August 17, 2010 – 6:08 am
by Nancy Ludwig WHAT’S HAPPENING An Audit Commission survey of 16- to 18-year-olds has found that one in four of them were classed as NEETs — teenagers not in education, employment or training — between 2007 and 2009, and roughly 43% of them were NEETs for six months or more. The report calls them Britain’s [...]
by Nancy Ludwig WHAT’S HAPPENING Paintballing and outward-bound weekends could soon be replaced by graffiti art, sculpture and pottery as the most popular team-building pursuits among forward-thinking employers (Guardian.co.uk 26.6.10). As staff angst about possible layoffs and pay freezes reaches an all-time high, creative pursuits that encourage them to express their thoughts and feelings in [...]
by Lindsay Paterson WHAT’S HAPPENING Microsoft has been rolling out an experiential campaign to help the “new busy” manage their hectic schedules and create more time for (sometimes quirky) offscreen interests with a new, improved Hotmail service. Promotional events around London encouraged consumers to take up pursuits like Morris dancing, knitting, throat singing and extreme [...]
by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Coworking studios have sprung up all over the country, allowing Free AgentSM knowledge workers to have some of the advantages of the traditional office — friendly conversation at the water cooler, a color printer, a fax machine. Now a Philadelphia workspace has developed a coworking laboratory that would make any [...]
by Abby Shannon WHAT’S HAPPENING The recession, coupled with corporate mandates, has pushed business travelers to the back of the plane. Now that the end of the slump is in sight, will these travelers return to the land of legroom? According to the International Air Transport Association, first- and business-class bookings increased in December 2009, [...]
January 25, 2010 – 6:53 am
by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Researchers looking into the biology of charity have found that brain chemistry is actually altered by acts of charitable giving. Now business strategists and professional coaches say that being generous can pay big dividends career-wise too (WSJ.com 12.20.09). Nice guys really don’t have to finish last. Jonathan Fields, author of [...]
October 30, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING After a June 2009 Supreme Court decision that favored employers, Senate leaders are working to add more teeth to existing age-discrimination law. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination bill, supported by AARP, would broaden the scope of what plaintiffs must prove by making age one of several motivating factors in [...]
September 23, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Reed Robinson WHAT’S HAPPENING You know the guy … the one writing a report, reading the news, checking Facebook, all while tuning in to his favorite Pandora station. We often wonder how he’s capable of such productivity. His secret: inefficiency. In a 2009 study, Stanford researchers tested two groups — regular multitaskers and non-multitaskers [...]
August 26, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING With the job market tanking, recent grads have started vying for the only hot ticket in town: unpaid internships. To give their kids an edge, some families are paying to play, spending as much as $8,000 to land nonpaying gigs. At University of Dreams, the industry’s biggest placement service, 2009 [...]
by Sarah Barker WHAT’S HAPPENING As the pressure to retain or land a new job increases, some job seekers are turning to a competitive-edge-in-a-needle, Botox (KGW.com 5.1.09). Advocates report that looking younger boosts both first impressions and personal confidence in job interviews. On June 5, Washington, DC-based aesthetics emporium Reveal offered a Botox Bailout — [...]
by Lisa Parks WHAT’S HAPPENING The rising rate of unemployment is forcing many workers to acquire additional education to get work. Latino and African American day laborers are no exception. Non-profit CASA de Maryland is stepping in to help. Many of the workers previously toiled in construction, which has a nationwide unemployment rate of 19.2% [...]
By Iconoculture
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Also posted in Consumer Trend, Economy, Latino, Multicultural
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Tagged African American, Consumer trends, day laborers, Economic downturn, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Latino, Lisa Parks
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by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Some downsized older Boomers are taking early retirement, opting for a steady Social Security check instead of stressing about finding a new job. How are their young Millennial colleagues handling joblessness? Many are indulging in escapism — literally. The Wall Street Journal reports that post-grads are skipping out on the [...]
by Katie Elfering WHAT’S HAPPENING Office drones chained to their desks have no hope of heating up a hot lunch … until now. Heinz has developed a prototype USB-powered microwave that lets workers keep working and eat a hot lunch without leaving their desks. Called the Beanzawave, the mini-microwave stands a short 7.4-inches tall by [...]
By iconoculture
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Also posted in Consumer Trend, Food/Beverage
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Tagged Beanzawave, Boomers, Consumer trends, Gen Xers, Heinz, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Katie Elfering, Millennials, USB-powered microwave
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by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Thanks to the Great Recession and the huge bite it’s taken out of home equity, 401(k)s, and long-term savings, most Americans believe they’ll never be able to retire. But some older Boomers are taking the opposite approach: They’re taking early retirement to receive the guaranteed cash flow of social security [...]
By Iconoculture
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Also posted in Consumer Trend, Economic meltdown, Economy, Money/Spending
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Tagged Boomers, Consumer trends, early retirement, Hans Eisenbeis, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Matures, Social Security benefits
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by Stefania Revelli WHAT’S HAPPENING In lieu of traditional raises, bonuses and other employee benefits, tough times are calling for innovative ways to show employee recognition. Community and volunteer service time as part of salaried pay time is a fast-growing, feel-good attraction for job-seeking Millennials. PNC’s volunteerism program now includes partnerships with roughly 200 nonprofits [...]
By Iconoculture
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Also posted in Consumer Trend, Economic meltdown
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Tagged Boomers, Consumer trends, employee recognition, Gen Xers, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, job fulfillment, Millennials, Recession, Stefania Revelli, team building
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