Government agencies and companies with federal contracts pause programs and cancel events, and business groups protest the order. Some U.S. business groups are pushing back against a White House directive to limit racial-sensitivity training, which has caused confusion for some private businesses with federal contracts. Trade groups representing pharmaceutical makers, technology giants, and advertising agencies have issued statements protesting President Trump’s executive order. They say the order attacks free speech and undermines workplace equity. As they seek to understand the directive, some companies are putting diversity training on pause. WSJ
More than half of companies plan to shrink their offices as working from home becomes a regular fixture after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to a survey by Cisco Systems Inc. Some 53% of larger organizations plan to reduce the size of their office space and more than three quarters will increase work flexibility. Almost all of the respondents were uncomfortable returning to work because they fear contracting the virus, the poll found. Cisco, the largest maker of networking equipment, recently surveyed 1,569 executives, knowledge workers, and others who are responsible for employee environments in the post-COVID era. The findings suggest many of this year’s radical changes to work life will remain long after the pandemic subsides. Bloomberg
A new Adam Grant book, even if it’s just available for pre-order, is certainly big news. Grant is an organizational psychology professor at Wharton, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. He’s also a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of TED’s most popular speakers, his talks have been viewed over 25 million times, and his podcast WorkLife has topped the charts. His new book, out in February 2021, examines the art of critical rethinking, learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life. AdamGrant.net
The pace of America’s jobs recovery continues to slow. Another 840,000 workers filed for initial unemployment benefits last week on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. That was down from 849,000 in the previous week, but more than economists had expected. Every person who can go back to work is a win in this crisis. But the improvement in first-time benefit claims is small to say the least, as they remain about four times higher than they were before the pandemic. “Let’s hope we soon break below the 800k mark in initial claims soon because hanging around the 800k+ level is still not a good place to be, especially going into the winter,” said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group, in a note to clients. The warm summer weather has been a lifeline for battered hospitality and leisure sectors, which rely on face-to-face interactions. But with the colder months beginning, pandemic normalcies like outdoor dining could fall away again, and a rise in infections could exacerbate things. CNN
A report by the EEOC found that only 30% of employees experiencing harassment on the basis of gender, race, national origin, disability, and other protected classes make internal complaints, and less than 15% file formal legal charges. A meta-analysis similarly found that fewer than one-third of workers even informally talked with a supervisor about the sexual harassment they experienced, and less than 25% filed formal reports with their employers. These studies consistently found that the primary reason for low reporting rates is retaliation, where employers or individuals respond to reports of discrimination or mistreatment by further punishing or marginalizing the victim. Retaliation is astonishingly common: 68% of sexual harassment allegations and 42% of LGBTQ+ discrimination allegations made to the EEOC also include charges of employer retaliation. HBR
