Dropbox's cofounder and CEO Drew Houston says companies who are mandating employees return to the office are creating a toxic relationship with their workers who want flexibility. Ninety percent of Dropbox's 2,600 workers are remote and come together for off-site events and retreats. Full Story: Fortune (tiered subscription model) (4/17)
Recruiting & Retention
Survey: Workers want their bosses to value sustainability As World Earth Day approaches, a survey from Zest shows that about half of employees wish their company would invest more in sustainability, with the figure rising past 6 in 10 for workers 34 and younger. Attitudes seem to be showing up in the workplace: 42% of younger workers say their motivation at work is dulled by their company's lack of effort. "It's been a difficult few years for businesses, and the reality is that many -- often not by choice -- have been forced to put their sustainability initiatives on hold," observes Zest's CEO, Matt Russell. Full Story: Insight News (4/18)
High costs inhibit employer coverage of weight loss drugs A number of large employers across the US are rethinking full coverage of weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic due to high costs. North Carolina's health insurance plan for state workers recently opted to stop covering the treatments altogether after drug manufacturers opposed their efforts to limit coverage by implementing a lifestyle weight management program. The US drug pricing system, which gives drug manufacturers a disproportionate amount of power, can prevent patients from getting access to highly effective treatments, experts say. Full Story: Politico (4/18)
The HR Leader
Company culture in tatters? Bold ways to heal the divide If your company's culture has become divisive -- especially over the past five years or so -- it may be time to revisit and realign your core values with your current workforce, writes Patrick Lencioni, president of The Table Group. There are two ways to heal any current divisions, Lencioni writes: either pull back from all social issues or pick those that resonate with company values and be okay with losing employees who disagree with either move. Full Story: Chief Executive (4/16)
Workplace Chatter
Barbiecue sauce made for Barbie's 65th birthday bash The latest liaison between food and toy manufacturers has resulted in Heinz and Mattel's Classic Barbiecue, a pink vegan mayonnaise that contains barbecue sauce for a smoky flavor and beetroot extract for its signature color. It can be found on burgers and buns in the UK and Spain, and the launch coincides with Barbie's 65th anniversary. Full Story: FoodBev (4/15)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
J. Robert Oppenheimer's Manhattan Project did much of the atomic bomb testing near the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. What does "sandia" refer to?
Two years ago, I interviewed Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. It was after a keynote speech he gave at an education conference I attended. I knew the interview would be short. His PR handler said I had five minutes. “At most,” he warned. “We have to get him to another place, so it might end up being 3-4 minutes.” Thank goodness. By the time the secretary made his way to the area where I was standing, I was a wreck of nerves. I forced myself to calm down, smile and introduce myself. He was gracious and kind. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop my right hand from shaking wildly. I wound up putting my phone in that hand and using it to record his responses to my questions. Thankfully, my voice didn’t shake but it was almost a full minute before my hand stopped. I got through my questions, thanked him for his time, and shook his hand before Secret Service whisked him away. Anxiety can sucker punch you, as we see in today’s Leadership & Development story by LaRae Quy. She tells about one of the first arrests she made as an FBI agent and how anxiety hit her, causing her hands, which were holding her gun, to shake uncontrollably. I liked the lesson she took away from that experience. “Our response can become a bad habit. Anxiety isn’t sparked by what we experience; it’s set off by how our brain interprets the event based on past experiences. If we can break the habit of our conditioned response to anxiety, we can expand the way we think about our situation. This takes a strong mind,” Quy writes. She then offers four ways to build up a defense against anxiety. How do you respond to anxiety? How do you battle those in-the-moment emotions? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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