DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Workers really don't want to RTO. Some say they would forgo thousands of dollars and take a 20% pay cut to keep working from home.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers are turning to workplace discussion platforms like Fishbowl to discuss return-to-office mandates. Some say they are willing to take pay cuts of up to a 20% to continue working from home. "There are more things in life than money," one Fishbowl user said in response to RTO incentives. Remote workers are turning to anonymous workplace discussion platforms to gauge whether they should take jobs with lower pay to keep their work-from-home privileges. The willingness for workers to forgo thousands of dollars in pay to work from home is nothing new.

Persons: Fishbowl, they'd, they're Organizations: Workers, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Washington Post

☆ Meta employees are split on RTO. Some found loopholes to working in-person while others hope for 'a better experience' in office.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

During the pandemic, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he envisioned remote work sticking around for good. After recent layoffs, however, he changed his tune, saying remote workers were less productive. Apple, Amazon, and Snap are just a few others that have said workers must return to the office, causing consternation among some of their employees. Several current employees spoke to Insider about the reversal of Meta's remote work policy. As companies become anxious about slowing growth and a tighter economic climate, layoffs and eliminating remote work are strategies executives are implementing to try and boost productivity.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, We're, Marc Benioff, Meta's, there's Organizations: Meta, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google Locations: San Francisco

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Startups face mass extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Startups are facing a "Mass Extinction Event" — and most people can't even see it. That's according to Tom Loverro, a general partner at IVP, who said: "The Mass Extinction Event for startups is underway." In our full analysis, we dive even deeper into this "Mass Extinction Event," including signs that can be gleaned from the fates of WeWork, Zume, and Plastiq. Investors shut out of traditional funding rounds are finding another way to snap up shares in buzzy AI startups. In an email to Twitter employees, Linda Yaccarino said it's her mission to turn Twitter into "the world's most accurate real-time information source."

Persons: Hallam Bullock, Alistair Barr, Melia Russell, Tom Loverro, Loverro, spigot, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk Pascal Le Segretain, Michael M, Elon, Bezos, Andreessen Horowitz, Read, they're, Steve Jobs, Linda Yaccarino, it's, Matt Mikka's, YouTuber, we've, Shona Ghosh Organizations: London . Venture, Getty, Venture, Tech, Twitter, Tesla Locations: London, San Francisco

☆ Tech companies are getting tougher on remote workers as their office mandates show
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Many of them either embraced or tolerated remote working but now they seem less keen. Earlier in June, Meta announced that workers must go into the office three days a week, starting September 5. Musk has criticized remote work on several occasions and recently called it "morally wrong." Martha Stewart has also weighed in on the productivity of remote workers, saying: "You can't possibly get everything done working three days a week in the office and two days remotely." The employer backlash against remote work follows a period of upheaval in the tech industry.

Persons: Platformer's Zoë Schiffer, Parag Agrawal, he'd, Elon, Musk, Martha Stewart Organizations: Meta, Apple, Staff, Google, Twitter, The Washington Post Locations: WaPo

☆ Silicon Valley escalates the battle over returning to the office
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The updated policy includes tracking office badge attendance and possibly factoring it into performance reviews, according to CNBC, citing internal memos. Other tech companies are also grappling with how best to compel workers to come into the office after they’ve grown accustomed to greater flexibility. At Amazon, tensions boiled over last week as hundreds of office workers staged a walkout to call attention to their grievances, including the three-day return-to-office mandate that was implemented in May. In response to the walkout, Amazon previously told CNN it may “take time” for some workers to adjust to being in the office more days. (A Meta spokesperson told CNN the updated policy was not set in stone, and employees designated as remote workers will be allowed to keep their remote status).

Persons: Chris Schmidt, Ryan Lamont, ” Lamont, “ we’re, they’ve, Pamela, it’s, Schmidt, ” Schmidt, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Silicon, Google, CNBC, Alphabet Workers Union, Facebook, Good, “ Locations: New York City

☆ Opinion | Don’t Wear the Goggles. Their Vision Is Bleak.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And our health as a society and species depends on sustaining it, no matter how sleek the goggles get. There are two possible futures for the virtual reality headset. Obviously, Apple, Meta and Google are all invested in the second future. So the clear goal of this competition is a future where the Vision Pro or the next Meta headset or some other competitor locks down an iPhone-level market, not just a boutique clientele. Back when Google Glass debuted, one could already foresee where the augmented or virtual reality experience would take humanity — toward deepened isolation, depressive solipsism, masturbatory anomie.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, masturbatory Organizations: Apple, Meta, Google Locations: V.R, Silicon Valley

☆ Remote jobs are moving overseas and to smaller U.S. cities: ‘The same skills for 60% of the cost'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Remote jobs aren't disappearing — they're just moving out of expensive coastal metros like New York and San Francisco. Faced with labor shortages and rising wages, companies are hiring for more remote jobs overseas and in smaller U.S. cities. Where remote jobs are goingRemote hiring is expanding beyond its traditional strongholds, like India, creating new "Zoomtowns" overseas and in pockets of the U.S. Midwest. The number of North American companies with remote workers in Central America and the Caribbean, for example, has grown 300% between 2020 and 2023, according to new research from Lightcast. How to stand out in a more competitive remote job market

Persons: Nicholas Bloom, Kim Rutledge, Rutledge, George Denlinger, Robert Half, Layla O'Kane, Bloom Organizations: Companies, U.S . Midwest, Stanford, U.S, U.S ., Lightcast Locations: New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Asheville, Boise, India, U.S, Mexico, Philippines, Central America, Caribbean, Lightcast, Austin, Monterrey, Bengaluru, California, Robert Half . Illinois , Ohio, Nebraska, Denlinger

☆ Google to crack down on office attendance, asks remote workers to reconsider
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Google plans to crack down on employees who haven't been coming into its offices consistently, CNBC has found. Cicconi even asked already-approved remote workers to reconsider. "For those who are remote and who live near a Google office, we hope you'll consider switching to a hybrid work schedule. A separate internal document showed that already-approved remote workers may be subject to re-evaluation if the company determines "material changes in business need, role, team, structure or location." Going forward, Cicconi said, new fully remote work will only be granted "by exception only."

Persons: haven't, they're, Fiona Cicconi, Cicconi Organizations: CNBC, Google, Microsoft Locations: U.S, Jose

At the height of the pandemic, some analysts predicted that big cities would enter a downward spiral as remote workers sought more space and cheaper places to live. That happened to some degree early on, but it didn’t last. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg News

Persons: Michael Nagle Organizations: Bloomberg

☆ Parents say flexible work leads to productivity, fulfillment and relief—but 1 in 3 worry about it resulting in a career hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But by the time she had her second daughter 7 months ago, the world was used to remote work. In the three years since the business world was forced to embrace flexible work during Covid, parents say the ability to work remotely and hybrid has been a lifeline. More than half, 58%, of working parents say increased flexibility in their schedules is a source of "fulfillment and relief," according to a recent report from Bright Horizons, which surveyed over 2,000 working parents in the spring. Stephen Kramer, CEO of Bright Horizons, says pandemic-era empathy for working parents has subsided. All employees can benefit from a work environment that's thoughtful about the remote work experience, Kramer says.

Persons: Neha Mehrotra, Mehrotra, Covid, Stephen Kramer, Kramer, It's, they're, Gen Z Organizations: CNBC, PayPal, Bright Locations: New York, Sweden, India

☆ Meta asks office workers to return to in-person work
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The internet giant — which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — has asked that employees currently assigned to an office return to in-person work three days a week starting September 5. Meta employees who are designated as remote workers will be allowed to keep their remote status. “We’re committed to distributed work, and we’re confident people can make a meaningful impact both from the office and at home. In the post, Zuckerberg shared that the company’s internal analysis showed that engineers who joined Meta in-person performed better on average than those who joined remotely. Meta joins a wave of large corporations that have asked workers to return to in-person work for at least a few days per week this year.

Persons: —, “ We’re, We’re, ”, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: CNN, Meta, Disney

☆ Meta is requiring employees to come into the office 3 days a week, marking a sharp turn from the company's pro-remote work culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kali Hays | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An updated policy dictates that employees must come into the office three times a week. Meta will require employees to come into the office three days a week starting September 5, marking a sharp turn in the pro-remote work culture the company championed during the height of the pandemic. A Meta spokesperson confirmed in an email to Insider that employees assigned to an office will be mandated to come in three days a week. Meta's own product, the Metaverse, was supposed to further usher in a new era of virtual remote work options. A Meta spokesperson said at the time that the move was "purely temporary" and part of the company's reorganization plans.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, We're, Zuckerberg, Tim Ferris Organizations: Meta, Workers, The

☆ You hate your job but you love working from home: You're in remote-work handcuffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

There are many unhappy remote workers who wish they could quit and get another remote job. The golden handcuffs phenomenon is an obvious parallel, Denise Rousseau, a professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business, told Insider. "If you're remaining in a job for purely extrinsic reasons — your working conditions are hard to replace — you're going to have more stress." In March 2022, roughly 20% of job listings on LinkedIn offered remote work; last month, such listings dwindled to 10%. David Bakke works from home in Georgia and said that while he doesn't "completely hate" his position, he'd quit if he could find another remote job.

☆ A 26-year-old executive assistant moved from Utah to Costa Rica to work remotely. She makes less than half of what she did but works less than 30 hours a week and loves the peace of mind.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Melodie Powers-Draper, an executive assistant, moved from Salt Lake City to Costa Rica in 2023. She now lives in La Fortuna where her monthly expenses are below $2,000 a month. I have AC, hot water, and electricity, and am only a 10 minute walk from downtown La Fortuna. Starting my own business has helped me thrive in Costa RicaMelodie at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Costa Rica. Moving to Costa Rica has really propelled me into developing structure in my life and has allowed me to focus on myself.

☆ Americans flocked to Portugal for cheaper, more peaceful lives, but newcomers also brought crowds and drove up the cost of living
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Americans have been moving to Portugal for years, and the pandemic accelerated the trend further. The Bagbys are part of a wave of Americans who have moved to Portugal, a country roughly the size of Indiana. "It's a very reasonable cost of living," Zaretsky told Insider. Zaretsky paid 600,000 euros for the house in Portugal after selling her Austin, Texas, home for $676,000. Portugal has a strong tourism economy, and its shoulder season draws large crowds, making the petite coastal country feel tight.

☆ Housing Market Ice Age: Fewer Sales, Higher Home Prices, Less Inventory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The result is a housing market that's fundamentally out of whack. The housing market has changed for good — and with the benefit of time-earned wisdom, we can pinpoint the moment it entered a new era. Two big things happened during the initial response to the pandemic that launched the housing market past the point of no return. Both factors have propelled competition in the housing market to new heights and made it challenging for would-be buyers to find their footing. Some aspects of the pandemic-era housing market that once seemed "odd" are increasingly becoming new norms.

☆ Most remote workers say they'd take a pay cut to continue being allowed to work from home, a new poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

55 percent of fully remote US workers say they're willing to take a pay cut to keep working from home, a WaPo and Ipsos poll finds. Still, the majority of workers polled say they would return to the office if they got a salary bump. Many remote workers want to stay at home — and they're willing to make less money doing just that. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, said that remote work is "morally wrong" and that remote workers need to "get off the goddamn moral high horse." "The laptop classes are living in la-la land," Musk told CNBC during an interview in regards to remote workers.

☆ Elon Musk is nicknamed 'Karen Musk' in a Reddit thread that slams him for calling remote working immoral
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk is being criticized for calling remote work immoral. Redditors nicknamed the billionaire "Karen Musk" and say his comments are out-of-touch. Musk previously asked both Tesla and Twitter employees to return to the office. Elon Musk is getting flack for his latest comments disparaging people for working from home with one Reddit thread dubbing him "Karen Musk," as an insult. The Reddit Thread, which links to a video accusing Musk of being out of touch with the average Joe, is titled "Karen Musk: Working from home is IMMORAL!"

☆ I was excited about getting a remote job right out of college, but now it feels like it's hurting my career
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He was excited about the freedom, but says the lack of in-person connection is hurting his career. I was excited for the freedom of a remote roleI started my first full-time job in June 2021, a month after I graduated from UCLA. The job was remote, so I moved back home for a year to work from there. I'd gotten used to remote learning after being virtual for school, so I felt prepared for that aspect of my job. I just got out of college, so giving more work to someone else who's much older than me feels weird.

☆ Angie’s List Co-Founder Bill Oesterle Believed in Strangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle also founded the online marketplace MakeMyMove, designed to bring remote workers to Indiana during the pandemic. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty ImagesFrom a young age, William “Bill” Seelye Oesterle was interested in meeting new people and hearing what they had to say. As a child at his brother’s wedding, Oesterle secretly swapped his name card with his sister’s to put himself at a table full of college students, and her at the parents’ table.

☆ This CEO said he ditched brainstorm meetings and his employees loved the change
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

With idea generation starting outside of meetings, Drew Himel said meetings now avoid digressions. The change has cut down on the overall number of weekly meetings too, Himel told Insider. Himel told Insider over email that since making the change, he's noticed his team has shown up well-prepared to contribute to meetings. Himel said Fireside used to have 20-minute daily meetings, but they've cut those meetings down to one weekly 20-minute meeting. "If you think about how that compounds with each individual's time spent in meetings, we're saving tens of hours on a weekly basis now," Himel told Insider.

☆ 'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary prefers his employees work from home — unlike Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin O'Leary said he doesn't believe remote work is "morally wrong" and sees it as a cost-saver. "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary says he doesn't agree with Elon Musk when it comes to the debate on remote work — he actually prefers the employees at his 54 companies work from home. "You can't tell me this doesn't work," O'Leary said, during an interview with CNN on Thursday. Though, the investor said he could understand why Musk would be against remote work at businesses like Tesla and SpaceX. While tech workers have spoken out against Musk's comments on remote work, other tech companies have also taken similar steps to bring workers back to in-person work.

☆ Layoffs aren't over yet for tech giants as managers prepare to tighten on the 'laptop generation,' says tech investor Gene Munster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tech layoffs are far from over, according to tech investor Gene Munster. He also sees them getting tighter on the "laptop generation" who refuse to return to the office. More layoffs could be on their way at big tech firms as bosses prepare to tighten on the "laptop generation," according to Gene Munster. Munster's comments come as tech companies shift their tone away from growth to focus on efficiency. Munster thinks that "there has been this laptop generation" that "some of these tech companies are going to tighten on."

☆ Elon Musk's tirade about remote work being 'morally wrong' has tech workers up in arms, with some calling him a hypocrite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hundreds of tech workers on Blind debated Elon Musk's stance against remote work. Some tech workers called Musk a hypocrite and poked fun at his comments about the "laptop classes." The billionaire said on Tuesday that remote work is "morally wrong." Some tech workers aren't happy about Elon Musk's recent tirade on remote work and the so-called "laptop classes." Following his comments, many tech workers took to Blind to call Musk a hypocrite and poke fun at his billionaire status.

☆ Elon Musk says remote work is 'morally wrong' and people need to 'get off the goddamn moral high horse with the work from home bullshit'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said he sees remote work as "morally wrong" and the "laptop classes are living in la la land." The billionaire said remote workers need to "get off the goddamn moral high horse" in a CNBC interview. Musk told Tesla workers last year that they could work in the office fulltime or quit. The billionaire compared remote work to a "let them eat cake" scenario and said that he thinks the "laptop classes are living in la la land." Musk said that he thinks remote workers need to "get off the goddamn moral high horse with the work from home bullshit because they're asking everyone else to not work from home while they do."

Search resuls for: "Remote Workers"

25 mentions found