Why lazy employees are the big winners of the return-to-the-office trend

Hello, readers! Welcome back to Business Cycle – a look at what The Globe and Mail’s business columnists are talking about this week. In the latest edition, we dive into the world of lazy workers, unsustainable pension plan models and why Ottawa can’t seem to properly protect Canadians’ online data.?

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Returning to the office – the big win for the lazy employee

By Eileen Dooley, BA, PCC

As many companies mandate a return to the office five days a week, employers say cracking down on “lazy employees” is the main reason. The belief is that unless workers can report into an office, they will do nothing more than sleep in, pretend to be online and, of course, loads and loads of laundry.?

But talent and leadership development specialist Eileen Dooley, BA, PCC writes that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Why? Lazy workers have been lurking around forever, and the problem is not the location – it’s their work attitude.

“Lazy workers were not born during the pandemic. They existed long before, and they were able to get away with it at work really well. Think George Costanza’s Ten Commandments for “Working Hard”. Although dated, it holds true today. Ask anyone if they are busy and they will almost always say yes, especially those who are lazy. Location has nothing to do with being lazy. People who are lazy will find any environment to be lazy in.”

Do you believe that lazy employees thrive in a return-to-work environment? Check out the full opinion piece here.??

The harsh truth about your pensions: None of them are sustainable

By John Rapley

Is it time to invest in new, innovative ways to fund pension systems? Currently, there are two ways to fund a pension plan: pay as you go (PAYG), and funded. Under the PAYG model, contributors support pensioners with their payments such as the U.S.’s Social Security System. Under the funded model, members’ contributions are invested such as Canada’s pension system.?

According to author John Rapley, however, most pension systems are headed for trouble in a world with an aging society, a declining birth rate, and slowing economic growth.?

“Because Canada’s pension system tends toward a funded model, there isn’t the same anxiety about the future of pensions, since you can theoretically live off a plan’s investments even in the absence of new contributions. In truth, though, the distinction is largely a bookkeeping fiction. All pensions are fundamentally contracts between economically active and economically inactive people, the agreement being what an individual will receive in return for what they gave.”

Do you have a pension, and do you think it'll last you your retirement? Let us know – and read the full opinion piece here.?

Why is the federal government so inept in policing apps like TikTok?

By Matt Malone

Last year, the federal government banned TikTok on its work-issued devices in the wake of Chinese foreign interference allegations. Since then, the inconsistencies and ineffectiveness of this selective ban have come into sharper focus, writes assistant law professor Matt Malone. Mainly because Canadian law does little to stop privacy violations, data harvesting and narrative control on any social-media service.?

“The problem isn’t exclusive to Chinese and Russian apps. There are other social-media platforms that have no business on government-issued devices and yet are still available for download and use: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Truth Social, Gab and Discord. In general, it would be best for Ottawa to ban all social-media apps on government-issued devices, unless there is a strong business justification otherwise.”

Want to read more? Check out the full opinion piece here.?

More business columns we’re following this week:?

• Canadians want their governments to tackle poverty, but nobody can agree on what to do
• Why are restaurants increasingly using robots to prepare my food?
• Gildan board wants last laugh in CEO showdown

The Globe's business opinion pieces are commissioned and edited by Ethan Lou. If you would like to write in this section, please send pitches to [email protected].?

Thank you for reading our latest edition! We'll be back next Thursday with another Business Cycle roundup.

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