[Issue 108] 🎉 We're back!
Is it too late to say Happy New Year??
Did you see those memes going around last month with captions like "January was the longest year ever"? That's how I feel about 2020 so far.
I ended 2019 with my usual break from the newsletter (and the news), which is always refreshing. And while the first few weeks of the year have felt like a whirlwind personally, I've been eager to get back into one of the routines I love most in my life: sending this newsletter to you each week.
Today, I'm easing myself back into things by popping in your inbox to find out what issues are top of mind for you in 2020.
I'm personally eager to cover more topics than I'll probably have the capacity to get to, including:
Living wages (shocker, I know)
Gun reform
Artificial intelligence
Paid family leave
CEO compensation
Updates on the #metoo movement in Corporate America
...and much much more. But I also want to be sure I'm covering the issues you care most about. Hit reply and share any and all of your thoughts!!
I can't wait to hear from you.
And let's hope 2020 is all up from here.
️❤️️,
Nikita
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How you should imagine me sharing this research with complete strangers
The Link Between Minimum Wage and Suicide Shows Inequality Is A Public Health Issue. A recent study looked at the link between minimum wage and suicide by examining data on suicides that occurred in every U.S. state between January 1990 and December 2015. Specifically they looked for how the suicide rate changed with an increase in federal minimum wage. What they found was that a $1 Increase in minimum wage could be linked to a 3.4% to 5.9% reduction in suicide of adults with high school diplomas or less. The effects were most pronounced 1 year after minimum wage was increased. The results also found that in areas where unemployment was higher, a minimum wage increase had more profound effects than in areas where unemployment was lower. // QUARTZ
Your Company’s Next Leader On Climate Is The CFO. The CFO of your company may be the best person to tackle the responsibilities of shifting to a more sustainable organization. The reasons: adapting to and mitigating climate change will require about $1 trillion in investments per year until 2030, cutting greenhouse gas emissions lead to savings within companies, and investors increasingly want climate risks to be considered in corporate financial decisions and disclosures. The article goes into further detail and provides specific examples of finance teams within companies that are tackling climate change and emissions. // HBR
WNBA, Player’s Union Agree To Landmark Deal In New Collective Bargaining Agreement. The WNBA has managed to reach a tentative agreement with its players marking a shift in compensation as well as resources available to players. The new plan will include WNBA players finally exceeding six figures for the first time, improvements to maternity leave and child-care benefits, and an avenue to equitable revenue sharing. This deal marks a change in women’s sports, as many other women’s leagues are battling for equality as well, such as the U.S. women’s national team suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. // WASHINGTON POST
Delta Airlines Gives Employees Enormous Bonus. Delta Airlines shared $1.6B with all of its 90,000 employees by giving them a bonus check of 16.6% (or about 2 months worth) of their annual salary. Delta’s bonus is significant because while 38% of American workers report receiving bonuses on occasion, the average is 5% of annual salary. // WTHR
This Startup Wants To Replace Traditional Package Delivery With Hyperlocal, Electric-Trike-Driving Couriers. In an effort to make urban delivery quicker and more sustainable, a startup called Bond is creating a growing network of what they call “nano distribution centers” in small warehouses, basements, and storefronts along with cargo trikes and bike couriers, in order to do hyperlocal same-day deliveries without the emissions that come with regular truck deliveries. The company works with companies and users to schedule deliveries to avoid missed deliveries, and also tracks demand of products, especially perishable products, in order to avoid spoilage or having too much stored in one nano distribution center. So far the company has reported that the companies it works with have reduced their use of delivery trucks by 22%. // FAST COMPANY
Angels In Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret. According to a New York Times investigation and interviews of more than 30 current or former Victoria’s secret executives, employees, contractors, and models has found that the company has a problem of bullying and harassment, perpetrated mostly by two of the company’s top executives. Ed Razek, who was the chief marketing officer at L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s secret, was well known for inappropriate conduct with the models, reportedly trying to kiss them or ask them to sit in his lap. He even reportedly touched a model’s crotch at a 2018 fashion show. When these incidents were reported to Leslie Wexner, the founder and CEO of L Brands, he buried them and even stopped hiring models who complained. Further incidences of the misogynistic culture include some model’s feeling pressured to pose nude for no pay and L brands founder verbally demeaning women. // NY TIMES
This week's headlines were curated by ABL's intern, Lora. GIFs added by yours truly.
"Why should the citizens of this world keep companies around whose sole purpose is the enrichment of a few people?"
A 2020 mood, perfectly captured by Paul Polman