FIRMS WITH FEMALE CEOS REPORT HIGHER PROFITS

Only 39 of Fortune 500 firms have female CEOs – a paltry figure, despite decades of awareness of the importance of gender equity in the C-suite.

But a new analysis from Frank Staffing Group, a global IT staffing firm, shows those companies are being rewarded: 87 percent of 2021’s Fortune 500 companies with female CEOs reported above-average profits. That compares with 78 percent of firms with male CEOs.

Zoë Morris, President of Frank Staffing Group, offers a trio of tips for firms to bring about the necessary culture shift for promoting female executives: increase the visibility of women, offer suitable career progression opportunities and promote equality within the workplace.

“Think about what opportunities you are offering to your female employees. Are you giving them a chance for career progression? Is the opportunity one that they will be interested in, or actually able to take?” Morris says.

“These are such simple questions, but actively putting more thought into the answers can make a massive difference.”

With the climate crisis looming and sustainability on the mind of many, biking and other forms of micromobility have become increasingly popular.

Commuters in developed nations have embraced various forms of micromobility – bicycles, e-mopeds and kick scooters – and people the world over increasingly see cycling as practical transportation rather than the purveyance of the poor.

As workers return to the office post-pandemic, commuters appear to be embracing micromobility in increasing numbers, according to Frankfurt-based McKinsey & Company partner Kersten Heineke.

“Micromobility is the only thing that’s up in usage post-COVID-19,” Heineke told The McKinsey Podcast.

“Public transit is still down versus pre-COVID-19 levels. Car sharing, e-hailing, ride hailing and so on are on the same level, maybe a bit up.”

The trends confirm a 2021 survey from McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, which found almost 70 percent of respondents willing to trying micromobility options for their commutes.

Parental leave has become a common employee benefit as both parents take time from work to care for their children. Some firms are now experimenting with grandparent leave as grandparents increasingly play the role of caregivers to their grandchildren.

The Japanese prefecture of Miyagi has announced government employees who are grandparents will be given leave to attend births and care for grandchildren.

The move comes as the retirement age is raised from age 60 to 65 in the prefecture. It also follows nascent moves to promote grandparent leave in the private sector.

Toho Bank in Fukushima permits grandparent leave until their grandchildren finish elementary school, according to The Japan Times. British insurance company Saga introduced paid grandparent leave in December 2021, providing a paid week off for employees becoming new grandparents. Employees’ grandchildren also have access to its daycare spaces.

Saga referenced research showing that a quarter of working grandparents found difficulties in balancing work with childcare commitments.

Travel returned strongly in 2022, in spite of geopolitical tensions, as the worst of the COVID-19 crisis waned and people longed to see sites and experience delights off-limits during the pandemic. A comprehensive survey from travel platform Booking.com foresees the strong interest in traveling continuing into 2023, though it predicts travelers will pursue meaningful trips amid turbulent times.

“If 2022 was about the triumphant return of travel, 2023 will be about creatively reimagining it amidst the chaos,” Booking.com stated in announcing its survey results. “Nothing will be off-limits, and everything is on the menu as everyone seeks to find the right balance in a world of contradictions.”

Travelers increasingly want to get out of their comfort zone – with half saying they want to experience total culture shock. Wanderlust tugs, too, with 28 percent saying they would like to buy a one-way ticket and go wherever their instincts lead them. A desire for pilgrimages and wellness trips was commonly expressed.

Many also expressed a fondness for experiences harking back to simpler, pre-digital times. Some 55 percent of global travelers say they want to go “off the grid”, while 44 percent say they want to “experience life with only the bare necessities” and take trips with a “more back-to-basics feel”.

The FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar on 20 November, marking the first time the world’s top football tournament has been held in a Middle East country. France has entered the event as defending champion, though five-time winner Brazil topped the pretournament FIFA rankings.

1. BRAZIL

2. BELGIUM

3. ARGENTINA

4. FRANCE

5. ENGLAND

6. ITALY*

7. SPAIN

8. NETHERLANDS

9. PORTUGAL

10. DENMARK

*Italy did not qualify

Source: FIFA