The ballots of Amazon workers voting in Alabama on whether to form a union are due today and counting will begin tomorrow, and the result could have a huge effect on not just the US' second-largest employer but companies across the country, experts say. Harvard Law School's Benjamin Sachs compares this moment with that of the auto industry in the early 20th century, saying, "The unionization of that industry, which had a lot to do with labor law reform, was a defining moment for the labor market for decades."

Companies and employment experts share advice on how employers can support menopausal women and prevent a loss of talent. "Not many people feel that they can talk openly about menopause and we have a lot of women in senior leadership roles who expressed how they felt unable to talk openly about their symptoms," says Publicis Poke's Katie Edwards, while Worksphere's Emma Richardson advises that "employers might want to think about creating an absence management policy that recognizes absences directly related to the menopause."

Survey data from the National Institute on Retirement Security shows that 77% of respondents feel pension plans should be available to all workers, and two-thirds say pensions offer better retirement security than a 401(k) plan. The survey report, Americans' Views of State & Local Retirement Plans, also noted that public sector pensions made it through 2020 largely unscathed by pandemic-related volatility.

The people who make up your "inner circle" have the most influence on you, writes Steve Keating, so make sure they are positive and likely to push you to succeed. "Even though some of your friends may mean you no harm they may be harming you with their choices ... because you are influenced and impacted by them," Keating writes.

Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and other similar videoconferencing platforms are part of our new pandemic normal. But please folks, mind your Zoom manners. And know your tools, lest you wind up like Lawyer Cat. Today’s Leadership & Development story is written for legal professionals but offers practical advice -- and links to some hilarious Zoom bloopers -- for us all. 

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