All posts tagged work

The New World of Work

The New World of Work

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The New World of Work

Since the coronavirus pandemic, many things and aspects of life have changed. Among the affected aspects is the world of work. New working models emerged from the restrictions to reduce social interactions including the lock-downs and social distancing measures. These working models have shifted the way things get done and led to a new world of work. Keep reading to understand how the world of work looks like.

Flexibility

Employers and employees have been prompted to adopt the work-from-home culture. Employees have been flexible to work from anywhere, and employers have been flexible to recruit people from every part of the universe. With the companies having a 100% efficiency, there have been speculations on how fast we can transition back to onsite work. There have been questions on what onsite work should entail and who should get back to onsite work. The new world of work focuses on completing work rather than the hours dedicated to the job. Employees have the flexibility to choose when and how to complete the work.

Death of 9 to 5 life

The pandemic forced people to get out of physical offices and work from their homes. This remote working led to the death of the 9 to 5 o’clock work life. According to educator Jonathan Osler, employees will be reluctant to return to physical office work. Companies also do not like the idea of physical office working spaces since the remote working model has proved to be cost-effective. Employees can now avoid operational costs and utilities involving the 9 to 5 office life by allowing people to work remotely. These savings on operational costs have made employers reluctant to get back to the physical office working model.

Creativity

The new world of working is characterized by increased creativity and innovation. Companies had to come up with ways to get the job done while adhering to measures put in place to curb the spread of the virus. This necessity triggered creativity and innovation; more technologies have come up to accommodate the new working models. Thanks to innovation, video conferencing platforms have been created and made more efficient. With the flexible way of working, employees have engaged in other creative and development activities.

Automation

Jonathan Osler comments that the difficult financial times created by the pandemic have forced companies to come up with ways to reduce costs. The cost reduction effects of automation have prompted companies to adopt this way of working. Through automation, work done by several employees can be done by a single system/machine. As the world adopts the automated working system, employees have joined the wagon and improved their skills to fit in the technological world of work. However, this has led to the loss of jobs by people whose skills are obsolete and replaced by automated systems.

Relevance in the new world of working is inevitable. Companies have to adopt the new normal and create on-demand and on-the-job training opportunities for the workers. On the other hand, employees have no other option but to develop their skills to meet the requirements of the new world’s workers.

Implementing the 4 Day Work Week

Implementing the 4 Day Work Week

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Implementing the Four Day Workweek

More companies are implementing a four-day work week. If your company has not made this change, then Jonathan Osler recommends that you do so. This will require that your company make a drastic change. However, there are benefits that you can reap from doing so.

Attract New Talent

Many companies today struggle to attract and retain talent. One of the things that you can do in order to attract new talent is to implement a four-day work week. Work/life balance is one of the things that people look for in a job. It will be easier for people to balance their work with their life if they work a four-day work week.

Flexibility

Osler says that a four-day work week gives employees more flexibility. Not only will they have more time for the things that they love, but they will also have an easier time taking care of their activities of daily living. This includes things such as doctor’s appointments, children’s activities and errands.

Reduce Employee Burnout

It is easy to get burnt out nowadays. Work is one of the things that can cause people to experience burnout. If employees work a four-day work week, then their lives will likely be less likely to experience stress and burnout.

Save Money

A four-day work week can help your company save money. There are several ways that this can help you save money. Studies have shown that employees are healthier when they work four-day workweeks. If employees are healthier, then they will be less likely to take sick days.

The cost of running the facility will also be lower. You won’t have to pay as much for water and electricity. Additionally, if employees are happier, they will be likely to leave. Employee turnover causes companies to lose a lot of money.

Furthermore, employees who work four days per week can save money. They won’t have to commute as much, so they can save money on gas and transportation. If someone drives to work, then there will be less wear and tear on their car if they work shorter weeks. This can help them keep their vehicle for a longer period of time.

Increased Productivity

Contrary to popular belief, working longer hours does not necessarily mean that companies are getting more work done. There are many people who can do more in four days than five days. In fact, there are many people who spend their working hours doing other things. This includes things like surfing the internet and making phone calls.

Jonathan Osler agrees that a four-day work week can make your employees more productive. They will know that they have to get a certain number of things done by a certain deadline. That is why they will be motivated to spend their time working instead of doing other things.

Can Suit A Variety of Business Models

You have to take the needs of your business into consideration before you make any drastic changes. However, there are many business models that can benefit from a four-day work week.

Balancing Work and Family Life

Balancing Work and Family Life

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Balancing Work and Family Life

Many working parents struggle every day and wonder how they manage their household, take care of their kids, and work. It seems like they have to please everyone. Father George Rutler stresses the importance of balancing work and family life. What do people do? How is the person expected to handle everything? These questions will be answered in this context.

Switch to a More Flexible Option

Switching to part-time work will allow more family time. For a family that cannot afford a drop in income, then they need to talk to their boss about switching their schedule to a more flexible one. For example, working from home would be a change in pace. People won’t miss out on family parties or any upcoming events starring their children.

Commit to More Family Events

Mark upcoming family events on the calendar. This way people know the dates they need off, and they can let their boss know. It’s important to have that time with family even if it’s doing things they don’t want to do. Committing to birthday parties, family reunions, or special occasion dinners will allow people to separate business from pleasure. Most employers will allow their employees to have that time off as long as they know well in advance.

Do Not Bring Work Everywhere You Go

Do not bring work to family gatherings or other events. People need to learn to put it away and go back to it later. They need to do whatever work they can before they have family obligations. People need to be sure they have time for themselves too and take a breather now and then. For the people that work outside the home, they shouldn’t bring their work home with them. Work should stay in the office.

Just Say No

Some people say yes to everything they’re asked to do, which means they don’t have time to finish their work. If they work from home, they may think it’s easy to say yes and go back to working later. If that happens, things never get accomplished and work gets pushed back. When that happens, people can get overwhelmed and stressed.

Quit Working Altogether

Many people find that quitting their jobs would make things easier because they can spend more time with their families. If the other parent in the household is working full time, then it can be done. People would have to cut back on their spending. It doesn’t have to be permanent; be a stay-at-home parent for a few years and see where it goes. If it doesn’t go over very well, then look for a new job with flexible hours.
Father George Rutler would suggest all working families follow these guidelines because living in a healthy environment is important. Working all the time leaves families feeling as though they are not important, and it becomes a stressful place instead of a happy place. These guidelines will help families learn to separate the two so they can live in a stress-free environment.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer Work

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Despite being so young, Alexander Djerassi has curated quite the image for himself. Born and raised in the mountains of California, he grew up surrounded by the beauties of nature but his passions led him away. At the vastly young age of 35, he was already a diplomat, a lawyer, and a self-proclaimed entrepreneur. His ability to aim high and end up surpassing his goals is remarkable. Aside from aiding to develop a program to help Space Coast and Central Floridians keep afloat amid a sea of student loan debt, Djerassi has spent a lot of his time as a public servant. He thoroughly enjoys participating in volunteer work and encourages others to invest time to volunteer as well. 

He has a law degree from Yale Law School, and graduated Magna cum laude from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs. He then went on to serve as chief of staff at the US Department of State’s Near East Bureau, a position he climbed to over the course of two long, hard years of work as a special assistant. He’s even received a Meritorious Honor Award in 2010 for his dedication.

With all of his awards and degrees, it might seem somewhat surprising that one of his passion projects was launching a Holocaust survivor testimony database. Working alongside his grandmother, a respected scholar of the Holocaust and Jewish-Christian relations, they tirelessly hunted down and secured the whereabouts of unpublished survivor testimonies in the UK. Their work ensures access to those testimonies forever, allowing the survivors’ stories to live on.

Despite his position and status, he believes in working for those less fortunate, putting his powers of negotiation and charm to use for others. Djerassi has a knack for bringing people together that you’d never expect to work and he uses that for the benefits of those less fortunate. Opposing political parties, students and teachers, even protestors and those they’re protesting against, there’s no divide that he hasn’t been able to bridge. One of his passions in life is building relationships across rocky divides, and as we can see from his rap sheet, he’s pretty dang good at it.

One of Djerassi’s more notable projects is Mos.com, a civic technology company that seeks to help people with college. He was their first official hire and he quickly got to work as the Chief Policy Officer to eliminate gaps that might keep other future young leaders out of college. Mos helps college students lockdown grants or scholarship funds. Tens of thousands of great young minds have benefited from Djerassi’s hard work, especially those considered the first of their families to get a college degree.

Although Alexander Djerassi has an impressive pile of achievements to show the world, the most inspiring thing about him is that as a young child he felt this incredibly strong call to make the world a better place, and he went for it. Nothing seems to be able to stop him in his pursuit of a better world.

Should the U.S. Adopt the Four Day Work Week?

Should the U.S. Adopt the Four Day Work Week?

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Diego Ruiz Duran, the Mexican criminal lawyer, and constitution lawyer is often called upon for his opinions about various business and social subjects. And one of the most common questions Duran is asked about is his opinion of a 4-day workweek.

Duran, who was extensively educated in the United States, at Harvard, and who obtained a law degree in Cambridge England, is very familiar with the debates, both pro and con about a 4-day workweek in the advanced Western countries.

The 4-day workweek has been experimented with in many countries and according to GQ Magazine, the vast majority of companies that have adopted some form of a 4-day workweek, have seen a 20 to 40 percent improvement in overall efficiency. And over 82 percent of workers want to see a shorter workweek. Meanwhile, a popular HR newsletter reports two big reasons not to adopt a 4-day workweek.

One is that many CEOs and senior execs believe that companies that adopt a 4-day workweek benefits those who do not bow to its whims as they are far more competitive in the market.

The other major argument is that 4-day workweeks are industry-specific, made all the more so by the COVID-19 pandemic where restaurants, hotels, and the like are having to boost wages as it is due to a shortage of workers.

How did we even get to a 40-hour workweek? In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act which required employers to pay overtime after 44 hours of work. Two years later, the act was amended to require overtime pay after 40 hours.

So the 40-hour, 5-day workweek was rooted in the factories of the past. However, the vast majority of salaried workers are not included, and one average, for upwards to 47 hours per week.

There is plenty of evidence that working over 40 hours a week does tend to make employees less efficient and also less healthy and alert. But does working less provide positive benefits?

To answer the question, many experts point to happiness surveys of which countries experience the overall highest level of personal happiness.

For the 4th year in a row, Finland came in at the top spot, followed by Denmark at number 2, Iceland at number 4, Norway at number 6 and Sweden at Number 7. The United States barely cracked the top 20 at number 19.

Experts say time and time again, the primary reason the Nordic companies are so happy is that they have very flexible work schedules. Instead of needing to lie to the boss and say they have a dental appointment on Friday they simply tell the boss that me and my kids are going to take up a fishing trip on Friday. No need to lie, because managers have learned that happy employees are productive employees.

In actuality, just like pro athletes, employees involved in office work probably only work efficiently around 5 hours a day. The rest of the time is mostly wasted. But it may take another 50 years for there to be a 25 hour workweek. But Diego Ruiz Duran believes that the time is surely coming when the 40 hour workweek is extinct.

Personal Impact of Non-Profit Work

Personal Impact of Non-Profit Work

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Personal Impact of Non-Profit Work

Getting involved in non-profit work can greatly impact one’s personal life for the better. It is possible to see vast improvement in one’s personal life just by being more involved in non-profit work. This is because your overall morale is boosted by getting involved in this type of work. You also will feel more accomplished in terms of your goodwill.

Morale Boost

Alexander Djerassi believes that boosted morale is one primary benefit of non-profit work. People will feel an overall sense of accomplishment that they previously were not feeling. They will feel more confident and able to take on the day’s activities.

Someone may find to go about their day in a more positive light is an easier task. They will have a lifted sense of spirit with the awareness of the good they have accomplished in their work. They will generally be more carefree.

Sense of Accomplishment

Individuals will have an overall improvement in their sense of accomplishment. They will be able to feel as though they have made the most of the hours of each day. This will come with the awareness that they have spent the hours in the day doing something that is of humanitarian value.

Non-profit work benefits humanitarian endeavors and environmental endeavors at times as well. Overall, this type of work is beneficial to more than just the individual. It is for this reason that this type of work can give you such a sense of accomplishment.

Respect from Peers

People are likely to enjoy respect from their peers because of their work with nonprofit organizations. Those who they work with are likely to commend them for the work that they do with nonprofit organizations, as well. They will find that they gain popularity and respect for doing this type of work.
This respect may come in many forms. Participants may receive verbal congratulations from coworkers and peers. They may even receive accolades from their superiors in the place of work. These compliments should be fielded with the utmost of modesty and respect. Alexander Djerassi is an individual who understands the value of this type of work.