The battle over return-to-office (RTO) policies is coming to a head in the tech world, as some companies are rescinding once-generous remote work policies, resulting in employee pushback.

Meta told employees in early June that they’ll be expected to return to the office three days a week starting in September, according to The Information. Amazon also attempted to call corporate employees back to the office at the same frequency as of May 1.

While leaders spearheading these policies argue that in-person work spurs productivity and innovation, workers aren’t as convinced. Corporate employees at Amazon walked out of the retailer’s Seattle headquarters at the end of May to protest its RTO policy, among other issues.

HR Brew compiled a list of recent sticks—and carrots—employers are using to boost in-person office attendance.

Keep reading.—CV

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Gig economy jobs are not easy. But in New York City, some of them are about to pay more. The yearslong push for better pay for gig workers has made some progress over the last month.

In late May, Minnesota’s Senate passed a bill guaranteeing a minimum wage of $1.45 per mile and $0.34 per minute for drivers using rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft. The bill also calls for added benefits, including increased transparency on pricing and wages and an appeals process for drivers whose accounts are deactivated.

Uber and Lyft called for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to veto the bill, which they opposed through every stage of the process. They warned that they may need to reduce services in the states affected by laws like this one.

Ultimately, Walz ended up vetoing the bill because, he said in a letter to legislative leaders, it “could make Minnesota one of the most expensive states in the country for rideshare, potentially putting us on par with the cost of rides in New York City and Seattle — cities with dramatically higher costs of living than Minnesota.” Minnesota’s sponsors in the state house and rideshare driver communities remain committed to passing this legislation, according to the Associated Press.

On Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a law guaranteeing a $17.96 per hour minimum wage for drivers working for delivery apps. The regulation affecting around 65,000 workers will be enforced by the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

“We are making sure that working people who power this sector are getting their fair share,” Adams said. “There are contract workers who have to cover lots of costs themselves, paying for the bike or car or medical bills, if they get sick or hurt. And they deserve a raise.”—AK

It’s June, which means that not only is it Pride Month and the official start to summer, but also the time when many organizations release their annual DE&I progress reports.

HR Brew examined annual reports from General Mills, ServiceNow, Boeing, and HubSpot for trends across companies, and to explore how businesses are prioritizing their diversity efforts. What’s consistent is that there’s no consistency across how companies measure DE&I and impact.

While each company has its own metrics, some workplace experts still believe the transparency is good for business, according to reporting from CNBC. “The accountability piece is about taking action, both positive and negative, depending on how folks show up. Cascading this understanding and driving attitude and behavioral change is a sequence that needs to be scaffolded out,” Erin Thomas, head of diversity, inclusion, and belonging at Upwork, said at a 2022 CNBC Work Summit.

Progress at ServiceNow. The company is a US-based software company that didn’t begin monitoring DE&I until 2019, but saw its most meaningful changes in women in leadership positions, up by 2% over the last year. Women now account for 32.3% of all leadership roles. However, globally, men are still 67.5% of its workforce.

Keep reading.—KP

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Total employer compensation costs rose 1.4% in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (SHRM)

Quote: “I don’t want to cause any intracompany tensions…but I wonder if this should be renamed HQ1.”—Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, at the opening of Amazon’s impressive “HQ2” in Arlington, Virginia (ABC)

Read: A lot of construction, services, and retail employers have been found to withhold wages from employees. Worker advocates are calling for better regulation. (the Guardian)

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