The nomination of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Labor Department is headed to the full Senate after clearing the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in a 13-9 vote. Full Story: Pensions & Investments (free access for SmartBrief readers) (2/27)
Recruiting & Retention
Judge: OPM can't order firings of probationary workers US District Judge William Alsup directed the Office of Personnel Management to notify certain federal agencies that it lacks the authority to order that probationary employees of other agencies be fired. Government lawyers argued that OPM only requested that agencies assess such employees' fitness to remain on the job, but Alsup said, "The agencies could thumb their noses at OPM if they wanted to if it's guidance, but if it's an order, or cast as an order, the agencies may think they have to comply." Full Story: The Associated Press (2/27)
Study: US employees would take pay cut for remote work US workers are willing to take a 25% pay cut for remote work options, a much larger reduction than previously recorded, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper. Despite worker preferences, office occupancy rates are rising, driven by employer mandates and federal directives, including the White House's push for federal employees to return to in-person work. Full Story: CFO Dive (2/25)
The HR Leader
External CEO candidates bring fresh perspective Companies are increasingly appointing external candidates as CEOs, with 44% of new leaders at S&P 1500 companies in 2024 coming from outside, a jump of 12% from 2023. External CEOs offer objectivity and fresh perspective, crucial for steering organizations through rapid industry changes. However, industries like financial services and industrials still prefer internal promotions for stability. Full Story: Yahoo (2/27),Fortune (tiered subscription model) (2/27)
In a Q&A with Ragan Communications, Linda Rutherford, chief administration officer at Southwest Airlines, shared how she's navigated several roles at the airline and what she envisions for the future of communications. Linda offered advice for others seeking a leadership position, "Have a perspective and the courage to share it; be an honest broker and truth-teller; and don't forget the importance of relationships." Full Story: Ragan (2/25)
About the Editor
Reflections
(Kanoe Namahoe)
Welcome to Friday Faves! Every Friday, I spotlight books, podcasts, email newsletters, television shows, movies and other content pieces that I enjoy. I also share suggestions that I get from you. Got a favorite for your peers? Send it to me. I may include it here for a future column. Happy Friday SmartBrief on Workforce readers! A fun conversation bubbled up this morning in our editorial team’s Slack channel about what TV shows and movies folks are watching right now as they hide from the winter weather (we have lots of folks in the Midwest and on the East Coast). Current shows “Severance”, "Reacher", “White Lotus,” and “Landman” were popular, but many of us have older shows on loop in our homes, including “The Office” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” I took it way back to the 80s, 90s and 2000s with “Pretty in Pink”, “Say Anything” and “The West Wing.” The movies are sweet, fun nostalgia for me -- a way to revisit my teen years, without the angst of pimples and puberty. Plus, I get a kick out of seeing how bad our hair was in the 80s. That was a lot of Aqua Net. And “The West Wing.” The all-star cast coupled with Aaron Sorkin’s witty, intelligent writing made this show one of the best in TV history. The cast is so good I can’t choose a favorite among them. I often play it while I’m working, as background white noise. The first season is my favorite. Side note: Josh Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway launched a podcast in 2016, The West Wing Weekly, where they analyze and discuss the episodes. Cast members often visit the show to add color and context to the conversation. It’s fantastic. The podcast ended in 2020, but the pair recently started up a spinoff of that podcast on Patreon, The West Wing Weekly Political Film Festival, where they discuss political films (serious and comedies). So tell me, when it's cold outside, what do you hunker down to watch? What do you have on loop in your home? Share! Let’s make this a fun Friday :-) Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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