The office is dead. Long live the office. 

Last week, New York City real estate blog Curbed ran the headline, “The Office is Half-Dead,” summing up all the confusing, conflicting news about whether the RTO push is ramping up or stalling out.

How can we get a sharper sense of macro-trends in worker behavior? 

Well, we figured that if masses of professionals are planning to go back to the office regularly, they’ll have to dress the part. (Especially after nearly three years in wearable blankets.) So we spoke to apparel industry insiders and scoured retail data — specifically examining searches and sales for professional attire — as a way to read the tea leaves. 

Conclusion: The majority of worker-consumers are returning to office life, and they are... Read More >

When it comes to office perks, the ping pong table is out; pet therapy is in. 

For employers, the calculus is simple: Mental health = wealth. That’s because there’s a well-studied  correlation between psychological well-being and employee retention, improved performance and productivity. Digital therapy service Talkspace commissioned a survey that found 66% of people who are considering quitting are likely to stay in their current position if they receive more mental health services. There’s an obvious incentive for businesses to ensure their employees’ emotional equilibrium. 

Conversely, a lack of mental health support for workers will likely result in consequences felt on the bottom line. Per a study cited by the CDC, employees at high risk for depression amassed the highest health care costs, even after taking risks like smoking and obesity into account. One of the biggest... Read More >

Last night’s Emmy Awards shone the spotlight on a slew of prestige TV shows set in the workplace.

The leaders of the pack with the most nominations (Succession, Severance, Hacks) feature Shakespearean betrayals within a family media conglomerate, dark corporate forces, and an odd couple relationship study of a prickly mentor and an upstart nobody. 

If you’re looking for drama, the workplace offers fertile ground. For cutthroat competition and debauchery set at a global bank, there’s Industry. The Bear viscerally depicts the backstabbing and burnout of restaurant life. Many other streaming hits are full of cross-cubicle romantic tension, toxic bosses and the strivers caught up in work’s inescapable, relentless grind. 

Look deeper, and you’ll find that various buzzy series charting the downfalls of hubristic... Read More >

Last November, Max Farber, a 28-year-old social media coordinator, was home in Toronto, letting his mind wander during a Zoom call.

On a whim, he recorded a comical video portraying an apologetic customer service rep who hangs up with a client, then instantly drops his cheery persona — along with an F bomb. While still in his meeting, Farber posted the clip to TikTok. Within two hours, it had 200,000 views. To date, it has 5.4 million. “To film, edit and upload it took less than three minutes total,” Farber told WorkLife. And thus, a Work Influencer was born. 

Farber (a.k.a. @Farbsy) is one of a growing number of online creators offering searing, often sidesplitting, commentary on everyday workplace frustrations. “What makes these videos so popular is we’re giving people a voice for all those thoughts that go through your head from 9 to 5 each day... Read More >

Consider this: TikTok, the social platform known for viral dance videos, now offers TikTok resumes, a job search function that encourages users to directly reply to a job posting with a video resume. Almost at the other end of the job application spectrum is The Washington Post, which still asks editorial candidates for their college GPA.

While technology is disrupting the application process much like it has transformed the way we work, those examples illustrate the vast differences candidates still find when applying for a new role. The dichotomy may make some think certain parts of the job application process are outdated, but experts say traditional elements like resumes and covers should work in tandem with LinkedIn, digital portfolios and yes, TikTok.

“Resumes alone are no longer enough,” said Maggie Hulce, senior vice president at the job... Read More >

The employee handbook holds the key to your heart.

There is much to unpack amid the fallout at CNN, which saw its longtime president, Jeff Zucker, “resign in disgrace,” according to recent headlines. The official reason he stepped down? He was romantically involved with a longtime colleague and fellow senior executive, chief marketing officer, Allison Gollust — and he failed to disclose this fact internally.

Against a backdrop of boardroom intrigue involving an impending acquisition of the network, a soon-to-launch streaming service, and fired celebrity anchor Chris Cuomo’s scorched-earth litigation style, the whole thing seems all sorts of messy. But it holds lessons for even the most buttoned-up professional since workplace romances are prevalent. One out of every three American adults is or has... Read More >