In the last few years, HR has increasingly found itself caught between leadership that wants workers back in the office and employees who are seeking more flexible working environments. One of the industries most likely to mandate in-office work is pharmaceuticals, with a recent survey finding that about 90% of leaders at pharma companies prefer their employees to work in person. Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma is pushing back on this trend. READ MORE
There's a sign flashing in the labor market that the US may be slipping into a recession
A historically reliable indicator of a coming downturn is flashing in the US job market — one that's led to a recession in every instance for nearly the last 75 years, Société Générale told clients this week.
The European bank has been warning of a potential recession in the US, and is now sounding the alarm on a signal in the labor market. READ MORE
These Companies Offer the Best Work-Life Balance, According to Employees
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers spent an average of 8.49 hours per day at work in 2023.
For those looking for companies with the best work-life balance, a new study conducted by Hennessey Digital examined Glassdoor data in the U.S. to find top employers. The researchers narrowed down employers to those with more than 5,000 global employees, at least 1,000 U.S. reviews, and more than 3.5 stars out of 5 on Glassdoor.
Then they ranked the employers by average work-life rating, as shown by employee feedback on Glassdoor. READ MORE
How to protect yourself from scammers offering fake jobs
Between finding openings, sending out your resume and interviewing, looking for a job is tough. Now a growing trend of scammers impersonating recruiters is making it even harder.
In the last year, job scams have been on the rise, according to Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps consumers when their identities are compromised. READ MORE
10 ways to future proof your performance management strategy
Performance and talent management face both challenges and opportunities as organisations adapt to a constantly changing business environment impacted by technological advancements, shifting workforce expectations and economic uncertainties.
Traditional methods are being reimagined, emphasising continuous feedback, data-driven insights and employee skills. The intersection of AI and the science of talent insights provides a powerful approach for organisations seeking to enhance their workforce management strategies. READ MORE
How to get performance reviews right
Imagine a workplace where performance reviews are anticipated with excitement, not dread. It's possible, and the key lies in a simple shift in perspective. “Only 20 percent of the respondents to our global survey who had no development conversations felt motivated by their company’s performance management,” says McKinsey’s Brooke Weddle in a McKinsey Talks Talent podcast episode. “But if you compare that to those who received ongoing feedback in development conversations, the number goes up to 77 percent who felt motivated by it.” Explore these insights to discover how to create a culture of continuous growth by reimagining performance ratings, setting inspiring goals, and recognizing contributions in meaningful ways. READ MORE
The Stock Market Is Doing Something It Has Done Only 2 Times Since 1985, and History Is Clear About What Happens Next
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is widely regarded as the best gauge for the entire U.S. stock market. The index has returned 27% year to date in one of its strongest performances of the 21st century. But warning signs are starting to appear.
In November, a Conference Board survey found that 56.4% of U.S. consumers expect the stock market to rise over the next year, the highest reading on record. That may sound like good news, but Morgan Stanley sees it as a contrarian indicator signaling irrational optimism at a time when valuations are stretched. READ MORE
Google Just Made a Breakthrough in Quantum Computing With Its New Chip
Google’s latest project marks a major milestone in quantum computing.
On Monday, the corporation unveiled a new chip, dubbed Willow, that could prove pivotal to the development and potential large-scale use of the field. One of the new tech’s neatest tricks is that it needs just five minutes to solve a problem that would take the world’s most powerful supercomputers 10 septillion, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, years to complete, a report from Hartmut Neven, the founder and lead of Google’s Quantum AI division, says. That’s older than the universe, according to The New York Times. READ MORE
Small business optimism surges to highest level in three years
Trump’s win at the ballot box last month coincided with several signs of vitality and optimism, including above-trend economic growth, solid consumer spending and record-high stock prices.
Gross domestic product — defying predictions of a slowdown this year — grew at annual rates of 1.4% in the first quarter, 3% in Q2 and 2.8% in Q3, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. READ MORE
US labor market steadily cooling amid higher job openings, low layoffs
U.S. job openings increased solidly in October while layoffs dropped by the most in 1-1/2 years, suggesting the labor market continued to slow in an orderly fashion.
But the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, from the Labor Department on Tuesday also showed employers hesitant to hire more workers. The historically low level of layoffs is anchoring the labor market and the broader economy through higher wages that are driving consumer spending. READ MORE
Racial diversity falling among new corporate directors
The Securities and Exchange Commission, led by its Division of Corporation Finance, is considering recommending a rule requiring publicly traded companies to disclose more about the diversity of members and nominees to their boards. READ MORE
San Francisco tech startup CEO wants employees willing to work 84 hours a week
A tech startup CEO admits he is looking for employees willing to work 84 hours a week.
Daksh Gupta, who runs an artificial intelligence startup Greptile in San Francisco, in a recent post on X explained he wants his team to work from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at least five days a week, and often on weekends, to be competitive. READ MORE
Jessie James Decker says being a business owner is 'not for the faint of heart'
Jessie James Decker knows what it takes to be a business owner, and it's not for everyone.
During an interview with FOX Business, the Kittenish founder detailed some of the ups and downs she's faced since launching her clothing brand 10 years ago. READ MORE
CEO turnover reaches record levels in 2024 as 'increasing complexity' drives execs to the exits
The end of the holiday weekend added two fresh examples of a historic shift on Wall Street: More CEOs than ever are heading for the exits. Over the past 24 hours, the leaders of chipmaker Intel (INTC) and auto giant Stellantis (STLA) have both announced their departures, bolstering the CEO turnover tally.
The leadership changes highlight the idiosyncrasies and challenges of each company — from a struggling auto lineup to a too-late computer chip turnaround. But they also reflect a broader trend across corporate America. READ MORE
The best and worst states for taxes in 2025
Not all state tax regimes are equal, with some states not collecting all of the major taxes, such as corporate income tax, individual income tax or sales tax.
The Tax Foundation measured the states with most and least competitive taxes in 2025, by analyzing factors including corporate tax rank, individual income tax rank, sales tax rank, property tax rank and unemployment insurance tax rank to determine an overall score. READ MORE
US labor market still boosting inflation, San Francisco Fed economists say
A tight U.S. labor market is still adding to inflationary pressures, though less so than it did in 2022 and 2023, according to research published on Monday by the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
"Declines in excess demand pushed inflation down almost three-quarters of a percentage point over the past two years," San Francisco Fed economists Regis Barnichon and Adam Hale Shapiro wrote in the regional Fed bank's latest Economic Letter. "However, elevated demand continued to contribute 0.3 to 0.4 percentage point to inflation as of September 2024." READ MORE
Think twice before ordering work-from-home employees to return to the office
Over the past few months, major corporations such as Disney, Apple, Starbucks and Amazon announced new policies mandating their employees to cut back on working from home and return to their offices for as much as five days a week. The moves were met with backlashes from employees who signed petitions, sent public letters to their CEOs, complained to the press and on social media, and even went on strike. READ MORE
Companies that force workers back to the office are missing the big picture
The Washington Post recently announced that all employees will soon be required to work from an office five days per week—and became the latest in a long line of employers to force workers to return to the office (RTO).
Indeed, several companies have recently clamped down on remote work, insisting that employees return to the office five days a week, and CEOs across industries have been vocal critics of remote work. READ MORE
How Trump's second White House term could impact the economy
It hasn't even been a week since Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election, and investors have high hopes for the president-elect's second term in the White House. All three major stock indexes and the price of bitcoin all hit record highs on Monday, and the dollar surged.
While some experts are predicting that Trump's second term will bring an economic boom to the U.S., others are warning that the president's agenda will have a varying impact depending on industries. READ MORE
Trump 'won fair and square': Business leaders from Mark Cuban to David Sacks react to election result
Top business leaders, investors, and philanthropists have been reacting to Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election.
Fox News called the race early Wednesday morning. A little under four hours later, projections from CNN and other news organizations put Trump over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.
Throughout the campaign, Silicon Valley has been divided on which candidate to back. READ MORE