Category Archives: Work

“Mommy penalty” pushes women’s wages down even further

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Even though women have made big strides in recent decades relative to education and career, they continue to make less than men — on average about 7% less for comparable positions. And a recent survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that women with children typically make […]

LABORING ON

by Hans Eisenbeis From a certain point of view, yesterday’s Labor Day observances were depressing. The fact is, there are far too many people who couldn’t enjoy the holiday for the simple reason that they have no job to return to today. And though the holiday is meant to specifically pay tribute to America’s industrial […]

Men in Sheds helps older Brits build and bond

by Rebecca de Vaux WHAT’S HAPPENING A hands-on community project to help meet the emotional, physical and social needs of older men has been given £262,876 funding after a two-year pilot project (BromleyTimes.co.uk, 2 August 2012). Based in Eltham, south-east London, the Men in Sheds project has more than 50 retired male participants who are […]

Young free agents hustle up multicareers

by Cree McCree WHAT’S HAPPENING “What do you do?” Good question. For young adults juggling multiple gigs, the answer is anything but straightforward. Dubbed “sidetrepreneurism” by MTV/Viacom, wearing many different hats in the marketplace has become business as usual for multicareerist Millennials (Forbes.com, 19 July 2012). Whether they work multiple jobs simultaneously or sequentially, freewheelin’ […]

MOMMY (AND DADDY) WARS

By Becky Sun In case you didn’t notice, there’s another “mommy war” in the blogosphere. In an Atlantic article titled “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” (accompanied by the obligatory photo of a toddler in Mom’s briefcase), Anne-Marie Slaughter revisits the well-worn grooves of the “mommy track,” parental leave and the meaning of modern […]

Berlin professionals spend their lunch breaks dancing

by Ann Kathrin Weldy WHAT’S HAPPENING Young professionals can let loose during their lunch hour and shake off any work tension at Lunch Beats, the Stockholm-born lunchtime club concept which premiered in Berlin in May 2012 (Sugarhigh.de, 29 May 2012). Lunch-hour clubbing sessions come complete with healthy food, non-alcoholic drinks (usually water) and techno beats. […]

Screw Business as Usual: Richard Branson plans to revision capitalism

by Jana Branch WHAT’S HAPPENING Visionary Richard Branson means it when he asks, “Can we bring more meaning to our lives and help change the world at the same time?” Branson’s Capitalism 24902 project and Screw Business as Usual (book, summit and engagement platform) are open invitations to business leaders and employees to analyze what’s […]

What did the 1% study in college?

by Hans Eisenbeis WHAT’S HAPPENING Iconoculture has been doing our best to help fill out a meaningful and informative portrait of “the 1%” to improve understanding of the top income-earners in the US. Who are they, where do they live, what did they do to become our wealthy and privileged overlords? A January 2012 analysis […]

Tattoo removal up as Spaniards compete for jobs

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING Ink on the skin can blot candidates’ job prospects — so claims Barcelona’s Planas Clinic, which has seen an 81% rise in demand for laser tattoo removal since 2008 (LaVanguardia.com, 27 December 2011). As job competition increases in Spain, these former fashion statements are becoming a pain. Rafael Serena, head […]

Silicon Valley at sea aims to stem the tide of brain drain

by Amber Davis WHAT’S HAPPENING Changes in visa policy have made it harder for highly educated  immigrants to launch companies in the US — especially in Silicon Valley. One solution? Move the whole thing to a ship in international waters. The idea was cooked up by son of Cuban immigrants and CEO of Blueseed Co. […]

Talent Garden grows tomorrow’s startups in Italy

by Krisha Kinnersley WHAT’S HAPPENING Online entrepreneurs, graphic designers and other techie minds interested in sharing an innovative working space can now rent a workstation at the newly opened Talent Garden (Tag) office building in Brescia (ItalianValley.Wired.it, 2 December 2011). Started by Davide Dattoli, Enrico Ballerini and Gianfausto Ferrari, Tag plants the concept of coworking […]

WHY WE WORK

by Josh Kimball If there’s one important thing Brad Pitt has given our culture, it’s a more nuanced understanding of human resources departments. In Moneyball, Pitt brings the scintillating tale of a Major League Baseball team’s talent management philosophy to the silver screen, explaining how organizations (and even entire institutions) can undervalue certain skills and […]

Viva la siesta! Experts endorse the potency of the Spanish power nap

by Sairica Rose WHAT’S HAPPENING One of Spain´s most famous exports, the lunchtime nap, or siesta, is undergoing a revival (ABC.es, 16 July 2011). Specialists from Valencia’s Hospital Quirón sleep unit say a siesta helps the human body withstand the day. While beneficial for adults, it is essential for seniors and children, with under-fives needing to nap for physical and neurological development. […]

India Inc takes home corporate lessons from Team India’s cricket World Cup win

by Bhavna Pande WHAT’S HAPPENING When India won the ICC World Cup 2011 after 28 wistful years, the country celebrated. Also, management gurus were busy taking notes. They SWOT-analysed the win; drew parallels from team skipper MS Dhoni’s leadership strategy. India’s top CEOs and team leaders from companies like Nokia, LG, Aditya Birla Retail, Infosys, etc., […]

French train company brings childcare and other services to the station

by Lindsay Paterson WHAT’S HAPPENING The French train company SNCF is opening crèches in a number of stations around France so that busy parents can drop off their offspring for the day before hopping on the train for the daily commute (Lexpress.fr, 15 April 2011). A test crèche opened in Roanne, near Lyon, in August […]

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