Apple's AI team told to move from San Diego to Austin | Offering retirement, health benefits can decrease turnover | This year, celebrate what your team is getting right
Apple's 121-person AI team in San Diego has been told to move to Austin, lose their jobs, or apply for other positions in the company. The US Data Operations Annotations teams are being consolidated in the Texas capital.
Offering employees retirement benefits and health insurance can help to retain workers, says Riley Bingham, head of benefits, product and operations at benefits firm Gusto, which gives advice on choosing plans. It can also help employers save money, Bingham notes.
Research suggests that time of day may affect people's exercise outcomes, with circadian rhythms being at the heart of how well the body responds to physical activity. Investigators in Sweden say they have learned that choosing an optimal time of day to exercise could maximize benefits for people with metabolic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Small businesses can better meet the needs of its hourly employees by changing the way they pay them, writes John Waldmann, CEO and co-founder of Homebase. Consider "on-demand" pay, which allows workers to tap earnings right away, as well as choosing an automatic pay system and offering tools that can help employees save money and budget for big expenses.
It is common for workers to experience a slog they return to their offices in the new year and wise business leaders implement tactics to get out ahead of this, Jonathan Weinberg writes. Weinberg outlines several ways organizations can battle the January Blues, including through regular wellness check-ins, team mapping and opportunities for upskilling and development.
My best friend Ava* and I were discussing an issue with her stepdaughter, Jackie*. The two get along fairly well, but recently got into a dust-up at a family event. They weren’t talking and now there was tension between Ava and her husband, Tom. Ava called me because another family event was approaching, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to attend. I was honest.
“You need to go.”
“Why? I don’t want to see her and be all fake nice.”
“You’re going to support your granddaughter’s barrel racing thing. And no one said be fake. Just be polite.”
“Jackie doesn’t deserve polite.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded, “but it is the right thing to do. And the right thing is always the right thing.”
Today’s SmartQuote from former Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban echoes this sentiment: “It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it's about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way.”
Teams are watching their leaders these days. They’re watching to see what guides us -- ego, greed and selfishness, or honesty, kindness and respect. Are we leaders who can admit mistakes and apologize? Do we cower from awkward situations -- or do we conduct ourselves with professionalism and courtesy?
Legacies are defined by the choices we make. Choose wisely. The right thing is always the right thing.
How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
*Names changed to preserve privacy.
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