Here is this week’s Careers newsletter, which brings the latest news, commentary and ideas about the workplace, leadership and the future of work straight to your inbox every Tuesday. Click here to get on the newsletter list!
Brushing up your resume? There’s a new way to explain a career break on LinkedIn. On March 1, the platform introduced a new feature that allows users to choose one of 13 different options for describing a career break—whether that be bereavement, caregiving or time off for health and well-being.
This is a particularly important feature for women, who are far more likely to take time off during their careers to be a full-time parent, care for elderly relatives or manage family health crises. As Julia Wuench writes for Forbes, “this decision marks a pivotal shift in normalizing the discussion around resume gaps. … two years into a global pandemic where workforce departures predominantly affected women, it’s crucial to include career breaks in work history.” Indeed, LinkedIn reports that 64% of people wish they could positively represent career breaks to hirers and 52% of hiring managers say candidates should proactively bring up their break during the interview.
But explaining gaps on their resume isn’t the only career issue women face that Forbes has highlighted recently. Our inaugural Forbes 30/50 Summit is happening this week in Abu Dhabi, bringing together women from our young entrepreneur list and icons of experience from our 50 Over 50 list in the spirit of mentorship. Infertility benefits are nice—but women also need flexibility, education and support from their employers, Kim Elsesser writes. For better equality, employers need to focus as much on preventing incompetent men from getting ahead as they do promoting exceptional women, writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. And if you’re a woman wanting to add a board seat to your resume, a platform called The Fourth Floor wants to help you.
Featured Story
‘There Isn’t A Both-Sides Anymore:’ With Russia, Customers And Employees Demand Action From Corporations
Across corporate America, the war in Ukraine is revealing the shortcomings of a social media post or corporate statement that doesn’t quickly outline concrete action, as the moral expectations consumers, employees and clients have for the private sector grow amid the brutality of war. Read more on what’s happening here.
Work Smarter
Agreeableness is the personality trait that can lead to career—and life—success.
Low morale in your workplace? Here’s how to lead through it.
If you’re looking to keep your team engaged, try a little empathy and acknowledgement. They actually go a long way.
Feeling burned out and overwhelmed by headlines from Ukraine? Here’s what to do.
With Covid-19 cases down, many companies are reopening their doors to hybrid schedules. Thriving in a hybrid environment takes consistent schedules and healthy boundaries.
On Our Agenda
Unions opt outside: Retail employees at the Manhattan SoHo store of REI voted to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union last week. The move is the latest retailer to see a union drive as the labor movement picks up steam.
RTO plans solidify: The wave of announcements about work from home plans continues. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announced he’d continue the option of working remotely “forever,” while Google will transition to hybrid work April 4.
Employee monitoring could backfire: An alleged employee monitoring program by a real estate data firm raises concerns about such efforts. A new law in New York that takes effect in May requires employers to provide notice of monitoring.
Bigger paychecks, bigger worries: A new survey from the Conference Board found that nearly a third of workers who left jobs during the pandemic make more than 30% more in their new roles. (How does your job change measure up?) Still, 62% of workers surveyed say they’re worried those bigger paychecks won’t keep pace with inflation.
Lattes are back: Bloomberg’s Pret Index, which tracks financial district sales at Pret A Manger locations in major cities, finds that financial workers really are returning to work.
Book Club
Many people are finally gathering again—meeting people for dinner, heading back to the office, returning to in-person conferences and events. In Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us from Surviving to Thriving (March 8), Georgetown University business school professor Christine Porath writes about how people can build effective communities at work and at home at the very moment we could all use some reminders.
