An analysis by Indeed gives us insight into vaccine requirements in job postings – and somewhat unsurprisingly, politics appears to be the factor on whether a job will have a requirement or not. In January, 7.1% of job postings in blue metros advertised required vaccination compared with 4.4% in red metros. That’s the most significant factor over other ones, such as whether or not the job requires in-person work. And it’s the size of the gap that’s notable to analysts.
In a new report from payroll company Gusto, there is a gender gap in the Great Resignation. It’s widest in the states, with the most childcare disruptions. Quoting from Axios. Nationally, 4.1% of women quit their jobs in January, compared with 3.4% of men — a 0.7 percentage point difference. But in Maine and Rhode Island — where around 45% of families reported COVID-related childcare disruptions in the Census Household Pulse Survey — the gender gap swelled to 1.7 percentage points, Gusto found. At the same time, in Missouri and Arizona — where less than 25% of households said childcare was disrupted — the gender gap was close to zero.
We’ve talked about the four-day workweek – well, in Belgium, it’s now law. Workers there have the right to ask for a four-day workweek. Employees requesting a four-day workweek will be expected to work longer hours but not lose any salary.
And before the weekend, I’m going to point to a New York times piece for good weekend reading. It’s about more than just burnout, says the author.
Why do we care?
Lots of regional choices to make – and that’s the key takeaway. This is going to be a very local set of decisions. What works for one organization, region, or community will not be the same for another. That’s why I threw in Belgium, too – a more expansive perspective beyond just US cities.
Want to bring parents, and mothers specifically, back to the office? You have to address child care.
Live in an area that supports vaccine mandates, you may be looking at imposing one, and if you live in an area that does not, your business may choose not to. That’s practical advice.
Because it’s all tied up in creating an environment that will attract employees and stay, that’s the challenge, as the power leans to employees.