SOCIETY

VIDEO (12 MIN)

Remote Work Works: The Office After COVID-19

“We are not in a rush to pull people back into the workplace,” says Rob Falzon, vice chair of Prudential Financial. With an emphasis on confronting worker stress and buoying company culture, Prudential helped its 20,000 US-based employees adapt to the pandemic by leveraging its online Skills Accelerator platform to continue professional development, increasing access to mental health care, and providing extra support for juggling remote-work obstacles. Falzon joins Heather Landy, executive editor at Quartz, to discuss data from Prudential’s “Pulse of the American Worker Survey: Work in Progress—Six Months Living the Future of Work,” conducted by Morning Consult. Based on key findings, Falzon confirms that remote work does work, and suggests that the post-pandemic working environment should be a hybrid, where office walls are torn down to promote collaboration space and there’s flexibility to do individualized work at home. Presented by Prudential. Watch.

HEALTH

ARTICLE

How Effective Are the Vaccines? A Mount Sinai Expert Weighs In

Only ten months after the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the United States, pharmaceutical companies are announcing promising vaccine trial results. This rapid progress could not have been possible without scientists intensely studying the novel coronavirus and generating insights about it. One of those scientists is Florian Krammer, professor of vaccinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who has been researching how the virus attacks the body and is himself a vaccine trial participant. He and Ken Davis, president and CEO of the Mount Sinai Health System, shed light on the progress and answer reader questions about vaccine effectiveness and the prospects for immunity. Presented by Mount Sinai. Read.

HEALTH

PODCAST (45 MIN)

Building Public Confidence in Coronavirus Vaccines

Public health officials are working to ensure that a safe and effective vaccine is available for every American who wants one. They also want to be sure people aren’t afraid of getting those shots. Doctor Nancy Messonnier is director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. She leads the Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts in the areas of distribution, administration, implementation, safety, and access. She speaks with award-winning journalist and National Geographic science editor Nsikan Akpan about the speed of development of coronavirus vaccines, safety concerns, and the government’s work to distribute them quickly and equitably. Presented by the Aspen Institute Science & Society ProgramListen.

Reimagining Workplace Protections: A Policy Agenda to Meet Independent Contractors’ and Temporary Workers’ Needs

December 8, 2020

Co-authored by experts from the Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative, Urban Institute, and A Better Balance.

Winter Words Author Series: Curtis Sittenfeld

December 15

Join Aspen Words for a discussion that will explore the question, “What if Hillary Rodham hadn’t married Bill Clinton?” Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Rodham: A Novel, will be in conversation with activist and writer Charlotte Clymer. Sittenfeld is the best-selling author of seven novels, many of which have been selected by The New York Times, TIME, and others for their annual best-bookslists. Her books have also been optioned for television and film, and translated into 30 languages.Register.

Moving Beyond Gratitude: Opportunities to Improve Essential Work

December 15

Among the many unexpected lessons of 2020 was a recognition of the importance of essential workers. We learned to say thank you to so many of them, and now we come together to reflect on how we can do more than say thank you by improving the quality of essential jobs. Join the Economic Opportunities Program to discuss the important role of essential workers in our economy and society and a variety of approaches for improving essential work.Register.

Covering the US Elections: A Global View

December 16

The 2020 US election and its aftermath have been some of most closely followed stories in the world. All eyes are on an America torn by unprecedented levels of partisan division, an onslaught of mis- and disinformation, and a president asserting victory in that election without evidence. How has the media covered this story? And what does it say about covering politics in a country increasingly at odds over facts?Register.

Going Beyond ESG Scores: Putting Purpose at the Heart of Corporate Decision-Making

December 16

As many companies look to reset after a year of concurrent crises and disruption, executives and boards are dramatically rethinking assumptions about operations, business models, and trading partners. As stakeholder considerations receive more attention, the pressure to set more purpose-focused targets while increasing organizational resilience is mounting. With an uncertain geopolitical backdrop, how are corporate executives and boards navigating these waters, and how are social, environmental, and governance considerations affecting their strategies?Register.