Why haven’t employer expectations changed? A couple weeks ago LinkedIn announced a new feature offering people a new way to “explain” a career break or other gap in their resume. According to the Adweek story linked above, the “Career Break” feature was driven in part by the pandemic and the large number of people who … Continue reading we’re still making workers jump through unnecessary hoops
Considering the Future of the Workplace
“Where” may not be as important as “how” people work. First, let’s acknowledge that the U.S. labor market is still a complete disaster. U.S. employers added 49,000 jobs in January, after a revised drop of 227,000 the month before. Unemployment fell to 6.3%, from 6.7% in December, as hundreds of thousands of people left the … Continue reading Considering the Future of the Workplace
Is The Future In-Office, Remote or Both?
Where people work will influence what jobs are available. Back in March, the assumption seemed to be that most white collar workers being sent home because of the coronavirus outbreak would be able to return later in the year. Many made statements about September or maybe December at the latest being feasible for offices to … Continue reading Is The Future In-Office, Remote or Both?
Job Losses, Like Coronavirus, Could Be Nearing a Second Wave
Of course the first wave never really ended, but let’s move past that. This is what the official unemployment rate looks like, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (PDF), as mapped out over the last two years. The problem has been exacerbated by the continued resistance of Congressional Republicans to pass another round of … Continue reading Job Losses, Like Coronavirus, Could Be Nearing a Second Wave
Remote Learning Is Prepping Kids For Lack of Work Privacy
[Extreme Dr. Forrester voice] I know who you are and I saw what you did.] Stories like this have been coming out with some regularity since late March as schools across the country invest in some mix of digital tools to monitor students during online classes and physical equipment to track them and take their … Continue reading Remote Learning Is Prepping Kids For Lack of Work Privacy
What’s Next For The Unemployed
There’s a reality being left unsaid in our current conversation. Over the course of the last several weeks there have been countless stories and reports on the continued impasse in Washington, D.C. over how and to what extent to continue the federal unemployment assistance program. Originally set at $600, this program gave those who had … Continue reading What’s Next For The Unemployed
Making a Bad Situation Worse
Going in the wrong direction. It’s nearly impossible to explain or quantify how bad the job situation in the United States is at the moment. As of this writing, the country has seen 20 straight weeks of more than 1 million new unemployment claims, a number that’s almost certainly low given it fails to count … Continue reading Making a Bad Situation Worse
Rethinking Office Perks
People’s needs and expectations are - and are going to be - very different. You’d be hard-pressed to offer a single, cohesive and comprehensive definition of “office perks.” In practice that term can be used to describe anything from free coffee to ping-pong tables in the break room to artisan baguettes served in the commissary. … Continue reading Rethinking Office Perks
The Workplace May Change, But By Whom?
The same people who created a broken system are being asked to imagine a new one. We are in the middle of a massive, unplanned experiment. While 30-some states this week are starting down their plans to “reopen” their economic engines, those plans seem to be mostly about retail and manufacturing operations. White collar, information-economy … Continue reading The Workplace May Change, But By Whom?
Do What You Must Without Shame
Society’s expectations are kind of misaligned. There are millions of people who have been laid off in the last few weeks. The job market they’re entering is even more uncertain than the one I faced when I was let go in the middle of 2016, with far fewer options available. If they had retail/service industry … Continue reading Do What You Must Without Shame
Chris Thilk 