Microsoft Increases Salaries and Workers Re-learn Office Etiquette: TOP 5 Trends From The World Of Work 

This week two international companies announced that they would improve conditions for workers; Microsoft by increasing salaries, and Goldman Sachs by offering unlimited vacation for senior management. Meanwhile, other workers are looking to upskill, and turning to social media platform TikTok for help.

What else matters this week?

Air travel is recovering, but passengers are less likely to fly business class Losses, layoffs and hiring freezes continue in the tech sector. Has the bubble burst? As the return to the office continues, start-ups are flocking to co-working spaces. Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter is on increasingly shaky ground. Could the US’ House of Congress be the next group of workers to unionise? We’ve got a full breakdown of all the top headlines you can’t miss this week.

#1. Microsoft to increase salaries for early- and mid-career workers.

Microsoft announced plans to almost double its budget for employee salaries and boost stock compensation for some employees by 25%. The move is an effort to help staff cope with the rising cost of living, and to encourage workers to stick with the company. In a competitive tech labour market, “our talent is in high demand,” said Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer, Satya Nadella, in a staff memo. The changes at Microsoft, which has nearly 200,000 employees around the globe, will mainly benefit early and mid-career professionals, the company said.

This comes as Amazon announced increased salary ceilings in February. Should more companies raise pay to counter inflation? Read more at Bloomberg.

#2. New York pay transparency law aims to close the gender pay gap.

Employers in New York will have to specify a salary range in add job ads under a new law, and the news has been greeted with optimism from some experts. The change is expected to save job hunters’ time and streamline the employment process. It could also help address the gender pay gap. The Pew Research Centre found that in 2020, women in the US made just 84% of what men earned. It is hoped that making salaries public will help candidates see in advance if they are being offered a fair rate compared with the competition, regardless of their gender. Read more at Forbes.

#3. How returning to the office means re-learning work etiquette.

After the widespread switch to remote work during the pandemic, returning to the office can feel like a huge adjustment. For some workers, so much time has passed since they were at the office full-time, that work etiquette may have completely transformed. Are more Zoom-style casual clothes acceptable in real-life meetings? Is it ok to use the work microwaving to heat up a particularly pungent lunch? Luckily, experts are on hand with the answers. Read more at The Guardian.

#4. Goldman Sachs to offer unlimited holiday, but only for senior staff.

Goldman Sachs has said it will offer unlimited paid time off under new flexible vacation plans. However, the perk will only be available to senior management – junior bankers will still get a fixed number of holiday days. In the past, the investment bank has been criticised for overworking employees, leaving some experts wondering if the new policy will work in practice. After all, unlimited paid time off sounds great on paper, but what if you have too much work to take a break? The company has planned more changes, including banning work from Friday evening to Sunday morning, and automating more tasks to free up junior staff. Read more on the BBC.

#5. Want to improve your spreadsheet skills? Try TikTok.

Workers trying to nail a complex spreadsheet formula or iron out formatting creases may not think of turning to social media. However, so-called Excel influencers are a force to be reckoned with. On video-sharing platform TikTok, content creators who share their best tips for the spreadsheet software are racking up millions of views. They are also offering genuine help. Studies have shown that there is an urgent need for workers to upskill, and many workers also want to add new skills to their portfolio. As micro-learning – meaning short bursts of educational content that can be rewatched – offers a practical way to do this, making sites like TikTok ideal. Read more at Financial Times.