Remote Work May Hamper Wellbeing: TOP 5 Trends From The World Of  Work 

“If our clients don’t notice, then that’s a huge measure of whether it’s working.” The four-day work week might be a revolutionary idea to some companies, but to others… Well, they say they’ve nailed down the experiment and made it a reality.

What else matters this week?

Markets fear Bitcoin “domino effect.”

How fiction can help build your corporate strategy.

Are CV gaps a thing of the past?

EU warns against fossil fuel “backsliding” as coal replaces Russian gas.

We’ve got a full breakdown of all the top headlines you can’t miss this week.

#1. These companies say they have nailed the new four-day work week model.

When the Edinburgh-based marketing agency Lux decided to trial a four-day work week in 2020, they opted not to tell their clients. That was one of the key performance indicators they used to measure the success of their trial. Some employees worked Monday to Thursday, and others from Tuesday to Friday.

“If our clients don’t notice, then that’s a huge measure of whether it’s working … none of our clients did, which was great,” the co-founder told CNBC in a recent video interview.

In 2022, the agency made the four-day work week a permanent feature in contracts. Since their first trial days, profits rose 30% and productivity rose 24%. The concept of a four-day work week was considered radical just a few years ago. But demand for change has picked up since the pandemic, and now multiple companies have unlocked new working models and profits with the revitalized work week. Read more at CNBC.

#2. Is remote work worse for wellbeing than people thought?

Remote work has been touted as the best way for workers to feel well, both mentally and physically. But the reality may be more complicated. Cat, 30, for example, was offered a fully remote role last year. She accepted – but later began to have second thoughts. “Working alone all day every day, particularly when my partner is in the office, is tough,” says Cat. “Sometimes, I won’t see anyone all day, which can be very lonely. I’ve found that instead of taking breaks to chat to people in my office, I pick up my phone. All of the extra screen time has definitely had a negative impact on my wellbeing.” For many, remote work has given them greater opportunity to spend time with children, fulfil hobbies, and more. But for others, it can lead to isolation and feelings of inadequacy. Read more on BBC.

#3. How to support staff who want to come out

Coming out at work can be difficult from employees, but there are some steps employers can take to make the process easier. Anna Clark-Miller, founder and coach of Empathy Paradigm, an LGBTQIA+ mental health consultancy, says employers need to start with building a truly inclusive workplace. Staff need to feel safe to be themselves at work. “Leaders can create that psychological safety by ensuring they have the environment where people can come to them and be open,” she said. “Saying that upfront in staff meetings is so useful for creating a sense of safety.” Likewise, bosses should recognize that some staff may not feel comfortable sharing their lives in that way. Read more at CNBC.

#4. Fast-paced changes in world of work create training challenges

Technology comes with the promise to improve the efficiency of work processes, but skills shortages among workers are causing all kinds of different problems for businesses, workers, and the economy. “The transformation of work is happening and accelerating really fast,” says Anna Thomas, co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Work, a research organisation. “The global workforce is under constant pressure to upskill and reskill . . . there’s a broad consensus that employers need people with higher skill levels.” The skills needed for quickly changing job fields like technology and green industries, for example, have changed. Read more at the Financial Times.

#5. Company culture is everything. Here’s why.

“Culture is not about words or what you talk about. Culture is about behaviors and actions,” says Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed. When you google the definition of corporate culture, you’ll find articles discussing an organization’s values, vision, ethics, standards, and more. But company culture doesn’t just magically appear when you put words on paper. It’s a performance, like a sport or skill to be practiced. Read more at Forbes.