Everybody’s Working Weekends — Did the Work-Life Balance Movement Fail?

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In this edition, we get into the intriguing theme of "Everybody's Working Weekends" to explore the nuances of the work-life balance movement and its potential successes and failures. Discover insights on how to maximize the benefits of vacations for your employees. Additionally, we unravel Airbnb's continued success, despite travelers expressing a nostalgic fondness for hotels.

And, of course, don’t miss our meme of the week for a good laugh! Let's dive right in, shall we?

Everybody’s Working Weekends — Did the Work-Life Balance Movement Fail?

For years now, every other LinkedIn influencer post has implored us to take it easier. In a global trial, researchers essentially proved that a four-day workweek is better for companies and workers. Plenty of businesses have offered workshops and programs to help employees balance life and work.

So, why are we all working on Saturday and/or Sunday?

According to ActivTrak’s “2023 State of the Workplace Report,” which surveyed almost 135,000 workers at over 900 companies, the average weekend includes 6.6 hours of work. That’s a 5% increase from 2021.

How many of us can say we put in a five-day workweek followed by two days of rest? True rest means: no emails, no deliverables, no loose ends. And if not, why can’t we?

One possibility, explored by The Wall Street Journal, is that the laptop class has largely asked for this scenario. Since the tail end of COVID, complete and total flexibility has been one of workers’ biggest asks. In exchange for slotting more personal time Monday through Friday, catch-up time dents Saturday and Sunday. Some workers appreciate the autonomy.?

(As for everyone outside of the laptop class, many need extra hours or even extra jobs to make up for persistent inflation. These are the teachers, Uber drivers, and servers who propel the gig economy.)

Managers can set a bad example by working too hard themselves. There’s a tendency for Gen X (and older) workers to equate hard work with long hours, NPR reports. They’ll check that Slack work-status dots are green, and will email after-hours and throughout the weekend. That ethos is alien to much of Gen Z, who’d prefer to put in 110% for shorter bursts. Managers should be careful not to confuse real productivity with “theater of productivity.”

And perhaps we should all be careful not to confuse authentic work-life balance with the LinkedIn influencer version of it.

Maximizing the Benefit of Vacations for Your Employees

Dr. Ben Baran is an associate professor at Cleveland State University and co-founder of Elevating What Works.???

It’s common for people to come back from a good vacation feeling refreshed, with a new sense of energy for their work. That’s good for work productivity and overall job performance.?

Unfortunately, those positive benefits may fade quickly. For example, one study on the topic found that employees’ well-being had mostly gone back to pre-vacation levels within just one week of returning to work. But research also suggests that managers and their organizations can help preserve the post-vacation bump in two ways:

• Providing employees with a strong sense that you care about their well-being and that you value their contributions to the team. Good managers do this by noticing and recognizing their employees’ efforts, talking with their people about how they’re doing and showing genuine concern for them.
• Provide employees with a sense of job security. Although job security also involves how top management makes decisions about the workforce, individual managers can assist through their influence on hiring decisions and retention strategies. Managers can also assist by advocating for their people and ensuring the rest of the organization knows how they contribute.

In workplaces that lack a supportive environment and have a low level of job security, vacations function as a departure from reality. They’re a chance for employees to escape and forget about work. And while that may help their well-being in the short term, those benefits will fade quickly when they come back to the reality of their jobs.

But in supportive workplaces with a high level of job security, vacations can be a chance to relax and return with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. And in those situations, both employees and their teams can reap the maximum benefit.?

Airbnb Is Still Making Billions. So Why Do Travelers Miss Hotels?

Brand reputation matters more than anything in business. So how is Airbnb — whose CEO admits to alienating users with hosts’ “giant” hidden fees and “unreasonable” mandatory laundry duties — more profitable than ever, enjoying 20% annual revenue and booking growth?

Read more on this article here.

Revino Is Filling Up 2.4 Million Reusable Wine Bottles

Grapes get better with age, but what about wine bottles? Today, only 0.2% are refillable. A century ago, it was 100%. Oregon-based startup Revino wants to bring that tradition back.

Read more on this article here.

We Meme Business

Whats Upcoming?: Give Feedback Like the Hosts of The Great British Baking Show

Feedback is like a delicate soufflé: it needs to be served with care.

On The Great British Baking Show, amateurs compete for the title of best baker in Britain, testing their skills in challenges from custard tarts to molten puddings. Their creations are judged by Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, the latter of whom is known for unfiltered yet constructive feedback that can make or break a baker's dreams.

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