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Wednesday

America, we have a problem. People aren't feeling engaged with their work

A new Gallup report finds employee engagement in need of a rebound, finding only 32% of U.S. workers to be engaged with their work. Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop hide caption

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Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

Business

America, we have a problem. People aren't feeling engaged with their work

A new Gallup report finds employee engagement in the U.S. fell in 2022 to 32%. Young people in particular reported feeling less cared about at work and having fewer opportunities to learn and grow.

America, we have a problem. People aren't feeling engaged with their work

Listen · 3:56
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Friday

A woman is ordered to repay $2,000 after her employer used software to track her time

The time-tracking software TimeCamp is able to monitor what files are accessed, and for how long, and whether other non-work activities, such as streaming services, are used on a laptop. Elise Amendola/AP hide caption

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Elise Amendola/AP

Business

A woman is ordered to repay $2,000 after her employer used software to track her time

The remote employee had charged her company for 50 hours that were not associated with her job, a Canadian court found. The company used time-tracking software installed on her laptop.

Tuesday

Early retirement took off during the pandemic. An economic downturn could change that

Just before turning 55, Dean Hebert retired from his job at the University of Maryland after realizing he had plenty of savings to support himself in retirement. Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR

Business

Early retirement took off during the pandemic. An economic downturn could change that

Millions of workers left the labor force during the pandemic. Older workers have been slow to return, in part because many found themselves financially secure enough to retire.

Early retirement took off during the pandemic. An economic downturn could change that

Listen · 3:52
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Tuesday

Friday

Heat waves, remote work, iPhones
David McNew/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Heat waves, remote work, iPhones

Crank up that AC because a record-breaking heat wave is sweeping through the American West. That, plus workplace surveys, and Apple's newest drop on indicators of the week.

Heat waves, remote work, iPhones

Listen · 9:12
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Thursday

A new work anxiety: Will I be penalized for working from home?

Nitin Budhiraja discovered during the pandemic that he loved working from home. He now works fully remotely. Nitin Budhiraja hide caption

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Nitin Budhiraja

Business

A new work anxiety: Will I be penalized for working from home?

In the "new normal" of the hybrid workplace, are remote and in-person workers going to be treated equally? It's a matter of hot debate right now.

A new work anxiety: Will I be penalized for working from home?

Listen · 3:25
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Sunday

A spate of horrific attacks in New York has people fearful of returning to work

People walk by a subway stop in midtown Manhattan in New York City on April 13. Some of the city's top CEOs say they are being told by their employees that they are afraid to return to work after a recent spate of high-profile attacks. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Business

A spate of horrific attacks in New York has people fearful of returning to work

Companies in New York City face another setback as they push workers to come back to work: Employees are saying they don't feel safe in the city anymore.

A spate of horrific attacks in New York has people fearful of returning to work

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Friday

What women truckers can tell us about living and working alone

Brandie Diamond describes herself as a "transgender truck driver/chef/Jill-of-all-trades." But her career in trucking began in the mid-1980s, and she hadn't come out as trans back then. Meg Vogel for NPR hide caption

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Meg Vogel for NPR

Analysis

Rough Translation

What women truckers can tell us about living and working alone

American long-haul truckers share wisdom from the road on living where you work

What women truckers can tell us about living and working alone

Listen · 7:11
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Wednesday

Alone@Work: Miles To Go Before I'm Me

Brandie Diamond stands by her FedEx Custom Critical truck in a Walmart Supercenter parking lot in Columbus, Ohio. Meg Vogel for NPR hide caption

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Meg Vogel for NPR

Rough Translation

Alone@Work: Miles To Go Before I'm Me

726 miles in one day. Gas station sushi. Mysterious loading docks. We hit the road with two American women who found long-haul trucking as a means of escape and self-transformation.

Alone@Work: Miles To Go Before I'm Me

Listen · 31:48
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Tuesday

Wednesday

You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job

Our personas at work are not what they used to be. Sarah Gonzales for NPR hide caption

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Sarah Gonzales for NPR

Rough Translation

You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job

Who are you at work? In this episode, two stories of people who really commit to embodying their work selves. The result? New realms and new personalities.

You're@Work: The Right Persona for the Job

Listen · 32:54
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Wednesday

Stuck@Work: Your Country's Brand Is Escape, But You Can't

When Portugal forbade bosses from contacting employees after hours, international media jumped at the chance to cover the new law. Portuguese workers were oddly quiet. Why? Sarah Gonzales for NPR hide caption

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Sarah Gonzales for NPR

Rough Translation

Stuck@Work: Your Country's Brand Is Escape, But You Can't

When Portugal forbade bosses from contacting employees after hours, international media jumped at the chance to cover the new law. Portuguese workers were oddly quiet. Why?

Stuck@Work: Your Country's Brand Is Escape, But You Can't

Listen · 40:23
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Sunday

The idea of working in the office, all day, every day? No thanks, say workers

Jonathan Pruiett, a geospatial analyst with Cognizant, is part of a team that updates Google maps. They pushed back against a policy that would have required them to be in the office full-time and won a 90-day reprieve. Jonathan Pruiett hide caption

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Jonathan Pruiett

Business

The idea of working in the office, all day, every day? No thanks, say workers

Working from home isn't possible in many jobs, but in companies where it is, the return to office has become a point of tension between workers and their bosses.

The idea of working in the office, all day, every day? No thanks, say workers

Listen · 4:15
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Tuesday

Monday

High gas prices present another hurdle in bringing workers back to the office

Average gas prices have topped $4 nationwide, prompting some remote workers to question whether they really need to return to the office. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Business

High gas prices present another hurdle in bringing workers back to the office

Gas prices have soared just as workers who have been remote for two years return to their commutes. Some are asking for companies to wait until prices come down to bring people back.

High gas prices present another hurdle in bringing workers back to the office

Listen · 3:55
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