Amazon employees hold a protest and walkout over facility conditions in March 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Corporate employees at Amazon are planning a walkout on May 31 to protest the company's return-to-the-office mandate, recent layoffs and its impact on climate change. The action is contingent on the participation of 1,000 employees and company spokesman Rob Munoz stated, "We respect our employees' rights to express their opinions."
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Many companies want employees to return to the office so junior workers can learn necessary skill sets and be available for collaboration. However, the key to success may not be about where work gets done but rather about taking an intentional approach to training and mentoring.
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Less than a quarter of employer healthcare plans cover the use of drugs such as Ozempic for weight loss, per the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, with high costs posing a significant barrier, according to Willis Towers Watson's Cody Midlam. "We certainly are kind of at the beginning of the curve in terms of how insurance companies and healthcare plans are going to tackle this," said the Society for Human Resource Management's Jennifer Chang.
Black enrollment in community college is continuing to drop as Black learners face multiple barriers, writes Karen Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. The Level UP initiative proposes polices and solutions to reverse educational inequity, including creating a supportive environment where Black learners know they belong and have resources to succeed and can "own" what they learn, Stout writes.
Two-thirds of respondents to a survey by The Muse deal with a toxic work environment regularly, and 56% say leaders aren't the problem, S. Chris Edmonds says in this video. Leaders can survey employees regularly to ensure they know what's really going on in the company and deal appropriately with any toxic behavior in the ranks, Edmonds suggests.
Every game night started the same way for NBA legend Kevin Garnett. After the national anthem and starting lineup introductions, Garnett would walk over to the padded stanchion and stand in front of it, tucking in his jersey and tying his shorts. His lips moved in quiet murmurs. With his uniform set, he’d tap his left shoulder, bang his head into the padding and bump the stanchion twice with his fist. Then, he’d visit the scorer’s table where he would dump talcum powder into his hands and clap them, sending a cloud of white dust into the air.
Rituals have their usefulness, as we see in today’s Leadership & Development story. Routine is comforting. They can give people a sense of control and help them navigate anxious moments, according to Wharton professor Maurice Schweitzer.
What about you? What rituals help soothe your anxiety or nervousness? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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