Why Finding A Good Boss Is More Of A Priority Than Healthcare For Some Workers

In today's edition of Forbes Edge, we'll take a look at a new report that shows more Americans are prioritizing "green-flag bosses," offer suggestions on how to stay focused at work, and look at the successful figures to make this year's Forbes 400 list. But first, a look at work stoppages across the U.S.

Americans are on strike. Nearly 100,000 workers across the United States are walking off the job over contract negotiations with their employers, ranging from dockworkers to Boeing employees.?

The latest to join the picket line as of midnight on Tuesday are 45,000 dockworkers from Maine to Texas. The union representing East and Gulf Coast dockworkers failed to reach a deal with ocean carriers and port operators represented by the U.S. Maritime Alliance. Specifically, the union wants stricter protections for its workers who they say are vulnerable to being replaced by automation and demanding a 77% wage increase over the next six years.?

And that doesn’t include 33,000 Boeing workers, primarily in its manufacturing sector, who are still on strike after they rejected the company’s “best and final offer” for a contract. The company has since implemented a hiring freeze, paused taking on new plane and part orders (with some exceptions), and began furloughing white collar and desk-based employees.?

The two labor actions stem from similar complaints: wage increases and protections for workers who could be replaced by automation or AI. Indeed, such talent (and retention) concerns are among the top considerations for manufacturers. About 50% of the top challenges faced by manufacturing companies are talent- and people-related, according to a survey by ABI research.?

But it’s not just an issue in the manufacturing industry. Last year, unions representing screenwriters and actors (SAG and WGA) also held strikes that paused Hollywood production over AI protections for artists.?

I hope those of you who have been affected by Hurricane Helene are doing okay and recovering safely. Happy reading, and hope you have a lovely week!

—Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Careers Reporter

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Work Smarter

Practical insights and advice from Forbes staff and contributors to help you succeed in your job, accelerate your career and lead smarter

• What a week in the news. It can be easy to get distracted and keep scrolling through your feeds, so how do you remain focused at work? Contributor Virginia Hogan suggests the Pomodoro technique, forced breaks and more.?
• Take a look at the top finance jobs where you can earn over $1 million.?
• How to leverage AI to find a job.?
• Find ways to “upskill” without going to school.

Reporter's Notebook: Having A ‘Good Boss’ Beats Out Healthcare As A Job Priority

A new report by Owl Labs shows that American employees are increasingly prioritizing “green-flag” bosses in their careers. Some, more so than healthcare benefits.?

Have you ever quit a job because of a bad boss? What about staying at a bad job because of a good boss?

Managers have so much to do with our experience at work. From providing support in your current role to creating paths for career development, they are your main point of contact with company leadership. So employees (and job seekers) are taking a closer look at who their manager is, and how the boss can help be advocates for them.?

“A lot of it has to do with putting trust into someone else for their career,” says Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, “especially as a hybrid or remote worker.”

Indeed, the potential for things to go south with a bad manager can be so daunting that Americans are prioritizing a good boss with “green flags”—things like support, advocacy and helpful feedback. According to Owl Labs, 92% of employees said that a supportive manager is the most important factor to their work, second only to compensation. This is up from last year, when 85% of surveyed employees said it was important to their work, behind compensation as well.

“Generations now are really thinking about interviewing their boss [during the job process],” adds Weishaupt, “because if they’re going to be represented by this person within the company, they want to make sure they trust them.”

Touch Base

News from the world of work

• Dell joined tech giant Amazon in ordering employees back to the office full-time on Thursday, though the order only applies to salespeople for now, according to Bloomberg. The hardware giant has been bridging employees back into the office throughout 2024, going so far as to say that those that do not make it into an office won’t be eligible for promotions. Needless to say, neither Amazon or Dell employees are reportedly happy.?
• Lionsgate has offered U.S. employees buyouts, including severance and early retirement packages, as layoffs hit the entertainment industry, according to Deadline. Disney and Paramount, two of the biggest media and entertainment companies, have laid off about 2,300 employees in the last week.?
• Moveworks announced that it had officially crossed the $100 million mark in revenue. The AI company creates internal chatbots that answer employee IT and HR questions like: “How much can I spend if I take the team out for dinner?” and “If I have enough vacation time, can you book the week after Thanksgiving for me?” reports Rashi Shrivastava.?
• Forbes released its annual Forbes 400 list on Tuesday, a ranking of the 400 wealthiest people in the world. John Hyatt broke down how the 23 newcomers to this year’s list made their billions.

Quiz

Which popular morning show host announced they would be leaving NBC’s Today show amid a desire to retire and spend more time with their family?

A. Hoda Kotb

B. Savannah Guthrie

C. Al Roker

D. None of the above

Click here to see if you got it right.