Libby Sander

Oct 19, 2023 | phys.org | Libby Sander

As more companies mandate the amount of time to be spent in the office, employee stress levels are on the rise. A recent study found 34% of employees reported lower mental health levels compared to six months ago.

Oct 18, 2023 | theconversation.com | Libby Sander

As more companies mandate the amount of time to be spent in the office, employee stress levels are on the rise. A recent study found 34% of employees reported lower mental health levels compared to six months ago. Alarmingly, 37% also reported decreased levels of engagement and sense of belonging. So why might the return to the office be increasing employee stress?

Sep 10, 2023 | smartcompany.com.au | Libby Sander

On days when I’ve literally disappeared under a pile of administration (today actually), I dream of hiking Japan’s 1000-year-old Unesco heritage-listed Kumano Kodo trail. Not just on days when I am doing admin, to be honest. But it takes around nine days. Many Japanese don’t take enough annual leave to do the trek. To try and combat this issue, in 2019 the government introduced a law that sees employers face penalties if their employees don’t take a minimum of five days of leave a year.

Aug 14, 2023 | smartcompany.com.au | Libby Sander

It’s been 15 years since the publication of Tim Ferriss’s multi-million New York Times bestseller, The 4-Hour Work Week. The book both delighted and left us confused. We fantasised about the possibility but wondered how we could possibly transition our existing work week into only four hours. But despite the title, Ferriss commented that it was never about working only four hours a week. Instead, the book shone a light on a work existence that leaves so many despairing.

Jul 24, 2023 | smartcompany.com.au | Libby Sander

Amongst the fraught arguments on post-pandemic work flexibility is an underlying fear. What will happen to our cities if workers only go to the office a few days a week? Humans have flocked to cities for centuries prior to the industrial age birth of the modern office tower. “A great city is an inventory of the possible.” wrote Rene Descartes in the 17th century. A city is a place where the ability to create a range of different futures for ourselves is made manifest.