The Secret Society of Human Work Advocates

In this spirited and enlightening conversation, Duena Blomstrom and dr. Alessandria Pollizzi dive into the implications of Amazon's recent return-to-office mandate and what it means for workplace culture, employee well-being, and the future of work. They tackle the complexities of remote work policies, shedding light on the vital importance of inclusion and equity in today’s evolving landscape. With the looming threat of a talent crisis on the horizon adding to the mental health, burnout and leadership crisis already clear in some industries, they discuss how rigid workplace structures could push valuable employees away.

This discussion isn’t just about navigating challenges; it’s a rallying call for organizations to embrace change. Duena and Al emphasize the critical need for advocating remote-first practices that prioritize flexibility and foster a healthier work environment for everyone. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable insights into the future of work!

Takeaways
  • Amazon's return-to-office mandate raises serious concerns.
  • In-person work does not guarantee effectiveness or efficiency.
  • The push for RTO could lead to societal trauma.
  • Regulation of workplace practices is lacking in the U.S.
  • New generations require different workplace adaptations.
  • The talent pool is shrinking due to rigid policies.
  • Remote-first organizations are thriving despite challenges.
  • The divide between employed and unemployed is growing.
  • Employee mental health is at risk with RTO mandates.
  • Advocacy for remote work is crucial for future success.

Titles
  • The Impact of Remote Work Policies
  • The Divide: Insiders vs. Outsiders
Sound Bites

  • "What is Amazon doing?"
  • "Nothing has shown that we're more effective in person."
  • "This is creating societal level trauma."
Chapters

00:00
Intro.mp3
00:45
The Amazon Dilemma: A Call to Action
03:58
The Impact of Remote Work Policies
06:54
The Future of Work: Inclusion and Diversity
09:46
The Talent Crisis: Navigating the New Normal
12:55
The Divide: Insiders vs. Outsiders
15:43
Hope Amidst Uncertainty: Remote Work Success Stories

What is The Secret Society of Human Work Advocates?

This idea for the forum and conversation space was born out of sheer frustration with the gap between HR and other departments that we encounter in our work at People Not Tech and Verdant Consulting every day.

Duena Blomstrom first brought up the concept of HumanDebt and its associated workplace horrors and mental health crisis it creates in her book People Before Tech: The Importance of Psychological Safety and Teamwork in the Digital Age and has since worked tirelessly to democratise the need for regular Human Work in the workplace but it wasn’t until our teams came together to build a Psychological Safety ISO add-on for our Human Work Team Wellbeing Platform we realised we are coming towards the Human Work but from two different directions. Us at PeopleNotTech from the Agile/DevOps/Tech side of learning about humans, neuro-divergence, hacking high-performing cultures, being experimental and risk-thirsty, eternally irritated by the slow change and the good folk at Verdant Consulting having arrived at the same frustration coming from the other side, the HR side, the side who was mean to set-up and encourage the Human Work to begin with.

The Secret Society of Human Work Advocates welcomes every professional from any industry and at any level irrespective of job title or skillset as long as they agree the Human Work has to be done in the workplace for the well-being of the employees which leads to the success of the enterprise

We are searching for people who agree that:

Office and organisational structures of old are no longer fit for purpose;
Most organisations have a lot of Human Debt (defined as the equivalent of TechDebt and comprised of a collection of toxicity and ailments that have resulted from years of neglect and of treating people as resources;
The HumanWork (increasing EQ, 1-on-1s, Psychological Safety and good team dynamics, changing leadership, learning autonomy, etc) are mandatory to be performed regularly in today’s environment of necessary collaboration;
Come and start building the future of humans in the workplace with us to the day when our Society will no longer have to be Secret.