NewsBite

Work in the shutdown

May 2022

Alan Partridge spouts the kind of corporate gobbledygook that others deliver with a straight face.

Alan Partridge jokingly joined LinkedIn (but he fitted right in)

Corporate mumbo jumbo is going beyond satire as internet professional platforms reflect the daft jargon in workplaces. And as COVID-19 fades, it will get worse.

  • Lucy Burton

March 2022

A selfie of me (left) and Thomas Dexmier, country manager of Vive for HTC

I lost my arm in the metaverse for three days

VR can be an incredibly immersive place to meet with colleagues and share and discuss content – even if your avatar is missing a limb, writes John Davidson.

  • John Davidson

February 2022

Jeremy Pollak of Calven

Canva turns investor in start-up aiming to organise the new work world

It has become accustomed to closing its own mega-funding rounds, now Canva has put some of its cash into a $6.8 million round at Calven, a workplace software platform.

  • Paul Smith

January 2022

Cath Whitaker feels a sense of accomplishment after mowing the lawn.

Making negronis, mowing the lawn: Skills CEOs learnt in lockdown

CEOs from SelfWealth, Bell Direct, Airtasker and others picked up newfound abilities, such as making kimchi and dog grooming, that could be mastered at home.

  • Sally Patten

November 2021

David Palmer, Chief Digital Privacy Officer at TrustGrid

Can blockchain solve government’s ‘terrible vaccination mistake’

Governments should be using blockchain technology to securely verify and distribute sensitive documents such as vaccination certificates.

  • John Davidson
Advertisement
Mina Radhakrishnan, CEO and co-founder of :Different, a property management tech start-up.

Shorter weeks and free travel aimed at stopping ‘great resignation’

Australian tech companies are becoming creative in their bid to source and retain talent, as a new report shows one in four Australians plans to soon quit their job.

  • Natasha Gillezeau

October 2021

Cory Middleton says mentally tough executives don’t just cope in the hard times, they thrive.

Four tips that will make you thrive like a CEO in tough times

High-performance coach Cory Middleton uses a sponge metaphor to distinguish between resilience and the mental toughness that has helped leaders during COVID-19.

  • Sally Patten
Mindfields founder and CEO Mohit Sharma tried to retain his staff during the depth of lockdowns.

Techies demand top dollar as skills shortages bite

Local tech companies are turning down new business because soaring pay rates being charged by workers with in-demand skills are making projects unprofitable.

  • Paul Smith

Smartwatch app could tell workers to stay home and get a COVID-19 test

Researchers in Melbourne are working on a system using Samsung devices that measures a worker’s vitals and advises whether to stay home or go in.

  • John Davidson
Siobhan Savage of Reejig has just raised $6 million to expand into the US.

Start-up that let Woolies analyse staff with AI raises funds

Reejig’s AI platform is enabling companies such as Woolworths, KPMG and John Holland to map the skills they have in their workforce to target retraining and help them retain key people.

  • Jessica Sier
Mark Kluwer, Kane Johnson and Trevor Hendy demonstate the benefits of an ice bath.

Motivational speakers get wild in the age of COVID-19

It’s no longer enough for corporate trainers to deliver inspiring keynotes. In these uncertain times, they need to serve up a hardcore vision of hope.

  • Jenny Valentish
A new study has found that almost half the workers surveyed had experienced trauma or stressful situations at work.

Four in 10 workers are ready to quit their jobs

New data shows the global resignation trend is working its way through the Australian labour force as a lack of career opportunities and pay rises takes effect.

  • Jack Derwin

September 2021

Andrew Pridham.

Leadership lessons from a six-billion-dollar man

Eating sushi outdoors a few hours’ drive from locked-down Sydney, discussing his new book, shows what matters to Moelis Australia vice-chairman Andrew Pridham.

  • Michael Roddan
Ermenegildo Zegna 2022 collection featured soft pastel tones.

Paul Keating’s favourite tailor revolutionises its power suits

At Zegna’s latest show, the menswear label favoured by the former PM took a more relaxed approach. It is, says artistic director Alessandro Sartori, the future.

  • Lauren Sams
Goldman’s employees are being encouraged to eat out.

Goldman ends free food in London office to encourage staff to eat out

The finance group is also dropping social distancing rules in its UK capital workplace and will return to full occupancy starting this week.

  • Marion Dakers
Advertisement

August 2021

Lockdowns empty desks in Melbourne CBD

Vacancies in the Melbourne CBD rose to 10.4 per cent over the past six months, a 2 percentage point increase on the previous period, and the highest vacancy rate the city has recorded since January 2000.

  • Nick Lenaghan

July 2021

Women struggling to balance caretaking with work may have had to change to part-time or quit altogether.

Unpaid teachers: Women did more homeschooling than men in 2020

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, US females spent a daily average of 2.4 hours on education-related activities last year, while males put in 1.7 hours.

  • Madison Hoff
Andrew Barnes, co-founder and CEO of GO1.

Brisbane’s Go1 becomes Australia’s newest ‘unicorn’ with mega-raise

The online training marketplace, founded by four former high school friends in 2015, is now worth more than $US1 billion after raising $US200 million.

  • Paul Smith

May 2021

If you’re gaining weight and aren’t sure why, check the thermostat where you live or work.

Science says returning to the office could make you fat

A person’s resting metabolism is sensitive to temperature, and offices are often too cold for most people.

  • Kenneth McLeod

April 2021

Scott Farquhar: “You’re not allowed to have meetings with only some of your co-workers.”

Atlassian says staff can limit days in the office to only four a year

The technology giant has also announced its global staff of 5700 will be allowed to work from any location in the world, under its new ‘Team Anywhere’ policy.

  • Bianca Healey

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/work-in-the-shutdown-1nf9