Tech Firms Tweak Work Tools to Grapple with ‘Digital Exhaustion’ - The Wall Street Journal

dogol.indah.link

Big tech companies— Microsoft Corp. , Adobe Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google among them—are adding new twists to their work tools to fight Zoom fatigue and general burnout as working from home stretches into a second year for millions of people.

Microsoft, for example, has introduced a setting in its Outlook email and calendar to prevent back-to-back video meetings by automatically carving out breaks in between. The downtime can be programmed for 5, 10 or 15 minutes, for example, and can be set by an individual or organization.

A prototype tool in the Adobe Workfront platform uses artificial intelligence to help reorganize users’ days based on priorities they have set and any last-minute changes to their personal and business schedules.

---

Newsletter Sign-up

The Experience Report

Get weekly insights into the ways companies optimize data, technology and design to drive success with their customers and employees.

---

And in March, Google announced updates to its Workspace tools to demarcate working hours and create recurring “away” notifications to lessen digital interruptions.

Tweaks like these aim to address concerns on work-life balance from both employees and employers as remote work continues. With employees never leaving the “office,” work has seeped into all hours of the day, plus weekends; the lack of in-person time with colleagues has resulted in a glut of video meetings.

Employers have taken some steps on their own. Citigroup Inc., for instance, is experimenting with new policies like banning video meetings on Fridays. And software firm BetterCloud Inc. is using a bot on Slack to ask attendees of some virtual meetings whether the gatherings were worthwhile.

People were already finding ways to cut meetings short and take a break, so new prompts like these could solidify those efforts, workplace experts said.

Adobe Workfront’s prototype will try to reorganize someone’s day if something comes up in their personal or business schedules.

Photo: Adobe Inc.

“The acceleration that happened during Covid, where suddenly the only way to connect with others was through technology, it was clear that we needed to be better at using it and defining our own boundaries,” said Nellie Hayat, head of workplace transformation at VergeSense Inc., a workplace analytics platform. As well, that effort would have to be “synchronized with others,” she added.

Outlook’s new break setting dovetails with the virtual commute feature Microsoft added to its Teams tools to delineate the start and finish of employees’ workdays.

“This joins that set of things that’s meant to help them kind of develop the practices that we need to have to manage this digital exhaustion that they feel,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of Microsoft 365, which houses Outlook and Teams.

Adobe’s Workfront prototype tool starts by asking the user to prioritize tasks for the day; those can be open-ended tasks, meetings or personal activities, like working out or going for a run. Workfront then reroutes the secondary tasks to other employees.

Users will be able to set their own working hours on Google in an effort to minimize intrusions.

Photo: Alphabet Inc.

In its March announcement, Google included a new calendar entry called Focus Time, which decreases the notifications it shows users during stretches designated for uninterrupted work and changes their status in chat to “Do not disturb.” The feature will be out this year.

Some of the new features seem more geared to what an organization wants for its employees than what employees might choose for themselves, user experience designers said.

Stopping all notifications from every workplace tool during a break, for example, would be more beneficial than creating rest moments between meetings, said Emma Greenwood, strategy director at I&CO Group LLC, a strategy and invention firm.

“They feel a lot more tethered to what perhaps, companies would like to market back to their employees,” she said. “And that is sort of a recipe for user experience that doesn’t necessarily create a benefit to the end user.”

More From Experience Report

Fewer video meetings and more breaks can help, but they don’t address the burnout and isolation of at-home workers in the pandemic, said Liz Fosslien, co-author of “No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions At Work.”

Managers should take more days off themselves to set an example, or just hold fewer meetings, she said. But they too are overburdened and on uncertain terrain themselves, she said.

“Even for organizations to come around and say like, ‘OK, our people are very stressed, they’re very anxious, well-being needs to be one of our top priorities for the next six months’—that’s not really a conversation that we heard before,” Ms. Fosslien added.

Write to Ann-Marie Alcántara at ann-marie.alcantara@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

The Link Lonk


May 01, 2021 at 02:33AM
https://ift.tt/2PBcC4q

Tech Firms Tweak Work Tools to Grapple with ‘Digital Exhaustion’ - The Wall Street Journal

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Most Americans want to keep working remotely or at home as part of work schedule - CBS News

dogol.indah.link

After a year of lockdowns that left many working Americans working from home or remotely, a large proportion of the U.S. workforce may not be eager to start working outside the home as restrictions ease across the country. 

Twenty-six percent of Americans who are employed either full or part time say their ideal working situation would be to work outside the home. But that doesn't mean most want to work solely from home either: just 19% say this is their ideal work situation. Instead, the most popular option is to have some sort of combination, chosen by 41% of working Americans. Another 14% would simply rather not work at all.

The hybrid preference seems to be widespread, cutting across age groups, and it is the top choice of Americans who are employed both full and part time. There are some differences by gender: though both working men and women prefer a mix, men are twice as likely as women to prefer working outside the home, and by two-to-one, men would rather work fully outside the home than work fully from home or remotely. More women would rather work from inside the home or remotely all the time than only work outside of the home.

This poll was conducted by telephone April 13-18, 2021 among a random sample of 1,011 adults nationwide.  Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Glen Mills, PA.  Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones.

The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.

 Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers. The data have been weighted to reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The error for the sample of Americans who work full or part time could be plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The margin of error includes the effects of standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The Link Lonk


May 01, 2021 at 04:52AM
https://ift.tt/3gQYqQ4

Most Americans want to keep working remotely or at home as part of work schedule - CBS News

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Google’s Plan for the Future of Work: Privacy Robots and Balloon Walls - The New York Times

dogol.indah.link

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google’s first office was a cluttered Silicon Valley garage crammed with desks resting on sawhorses.

In 2003, five years after its founding, the company moved into a sprawling campus called the Googleplex. The airy, open offices and whimsical common spaces set a standard for what an innovative workplace was supposed to look like. Over the years, the amenities piled up. The food was free, and so were buses to and from work: Getting to the office, and staying there all day, was easy.

Now, the company that once redefined how an employer treats its workers is trying to redefine the office itself. Google is creating a post-pandemic workplace that will accommodate employees who got used to working from home over the past year and don’t want to be in the office all the time anymore.

The company will encourage — but not mandate — that employees be vaccinated when they start returning to the office, probably in September. At first, the interior of Google’s buildings may not appear all that different. But over the next year or so, Google will try out new office designs in millions of square feet of space, or about 10 percent of its global work spaces.

The plans build on work that began before the coronavirus crisis sent Google’s work force home, when the company asked a diverse group of consultants — including sociologists who study “Generation Z” and how junior high students socialize and learn — to imagine what future workers would want.

The answer seems to be Ikea meets Lego. Instead of rows of desks next to cookie-cutter meeting rooms, Google is designing “Team Pods.” Each pod is a blank canvas: Chairs, desks, whiteboards and storage units on casters can be wheeled into various arrangements, and in some cases rearranged in a matter of hours.

To deal with an expected blend of remote and office workers, the company is also creating a new meeting room called Campfire, where in-person attendees sit in a circle interspersed with impossible-to-ignore, large vertical displays. The displays show the faces of people dialing in by videoconference so virtual participants are on the same footing as those physically present.

In a handful of locations around the world, Google is building outdoor work areas to respond to concerns that coronavirus easily spreads in traditional offices. At its Silicon Valley headquarters, where the weather is pleasant most of the year, it has converted a parking lot and lawn area into “Camp Charleston” — a fenced-in mix of grass and wooden deck flooring about the size of four tennis courts with Wi-Fi throughout.

There are clusters of tables and chairs under open-air tents. In larger teepees, there are meeting areas with the décor of a California nature retreat and state-of-the-art videoconferencing equipment. Each tent has a camp-themed name such as “kindling,” “s’mores” and “canoe.” Camp Charleston has been open since March for teams who wanted to get together. Google said it was building outdoor work spaces in London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York and Sydney, Australia, and possibly more locations.

Employees can return to their permanent desks on a rotation schedule that assigns people to come into the office on a specific day to ensure that no one is there on the same day as their immediate desk neighbors.

Despite the company’s freewheeling corporate culture, coming into the office regularly had been one of Google’s few enduring rules.

That was a big reason Google offered its lavish perks, said Allison Arieff, an architectural and design writer who has studied corporate campuses. “They get to keep everyone on campus for as long as possible and they’re keeping someone at work,” said Ms. Arieff, who was a contributing writer for the Opinion section of The New York Times.

But as Google’s work force topped 100,000 employees all over the world, face-to-face collaboration was often impossible. Employees found it harder to focus with so many distractions inside Google’s open offices. The company had outgrown its longtime setup.

In 2018, Google’s real estate group began to consider what it could do differently. It turned to the company’s research and development team for “built environments.” It was an eclectic group of architects, industrial and interior designers, structural engineers, builders and tech specialists led by Michelle Kaufmann, who worked with the renowned architect Frank Gehry before joining Google a decade ago.

Google focused on three trends: Work happens anywhere and not just in the office; what employees need from a workplace is changing constantly; and workplaces need to be more than desks, meeting rooms and amenities.

“The future of work that we thought was 10 years out,” Ms. Kaufmann said, “Covid brought us to that future now.”

Two of the most rigid elements in an office design are walls and the heating and cooling systems. Google is trying to change that. It is developing an array of different movable walls that can be packed up and shipped flat to offices around the world.

It has a prototype of a fabric-based overhead air duct system that attaches with zippers and can be moved over a weekend for different seating arrangements. Google is also trying to end the fight over the office temperature. This system allows every seat to have its own air diffuser to control the direction or amount of air blowing on them.

If a meeting requires privacy, a robot that looks like the innards of a computer on wheels and is equipped with sensors to detect its surroundings comes over to inflate a translucent, cellophane balloon wall to keep prying eyes away.

“A key part of our thinking is moving from what’s been our traditional office,” said Ms. Kaufmann.

Google is also trying to reduce distractions. It has designed different leaf-shaped partitions called “petals” that can attach to the edge of a desk to eliminate glare. An office chair with directional speakers in the headrest plays white noise to muffle nearby audio.

For people who may no longer require a permanent desk, Google also built a prototype desk that adjusts to an employee’s personal preferences with a swipe of a work badge — a handy feature for workers who don’t have assigned desks because they only drop into the office once in a while. It calibrates the height and tilt of the monitor, brings up family photos on a display, and even adjusts the nearby temperature.

In the early days of the pandemic, “it seemed daunting to move a 100,000-plus person organization to virtual, but now it seems even more daunting to figure out how to bring them back safely,” said David Radcliffe, Google’s vice president for real estate and workplace services.

In its current office configurations, Google said it would be able to use only one out of every three desks in order to keep people six feet apart. Mr. Radcliffe said six feet would remain an important threshold in case of the next pandemic or even the annual flu.

Psychologically, he said, employees will not want to sit in a long row of desks, and also Google may need to “de-densify” offices with white space such as furniture or plants. The company is essentially unwinding years of open-office plan theory popularized by Silicon Valley — that cramming more workers into smaller spaces and taking away their privacy leads to better collaboration.

Real estate costs for the company aren’t expected to change very much. Though there will be fewer employees in the office, they’ll need more room.

There will be other changes. The company cafeterias, famous for their free, catered food, will move from buffet style to boxed, grab-and-go meals. Snacks will be packed individually and not scooped up from large bins. Massage rooms and fitness centers will be closed. Shuttle buses will be suspended.

Smaller conference rooms will be turned into private work spaces that can be reserved. The offices will use only fresh air through vents controlled by its building management software, doing away with its usual mix of outside and recirculated air.

In larger bathrooms, Google will reduce the number of available sinks, toilets and urinals and install more sensor-based equipment that doesn’t require touching a surface with hands.

A pair of new buildings on Google’s campus, now under construction in Mountain View, Calif., and expected to be finished as early as next year, will give the company more flexibility to incorporate some of the now-experimental office plans.

Google is trying to get a handle on how employees will react to so-called hybrid work. In July, the company asked workers how many days a week they would need to come to the office to be effective. The answers were divided evenly in a range of zero to five days a week, said Mr. Radcliffe.

The majority of Google employees are in no hurry to return. In its annual survey of employees called Googlegeist, about 70 percent of roughly 110,000 employees surveyed said they had a “favorable” view about working from home compared with roughly 15 percent who had an “unfavorable” opinion.

Another 15 percent had a “neutral” perspective, according to results viewed by The New York Times. The survey was sent out in February and the results were announced in late March.

Many Google employees have gotten used to life without time-consuming commutes, and with more time for family and life outside of the office. The company appears to be realizing its employees may not be so willing to go back to the old life.

“Work-life balance is not eating three meals a day at your office, going to the gym there, having all your errands done there,” said Ms. Arieff. “Ultimately, people want flexibility and autonomy and the more that Google takes that away, the harder it is going to be.”

Google has offices in 170 cities and 60 countries around the world, and some of them have already reopened. In Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, Google’s offices have reopened with occupancy allowed to exceed 70 percent. But the bulk of the 140,000 employees who work for Google and its parent company, Alphabet, are based in the United States, with roughly half of them in the Bay Area.

Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Alphabet, said at a Reuters conference in December that the company was committed to making hybrid work possible, because there was an opportunity for “tremendous improvement” in productivity and the ability to pull in more people to the work force.

“No company at our scale has ever created a fully hybrid work force model,” Mr. Pichai wrote in an email a few weeks later announcing the flexible workweek. “It will be interesting to try.”

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 04:00PM
https://ift.tt/3e56cE2

Google’s Plan for the Future of Work: Privacy Robots and Balloon Walls - The New York Times

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Driving safety in work zones - WEAU

dogol.indah.link

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - When the weather starts to warm up, we say goodbye to winter and hello to construction season.

“There’s going to be a lot of roads having construction, maintenance, or any other work, so just be ready for that,” says Tyler Esh with Eau Claire County Emergency Management.

Over the last five years, car crashes in work zones have become all too common.

“There’s been 13,000 crashes and 5,000 injuries in incidents that occurred in work zones in the state,” Esh says.

In order to cut down on those crashes, he says drivers need to be vigilant.

“Follow common sense. If you see people working on the road, if you see flashing lights, slow down, pullover or move over as is the law.”

According to data from Wisconsin State Patrol, in 2019, there were nearly 25-hundred crashes in work zones on Wisconsin roadways and 18 deaths.

Last year, even with travel being down amid the pandemic, there was a work zone crash every 3 and a half hours according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation...

Esh says another problem is distracted driving.

“Don’t have a phone in your hand and just watch the road and make sure you know what’s happening because things can change pretty quickly.”

Speeding in a work zone not only costs lives, but also costs money, with fines being doubled.

“There’s different rules in place being caught speeding in a work zone or using a handheld device in a work zone,” Esh says. “Additional fines and rules are in place to prevent that to hopefully drive home the point that at the end of the day, we want to be as safe as possible.”

With the likelihood of construction being part of your daily route, Esh says it is also important to plan your trip ahead of time.

He says you can do that by checking Wisconsin 5-1-1 to find out if your travel plans include roadways under construction.

Copyright 2021 WEAU. All rights reserved.

The Link Lonk


May 01, 2021 at 05:45AM
https://ift.tt/2SlOsfz

Driving safety in work zones - WEAU

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Buncombe proposes Juneteenth as new county holiday - Mountain Xpress

dogol.indah.link

Concerns of racial equity are increasingly shaping how Buncombe County employees do their work. But a new proposal up for consideration by the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, May 4, would also bring an equity lens to when county workers go off the clock.

As outlined in a presentation by Sharon Burke, Buncombe’s human resources director, county leaders are requesting that Juneteenth be added as a paid holiday. Observed on June 19 or the immediately preceding Friday, the holiday commemorates the 1865 announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation by Union soldiers to enslaved people in Texas and “signifies freedom and liberation for African Americans in the United States.”

The proposed ordinance establishing the holiday states that the move is supported by the county’s Equity and Inclusion Workgroup and would “represent an authentic and more inclusive history of freedom in America.” However, Burke’s presentation also notes that recognizing Juneteenth “shows a complicated American history and may be considered divisive.”

If approved, Buncombe government workers would receive a total of 13 paid holidays per year, a number in line with other large North Carolina county and city governments. Essential county functions, such as emergency medical services and public safety, would continue to operate that day, and employees required to work would bank the holiday time for later use.

In other news

In advance of its usual funding cycle, Buncombe’s Affordable Housing Committee is recommending that $800,000 in county money be granted to two proposed residential developments by Mountain Housing Opportunities. Lakeshore Villas would bring 120 units of affordable multifamily housing to Arden near Lake Julian, while Pentland Place would provide 110 units just west of Asheville off of New Leicester Road.

Both developments would be targeted at residents making 30% to 80% of the area median income, or between $22,650 and $60,100 annually for a family of four. MHO is also applying for federal low-income housing tax credits to finance the projects.

Also on the agenda is a budget amendment increasing the amount of occupancy tax the county will remit to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority by $8.5 million — an increase of more than 47% over the initially budgeted $18 million. Jennifer Barnette, Buncombe’s budget director, noted that occupancy taxes had been expected to take an “enormous hit” due to the COVID-19 pandemic but that “current year growth has exceeded those expectations.”

Consent agenda and public comment

The board’s consent agenda for the meeting contains 12 items, which will be approved as a package unless singled out for separate discussion. Highlights include the following resolutions:

• Authorizing a new wastewater inspector position. Jessica Silver, Buncombe’s environmental health administrator, reports that requests for septic system evaluations have increased by 22% over the past five years due to the area’s construction boom.
• Approving the disbursement of up to $100,000 to cover the cost of installing a pre-K classroom at Avery’s Creek Elementary School. The facility will be run by Community Action Opportunities, which already operates 14 Head Start classrooms at Buncombe elementary schools.
• Approving two contracts for deferred maintenance projects on the Dogwood and Bailey buildings at A-B Tech. James R. Vannoy Construction will receive nearly $36,000 for preconstruction services, while Novus Architects will receive $150,000 for design and construction administration.

The commissioners will also hold a briefing at 3 p.m. to discuss the county’s COVID-19 response and other topics. The full agenda and supporting documents for the regular meeting can be found at this link.

In a change from previous protocols, in-person public comment will be accepted at the start of the meeting. Those planning to comment must sign up online or call 828-250-4001 by Monday, May 3, at 3 p.m. Commenters will be required to leave the meeting after speaking to the board.

Commenters can also register to speak via Zoom. Regardless of medium, all commenters will receive three minutes to address the board.

Both the briefing and regular meeting will be livestreamed on the county’s Facebook page and will subsequently be available via YouTube.

The Link Lonk


May 01, 2021 at 02:00AM
https://ift.tt/3vwt2dJ

Buncombe proposes Juneteenth as new county holiday - Mountain Xpress

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Florida adds 'Freedom Week' sales tax holiday, encouraging entertainment and recreation - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

dogol.indah.link

article

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A $196.3-million tax package is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk after lawmakers Friday signed off on a series of proposals, including sales-tax "holidays" for back-to-school shopping, hurricane-season preparations and encouraging people to get out for some entertainment and recreation.

The House voted 117-1 to pass the package (HB 7061), which earlier received unanimous support from the Senate. The bill has 22 separate parts, including a long-discussed repeal of an unused pool of state money approved in 2014 to help build and renovate professional sports stadiums.

The package also would create a college internship program that offers tax credits up to $10,000 a year to businesses and would set aside $17.5 million for taxpayers that clean contaminated brownfields.

"This bill helps citizens directly," Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura, said. "It doesn't have big payoffs for large companies. It helps the people."

For most Floridians, the relief would come with the trio of tax holidays. A 10-day back-to-school holiday would start July 31 and is expected to save shoppers $69.4 million in state and local taxes. It would allow shoppers to avoid paying sales taxes on clothes costing $60 or less, school supplies costing $15 or less and the first $1,000 of price of a personal computer.

Another 10-day tax holiday on disaster-preparedness gear would start May 28, just before the June 1 beginning of hurricane season. It would allow shoppers to avoid paying sales taxes on items ranging from tarpaulins and small batteries to portable generators costing up to $1,000.

Advertisement

The shopping period is expected to cut state and local revenue $10.5 million.

A House-backed "Freedom Week" holiday would start July 1 and is projected to punch a $54.7-million hole in state revenue. It would provide a sales-tax exemption on tickets purchased for such things as live music, athletic contests, in-theater movies, cultural events, museums, state parks, and fitness facilities, as well certain outdoor equipment such as tents, grills, bicycles, kayaks and fishing gear.

Tickets could be purchased that week for events that occur later in the year, including annual passes.

The Link Lonk


May 01, 2021 at 02:34AM
https://ift.tt/3eCLVoo

Florida adds 'Freedom Week' sales tax holiday, encouraging entertainment and recreation - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Albany County Legislature moves to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday - NEWS10 ABC

dogol.indah.link

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Albany County Legislature, recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth and the opportunity for people to learn more about the past, is moving forward with legislation to officially designate June 19 as an official holiday for county employees.

Juneteenth is already a state-designated holiday after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in October. Previously in June, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan signed an executive order declaring the holiday in the city.

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with federal troops to read the order announcing the end of the Civil War, a day that has been marked in history as “Juneteenth.”

Applications for Albany County Legislature’s summer youth program close Friday

It wasn’t until two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect that African Americans in Texas were made aware of their right to freedom.

“I would be remiss if I don’t recognize the achievements of the Black community. For Black people, June 19 continues to be significant because it represents freedom and all that we have overcome over the years. We still have a long way to go to be free of discrimination and we must address the facts of systemic racism, but we continue to make strides in the right direction,” said Legislative Black Caucus Chairman William Clay, who sponsored the resolution.

Albany County Legislature suggests raising minimum wage for county workers

The Personnel Committee approved the resolution during its meeting on Thursday and the bill will go before the Legislature for a final vote on May 10.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 04:03PM
https://ift.tt/331tFzV

Albany County Legislature moves to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday - NEWS10 ABC

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Daily Holiday - 4/30/21 - News8000.com - WKBT

dogol.indah.link

April 30, 2021 7:39 AM

Site staff

Posted: April 30, 2021 7:39 AM

by Site staff

COPYRIGHT 2021 BY NEWS 8 NOW/NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.

• Facebook

• Pinterest

• Twitter

• Linkedin

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 08:39PM
https://ift.tt/3e697fS

Daily Holiday - 4/30/21 - News8000.com - WKBT

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Bill would make Juneteenth an official holiday in Hawaii - Maui News

dogol.indah.link

The Maui News

A bill designating Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Hawaii is expected to be signed into law by Gov. David Ige in the coming weeks, according to a news release from the state Legislature on Thursday.

Senate Bill 939 passed the full Senate and House vote on Tuesday. If signed into law, it would make Hawaii the 49th state to officially celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865 — the end of African American enslavement in the U.S. South Dakota is the only other state that has not officially recognized the holiday, the news release said.

Motivated by the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, Hawaii’s first-ever African American Miss Hawaii USA, Samantha Neyland, launched Hawaii for Juneteenth, a coalition of advocates that successfully lobbied the Legislature to introduce and pass the bill.

The coalition is comprised of elected officials, civil-rights activists and nonprofits, including the African Americans on Maui Association, the Anti-Defamation League, ACLU, the Democratic Party of Hawaii, the Honolulu NAACP, the University of Hawaii and the majority of Maui, Hawaii, Kauai and Honolulu County Council members. The coalition also got a resolution passed in Maui County.

While some believe the passage of the Juneteenth bill is long overdue, the coalition initially faced resistance from some who felt racism isn’t an issue in a state where African Americans make up just 3 percent of the population, the news release said.

“The first phase was all about education,” the 25-year-old Neyland said. “We worked tirelessly towards raising awareness on the history of Juneteenth and its value in today’s climate of social and racial unrest. In the beginning, it was definitely a process explaining to people why racism isn’t just a ‘Mainland problem’ but a Hawaii problem as well.”

Last year, the group approached Sen. Glenn Wakai and Rep. John Mizuno on sponsoring Juneteenth legislation.

“Despite Hawaii’s multi-cultural makeup, the Aloha State is not immune to racism,” Wakai said. “Recognizing Juneteenth allows Hawaii to finally join the rest of the nation in its elusive quest to end racism for all Americans.”

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 11:32PM
https://ift.tt/333DSf3

Bill would make Juneteenth an official holiday in Hawaii - Maui News

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

The best companies to work for in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, according to LinkedIn - CNBC

dogol.indah.link

Companies that adapted quickly to the pandemic while continuing to offer employees opportunities to advance their careers have ranked top among LinkedIn's best places to work in Southeast Asia in 2021.

Focusing on Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, the professional networking site assessed companies' performance through the unprecedented challenges of 2020 to formulate its list of 15 leading employers in each country.

Each company was measured across seven key factors said to lead to career progression: ability to advance; skills growth; company stability; external opportunity; company affinity; gender diversity; and educational background. Overall, those that managed to balance professional development with wellbeing support fared best.

"The past year has presented extraordinary challenges for so many around the world and our top companies methodology reflects these realities," said Chris Anderson, senior news editor for Asia-Pacific at LinkedIn.

"This helped us surface companies who are investing in employee growth, as we navigate a world of work that's forever changed by the global pandemic."

To be eligible, companies had to have at least 500 employees in the country, with reductions in staff no higher than 10% as of Dec. 31, 2020.

Here's a rundown of the full list.

Singapore

The top 15 companies to work for in Singapore in 2021 include those in the banking, financial services, accounting and technology industries.

A man walks towards the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation building (OCBC) in Singapore.

ROSLAN RAHMAN | AFP | Getty Images

1. OCBC Bank
   Topping this year's list is one of Singapore's largest banks Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, which won plaudit for its management through the Covid-19 crisis. It is now offering staff additional time off as needed during the vaccine rollout. Having appointed its first female CEO in January, diversity will be high on the agenda as the bank goes on a hiring spree for financial advisors and mortgage specialists.
   
2. Standard Chartered Bank
   Ranking in second place is British multinational bank Standard Chartered, which has been making strides in gender equality. The bank has also been an advocate of remote work, pledging to cut a third of its office space within four years and introducing a new policy letting staff choose when and where they work. The business is now looking to bulk out its software engineering and project management teams.
   
3. Unilever
   British consumer goods company Unilever emerged in third place due in part to the support it provided to local communities during the height of the pandemic in Singapore. The business has also been recognized for its sustainability and gender equality achievements. Going forward, it intends to retain a hybrid working model, saying employees will "never return to desks" for a full five-day week.
   
4. EY — Accounting
5. UOB — Banking
6. Citi — Financial services
7. Accenture — Information technology & services
8. ST Engineering — Mechanical or industrial engineering
9. FairPrice Group — Retail
10. Sea — Internet
11. IBM — Information technology & services
12. PwC — Accounting
13. KPMG — Accounting
14. Prudential plc — Financial services
15. DBS Bank — Banking

Malaysia

Malaysia's top 15 companies in 2021 are largely multinationals in sectors spanning oil and gas, banking and telecommunications.

People wearing face masks walk in front of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 29, 2021.

Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images

1. Petronas
   Malaysia's government-owned oil and gas company Petronas ranked as the country's top employer in 2021. With a staff of almost 40,000 covering functions from engineering to energy, the company has been making progress in its push for gender equality. Women make up more than one-quarter (27%) of its workforce and the company welcomed its first woman chief financial officer last year.
   
2. Permodalan Nasional Berhad
   One of Malaysia's largest fund management companies, government-linked Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) placed second among the country's leading companies. Quick to introduce flexible work arrangements at the start of the pandemic, it has since added stress and time management training for workers. Meantime, the company advocates professional development through its staff training and scholarship programs.
   
3. Tenaga Nasional Berhad
   Utilities company Tenaga Nasional Berhad ranked third this year as it forges ahead with its renewable energy strategy. The CEO has pledged to create more jobs over the coming years as the company moves away from fossil fuel technologies, including expanding its footprint in Vietnam and Singapore.
   
4. AIA — Insurance
5. Telekom Malaysia — Telecommunications
6. Accenture — Information technology & services
7. Maybank — Banking
8. OCBC Bank — Banking
9. PwC — Accounting
10. Standard Chartered Banking — Banking
11. EY — Accounting
12. Axiata — Telecommunications
13. Prudential plc — Financial services
14. Intel Corporation — Semiconductors
15. Hong Leong Bank Berhad — Financial services

Philippines

The Philippines' leading 15 companies in 2021 range from banking to telecommunications and food & beverage companies.

External view of Philippine National Bank branch in Manila, Philippines.

South China Morning Post | Getty Images

1. Philippine National Bank
   Emerging as the Philippines' best company to work for in 2021 was Philippine National Bank. The company and its CEO were recognized for their "excellence" in responding to the pandemic, and managed to remain profitable in 2020. Looking ahead, the bank's leadership said it is optimistic about the future as it embarks on its digitization strategy.
   
2. Smart Communications
   Smart Communications came in second place, and was also recognized for its response to the Covid-19 crisis, which continues to weigh on the Philippines. The telecommunications company deployed 600 stores in Metro Manila to help customers access internet services as companies shifted to remote work. It also launched a community support program to help students suffering from mental health concerns during lockdown.
   
3. Manila Water
   Utilities provider Manila Water ranked third among the Philippines' top companies to work for in 2021. The business was recently commended by employees for its return to work policy, with 94% rating it highly. The company has also been offering mental health counseling and financial assistance programs to employees, as well as learning and development opportunities.
   
4. Philip Morris International — Tobacco
5. EY — Accounting
6. Land Bank of the Philippines — Banking
7. Manulife — Financial services
8. Metrobank — Banking
9. Accenture — Information technology & services
10. Nestle — Food & beverages
11. The Coca-Cola Company — Food & beverages
12. Macquarie Group — Financial services
13. NCR Corporation — Information technology & services
14. BDO Unibank — Financial services
15. IQVIA — Hospital & Healthcare

Don't miss: Why skills and not experience could land you your next job

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 12:58PM
https://ift.tt/3aQJfTd

The best companies to work for in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, according to LinkedIn - CNBC

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Work from home boosts Taiwan's economic growth to fastest in over a decade - Reuters

dogol.indah.link

Taiwan's economy grew at its fastest pace in more than a decade in the first three months of 2021 as the "work from home" boom sparked strong global demand for the island's hi-tech exports.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 8.16% in January-March from a year earlier, preliminary data from the statistics agency showed on Friday, up from the fourth quarter's 5.09% rise.

The reading was well above the 6.1% increase forecast in a Reuters poll and was the fastest pace since growth of 11.54% in the third quarter of 2010.

Compared with the fourth quarter, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of growth was 12.93% in the first quarter.

The government attributed the strong growth to surging demand for electronics, driven by new technologies such as 5G and by people working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Total exports rose 24.58% in the first quarter year-on-year in U.S. dollar terms, while exports of electronics components rose 28.37% and those of communication and audio-visual products leapt 29.67%, the agency said.

"Demand for 5G and high-performance computing continues to increase, and orders for communications and electronic products are booming," it added.

Statistics official Wu Pei-hsuan said exports and investment numbers were far better than expected, saying it wasn't only chip firms expanding their production but sectors like petrochemicals. too.

Domestic consumption also performed well, Wu added.

Revised GDP figures, including growth estimates for the full year, will be released later in May.

Capital Economics increased its growth forecast for this year to 8% from the previous 5% after the data was published.

The tech-powerhouse island, home to the world's largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) (2330.TW), , has benefited from global demand for smartphones, tablets and computers from people forced to study and work from home in large parts of the world.

A global shortage of chips for everything from cars to consumer electronics has also bolstered demand for made-in-Taiwan semiconductors, where producers are busy expanding capacity. read more

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 04:02PM
https://ift.tt/2RgVIJ6

Work from home boosts Taiwan's economic growth to fastest in over a decade - Reuters

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Work, Life Balance Tips for Parents From Maven VP of People Karsten Vagner - Managed Healthcare Executive

dogol.indah.link

Below is a brief Q&A of the interview with Vagner which has been edited and clarified for length.

Q: Can you share what Maven has experienced from COVID-19 and how it's affected practices with patients?

A: What we're seeing in Maven is a real uptick for families in terms of their needs. Our mission at Maven is to improve the health of the world, one woman, one family at a time - a lofty mission, and it makes us feel so good to be able to help people and families every day. I think through COVID that mission has become more of a responsibility, and making sure that every person who needs access to healthcare through telemedicine, we are able to deliver that for them. It gives us a new meaning and purpose and has over these past 14 months. Internally, we have lots and lots of parents at Maven. We spend a lot of time talking with them, and working with them to make sure that we're always striking the balance of doing what the business needs and doing what your family needs to. It's easier said than done.

Q: Has COVID made Maven's transition in services for patients easier or has it become harder?

A: I think telemedicine has made things a lot easier for a lot of people. Some stats for you if they're helpful: we saw a 50% increase in telemedicine appointments across the board in the early months of the pandemic last year. And when I think about mental health in particular, we saw a 300% increase in mental health appointments on our platform throughout this year too. And it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

Q: Can you share a few tips or best practices for parents and their children during this time?

A: First thing I'd say is: keep the things that are working. I'll give you a quick example of that. A lot of people are telling me that they're having dinner and meals with their family more than ever before. As we move into a world that is maybe a little bit more normal, post COVID, keep the stuff that works for your family, and build those limitations and boundaries for yourself in order to keep that put your family first, to the extent that you can.

Another thing for parents to really think about, be patient with your kids as they navigate this transition to I think there's a lot of science out there that tells us children's mental health has also taken a toll during the pandemic. It's not just parents who are feeling it, it's the kids as well. So stay attuned to that, especially as we go through the end of the school year started another one. What does that feel like for kids who've been locked down for a significant portion of their lives? Make sure you're really thinking about them as well.

I'm also happy to give you some some things that I've learned personally, at home, with my family and things that have worked and maybe not worked. But I'd say number one is: predictable routines help them a lot. With my daughter I found that her knowing what's coming next, every day, and my husband and I knowing what's coming next too has really helped structure our days in a time where the world feels unpredictable. What can you control? What can you predict? And what can you do for your kids, they're found really helpful. Another is be a little flexible with yourself. So I indulge a little bit, maybe more ice cream than I should forgive myself on it too. So the adults forgive yourself complex, I think is needed. And these moments, maybe it's okay to watch one more episode and that reality show on Netflix or whatever it happens to be and not feel guilty about it. That's okay.

Another practical thing that has worked for our family a lot after thousands of meals that we've cooked and cleaned up after: takeout. Takeout works. It helps the economy. It's really nice to eat a meal that you didn't have to make and you don't have to clean up after. So it's a win win for everybody. I love supporting the restaurants in my neighborhood and I love that they support us too.

We talked a lot about I think throughout this pandemic as a society, exercise and physical health and making sure you're moving as a parent. I found it really helpful to do family exercise. There's also a measure of accountability as well. And you know, the four-and-a-half year old at home, we do jumping jacks every morning it's also helped her learn to count to 100. There's an extra added benefit in there and I don't like to start my day as if we're not doing our jumping jacks in the morning. It's a lot of fun.

Finally, being a parent in times like these, obviously very difficult to do and stepping away is okay. I really found it helpful to go have dinner or meal or drinks or whatever it happens to be with friends and leave everybody else at home for a little while. As the world opens up and make sure you're doing it safely, being able to do that, find time for yourself as an individual, I find it really restorative. It makes me appreciate all the people waiting for me back home when I get there.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 11:15AM
https://ift.tt/3xAzGBs

Work, Life Balance Tips for Parents From Maven VP of People Karsten Vagner - Managed Healthcare Executive

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

Horoscopes by Holiday - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

dogol.indah.link

Happy birthday (Apr. 30): The endeavor becomes possible because you believe it is possible. You'll build skills and adopt new modes of thought. It is fortifying beyond measure to know you are growing in mind and spirit.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): There's something of value you don't want to lose. This is what's standing between you and a change. The shift will only be possible after you've reckoned with your feelings and deemed the loss to be necessary.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you wanted to get judgmental, the data are in front of you. It doesn't look great on paper. But you want to be constructive instead — which is hard, helpful and so on-brand for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): There are those who will do anything you ask of them, but you have to tell them exactly what to do. Do you really want to work that hard? Seek people who come with their own initiative.

CANCER (June 22-July 22): To talk about what you know and listen when you don't seems so simple, but many will violate the rule. They speak to fill the void or get attention — tiresome. All you have to do is politely excuse yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When you think about it, the amount of love and respect you give yourself pretty much mirrors the amount you give others. So no matter how you go about it, increasing the love increases the love.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Those who worry about having a thing are not really rich in it. There are two ways to be rich — to have so much that you can't possibly run out of it or to have so little of it that you have nothing to lose.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): It would be unreasonable to love only those who love themselves. Love all types if you can. But when it comes to your close relationships, the healthier prospects promise wonderful harmony.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): It's said that complaining is like a rocking chair; a comfort though it never goes anywhere. Arguably, those who find comfort in complaining provide far less of it to everyone within earshot. Luckily, you know when to use your feet.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Explore, decide, change your mind — all part of the process. Anyone who gives you a hard time about this doesn't fully understand your creativity. Believe in your vision enough for anyone who can't see it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be mindful not to tie your self-worth into anything as precarious as a bank balance, bad hair day or other transitory state. Moods will rise and fall, but your value remains inestimable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look into the depth of the sky, imagine the breadth of the ocean, try and count the stars. Take that expansive feeling with you wherever you go and know that whatever it is you think you lack, there really is enough to go around.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There's an elegance in you that you often let shine, though sometimes you tuck it behind a shield because you don't want too many people coming for you at once. Today, you're very much in control of and aware of this.

COSMIC WARNING AGAINST OBLIVION

The sun conjunct Uranus and a lunar opposition to Mars warn against an overabundance of self-involvement. When simple rules of common decency seem like epic achievements, things are in a sorry state. This simple advice bears mention: When people are talking to you, pay attention. You might be the only one who does.

WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST

• ARIES: It’s just gotten too complicated. Two things will improve your love life: a desire to simplify and the will to follow through.
• TAURUS: How attractive a person is to you has everything to do with the person’s thought processes and the way they carry themselves.
• GEMINI: No one is expecting you to be perfect except you.
• CANCER: You’d like to feel firmly in control, but the very nature of sharing is that it causes you not to be — something to embrace.
• LEO: Your adventures in love will be driven by a quest for beauty, glamour and excitement.
• VIRGO: You get the sense that some of your preferences are not your own; rather, they were instilled in you by those who wanted you to be like them.
• LIBRA: To love a person is to accept that some of your feelings are held in their hands. The less you know and trust a person, the more uncomfortable that will be.
• SCORPIO: You may be unaware, but loving eyes are most certainly focused on you.
• SAGITTARIUS: When your time with someone is limited, you make sure to pack in all the good stuff.
• CAPRICORN: You’re as attractive as you feel. You can drum it up on command.
• AQUARIUS: Passions peak and dip, but friendships span the distance.
• PISCES: People praise your humor. Any chance you are masking fear or pain by making people laugh?

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND

Capricorn and Taurus are among the most ideal matches of the zodiac, often showing up in a power coupling. As far as glamour goes, it doesn’t get much more succinct than the pairing of power and money, which is this couple’s essence. And what about the deeper, more meaningful aspects? They exist, too, at the root, bonded deep enough in the earth that the world’s perception can’t touch.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 01:41PM
https://ift.tt/3gVgit5

Horoscopes by Holiday - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

METALS-London copper snaps five-session rally in subdued pre-holiday trade - Nasdaq

dogol.indah.link
[unable to retrieve full-text content]METALS-London copper snaps five-session rally in subdued pre-holiday trade  Nasdaq The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 02:37PM
https://ift.tt/3eGxrnz

METALS-London copper snaps five-session rally in subdued pre-holiday trade - Nasdaq

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Coronavirus: High street and holiday voucher schemes announced - BBC News

dogol.indah.link
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Coronavirus: High street and holiday voucher schemes announced  BBC News The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 03:26PM
https://ift.tt/2PHIzZ6

Coronavirus: High street and holiday voucher schemes announced - BBC News

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Northeast Wisconsin employers weigh options for return to work - Fox11online.com

dogol.indah.link
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Northeast Wisconsin employers weigh options for return to work  Fox11online.com The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 05:58AM
https://ift.tt/3eM8A1X

Northeast Wisconsin employers weigh options for return to work - Fox11online.com

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

No Mandatory Vaccines In Film & TV Industry’s Updated Return-To-Work Protocols - Deadline

dogol.indah.link

EXCLUSIVE: Covid-19 vaccinations of casts and crews will not be mandatory on film and TV productions under the industry’s newly renegotiated return-to-work protocols, which now extend to June 30. “To mandate at this point may be premature,” a source told Deadline. “That subject has been skirted.”

The source noted, however, that cast and crew members still should get vaccinated, “but nothing is mandatory.” The new agreement, is a “pretty much a straightforward extension” of those that were set to expire on Friday, the source said.

The original return-to-work agreement was reached between management’s Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers and Hollywood’s unions agreement with Hollywood’s unions – SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, IATSE, the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts – on September 21, nearly three months before the first Covid-19 vaccine was administered in the U.S. Even though vaccines now are widely available, they won’t be mandatory on film and TV sets until at least June 30, when the current extension expires.

Related Story

Hollywood’s Unions Are Racking Up Huge Dues Losses During Pandemic Slowdown

The extension of the current agreement contains all of the provisions of the original, including strictly enforced testing regimens, physical distancing, Covid-19 compliance officers, diligent use of personal protective equipment, and a “Zone” system to ensure that different sections of the production are tightly controlled based on proximity to cast, who often can’t wear masks or maintain social distancing while working. Union officials have observed that these protocols have made film sets among the safest places to work in America during the pandemic.

Like the old protocols, the newly extended agreement gives workers 10 days of paid sick leave starting May 1 and running through Dec. 10. Those who used all 10 sick days during the run of the old agreement will get 10 more, but unused days won’t be added to the 10 that are now available.

The no mandatory vaccinations stipulation is interesting, given the new CDC guidance relaxing mask requirements for fully-vaccinated Americans in outdoor congregate settings. That guidance was adopted by Los Angeles County this week, but will not extend to workplaces.

In response to a question specifically about film and TV productions, L.A. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer told Deadline on Thursday that, “In our health officer order, we’re not changing any of our guidelines.” She did however indicate that, long term, there may be adjustments for fully-vaccinated workers.

“We are looking at — with CDC — adjustments for workplaces where everyone is fully vaccinated,” said Ferrer, before noting that any such changes were a long way off.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 06:38AM
https://ift.tt/3eWKOQX

No Mandatory Vaccines In Film & TV Industry’s Updated Return-To-Work Protocols - Deadline

https://ift.tt/2VuKK1x
Work

The Holiday Lag b'Omer is all the Rage in Israel — Here's How to Celebrate it — Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

dogol.indah.link

(David Mark/Pixabay)

The festive holiday usually involves bonfires, music, food and plenty of weddings.

This article originally appeared on Kveller.

What do bonfires, weddings and carob have in common? They’re all connected to the holiday of Lag b’Omer.

While you may have never heard of this holiday, Lag b’Omer is popular and widely beloved in Israel — and it’s time we Americans learned to enjoy it, too. Below are suggestions of some fun ways to do so.

But first, a little bit of history about this unusual holiday, which this year begins on Thursday night. Lag b’Omer is the 33rd day of the Omer, a seven-week period that begins on the second evening of Passover. During this time, we count each day until the holiday of Shavuot begins. While the Omer connects two joyous holidays — Passover, which celebrates freedom from slavery, and Shavuot, which celebrates the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai — the Omer is a period of semi-mourning.

According to the Talmud, the central text of rabbinic Judaism, many years ago during the Omer, God caused a plague that killed thousands of the students of the great Rabbi Akiva. Why? We’re told that Rabbi Akiva’s students weren’t treating each other with respect. Today we remember these students and their punishment during this time. However, on the 33rd day of the Omer — yes, Lag b’Omer — God brought the plague to an end. That means it’s time to party.

Of course, in true Jewish tradition, there are other backstories to Lag b’Omer as well. The holiday is also connected to a disciple of Rabbi Akiva — whom, it’s worth mentioning, was a supporter of Bar Kochba, who led a ferocious but unsuccessful revolt against Roman rule in 132 BCE.

This disciple, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, fled from the Roman rulers in Jerusalem. Legend has it that he spent years hiding in a cave, sustained only by a well of water and a carob tree. A famed mystic, Shimon Bar Yochai allegedly died on Lag b’Omer. In Israel, hundreds of thousands of Hasidic Jews make pilgrimages to his tomb in Meron on this date. They celebrate his life by partying up a storm.

Among less observant Jews in Israel, Lag b’Omer is generally an excuse for friends and family to get together and have a bonfire. In the early evening on the holiday, many people light fires and cook all sorts of campfire foods, like hot dogs, baked potatoes and marshmallows roasted on a stick. Even if you’re not an outdoorsy type of person, trust me when I say it’s lots of fun.

Fortunately, you can celebrate Lag b’Omer even if you’re not in Israel. This year, as we continue to inch closer to the end of a modern-day plague, I encourage everyone to find meaning and joy in celebrating the end of a different plague that occurred many years ago. Here are some family-friendly ways you can celebrate Lag b’Omer:

1. Have a picnic

It’s common in Israel for schoolkids to celebrate Lag b’Omer with barbecues and/or picnics. If the weather is nice, have a meal outside and spend some quality time with your family.

2. Have fun playing with bows and arrows

During the holiday, Israeli kids are often seen playing with toy bows and arrows — one explanation is that this is in imitation of the revolt by Rabbi Akiva’s students against the Romans.

3. Make a bonfire

As we’ve established, fires are a traditional way to celebrate Lag b’Omer in Israel — some say this is in honor of the “spiritual light” that the mystical Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai brought to the world. Also, what’s more fun than a bonfire? Add to the joy by serving up s’mores or other treats.

4. Listen to some music

Many traditional Jews don’t listen to music during the Omer, as it is a period of mourning. But Lag b’Omer is the exception. Regardless of what your family does or does not do during this time, this holiday is a perfect excuse to get down to some fun Jewish or Israeli music — or whatever floats your boat. Here’s a playlist of some catchy, modern Israeli songs to get the whole family dancing.

5. Share memories from your wedding day

Traditionally, Jews don’t get married during the Omer. Of course, Lag b’Omer is an exception, and as such there are many, many weddings in Israel on this joyful day. If you are married, take this opportunity to travel down memory lane. Share some photos of your special day with your kids, tell some stories, and if you have a video of your wedding, watch it together as a family — especially if your kids have never seen it.

6. Snack on some carob

Carob, as we established, sustained Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai during the years he lived in a cave. It grows abundantly across Israel, and it’s also a very tasty and healthy snack. That’s especially true if you let go of the misguided notion that it’s a substitute for chocolate. (Newsflash: It is not.) If your kids aren’t familiar with carob, Lag b’Omer is the perfect day to introduce it to them — sample the whole pods if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some.

7. Have a parade

Some communities have parades on Lag b’Omer in celebration of Jewish unity. Even in this time of continued social distancing, you can have a parade, too! It doesn’t have to be anything major — no permits are required if your family (and maybe a few friends) simply march around your neighborhood, or even just your yard. If your kids are up for it, you can make signs or flags to carry, or bring musical instruments.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

By Rabbi Robyn Frisch

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 12:30AM
https://ift.tt/3xzQOaD

The Holiday Lag b'Omer is all the Rage in Israel — Here's How to Celebrate it — Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday

Amazon sheds 27k employees in Q1 in return to traditional post-holiday jobs pattern - GeekWire

dogol.indah.link

Amazon’s total number of full- and part-time employees fell to 1.271 million people in the first quarter of 2021, down 27,000 positions from the fourth quarter of 2020, according to numbers released Thursday along with the company’s blockbuster earnings report.

In raw numbers, it’s the largest quarter-over-quarter employment decline in Amazon’s history. But flat or declining employment has been a common pattern for the e-commerce giant in the first quarter in years past. That’s because it follows the peak holiday quarter, when Amazon boosts staffing at its fulfillment and distribution centers.

In that way, the raw size of the first-quarter decline speaks more to the company’s sheer size, resulting from years of meteoric growth overall. The most recent quarterly decline translates to a little more than 2% of Amazon employees, making the drop lower than in some recent years on a percentage basis. The numbers do not include temporary or contract workers.

Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky. (Amazon Photo)

The first quarter of 2020 was an exception to the normal post-holiday pattern, when Amazon added more than 40,000 employees in preparation for booming demand for online shopping amid stay-at-home orders in the early days of the pandemic.

“The usual step-down from the Q4 peak was masked last year,” said Brian Olsavsky, the company’s chief financial officer, on a call with reporters.

Amazon this week announced that it will be moving up the schedule for pay raises for operations workers, spending $1 billion on wage increases for 500,000 operations workers, promising raises of between 50 cents and $3 an hour.

The announcement comes after Amazon prevailed over a high-profile union push at its Bessemer, Ala., fulfillment center.

In his final shareholder letter as CEO, earlier this month, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wrote, “Despite what we’ve accomplished, it’s clear to me that we need a better vision for our employees’ success.” He promised that Amazon will be “Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work” in addition to its longstanding claim as “Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company.”

A New York Times reporter, Karen Weise, asked Olsavsky on the media call if Amazon was allocating a specific budget to that pledge.

“What [Bezos] meant by that, and what he tried to reiterate, is our commitment to safety and the health and welfare of our employees,” Olsavsky said. “In his shareholder letter, in his comments, Jeff was just reiterating that, and reiterating it internally as much as externally.”

Retailers, restaurants and other businesses in some regions have struggled to find workers as they emerge from the pandemic. Employers say the extension of unemployment benefits and government relief programs is reducing the incentive for some people to return to work. But responding to a question from GeekWire, Olsavsky indicated that it isn’t a major concern.

“Obviously, the economy is starting to open up, and there’s a lot of need for new employees for a lot of different industries, and a lot of industries that some of our employees came from are now reopening,” he said. “But having said that, we have hired over 500,000 people in the last year, in 2020, 400,000 of them in our operations and logistics area. So we feel we have still a very competitive package of pay and benefits to offer.”

In related news, Amazon said more than 100,000 people are now employed by Delivery Service Partners companies, independent businesses that contract with Amazon to deliver packages in Amazon-branded vans and uniforms. The program launched in 2018.

The Link Lonk


April 30, 2021 at 05:27AM
https://ift.tt/3u0ZFzU

Amazon sheds 27k employees in Q1 in return to traditional post-holiday jobs pattern - GeekWire

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday