The War For Employee Engagement: TOP 5 Trends From The World Of Work

It’s been a well-documented fact that women have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Women took on more responsibilities, made more career sacrifices, and suffered from more layoffs. A new, comprehensive study by McKinsey and Lean In details how stressed and exhausted many professional women are following the pandemic. As a result, women are rethinking what they want from their work lives: some have started their own businesses, others have taken time away from work to focus on their families, others are opting for new careers better suited to their pace of life. Others are just taking a career pause. Read more at the Wall Street Journal.

The pandemic both challenged and exposed poor management skills and workplace inequalities. The distinction became especially clear during the shift to remote and flexible working environments. However, as some employees return to the office, managers have the false impression that they can resume their previous management styles. To better lead your hybrid team, consider making communication more of a priority, ensure workers feel visible and included, lead wit understanding and empathy, and leverage your team’s strengths. Read more at Forbes.

Uber Technologies will start rolling out pension plans to eligible U.K. drivers, just months after the companies first granted workers’ rights to its drivers. After the Supreme Court ruling, more than 70,000 drivers in Britain were reclassified as workers. The company will contribute 3% of the drivers’ earnings into their pension plans. Drivers can opt to contribute 5% of their qualifying earnings. Read more at Reuters.

The labour shortages in the U.K. and the U.S. continue to impact the global economy. British petrol stations saw widespread shortages as people panic-bought petrol amid a shortage of tanker drivers. The government has issued 5,000 temporary visas to foreign drivers, but it’s a far greater problem: the country is missing some 90,000 drivers. It’s a tough sell for European drivers, who would need to give up their current, stable positions for a contract position that would end by Christmastime. It’s not just the U.K. – the U.S. has been faced with mounting labour shortages. In the U.S., companies are scrambling to find retail workers for the busy holiday season. Some big retail stores are offering sign-on bonuses, college tuition assistance, gym memberships, discounted insurance, and more to incentivize workers. Read more at the Financial Times.

A new Gallup poll reveals that employees are more disengaged than ever, and some of those self-identified disengaged employees plan to leave their jobs. The data shows that engagement – not pay or benefits – remains the key reason an employee may leave their company. It’s a similar finding to our Resetting Normal 2021 Research. Employees remain isolated and scattered due to work from home initiatives, making it difficult for businesses to retain talent in such a strong economy. Read more at Axios