Vega Chronicles

Issue 1

POP CULTURE

300 - The Ultimate Morale Booster

We Indians like our entertainment just like our food - if there is no spice, it’s just not good enough. Probably that’s why we hoot and cheer when a hero punches a goon into oblivion while driving a car from the backseat or something. Maybe that’s why we enjoyed ‘300’ so much - it has everything we need. A band of 300 soldiers, defended their home against 100,000 Persians. Heroism at its peak.

But under all the fanfare and drama and glory, what is really impressive is their determination. Heroism is one way of looking at it but another, and rather more realistic perspective is they were unfazed by how grave their situation was, due to a strong sense of purpose and unconditional loyalty toward Sparta.

What’s Trending?

Google cutting down on workplace perks?

Over the past few years, it has been established that Google is a dream company to work at, thanks to its employee perks and amazing workplace culture. But recently, things are a bit different.

In July,? the company reported lesser-than-expected earnings and revenue for the second straight quarter. It is also bracing for a potential dip in its third-quarter sales growth into the single digits, which would be a far cry from the over 40% growth it had the year prior.

Tech giants like Google are planning to modify the budget allocated for employee experience, which means employees might have to bid adieu to a few perks that are exclusive to Google employees, like employee travel and laundry service. But let’s look at Google’s perspective. Major events that transpired, like The Ukraine - Russia war and rising inflation have affected their earnings, along with them not being able to achieve all their targets set in this time period.

The shift in focus towards productivity is not unprecedented, but the fact that the organization in question is Google has probably raised a few eyebrows. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai had a response to these doubts which not only shows why Google is where it is but also reflects on their work ethic - “”We shouldn't always equate fun with money. I think you can walk into a hard-working startup and people may be having fun and it shouldn't always equate to money.”

Preserving the work culture and the same level of morale is a challenge, especially when there is a hiring freeze and minor changes to workplace perks, but it is what is required to ride the tide. Only the toughest can last in the toughest times. And we don’t know the impact of the steps but we sure do know that Google shall achieve what it set out to do.

Buzzword

Quiet Quitting

The concept of a trend on social media is probably a challenge or a song which probably lasts for a few weeks. But the latest one is probably something we need to pay attention to.

‘Quiet Quitting’ - a concept that started to trend on TikTok isn’t about “quitting” per se but essentially means doing the bare minimum at work. Someone doing the task just for the sake of it. No motivation and no interest to drive them. Only the objective of getting paid keeps them at their desk.

This term and its definition has recently come into foray. It can be argued that it reflects on the employee’s work ethic. Such organizations have to work on certain important aspects, such as employee wellbeing and communication..?

How can Vega help?

With an R&R platform like Vega HR, you create an interactive space for your employees to socialize and be able to communicate freely. It also helps you collect feedback from them for better decision-making in your efforts to create a healthy workplace! It is important to nip such problems in the bud before they spread.