Executives Lose a Coveted Status Symbol—Their Assistants

A dedicated admin is now a rare perk as companies cut jobs and technology automates many tasks By Callum Borchers March 9, 2023 12:01 am ET Valerie Balensiefen remembers the directive she got from a former boss on her first day as his executive assistant in 2019: She’d been hired to support him, and himRead More

The Perk-Cession Is Under Way at Some Companies

Big companies from Silicon Valley to Wall Street are scaling back the office extras many employees have come to expect The ping-pong tables have turned. Companies are cutting back on prized employee perks from fancy coffee to free cab rides as they vow to trim costs and prioritize efficiency. These extras, above and beyond traditionalRead More

Is the Best Award No Award?

March 13, 2023 Recognition can motivate, or it can create resentment and undermine teamwork. Rick Bohan, Brandon Davis, Ron Jacques Rick asks his students if they would be in favor of implementing a “Golden Broom” award at an imaginary manufacturing plant that would be given to the department that was the cleanest and most orderly.Read More

Job Openings in Manufacturing Remain Elevated

March 9, 2023 Ryan Secard Separations are slowing, but the number of job openings is still higher than the number of people looking for work. While job openings in the overall economy are falling, unfilled positions in manufacturing remain roughly stable. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report from the Department of Labor foundRead More

More Companies Start to Offer Daycare at Work

A persistent labor shortage and Biden administration incentives for chip makers are motivating more companies to explore on-site childcare By Te-Ping Chen Wall Street Journal On-site daycare is a rarity in American workplaces, but new government incentives and companies eager to attract and retain talent could soon make that benefit more common. The Biden administrationRead More

Long-Robust U.S. Labor Market Shows Signs of Cooling

Long-Robust U.S. Labor Market Shows Signs of Cooling Private-sector readings show job postings receding more than government reports of job openings By Jon Hilsenrath and Bryan Mena Wall Street Journal March 1, 2023 5:56 pm ET Demand for U.S. workers shows signs of slowing, a long-anticipated development that is appearing in private-sector job postings evenRead More

USAA Tells Staff, Your Remote Job Is No Longer Remote

By Chip Cutter March 2, 2023, 1:34 pm ET Many bosses are calling workers back to the office. One big U.S. company told people hired on a remote basis that they need to start coming in. The financial-services company USAA notified some staff on Monday that they would soon be required to show up inRead More

Burned Out, More Americans Are Turning to Part-Time Jobs

The number of people working part-time rose by 1.2 million in December and January—most were people who chose it. ‘25 hours is the new 35.’ PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREA D’AQUINO FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, GETTY IMAGES (3) By Lauren Weber Feb. 25, 2023 12:00 am ET Part-time work is exploding. The number of AmericansRead More

How Companies Can Lose Workers Without Imposing Layoffs

Issuing subpar performance reviews or requiring relocation can thin ranks By Chip Cutter Feb. 26, 2023 5:30 am ET Companies are shedding some workers without imposing layoffs. Amid a wave of job cuts hitting U.S. white-collar workers, a number of employers are taking other approaches to manage their workforces. Some are adding new restrictions on remote work,Read More

The Truth About the Four-Day Workweek, From People Who Have Tried It

Some bosses say hours worked is the best proxy for productivity. Many workers say output is the only metric that matters.   By Gretchen Tarrant Feb. 25, 2023 5:30 am ET More companies are experimenting with the four-day workweek, and workers who have tried it are divided on how fruitful an abbreviated schedule can be. Hundreds ofRead More