As 2025 approaches, more Americans looking to switch jobs: Report
A new Gallup survey indicates that job satisfaction has fallen to its lowest level in recent years, as workers feel more stuck and frustrated with their current situations. The survey of 20,000 workers discovered that workplace dissatisfaction is higher than it’s been in nearly a decade.
More than half of employees surveyed last month said they are actively seeking a new job. It’s the largest number since 2015. Gallup’s quarterly surveys are often viewed as a good indicator of workplace mood and sentiment.
Respondents said the key reasons for their unhappiness include smaller raises and fewer promotions, as well as cost-cutting by employers and greater demands for in-office work. Just 18% of respondents said they are extremely satisfied with their jobs.
Gallup Research Director Ben Wigert says when workers feel stuck, it often leads to burnout, which in turn affects productivity. Another labor consultant said employees can feel they lack purpose and meaning.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce Report indicates overall employee well-being has declined in recent years.
Bubble bath on duty: Ernst report details federal employees’ abuse of remote work
Just 6% of federal employees work in the office full time, while about one-third are fully remote, according to a new report from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. The investigation discovered that remote work has resulted in American taxpayers receiving inadequate services including backlogs, delays, unanswered phone calls and emails, and no-show appointments.
Ernst highlighted one significant consequence: calls from veterans for mental health services going unanswered.
Ernst also said remote work partially contributed to the infant formula shortage of 2022. A whistleblower informed the Food and Drug Administration about unsanitary conditions at the formula plant in October 2021, but partially due to remote work, the FDA’s senior leadership was not informed for more than 100 days. The FDA’s reduction of food facility inspections during the pandemic was also a factor.
Perhaps nothing sums up remote work better than an infamous selfie of a federal employee jumping on a call in a bubble bath. The employee was a manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs who posted the picture on social media with the caption, “My office for the next hour.”
A screen shot of the social media post which was included in the report.
There isn’t a single agency headquarters in Washington that is half-full. Rather, the average occupancy is 12%. The report states the government also owns 7,697 vacant buildings and another 2,265 that are partially empty. Maintenance, leases and energy on these buildings cost more than $15 billion a year.
Ernst suggests monitoring employees’ locations and productivity using virtual private networks (VPNs), having a use-it-or-lose-it policy for government real estate and making remote work policies performance-based.
“If bureaucrats don’t want to return to work, make their wish come true,” the report states.
Some of these changes could be implemented through the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Ernst heads the DOGE Caucus which will work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to reduce government waste.
Republicans met with the duo on Capitol Hill the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 5.
“The taxpayers deserve better,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “They deserve a more responsive government, a more efficient government, one that is leaner, more focused on its primary objectives.”
.@SpeakerJohnson speaks to media before Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy meet with lawmakers on government efficiency: "We need to make government more efficient." pic.twitter.com/e7VYsoPvF3
Making cuts to the government will need to be a closely aligned effort between the department and Congress, because only lawmakers on Capitol Hill have the power to alter the budget.
Spain approves 4 days paid climate leave in wake of deadly flooding
Deadly flooding in Spain last month has had such an impact that it’s now leading to changes in the Spanish workforce. Spain’s Council of Ministers passed a measure on Thursday, Nov. 28, that guarantees four days of paid climate leave for workers in the event of dangerous weather.
The measure is designed to protect commuting workers during natural disasters and extreme weather conditions. The legislation must now be certified within a month by Spain’s lawmakers. Flooding in late October 2024 turned Spanish streets into rivers and killed nearly 230 people.
Many employers were criticized for requiring employees to continue working despite warnings from the national weather agency.
Restaurant workers were reportedly working through the first few hours of the flooding in Valencia, and hundreds of workers became trapped in business parks. Companies contended that government officials left them with little information on conditions and issued alerts too late.
The new law will “regulate in accordance with the climate emergency” to minimize risks to employees during severe weather. The paid leave would take effect when civil protection agencies advise residents to stay home, and remote work is unavailable during unsafe weather.
The new rule also mandates that companies develop specific risk-prevention procedures for climate emergencies, and inform employees of these measures.
Officials said employers will face “the full force of the law” if they deny employees their rights. Though specifics on the legal ramification are yet to be known at the time of this report.
Spain’s climate leave reportedly drew inspiration from a similar rule in Canada linked to alerts about natural disasters and life-threatening weather.
That standing desk might not make you healthier after all
Some employees think they’re living the healthy life because they work at a standing desk, no longer sitting all day on the job — it seems they might want to think again. In recent years, standing desks have become popular, especially among those who work from home, as a way to lower the risk of health issues associated with sitting all day.
A new study shows standing while working does not compensate for being inactive for so long. In fact, it could increase the risk of varicose veins or getting having blood clot in the legs.
The study also found standing does not lower the risk of getting diseases like stroke or heart failure, even though it’s widely believed it does.
The researchers behind the study now recommend anyone who sits or stands for long periods of time should schedule regular movement throughout their day.
As more employers push for in office return, super commuters see rise
In a post-COVID-19 pandemic world, more and more companies are pushing employees to return to in office work. As a result, so called super commuting is on the rise.
A recent study that garnered some new attention on Friday, Sept. 27, found that workers who travel 75 miles or more to get to their jobs has grown by 32% post-pandemic. Researchers said that the average super commuter is spending nearly five hours a day on the road.
While spending hours of your life stuck in traffic is an obvious downside, if you only have to do it two to three times a week, it knocks out some of the hassle, which many companies are doing.
Plain and simple, employers want their workers back in the office and not even the big wigs are getting a break.
For instance, Starbucks’ new CEO Brian Niccol secured an agreement before his hire to stay at his home in Newport Beach and commute to the company’s headquarters in Seattle, which is a nearly 1,000-mile trip, but it keeps him line with Starbucks’ three days a week in office requirement. However, he does take the company’s private jet to get to in-person work.
He told employees to do the same, not the jet part, the work part. Niccol said, “You need to figure out where you need to be to get your job done, then do that. We’re all adults here.” Niccol added, “If success requires us being together more often than not, let’s be together more often.”
He’s not the only CEO towing a tough line. Amazon is also pulling back on its remote work policy with a restrict return to office mandate, and Dell won’t allow employees who work remotely to be eligible for promotions.
As a result, more employees are buckling up and spending the gas money to get to where they need to be. Especially in Washington D.C., which saw the largest increase in super commuters, where numbers doubled post-pandemic. New York came in second in the study with a nearly 90% increase in super commuters.
Amazon is ending remote work almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval.
CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying, in part, there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Suspect in Trump apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
New details emerge on the suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including how long he went undetected near the former president’s golf club. And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested on federal charges. We have the latest on what’s ahead for the hip hop mogul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
Authorities said the suspect in this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump went undetected near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida for 12 hours before being noticed by a Secret Service agent. The suspect was caught pointing a rifle through the bushes.
The agent fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene only to be taken into custody a short time later. A local sheriff’s office released body camera video showing his arrest.
Routh was charged Monday, Sept. 16, with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not enter a plea during an appearance in a federal courtroom.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe, Jr. said Routh did not fire any shots at the agent and never had Trump in his line of sight.
Rowe and the FBI agent in charge, Jeffrey Veltri, said so far, there is no evidence showing the suspect knew Trump would be golfing that day. Veltri went into detail about the suspect’s criminal past.
“In 2002, as the United States attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” Veltri said. “Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods. I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm.”
Veltri said the FBI passed along that information to authorities in Hawaii, where Routh lived. Rowe told reporters Trump’s plans to play golf on Sunday were “off-the-record” – meaning it was not part of the former president’s official schedule.
As new questions emerge about the Secret Service’s effectiveness following the second assassination attempt in just over two months, Rowe defended his agents, saying they were “rising for this moment.”
“Yesterday afternoon, this country was reminded of the heightened and dynamic threat environment that the United States Secret Service and its protectees face on a daily basis,” Rowe said. “Immediately following the assassination attempt of former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, the Secret Service moved to increase assets to an already enhanced security posture for the former president.”
Rowe said the “highest levels of protection” were in place for the former president – as directed by President Joe Biden – including “counter-sniper team elements.”
Speaking to reporters on his way to an event in Philadelphia Monday, Biden said the Secret Service “needs more help.” A White House official said President Biden spoke to Trump on the phone Monday, conveying his relief that the former president was safe.
During an appearance on the social media site X Monday night, Trump spoke about hearing the gunshots fired by the Secret Service. He said the agent did a “fantastic job” and joked that he “would have liked to have sank that last putt.”
Routh’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested on federal charges in New York
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested on federal charges on Monday night. Sources close to the matter tell media outlets Diddy was not expecting the arrest.
Homeland Security took him into custody at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan.
It’s not yet clear what federal charges he’s facing. The indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his arraignment.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been the subject of a federal human trafficking probe in the last year, which is why Homeland Security is involved. His lawyers said he has been cooperating with investigators.
Former lead engineer felt pressure to get ‘Titan’ ready
Tuesday is day two of the Coast Guard’s hearing into the Titan submersible implosion that killed all five people on board.
Monday, we learned one of the last messages sent from the doomed vessel, indicated there were no concerns. It read “all good here.” That text message was shown during a recreation of the submersible’s trip to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
It came not long before the watercraft imploded, leaving all five people on board dead, including Stockton Rush — the co-founder of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan.
The lead engineer for the vessel testified at Monday’s hearing saying he felt pressured by Rush to get it ready for the trip.
Former OceanGate Engineering Director Tony Nissen testified he stopped the submersible from going to the Titanic in 2019, telling Rush it was “not working like we thought it would.” Nissen was fired that year.
OceanGate’s co-founder, former operations director, and former scientific director are also supposed to testify in the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.
Meta bans Russian state media over ‘foreign interference activity’
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has banned Russian state media broadcaster RT, along with several other Kremlin-controlled outlets. Meta accuses them of using deceptive tactics to covertly influence operations online.
Before it was banned on Monday, RT had 7.2 followers on Facebook and one million on Instagram.
Meta’s move comes days after the Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S. company to create and promote content aligning with Russian interests.
Amazon ending remote work starting next year
Almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes, Amazon is ending remote work. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval. CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Jordan Chiles files appeal after being stripped of bronze medal
Chiles’ first individual Olympic medal was rescinded after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach filed an inquiry during the floor exercises, which propelled Chiles to third place. But it was a few seconds too late.
Chiles has now appealed her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee supports Chiles and said they are determined to see she gets the recognition she deserves.
Jersey City schools turn to remote teaching amid ongoing teacher shortage
Back to school has been a bit bumpy for one school district in New Jersey. Jersey City, like many districts nationwide, is struggling to cope with an ongoing teacher shortage.
Now, the district has decided to turn to remote teachers to keep its classrooms functioning smoothly. Jersey City has struggled to fill certain positions in its schools, especially in high school general education and special education.
New Jersey Public Schools’ superintendent emphasized that since the pandemic, retaining teachers has become increasingly challenging. Many educators have moved to better paying districts, or left the profession altogether. Fewer students are choosing to become teachers as well.
Jersey City will use an online program to help fill the gap in high school classrooms. Certified teachers will conduct live virtual lessons, while a substitute teacher remains physically present in the classroom to assist students.
Officials say this approach allows for a mix of in-person and virtual instruction. the program is expected to be implemented in all four of Jersey City’s comprehensive high schools. The Jersey City Board of Education just approved the program in its August meeting, with a budget of $578,000.
Loneliness epidemic hitting workplaces across the US
Americans are lonely, so much so that the surgeon general has declared loneliness an epidemic. A new study by research firm BSG, TheLi.st and Berlin Cameron showed that 86% of white collar workers between the ages of 18 and 34 said they’ve felt lonely or isolated as a result of their job role, and 76% of those 35 and older said they felt that way.
People considered white collar are workers in office settings, like clerical, administrative, managerial and executive roles, and tend to earn an annual salary. For comparison, blue-collar workers often have to do manual labor and get paid by the hour or by job.
While the rise in remote and hybrid work models can play a role in loneliness, experts said the trend of white-collar workers feeling lonelier has more to do with technology and lack of proper support from their employer. In fact, the study found 65% of white-collar workers believe their employers have a responsibility to address loneliness in the workplace.
The report shows lonely staffers are four times more likely to be dissatisfied with their current careers and three times more likely to feel they cannot be their authentic selves at work. Employees struggling with loneliness are also only half as likely to feel positive about their career prospects compared to workers who say they do not feel lonely.
That study also found younger people reported feeling loneliness more, with 22% of those under the age of 54 saying they experience loneliness daily, compared to 19% of those over 35.
It’s worse for women
Women are even more impacted when it comes to feeling isolated and lonely at work, and studies show that only gets worse as they work their way up.
A similar study conducted by the same researchers in 2023 found 53% of women in the workplace experienced loneliness because of their job. Nearly 60% of those surveyed said their feelings of loneliness and isolation only got worse as their careers progressed.
Additionally, more than half the women climbing the corporate ladder said they declined a job or promotion or even quit because of the negative impact on their personal life. The study found senior-level men are significantly more likely than senior-level women to say their loneliness or isolation decreased the further they have gone in their careers.
How employers can help
Americans spend up to one-third of their week at work, so researchers said it is not surprising their jobs impact their feelings of connection.
The researchers who put the study together say there are ways to employers can help combat loneliness in the workplace, including giving employees more opportunities to interact in person, being transparent, training managers to lead with empathy and respect and creating a collaborative and supportive culture.
Philly workers furious over mayor’s order that they return to their offices
Philadelphia city workers said they are “pissed off” about being forced back into the office, running into what they say is a shortage of space and resources. On July 15, Mayor Cherelle Parker’s return-to-office mandate went into effect, mandating municipal workers be in-person five days a week.
City officials said about 80% of its workforce — including firefighters, police officers and Water Department workers — was already working on-site before the mandate took effect.
“I know when I made my decision regarding the return-to-office, the change to location of where work would take place, that there were some people who were not going to be happy about the decision that I made.” Parker said at a news conference July 10.
One worker told PBS News he was concerned about his jam-packed train commute and the lack of office space in city buildings. He claimed that before the mandate, hybrid workers would usually share desks on different days. Now, some are assigned to work in different conference rooms with nearly a dozen others or they don’t have access to computer monitors or outlets to charge their electronics.
To try to make the change more palatable, the Parker administration offered French fries from a local chicken place, which some workers told PBS was an insulting move.
Others said they felt their commutes weren’t worth the office time. Only contract workers receive SEPTA train passes, so most city workers are back to paying for their commutes out of pocket.
Dissatisfied city workers could pose big problems for Philly’s already years-long understaffing crisis. In April, it was reported that Philadelphia had 6,200 open positions.
Earlier in July, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported a judge said he will hold Philly’s prison system in contempt of court over its understaffing crisis as the city has a shortage of more than 800 corrections officers.
The city’s chief administrative officer said the administration will continue creating an enjoyable work experience for city workers.
