working toward a shared vision and goal is really motivating,” says Lane. “Stretch projects and new initiatives are where I think most people find the most interest. That’s when innovation happens, because you get a bunch of engaged employees who are just, like, on fire about something.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGiving yourself permission\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EThere’s quite a bit of grey area in between a job worth quitting and a job with which you could fall back in love. Realistically, some workers who’ve become disinterested in their jobs are going to remain that way, and still work, anyway. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“I have friends who realized throughout this year that your job doesn’t necessarily have to be your passion,” says Danielle. “They’ve realized, ‘I can just kind of phone in my job, and it’s funding all the things I \u003Cem\u003Ewant\u003C\u002Fem\u003E to do, so as long as I keep getting a paycheck every two weeks, that’s fine.’”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIt’s perfectly acceptable, agrees Jachimowicz, and for some people, it may be preferable.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003E“Is it good for people to be passionate about their work? Of course,” he says. “But is it necessary? Of course not. Some people don’t want to pursue their passion at work. Others don’t have the opportunity. And let’s be real: there are plenty of things for people to be passionate about other than work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\"Body\"\u003EIf your interest in work has waned, it’s time to have an honest conversation with yourself about your needs, says Jachimowicz. “What needs is your job meant to fulfill? Just financial needs? Then great,” he says. “Do you need it to fill your need for connection? Aspirational needs? Your values?” One thing Covid is helping to clarify, says Jachimowicz, is that certain jobs can meet all these needs, and “people either want one, or realize they don’t need one.” You just have to make the distinction, and then make a decision.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-31T16:24:02Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why so many workers have lost interest in their jobs","headlineShort":"Why it's OK to lose passion for a job","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"For many, the pandemic has deteriorated our relationship with our jobs. Can you re-ignite the spark – and should you even try?","summaryShort":"Why the pandemic has deteriorated our relationship with our jobs","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-30T20:04:34.730372Z","entity":"article","guid":"e8f890c5-5646-4e83-90c6-98ce3239d05d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:28:31.457207Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917971},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting","_id":"616ff6d145ceed69713e52d7","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"Workers are increasingly scrutinising benefits packages as they evaluate employment opportunities. What's reasonable to ask for?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe ‘Great Resignation’, which has seen millions of people leave their positions, has put US job vacancies at a 20-year high and left companies scrambling for recruits. The narrative around this mass exodus has largely been that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003Eemployers failed employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, so they’re going elsewhere to find better options. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut better doesn’t always mean more money; more often, it means a better benefits package. Employees are increasingly seeking a new set of perks to match their actual needs, and bargaining for the things that really matter to them, like improved leave policies and flexible working.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, while companies have a vested interest in maintaining happy, healthy employees, the bottom line still reigns supreme. But in the wake of the pandemic – and the way it’s shaken up the employment market – companies and workers are finding themselves in a new kind of negotiation, as employees figure out what’s reasonable to ask for, and companies decide how much to give.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenefits for individuals\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough workers are looking for additional support across the globe, this issue is especially crucial in the US, where many workers count on their employers for assistance and healthcare access that isn’t provided for on a government level.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile basic benefits, including things like health and dental coverage, remain foundational parts of American worker benefits, overall packages are getting more specific and individualised to single employees’ needs, says Tim Allen, CEO of benefit services site Care.com. “For years, benefit offerings have been determined en masse, catered to a group. Now, individuals are coming to the table and saying, ‘I need this for my life and my family’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wkwv5"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EToday, employees, both existing and new hires, are negotiating for benefits like mental-health and wellness services, flexible working and paid leave that best suit their daily lives. It’s a trend that’s been building over \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fnew-decade-promises-expansion-and-diversification-of-voluntary-benefits-301002747.html\"\u003Eseveral years\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, says Allen, as talent recruitment and retention have become a top priority. The pandemic significantly accelerated things, he adds, and a side effect is workers being seen as the individuals they are, rather than just parts of a whole.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think seeing people on Zoom at home has really individualised them,” he says. “I think that normalisation also really engendered people to go and say ‘Hey, I need this benefit or this thing’. And companies go, ‘I get it, I understand’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis new appreciation of employees’ individual circumstances is reflected in how companies provide things like mental-health benefits, says Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, he says, one of the main perks people want is a mental-health benefit that’s effective and on-demand. “Covid caused alienation, loneliness, anxiety – there’s a massive group of employees that need really effective mental-health benefits that will actually produce results. And these benefits are being hammered out on a team-member level, versus the team as a whole.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore and more companies are offering these kinds of provisions, he says, where in the past they might have been seen as fringe benefits lumped in with things like fitness programmes and transport subsidies.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Now, individuals are coming to the table and saying, ‘I need this for my life and my family’ – Tim Allen","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“I think the gap between mainstream [benefits] and fringe is shrinking,” says Allen. “The baseline benefits like healthcare and dental are things companies know they have to have to attract talent. Now the employers of choice are going, ‘OK, we need to expand the benefit package to encompass the other aspects of life. How do we provide subsidies for childcare? Senior care benefits?’” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne benefit that’s significantly expanding is flexibility. Traditional offerings like paid holiday and sick leave “are just a starting point”, says Jonathan Bennett, head of employee benefits at insurance company The Hartford. Increasingly, benefits are growing to include “paid time off for other purposes, like being able to take care of children, a partner, a parent. Those kinds of needs are becoming much more present”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite the continued \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210624-why-doesnt-the-us-have-mandated-paid-maternity-leave\"\u003Elack of a nationwide parental leave policy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, that area has undergone one of the biggest shifts; nearly 40% of companies have increased their childcare-leave options. “In the last five years, that’s almost doubled in terms of the number of employers offering that paid maternity leave that’s beyond what’s provided by [disability or state] law,” says Alonso. “That’s now offered by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fabout-shrm\u002Fpress-room\u002Fpress-releases\u002Fpages\u002Fshrm-study-finds-employer-provided-benefits-have-dramatically-changed-and-expanded-during-covid-19-pandemic.aspx\"\u003E53% of employers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHybrid- or remote work is another area where provisions are evolving. According to SHRM’s 2020 employee benefits report, 78% of employers have shifted and expanded their telework options since 2019. It’s perfectly reasonable, especially in light of the recent 18-month stretch that proved most of us can do our jobs effectively from anywhere, to ask for home working days. And it’s not just about whether you can be physically out of the office, but whether the company has benefits that help you thrive outside it.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09wkwvn"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“Expanded telework options as a benefit are being enhanced,” says Alonso. “Companies are giving people access to remote work sites, remote work technology – a variety of tools.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChanged expectations\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s important, says Alonso, to put the question of what constitutes a reasonable request into context. Decades ago, it may have seemed unreasonable to ask an employer for personalised benefits, but things are very different now. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We’re seeing a shift in the way employers are viewed by their employees,” Alonso says. “Fifty years ago, the protector of an employee’s rights and wellbeing was the government. Now, employers are the group most often cited as being responsible for employee’s wellbeing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, there’s an expectation that our companies will sustain us even when we’re not at work. That’s at least partly because the line between work and life has become so blurred. We’re working longer hours than ever and, for many of us, allowing our jobs to extend well into our ‘off’ hours and the other areas of our lives. As a result, says Alonso, “employees are entering into a partnership where the workplace is saying, ‘Hey, we’re not just going to take care of you in your work, but in your life’”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s not just about whether you can be physically out of the office, but whether the company has benefits that help you thrive outside it","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOf course, benefits like flexible working and paid time off don’t matter if company culture discourages you from taking advantage of them, says Bennett; that is the bigger shift employees are pushing for. “We found there still is a hesitancy to use some of this flexible paid time off. It’s not just about having the time; it’s about having a corporate culture that makes employees feel like they can \u003Cem\u003Euse\u003C\u002Fem\u003E the time.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEqually, people are still looking for a pay cheque, and capitalism isn’t going anywhere. But it’s far from the only thing that matters. Employees are asking for assurances, says Alonso, that companies will invest in them long-term. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAsking companies to care for us is reasonable, particularly now. “Especially in this Great Resignation, people are changing jobs because they know they have choices,” says Allen. It’s the companies that recognise this, engage with employees over what will actually benefit them and do their best to provide that will recruit and retain the best talent. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBenefit offerings, says Allen, “show you who you are to a company, and how they want to take care of you. People are looking around and going, ‘OK, you can match my salary and bonus, but if you can’t match these benefits, I’ll take the chance with someone who will’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-09-24T16:00:40Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What workers really want to keep from quitting","headlineShort":"The benefits workers really want","image":["p09wkwtw"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210915-turnover-contagion-the-domino-effect-of-one-resignation","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210810-why-the-great-remote-work-experiment-may-have-been-flawed","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210826-why-so-many-workers-have-lost-interest-in-their-jobs"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Workers are increasingly scrutinising benefits packages as they evaluate employment opportunities. What's reasonable to ask for?","summaryShort":"Amid the Great Resignation, employers need to rise to the occasion","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-09-23T20:53:22.850877Z","entity":"article","guid":"855e9100-9b55-4751-a33e-6dd0fa26a9ad","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-23T21:40:38.262189Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917970},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard","_id":"616ff73145ceed6c8e77217d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Quitting – particularly without a job to go to – can be emotionally challenging and carry stigma. Can the Great Resignation change that?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs soon as gyms in the UK went into lockdown in 2020, personal trainer James Jackson quit his job. “I just knew that I had to transition to an online way of working,” says Jackson, 33, from Manchester. “The gym is a busy place, and I couldn't imagine it being as popular again. I felt that If I hung around too long, I'd miss out on a good opportunity.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut making the decision to leave was difficult. Jackson had spent eight years building a thriving career and a loyal client base. “It was terrifying to quit,” he says. “Being a personal trainer was all I knew.” He also found other people’s opinions hard to handle. “My boss thought that I was making a rash decision and letting my emotions get the better of me,” he says. Most of his colleagues agreed. “They thought that I was rushing into a bad decision. I was already anxious at having quit and their remarks put more doubt in my head.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnless you’re walking into a glossy, new, upgraded role, leaving a job to head in a different direction can be hard, upsetting and even leave people feeling like a failure. Faced with the prospect of quitting, Denver, Colorado-based organisational psychologist Melissa Doman, MA, says, “typically speaking, people still self-criticise. For many people, their job is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs\"\u003Eheavily tied to their identity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and their self-efficacy”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill, despite these factors, indications are that many people want to leave their jobs. In fact, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fworklab\u002Fwork-trend-index\"\u003E41% of all workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are thinking about handing in their notice, according to a recent global survey by Microsoft. In the US, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fjolts.t04.htm\"\u003Ea record number of workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E quit their jobs in April 2021, and similar waves are anticipated in nations including the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techrepublic.com\u002Farticle\u002Ftech-workers-are-getting-ready-to-quit-heres-what-is-pushing-them-to-leave-their-jobs\u002F&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1629054304493790&usg=AOvVaw33M_Tsdon_-Q1vJKImSBxV\"\u003EUK\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fwww.techrepublic.com\u002Farticle\u002Ftech-workers-are-getting-ready-to-quit-heres-what-is-pushing-them-to-leave-their-jobs\u002F&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1629054304493790&usg=AOvVaw33M_Tsdon_-Q1vJKImSBxV\"\u003EIreland\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gartner.com\u002Fen\u002Fnewsroom\u002Fpress-releases\u002F2021-04-29-gartner-hr-survey-shows-a-quarter-of-australian-emplo&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1629054304493876&usg=AOvVaw2Y_8OPa8RygX4htzYckfoJ\"\u003EAustralia\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Furl?q=https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hays.net.nz\u002Fpress-release\u002Fcontent\u002Fkiwis-will-quit-their-jobs&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1629054304493936&usg=AOvVaw1WVBvHRHg4z9Shf2jMyM5K\"\u003ENew Zealand\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. There’s even a name for it: the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are multiple reasons for this trend, from people re-evaluating what they want from their careers during the pandemic, to the stress of juggling home and work life, or even discontent with employers. Whatever the motivator, many who choose to leave their current roles will find the process emotionally challenging. ‘Quitting’ often comes with negative connotations, both from the people around us and from ourselves, even if we have good cause.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the upheaval caused by the pandemic – and the sheer number of potential quitters – could help us remove the stigma around resignation, and reframe it as a more positive choice.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"james jackson","imageOrientation":"square","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Psychologically uncomfortable’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDoman says social stigma around quitters fundamentally comes from “a very old school idea that when you get into a job or career it's for life – and that's something that just isn't true, or based in reality anymore”.  This idea plays into the popular narrative that the surest route to career success is hard work, persistence and even a willingness to suffer for a better end result. In other words, all qualities a quitter doesn’t seem to have.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch suggests that quitting stigma most affects people who leave a role without another job to go to. While people who quit for better opportunities benefit from staying on a recognised career trajectory, a 2018 study showed HR professionals and the broader public perceived people who had left employment as altogether \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fescholarship.org\u002Fuc\u002Fitem\u002F7nh039h1#main\"\u003Eless competent, less warm and less hireable\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from the moment they became jobless. The only way to mitigate this stigma was to offer proof that they left their job due to external factors, rather than quitting voluntarily.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese judgements can cause strain: quitting without a concrete plan also leaves people more likely to suffer feelings of emotional distress. The negative feelings the brain can cycle through after quitting can be significant, with shame, guilt, fear and a sense of failure all common reactions. On top of this, “if you quit a job and don't have something else lined up, that is very psychologically uncomfortable for the average person,” says Doman. “Emotionally and neurologically, the brain doesn't like uncertainty or ambiguity.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The negative feelings the brain can cycle through after quitting can be significant, with shame, guilt, fear and a sense of failure all common reactions","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo common responses are spiralling anxiety over whether quitting is the right decision, or freezing with fear at the thought of moving forward into an unknown future. Personal trainer Jackson fell into the first category. Quitting meant selling his car and moving back home with his parents as well as giving up the only job he knew. He was left with “crippling anxiety” that meant he couldn’t sleep for a week.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EComplex emotions are also common if there are difficult circumstances behind your decision to quit. Kristin White, 40, from North Carolina, US, went through a period of “grieving” after quitting her job as a health and wellness coach. “I remember saying to my husband, give me a month or two to get over this because I'm really sad. Work was my project, my pride, and then that was gone,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhite left a successful corporate career in 2015 to look after her mental health after she had her first child. She subsequently established her own wellness business, but when lockdown hit in April 2020, she faced the twin challenges of pivoting her business online at the same time as home-schooling her young children. She remembers feeling like she had “her tail between her legs” as she let stakeholders, professional contacts and even friends know her business was closing. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"kristin white","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe public aspect of quitting can be difficult to navigate for many people. “People will give feedback whether you like it or not,” says Doman. “And often the social perception when someone quits is ‘Oh, they couldn't hack it’.” White still remembers stinging comments from her wider social circle implying that she had to quit her corporate career because she wasn’t successful enough. “They have haunted me,” she says. “I felt immediately judged when I became a stay-at-home mom instead of a corporate, working woman.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs anxiety set in, Jackson had to fight the instinct to ask for his old job back, but part of him knew his colleagues’ negative reactions were based on their own worries for the future. His boss, especially, found it hard to accept that Jackson was quitting to focus on online training. “I think he knew deep down that the way people work out and keep fit was about to change forever. He didn't want to lose the brick-and-mortar business that he'd worked so hard to build up,” he says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENew opportunities?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor workers who want to quit, but feel hesitant about doing so, Doman advises focusing on personal reasons for quitting rather than the wider narrative about quitters, and keeping the decision in perspective. “You’re not deciding your role for the rest of your life – you're just deciding on the next job, or the next decision,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlso important is asking for advice from the right people at the right time. After making a decision personally, she advises speaking to other quitters who have found success through the process and are less likely to see the decision in a negative light. “Those are the people to ask because you're at the beginning of the journey, and they are on the other side,” she says. “Don't ask the people that haven't been through the process, because how can they help you?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"People will give feedback whether you like it or not. And often the social perception when someone quits is ‘Oh, they couldn't hack it’ – Melissa Doman","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERising numbers of quitters in recent months may mean there are more people who can offer informed advice than ever. HR expert David D’Souza, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) based in London, UK, says this in itself may lessen stigma around quitting among hiring managers, as the pandemic has brought about such a period of economic and social upheaval that widespread changes in employment are inevitable. More broadly, he says “the idea that someone needs to stay in a job beyond the point of the organisation treating them well or meeting their needs is outdated”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch also offers some hope that the unique circumstances of the health crisis could make the rarely acknowledged positive attributes of quitters more desirable. Business leaders ranked adaptability and flexibility the most essential workplace traits for the future in a 2021 study on resilience by Deloitte, for example.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJackson’s instincts turned out to be right – eight weeks after quitting his job he was hired by an online training company. He feels his new job has better long-term prospects, and he prefers his office hours to the 60 hours a week he was doing as a personal trainer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving only been unemployed for a few weeks, Jackson was honest with his new employer about being a quitter, a decision he says helped them establish a more genuine working relationship. “It got us off on the right foot,” he says. In the end Jackson found quitting “strangely empowering”, but it is not an experience he is keen to repeat.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhite also feels that things may have worked out for the best. She is relaunching her business, “but this time, it's actually smarter and I have a better idea of what I want to do”, she says. Her husband continued working both times she quit, and she feels “privileged to have the choice” to stop working, even though doing so was personally painful.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is a message Doman agrees on – for many people, quitting is simply not a financial possibility. For those who can quit, but are hesitant, she advises: “Try to temper the fear and the uncertainty. The fact that you're making the decision that's right for your life and your career is a privilege. And it’s an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-08-25T16:16:40Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why does quitting your job still feel so hard?","headlineShort":"Why quitting makes us feel guilty","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Quitting – particularly without a job to go to – can be emotionally challenging and carry stigma. Can the Great Resignation change that?","summaryShort":"Quitting can be very positive – so why does resigning feel so bad?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-08-24T19:57:54.051663Z","entity":"article","guid":"0999e9e1-582d-4ac9-838d-86c032bd1cbe","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:28:18.389592Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210823-why-does-quitting-your-job-still-feel-so-hard","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917971},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk","_id":"616ff68645ceed44627b7752","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkatie-bishop"],"bodyIntro":"More companies are offering benefits that cover IVF, egg-freezing or surrogacy. Are these perks, which can be divisive, really the key to retaining staff?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 2019, Caitlin, a 35-year-old living in New York City, was looking for a new job. Her contract as a content specialist was coming to an end, and Caitlin, who was a few months into IVF treatment, had a very specific idea about what she was looking for in her next role.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I Googled ‘companies with the best fertility treatments’ and applied to roles at those companies,” she says. “I applied to the companies with the best fertility and family benefits, and those companies only. Any position offering less than what I considered to be top-tier coverage fell out of contention.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECaitlin, who’s using one name for professional reasons, ended up interviewing at an accounting firm that would cover 100% of the cost of her treatments. The role was something of a career shift for her, but she had no doubt about accepting the job. “My mom thinks it was a miracle,” she says. “I started treatments shortly after I started my new job.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe company Caitlin joined is one of many now offering fertility-related benefits in a bid to attract new recruits. As companies \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fhealth-coronavirus-pandemic-business-bb295afe6ec8d8b88b1b944f3eba7931\"\u003Estruggle to find enough workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F0f5d078a-662f-4943-a380-3881ce6f1114\"\u003Egrowing number\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of businesses are offering innovative perks to attract and retain staff, especially in the US. The need to remain competitive has become particularly crucial at a time when a reported 41% of staff across the globe are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fworklab\u002Fwork-trend-index\"\u003Econsidering quitting or changing their profession\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Between 2019 and 2020 we’ve seen a 500% increase in employers adding family-building benefits,” says Peter Nieves, chief commercial officer for WINFertility, a US-based fertility benefits platform that partners with employers to provide family-planning perks. “Some employers are offering as much as a $200,000 limit to cover the cost of family-building.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom IVF to funded surrogacy, fertility-based perks are increasingly becoming something that workers expect from their employment packages. But will the trend towards family-planning benefits outlast the so-called Great Resignation? Experts seem to think so – and many believe that funding fertility care for their staff could aid diversity, boost employee engagement and foster a supportive workplace culture.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore than just a Covid-related craze\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe rise in fertility-based benefits isn’t just a post-Covid-19 phenomenon. For several years, major US technology companies have been trailblazers in terms of offering innovative family-planning perks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, both \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2014\u002Foct\u002F15\u002Fapple-facebook-offer-freeze-eggs-female-employees\"\u003EApple and Facebook\u003C\u002Fa\u003E announced that they would fund up to $20,000 worth of egg-freezing in an effort to attract more women to their workforce. Elsewhere, Snapchat, Salesforce and Spotify are offering to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190906-the-workplaces-that-will-pay-for-surrogacy\"\u003Efund surrogacy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for their employees, with some companies spending up to $80,000 to support staff through the process.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09y2zkh"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Two women looking at a sonogram scan","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"calloutBodyHtml":"\u003Cp\u003EThis article is part of the BBC's\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Ffamily-tree\"\u003E Family 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.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E","calloutTitle":"Family Tree","cardType":"CalloutBox","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EYet, while fertility perks were once viewed as the preserve of the tech sector, they are starting to be included in employment packages across other industries.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There’s now a broad diversity among the industries represented, including retail, education, finance, entertainment and law,” says Nieves. “The fertility benefit is increasingly being redefined to meet a growing number of employees in need. Benefits such as preconception planning and education, ovulation trackers, paternity leave and emotional support for parents are all becoming increasingly common as employers look to offer well-rounded family planning programmes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile universal healthcare services in in many European nations mean citizens are entitled to receive some fertility treatments free of charge, a lack of state support in the US leaves many individuals relying on employers for healthcare. That, combined with the fact that the US has some of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190615-parental-leave-how-rich-countries-compare\"\u003Eworst parental-leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E laws among rich countries, means creative and generous fertility packages can become the perfect way for companies to gain a competitive hiring advantage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBetween 2015 and 2020, the number of larger employers in the US offering IVF coverage rose \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fresolve.org\u002Fabout-us\u002Fnews-and-press-releases\u002Fnew-study-shows-companies-can-offer-competitive-fertility-benefits-without-increase-in-cost\u002F\"\u003Efrom an estimated 24% to 27%,\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and in a similar time period the percentage of employers offering paid parental leave \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bizjournals.com\u002Fbizwomen\u002Fnews\u002Flatest-news\u002F2019\u002F02\u002F40-percent-of-employers-nowoffer-paid-parental.html?page=all\"\u003Egrew by 15%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Fifty-one percent of employers covering fertility treatment cited staying competitive and recruiting top talent as the key motivator for providing these perks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet even outside the US, post-pandemic recruitment problems have also pushed major firms to offer fertility treatment benefits. In the UK, Natwest, Centrica, Clifford Chance and Cooley \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ft.com\u002Fcontent\u002F0f5d078a-662f-4943-a380-3881ce6f1114\"\u003Eall launched\u003C\u002Fa\u003E schemes to cover up to £45,000 worth of fertility benefits in 2021. In Japan, the government announced that public employees would be given \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.japantimes.co.jp\u002Fnews\u002F2021\u002F08\u002F14\u002Fnational\u002Finfertility-treatment-paid-leave\u002F\"\u003Epaid leave to receive fertility treatments\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while in Germany Qunomedical \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsifted.eu\u002Farticles\u002Fstartups-need-better-perks\u002F\"\u003Erecently started\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to offer fertility benefits to its employees, claiming to be one of the first European start-ups to do so.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAre fertility perks ‘enabling’ or ‘enclosing’ workers?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne company that has introduced fertility benefits is Hootsuite, a social-media marketing company with offices across the globe. In late 2020, Tara Ataya, a chief people and diversity officer at Hootsuite, conducted a benefits review, which showed that in North America, fertility and family planning were top priorities for employees.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We introduced coverage for fertility treatments and support for family planning within our benefits offerings, with a lifetime maximum of $12,000 for fertility treatments,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe feedback for the new fertility benefits scheme, which covers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.verywellfamily.com\u002Fhow-much-does-ivf-cost-1960212\"\u003Ethe average cost\u003C\u002Fa\u003E of one round of IVF, was overwhelmingly positive. Hootsuite’s employee-engagement score leapt from 66% to 81%, and when workers were surveyed again in 2021 Ataya saw a 12% increase in individuals who agreed with the statement that “benefits were fair” within the company.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I believe employers are doubling down on benefits programmes that support their employees holistically – Tara Ataya","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“When people feel that the organisation that they work for is not only willing to support them but will invest in them, then naturally, employee engagement increases,” Ataya explains. The company are now in the process of rolling out a global parental leave top-up policy, and are extending their enhanced benefits plan to their Canadian and Mexican offices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet Ataya adds challenges remain when it comes to fertility-related benefits. She points out that historically, many employees have avoided disclosing that they are undergoing fertility treatments, fearing that this could negatively impact their career. Her concern is echoed by Caitlin, who initially kept quiet about her fertility journey, even when her employer’s benefits provider were covering her treatments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I didn’t want to disclose that I was undergoing fertility treatments before getting settled in and confident with my new team,” she recalls. “I spent a fortune on Ubers so that I could take calls en route to appointments. Once I had scheduled an implantation procedure, I told my boss.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, Caitlin’s manager was incredibly supportive. But Dr Lauren Kuykendall, an associate professor of industrial-organisational psychology at George Mason University, Virginia, US, points out that even though policies exist, employees might not always feel able to make use of them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Employees who utilise policies that enable them to spend more time away from work – such as parental leave and remote work – often worry that they will be perceived as less devoted to their job,” she says. “When offering these policies, organisations must also create a climate in which employees are not fearful of their utilisation.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe adds some policies that at first appear family-friendly can, in fact, have the opposite effect. “Egg-freezing allows employees to postpone having children, and thus decreases competing demands between work and family,” she says. “Employees who are considering having kids at an early career stage might fear that doing so will signal a lack of dedication to work, and offering egg freezing might exacerbate these fears. The policy itself could be interpreted as a suggestion that one should delay having children.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09y2zsw"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Pregnant woman","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EKuykendall argues that it’s crucial to separate out so-called “enabling” benefits that allow employees to spend more time away from work (such as parental leave and IVF treatments) from “enclosing” benefits, which encourage more office time. Like \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20190215-three-trendy-workplace-perks-and-three-boring-ones-that-work\"\u003Elate-night food deliveries and in-house gyms\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, egg-freezing could be viewed as a perk that keeps employees tied to their desks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In this sense, egg-freezing benefits could function more as a family-unfriendly benefit that discourages some employees from having kids at the desired time than a family-friendly benefit that helps employees effectively manage work and family roles,” she says. “This is not to say that egg-freezing benefits are inherently problematic – just that organisations need to carefully consider the full range of possible consequences.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s also the problem of how to make family-planning perks truly equitable. Amy Spurling, CEO of US-based employee-stipend platform Compt, points out that in companies that offer fertility perks, take-up is usually very low. She says some businesses have experienced “outcry” from workers who feel certain employees are favoured by fertility benefits programmes.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In most companies that offer a specific perk take-up is, at most, 10%, and usually much, much less,” she points out. “HR departments have been tasked with figuring out how to make family benefits more equitable across their teams, regardless of whether you have a fertility issue or decide never to have children. Every employee has a family, but that may look very different across your employee base.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe future of fertility benefits\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs more employers consider introducing or expanding fertility benefits, HR bosses like Ataya have a challenge on their hands. They must consider which perks will actually boost their workforce, without being divisive.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAtaya says new hires are increasingly asking about fertility benefits in interviews, and she believes that perks such as egg-freezing and IVF will become a key aspect of diversity and inclusion initiatives in future. She points out that fertility benefits can be particularly impactful for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wellandgood.com\u002Ffertility-treatment-disparities\u002F\"\u003EBIPOC\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.guttmacher.org\u002Farticle\u002F2020\u002F11\u002Fnot-debate-lgbtq-people-need-and-deserve-tailored-sexual-and-reproductive-health\"\u003ELGBTQ+ employees\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, who can face \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hrw.org\u002Freport\u002F2018\u002F07\u002F23\u002Fyou-dont-want-second-best\u002Fanti-lgbt-discrimination-us-health-care\"\u003Emedical discrimination\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and relatively \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.americanbar.org\u002Fgroups\u002Fcrsj\u002Fpublications\u002Fhuman_rights_magazine_home\u002Fthe-state-of-healthcare-in-the-united-states\u002Fracial-disparities-in-health-care\u002F\"\u003Epoor health outcomes\u003C\u002Fa\u003E when navigating fertility and sexual healthcare.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"A company’s perks need to be inclusive and cover everyone, not exclusive and meeting the needs of a select few – Amy Spurling","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELooking forward, Ataya also stresses the importance of using data to understand employee needs, and to create more flexible systems for equitable benefits. “I believe employers are doubling down on benefits programmes that support their employees holistically – to foster a strong company culture, boost productivity and mitigate costs,” she says. “Fertility and family-forming benefits accomplish all of that, while also providing employees with a benefit they truly value and that will positively impact their lives for years to come.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpurling is less convinced, suggesting that rather than seeing a big push towards fertility-focused benefits we may be about to notice more customisable systems emerge that support all kinds of family. “We have seen a huge trend towards companies offering stipends, giving their employees the choice to use it towards fertility treatments, childcare or eldercare,” she says. “Our world has moved towards personalisation, and HR is rapidly coming round to the idea that a company’s perks need to be inclusive and cover everyone, not exclusive and meeting the needs of a select few.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Caitlin, however, the fertility treatments she received through her job ended up being completely life changing. Now, more than two years after she Googled companies with fertility perks, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and the twin babies she became pregnant with just six months into her new role. The coverage for fertility treatments not only helped her to become a parent, but also meant that she was able to preserve her savings to use as a down payment on the house where her children will grow up.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe believes fertility perks aren’t just about financial security. They also demonstrate a company has a supportive culture – something that has been important to her as a new parent. “A career change is inherently risky, but so is taking on a large debt, potentially right before all the other baby-related expenses,” she says. “The money that we saved is important. But a company that covers fertility benefits also shows that it values its employees.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk-9"}],"collection":["future\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Ffamily-tree"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How fertility became a workplace perk","headlineShort":"How fertility became a workplace perk","image":["p09y2yxs"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Babies","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210924-are-office-perks-obsolete","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210923-what-workers-really-want-to-keep-from-quitting","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210903-why-rage-quitting-is-all-the-rage-this-year"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"More companies are offering benefits that cover IVF, egg-freezing or surrogacy. Are these perks, which can be divisive, really the key to retaining staff?","summaryShort":"Can family benefits like IVF and egg-freezing be the key to attracting workers?","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-17T19:08:55.424812Z","entity":"article","guid":"6745fc40-3df8-4234-a38d-36aaad733d6d","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-17T19:08:55.424812Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211008-how-fertility-became-a-workplace-perk","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917969},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days","_id":"616ff6cb45ceed64a86d7981","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Hybrid arrangements are new to us all. Working out how to divide our tasks between home and the office will be crucial to success.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the months since companies began planning their post-pandemic work models, a key concept that has emerged is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Fhello-hybrid\"\u003E‘hybrid’\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – a structure combining remote work and in-office days. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200824-why-the-future-of-work-might-be-hybrid\"\u003EThe hybrid model\u003C\u002Fa\u003E allows employees to retain the flexibility they’ve experienced working from home, and still have the kind of in-office contact with colleagues that strengthens teams and collaboration. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers in many nations are now starting to head back into office and beginning to trial this new way of working. The hybrid pattern will be unfamiliar for employees and employers alike, and some workers may wonder how to best allocate their tasks, so that their time in each work environment is used to maximum advantage.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperts suggest choosing which work to do where, being communicative with managers and maximising in-person interactions can play a crucial role in making a success of a hybrid workweek.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOptimal office days\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven though hybrid set-ups will differ – some people will work a fixed number of days in the office, some will have specific pre-selected days during which whole teams are in together, some may be allowed to set their own schedules flexibly – there will be commonalities. For many, an early challenge may be working out how to move seamlessly between home and work offices.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Early evidence that we’ve collected suggests that people are experiencing some kind of culture shock when they’re getting back into the office,” says Tsedal Neeley, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. “They’re also entering spaces that don’t have the same kind of technology that they’ve now set up at their homes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man working at home","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENeeley suggests recreating aspects of your work-from-home environment in the office to make the switch feel less jarring, including the lighting around your desk, your camera or microphone setup, your seating arrangement and even the accessibility of digital tools such as Zoom, Slack and other company-specific applications. Closely matching the layouts of each work environment will lead to more efficiency throughout the workday, says Neeley, and a more streamlined transition between the two spaces.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the desk is sorted, workers should take stock of their tasks and decide which are better suited to the home or office environment. Planning ahead is key here, especially if the hybrid arrangement is consistent and workers know in advance which days they’ll be in the office.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210406-how-asynchronous-communication-could-change-your-workday\"\u003EAsynchronous tasks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – which can be completed from start to finish without input from others, such as responding to direct emails or putting together a solo presentation – should be done at home, where you’re able to have large blocks of uninterrupted time. Projects that require focused writing, data entry or asynchronous email communication between colleagues in separate time zones can all be achieved effectively from home. Certain kinds of meetings may be suited for at-home days as well, ideally ones that are closed-ended, and seek to address an issue without the need for a lengthy follow up, such as brief check-ins with a small group of managers or colleagues about an upcoming agenda for the week.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESynchronous tasks, on the other hand, should be saved for in-office days. These are assignments that require collaboration, conversation, brainstorming or group creativity with many interdependent parts, says Paul Tesluk, dean and professor of organisational psychology at the University at Buffalo School of Management, New York. Workers can be just as creative working remotely as in-person, he says, but \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting\"\u003Econnecting with colleagues over video\u003C\u002Fa\u003E has proven to be more draining. People are slower to process non-verbal cues when using video technology, which can lead to anxiety and fatigue that gets in the way of fruitful collaboration.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, workers all have different preferences and favoured working styles. Some feel they do their best work in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200513-the-benefits-isolation-can-have-on-your-work\"\u003Esilence and isolation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, while others thrive in a bustling office environment. That means each worker will need to establish their own pattern – and assign tasks to in-office or home days on the basis that works best for them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting with colleagues\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaking a success of hybrid is not just about choosing your tasks, however; developing and maintaining relationships with colleagues is also important.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Colleagues chatting at work","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWorkers, at least early on, should prioritise spending time, both formal and informal, with colleagues to re-establish a baseline of social familiarity. Doing so helps to shore up important personal connections – the kind of trust “that comes from high quality working relationships that has been harder to be able to build and develop when working remotely”, says Tesluk.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETouching base with people in the office, whether for coffee, lunch or across a workspace, can in turn smooth working relationships on virtual days. If your team plans to be in the office every Monday, it’s important to join them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis holds true especially for younger employees or newer hires brought on board during Covid-19, who have spent limited time with colleagues in the office. While these workers may choose some form of hybrid schedule, it will be useful at first to get to know the working patterns of managers and mentors so they can learn as much as possible. Even if it means fewer days working from home at the beginning, making connections in person can be one of the most effective ways to establish a place in a team or company.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProving your productivity?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs new working models have emerged, there’s been debate about whether remote workers will find themselves \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210305-why-in-person-workers-may-be-more-likely-to-get-promoted\"\u003Eside-lined in terms of promotions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, because if they’re not in the office, their contribution may be less obvious. As a result, on their in-office days, workers may feel the need to prove to managers that they are being productive.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Approach your more limited in-office time intelligently, plan your days and maintain a steady line of communication with colleagues","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Neeley, in a perfect world the stable or in many cases \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fd1c25a6gwz7q5e.cloudfront.net\u002Freports\u002F2020-11-09-workplace-whitepaper-FINAL.pdf\"\u003Eincreased levels of productivity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E we’ve shown during the pandemic would erase the need for any overcompensation. “What Covid has taught us, and what remote work has surely defined for people, is that this notion of ‘butts in seats’ to demonstrate productivity or performance is not fruitful.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Employees should assume that they’re trusted and not have these paranoias, because the world has changed, the way we appraise people has completely changed,” says Neeley. Instead, adds Tesluk, we should preserve our energy for taking full advantage of moments of in-office collaboration, and let the quality of the work itself do the talking.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut given we know that managers can be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity\"\u003Eseduced by presenteeism\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, whether consciously or subconsciously, making a moderate effort to signal your productivity and communicate your contribution to your boss can be a good idea. That means it’s vital to create a regular channel of communication with your boss, particularly during the transition to hybrid, to ensure new working patterns are remaining effective.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEach company’s method of returning to in-office will fall on a spectrum and it will take time to adapt, regardless of your role or workplace experience. The key, says Neeley, is to approach your more limited in-office time intelligently, plan your days and maintain a steady line of communication with colleagues and managers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People want work-life flexibility, people have earned trust through productive performance and this is kind of the new way of thinking about work,” she says. “It’s not just about command and control, it’s about empowerment and trust.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days-6"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Hybrid work: How to maximise your in-office days","headlineShort":"How to master the hybrid workweek","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman carrying coffee and laptop heading to work","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Hybrid arrangements are new to us all. Working out how to divide our tasks between home and the office will be crucial to success.","summaryShort":"Hybrid is coming – so how do you plan your in-office days?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-19T00:19:56.663168Z","entity":"article","guid":"7a4b3b34-696f-4ed4-8cc0-ea3b7931154f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:26:25.17131Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210716-hybrid-work-how-to-maximise-your-in-office-days","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917972},"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it","_id":"616ff5f545ceed06006a28e2","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"In 2001, air travel was dealt a massive blow by the 11 September attacks, and the effects lasted years. But this was a ripple compared to what Covid-19 will do.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the heart of Australian outback lies Alice Springs. The town – colloquially known as Alice – is the site of indigenous human presence dating back nearly 30,000 years. More recently, however, a new (and admittedly very different) type of settler has descended upon Alice. Since April, four Airbus A380s have made their way to the small town. The 500-plus-tonne behemoths belong to Singapore Airlines which, like many other carriers, has grounded almost its entire fleet.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reason is Covid-19. The spread of the novel coronavirus has caused passenger demand to collapse, forcing airlines to park, rather than fly, their planes. Alice offers conditions ideal to do just that. The local airport has a runway long enough to land commercial airplanes and the climate is dry, which means aircraft parts corrode far slower than in the sweltering heat and humidity of South East Asia.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESlumps in travel demand aren’t new. Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, passenger enthusiasm towards flying also waned amid security fears. This forced airlines – then, like now – to cancel flights and puts planes into storage. The industry did recover. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdata.worldbank.org\u002Findicator\u002FIS.AIR.PSGR\"\u003EPassenger numbers for 2002\u003C\u002Fa\u003E were 1.63 billion, only slightly lower than the 1.66 billion who flew in 2001. But passenger numbers don’t tell the whole story.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 9\u002F11 attacks also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmoney.cnn.com\u002F2001\u002F11\u002F01\u002Fnews\u002Fdelta_pilots\u002F\"\u003Eforced airlines to trim costs through furloughs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, layoffs, and most notably, consolidation. Prior to the attacks, the US airline market – the world’s most lucrative – was largely \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.oig.dot.gov\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002FAviation%20Industry%20Performance%5E9-24-12.pdf\"\u003Econtrolled by eight carriers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Today, its four. Following the attacks, airlines also \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bts.gov\u002Farchive\u002Fpublications\u002Fspecial_reports_and_issue_briefs\u002Fissue_briefs\u002Fnumber_13\u002Fentire#:~:text=In%20the%20comeback%20from%20post,flights%20to%20match%20falling%20demand.\"\u003Ebecame more cautious\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and shelved plans for aggressive expansion. This led to fewer flights overall and for passengers, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.transtats.bts.gov\u002FData_Elements.aspx?Data=5\"\u003Eless space as planes got fuller\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhether Covid-19 has a similar impact on the industry and how passengers fare in the aftermath will depend on a few things.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShould we give up flying for the climate?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20170919-how-flying-seriously-messes-with-your-mind\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow flying seriously messes with your mind\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20191003-the-three-things-that-could-kill-the-pilotless-airliner\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe three things that could kill the pilotless airliner\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003C\u002Fli\u003E\n\u003C\u002Ful\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe collapse in air travel demand has been driven largely by public policy. As Covid-19 spread, governments worldwide chose – in the interests of preserving public health – to ban entry to non-residents. Some countries like India, Malaysia and South Africa stopped issuing visitor visas. Others like the Australia, New Zealand and the United States suspended visa-free travel reciprocity. The move not only ended the plans of millions of travellers but also forced airlines to stop serving once-lucrative markets. Flying empty planes around makes little fiscal sense. Consequently, getting planes back in the air will require an easing of government entry restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere are some signs this is happening. The South African government recently announced efforts to reopen the country’s tourism sector. With one exception. The move only applies to domestic travellers; international tourists will have to wait a bit longer. Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, South Africa’s minister for tourism, says: “The decision to open the country’s external borders will be based on an 'assessment of scientific evidence… guided by (the government’s) responsibility to protect the lives of South Africans'.” Kubayi-Ngubane’s words reflect the delicate balance governments must strike between delivering for citizens the economic benefits of tourism while protecting those citizens against the public health risks of Covid-19.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut there might be a way around these travel restrictions: “travel bubbles”. Colloquially known as “coronavirus corridors” or “air bridges”, the underlying idea is simple. Rather than banning visitors outright (or relegating them to quarantine), some countries agree to open their borders to one other while – in principle – keeping their borders to all other countries closed. Signatory countries would typically be ones where the coronavirus threat has been contained. This minimises transmission risk for travelers within the bubble while preventing the importation of new cases from outside.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When it comes to testing, accuracy is everything","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe UK government recently moved to do just that. Starting 10 July, passengers from over 50 countries will be allowed to enter England, sans quarantine. In announcing the move, Prime Minister Boris Johnson \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fuk-53283375\"\u003Esaid:\u003C\u002Fa\u003E “Instead of quarantining arrivals from the whole world, we will only quarantine arrivals from those countries where the virus is sadly not under control.” But the effectiveness of travel bubbles depends in part on the goodwill of citizens. The success of the UK’s travel bubble with France requires that visitors to the UK do not travel to a high-risk country (say the United States, for example) and then in short order, fly to England via France. How authorities prevent this from happening remains unclear. The situation is particularly precarious if there are no border controls between countries inside the bubble, as is with the case with EU member states.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother workaround involves having rapid testing infrastructure in place. The move would allow authorities to screen passengers for the virus and if needed, quarantine these individuals. Researchers at Stanford University recently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffsi.stanford.edu\u002Fnews\u002Fstanford-works-taiwan-testing-global-travel-quarantines-and-safely-getting-back-sky\"\u003Elaunched a study to examine the concept’s viability\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The work – which is being conducted in collaboration with the Taiwanese government – will test passengers for signs of the virus on flights across the Pacific. According to the study’s authors, “the goal of the experiment is to figure out the earliest time we can release people if they get tested”. That matters to countries who see air travel as key to jumpstarting the economy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut when it comes to testing, accuracy is everything. Imagine sitting near someone who tested negative for the virus but was actually infected (and infectious) during the entire flight. The idea is not entirely far-fetched. Studies suggest that one in three infected people can \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mdmag.com\u002Fmedical-news\u002Fcomparing-rt-pcr-and-chest-ct-for-diagnosing-covid19\"\u003Ereceive so-called “false negatives”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. According to Maureen Ferran, a professor in biology at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, false negatives can occur when nasal swabs – used to collect samples of the virus – aren’t \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bloomberg.com\u002Fnews\u002Farticles\u002F2020-04-11\u002Ffalse-negative-coronavirus-test-results-raise-doctors-doubts\"\u003Einserted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E deep enough into the nose or don’t collect \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.livescience.com\u002Fcovid19-coronavirus-tests-false-negatives.html\"\u003Eenough of the virus sample\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. She says false negatives are also possible “if a person is tested \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.livescience.com\u002Fcovid19-coronavirus-tests-false-negatives.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Etoo early or too late\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during their infection and there isn’t a lot of virus in their cells”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA vaccine for Covid-19 would provide relief. Vaccines strengthen the body’s natural defences, lowering the risk of infection and transmission. This curbs the need for entry restrictions, travel bubbles or virus tests altogether. But finding a vaccine isn’t easy. Antidotes to some life-threatening illnesses like HIV and malaria have remained elusive despite decades of research.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Service-cutting is about limiting so-called ‘touchpoints’: opportunities for Covid-19 to spread via close physical proximity between flyers and crew","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen vaccines have been found, the process has been painstakingly long. The vaccine used to treat measles \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fmeasles\u002Fabout\u002Fhistory.html\"\u003Etook nearly a decade to develop\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and hit the market 50 years after US healthcare providers starting monitoring the disease. Even if a vaccine for Covid-19 is found, it must be mass produced and distributed worldwide, which will take even more time. For travelers, this means the pre-Covid-19 flying experience isn’t likely to return anytime soon. So what can passengers expect in the meantime?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPre-Covid-19 flyers – particularly those sitting in the premium cabin – were treated to all kinds of perks; amenity kits, noise-cancelling headphones and pyjamas. Some airlines went even further, offering passengers gourmet meals prepared by professional chefs \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.turkishairlines.com\u002Fen-ca\u002Fdiscovery-guide\u002Fjournal\u002Fthe-most-delicious-flavors-of-the-world-always-with-you\u002Fa-tasteful-interview-with-our-flying-chef\u002F\"\u003Eonboard\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Those days are over. Instead, flyers can expect pared down service with few if any luxuries. Airlines are axing \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-health-coronavirus-travel-breakingvie\u002Fbreakingviews-cox-trans-ocean-travel-has-zombie-apocalypse-vibe-idUSKBN23C2HD\"\u003Einflight-magazines, pillows and in some cases, even meals\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Singapore Airlines – a carrier long \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.channelnewsasia.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Fsingapore-airlines-sia-q4-full-year-results-covid-19-coronavirus-12732134\"\u003Eadmired for its customer service\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – suspended serving a trolley meal service for flights within Asia. Passengers will instead be given a snack bag with water and refreshments during boarding.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reason isn’t so much cost (though airlines, already hemorrhaging cash, are keen to make savings). Rather, service-cutting is about limiting so-called “touchpoints”: opportunities for Covid-19 to spread via close physical proximity between flyers and crew. Serving passengers in cramped spaces requires considerable person-to-person interaction. Airlines want to limit those interactions to stop the virus from spreading.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome carriers are taking virus containment efforts one step further by requiring flyers to wear \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.qatarairways.com\u002Fen\u002Fpress-releases\u002F2020\u002FJuly\u002Fqatar-airways-further-enhances-its-safety-measures-onboard-for-p.html?activeTag=Press-releases\"\u003Emasks and face shields on board\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. One such airline is Qatar Airways. The airline’s chief, Akbar Al Baker says these measures are needed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.qatarairways.com\u002Fen\u002Fpress-releases\u002F2020\u002Fmay\u002Fqatar-airways-to-introduce-temporary-additional-safety-measures-.html?activeTag=Press-releases\"\u003Eto\u003C\u002Fa\u003E “ensure the continued health and wellbeing of […] passengers and cabin crew”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConventional wisdom suggests that when passenger demand drops, fares follow. So with passenger numbers at record lows (as of April, Heathrow \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fhealth-coronavirus-britain-heathrow\u002Fheathrow-airport-sees-april-passenger-numbers-down-97-idUSFWN2CI22A\"\u003Epassenger numbers were down 97%\u003C\u002Fa\u003E), the quest for cheap tickets should be much easier. But that’s not the whole story. Fares are also influenced by the number of seats in the global market. With the world’s passenger planes largely grounded (one estimate suggests nearly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dw.com\u002Fen\u002Fcoronavirus-banishes-planes-to-the-desert\u002Fa-53433298\"\u003E30% of the world’s 26,000 commercial jets are stuck on airport tarmacs worldwide\u003C\u002Fa\u003E), there are far fewer seats to go around. This gives airlines rather than passengers the upper hand when it comes to setting fares.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFare hikes in the short run aren’t likely, according to Severin Borenstein. Borenstein – a professor at the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business – thinks that fares are more “likely to remain quite moderate, because fuel costs are low and the airlines are flying more capacity than demand can support”. However, he points out that the absence of a Covid-19 vaccine could cause fares to eventually rise albeit, “over multiple years”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFare hikes are also likely if some airlines go bankrupt. Bankruptcy reduces the number of competitors in a market, which invariably drives up price. The prospect of a major airline going out of business is something \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.marketwatch.com\u002Fstory\u002Fairline-stocks-rise-in-face-of-boeing-ceos-call-that-a-major-carrier-will-likely-go-out-of-business-2020-05-12?mod=article_inline\"\u003Eaeroplane manufacturer Boeing recently warned about\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Similar sentiments have been expressed by Emirates’ chief Tim Clark.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-10"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"While ‘high density seating’ may save flyers cash, the concept is antithetical to social distancing","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-11"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd running an airline is pricy. Even small jets, like the single-aisle Boeing 737, can cost upwards of £80m ($102m) apiece. Add to that fuel, insurance and taxes and you’re talking about serious money. With annual \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iairgroup.com\u002F~\u002Fmedia\u002FFiles\u002FI\u002FIAG\u002Fannual-reports\u002Fba\u002Fen\u002Fbritish-airways-plc-annual-report-and-accounts-2018.pdf\"\u003Eexpenses running into the billions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, airlines need cash to survive – lots of it. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iata.org\u002Fen\u002Fpressroom\u002Fpr\u002F2019-12-11-01\u002F\"\u003EMoving cargo around is one way to make money\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Another involves \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.travelweekly.com\u002FTravel-News\u002FAirline-News\u002FAirlines-credit-cards-in-arms-race-to-profits\"\u003Epartnering with banks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to sell airline-branded credit cards. Yet, the best way to generate cash remains filling passenger cabins.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaximising the so-called load factor is particularly important for budget airlines who – despite incurring similar costs as their full-service competitors – offer substantially lower fares. A one-way ticket on Irish budget giant Ryanair averages \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-48332849\"\u003Ejust €37\u003C\u002Fa\u003E (£33.50\u002F$42); you’d be hard pressed to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnn.com\u002Ftravel\u002Farticle\u002Fbritish-airways-strike-fare-hikes\u002Findex.html\"\u003Efind\u003C\u002Fa\u003E fares that low on many of Ryanair’s competitors.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBudget carriers offset lower fares by squeezing more passengers into their cabins. Ryanair \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcorporate.ryanair.com\u002Fryanair-fleet\u002F\"\u003Epacks\u003C\u002Fa\u003E 189 flyers onto its jets, 10% more than flag-carriers who fly the same airplane. Yet while high-density seating may save flyers cash, the concept is antithetical to social distancing. And that’s a problem. When it comes to fighting Covid-19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cdc.gov\u002Fcoronavirus\u002F2019-ncov\u002Fprevent-getting-sick\u002Fsocial-distancing.html\"\u003Ecalls\u003C\u002Fa\u003E social distancing, “one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing its spread locally and across the country and world”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-12"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-13"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis sentiment is shared by some lawmakers, who now \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fuk.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-health-coronavirus-airlines\u002Fempty-middle-seat-depends-on-which-country-you-are-flying-in-idUKKBN22V0B5\"\u003Emandate that airlines fill no more than two-thirds of the passenger cabin\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Borenstein says limiting passenger capacity could disrupt the model of budget carriers, “because they rely on higher density on the aircraft and because those airlines tend to have weaker capitalisation, and therefore be more exposed to demand drops in their finances”. No wonder low-fare carriers have \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-53049338\"\u003Epanned the move\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAirbus chief executive, Guillaume Faury, has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-52468882\"\u003Ecalled\u003C\u002Fa\u003E the Covid-19 pandemic, “the gravest crisis the aerospace industry has ever known”. Similar sentiments have been expressed by the International Air Transport Association. The trade group – which represents nearly 300 airlines – says the industry is “only at the very beginning of a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iata.org\u002Fen\u002Fpressroom\u002Fpr\u002F2020-07-01-02\u002F\"\u003Elong and difficult recovery\u003C\u002Fa\u003E” and there remains “tremendous uncertainty about what impact a resurgence of new Covid-19 cases in key markets could have”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPut simply, the industry will recover, but when that happens air travel is likely to look very unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E* Ashley Nunes is a research fellow at Harvard Law School. His work explores how innovation affects markets.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E--\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoin one million Future fans by liking us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FBBCFuture\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFacebook\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, or follow us on \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FBBC_Future\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETwitter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fbbcfuture_official\u002F\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EInstagram\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you liked this story, \u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpages.emails.bbc.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002F?ocid=fut.bbc.email.we.email-signup\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003Esign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, called “The Essential List”. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it-14"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-07-10T01:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"How Covid-19 will change air travel as we know it","headlineShort":"Will Covid-19 kill air travel?","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"future","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":null,"relatedTag":[],"summaryLong":"In 2001, air travel was dealt a massive blow by the 11 September attacks, and the effects lasted years. But this was a ripple compared to what Covid-19 will do.","summaryShort":"It’s the worst crisis to hit airlines in 20 years","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-07-10T00:30:12.388098Z","entity":"article","guid":"d67d463c-670e-44fc-b934-07172da07d6b","id":"future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-01T17:24:17.044777Z","project":"future","slug":"20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917973},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike","_id":"616ff65a45ceed30e84afe30","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmark-johanson"],"bodyIntro":"Reports of abusive or violent incidents on US flights have surged recently. Pandemic-linked factors are driving the behaviour – and there may be more to come.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the night before the Capitol uprising, fliers from Texas heading to the now-infamous Donald Trump rally in Washington DC were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FMaranieRae\u002Fstatus\u002F1346672636835880961\"\u003Ecaught on video\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in a heated shouting match that flight attendants appeared unable to control. At the time, it seemed like an isolated incident tied to a politically charged event, but in the weeks and months that followed, similar videos of unbridled air rage began to flood the internet. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere was the Southwest Airlines flight attendant who was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=VGQBYlwZ08Y\"\u003Epunched in the face\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; the violent Delta Air Lines passenger \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Falifuckingburns\u002Fstatus\u002F1403571330872745987?s=20\"\u003Esubdued near the cockpit\u003C\u002Fa\u003E; the fed-up American Airlines flight attendant \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tiktok.com\u002F@brentunderwood\u002Fvideo\u002F6971447997137784069?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fonemileatatime.com%2F&referer_video_id=6971447997137784069&refer=embed&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1\"\u003Escolding passengers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for making his flight “a living hell”. Replayed endlessly on social media, these viral videos have come to underscore a worrisome spike in air rage, which the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) says is at an all-time high. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBetween January and mid-June, the FAA received approximately 3,100 reports of unruly behaviour, of which 487 have been investigated. That compares to a yearly average of 142 investigations over the last decade. While this is the first year the FAA has tracked all reports, a spokesperson told the BBC that “the number of reports we’ve received during the past several months is significantly higher than the numbers we’ve seen in the past”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, there have been incidents elsewhere in the world – including \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.belfasttelegraph.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fnorthern-ireland\u002Flondonderry-woman-facing-air-rage-charge-to-go-on-trial-40042938.html\"\u003ENorthern Ireland\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnltimes.nl\u002F2020\u002F08\u002F02\u002Fvideo-face-mask-brawl-klm-flight-ibiza-two-arrests\"\u003EThe Netherlands\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nzherald.co.nz\u002Fnz\u002Fair-rage-former-instagram-glamour-model-hannah-pierson-admits-transtasman-flight-outburst\u002FDSLIGFBZN2HYUGVMXDUMTGSUHI\u002F\"\u003ENew Zealand\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – but nothing on the scale of what’s happening in the US, where airlines have become so alarmed by the trend that a coalition of industry groups sent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.airlines.org\u002Fnews\u002Fa4a-joins-coalition-letter-regarding-unruly-passenger-behavior\u002F\"\u003Ea letter\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to the US Justice Department on 21 June, pleading for help. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo, why is this happening now? Air travel seems to have several ingredients that make it problematic for a society rapidly emerging from a pandemic. For starters, most customers are cramped into tight spaces with complete strangers, where they have little control over what’s happening to them. Experts say this can lead to nervousness, negative feelings and the kind of outbursts that are now well-documented online. Political polarisation and mask mandates seem to have heightened tensions too. But even deeper than that lie prickly issues of the pandemic’s mental-health legacy, and how it’s emerging in the unfriendly skies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe mask factor\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAir rage is, of course, far from a new phenomenon. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group that represents 290 global airlines, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.iata.org\u002Fen\u002Fpolicy\u002Fconsumer-pax-rights\u002Funruly-passengers\u002F\"\u003Ewas concerned\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about this back in 2017. Yet the triggers seem to have changed since then. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the past, incidents of passengers behaving badly often involved quarrels over mixed-up seats, smoking in the toilet or fliers not getting the kind of service they expected, says Robert Bor, a director at the UK-based Centre for Aviation Psychology. Now, they’re mostly about masks.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09mrsrs"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman sanitises her hands on a plane","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“People who were recently cooped up are now freed and asserting themselves, creating a kind of battleground for infection-control wisdom,” says Bor. “Most people are pretty neutral on whether they have Coke or Pepsi, but they will have very strong feelings when it comes to issues relating to health, human rights, access to air and so on; it triggers people to behave in slightly more militant ways.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe FAA says that, of the 3,100 unruly passenger reports so far this year, 2,350 involve people refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate. Part of the issue is that US planes are now carrying more passengers than earlier in the pandemic. Numbers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tsa.gov\u002Fcoronavirus\u002Fpassenger-throughput\"\u003Emore than doubled\u003C\u002Fa\u003E between January and June from around 700,000 daily travellers to around 2 million (pre-pandemic, figures were between 2 and 2.5 million per day). \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, the US federal mask mandate that was supposed to end in May \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Fworld\u002Fus\u002Fus-extends-transit-face-mask-requirements-through-sept-13-2021-04-30\u002F\"\u003Ewas extended for public transport\u003C\u002Fa\u003E until 13 September. This dissonance, between masks not being required in everyday life but being a requirement on a plane, may be contributing to the current spike. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPost-pandemic ‘survival instincts’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother reason, however, could be people’s responses to the stressors of re-entry into the world after more than a year of pandemic isolation. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We saw something similar after 9\u002F11, where you get back on an airplane for the first or second time, and you look at people, particularly as close as they are to you, and you don’t see them just as a fellow traveller, but also a threat to your physical health and safety,” says Andrew Thomas, an associate professor of international business at the University of Akron, US, who also runs the incident-tracking website AirRage.org.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The pandemic has actually triggered some of our very evolutionary behaviours – Sanam Hafeez","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESanam Hafeez, a New York-based neuropsychologist, believes the pandemic has made us hypervigilant to the point where the tiniest slight can be taken as an act of aggression. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The pandemic has actually triggered some of our very evolutionary behaviours that we didn’t even realise we had,” she explains. “So, we respond by pouncing almost like we were designed to.” For those who’ve been really isolated – or endured the brunt of the pandemic – “it’s very possible that, while you didn’t really lose your social skills, they were taken over by your survival instincts”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAir rage, she adds, is often a reaction to an acute stressor that has nothing to do with the flight itself. If you’ve recently been fired, lost a loved one, broken up with a partner or suffered from a medical issue, “you are carrying all of that onto a plane, and because everyone there is a stranger, and you are in this very cramped space with masks on, that might be all the trigger some folks need to snap,” she explains. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDrinks – and showmanship\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlcohol is another element mixed into the air-rage cocktail. “It’s what we would call a co-factor, in that it may make somebody who is susceptible [to air rage] to be a little bit less able to manage their feelings and behaviours,” explains Bor. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“People don’t always understand or appreciate the effects of alcohol at altitude because we know that consuming onboard an aircraft is going to have a different effect to having alcohol on the ground,” he adds, noting that the rule of thumb is that it’s actually twice the effect.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09mrsn2"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of an American Airline plane","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESeveral US carriers have decided not to serve alcohol right now, including Southwest. American is only serving alcohol in business and first class on domestic flights. United has delayed a return to alcohol sales on most flights fewer than 800 miles. Of course, travellers are still free to drink as much as they want at the airport bar before they get on the plane. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd if a passenger – drunk or otherwise – becomes abusive or combative, surrounding passengers documenting heated moments on their phones only adds fuel to the fire. Hafeez says that for some people, not backing down becomes a matter of pride: “You know you’re being recorded, so maybe you want to go down as the one who won the fight, because there is a little bit of showmanship – or protecting your street cred – involved in all of this.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore to come?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome analysts believe the current uptick in air rage may also have to do with the deterioration of the economy class experience overall. Once viewed as rather luxurious, many now see air travel as more of a nuisance with cramped seating, pared down service and minimal amenities. Moreover, increased fees for checked bags in recent years have meant more travellers now carry everything onto the plane, creating bottlenecks and friction.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The fundamental problem that causes [air rage] – taking away the mask issue – is just being packed into economy class – Andrew Thomas","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E“The flight experience used to be a [US luxury department store] Nordstrom experience and we are approaching a Walmart experience,” says Thomas, who has been documenting air rage incidents since 2001, when he first wrote a book on the subject. “The fundamental problem that causes [air rage] – taking away the mask issue – is just being packed into economy class.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe FAA has responded to the uptick in abuse and violence by adopting a new \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.faa.gov\u002Fnews\u002Fpress_releases\u002Fnews_story.cfm?newsId=25621\"\u003Ezero-tolerance policy\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Since it was issued in January, the aviation body has so far proposed $563,800 (£406,125) in fines, including a new record fine of $52,500 against a passenger who allegedly stormed the cockpit door and assaulted flight attendants. The fines keep rising, but so, too, do the number of incidents, suggesting they may do little to disincentivise a passenger in the heat of the moment. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThomas fears that air rage hasn’t yet reached its peak, particularly given that the prime summer travel season in America is only just beginning. Meanwhile, he also has concerns that similar issues could arise in Latin America, Europe and Asia once air travel begins to approach pre-pandemic levels in those regions. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This is an American thing right now,” he says, “but I think that you will see that, once air travel numbers start going up, some of the same factors at play here will play a role elsewhere.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"What’s driving the US air-rage spike?","headlineShort":"The 'air rage' spike on US flights","image":["p09mrsn8"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Plane passenger holding a mask","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["future\u002Farticle\u002F20200709-how-covid-19-will-change-air-travel-as-we-know-it","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210618-the-workers-pushing-back-on-the-return-to-the-office","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210604-why-presenteeism-always-wins-out-over-productivity"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Reports of abusive or violent incidents on US flights have surged recently. Pandemic-linked factors are driving the behaviour – and there may be more to come.","summaryShort":"Explaining the dramatic increase in unruly, violent incidents on planes","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-live"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-29T20:20:01.459973Z","entity":"article","guid":"d165ad91-632b-4bf9-a400-ebf9ed5f28d0","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:25:37.534459Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917972},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men","_id":"616ff6d045ceed69724464b8","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjosie-cox"],"bodyIntro":"Statistics show that stress and burnout are affecting more women than men en masse. Why – and what happens next?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Jia, a Manhattan-based consultant, read Sheryl Sandberg’s bestselling book Lean In in 2014, she resolved to follow the advice espoused by the chief operating officer of Facebook. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E “I’d just graduated from an Ivy League business school, was super pumped up and loved the idea of leaning in,” says Jia, whose last name is being withheld to protect her professional reputation. “Learning to self-promote felt so empowering, and I was 100% ready to prove that I was the woman who could have it all: be a high-powered career woman and a great mother.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut today, the 38-year-old strikes a different tone. For years, she says, she feels like she’s been overlooked for promotions and pay rises at work on account of her gender, particularly after becoming a mother in 2018. Since then, she’s picked up the brunt of childcare responsibilities because her husband, who is a banker, has tended to travel more frequently for work. That, she adds, has given her a misguided reputation among her colleagues and managers – the majority of whom are male – for not being professionally driven.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen when Covid-19 hit, it was as if all the factors already holding her back were supercharged. When her daughter’s day care closed in March 2020, Jia became the default caregiver while trying to stay afloat at work. “I was extremely unmotivated because I felt like I was spending all hours of the day trying not to fall off an accelerating treadmill,” she explains. “But at the same time, I felt like I was being trusted less and less to be able to do a good job. I could feel my career slipping through my fingers and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn early 2021, Jia’s therapist told her she was suffering from burnout. Jia says she’d never struggled with her mental health before. “But now I’m just trying to get through each week while staying sane,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJia’s story is symptomatic of a deeply ingrained imbalance in society that the pandemic has both highlighted and exacerbated. For multiple reasons, women, particularly mothers, are still more likely than men to manage a more complex set of responsibilities on a daily basis – an often-unpredictable combination of unpaid domestic chores and paid professional work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I could feel my career slipping through my fingers and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it – Jia","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThough the mental strain of mastering this balancing act has been apparent for decades, Covid-19 has cast a particularly harsh light on the problem. Statistics show that stress and burnout are affecting more women than men, and particularly more working mothers than working fathers. This could have multiple impacts for the post-pandemic world of work, making it important that both companies and wider society find ways to reduce this imbalance. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnequal demands\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent data looking specifically at burnout in women is concerning. According to a survey by LinkedIn of almost 5,000 Americans, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fso-stressed-women-report-bigger-burdens-see-lot-more-escapes-anders\u002F\"\u003E74% of women said they were very or somewhat stressed for work-related reasons\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared with just 61% of employed male respondents.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA separate analysis from workplace-culture consultancy a Great Place to Work and health-care start-up Maven found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finfo.mavenclinic.com\u002Fpdf\u002Fparents-at-the-best-workplaces?submissionGuid=5ac95855-8079-46ac-9ba5-f8b11c2ae5c5\"\u003Emothers in paid employment are 23% more likely to experience burnout\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than fathers in paid employment. An estimated 2.35 million working mothers in the US have suffered from burnout since the start of the pandemic, specifically “due to unequal demands of home and work”, the analysis showed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09x4mrl"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman hugs a child","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EExperts generally agree that there’s no single reason women burn out, but they widely acknowledge that the way societal structures and gender norms intersect plays a significant role. Workplace inequalities, for example, are inextricably linked to traditional gender roles. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, women still \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Flibrary\u002Fstories\u002F2020\u002F03\u002Fequal-pay-day-is-march-31-earliest-since-1996.html\"\u003Eearn an average of about 82 cents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for each dollar earned by a man, and the gap across many countries in Europe is similar. Jia’s firm does not publish its gender pay-gap data, but she suspects that it’s significant. Moreover, she thinks many of her male peers earn more than her, something that causes her a huge amount of stress. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The idea that I might be underselling myself is extremely frustrating, but I also don’t want to make myself unpopular by asking for more money when I’m already pushing the boundaries by asking my company to make accommodations for me having to care for my daughter,” she says. “It’s a constant internal battle.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch links \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrm.org\u002Fresourcesandtools\u002Fhr-topics\u002Fbenefits\u002Fpages\u002Fshrm-study-greater-mental-health-challenges.aspx\"\u003Elower incomes to higher stress levels\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and worse mental health in general. But several studies have also shown more specifically that incidences of burnout among women are greater because of differences in job conditions and the impact of gender on progression. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, researchers from University of Montreal published a study tracking 2,026 workers over the course of four years. The academics concluded that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Facademic.oup.com\u002Fannweh\u002Farticle\u002F62\u002F4\u002F426\u002F4870017?login=true\"\u003Ewomen were more vulnerable to burnout than men\u003C\u002Fa\u003E because women were less likely to be promoted than men, and therefore more likely to be in positions with less authority which can lead to increased stress and frustration. The researchers also found that women were more likely to head single-parent families, experience child-related strains, invest time in domestic tasks and have lower self-esteem – all things that can exacerbate burnout.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENancy Beauregard, a professor at University of Montreal and one of the authors of that study, said that reflecting on her work back in 2018, it’s clear that Covid-19 has amplified the existing inequalities and imbalances that her team demonstrated through their research. “In terms of [the] sustainable development of the human capital of the workforce,” she says, “we’re not heading in a good direction.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA pandemic catalyst\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrian Kropp, chief of human resources research at Gartner, a global research and advisory firm headquartered in Connecticut, US, agrees that while many of the factors fueling women’s burnout were in play before the pandemic, Covid-19 notably exacerbated some as it forced us to dramatically overhaul our living and working routines.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09x4mwd"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A woman washes up while on the phone","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EStructures supporting parents’ and carers’ lives closed down, and in most cases, this excess burden fell on women. One study, conducted by academics from Harvard University, Harvard Business School and London Business School, evaluated survey responses from 30,000 individuals around the world and found that women – especially mothers – had spent significantly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pnas.org\u002Fcontent\u002F118\u002F12\u002Fe2018494118\"\u003Emore time on childcare and chores during Covid-19\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than they did pre-pandemic, and that this was directly linked to lower wellbeing. Many women had already set themselves up as the default caregiver within their households, and the pandemic obliterated the support systems that had previously allowed them to balance paid employment and domestic work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat’s exactly what Sarah experienced in March 2020, when schools across New York first closed. “Initially the message was that schools would stay closed until the end of April, so that was my target: ‘Get to that point and you’ll be fine’,” recalls the Brooklyn-based 40-year-old. Now, more than 18 months into the pandemic, her two sons, aged 6 and 9, are only just reacquainting themselves with in-person learning, and Sarah’s life has changed dramatically.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn April 2020, for the first time ever, she started suffering from anxiety. The pressures of home-schooling her children while working as marketing executive for a large technology company overwhelmed her. She couldn’t sleep, worried constantly and felt depressed. Worst of all, she felt like whatever she did was inadequate because she didn’t have enough time to do anything well. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESix months into the pandemic, it was clear something had to change. Sarah’s husband, a lawyer, was earning much more than her, and had done so since they got married in 2008. So, in August 2020 the couple jointly decided that Sarah would leave her job to become a stay-at-home mother. “Before this, I never really knew what being burned out meant,” she says. “Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESarah’s experience is emblematic of a much broader trend. In September last year, just as the pandemic was gaining pace, more than 860,000 women \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnwlc.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2020\u002F10\u002Fseptember-jobs-fs1.pdf\"\u003Edropped out of the US workforce\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared with just over 200,000 men. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F29\u002Fupshot\u002Fmothers-leaving-jobs-pandemic.html\"\u003EOne estimate\u003C\u002Fa\u003E put the number of mothers who had quit the US workforce between February and September last year at 900,000, and the number of fathers at 300,000. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs women lost crucial social lifelines during lockdown which may have been emotional and physical outlets for stress, it’s clear that the abrupt avalanche of extra domestic responsibilities pushed many who were already busily juggling home and work life further than they could go. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘What’s the cost?’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the greatest concerns workplace experts harbour is that poor mental health among women in the workplace could discourage future generations from setting ambitious professional goals, particularly if they want to start a family. That could exacerbate the gender inequalities that already exist in terms of pay and seniority in the labour market. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData indicate that this is indeed a legitimate concern; statistics collected by CNBC and polling company SurveyMonkey earlier this year showed that the number of women describing themselves as “very ambitious” in terms of their careers \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.surveymonkey.com\u002Fcuriosity\u002Fcnbc-women-at-work-2021\u002F\"\u003Edeclined significantly during the pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Data from the US Census Bureau shows that over the first 12 weeks of the pandemic, the percentage of mothers between the ages of 25 and 44 not working due to Covid-19-related childcare issues \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Flibrary\u002Fstories\u002F2020\u002F08\u002Fparents-juggle-work-and-child-care-during-pandemic.html\"\u003Egrew by 4.8 percentage points\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, compared to no increase for men in the same age group.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"In terms of [the] sustainable development of the human capital of the workforce, we’re not heading in a good direction – Nancy Beauregard","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EEqually, there are concerns about how new ways of working such as hybrid could impact on workplace gender equality. Research shows that women are more likely than men to work from home in a post-pandemic world, but there’s evidence that people who work from home are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210305-why-in-person-workers-may-be-more-likely-to-get-promoted\"\u003Eless likely to get promoted\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than those who have more face-time with managers. “Women are saying, I’m working just as hard and doing just as much, but because I’m working from home, I’m less likely to get promoted,” says Kropp. “That’s extremely demotivating.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDean Nicholson, head of adult therapy at London-based behavioural health clinic The Soke, suggests that perceptions of fairness – or otherwise – could impact on women’s workplace participation. “When the balance of justice is skewed against us in the workplace, then it's invariably going to lead to negative feelings, not just towards the organisation, but in the way that we feel about ourselves and the value of our contribution, as well as where we're positioned on a hierarchy of worth.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo prevent an exodus of female talent, says Kropp, organisations must appreciate that old workplaces practices are no longer fit for purpose. Managers need to fundamentally rethink how companies must be structured in order to promote fairness and equality of opportunity, he says. That means pay equality and equal opportunities for promotion, as well as creating a culture of transparency where everyone – mothers, fathers and employees who are not parents – feels valued and can reach their professional potential while also accommodating what’s going on at home. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESteve Hatfield, global future of work leader for Deloitte, notes that mothers, especially those in senior leadership roles, are extremely important role models. “The ripple effect of what they’re seen to be experiencing right now has the potential to be truly profound on newer employees, and so it's up to organisations to prove that they can accommodate and cater to the needs of all employees,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs such, Hephzi Pemberton, founder of the Equality Group, a London-based consultancy that focuses on inclusion and diversity in the finance and technology industry, emphasises the need for managers to be trained formally and to understand that the initiative to create a workplace that’s fit for purpose must come from the employer rather than the employee. “That’s absolutely critical to avoid the risk of burnout,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Jia, who says she’s now on the brink of quitting her job, insists that notable changes need to happen in the home as well as the workplace. “What’s become abundantly clear to me through the pandemic is that we all have a role to play in understanding the imbalances that are created when stereotypical gender roles are blindly adhered to,” she says. “Yes, of course it sometimes makes sense for a woman to be the default caregiver or to take a step back from paid work, but we need to appreciate at what cost. This is 2021. Sometimes I wonder if we’re in the 1950s.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why women are more burned out than men","headlineShort":"Why women are so burned out","image":["p09x4mh9"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Woman in hall","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-hard-work-alone-isnt-enough-to-get-ahead","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210921-why-companies-dont-post-salaries-in-job-adverts","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210727-the-rise-of-never-ending-job-interviews"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Statistics show that stress and burnout are affecting more women than men en masse. Why – and what happens next?","summaryShort":"Compared to men, women are suffering burnout at higher levels","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-03T19:32:58.820623Z","entity":"article","guid":"fc556382-4e85-4ac4-8b48-1db2deb3d3f9","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-03T19:32:58.820623Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917973},"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":"616ff6d245ceed6d5c228ca1","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fmark-johanson"],"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":["p09xz6k3"],"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":["p09xz6s8"],"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":["p09xz62d"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Demoralised man in cafe","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-whats-driving-the-us-air-rage-spike","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men"],"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":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"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":"2021-10-13T14:22:05.517824Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211007-the-service-roles-that-lead-to-burnout","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917972},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job","_id":"616ff68545ceed3fc456706e","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"It's natural to feel thankful that you're employed, especially when jobs are scarce. But is that gratitude actually a misguided emotion?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt's become a common refrain: “I’m just grateful to have a job”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe last year has wreaked undeniable havoc on the working world. Globally, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Fwcmsp5\u002Fgroups\u002Fpublic\u002F@dgreports\u002F@dcomm\u002Fdocuments\u002Fbriefingnote\u002Fwcms_767028.pdf\"\u003Eworking hours and income lost in 2020\u003C\u002Fa\u003E added up to the equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs. Workplace closures, layoffs and a steep rise in unemployment are enough to make anyone who’s managed to hold onto their job feel some measure of gratitude – or, at least, \u003Cem\u003Epressure \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eto be grateful.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat pressure pre-dates the pandemic. One of the most pervasive conversations around jobs is that we should be thankful to be hired, especially when competition for a position is fierce. Candidates are even expected to express the sentiment if they want to be hired in the first place: it’s hard to imagine leaving an interview without saying how much you appreciate being considered, or sending a thank-you email. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it’s possible some of that gratitude is misplaced. Perhaps it’s not quite appropriate to be thankful that an employer is ‘letting you’ work for them. And while gratitude can be objectively good for you – research consistently \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fggsc.berkeley.edu\u002Fimages\u002Fuploads\u002FGGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf?_ga=2.251719817.1417553388.1616418965-979396278.1615862145\"\u003Eassociates giving thanks with increased happiness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – it also has a darker side that can make you more willing to put up with a situation that makes you \u003Cem\u003Eun\u003C\u002Fem\u003Ehappy.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDiffering obligations\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome workers may be much more inclined to feel grateful for their jobs than others.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers who \u003Cem\u003Eexpect\u003C\u002Fem\u003E to be hired or promoted may express less gratitude than those without systemic advantages. This is often the case for white men, who \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210226-failing-up-why-some-climb-the-ladder-despite-mediocrity\"\u003Eexperience more upward mobility\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than other groups, and less bias that prevents them from securing jobs, or getting interviews in the first place. For instance, multiple studies have shown résumés with “white-sounding” names, and those that \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww-2.rotman.utoronto.ca\u002Ffacbios\u002Ffile\u002FWhitening%20MS%20R2%20Accepted.pdf\"\u003Edownplay racial cues\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, are significantly more likely to garner a response\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImposter syndrome may also play a part: workers who aren’t confident they deserve their roles may develop feelings of unworthiness, despite being qualified or skilled. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200724-why-imposter-syndrome-hits-women-and-women-of-colour-harder\"\u003EWomen are particularly vulnerable to imposter syndrome\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and may find themselves giving outsize thanks for their jobs. And, in recent months, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fapnews.com\u002Farticle\u002Fap-norc-poll-people-of-color-covid-19-economy-421f0582650c02a42508fb46aa461a7b\"\u003ELatino and black Americans were significantly more likely to be affected by pandemic-related lay-offs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E than white Americans. Those among these groups who have kept their jobs are likely feeling pressure to express gratitude – even if they have to force it, and even if their workplace doesn’t inspire much to be thankful for.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"left","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAlthough this forced-gratitude problem can happen anywhere, Alex Wood, Centennial Chair in Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, believes Americans particularly feel the obligation. In an individualistic culture like the US, the smallest favours may be taken as a huge boon. Studies show that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Froyalsocietypublishing.org\u002Fdoi\u002F10.1098\u002Frsos.180391\"\u003EAmericans say “thank you” more often than people in other countries\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and in situations others wouldn’t deem deserving of gratitude – like being employed.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In the US, it seems unacceptable to say one isn’t a grateful person,” says Wood. “In the UK, people would laugh and say, ‘what is there to be grateful for?’ It’s a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. If you manage to get people feeling grateful, things have maybe gone a bit wrong. It should be an equitable exchange.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic do alter the equation a bit, concedes Wood. It makes sense that an employer should be thankful for employees working more hours than usual to keep a suffering business afloat, and that employees would feel gratitude for a boss who didn’t let them go when profits fell.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If it’s been costly to the employer to employ you,” he says, “then, yes, you’re going to feel grateful.” In that case, the gratitude between employer and employee is warranted, adds Wood. Globally, the pandemic has created that dynamic in some workplaces.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe problem with gratitude\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough some gratitude is genuine and spontaneous, other expressions of thanks – like the kind many workers feel pressured to exhibit right now – aren’t similarly authentic. And this forced, phony gratitude can backfire.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If we’re asked to think about a time when we practiced forced gratitude, most of us can come up with one,” says Sarah Greenberg, a California-based psychotherapist and corporate mental-health consultant. “Like when we’re young and don’t want to eat our peas, and our parent says, ‘be grateful you have food!’. Well, we continue to do that to ourselves as adults. That forced gratitude becomes a social norm, and then it becomes our internal voice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"An employee may start to think, “I really hate my boss”, then stifle that feeling by thinking, “but I’m so grateful just to have my job”","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAs adults, in social situations and at work, we start telling ourselves not to complain, to appreciate what we have. And once we start forcing ourselves to be grateful, we may begin using a tactic Greenberg calls “gratitude bypassing” to avoid other, negative emotions. For instance, she says, an employee may start to think, “I really hate my boss”, then stifle that feeling by thinking, “but I’m so grateful just to have my job”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuppressing or avoiding negative feelings isn’t healthy, says Greenberg. “If you’re calling emotional avoidance ‘gratitude’, you won’t see the positive effects of gratitude, and you will see the negative effects of emotion avoidance.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBypassing and avoidance only offer a temporary solution, she explains. Eventually, the negative emotions will catch up with us – and will likely be even more intense when they do. Rather than being annoyed or angry by something a manager said, then moving on, these feelings can build, and turn into resentment. But by masking those feelings, or substituting forced gratitude, we’re also missing out how those feelings can motivate us to improve our situations.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Emotions have function,” she says. “So, we don’t want to cut that off.” If you’re telling yourself you feel grateful, when “actually what you’re feeling is stress, fear, complete exhaustion or sadness”, you could be ignoring the emotions that alert you that something is wrong.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other words, if you’re too focused on \u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\u002Fem\u003E you should be grateful for your work, you may not realise that it’s become thankless. It’s a recipe, says Greenberg, for getting stuck in a job long after you should’ve left.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe employer advantage\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMisplaced gratitude, adds Wood, could lead to mistreatment from employers who know their workers won’t complain or leave, due to job-shortage concerns.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I have concerns with gratitude in the present climate,” says Wood. “In the time of Covid, one needs to be extra critical, because it might make us more exploitable. There are going to be many employers who will try to use it as an excuse to pay their workers less, or ‘cut down on expenses’ by having fewer employees doing more work. And if people are feeling grateful for having a job, that might dissuade them from standing up for their rights.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe pressure to be ‘grateful’ for employment is inherently odd, according to Greenberg. A job, after all, is essentially a service a person performs to help a company make money.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think the old school of thought is, ‘well, I’m giving you a pay check, so you \u003Cem\u003Eowe\u003C\u002Fem\u003E me’. It’s amazing what employers have come to expect in exchange for that pay check,” she says. “We work such long hours. We’re working remotely more than ever before, and as a result people are just working endless hours; we’re always on. That has such \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy\"\u003Ea big toll on wellbeing\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and health. Still, we’re getting the message that we’re supposed to feel grateful just to get to keep going to work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmbracing the ‘grey zone’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGreenburg explains that while it’s OK – and natural – to feel genuinely thankful to be employed, especially right now, the same person is also allowed to have valid complaints about their job.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We have these black-and-white ideas when it comes to emotions,” she says. “We might see it as these two poles: on the one hand is an ingrate curmudgeon. On the other is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210302-tragic-optimism-the-antidote-to-toxic-positivity\"\u003Etoxic positivity\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. We don’t always know how to be in that grey area, when often it’s fairly simple. It’s really OK to have more than one emotion at the same time. So yes, you’re grateful to have a job, and that can be true. You’re grateful to have security at an insecure time. But you hate your boss, and that’s also true. Between those polarities, there’s a grey zone.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If you’re too focused on why you should be grateful for your work, you may not realise that it’s become thankless","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThat grey area is a good place for critically examining your gratitude, adds Wood. It’s only appropriate to feel grateful when a person or company is truly acting altruistically. And you can determine that using three basic criteria: “Ask yourself,” says Wood, “are they doing it for me? Is it valuable to me? Is it costly for them?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen you begin to use this system of appraisal, the list of things you’re truly grateful for may get a bit shorter, but Wood says that by eliminating misplaced gratitude, you’re more likely to feel the powerful benefits of the real thing.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Once you get your head around it, it’s a thing you can use practically,” he says. “Gratitude is extremely healthy if you’re correct in the appraisal. ”If your employer really \u003Cem\u003Edoes\u003C\u002Fem\u003E deserve your thanks, it’s likely to make you more content in your job overall. If they don’t, you’re in a better position to assess why not, and take steps to change your situation.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When you’re more accurate, you can express your gratitude more authentically,” says Wood, “and that’s the kind that actually makes you happier.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-31T18:41:35Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Should you be grateful for a job?","headlineShort":"Why you shouldn't be grateful for a job","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"It's natural to feel thankful that you're employed, especially when jobs are scarce. But is that gratitude actually a misguided emotion?","summaryShort":"Is it right to be thankful to your employer, even when jobs are scarce?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-30T20:00:35.900793Z","entity":"article","guid":"124db68f-01a5-4e61-a30a-1c90863068f9","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:21:13.17997Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard","_id":"616ff6c445ceed648362c359","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Time off from work – of any length – can shake your faith in your capability. Here's why you feel unsteady, and what you can do about it.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen Shelly Nelson-Shore got pregnant with her first child in 2019, she and her husband came up with a plan. Nelson-Shore would take three months of parental leave from her non-profit fundraising job, then their son would go to day care and Nelson-Shore would go back to work full time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I went on parental leave at the end of December 2019,” says Nelson-Shore, 30. “I was slated to come back at the end of March 2020. So, what happened was 100% the opposite of that plan.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough she went ‘back’ to work, her Manhattan office was shuttered and had already transitioned to remote work. She found herself on Slack and Zoom, trying to form connections with team members hired in her absence. In addition, she didn’t have any childcare available; Nelson-Shore and her husband live in a suburb near New York City – at the time, a Covid-19 hotspot – which meant that all facilities had closed. She was sleep deprived from caring for “a baby who would only sleep when he was actively being held”, while trying to do her full-time job, which had changed radically since she’d gone on maternity leave. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter this 12-week gap from her job, Nelson-Shore’s confidence in her work had been shattered. And it showed. She was failing to live up to her manager’s expectations. Eventually, she was let go.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder almost any circumstance, going back to work after a period away is hard. It can mean returning to new faces, policies and technologies, and it’s easy to feel like you’ve fallen hopelessly behind. That’s true whether it’s a short break, like Nelson-Shore’s three-month parental leave, or a span of a few years.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewscentre.vodafone.co.uk\u002Fapp\u002Fuploads\u002F2021\u002F05\u002FLost-Connections-2021-180521-Pages-Web-1-1.pdf\"\u003Ea third of all people returning to the workplace experience a dip in confidence\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to a new report from Vodafone UK. And a loss of confidence is nearly twice as prevalent in women, who are also generally much more likely to take career breaks, since childcare responsibilities tend to fall to them.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s an especially relevant issue now, as millions of global workers who were displaced by the pandemic – some of them for the better part of a year – look to return. This, too, has a disproportionate gender component. In the United States, the women’s labour force participation rate \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnwlc.org\u002Fresources\u002Fjanuary-jobs-day-2021\u002F\"\u003Ehas dropped\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to just 57%; the lowest it’s been since 1988.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of those who left will be wanting to get back in, but it’ll mean wrestling with insecurity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy stepping away can shake you\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt makes sense that time away – of any length – could deal a blow to your confidence, says Mary Shapiro, a professor of practise at Simmons University School of Business in Boston.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“You’re out of practise, or at least feel like you are,” she says. “If you’ve been out a long time, a couple years or whatever, the industry has actually moved on. Take five years out, and maybe you’re coming back to an industry with new instruments, new laws, new ways of doing things. It’s appropriate not to go in feeling like, ‘I know everything, and I can pick up where I left off’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENot being able to easily jump back in, especially to a position in which you once felt very capable, can quickly make you question your abilities.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVarious factors feed into this loss of confidence. For instance, the Vodaphone report indicates some returners are concerned about “technological change and the fact that former contemporaries or younger colleagues may have been promoted”. “Technology moves on so quickly. I think that frightens people,” says Lisa Unwin, a partner at London-based hiring consultancy Inclusivity, and co-author of She’s Back: Your Guide to Returning to Work.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“I think part of it is you just get left out,” continues Unwin. “When you’re working, your \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs\"\u003Eidentity is very much tied up with your job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and that gives us a lot of self-esteem. If you take that away and you are ‘just’ a stay-at-home mom, for instance, that isn’t valued economically by society, and you haven’t got the self-esteem that comes with a job title.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd when you do come back, it can be tough to reclaim that old identity, and feel like you belong. When Nelson-Shore was preparing to return to work three months after giving birth, she was struggling with her confidence even before she added a full-time job back to her plate. “I was managing a lot of this sense that I wasn’t doing a good job, that I wasn’t parenting well enough,” she says. “Very quickly, that pattern of thinking began to translate over to work.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"It’s appropriate not to go in feeling like, ‘I know everything, and I can pick up where I left off’ – Mary Shapiro","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDuring a break, other factors outside work, such as new home pressures or new relationships, can shape a new identity. That means it isn’t always seamless to snap back into the confident relationship with your job you held before, since who you are as a person may have changed. Even though she’d been extremely successful in the role before her leave, Nelson-Shore says she felt inefficient and sometimes almost incompetent – even when she was getting the work done.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor people of all genders, a lack of contact with the workplace can make you forget what you can achieve; you start to doubt yourself and forget past successes. The more recent struggles and failures are what stand out instead. But being reminded – or reminding yourself – of your capabilities can help.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to get your groove back\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing let go was tough for Nelson-Shore, but after “taking some time to wallow”, she started to look back at her career before the break. Slowly, her confidence began to rebuild. Looking at old files reminded her she’d brought in more than $200,000 in just the few months before her leave.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“In the mental-health world, we talk a lot about fact-checking negative thoughts,” she says. “My thought was, ‘I’m not good at my job, I’m not as skilled at this as I think I am’. But the data says no, your direct contributions are valuable. Then it’s like… ‘OK, actually, I think the quality of my work does stand on its own’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENelson-Shore painstakingly reconstructed her confidence, and eventually launched her own, now successful, consultancy. But “it was work”, she says. “It wasn’t like, ‘oh, I’m going to look at this old spreadsheet and then I’ll feel good’. It was \u003Cem\u003Ework.\u003C\u002Fem\u003E I had to show up and dig in and get my hands dirty.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Nelson-Shore’s tactic of revisiting past wins is something Unwin suggests anyone struggling with confidence should try. “It may mean going back to people you used to work with,” she says. “Reconnect with people who knew you in a previous life, who remember you as a professional person. Chatting with them about what working with you is like can remind you of that version of yourself.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConnecting with former colleagues can be helpful in other ways, too, adds Unwin, especially if you’re trying to find a route back into the business. “If they stayed in work, they’re probably more senior now in the sort of place you might go back to work,” she says. “They can make introductions, open doors, give you advice.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EShapiro also recommends looking to the past, but not just your past at work. “Look back at the gap,” she says. “What were some of the challenges you faced that had nothing to do with work? What skills allowed you to deal with them? Those are skills you may need when you’re back in that workplace.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIdentifying them can give you a confidence boost. For instance, those who took time off to raise kids may realise their time management skills have seriously improved. People who took time off to travel may come back better problem-solvers, and workers who were simply laid off – perhaps because of the pandemic – may find they’re now more resilient.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow companies can help\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s in a company’s best interest to foster a confident workforce. This means that many are making it easier for returners to get back into the office, and supporting them once they’re there.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“They can actively look at their recruitment processes and find where there are steps that discriminate against anyone who’s not had a linear career,” says Unwin. “If the CV is being screened by young recruiters who are rewarded by how quickly they can fill a job, they’ll never look twice at someone without a linear CV.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdjusting job listings themselves can help as workforce ranks grow post-pandemic. Confidence issues can keep people – especially women – \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2014\u002F08\u002Fwhy-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified?trk=BU-pros-ebook-2019-genderreport\"\u003Efrom even applying to open jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, if they think there will be other, more qualified applicants, or fear they might waste an interviewer’s time. “One of the things organisations can do is be thoughtful around how crazy these job descriptions are. Women have a tendency not to apply to a job that lists 50 criteria when they only meet, say, 30,” explains Shapiro.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe points to a major pharmaceutical company she consulted for. “We decided to reduce the number of requirements for job listings, and divide them into absolute necessities, and nice-to-haves. The increase in women applicants and women who got the job was amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd returners who might be worried about a prospective employer judging them for the break itself shouldn’t let that impact their confidence. Another benefit to the pandemic-driven work shakeup, says Shapiro, is that gaps on a resume are becoming normalised, and are less likely to count against a job seeker.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“A gap on a resume no longer carries the suspicion it did as recently as a year or so ago,” she says. “Now, many people aren’t even batting an eye. And employers have to shift now: if they’re suspicious of everyone who changed their lives or circumstances during the pandemic, they’ll have a very small labour pool from which to draw.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard-6"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-06-23T21:06:53Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why career breaks hit your confidence so hard","headlineShort":"Why CV gaps crush your confidence","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Time off from work – of any length – can shake your faith in your capability. Here's why you feel unsteady, and what you can do about it.","summaryShort":"Why time off from work – of any length – can shake your faith in your capability","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-22T19:54:22.789276Z","entity":"article","guid":"79453d36-f51b-4a62-86d9-d3829134937f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:25:05.150343Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit","_id":"616ff74c45ceed6c8e7721b5","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fkate-morgan"],"bodyIntro":"Since the pandemic, employees are leaving the workforce or switching jobs in droves. For many, employers have played a big part in why they're walking away.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the pandemic began, Melissa Villareal was teaching history to middle schoolers at a private school in a wealthy California neighborhood. It was a job and a field she loved. Now, just over a year later, she’s left teaching entirely, to work in industrial design at a large beauty company.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople like Villareal are leaving their jobs – or thinking about it – in droves. A Microsoft survey of more than 30,000 global workers showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fworklab\u002Fwork-trend-index\"\u003E41% of workers were considering quitting or changing professions\u003C\u002Fa\u003E this year, and a study from HR software company Personio of workers in the UK and Ireland showed \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhr.personio.de\u002Fhubfs\u002FEN_Downloads\u002F202104_HRStudy_UKI.pdf\"\u003E38% of those surveyed planned to quit in the next six months to a year\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In the US alone, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fnews.release\u002Fjolts.nr0.htm\"\u003EApril saw more than four million people quit their jobs\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, according to a summary from the Department of Labor – the biggest spike on record.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are a number of reasons people are seeking a change, in what some economists have dubbed the ‘Great Resignation’. For some workers, the pandemic precipitated a shift in priorities, encouraging them to pursue a ‘dream job’, or transition to being a stay-at-home parent. But for many, many others, the decision to leave came as a result of the way their employer treated them during the pandemic. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat was the case for Villareal, who found herself back in the classroom after only a short closure. (In the US, private schools, governed by different rules, were able to return to in-person learning much sooner than public schools.) Villareal was uncomfortable about her safety, and saw her stress and workload spike when she was juggling both in-person and remote learners concurrently. She felt her concerns weren’t being addressed, or even heard.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Villareal decided she’d rather quit and start over in a totally new industry than remain in a job where she felt she was being under-valued and unheard. It was a tough choice, she says, because “there’s guilt as a teacher. You don’t want to leave the students”. Still, Villareal continues, “it became so clear that this isn’t about my health, the health of the kids or the mental wellbeing of anybody. It’s a business and it’s about money. The pandemic ripped that veil from my eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09mvsrb"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA predictable response\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForemost, workers are taking decisions to leave based on how their employers treated them – or didn’t treat them – during the pandemic. Ultimately, workers stayed at companies that offered support, and darted from those that didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers who, pre-pandemic, may already been teetering on the edge of quitting companies with existing poor company culture saw themselves pushed to a breaking point. That’s because, as evidenced by a recent Stanford study, many of these \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprivpapers.ssrn.com\u002Fsol3\u002Fpapers.cfm?abstract_id=3829751\"\u003Ecompanies with bad environments doubled-down\u003C\u002Fa\u003E on decisions that didn’t support workers, such as layoffs (while, conversely, companies that had good culture tended to treat employees well). This drove out already disgruntled workers who survived the layoffs, but could plainly see they were working in unsupportive environments.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd although workers have always cared about the environments in which they work, the pandemic added an entirely new dimension: an increased willingness to act, says Alison Omens, chief strategy officer of JUST Capital, the research firm that collected much of the data for the study.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E“\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003EOur data over the years has always shown that the thing people care about most is how companies treat their employees,” says Omens. That’s measured by multiple metrics, she adds, including wages, benefits and security, opportunities for advancement, safety and commitment to equity.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The early days of the pandemic reminded us that people are not machines – Alison Omens","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the wake of the pandemic, “the intensity has increased in terms of that expectation; people are expecting more from companies. The early days of the pandemic reminded us that people are not machines”, says Omens. “If you’re worried about your kids, about your health, financial insecurity and covering your bills, and all the things that come with being human, you’re less likely to be productive. And we were \u003Cem\u003Eall \u003C\u002Fem\u003Eworried about those things.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers expected their employers to make moves to help alleviate, or at least acknowledge, those concerns – and companies that failed to do so have suffered. The Personio study also showed that more than half of the respondents who were planning to quit wanted to do so because of a reduction in benefits, a worsening work-life balance or a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210330-why-toxic-workplace-cultures-follow-you-home\"\u003Etoxic workplace culture\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“For almost everyone,” says Ross Seychell, chief people officer at Personio, “the pandemic put an acute focus on… how has this company I’ve given a lot to handled me or my health or happiness during this time?” Seychell says many workers considering that question are finding a lack of satisfying answers. “I’m hearing it a lot: ‘I’m going to go somewhere I’m valued’.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn across-the-board exodus\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe mass departure is happening at all levels of work, and is especially evident in service and retail jobs.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Many of the stories have tended to focus on white collar jobs, but the biggest trends are really around traditionally low-wage roles and essential workers,” says Omens. “That’s a really interesting element of this.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, the American retail sector has seen more recent resignations than any other industry. Just fewer than \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fbusiness\u002F2021\u002F06\u002F21\u002Fretail-workers-quitting-jobs\u002F\"\u003E650,000 retail workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E quit in the month of April alone, according to data from the Labor Department. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09mvsf7"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thelancet.com\u002Fjournals\u002Flancet\u002Farticle\u002FPIIS0140-6736(20)31200-9\u002Ffulltext\"\u003Eessential workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – often in lower paid positions – have borne the brunt of employers’ decisions. Many were working longer hours on smaller staffs, in positions that required interaction with the public with little to no safety measures put in place by the company and, at least in the US, no guarantee of paid sick leave. It quickly burnt workers out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, major retailers are scrambling to fill open positions, and finding it difficult to get enough new, willing workers in the door. Companies including Target and Best Buy have raised wages, while McDonald’s and Amazon are offering hiring bonuses ranging from $200 to $1,000. Still, a survey by executive search firm Korn Ferry found that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.kornferry.com\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpress\u002Fkorn-ferry-retail-survey-finds-a-very-slow-movement-to-include-dei-incentive\"\u003E94% of retailers are having trouble filling empty roles\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the problem, says Omens, is that while financial incentives are a start, a major shift in priorities means it’s not just about the money. Many retail and service workers are departing in favour of entry-level positions elsewhere – in warehouses or offices, for instance – that actually pay less, but offer more benefits, upward mobility and compassion. With employers across the board looking for new hires, many have found it’s easy to find another job and make the transition.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“We ask people would they take a pay cut to work for a company that aligns with their values,” she adds, “and across the board, people say yes.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA lasting change?\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECould this Great Resignation bring about meaningful, long-term change to workplace culture and the way companies invest in their employees?\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOmens believes the answer is yes. The change was happening before the pandemic, she says, with a “real increase in what people are looking for in terms of their expectations of CEOs and companies”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Just fewer than 650,000 American retail workers quit in the month of April alone","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAnd the pandemic shifted that existing feeling into overdrive – even in the first few weeks. In late March 2020, billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban appeared on a CNBC special titled Markets in Turmoil, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cnbc.com\u002F2020\u002F03\u002F25\u002Fcoronavirus-mark-cuban-warns-against-rushing-employees-back-to-work.html\"\u003Ewarned companies not to force employees back to work too soon\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “How companies respond to that very question is going to define their brand for decades,” he said. “If you rushed in and somebody got sick, you were that company. If you didn’t take care of your employees or stakeholders and put them first, you were that company.” For many employees, cautioned Cuban, “that’s going to be unforgiveable”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, says Seychell, that’s proving true. For both people inside companies as well as those just entering the job market, how a company treated its people over the last year and a half will determine the course of the future.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s become compulsory for companies to make serious investments in their employees’ wages, opportunities, and overall wellbeing, if they weren’t doing so already, says Seychell, if for no other reason than it’s simply good for business.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When there’s a lot of people moving, that costs companies in terms of turnover and lost productivity,” he says. “It takes six to nine months to onboard someone to be fully effective. Companies that lose a lot of their workforce are going to struggle with this over the next 12 to 16 months, and maybe much longer. Companies that don’t invest in their people will fall behind.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit-8"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-01T20:48:15Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The Great Resignation: How employers drove workers to quit","headlineShort":"Why so many people are quitting jobs","image":["p09mvsnh"],"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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210329-should-you-be-grateful-for-a-job","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210319-can-companies-actually-help-workers-stay-happy-and-healthy","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210617-why-career-breaks-hit-your-confidence-so-hard"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Since the pandemic, employees are leaving the workforce or switching jobs in droves. For many, employers have played a big part in why they're walking away.","summaryShort":"One of the major driving factors behind the 'Great Resignation'","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-06-30T20:00:11.011323Z","entity":"article","guid":"9261dcef-0af1-4d48-9f45-e96a3dad6e0c","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:25:33.275441Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work","_id":"616ff65e45ceed343e65b33d","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Paternity leave, which comes with multiple benefits, is more widely offered than ever before. So, why aren't more men taking it?","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn summer 2018, Ricardo Duque was about to begin five months of paternity leave from the architecture firm where he worked in London. But, then, his grandmother in southern Portugal contracted a severe case of pneumonia.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDuque’s wife, who is Indian, had just resumed working at Samsung, after seven months of maternity leave. “I’d barely spent any time alone with our daughter,” the 42-year-old recalls. “But I had no choice. I took her to Portugal, and spent the next few weeks looking after my tiny baby and my grandma, with very little help from anyone else.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom the moment Duque and his wife discovered they were expecting, he knew that he wanted to take a substantial amount of paternity leave, which his partner endorsed. Despite worrying that he was getting “looks” from colleagues and being “judged by managers” when he informed them of his plan – and even though his leave did not start exactly as envisioned –  the experience turned out to be extremely rewarding. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The time we spent together was invaluable and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he says. “We now have such a special bond.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross the UK, US and many other parts of the world, however, non-birthing parents like Duque who take parental leave are a depressingly small minority. The number of countries where paternity leave is enshrined in law has \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ilo.org\u002Fwcmsp5\u002Fgroups\u002Fpublic\u002F---dgreports\u002F---dcomm\u002F---publ\u002Fdocuments\u002Fpublication\u002Fwcms_604882.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Emore than doubled\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to about 90 in the last 20 years; and globally, at least \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mercer.com\u002Four-thinking\u002Fprevalence-of-global-parental-leave-policies-infographic.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Efour out of every 10 organisations\u003C\u002Fa\u003E are thought to provide paid leave above the statutory minimum. Yet, the proportion of men who take more than a few days off work when their child is born is tiny. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost cite fears of being discriminated against professionally, missing out on pay rises and promotions, being marginalised or even mocked as reasons for not taking time off. Academics consider these concerns to be the effect of deeply ingrained and highly damaging stereotypes around gender – and suggest that changing this will require significant cultural shifts as well as better institutional provision of paid paternity leave.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternalised stereotypes\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThekla Morgenroth, a research fellow in Social and Organisational Psychology at the University of Exeter, UK, says that gender stereotypes have persisted, even though gender roles at work have changed substantially in the last few decades, with much higher numbers of women entering and staying in the workforce. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Women are no longer seen as less competent than men, but women continue to be seen as more communal – warm, nurturing and caring – than men and, in turn, as more suitable for roles that require these attributes such as childcare,” they explain. “Men, on the other hand, continue to be seen as more agentic: decisive, assertive, competitive.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Men who do take parental leave can face backlash and be seen as weak, lacking work commitment – Thekla Morgenroth","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis, says Morgenroth, can affect decisions regarding parental leave in a multitude of ways. “First, women and men can internalise these stereotypes, meaning that men might think that they are not very communal and thus wouldn't be very good at taking care of a baby. Their female partners may of course also endorse gender stereotypes and discourage their male partners from taking parental leave because they don't think they're capable.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA key factor is that gender stereotypes are not only descriptive but also prescriptive; they signal what women and men shouldbe like – including the idea that men should prioritise work over family. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Men who do take parental leave can therefore face backlash and be seen as weak, lacking work commitment and so on, which can result in consequences at work such as being demoted or not taken seriously,” they say. “Men are, of course, aware of these potential consequences and this could definitely contribute to them deciding against taking parental leave even if it's offered.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENo role models\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunication is a prime factor that Sarah Forbes, lecturer and academic researcher at Birmingham University Business School, UK, identifies as another invisible barrier to men taking the leave that they are entitled to.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2015, the UK introduced a shared parental leave policy allowing eligible parents to split up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them. But research in 2018 showed that of the more than 900,000 UK parents who were eligible to take advantage of the policy that year, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.birmingham.ac.uk\u002FDocuments\u002Fcollege-social-sciences\u002Fbusiness\u002Fresearch\u002Fwirc\u002Fspl-policy-brief.pdf\"\u003Eonly 9,200 parents – or about 1% – did\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"infographic","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Dad and baby looking out of an apartment window into the city","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERicardo Duque says that this might be partly a result of fathers simply not knowing their rights. “When I took paternity leave, I was shocked at how few other dads knew what they were entitled to,” he says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EForbes believes it’s important to have visible “fatherhood champions” at companies, across different sections and departments both to inspire fathers to take leave and also improve their knowledge of leave provisions. “Also, if managers are knowledgeable of the organisation’s offering around paternity leave and shared parental leave, this will lead to parents being more aware of what their entitlements are.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThekla Morgenroth also considers role models to be of paramount importance. “If other men are taking parental leave at a specific company, it shows that taking parental leave is normal and acceptable for men to do,” they explain. “These effects are likely particularly pronounced when men in leadership positions take parental leave, because they can act as role models and demonstrate that you can be successful even if you take parental leave.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"When I took paternity leave, I was shocked at how few other dads knew what they were entitled to – Ricardo Duque","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EUnfortunately, however, there’s evidence that it’s precisely these men, the ones at the highest echelons who are most visible, who tend to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11199-017-0861-9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Etake the least leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Research conducted across Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2017 showed that fathers without leadership responsibility were much more likely to take leave as planned than their peers who were managers. More responsibility, the researchers reasoned, simply equated to greater perceived pressure to be present at work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“That needs to change,” says Morgenroth. “It's of course great if companies offer extensive paid parental leave for fathers, and they absolutely should, but as long as leaders don't demonstrate that men won't be penalised for making use of such policies, not much will change.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnspoken norms\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkplace experts are warning that the immense uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic – and specifically anxiety around job security – is only likely to have exacerbated workers’ concerns about taking time off.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn one survey of over 500 US fathers conducted at the end of May, about two-thirds of respondents admitted \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.media.volvocars.com\u002Fus\u002Fen-us\u002Fmedia\u002Fpressreleases\u002F283258\u002Fvolvo-cars-reveals-unspoken-workplace-stigma-for-american-dads-paternity-leave\"\u003Ethat there was an unspoken rule\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that men at their jobs should not take full paternity leave – and that taking as little as possible was “a badge of honour”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENinety percent of those surveyed reported their employer offered less than 12 weeks of paternity leave, but almost two-thirds said that they planned to take less than half of that. Fifty-eight percent admitted that they were afraid that taking even six weeks of paternity leave would set their careers back.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Dad playing with his child on a slide","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the US, although individual companies offer paternity leave, fathers are not legally entitled to any paid parental leave. In fact, the US is one of only a handful of countries \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210624-why-doesnt-the-us-have-mandated-paid-maternity-leave\"\u003Ewithout any mandated paid leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E for birthing mothers, too. President Joe Biden has included expanded provision in his \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Fus-policy\u002F2021\u002F04\u002F28\u002Fwhat-is-in-biden-families-plan\u002F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EAmerican Families Plan\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, but it’s not at all clear whether the legislation will pass. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn recent months, caring responsibilities have caused millions of women to leave jobs; the US women’s labour force participation rate, for example, slumped to its \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnwlc.org\u002Fresources\u002Fjanuary-jobs-day-2021\u002F\"\u003Elowest level since 1988\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Gender norms seem to have become even \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200630-how-covid-19-is-changing-womens-lives\"\u003Emore entrenched\u003C\u002Fa\u003E by the pandemic – something which, combined with ongoing economic instability, could potentially make it even harder for fathers who want time off. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnappreciated upsides \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany academics say what’s particularly frustrating about the low take-up of paternity leave, whether in the US or elsewhere, is the potential that it has to reduce the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.co.uk\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-42918951\"\u003Egender pay gap\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. “Gender inequality will continue in the workplace for as long as early-years parenting is primarily seen as women’s work,” says Emma Banister, professor at the University of Manchester’s Work and Equalities Institute. “The current policy framework doesn’t do enough to challenge this.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch has highlighted other important advantages of fathers taking leave, too. A \u003Cspan\u003Epaper published in 2019\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E showed that even nine years later, children whose fathers took at least two weeks of paternity leave after they were born \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flink.springer.com\u002Farticle\u002F10.1007\u002Fs11199-019-01050-y\"\u003Ereported feeling closer to their fathers than children with fathers who did not take leave\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. In a \u003Cspan\u003Eseparate paper\u003C\u002Fspan\u003E, academics found that for heterosexual married couples, the father taking any paternity leave after the birth of a child can also cause \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fpaa2019.populationassociation.org\u002Fuploads\u002F190145\"\u003Ethe divorce risk to drop for up to six years after the birth\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"As long as leaders don't demonstrate that men won't be penalised for making use of such policies, not much will change – Thekla Morgenroth","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESome countries have made strides when it comes to men taking more parental leave. Sweden offers parents 480 days of paid parental leave per child that they are entitled to share. Each parent can transfer part of their leave to the other, but 90 days have to be reserved specifically for each parent. From 2008 until 2017, as an incentive for fathers to take more time off, families were entitled to a monetary bonus determined by the number of days divided equally between parents. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe policy seems to be working: One study in 2019 showed that approximately \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.leavenetwork.org\u002Ffileadmin\u002Fuser_upload\u002Fk_leavenetwork\u002Fannual_reviews\u002F2019\u002FSweden_2019_0824.pdf\"\u003E90% of eligible Swedish fathers claim\u003C\u002Fa\u003E paternity leave and that on average, they take 96% of the total amount of leave time allotted to them. Sweden is also a leader among advanced economies in terms of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fstats.oecd.org\u002FIndex.aspx?DataSetCode=lfs_sexage_i_r\"\u003Efemale labour market participation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupporting a more equal society\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the absence of this kind of comprehensive legislation, however, Banister believes that employers should reduce barriers to taking paternity leave by “normalising employees taking leave during the first year of their child’s birth or adoption, regardless of the employees’ gender or sexual orientation”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are more specific considerations too, she says, like the timing of the leave. Company-subsidised parental leave, if offered, is often restricted to the first few months – when it may suit parents better for the mother to be at home, especially if she is breastfeeding. If employers gave all parents decent pay for a period of time, regardless of when they take it (and in addition to a period of fully-paid paternity leave around the time of the birth), this would give parents much more flexibility. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut ideally, says Banister, leave for fathers and financial support for that leave should be the state’s responsibility, because putting the onus on employers – as is the case in the US – can lead to a “two-tier system” where only certain sectors offer paternity leave. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, it seems, removing the barriers that deter fathers from taking time off begins with adequate provision, well-communicated, which can then start to reduce gender stereotypes and mainstream the practice. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The government should offer an appropriate minimum package which encourages behaviours that support a more gender equal society,” says Banister.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work-10"}],"collection":null,"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Paternity leave: The hidden barriers keeping men at work","headlineShort":"Why men don't take paternity leave","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Dad with two little kids crossing a city street","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":[],"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Paternity leave, which comes with multiple benefits, is more widely offered than ever before. So, why aren't more men taking it?","summaryShort":"More nations and firms are offering paternity leave – so why is it so taboo?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-07-12T19:52:27.74085Z","entity":"article","guid":"ece1ab2b-8206-47d9-9176-d8846cc2103e","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:26:06.415772Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents","_id":"616ff68345ceed43d4478c05","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fchristine-ro"],"bodyIntro":"Working parents are juggling a lot. But when non-parents have to work harder to compensate, tensions can arise.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ELeo Ramirez’s passion job is editing Grubby Cat, a cat-care website. But his main job is very different: coordinating inspections for a crane company in Florida, US. It’s there that he sometimes feels frustrated as a 47-year-old employee without children. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It’s a very family-oriented workplace,” he explains, with frequent social events like employee picnics and parties. These are supposed to be fun occasions, but they can be dispiriting for him. “My co-workers will make me feel guilted – unintentionally I am sure – into staying [at work] those days later than everyone else… while everyone else has that ‘excuse’ to be unable to make it in because they have families and kids to prepare with.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERamirez reports that his colleagues say things like, “come on Leo, you know if you had kids or anything we would let you take the extra time you needed”. Yet when Ramirez and his lifelong best friend married earlier this year, his managers wouldn’t let him leave two hours early for last-minute wedding prep on the Friday before the wedding. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERamirez is sympathetic to parents’ needs: “Me having to get my teeth worked on is never going to be as important as someone’s kid being hurt, I completely understand that.” He’s even happy to work on holidays so that his colleagues with kids can have uninterrupted family time at Christmas and Thanksgiving, for instance. But it can rankle that “I have been asked to pick up the ‘supervisor on call’ responsibility for others on multiple weekends when it should have been their turn to do so”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany employees without kids have similar stories. They understand that it can be incredibly challenging for their colleagues to juggle paid work, parenting and other responsibilities – particularly \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200401-how-to-work-from-home-with-your-kids-during-coronavirus\"\u003Eduring a global pandemic\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and especially in places without strong governmental support for parents. But they don’t want to be taken for granted. Ultimately, it’s up to employers to ensure balanced workloads and respect for everyone’s work-life balance, so that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F264703753_Fragmented_Sisters_The_Implications_of_Flexible_Working_Policies_for_Professional_Women%27s_Workplace_Relationships\"\u003Eresentment doesn’t fester\u003C\u002Fa\u003E among people based on their parenting status. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMore child-free adults, but not necessarily more respect\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn many countries, the share of people without kids is growing. In England and Wales, for instance, women who turned 45 in 2018 were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ons.gov.uk\u002Fpeoplepopulationandcommunity\u002Fbirthsdeathsandmarriages\u002Fconceptionandfertilityrates\u002Fbulletins\u002Fchildbearingforwomenbornindifferentyearsenglandandwales\u002F2018\"\u003Etwice as likely\u003C\u002Fa\u003E not to have children as their mothers’ generation (19% vs. 9%). There’s a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pewresearch.org\u002Fsocial-trends\u002F2010\u002F06\u002F25\u002Fchildlessness-up-among-all-women-down-among-women-with-advanced-degrees\u002F\"\u003Esimilar pattern in the US\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. (It’s hard to come by comparable data for low-income countries, where most research has focused on involuntary infertility rather than choosing to be child-free.)\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xsgwr"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Tired cook","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDespite their growing numbers, and the obvious advantage of having more time to devote to their careers, people without children still feel they face certain barriers at work. Some report being \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cbc.ca\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Fchildless-employees-work-life-balance-1.4953036\"\u003Epromoted more slowly\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20170814-how-to-say-no-at-work-when-you-dont-have-kids\"\u003Edenied raises\u003C\u002Fa\u003E because their managers think that only working parents needed extra money. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFlexible work policies have often been applied to parents first, such as the UK’s right to request permanent flexible work. “Historically, all of these provisions were for parents and carers initially. And some people don’t know that that’s changed,” says Krystal Wilkinson, a lecturer on human resources management at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, who focuses on family and wellbeing at work, and has researched employees who live alone. This unfamiliarity with the law can make non-parents reluctant to request flexibility or other changes at work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike Ramirez, many non-parents may be expected to work awkward shifts and holidays, travel more, log overtime and change work locations, because of the assumption that they have fewer important personal commitments. A recent discrimination lawsuit that was \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.cityam.com\u002Fjudge-dismisses-lawyers-harassment-claim-warning-against-a-culture-of-hyper-sensitivity\u002F\"\u003Edismissed in August\u003C\u002Fa\u003E highlighted these issues. When a UK-based lawyer declined to relocate to her company’s Swiss head office, due to personal reasons, her manager responded, “What personal reasons? You are not married, you don’t have children and you do not have a boyfriend.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EManagers like this may be demanding toward non-parents but understanding toward parents, if they respect that working parents might have to leave work early to pick up the kids from school, or take time off when they can’t arrange childcare. But still, “the work has to be done. Someone’s got to pick it up”, says Wilkinson.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"The implicit bias is that child-related reasons for being unavailable are more valid – Rachel","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESometimes this expectation is explicit. But other times the messaging and shifting of workloads are more subtle. “It wasn’t even sometimes that they were explicitly asked to do it,” Wilkinson says of some of her solo-living interviewees. “It was like, ‘Well, somebody’s got to lock up the shop at the pharmacy at the end of the day, and she’s got the girl, so I just end up doing it’.”\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe hidden pressures on non-parents working with parents\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe smaller things can often take a toll on non-parents, who are often treated as if their hobbies, relationships and responsibilities are trivial, compared to being a parent. This can lead many employees without kids to hide or feel ashamed about their lives outside work – despite many women without children, especially, using their time outside work to \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwrap.warwick.ac.uk\u002F132633\u002F1\u002FWRAP_Theses_Griffiths_2018.pdf\"\u003Evolunteer or care for others\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Even simple comments presuming that most people have families can sting, making non-parents feel invisible. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERachel, a 33-year-old creative director in Barcelona who doesn’t have kids, works for a remote ad agency where she feels non-parents have generally been expected to make themselves more available. “The workload imbalance was most obvious in our team’s availability and personal hours. I noticed subtle biases, like meetings ending on time for a parent to pick up their child from school but going over when a childless employee had an obligation,” explains Rachel, whose surname is being withheld for professional concerns. “The implicit bias is that child-related reasons for being unavailable are more valid.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne irony is that expecting non-parents to work long and late inhibits them from forming families, if that’s what they want. Wilkinson calls this “really, really problematic, especially for the people that were living alone but didn’t want to be living alone, and were trying to develop relationships, because that’s the stuff that gets in the way of being able to go on a date or to be developing partnerships”. It’s also hard on people undergoing complex fertility treatments, who might need flexibility for these but feel that their managers wouldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xsh2k"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man working late in the office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EOne result of slights both big and small may be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1111\u002F1748-8583.12181\"\u003E“family-friendly backlash”\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, or indignation at the perceived unfairness of workplace policies that favour parents. During the pandemic this backlash has been especially evident at tech companies like Facebook, where employees have been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nytimes.com\u002F2020\u002F09\u002F05\u002Ftechnology\u002Fparents-time-off-backlash.html\"\u003Etussling over policies\u003C\u002Fa\u003E such as generous leave for parents, and sometimes even naming-and-shaming working parents they believe are underperforming. But across sectors, people have been \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002Fwork\u002F1946450\u002Fhow-to-help-working-parents-and-not-pit-them-against-co-workers\u002F\"\u003Egetting angrier\u003C\u002Fa\u003E about the parent\u002Fnon-parent divide. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EListening to those without kids\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt can be challenging for employers to mediate between the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1111\u002F1748-8583.12181\"\u003Edifferent perceptions of fairness\u003C\u002Fa\u003E that come up between parents and non-parents. One option is to remove the pressure on staff to justify their need for time off. That’s why Rachel’s ad agency decided to remove explanations from employees’ out-of-office messages. She explains, “If you need to be offline from 3pm to 4pm, great! It shouldn’t matter if it’s to take your kid to the doctor or yourself to a dinner party.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERowan Aust, a media researcher at the University of Huddersfield, UK, as well as co-director of Share My Telly Job (SMTJ), provides a counterpoint to this from her experience of the TV production industry, which demands long hours and short notice. Aust believes in “leaving loudly”: employees of all genders feeling comfortable leaving work at a reasonable hour without \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201113-the-corporate-ideals-driving-secret-parenting\"\u003Ehiding their parenting status\u003C\u002Fa\u003E or, say, their exercise routines. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It should be up to employers to provide an environment where people can leave and go to a yoga class,” says Aust – for example, with managers setting the tone from the top. “It has to be allowed through the company culture… it shouldn’t really be down to individuals.” Aust also points to the need for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20170814-how-to-say-no-at-work-when-you-dont-have-kids\"\u003Ecollective action\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to challenge unfairness, whether that’s freelancers sharing rates or staff unionising.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I have been asked to pick up the ‘supervisor on call’ responsibility for others on multiple weekends when it should have been their turn to do so – Leo Ramirez","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGood managers don’t overwork their staff, whatever their family circumstances. They find alternatives to piling the work onto solo-living employees. “During the pandemic, there were organisations that have realised that the workload of everyone is going to go up,” points out Wilkinson. “So can we get more resources in? Can we get more bodies in? Or strip away any non-essential\u002Fnon-urgent work?”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The tension is between non-parents and their employer,” she emphasises – not between non-parents and parents. “Consistently, in all my research, it’s not been the case that childless employees resent parental colleagues, they don’t think that parents deserve any less. They just think that their own psychological contract with the organisation is the issue.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt may sound simplistic, but just listening properly is the beginning of everything. “This group are not being thought about,” Wilkinson says of workers without children, who are often grateful just to be asked about their experiences. As child-free cat-lover Ramirez comments, “It’s nice to vent about this for once without the fear of clashing with my co-workers about it.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Maybe you can’t accommodate everything that they want, but kind of accommodate what you can and think about it and give them a reason if you can’t,” Wilkinson says of non-parents’ desire to be heard. “It’s about communications at the end of the day – and at the end, there seeming to be a fair process.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents-8"}],"collection":["future\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Ffamily-tree"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Do companies lean harder on non-parents?","headlineShort":"Are non-parents expected to work more?","image":["p09xsggl"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man on phone at a restaurant","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":"2021-08-25T12:48:44.837297Z","Project":"","Slug":"publish-applenews-system-1"},"Urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:option:option\u002Fpublish-applenews-system-1","_id":"616ff6c945ceed68c8293c02"}],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":["worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210928-why-women-are-more-burned-out-than-men","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210712-paternity-leave-the-hidden-barriers-keeping-men-at-work","worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210721-why-worker-loyalty-is-at-a-breaking-point"],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Working parents are juggling a lot. But when non-parents have to work harder to compensate, tensions can arise.","summaryShort":"Some workers without children say they must compensate for colleagues with kids","tag":["tag\u002Fhow-we-work"],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-10-06T20:09:14.495264Z","entity":"article","guid":"368c4071-ca22-445e-8dc6-8a84de6f5d9f","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents","modifiedDateTime":"2021-10-07T11:52:19.665986Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20211005-is-modern-office-culture-unfair-to-non-parents","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917975},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues","_id":"616ff68045ceed48710afab2","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"After a year of remote work, we now trust our colleagues less than before. Here's what we can do to rebuild those bridges.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the pandemic triggered mass workplace closures last spring, many companies were unprepared for what turned into an open-ended remote-work arrangement. For some, the extraordinary situation initially prompted a heightened sense of goodwill as workers juggled the demands of family and fine-tuned home-office setups. Yet as we now pass the one-year mark of virtual work, the shaky foundation of many company cultures is cracking to reveal a lack of trust among remote managers and employees.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder better circumstances, trust begets trust; at the moment, experts are finding that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fhbr.org\u002F2021\u002F02\u002Fwfh-is-corroding-our-trust-in-each-other\"\u003Ethe reverse is true\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Without in-person interactions to bolster our professional relationships, there’s more room to make negative – often unfounded – assumptions about our colleagues’ behaviours. And, many supervisors haven’t been trained to manage a team remotely, causing them to fall into the trap of over-monitoring employees, which tends to backfire. All these factors are creating a cycle of virtual workplace distrust that’s exacerbated by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210216-how-boredom-can-be-a-force-for-good-or-bad\"\u003Epandemic fatigue\u003C\u002Fa\u003E and the struggle to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201021-coronavirus-the-possible-long-term-mental-health-impacts\"\u003Esustain our mental health\u003C\u002Fa\u003E amid an extended period of uncertainty.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dearth of trust isn’t something that will be magically fixed once the pandemic subsides, especially as businesses are considering adopting new models, from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200824-why-the-future-of-work-might-be-hybrid\"\u003Ehybrid systems\u003C\u002Fa\u003E to a different kind of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210113-whats-the-best-plan-for-a-radical-new-workday\"\u003Ework week\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. The consequences of a culture of distrust are significant – including diminished productivity, innovation and motivation. But there are steps we can take to effectively build and repair trust, even from afar.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDistance breeds distrust\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, the seeds of trust were often planted at work without us even realising it – a greeting in the elevator, post-meeting small talk, complimenting a colleague’s haircut.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Trust is built by spending time together, not necessarily around work-related tasks,” says Scott Schieman, chair of the department of sociology at the University of Toronto’s St George campus. “We form and sustain social bonds this way, expressing verbal and nonverbal communication in ways that convey understanding, empathy and shared concern. There’s no way endless Zoom calls can replace the depth and quality of in-person human interaction.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"colleagues in elevator","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ENot only is it harder to build strong connections through video and audio calls, email and instant messages, but misunderstandings are likelier to arise from these mediums due to their limitations. “You might see a supervisor’s or team member’s facial expression on a Zoom meeting and misinterpret or appraise it in a negative way,” says Schieman. “You might be completely misreading it – maybe their kid was in the background doing something that annoyed them. In a physical shared space, you could better read those cues and clear them up.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen we don’t have all the context about a colleague’s behaviour, we’re prone to credit their actions or words to their character, rather than a situation beyond their control – a well-established phenomenon in social psychology known as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Ffuture\u002Farticle\u002F20120628-playing-the-brains-blame-game\"\u003Efundamental attribution error\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which has taken on new weight in an era of virtual interactions.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“If you’re late for a meeting while working from home, it’s because your broadband wasn’t working, but if anyone else misses a meeting, you attribute it to their character,” says Heidi K Gardner, faculty chair of Harvard Law School’s Accelerated Leadership Program and author of Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos. Gardner, who has studied trust attitudes among knowledge workers, adds: “[You think it must be] because that co-worker is lazy, doesn’t care about the work or isn’t holding up their end of the bargain. When we’re working separately, you can only see your own circumstances and excuse your behaviours but impugn others’ character when something goes wrong for them.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"If you’re late for a meeting while working from home, it’s because your broadband wasn’t working, but if anyone else misses a meeting, you attribute it to their character – Heidi K Gardner","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen a manager makes a negative assumption about an employee’s behaviour and decides to supervise them more closely as a result, it can cause \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siop.org\u002FResearch-Publications\u002FItems-of-Interest\u002FArtMID\u002F19366\u002FArticleID\u002F4555\u002FTripled-Levels-of-Poor-Mental-Health-But-There-Is-Plenty-Managers-Can-Do\"\u003Epsychological distress\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, which in turn can harm performance. “Monitoring is interpreted by employees as not being trusted to do their work, impinging on their sense of control over their work and their trust of their manager and organisation as a whole,” says Caroline Knight, research fellow at Curtin University’s Future of Work Institute in Perth, Australia, who is leading an ongoing study \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.transformativeworkdesign.com\u002Fworking-from-home-survey\"\u003Eon the impact of Covid-19 on work, wellbeing and performance\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When leaders start to monitor, employees are less motivated and feel less responsible for their work,” adds Anita Keller, assistant professor of behavioural and social sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, who is collaborating with Knight on the study. The increased autonomy that comes with working remotely can be a boon to productivity and morale, she explains, but only if supervisors trust their team to perform, “otherwise there are limited or no benefits for employees and organisations”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding relationships remotely\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn order to shore up trust, it’s helpful to realise that trust building isn’t a one-size-fits-all process.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGardner explains that there are two main types of trust: competence trust, which relates to pure professional ability; and interpersonal trust, which is based on human connection and integrity. “If you deliver quality work on time but are a jerk, that undermines personal trust,” says Gardner. “People need to send strong, clear, reliable signals of trustworthiness in both these dimensions.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also two different types of trust personalities: automatic trusters, who give the benefit of the doubt until trust is broken; and evidence-based trusters, who tend not to trust until they’ve been given adequate reason to do so. “If you don’t know which type a co-worker is, the safer bet is to assume they’re evidence-based,” suggests Gardner. Providing more communication and information than necessary to a new colleague will cover your bases until trust is established.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhile it helps to raise awareness of how trust works, companies must also play their part, says Bhushan Sethi, a principal and joint global leader in PwC’s New York-based People & Organisation practice, where he works with employees across 150 countries to shape culture-led change. “To build real trust, firms will need to upskill in inclusive leadership, especially in a remote environment, where people are likely to feel more disconnected,” says Sethi. “Leaders need to make people feel included, make sure their ideas are heard and empathise when they’re stressed, anxious or burned out.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELikewise, Knight and Keller emphasise the importance of empathy in promoting trust. Their research showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siop.org\u002FResearch-Publications\u002FItems-of-Interest\u002FArtMID\u002F19366\u002FArticleID\u002F4600\u002FBoosting-Job-Performance-When-Working-from-Home-Four-Key-strategies?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=Posts&utm_campaign=RemoteWork\"\u003Emanagers who show employees support and appreciation will foster more trust\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and be better trusted in return. In service of its mission to enhance the experience and value of work, The Future of Work Institute has created \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.transformativeworkdesign.com\u002Fflexible-work\"\u003Efree downloadable resources\u003C\u002Fa\u003E – from time management tips to concrete communication strategies – to support managers and workers in a flexible work world.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut Knight says companies should also create their own resources. “Organisations could invest in training that focuses on education around the benefits of remote working, how to devolve autonomy of workers and how to manage by results,” she says. “This means not focusing on the number of working hours or whether they respond to messages instantly, but whether the broader goals of the job are being met.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘I trust you’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of these tactics can help workers make strides to rebuild a culture of trust – but the reality is that it’s inevitable that trust will still occasionally be broken. So, if you’ve missed a deadline or otherwise fallen short, don’t gloss over it – you have to own up to it before you can rebuild trust. “It’s essential to admit your mistakes, as that makes you vulnerable,” says Gardner. “When you do that, you’re implicitly saying, ‘I trust you not to take advantage of me’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"There are also two different types of trust personalities: automatic trusters and evidence-based trusters","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen trust is breached from the top down, as when supervisors monitor employees’ every move, workers can try stepping up communication to assuage anxiety. “Proactively inform your supervisor how things are going, what you have accomplished and where things are difficult,” says Keller. “It’s also worth negotiating what performance is expected and how that is assessed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStill feeling stifled? Keller suggests explaining to your boss that although you’re aware that some monitoring is important, doing so excessively is counterproductive to your morale and performance. As a last resort, consulting a third-party supervisor or HR representative may help. Regardless of the cause, any time trust is diminished, the goal is to reset the dynamic and cultivate good faith moving forward.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough trust-building may seem like a soft skill in comparison to more technical or analytical ones, it’s a vital piece of a healthy work culture – and one that’s taken a big hit during the pandemic. Ultimately, our ability to prioritise and develop trust with colleagues will have a direct and immediate impact on the quality of our work – and the long-term outlook of our careers.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-03-18T12:09:40Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why remote work has eroded trust among colleagues","headlineShort":"Why you trust your colleagues less now","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"After a year of remote work, we now trust our colleagues less than before. Here's what we can do to rebuild those bridges.","summaryShort":"Remote work is eroding our faith in those we work with – so what can we do?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2021-03-17T20:58:49.254795Z","entity":"article","guid":"859d4cf7-3d1e-4bf1-a3bb-37923cc446b6","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:20:29.978701Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20210315-why-remote-work-has-eroded-trust-among-colleagues","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world","_id":"616ff68145ceed48d041a201","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"The pandemic quashed the experience of learning in a traditional office. Can younger workers grow in the same way while working at their kitchen tables?","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\u003EFour months after offices across the US went dark, 22-year-old Nicole Jao started her first job working as a cybersecurity risk consultant. She hadn’t expected to launch her career remotely from her apartment in West Los Angeles. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith little more than the constant ping of notifications vying for her attention throughout the day, Jao says she yearns for “that camaraderie of hanging out with your co-workers” and “spending time with them at happy hours afterwards... it’s kind of hard to engineer that [social atmosphere] by yourself”. Plus, learning the ropes of a new job in a remote environment means Jao has to advocate for herself in more overt ways than she’d like. “I’m more of an observant employee,” she says. She prefers to be discreet, rather than “being like, ‘S.O.S. I need help’ constantly”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWithout these foundations, Jao has had to adapt. She’s learned new ways to absorb information and cues vital to her job, saying, “when you’re remote, you need to be very vocal about the assistance you need and the help you’re looking for. As a new grad and new hire, it definitely affects the way I can learn”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAcross the country in Ann Arbor, in the US state of Michigan, 22-year-old Katie Dillon, a recent graduate and software engineer at the mobile-ticketing platform SeatGeek, says her working life is markedly different from the one she envisioned as a student. For one, she isn’t living near the company’s New York City headquarters. And, instead of a commute in which she imagined sipping coffee while getting prepared for the day ahead, Dillon says she rolls “out of bed 20 minutes before my stand-up meeting”. She usually fires up her computer still wearing pyjamas, fixing her hair to “hide the bed head”.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe changes in lifestyle the pandemic has sparked extend far beyond frantic efforts to look presentable for a morning Zoom meeting. As the pandemic has rendered offices unsafe, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200901-the-class-of-2020s-uncertain-present-and-future\"\u003Erecent graduate’s\u003C\u002Fa\u003E traditional career paradigm of moving to a city, commuting to a job and perhaps living with friends at a similar stage in life has suffered a dramatic, indefinite pause. Young workers have learned to temper their expectations, while companies have been forced to foster the development of greener employees without the convenience of human contact. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘It becomes harder to connect’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When you’ve been working at an organisation for a long time and then you’re forced to work from home, you do have the benefit of those long-term relationships” with colleagues, says Amanda Jones, a senior lecturer in human resources management at King’s College, London. “People know you. People know what you’re capable of.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Colleagues chatting in an office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EBut without the ability to interface, network, schmooze and even chat idly about the weather, some younger employees have started to feel adrift during this period of indefinite teleworking, especially at larger companies. “Part of the employee experience is [shared] space,” says Dan Schawbel, managing partner of the HR advisory firm Workplace Intelligence, and author of Back to Human. “There’s a certain energy and presence people have in person. Once you start to remove that, it becomes harder to connect.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecent studies show that pandemic-wrought isolation and disconnectedness have been particularly hard on the new professionals of Generation Z. In July, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.metlife.com\u002Femployee-benefit-trends\u002Febts-mental-health-202\"\u003EMetLife’s 18th annual U\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.metlife.com\u002Femployee-benefit-trends\u002Febts-mental-health-202\"\u003ES\u003C\u002Fa\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.metlife.com\u002Femployee-benefit-trends\u002Febts-mental-health-202\"\u003E Employee Benefits Trends Study\u003C\u002Fa\u003E showed that Gen Z employees were three times more likely to have sought help for mental health issues like stress and burnout than their more seasoned counterparts. Researchers from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.smartsheet.com\u002Fcontent-center\u002Fnews\u002Fover-90-young-workers-having-difficulty-working-home-survey-finds\"\u003Esoftware firm Smartsheet queried\u003C\u002Fa\u003E 1,000 US workers in April, finding that the youngest employees were struggling immensely: 82% of Gen Z workers said they feel “less connected” working remotely, while roughly half reported having communication issues at work and trouble getting the resources necessary to thrive.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Their soft skills are weakened because they’re not getting human contact - Dan Schawbel","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAside from forging a career deep in the trenches of the coronavirus recession, which economists fear will have a lasting, negative \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fus-news\u002F2020\u002Fjul\u002F06\u002Fgen-z-covid-19-financial-crisis-lasting-scars\"\u003Eeffect on the economic fortunes of Gen Z\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, younger workers have reason to worry about separate, interpersonal issues related to work. “I think their soft skills are in danger,” says Schawbel, referring to communication skills learned through team environments. “Part of soft skills from a business perspective is the art of collaboration and connecting… their soft skills are weakened because they’re not getting human contact.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe technology avalanche\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response, companies large and small are engineering ways to make work feel familiar and team oriented. To an extent, however, that just means inundating employees with technology. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDan Black, the global recruiting leader at international professional-services network EY, notes that all employees have routine touchpoints, such as video conferences, webinars and other digital communications that aim to promote “a sense of normalcy”. But these tools are the traditional bedrock of teleworking, rather than a spawn of Covid-19 response. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs far as onboarding is concerned, it’s more of the same digital barrage. At SeatGeek, new hires “spend time throughout the first two weeks participating in more than a dozen virtual onboarding sessions with teams across SeatGeek,” says Jamie Sterrett, the company’s director of talent acquisition. For recent graduates on the engineering team, the company revived its “onboarding buddy program” to help “new employees feel supported and have a friendly face who they can go to for everyday questions”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"A young man working from home","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThis kind of tech-heavy – and sometimes tech-\u003Cem\u003Etoo\u003C\u002Fem\u003E-heavy – strategy is typical across the board, says Schawbel. “Because you’re not with your manager, you’re not meeting your team in person, the amount of touchpoints, the amount of video Zooms you’re doing is so much greater than it would normally be in a pre-Covid world.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor SeatGeek’s Dillon, toggling between tech platforms hasn’t impaired her ability to get accustomed to her role. “While I can’t actually watch another programmer write code or be in the same room doing brainstorming on a whiteboard, there is a lot of support I can get from colleagues over video chat, Slack and by colleagues just pointing me to parts of our codebase that are relevant,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut, even for those who can find their way out of the tech avalanche, some still find all-digital communication can only go so far. Nicole Jao is stuck wondering how to cultivate strong relationships with her colleagues and make the interaction “feel organic”. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESilver linings\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs entire workforces have migrated online, it’s quickly become clear that big, international companies can keep their business running without a centralised, physical hub. That reality has sunk in for recent graduates, many of whom only need an internet connection to perform a job and don’t need to be tied down to a cubicle. “This [younger] generation tends to be a little bit better at working with technology. They tend to be a lot better at working in a flexible way. Compared to their senior colleagues, they kind of demand that,” says King’s College’s Jones.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I’m trying to reimagine what I want to expect out of work - Nicole Jao","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThe flexibility can open new doors to thrive. Younger workers like Dillon have chosen to skirt the stereotypical career path of living in a big, expensive city in favour of a cheaper market. “I was excited to move to New York, meet new people and take in the energy of that city. On the other hand, I am grateful that I don’t have to be in a new and unfamiliar place trying to build community in the midst of a pandemic. Also, it doesn’t hurt to save on rent,” she says. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the labour market has contracted significantly, recent grads who are lucky enough to find work have the benefit of attracting employers to come to them, rather than the other way around. “One of the most interesting implications [of remote work] is that talent and opportunity have been dispersed... if you live in [the more remote states of] Idaho or Nebraska, and you’ve always dreamed of working at Google or Facebook, now all these positions are remote positions,” says Schawbel. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkers like Jao, however, had an internalised idea of early career life upended by the pandemic. Now, they’re changing their ideas of what work can ultimately provide in their greater lives – and adapting accordingly. “I’m trying to reimagine what I want to expect out of work,” she says. “I think that’s the only thing I have real control over, rather than wishing I could get what I dreamed about when I was in college.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world-8"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Can young people thrive in a remote-work world?","headlineShort":"Why young remote workers might struggle","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"File image of a young woman working at home","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"The pandemic quashed the experience of learning in a traditional office. Can younger workers grow in the same way while working at their kitchen tables?","summaryShort":"How do young employees learn office culture working at their kitchen tables?","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-10-27T20:24:52.179977Z","entity":"article","guid":"bfd93034-c9bb-4f6b-8001-1bd10cc44e42","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:13:48.357068Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20201023-can-young-people-thrive-in-a-remote-work-world","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter","_id":"616ff67545ceed423f3abe57","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":[],"bodyIntro":"Office friendships are atrophying amid remote work. But you can reap tangible benefits by putting in the effort to keep up intimacy with your office mates.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EThere was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when going out to lunch, day after day, with the same group of colleagues was as mundane a part of daily life as the morning meeting or evening commute. But after six months of eating sad desk salads alone, the idea of lunch with our work clique has never felt so exciting.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we’ve been working from our kitchen tables, many of our relationships with colleagues have been atrophying.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s a phenomenon that has positives: the break-up of work cliques means the formerly left-out may have more opportunities to join the ‘in-crowd’ – or maybe there’s no longer an in-crowd at all. But there are drawbacks to drifting away from your work buddies, too. Experts suggest that, while our work-based friendships are generally our most delicate ones, they’re also some of the most impactful on our overall happiness.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemote work has changed the dynamic of our work relationships. We can – and, in many cases, should – be trying to keep those friendships going, or even spark new ones. But as our offices operate online, that’s easier said than done.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘Friendships of convenience’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Work is the number one place where people make friends,” says Shasta Nelson, author of The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of Our Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time. “It’s also the place where most friendships \u003Cem\u003Eend,\u003C\u002Fem\u003E because people change jobs.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ECompared to friendships that begin outside work – which are often stronger and more sustainable, thanks to a foundation of common interests and deep personal knowledge – work friendships are often tenuous, because they tend to be built almost exclusively on shared circumstances and casual interactions. These relationships with colleagues are usually what Ho Kwan Cheung, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Albany in New York, calls “friendships of convenience, for lack of a better term. It’s the person you talk to when you take a coffee break, or go to the pantry. The person who’s readily available when you have a problem because their desk is next to yours”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd now, without those opportunities for interaction while we’ve been working from home, many have found work friendships fading; for many, finding other ways to maintain them virtually has not been a major priority while navigating the upheaval of recent months.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Work friendships die pretty quickly with a lack of shared experiences,” says Nelson. “Unless you work to create a new pattern and way of being together. Even six months in, a lot of people feel like the shift to remote work is temporary, so we’re not treating it with intention. I think a lot of people’s brains haven’t made that adjustment of, ‘OK, I have to be intentional if I want this friendship to continue’.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPleasure and productivity \u003Cbr \u002F\u003E\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s good reason to invest in your work friendships, especially now, according to Cheung, whose research centres on workplace discrimination and employee wellbeing. “They’re not a distraction,” she says. “A lot of us derive most of our social needs from those work relationships. They’re what give people a sense of belonging in their job. Sometimes, there’s an idea that when you’re spending time with friends at work you won’t get anything done, but the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Frepository.upenn.edu\u002Fcgi\u002Fviewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=mapp_capstone\"\u003Eresearch\u003C\u002Fa\u003E says that employee happiness depends on social interactions.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Without opportunities for office interaction while we’ve been working from home, many have found work friendships fading","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ESo, too, does productivity. In a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bcg.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fpublications\u002F2020\u002Fvaluable-productivity-gains-covid-19\"\u003Esurvey of more than 12,000 workers\u003C\u002Fa\u003E in the US, Germany and India, management-consulting firm Boston Consulting Group found that more than half the respondents who transitioned to working remotely during the pandemic reported a drop in productivity when it came to collaborative tasks – things like working in teams and interacting with clients. The analysis showed a direct link between productivity and social connection. Among those who said they felt less connected to their colleagues since transitioning to remote work, 80% said they were also less productive.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing a member of a work clique can also contribute to professional fulfilment. Results from a Gallup survey of US employees showed that more than half of respondents who said they had a work best friend \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fscholarworks.umass.edu\u002Fcgi\u002Fviewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=gradconf_hospitality\"\u003Ealso reported\u003C\u002Fa\u003E feeling passionate about their job, with a strong connection to their company. Only 10% of people who didn’t have a close friend at work could say the same.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Work friendships are very important to job satisfaction,” says Cheung. And while “job satisfaction doesn’t always predict performance, the more relational-oriented your work is, the more it does. One example is creative work, or anything that involves creative problem-solving. When you’re satisfied with your work and you enjoy being with your co-workers, it makes you more creative and a better collaborator”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a 2016 study published in \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com\u002Fdoi\u002Ffull\u002F10.1111\u002Fpeps.12109\"\u003EPersonnel Psychology\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, a group of professors headed by Jessica Methot of Rutgers University showed that groups of colleagues who thought of one another as friends scored higher on performance reviews. The researchers offered a number of possible explanations: people were more likely to ask for help and seek advice from colleagues they considered to be friends, informal networks made information-sharing more efficient and morale was high overall.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn short, a sense of belonging among your colleagues makes you better at your job, and letting those friendships lapse during the pandemic could make your work suffer.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKilling the clique isn’t all bad\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere’s a reason the word “clique” summons memories of secondary-school mean girls, however. While the benefits of being a member of a group of work friends are well documented, such friendships can have downsides. After all, for a clique to exist, some people need to belong while others have to be left out.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a 2018 study entitled \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.researchgate.net\u002Fpublication\u002F323220675_Friends_Without_Benefits_Understanding_the_Dark_Sides_of_Workplace_Friendship\"\u003EFriends Without Benefits: Understanding the Dark Sides of Workplace Friendship\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business wrote that, “anyone who has endured the social complexities of a school cafeteria can attest that close and exclusive friendship groups can lead to perceptions of exclusion. This awareness of others’ friendships can be detrimental to outsiders and can have negative consequences for organizational functioning.” So, while cliques are good for the people in them, those who are excluded or feel ostracised by them don’t experience the same benefits.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is even more problematic when you consider the people who are most often left out. Cheung explains that cliques are often quicker to form between people of shared racial and cultural backgrounds, and if an office isn’t very diverse, that means people get marginalised. “We know that a lot of the relationship formation opportunities single out women and minorities, because you’re not invited to lunch or happy hour,” she says.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Remote work may be killing the clique, but that could also mean more opportunity for those who’ve been more socially isolated in the past to make in-roads","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERemote work may be killing the clique, but that could also mean more opportunity for those who’ve been more socially isolated in the past to make in-roads. “Now, it’s interesting because [lunches and happy hours] aren’t a thing anymore. Everyone’s at home and that has levelled the playing field.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf course, building those bridges from a home office isn’t simple, either. In transitioning to a remote work environment, we’ve lost many of the informal interactions and casual moments that lead to friendships, and while that means “no one is being ostracised, it’s also harder for relationships to form or continue”, adds Cheung.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘It’s going to feel a little awkward’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis doesn’t mean that your work friendships are doomed, or that you’ll never be one of the most popular colleagues. But, like most things in a post-pandemic world, bonding with your colleagues now requires a slightly different approach.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFriendships have a formula, says Nelson, based on three main factors: consistency, vulnerability and positivity. “You need all three to create a friendship,” she explains. “The workplace gave us the consistency piece. We didn’t have to invite each other to come to work, so the consistency of seeing each other every day was built-in. As long as we got to know people – that’s the vulnerability piece – and enjoyed it, which gave us the positivity, friendships formed.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s still possible to have a solid social life among your colleagues, adds Nelson, “but you have to be waymore intentional about it.” That means establishing consistency on your own, maybe by committing to daily lunchtime phone calls with your work buddy, or planning Monday morning Zoom catch-ups as a chance to chat about the weekend.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EIt can also be helpful, Cheung says, to look for the remote version of a casual moment by the office coffee pot. “Sometimes when you’re waiting for the rest of the people to sign onto a Zoom meeting, you can chit-chat a little,” she says. “It’s possible to find and create those kinds of informal situations, even when you’re working from home, like starting a separate Slack chat.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd as for taking the opportunity to join a clique, she adds, simply putting in the effort to connect with a colleague on an informal level can go a long way. “It’s a matter of creating new bonds, when people aren’t strictly on the clock,” she says. Interaction that feels personal – just striking up a conversation about pandemic baking or sharing links to funny TikToks, for instance – “makes people feel a sense of belonging”.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“It might feel forced, but that’s fine,” she says. “When we start to open up, it helps people feel seen, increases our appreciation for one another and helps us enjoy each other. We have to realise friendships don’t just happen to us. You can’t just focus on work and expect to feel close to people down the road. Yes, it’s going to feel a little awkward, but relational health, work productivity and happiness comes on the other side of that awkwardness.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter-10"}],"collection":[],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2020-09-30T16:05:47Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"Why your in-office friendships still matter","headlineShort":"How remote work has changed the clique","image":[],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[],"partner":null,"primaryVertical":"worklife","promoAlignment":"centre","promoAltText":"","promoImage":null,"relatedStories":[],"relatedTag":null,"summaryLong":"Office friendships are atrophying amid remote work. But you can reap tangible benefits by putting in the effort to keep up intimacy with your office mates.","summaryShort":"Staying close with your colleagues matters – and here’s why","tag":[],"textToSpeech":false,"creationDateTime":"2020-09-29T21:03:30.860522Z","entity":"article","guid":"6cbca206-24f8-4b2e-969a-4a149cb86e22","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter","modifiedDateTime":"2021-09-02T05:12:30.832837Z","project":"worklife","slug":"20200925-why-your-in-office-friendships-still-matter","cacheLastUpdated":1635288917976},"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office":{"urn":"urn:pubpipe:wwverticals:article:worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office","_id":"616ff67f45ceed44884908ac","ambientVideo":"","articleType":"story","assetVideo":null,"author":["worklife\u002Fauthor\u002Fjosie-cox"],"bodyIntro":"Some companies want workers back in the office. But parents, who combined remote work with spending more time with their children, are not happy.","businessUnit":"worldwide","cards":[{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Ellen, a 36-year-old mother-of-one living in Westchester County, north of New York City, an article that appeared online in May 2021 changed everything. That week, one of the most powerful men in the finance industry told a conference that remote working didn’t work for “\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-jp-morgan-ceo-idUSKBN2CL1HQ\"\u003Ethose who want to hustle\u003C\u002Fa\u003E”, and signalled his intent to bring employees back to the office. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEllen, who had spent her entire career working on Wall Street, almost choked on her coffee. “During the previous 18 months, I’d spent every single waking hour of the day doing nothing but hustle,” she explains. She was worried by what the comments implied for workers in her industry. “I didn’t want to go back to the office. I’d come to love working from home. I’d proved that it could work, and I didn’t want it to change.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut it did. In the weeks that followed, a handful of major financial-services companies, including Ellen’s employer, called \u003Ca title=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fjpmorgan-goldman-call-time-on-work-from-home-their-rivals-are-ready-to-pounce-11625563800\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.wsj.com\u002Farticles\u002Fjpmorgan-goldman-call-time-on-work-from-home-their-rivals-are-ready-to-pounce-11625563800\"\u003Etime on allowing employees to choose where to work\u003C\u002Fa\u003E.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the pandemic, Ellen had rarely seen her three-year-old son during the week. But since Covid-19 hit, she had become accustomed to having lunch with him and being around for bath and bedtime – which meant readjusting to office working was “devastating”. “Through all the pain of the pandemic, the one huge upside was that I’d had a chance to really bond with him,” she says of her son. “I was working, and we have a nanny, but I was at home and the opportunity to hang out with him between Zoom meetings and calls was priceless.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor years, parents have been calling for more autonomy to decide where and when they work, and to construct their working week around opportunities to care for their children. In March 2020, the pandemic granted those requests for many, as people were sent home to do their jobs. But now, amid signs the pandemic may be coming under control, and as a cautious transition back to pre-pandemic habits gathers pace, many employers are asking employees to come back into the office full time.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"infographic","imageAlignment":"centre","imageOrientation":"landscape","pullQuoteImageAlignment":"centre","videoImageAlign":"centre","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-0"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xz458"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Family sharing a meal at home","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-1"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EGenerally, workers are split on how they feel about going back in person. Some applaud the social advantages of being back in the office, while others are recoiling at the prospect. But parents are fighting back particularly hard, especially those who work long hours.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorkplace experts – as well as the parents themselves – are warning employees now greater flexibility is possible; more than that, they’ve proved they can do their jobs outside the office. That means if employers can’t accommodate parents’ desire to spend more time with their children, they risk a talent drain as workers seek out new roles at firms that can. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA cross-industry problem \u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond banking, one industry where the kick-back from parents has been particularly fierce is the legal world. Robert, a 43-year-old lawyer from the north of England, has a five-year-old son who is autistic.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“When hearings went from being in person to being video calls, it meant that I was able to cut out all of my travel and spent much more time with my family,” he explains. “I was able to support my wife, be a better husband and better father – particularly in the context of all the personal problems that having a child with special needs brings. Our whole family dynamic and bond was strengthened during the period, and [now that things are going back to in-person] I’m just really scared of that changing back and slipping away.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-2"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"Through all the pain of the pandemic, the one huge upside was that I’d had a chance to really bond with him – Ellen","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-3"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003ERobert says that for financial and other reasons he’s not thinking about changing jobs any time soon, but says that many lawyers he’s spoken to, most notably young parents, are thinking about quitting due to the personal cost of going back to the old way of working.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a May 2020 survey by PwC, parents of children under the age of 18 were \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pwc.com\u002Fus\u002Fen\u002Flibrary\u002Fcovid-19\u002Femployees-anxious-about-returning-to-workplace-1.html\"\u003Emore reluctant to return to the workplace than non-parents\u003C\u002Fa\u003E, and of all respondents who said they were hesitant to go back, more than a fifth cited their responsibilities as a parent or caregiver. Additional PwC research in January 2021 showed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.pwc.com\u002Fus\u002Fen\u002Flibrary\u002Fcovid-19\u002Fus-remote-work-survey.html\"\u003Emore than half of employees would prefer to be remote at least three days a week\u003C\u002Fa\u003E once pandemic concerns subside. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-4"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xz49f"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Mum and daughter working together","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-5"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Cable, professor of organisational behaviour at London Business School, explains that in many cases, what’s frustrating so many people is that during the past 18 months, we’ve demonstrated just how well we can work remotely.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“Because we now know it often is possible [to work from home], it highlights the ‘wasted hours’ commuting and putting in face time in the office,” says Cable. “Highlighting this is probably most painful for those that work the most hours, since it puts a real premium on the conflict between, say work and family, or work and fitness, which people are able to balance better when saving the commute time and reinvesting it in these other activities.”  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E‘A longer-term view’\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESarah Russell, an employment lawyer at Fox Whitfield, based in Manchester, UK, cites a recent case suggesting that there is momentum building in the push by parents for more flexible work. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn September, Alice Thompson, a UK estate agent, made headlines when she \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness-58473802\"\u003Ewon an £185,000 ($254,478) pay-out\u003C\u002Fa\u003E from her former employer, who had denied her request for flexible working hours to pick up her daughter from nursery. Thompson quit in December 2019 after her boss refused the request, according to an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk\u002Fmedia\u002F61323241e90e070442fbdd27\u002FMs_A_Thompson__vs_Scancrown_Ltd_-_Trading_as_Manors.pdf\"\u003Eemployment tribunal\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERussell says even though that case didn’t relate specifically to working from home or Covid-19, employers grappling with how to design the post-pandemic workplace should consider it a cautionary tale. “Arguing that there is a real business need for full-time office-based work will be very hard when many businesses have managed with staff full-time from home for 18 months without any apparent damage to their bottom line or reduced productivity,” she says.   \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut even where forcing everyone back into the office full time does not lead to immediate legal action, “it will lead to working parents voting with their feet”, she adds, particularly women. “Law firms have typically been recruiting 50:50 [women and men] at graduate entry level, but they’re reducing their pipeline of potential partners when large numbers of staff exit after maternity leave, because the working practices are incompatible with family life. Employers need to take a longer-term view.”\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-6"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"Image","iFrameType":"","image":["p09xz4c4"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Man looking at his phone in the office","imageOrientation":"landscape","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-7"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EAsked about what companies can do to avoid a talent exodus linked to a disgruntled workforce or an exacerbation of gender inequality, Russell points to the model implemented by Baker McKenzie, the multinational law firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and a handful of other legal companies. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBaker McKenzie has mandated a minimum of two days and a maximum of three days a week in the office for all UK workers. The idea behind doing so is to provide parents and caregivers with some of the flexibility they have become accustomed to during the pandemic, while also safeguarding against some of the potential downsides of a fully hybrid setup. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“This should help to prevent the outcome where men go back full-time and are visibly working long hours, whilst working mothers put in just as many hours at home, but aren’t physically in the room so the male employees bag the overwhelming share of the informal opportunities, promotion and bonuses,” explains Russell. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EForced change\u003C\u002Fstrong\u003E \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFinding a way forward is important, because there is already plenty of evidence that employees who feel that their companies aren’t accommodating their needs are willing to resign.  A recent survey from job-search site FlexJobs showed 58% of people who had been working remotely during the pandemic \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.flexjobs.com\u002Fblog\u002Fpost\u002Fmen-women-experience-remote-work-survey\u002F\"\u003Esaid that they would “absolutely” look for a new job\u003C\u002Fa\u003E if their employer did not allow them to continue working remotely.\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-8"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[]},"cardType":"PullQuote","iFrameType":"","pullQuote":"I was able to support my wife, be a better husband and better father – Robert","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-9"},{"bodyHtml":{"assets":[],"html":"\u003Cp\u003EJulia Lamm, a partner within PwC’s Financial Services People and Organisation practice, says there’s a real risk that anxieties parents feel about going back into the office – including the fear that commuting parents could bring the virus home to their children – could feed into what’s become known as the ‘\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fworklife\u002Farticle\u002F20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit\"\u003EGreat Resignation\u003C\u002Fa\u003E’ if employers don’t manage them effectively.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There’s not one answer that works for everybody,” she says, when asked what employers should be doing to prevent parents from quitting. “But there’s power in looking at the work that each individual does on a day-to-day basis and deciding based on that what work arrangement is best for each person.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a sign that some employers are catching on to the fact that workplaces can’t simply go back to exactly how they were pre-pandemic, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Femployers-catch-remote-job-posts-rise-457-tech-media-lead-anders\u002F\"\u003Epostings for entirely remote positions have rocketed\u003C\u002Fa\u003E during the past 18 months, according to data from LinkedIn.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor people like Ellen and Robert, however, this offers little comfort. Robert says that the legal profession presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to re-evaluating the parameters of how we work: much of the work associated with criminal trials, for example, can’t be done remotely because of safety and logistical concerns.  \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEllen, meanwhile, says that it’s “unthinkable” that an industry like banking, in which so much value is still placed on face time, will change its culture and become significantly more flexible in the immediate future. But eventually, she says, it might have to. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“There are other industries, like tech, that are embracing at least some elements of the pandemic ways of working,” she says. As early as May 2020, Twitter announced its employees would be allowed to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.washingtonpost.com\u002Ftechnology\u002F2020\u002F05\u002F12\u002Ftwitter-work-home\u002F\"\u003Ework from home forever\u003C\u002Fa\u003E. Ellen says there’s no real reason why bankers would not start looking for opportunities in other industries if they’re unhappy. \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E“The prestige of Wall Street is definitely one of the things that attracted me to my job in the first place and perhaps it’s one of the things that has helped me endure it for so long,” she admits. “But even prestige can only go so far. Eventually other considerations will take priority.” \u003C\u002Fp\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBBC Worklife has withheld Ellen and Robert’s surnames due to job-security concerns\u003C\u002Fem\u003E\u003C\u002Fp\u003E"},"cardType":"Body","iFrameType":"","id":"worklife\u002Farticle\u002F20211007-the-parents-who-dont-want-to-go-back-to-the-office-10"}],"collection":["future\u002Fpremium-collection\u002Ffamily-tree"],"disableAdverts":false,"displayDate":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","embeddedCustomHtml":"","embeddedInfographicUrl":"","embeddedType":"infographic","headlineLong":"The parents who don't want to go back to the office","headlineShort":"The parents rejecting return-to-office","image":["p09xz3tn"],"imageAlignment":"centre","imageAltText":"Father and child working together","isSyndicated":true,"latitude":"","longitude":"","mpsVideo":"","option":[{"Content":{"Description":"Apple News Publish: Select to publish, remove to unpublish. 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