Study: Back to office policies not paying off
A study by the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh said its “empirical analysis” of over 100 S&P 500 companies indicates that managers were using back-to-the-office mandates “to reassert control over employees.” Credit: Getty Images / Alvarez
When large companies order their remote workers back to the office, they typically say the collaboration and camaraderie found in a traditional workplace is better for productivity and profitability. But is it?
A study by the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh of 137 S&P 500 companies that enforced strict return-to-office policies found “there were no significant changes in profitability” for these firms. The study said its “empirical analysis” of the data indicates that companies actually didn’t believe a return to the office would increase productivity but that managers were using the mandates “to reassert control over employees.”
The study also found that while a company’s profitability and stock market price didn’t improve, there was a “significant decline in employee job satisfaction.”
Lawsuit: Dating apps ‘addictive’
Match Group, which owns dating apps including Tinder and Hinge, called a class-action lawsuit contending it uses "hidden algorithms” to entice users to keep adding expensive features "ridiculous." Credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images / Jonathan Raa
Match Group, owner of popular dating apps including Tinder and Hinge, uses “powerful technologies and hidden algorithms” that create “dangerously addictive features,” according to a class-action lawsuit. The suit says the apps’ “game-like design” fosters a “perpetual pay-to-play loop” enticing users to keep adding expensive features. Match, calling the lawsuit “ridiculous,” said “we actively strive to get people on dates every day and off our apps.”
Mercedes taps brakes on EVs
Mercedes-Benz's pledge to make its entire lineup electric by the end of the decade has shifted, with the automaker now saying only half of its new cars will be EVs by 2030. Credit: Krisztian Bocsi
Mercedes-Benz’s plan to produce only electric vehicles has hit a speed bump. Three years ago, the automaker said it would electrify its entire lineup by the end of the decade. But Mercedes now says only half of its new cars will be EVs by 2030. The shift reflects slowing demand for EVs as consumers worry about a lack of charging stations and cold weather driving range.
UN wants military A.I. curbs
The United Nations adopted a resolution to promote international rulemaking on weapons that use artificial intelligence to kill human targets without human intervention in response to a growing concern these weapons will be used in war zones. The United States was among the 152 countries voting in favor of it. Four countries, including Russia and India, which have been actively promoting the military use of A.I., opposed it. — THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
'Beneath the Surface': A look at the rise in shark sightings off LI shores It seems shark sightings are dominating headlines on Long Island and researchers are on a quest to find out why more sharks are showing up in Long Island waters. NewsdayTV meteorologist Rich Von Ohlen discusses how to stay safe.
'Beneath the Surface': A look at the rise in shark sightings off LI shores It seems shark sightings are dominating headlines on Long Island and researchers are on a quest to find out why more sharks are showing up in Long Island waters. NewsdayTV meteorologist Rich Von Ohlen discusses how to stay safe.
