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Boss Hands an Envelope to Each Employee Gathered at Company Holiday Party - No One Could Have Guessed What It Contained
Uplifting News

Boss Hands an Envelope to Each Employee Gathered at Company Holiday Party - No One Could Have Guessed What It Contained

Everyone knows that at the end of every calendar year reigns the holiday season filled with wonderment and feel-good energy for family and friends.The season of giving also happened to not be missed by one real estate company who gave their employees a gift of a lifetime -- a $10 million bonus to share.A Memorable Holiday Party St. John Properties/VimeoIn 2019, Baltimore, Maryland-based real estate company St. John Properties hosted their annual holiday party filled with great vibes, food, drinks and great socializing for their nearly 200 employees.And while everyone was having a good time, they were handed red envelopes with their names on them. But no one could even guess what was inside each of them.The Surprise FortunesSt. John Properties founder Edward St. John hugging an employee following the announcement/ Vimeo."You're all participating in a bonus based on the number of years (of service within the company) of $10 million," said Edward St. John, the company founder and chairman.Many of the employees were surprised to discover that they’d be taking home a whopping $50,000 while the highest awarded bonus was $270,000.Fortunately, this whole moment was filmed and shared on St. John Properties Vimeo account, showing several employees overcome with emotion over the pretty penny they received at the party.“It is life-changing… it’s really amazing. Ed is so generous,” said one employee crying with tears of joy.“I was totally blown away when this happened,” another said.The Big Celebration of the Company’s AchievementsAccording to St. John Properties, the holiday bonus was given out to commemorate their massive achievement of creating and growing 20 million square feet of real estate, retail and office space within eight states at the time.What a way to add a dash of sweetness to the festive season!St. John’s Properties now has properties in 11 states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.More from Goalcast:Boss Thinks Man Is Joking When He Said He Walked 6 Hours to Get To Work – Then a Stranger Makes an Offer He Can’t RefuseBoss Catches Employee Cooking Rice in the Office – A Conversation With Him Reveals What He Actually Does His SalaryStruggling Employee Reveals the Bitter Truth About His Job to Undercover Boss – He Responds by Giving Him a $250,000 House

How to Find Your Passion
Self-Development

How to Find Your Passion

"Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life." It's an old saying, one that seems straightforward enough. What it means is that if you find a career that you’re passionate about, “going to work” each day won't feel like the same way it used to. It might actually be fun!Today, there are many opportunities to pursue your passions and live a fulfilling life without clocking into a traditional nine-to-give corporate job. More and more, people are exploring ways to make money in their free time, spending time engaging in activities they’re good at. This includes everything from selling creative wares Etsy to flipping furniture to starting coaching businesses to help others find work they love. This article will explore what finding your passion means today, why it's important, and how to identify the right passion to pursue. What is finding your passion? What does passion mean? Dictionary.com defines it as "a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything." But when thinking about passion, it's also important to define what passion is not. For example, passion doesn't necessarily equate to something you're good at. You may be incredibly organized, someone that your co-workers look at as the gold standard for keeping everything on track and in line. But does organizing data excite you? Can you say that you feel a desire and enthusiasm for organization? (Sam Diephuis / Getty)If keeping things organized is something that genuinely does make you feel excited, you may have found your passion. But passion doesn't have to mean something that you have experience doing or are adept at.If you love creating something new, whether that's in the kitchen or through a craft, but have never leveraged these skills professionally, don't write the passion you feel when doing these activities off so quickly. You may be on to something. Why is finding your passion important?Unless you've been working at a job where you put your passion to use each and every day, it's likely that at some point in your career, you'll start waking up dreading each workday. Frankly, in some cases that dread may even begin while you’re reading job descriptions before you’ve even applied to the job!The fact is, if this is something you struggle with more than you’d like, you should know that eventually, the lack of excitement and motivation inevitably will impact other parts of your life as well. Maybe you start feeling down or depressed, or that you have less energy each day. Boredom is another key sign you're working at a job where your real world passions are not being put to use. What does it feel like to find your passion?When you're pursuing your passion, you may lose track of time. You won’t have that awful experience of feeling stuck. Instead, at any given moment, you’ll feel more awake and alive than usual. (Jason Homa / Getty)Stimulating your brain with work that you're excited to be doing will impact your overall mood and mental well-being for the better. You'll feel happier and happy around others. You'll feel energized. Others will notice this as well. Think of the people in your life you've encountered who you've felt excited to be around. Chances are they've been able to harness their passion within a specific subject or industry, and that energy radiates off of them. Questions to ask to help discover your passionIf you're not sure how to find your passion, here are a few essential questions to ask yourself to help guide you toward it. 1. What could I spend hours reading about?What topic or area of interest could you read about at length? Or, if you're not a big reader, what would you watch a lengthy documentary on? Or listen to a podcast about? Have you discovered a topic recently where you spent hours Googling to learn more? Curiosity is a crucial component of passion. Think about your younger self. Everything felt new and exciting, and you were free to explore and do the things that felt fun and interesting to you. Passions as an adult should feel the same way – something you'd willingly spend hours learning about and doing. 2. What type of work excites you?It's easy to identify what parts of your current job you despise doing. But where’s your true comfort zone? If you're looking for a starting point on where to find your passion, looking for the bright moments of excitement that you've felt at work can be a helpful place to start. If you don't feel any enthusiasm whatsoever in your current role, take a moment to visualize a job or career that feels exciting to you. Push yourself to imagine what an exciting day at work would look like. What kind of office are you in? Or, are you working from home? What do the messages in your inbox look like? What's currently pulled up on your browser? Look for signs of emotional investment, and you'll be on the right path to finding your passion.3. What do you already love doing?Maybe there's a hobby or activity that you already enjoy, but you never considered it as something you could leverage into a full-time job or career. For example, maybe you've been a fan of comic books since you were a child. Even if you don't have the artistic chops to draw your own comic strip, that doesn't mean that comic books can't be a part of your career. Opening up a comic book store, whether it has a physical location or solely online, or running a website for fans where you earn income through advertising are both examples of how to take what you already enjoy and turn it into a job. 4. What makes me happy?Maybe thinking about your passion feels too overwhelming to do all at once -- or you need more time to marinade on the answer to what excites you. If that's the case, try spending a week being mindful of the things that make you feel excited. Using clues from your day to day life can be a powerful tool in identifying exactly what passions you should pursue. For example, maybe you felt overjoyed when spending a few hours working in your garden. What is it about the experience that was most appealing to you? Was it seeing the progress that's been made since you first planted the seeds? Was it the problem-solving that helped your plants grow bigger and stronger when they initially struggled to thrive? These aspects are great context clues for your passion and can help lead you to work that makes you feel satisfied. 5. What kind of work do I commit to? What kind of job would you show up for day after day, even when parts of it are hard to do? Finding work you're passionate about isn't just something that makes you feel highly emotive or excited – it's also work that makes you feel committed, work that you feel so strongly about that devoting yourself to it feels worthwhile. Steps to take: Finding your passion If these questions still haven't led you to a clearer path forward, consider these steps to gain more clarity and start building a game plan for how you'll turn your passion into your day job.1. Ask aroundIf you were pursuing a new job, you'd likely rely on peers in the same field to help guide you. When trying to find your passion, asking others who seem happy and excited by their work can be a powerful tool to utilize. (Tim Robberts / Getty)Set aside some time to meet with people in your life who seem passionate about their careers and ask them to take you through how they ended up in that career. The more people you speak to and the more career paths you consider, the more possibilities for finding your passion will open for you.2. Try your passion outJumping into a new career or line of work can feel intimidating. So, if you think you may have found your passion, taking that next step toward switching careers might feel too risky to make. If that's the case, start to explore opportunities where you can test out this new passion without walking away from your current job entirely. Explore the option of doing this work as a side hustle or hobby or see if someone may take you on part-time as an apprentice. Don't just test it out for a few days, either. Give it a solid month or so and see if the work still excites you.3. Let your passion evolveOur interests change as we learn and grow. What excited you several months ago may not be as attractive to you now as a new passion that's started to evolve. It's okay to explore multiple passions at once or even to walk away from a passion you thought you had but is no longer serving you. Take time to allow your passions to grow and evolve – and if one or more of them end up fizzling out, pursue other passions instead. 4. Don't quit without a backup planIf the work you're currently doing lacks any passion whatsoever, it can feel tempting to quit without having another job or game plan lined up. However, it's essential to do your research and build up some savings if you're serious about pursuing new work you're passionate about. It's highly possible that your new career passion may mean taking a smaller salary to start out or that it will require some overhead to put up front before your new business starts making money. Build a financial plan for your new passion so that you're leaving your job at a time that'll set you up for the most success.5. Hone your skillsOnce you have a direction on what passion you'll pursue, you'll need to identify the necessary skill set to make this career a lucrative one -- and one that you're qualified to do. Practice the skills that are necessary for the new career and field you're after. Take time to research the skills required for the job and find opportunities to learn through online courses or certification programs. 6. Research your fieldPutting your passion into action means knowing your industry inside and out. Read up on what you're planning to pursue. Follow thought leaders in the space on social media and learn from what they've done. Find other professionals who are living the job you dream about and see if they'll allow you to ask them a few questions on their current position and how they were able to make it a reality. Signs you've found your passionSo, you think you've found your passion. But how do you know for sure? Here are a few signs that you're moving in the right direction.Time flies when you're working on it. If you've started to practice your passion, research it online or read about it, you find that suddenly hours have gone by when they feel like mere minutes. If reading, researching and engaging in the passion you've identified makes time feel irrelevant, this is a solid sign you've found the right passion to pursue.Hard work doesn't seem that hard. If the most challenging part of your new passion seems easy to move through and achieve, this is a sign you're on the right track. This doesn't necessarily mean that you're not exhausted after you've finished working on it. Pay attention to how you feel when you've called it a day. Do you feel accomplished? Satisfied? Fulfilled? All of these feelings point to signs that you've found your passion.You look forward to it. Working on this new passion is not something that you dread or even have to force yourself to begin. You actually look forward to working on this passion, so much so that you feel excited to get started. If there were no risks involved, you'd be doing it full-time. There are many barriers to pursuing passionate work, from financial risk to honing new skills. But what if all that was eliminated, and you could start earning a successful living from this new career passion tomorrow? If you'd say yes to this new option in a scenario where no risk exists, this shows that you've identified a true passion. Don't be afraid to failThe number one rule for finding your passion, above all else, is never ever to give up. Everyone deserves the opportunity to wake up each morning feeling excited about the work that they do. (PeopleImages / Getty)It's possible that finding your passion may take some trial and error. Maybe you were sure of a new career path, only to find that several months in, it's not exciting you the way it once did. Don't feel like you have to stay in that new role just because you spent time and effort getting there. If it doesn't make you feel excited and fulfilled, keep exploring new opportunities until you find the right fit. If you're having trouble staying motivated to find your passion, spend more time with the things that excite you. There's a reason there are so many quotes on passion out there – it's something every human being craves, and it's absolutely worthwhile to continue pursuing.FIGHT FOR THE LIFE YOU CRAVEAre you living your truth today?

Overworking: 9 Signs You're Working Too Much
Mental Health

Overworking: 9 Signs You're Working Too Much

There are 168 hours in the seven-day week, but for our purposes here, we’re focusing on work. So let’s consider the 120 hours in the five-day business week. Assuming you are between the ages of 18 to 60, experts from the World Health Organization recommend you get more than seven hours of sleep per night, with many adults needing nine hours.Let’s use eight hours as our benchmark for sleep, which means anyone getting enough rest (which basically none of us are), you should spend 40 hours asleep during that work week. Subtract 40 from 120 and you get 80. Assuming you work the classic nine-to-five – or any eight-hour daily schedule, for that matter – then half of your waking hours will be devoted to work, and the rest of your time is free. Except it’s not, because of parenting and commuting and errands and cooking and cleaning and so on. By the numbersThe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates parents spend about 1.2 to 1.3 hours a day actively engaged in parenting, the Census Bureau estimates the average American’s one-way commute at about 28 minutes, and a major survey found we spend at least an hour a day, on average, on general housework. We’ll do the math for you and say that commuting, cleaning, and parenting add about three and a half more hours to your day.Multiply that by five and you’ve got 17.5 hours spent. Add that to the sleep and the 40-hour work week for 97.5, leaving you just 22.5 hours of potentially free time. Long hours: When the week is longer than 40 working hoursNow, 22.5 hours of free time per work week isn’t bad, but here’s the clincher: more and more people are working way more than 40 hours every week. In fact, quite a few of us are working 55 or more hours a week, that being the threshold that many experts consider overworking. And by quite a few people, we mean nearly 9% of the world population, or 488 million people, according to Forbes.Re-work the math we did above with a 55-hour work week, adding in the sleep and parenting and all the rest, and you’ve got 112.5 hours spent and just 7.5 hours of free time left. And we never even mentioned going to the gym or for a run, seeing a friend, watching a movie, reading a book, or even, bathing, cooking, and eating, for that matter.Long story short, if you are working 55 hours – or more – each week, you are working too much. And not just because you’re all but surely missing out on reading that book or seeing that buddy, but because you may well be wrecking your physical or mental health. Or both.Overworking can hurt you. Or kill youThere’s a reason for that age-old expression “At least you have your health.” Without it, nothing else much matters. That new project launch, that big promotion, that entrepreneurial business venture, the major investment, and on the list goes – what is even the most successful and rewarding work worth if it comes at the cost of your wellbeing? And no, that’s not a rhetorical question – the answer is: it’s not worth it. Here are the telltale signs that you’re working too hard and too much and may well be working toward a health issue, a mental breakdown, stress eating, an existential crisis, or some vile combination of all three that will require some form of health care in the near future. An issue of life and death?In a worst-case scenario, working those extra hours may well be a literal matter of life and death. The surveys mentioned above also found that of the 488 million people working 55 or more hours per week, more than 745,000 people died because of it in the year 2016 alone. The overwork issues affect people of varied socioeconomic status, from all parts of the world, and at myriad age groups. And the numbers in recent years may well be worse, given the strange work habits so many of us have had to adopt during the COVID-19 pandemic.So it’s really not just a matter of the traditional work-life balance in the terms you may think of, where the issues of employee health are primarily satisfaction and contentment in life. It’s actually more apt to think of it as a work-health-and-wellness balance, because the life part doesn’t mean much without health and wellness. How overworking affects physical and mental healthAs working hours have skyrocketed in recent years in developed countries, so have incidents of heart attacks and strokes in people who quite likely would not have been afflicted with these health issues had they worked normal hours. In the first two decades of this century, work-related heart disease deaths increased by 42% and work-related stroke deaths increased by 19%, according to NPR. And even when overworking doesn’t lead to death, the stress of it can severely increase the impact of physical health issues like high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes, weight issues, and exhaustion, just to scratch the surface. (Getty)On the mental health front, being a part of a company culture of overwork can cause or exacerbate anxiety, depression, substance abuse issues, and can cause rifts in relationships and a loss of a sense of self, if not an outright breakdown.The consequences of work burnoutYou know how a stitch in time saves nine? Taking things down a notch now may well save your career even if you weren’t on a collision course with a coronary or a mental breakdown.Work burnout is a real thing – so real even the World Health Organization has recognized it, stating:“Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions:feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; andreduced professional efficacy.”And if you let yourself get burned out at work, you may lose your job or at least curb your path toward success and promotion, you may lose your passion for your work, your relationships with colleagues may suffer, and in short, you may dampen your overall chances for success in life.That is, if you don’t have a stroke or heart attack because of all the long hours and stress and pressure first.The signs that you are overworking (or being overworked)Don’t find yourself looking back on it all from a hospital bed or a therapist’s office – look at your work-life balance now and see if you’re overworking before the overwork hurts you. (But do of course seek help from a therapist if you feel you need it for this or any reason.)Here are some of the most common signs that you are overworking.1. Your mind Is never off workIf you find yourself constantly working and even chronically thinking about work when you’re not actively engaged in it, then you are working too much. From long nights at the office to the phone being glued to your hand while you should be watching your kid at home plate, if work permeates all moments of your life, that’s overwork. Especially if said moments are largely spent actually working.2. You are always tiredThere is enough time in your life to get enough sleep, you just have to choose to use it as such. Burning the midnight oil now and then is necessary and even admirable and can help you make big moves. But if you are regularly fatigued and your long working hours are the culprit, then you simply must make more time for rest. You will ultimately be more productive and get more done if you are better rested anyway – think quality over quantity. And get some sleep.3. You cannot sleep wellIn a cruel irony, overworking can lead to poor sleep even when you do hit the sack. It may take several days or even several weeks to get yourself into healthier sleep habits, but get into them you must. Establish and maintain a schedule and don’t let work interfere with your slumber – getting proper rest is almost as important to your health as proper hydration and diet, according to Health Line.4. You are constantly relying on stimulantsEnjoying a cup of coffee or two in the morning isn’t bad for your health – in fact, a moderate amount of coffee is quite good for you. But if you are relying on coffee, soda, or energy drinks all day long – or even worse if you have turned to other stimulants, be they legal or illicit – then you are almost surely overworking. Your body should not need regular use of stimulants to get through the day.5. Your weight goes up, down, or fluctuatesFor some people, a symptom of overwork may be gaining weight as they fail to eat healthily and don’t make time for exercise. Other people who are working too much may lose weight as they simply don’t make enough time for eating proper meals. (Getty)And for still others, weight may go up and down again and again, which is irregular for adults and can add even more undue stress and strain to your heart and health.6. Your mood Is consistently badA job you love should add more happiness to your life. A job you can at least tolerate should at least stop impacting your happiness and sense of wellbeing when you’re not working. If you find yourself irritable most of the time, both when working and on those occasions when you’re not, you are likely spending too many hours on work and not enough time on fun and leisure activities, which are indeed a necessity of life.7. Your personal life Is diminished or goneIf you rarely or ever see your friends anymore and don’t find yourself making time for social activities – with work related activities not counting, for the record – then it’s likely you are working too much and, what’s more, letting your work take over your life. Pay attention to the importance of friendships: they will outlast any job, provided you put in the work to make them do so.8. Your home and family life sufferJust as there is no replacement for good health, there is no substitute for your role in your family. If you are finding work getting in the way of your relationship with your spouse or your children, then you need to take a hard look at your priorities, and quickly, because jobs come and go, but you only get one shot at raising a child, and because once serious rifts open between partners, they are very hard to mend.9. You have already had a health problemIf you have already suffered a heart issue, bouts of high blood pressure, chest pains, or other physical symptoms, or if you have had a panic attack, depression, or other mental health issues that you can tie to work, then that is your clearest sign yet that you are overworked and you need to take a step back. Or better yet five or six steps back, if not head off in a brand new direction altogether.Find the balanceNone of this is to say procrastination or slacking in your duties or even quitting a decent job are solutions. The way to stop overworking is not to avoid working, it’s to properly prioritize your work, to master time management skills, and to set realistic expectations. With that also comes only accepting realistic expectations from others, even your boss. Learning how to say no is a critical skill in life and in work, after all, especially if saying yes to insurmountable amounts of work can cost you your health and wellness. Or even your very life, in the most extreme circumstances. There will be days in which you work more than eight hours, and weeks you put in many more than 40. And that’s not only fine, it’s good: it shows you have a demanding, fulfilling job worth your time and effort. But do not let your work fill all your time, because the demands of your health and wellness – and your happiness – have to come first in the big picture of life.LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCEAre you ready to rein things in?

What You Should Know About Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Success

What You Should Know About Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Many of us spend most of our waking lives at work, meaning that we likely see our colleagues more than we do our own families. Because of this, workplace culture matters a great deal, especially when it comes to our overall mental state. The environment in which you spend all of those hours can contribute to feelings of satisfaction and pride or, conversely, stress and depression. When you work primarily with other people on a team, the way that team functions matters significantly, not just for meeting deadlines and bottom lines but for the general well being of all of those involved. Creating what’s called “psychological safety” in the workplace is a modern goal that allows people to flourish without fear of retribution for mistakes or setbacks, promoting vulnerability and fellowship among team members. From an organizational behavior perspective, psychological safety is important because it can enhance morale, productivity and team effectiveness. Psychological safety plays a critical role in how employees’ experiences at work are valued. When team members sense that they are safe to make mistakes, engage in risk taking and share ideas freely, they can feel more liberated to show up as their best selves. Does your team engage in and try to maintain psychological safety? If you’re new to this term, you may want to consider bringing this concept into your workplace. Here’s what you need to know about the concept, and how it can help you, your colleagues and your employees thrive. What does psychological safety mean?Psychological safety is deeply tied to a feeling of belonging. Instead of pitting people against each other in a competitive environment, where mistakes are pointed out as a way of making others feel better about themselves, psychological safety in the workplace works to create a place where missteps and risk taking are embraced. In a psychologically safe office environment, team members agree not to ridicule, punish or shame others for speaking up, whether someone is sharing a wild idea, voicing unpopular opinions or blowing the whistle on a policy that’s unfair. Essentially, psychological safety allows for speaking one’s mind and taking risks without fearing retribution. Promoting team psychological safety builds stronger teamsThis is a relatively new concept, yet it can be game-changing for team performance once implemented. When people work in situations that cause stress—for example, feeling like they can’t speak up for fear of being publicly ridiculed or because they’re surrounded by team members who are jockeying for the boss’s attention—it puts their brains into fight-or-flight mode. Not only does this create anxiety and fear within a person, which leads to lower work performance and negative outcomes in general in their life, but it leads to more close-mindedness and less motivation within the team.On the flip side, psychological safety promotes creativity, resilience, solution-oriented problem solving and even lightheartedness in the workplace, making the office a more mental health-friendly place to be—not to mention more effective and imaginative when it comes to the results of the work itself. The 4 stages of psychological safety at workFostering psychological safety at work is a process—and one that must be constantly evolving to meet the needs of the team. Dr. Timothy Clark, who wrote The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, outlines four progressive stages for team members to go through before they truly feel free to challenge the status quo and make meaningful contributions without fear of failure or retribution. When people feel psychologically safe, they are free to lean into their best, most creative selves. Creating a more fearless organization means that not only will employees be able to forge high quality relationships, they’ll also be able to play more critical roles in the success of the team overall. Here’s a brief look at these four stages to foster psychological safety in the workplace.Stage 1: Inclusion safetyThis first stage is the most basic. As humans, we need to feel safe simply being ourselves. In order to connect with others, we must be able to feel a sense of belonging, as opposed to feeling rejected. For any workplace, team leaders must foster inclusivity and have a plan in place to combat racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice so that employees can show up as themselves without fearing retribution for who they are. One way to measure psychological safety is by how welcoming and diverse your workplace is. You can’t possibly move on to the next step of psychological safety if your office culture is exclusive, clique-y or steeped in bigotry. Team members must hold the shared belief that everyone can be who they are. Stage 2: Learner safetyOnce people feel accepted for who they are, the next stage of psychological safety is feeling secure in being an active learner. This means asking questions, making mistakes from time to time, trying out new ideas and giving and receiving constructive criticism or feedback. In this stage, people feel confident about not having all the answers—and they’re not expected to know everything but rather will continue to learn and grow. Part of learner safety is promoting interpersonal risk taking, which means that differences of opinion and perspective are treated in ways that lead to collective change, rather than reprimanding. Stage 3: Contributor safetyThis stage of psychological safety deals with feeling comfortable sharing ideas and making a difference. In order for workplace effectiveness, people need to believe that their skills and qualities can make an impact—and they need to feel secure about letting their abilities shine. (Cameron Prins / Getty)This leads to more effective decision making and strategizing as a whole. In this way, a team's psychological safety could be measured by how comfortable people feel fully sharing their expertise and encouraging others to take part in the learning process, and showcase their skills without the culture becoming competitive. Stage 4: Challenger safetyFinally, the fourth stage of psychological safety in the workplace is feeling safe when challenging thoughts, ideas and protocol. In this stage, team members know they are psychologically safe if they need to blow the whistle, go against the grain or be the outlier when it comes to popular opinion. Knowing that you are in a safe place when you air grievances can have a significant effect on morale and team building. How can leaders help create psychological safety at work and strengthen their fellow team members?Ultimately, it’s up to managers and other leaders to create a psychologically safe workplace. While everyone will need to work together to maintain the team’s goals, this is a top down leadership opportunity that needs to be initiated by someone who’s quote-unquote “in charge.” Here are the ways to implement psychologically safety into your office culture.Talk to your team about psychological safetyThe first step toward promoting a team's psychological safety is introducing everyone to the term itself. Work with your team to define psychological safety and provide examples of how it would manifest in your particular work environment. When everyone is on the same page about what kind of culture you’re striving for, they can work together to create that setting. You should also discuss how you plan to measure psychological safety within your team so that people know how you’ll define success. Through team learning and building as a unit, you can create a psychologically safe workplace. Try to find the win-winsWhen you’re discussing outcomes and possibilities as a team, encourage compromise and ways for people to feel like they’ve earned something valuable to them. Ask team members how you can achieve results that are mutually beneficial, rather than encouraging one side of a debate to get the win. This enhances team performance when everyone can come together and be proud of what was accomplished. Embrace failure as a learning experienceInstead of reprimanding employees or creating merit systems based on wins, start encouraging ways you can learn from failure without imposing punitive consequences. Allow for interpersonal risks among team members so you can learn from, and rise to, various challenges. You can also promote team psychological safety by sharing lessons you’ve learned from mistakes you’ve made, which will help the team put setbacks and disappointments into perspective. At the same time, you want to encourage people to take ownership of mistakes and admit when they’re wrong. Having an environment that welcomes failure helps foster this kind of accountability. Encourage big ideas—even crazy onesAllow for creativity with “think big” brainstorm sessions where any idea is allowed. Then, discuss as a team which ideas have legs based on the criteria you set: Should ideas be tested? Do you want research-based ideas? Or are all ideas equal to be considered, as long as they are well thought out? Allowing for different kinds of ideas is a crucial part of decision making so all options are on the table before a choice is ultimately made. Again, taking interpersonal risks as a team, like hearing even seemingly crazy ideas, can bring about radical change. Want more inspiration? Check out these teamwork quotes that can inspire you to new heights of collaboration.Focus on commonalitiesWhen conflicts or misunderstanding inevitably arise, work on seeing the people around you as humans, not as simply employees. If you happen to butt heads with someone, remember that they have certain beliefs, vulnerabilities and anxieties—just like you do. This person wants to feel respected and valued—just like you do. Making a human to human connection helps you keep perspective in a conflict and work toward common goals. Giving people the benefit of the doubt is also important for humanizing people on your team. When someone makes a mistake or asks for help, be gracious about it and trust that they would do the same for you. Be curious, not accusatoryWhether your colleague is working remotely or working in the office, it’s possible that someone on your team could start displaying behavior that’s undesired or problematic. If that happens, work with this person to understand what’s really going on. Use non-inflammatory language to state your observations in a neutral way. Be up front by saying something like, “I’ve noticed you’ve been absent from meetings recently and missing deadlines,” without placing blame or being punitive. Then, you can be curious about what’s really happening by opening the door for honest conversation. Say something like, “This isn’t typical for you—can we talk about what’s going on and work through this together?” Ask for feedbackOne of the most important things you can do to create a respectful work environment is to welcome feedback from those who are below you in the company hierarchy. Asking for feedback makes it known that you are willing to accept your own mistakes and work on yourself as a leader. One important type of feedback you can ask for is on your delivery of messages and ideas to the team. Ask how you could have presented your message more effectively, how it may have felt for others to hear your message and if your message came across as intended. Clear, effective communication is the backbone of any team, particularly one striving for psychological safety in the workplace. Employers should also find ways to measure psychological safety by routine check-ins to make sure the promoted company culture is actually in effect. How do new forms of work affect psychological safety?The ongoing pandemic has upended many work environments, particularly those who work in teams. Work-from-home and hybrid working can make the team aspect of work challenging, especially when people are on different pages about coming into the office again. One of the bigger issues that managers in particular have faced is dealing gracefully with the blurred lines between work life and personal life. In pre-pandemic times, these spheres were highly separate—a setup that benefited companies and bottom lines but hindered workers as people felt like they needed to hide or minimize their out-of-office responsibilities. Now, managers and employees need to find ways to honestly discuss child care, elder care, health risks and other challenges that might make coming back into the office more difficult. This, however, can be tough since sharing personal information can lead to inherent biases. Plus, not all employees will feel comfortable sharing personal information or asking explicitly for what they need.What needs to happen, of course, is that managers and policy-makers need to double down on their commitment to create psychological safety. Be honest with your colleagues and employees about your own struggles with creating policies that work for everyone and achieve team goals. Ask for feedback and ideas. Be humble about being in uncharted territory. (Getty)Build psychological safety and mutual respect by being candid, opening the door for others to express their needs and apprehension about the new normal. Fostering a sense of belongingWhen you create psychological safety in the workplace, you’re positioning values over the bottom line—and people over capital gain. This isn’t to say that psychological safety will impede your ability to be successful financially. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Work culture that values empathy, understanding and vulnerability produces better work, clear and simple. The more employees and teammates feel valued and heard, the more meaning they will find in their day-to-day work. This sense of pride translates to a more cohesive and productive team. While creating psychological safety takes constant work to maintain, doing so allows the entire corporation to flourish.

Working Remotely: Being Productive While Working From Home
Productivity

Working Remotely: Being Productive While Working From Home

At this point, it’s been well over a year since the pandemic hit, which led to office closures and social restrictions. It has led to a reassessment of the future of work, and the future of office space. According to statistics, 20 percent of employed Americans occasionally worked from home before the pandemic. That number rose to 71 percent towards the end of 2020, with 54 percent of people expressing a desire for permanent remote work.Remote jobs have always existed of course, but this trend towards working from home has been in the making for years; the pandemic simply accelerated the trend. Workers have realized they can be more productive from home - or a coffee shop - while achieving a better work-life balance. There’s no doubt the shortcomings of the traditional 9-5 office set-up have been exposed. In fact, studies have shown that in a typical eight-hour day, workers around the world, from the financial services sector to the legal industry and beyond, are only productive for less than three hours in a typical office environment.Working from home is far from a utopia, though, and it isn’t for everyone. If you’re at a crossroads in deciding whether to make a permanent plunge into remote work or some form of hybrid model - or you’d like to learn productivity hacks to make better use of your time - this guide is for you. We’ll begin by exploring the pros and cons of remote work, before moving on to eight tips for productive remote working.Remote workers, and the cons of working from homeI’m a bad-news-first kinda guy, so let’s start with the cons of remote working. (izusek / Getty)Anyone who has experienced Zoom fatigue, or an inability to switch off and compartmentalise the workday with relaxation time, will know there are drawbacks. Research into remote work has found a number of common challenges that have come to light since the pandemic.According to Twingate, 45 percent of workers end up attending more meetings than when working in an office, with 40 percent reporting mental exhaustion. The context of the pandemic and the added stress could be a contributing factor. Zoom fatigue alone is a real issue that has been amplified by the increase of working from home. Research by Stanford University has found four key reasons why:Excessive close-up eye contact is intenseIn-person meetings allow the focus and attention to follow whoevers speaking. However, with platforms like Zoom, people are always “looked-at” even when not speaking, and the enhanced eye contact can be draining.Seeing yourself is tiringIt’s unnatural to constantly see a reflection of yourself in real-time. “In the real world, if somebody was following you around with a mirror constantly – so that while you were talking to people, making decisions, giving feedback, getting feedback – you were seeing yourself in a mirror, that would just be crazy,” Professor Jeremy Bailenson explained. (jeffbergen / Getty)Studies have found that when seeing a reflection of themselves, whether as a remote worker on a screen or in real life, people tend to become more critical.Movement is limitedVideo calls require people to stay in the same place for a long period of time, limiting mobility in an unnatural way. Cognitive load is much higherDetecting nonverbal cues is natural in person, but over video, we have to work harder to decipher body language and other subtle forms of communication.Other difficulties for remote employees Aside from the different dynamics with virtual meetings, there are other cons to remote working, the most common being:IsolationWe’re social animals, and mixing with other people in the “tribe” is important for a number of reasons. Working away from an office can create a feeling of isolation for many people.DisconnectionAs well as feeling isolated, it can be harder to feel connected to the rest of the team when communication is mostly through Gmail, Slack, or Zoom.OverworkingWithout clear designated boundaries that an office provides, there’s a risk of overworking. That can be fuelled by the desire to make sure you’re not seen as slacking, too, of falling into the trap of always being accessible, or “just checking one more email.”Pros of working from homeRegardless of the setbacks, many people are looking to extend their time working from home following the pandemic. That’s because remote work comes with many benefits, which often outweigh the cons listed above. The standout pros of working from home are:No commuteIn 2019, the average one-way commute time for American workers was just under 30 minutes. That’s an hour per day, five per week, and 20 hours each month of sitting in traffic or twiddling thumbs on public transport.(Alistair Berg / Getty)The time saved in the commute can be used for a longer morning routine, extra sleep, finishing the day early, or making more time for hobbies.Focused work timeWithout being chained to a desk, there’s an opportunity for more flexibility in your schedule. Considering the study from above, it makes more sense to fit in four or five hours of quality work in a day, while making most of your breaks, rather than sit in an office and be productive for less time.More flexibilityMany remote work opportunities allow for flexibility. If you have errands you need to run in the day, you can work around them, or even switch a day-off in the week for working one day over the weekend.Enhanced productivityI’m someone who always found open-plan offices distracting, especially when I worked as a staff writer, and had to regularly access flow state. People walking by, having banter, making coffee, or asking questions, all add to distraction. For many, myself included, working from home enhances productivity.Independence and freedomAbove all else, working remotely adds a sense of freedom that you don’t get when having to work from an office every day. In turn, there’s a stronger sense of trust that the work that has to be done will be done, rather than attempts to fill the day by looking busy.Decide what’s best for youWhether you’re one of the many job seekers trying to decide if remote work is for you, or if in-person work is more your style, the overall balance that applies to your circumstances will always be unique. All the productivity hacks in the world won’t be effective if your set-up is sub-par, or if you’re someone who craves the buzz and social aspect of working in an office.(Morsa Images / Getty)Fortunately, many businesses are offering hybrid solutions to working from home, meaning there’s an opportunity to get the best of both worlds. Perhaps you’d prefer to be in the office for two or three days per week, to touch base with colleagues, have face-to-face time, or just to work from a space away from where you live.8 tips for productivity when you work remotelyWhether you decide to work remotely full-time, a few days per week, or mixed with a few days at a coworking space if you’re a freelancer, the key to getting the most is productivity. With more focus on the results of your labor, rather than hours on the clock, the more optimized your workflow is, the better. With that in mind, let’s look at what makes the foundation of productive work from home with these 8 tips:1. Set clear boundaries between work-time and rest-timeOne of the benefits listed above, independence and freedom, is one of the reasons many people turn to remote work. The harsh reality is that, without discipline or clear structure, remote work can feel less freeing than working in an office. When working from home, it’s essential to create clear boundaries between when you’re working, and when you’re not, to avoid burnout or the inability to switch off. That begins by setting clear working hours — and sticking to them. (Tetra Images / Getty)Do your best to finish when you say you’ll finish, and avoid the small behaviors that lead to a sense of always working, such as fitting in extra tasks outside those hours or checking emails late at night. This is much easier achieved if you have a space that is separate from where you live — the elusive home office. With apartment prices off the scale, though, it’s not always likely. But whatever space you work in, find ways to separate the area. Even if all that involves is setting up a temporary laptop desk, or putting away your computer and work equipment at the end of the day.2. Have a beginning and end-of-day routine/shutdown routineOn the topic of ending the day, to help create structure, make sure you bookend work with routines or rituals that allow you to compartmentalize. This is especially important if your workspace is near where you relax. I personally break up the day into four segments:Morning routine: this is sacred time before I log onto my laptop and check emails or start work activity. I wake up, shower, meditate, drink coffee, and journal every day before I begin work. This ensures I start the day with the right tone and don’t instantly jump into work mode.Pre-work routine: this is essentially a way of focusing my mind on the day’s task. I’ll look at my calendar, note my to-do list, and get “in the zone.” Usually, I’ll make sure I go outside before beginning for some fresh air.Post work routine: I find this step the most important when I’m super busy. It’s a form of commitment to putting a full stop to the day, even when I know I could write a few more words, respond to a few more people. I’ll sum up the day, tie up loose ends, and quickly reflect on what’s to come tomorrow.Evening routine: this mirrors my morning routine, in a way. An hour or two before I’m in bed, I’ll switch off my phone and avoid a screen to slow down.Rituals are symbolic and set the tone for either entering the frame of mind for work or winding down for the day. Play around with what works for you. The cleaner and clearer these transitions, the better.3. Learn how to guard your timeJust as attention can spill over, causing you to overwork or fit in extra tasks, the opposite can be true. With a little leeway, suddenly you might be tempted to make a call, respond to a few WhatsApp messages, or find people reaching out to you during work hours in ways they wouldn’t if you were in an office.Part of being productive when remote working is guarding your work time just as you would if you were in an office. No one would walk into your office and start asking questions, the same principle applies if working from home. Set aside time not to be disturbed, and don’t be afraid to set boundaries or communicate clearly that this is the case.4. Have a remote work commuteOne of the benefits of remote work is the reduced commute. But for many people, the lack of commute is a double-edged sword. Whilst the time is freed up, the commute does offer a clear transition between work-time and non-work-time. A hack I find useful to combat this is to create your very own remote work commute. This can be something you do each day that mimics a commute and involves movement — go for a brief walk around the block or go shopping at the same time each morning, before arriving at your desk.5. Have a work outfitIn psychology, there’s a phenomenon known as enclothed cognition. What you wear can have a direct impact on your mindset and performance. Applying this wisdom to remote work, it pays to have a work outfit. As tempting as it might be to stay in jogging bottoms or to work from bed, this helps foster the right mindset for productivity. Having a work outfit means you still go through the same process of getting ready and motivated for the workday, even if you’re based at home. Plus, it means you’re ready for the day, whether making a trip to a local cafe or scheduling a last-minute Zoom call with a colleague.6. Learn time management skillsThis depends largely on your workflow. Many remote work opportunities are more flexible in the office, which means you’ll have to learn how to become your own boss in terms of scheduling your time. In-office work is fairly straightforward — show up when you’re due to start, leave at the end of the day. But remote working requires a more precise structure.By far the most useful trick I’ve learned is time blocking. My Google Calendar looks like a game of Tetris — multiple colors all neatly fitting together. I’ve been working remotely for four years now, and I’ve noticed there’s a paradox at play: the more structure I have, the more freedom I have. When I look at a blank calendar, my to-do list is overwhelming. But when I see how I’ll designate time to tasks throughout the week, it feels manageable.Time blocking is the process of estimating how much time you need and creating that time in your calendar, and a crucial part of time management. Consider all the tasks you have, and group them together. If you're a creative professional, you’ll want to box out at least two or three hours at a time to ensure you can enter flow. Set specific times to read your email or work correspondence. If you have meetings, try to set them so they aren’t right in the middle of a productive spell.7. Minimise distractionsYou might not be disrupted by a colleague asking you for the wifi password or for a round of happy birthday for the third time in one day, but remote work has its own level of distraction. It’s vital your workspace is as clean and clear as it can be. Make sure the space is tidy, get rid of as much clutter as you can, and be aware of the “to-dos” that might be part of your environment, such as unwashed dishes or loads of washing.(Alistair Berg / Getty)Above all else, be conscious of how you use your phone. Being away from the office, it can be tempting to replace real-life connections with social media or responding to friends. After all, you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder! But the benefit of working from home is, if you enter a state of deep work, you’ll have more time for the things you enjoy.8. Don’t forget to look after your mental healthGoalcast always has self-development in mind. The last point is an important one and often overlooked: your psychology plays a big part in how much you enjoy remote work. It also pays to explore your beliefs about remote work. You might feel you have to work extra hard to “prove” you’re pulling your weight if some colleagues are in the office. Or you might convince yourself you have to be available 24/7 to compensate for not being physically present.Aside from understanding how beliefs can affect the quality of your work-life balance, maintaining mental health is important to overall functioning and productivity. There are unique challenges with remote work that can impact your overall mood and stress levels, so keep in mind these additional pointers:Take regular breaks: without the usual hustle and bustle of an office, it’s easy to fall into forgetting to take a break. Studies have found even “micro-breaks” of just 15 minutes can reduce stress and make work more enjoyable. Stand up and stretch every hour. And be conscious of your screen time.Get fresh air: without the usual commute, there’s a risk of cabin fever, especially if you wake, sleep, eat and work in the same four walls. Factor in time in nature; a walk in the local park, or even a stroll around the block, to have brief connections with nature.Don’t be afraid to speak up: being slightly disconnected from the office, it can be difficult to bring up challenging conversations. But it’s best to be clear and communicate if you’re struggling with your workload, or even need a little extra time to decompress.In conclusionRemote work brings with it its own challenges and rewards. It’s not necessarily for everyone, but for many, it’s a bridge to greater freedom and a rewarding sense of work-life balance. (Oscar Wong / Getty)With the above guidance, hopefully you’ll have clear idea of what will work best for you — and how to focus and how to make the most of your time.

Influencer CEO Defies All Expectations By Sharing Profits With Employees Instead Of Paying Herself
Uplifting News

Influencer CEO Defies All Expectations By Sharing Profits With Employees Instead Of Paying Herself

We always hear pushback about raising the minimum wage, but the story of this store owner in Los Angeles proves how unfair the current system really is.She walks the walkMadeline Pendleton is a popular Gen Z influencer who owns a clothing line that focuses on size inclusivity, sustainability, and economic equality, explains God Daily Dot. She also owns a vintage shop in Los Angeles called Tunnel Vision and hosts a podcast, Pick Me Up, I’m Scared, which often talks about labor exploitation.In a recent TikTok post, Pendleton proved that she practices what she preaches.“How would your life be if you and your employees didn’t earn the same?”Madeline PandletonShe makes as much as her employeesIn the post, Pendleton explained that she has a total payroll of close to $600,000 per year filled by 7 full-time employees and 4 part-time employees. She also revealed her own wage, $70,200 per year, the exact same as the other full-time employees."It still feels very rich to us because we are used to being poor," she said. But then Pendleton explained what would happen if she paid her staff the minimum wage in LA, $14.25 per hour, and kept the rest. That would drastically drop her payroll expenses to $177,000 per year, leaving her a wage of $420,000. "This is what most bosses are doing," she concluded.She used profits to buy her staff new carsIn a second video, Pendleton answered a response in the comments that accused her of keeping all the profits as the owner."I have the same salary as everyone else," she replied. "When there are extra profits throughout the year, we do things for everybody."Things like buying everyone in the company a car who wanted one."After we netted a huge profit from a recent sale, we bought everyone who needed one, a new car, paid off the remaining car loans for everybody else," she added. "We also put an option for people who didn't drive, telling them: 'Hey if this changes in the future, and you want to drive, we got you." So ya, we do sh*t like that and get as close to zero as possible. There's no profit leftover and we're distributing it all year long."This needs to changeYes, some small business owners struggle to pay their staff with the humble profits they make, but others hoard their income, perpetuating an unequal system. By being transparent about her pay, Pendleton is showing this exploitation inherent in capitalism and proving that owners have a choice. Hopefully, others in her generation will listen and bring forth the necessary change that previous generations have failed to do.More uplifting stories:Man Defends Mother Who Got Body-Shamed By Rude Plane PassengerWoman Unceremoniously Dumps Toxic Boyfriend After Constant Body ShamingTarget Employee Receives $30K Of Donations After Public Shaming By CustomerBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Manager Forces 8-Month Pregnant Employees To Tuck In Shirt, Shocked Customers Intervene
Uplifting News

Manager Forces 8-Month Pregnant Employees To Tuck In Shirt, Shocked Customers Intervene

A couple of employees were told by a manager that no exceptions would be made to the uniform policy, despite the fact that they were eight months pregnant. So the employees complied, only for the manager to be yelled at by his boss and fired shortly thereafter.The manager was 'clueless'In a Reddit post, user u/zzz0mbiez describes an incident at work in 2011 that is as outrageous as it is comically ridiculous. In the post, she says she was working at a "big pet store" when a manager took her and a fellow employee aside to speak to them about their uniforms. "The other cashier and myself are just '????,' because we both had our khakis, uniform shirts and black sneakers," she wrote. "Everything was neat and clean, so we both had no clue what he was talking about. I ask him what he is referring to, he replies that our shirts have to be tucked in."The thing was, the "painfully clueless and stupid" manager was wrong — pregnant employees were exempt from tucking in their shirts in the policy, and the staff told him that but he didn't listen."The other manager that is there acting as a witness chimes in that we are correct, but clueless manager cuts witness manager off and says he knows what the policy is and that previous management was just being lax (they weren’t, pregnant employees were actually exempt)," she added.Compliance, but with malicious intentSo the employees obliged, doing their very best to keep their pants up despite their huge bellies. The writer had her pants hiked up to just below her breasts, and the other cashier had hers tucked into her pants that were held together with a hairband, exposing her leopard print underwear. "For those unfamiliar, by eight months pregnant you are basically Violet from Willy Wonka with an internal Oompa Loompa kicking you in the bladder every 20 mins," she wroteWhen regular customers saw their outfits, they were shocked. "For two full days (and part of that first shift after clueless manager left for the day), customer complaints to corporate about our treatment rolled in and coworkers called the employee hotline to report clueless manager," she wrote.Backlash hits hardOn the third day, the manager returned to work and asked why they were dressed like that. "¯\(ツ)/¯ 'You told us to tuck our shirts in,'" the writer recalls saying. "He gets red in the face and beelines to the office. He calls us into the office IMMEDIATELY and starts going off on us for not taking the uniform policy seriously."Mid-tirade, the district manager arrives and laces into the lower ranking manager for ignoring the uniform exemption for pregnant women. "Turns out clueless manager ruined district manager's day off because of all the complaints that came in about the two pregnant employees forced by a male manager to show their underwear/pregnancy attire in public due to an absurd uniform policy," she wrote. "...the sheer number of complaints in such a short time meant that the regional manager was breathing down the district manager's neck to resolve the issue."The writer added that the manager didn't allow them to use stools while working the cash, saying “if you can lean, you can clean.”The manager was forced to apologize and buy the employees lunch. He was also sent to HR training, but it doesn't look like it helped — the manager was fired soon after for not allowing an employee with a pacemaker to use a pin-backed nametag."This guy was actually insinuating that this employee was just looking to make trouble and get special treatment over a name tag."Justice is servedPregnancy is hard enough, nobody needs a pesky manager telling them what they can wear, especially when they're already being compliant with the policy. Thankfully, customers stood up for these employees and justice was served. This is definitely a good reminder that if you see someone treated unfairly, speaking up can really make a difference. More uplifting stories:His Village Was Turned Into A Ghost Town By Millionaire Vacation Homes – Here’s Why He Refuses To GoWoman Kicks Neighbors’ Kids Off Her Yard, Tells Parents To Get Bigger HomeWoman Too Heavy For Her Scale Has Major Wake-Up Call And Loses Over 200 Lbs In 1 YearWoman Gets Invited To Wedding, Finds Out They Want To Use Her For Free Makeup

Employee Exposes Abusive Manager And Receives Unexpected Support
Emotional Health

Employee Exposes Abusive Manager And Receives Unexpected Support

One female employee working at Woolworths in Australia took to Twitter to expose an abusive manager. According to her, she texted her supervisor prior to her shift to say that she couldn't make it in. The employee said that she tried calling the store, but there was no answer.The supervisor's reply was shocking, berating the employee for texting on their day off. "Call them again. Texting in to me or any supervisor is not acceptable."The employee then apologized, explaining that she thought it was better to let her manager know in any way possible instead of not showing up. That's when her supervisor erupted. "Do you enjoy working on your day off? I don't," the manager texted."I am a human being you know. I need time away from work to relax and spend time with my family." The manager added, "I already donate enough of my time for my team." "So you can take your sassy comments and f*** right off tbh. Call the f***ing store" -Woolworth's manager Backlash"I think even you know that's an absolutely unacceptable way to speak to your team. Wow," replied the employee and proceeded to quit on the spot, sparking outrage on Twitter in the process. "OP here has made all attempts to let them know and you think letting the manager know would be the next best thing," wrote one online commenter. "And there's zero excuse for language like that in any professional context."-Commenter online Compassion is crucialAs the story made headlines, Woolworths released a prepared statement. "The safety and wellbeing of all our team is our top priority and we are conducting a full investigation so we can resolve this matter promptly," a Woolworths spokesperson said. This has been a largely forgettable year for many of us. Our health, sanity and frankly our faith in anything has pushed to the limit. One of the places this has been felt the most are essential workers, who didn't have an option to work from home. Through it all, they've showed up everyday and kept things together despite being mostly under-appreciated. If this story shows anything, it's that a little bit of patience and understanding can go a long way, especially from managers to their employees. And who knows what the manager was going through? Even though abuse of any kind is unacceptable, compassion can also go a long way when dealing with difficult people. More uplifting stories:Walmart Employee Gets Fired For Saving Woman From Assault, Customers Have Best ResponseAmputee Chef Started Cooking 5 Days After Losing His HandWoman Fired For Act of Kindness Has Had Companies Lining Up To Hire HerLifeguard Fired For Saving A Life Gets Incredible Reward After Public Outrage

Employee Sends After-Hours Email, CEO Has The Most Impressive Response
Uplifting News

Employee Sends After-Hours Email, CEO Has The Most Impressive Response

A CEO understands the value of work-life balance and prohibits employees from sending emails after work hours unless it's an emergency.CEO understands the need for limitsFor many of us, COVID-19 has brought work home. The line between job and life has been blurred with remote work and it's easy to feel like you're working for all of your waking hours.But one CEO wants to preserve his employees' work-life balance (remember that!?).Robert Sweeney, CEO at Facet posted on LinkedIn about a policy of no work emails or Slack messages after hours. And he's serious about enforcing it.When one employee tried to send an email, he sent them this response:"Everyone is talking about the late night or over the weekend messages they get from you. You can tell people not to read them, but that doesn't work. It makes their phone buzz late at night.Plus, if we needed to get a hold of someone after hours for an emergency, we won't be able to because we've told them to ignore after hours messages.There is a feature in Outlook that lets you schedule an email to go out at a specific date/time. Can you start scheduling your emails to go out at 8:30am on the next business day? Only use slack after hours and on weekends when it's an emergency.In Outlook you just click on the down arrow on the send button and it gives you the option to schedule it to go out later.>> Their reply: Good suggestion. Thank you>> My response: Not a suggestion. :)"Work-life balance is possibleSure, a company may say it believes in work-life balance, but does your boss still permit after-work messages? Most do, but it doesn't have to be that way.Over in Germany, the country is considering enshrining no work emails as a homeworking right. In France, companies haven't been allowed to send their employees after-work emails for years.And coronavirus has only amplified the need for preserving work-life balance while many of us work remotely. Just ask this woman who wanted to work less because she was helping her child learn at home (the boss said 'no,' for the best reason possible).Set boundariesIf you're in the C-suite at your company, have you considered implementing a similar policy at your work? Why not? As for employees, you're responsible, too. If you don't have to initiate an after-hours message, don't. If you don't set boundaries, it can hurt your relationships and lead to burn-out, and nobody wants that. More uplifting stories:Woman Asks To Work Less Due To COVID, Boss Has The Most Impressive ResponsePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

Woman Asks To Work Less Due To COVID, Boss Has The Most Impressive Response
Uplifting News

Woman Asks To Work Less Due To COVID, Boss Has The Most Impressive Response

A Siemens software manager is being praised online for refusing to cut a female employee's hours. Instead of agreeing to cut her pay so she could help her kids with remote learning, her boss said she could work less for the same pay, sending a message to businesses everywhere about supporting women in the workforce. The pandemic isn't 'the great equalizer'The impact of the pandemic is not felt equally by men and women. Studies like this one show women are leaving the workforce at a substantially greater rate than men are because of their increased responsibilities taking care of children.In this case, the woman asked her boss to cut her hours to 80% so she could spend more time helping her kids with remote learning while schools are shut. But her boss refused.On Twitter, the boss explained why in a thread that has since gone viral.Too much pressure on womenThe boss, Aaron Genest, explains how companies still expect workers — especially women — to be just as productive as pre-COVID times with the added burdens the pandemic has brought on families. But "we shouldn't," he said.Genest said his staff has been performing extremely well under the circumstances, even though they're working fewer hours."I have a high-performing team who outperformed themselves again this year, outperforming almost every other team in my company in fact and winning awards for it," he wrote. "They didn't do it by working 9 to 5 or putting 40 hours of tracked time in during the week. They didn't do it by shutting their door and not seeing their kids or by using every moment of Zoom calls for work."So, how did they do it? "They did it by being a supportive group and working together," he said.Genest explains that his staff took time off to help with their families and their colleagues picked up the slack. "When someone has to leave to pick up their kids, someone else covers. When a 2-year-old bounces into a business call, they smile and everyone understands. When a day is less productive because they can't stand staring at the walls anymore, they get out so the next one is better."A message for bosses everywhere So, he denied the woman's request to cut her hours and her pay."No, you can't sacrifice your career advancement because of a perceived lack of productivity. No, you don't need to feel guilty about taking the time to make sure your kids are learning."Genest added that he wants this to inspire other companies to be more considerate of their employees during the pandemic."It's a small thing. I'm a single boss in a large company among many employers. But let me encourage anyone with the power to do so to deny this change. Work with your team from within, above, or below to support the people struggling through this. Please."Genest finished the thread by saying Siemens in Saskatoon is hiring. However, before you jump at the opportunity to work with this considerate boss, keep in mind that today, the temperature in Saskatoon hit -39.2 Celsius (-38.56 Fahrenheit).The pandemic is not business as usualThe pandemic has been so hard on all of us, the least we can do is be considerate. So if you're a boss out there, give your employees a break — especially ones with kids at home. And if you're struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help. We're only going to get through this if we help each other.More uplifting stories:50 Years After Their Love Was Torn Apart by Racism, They’re Finally MarriedPoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others