Who doesn’t love free stuff? And at conferences and trade shows, there’s a plethora of branded items at the ready for your eager fingertips. So, here’s a pretty straightforward question from Quartz this week: What makes good conference swag?
The publication asked some of the frequent conference-goers on its staff. The key feedback in the admittedly non-scientific survey? “A good freebie is useful, reusable, and – crucially – high-quality.” And apparently, bad swag is better than no swag.
Examples of the good stuff include notebooks, tech items like battery packs and headphones, a good bag, and good quality, comfortable t-shirts.
CNN offers some advice on what to do if you like your job, but don’t like your co-workers. The article notes that success in part depends on your relationship with co-workers, so even if you’re not bosom buddies with them, it makes sense to at least have a friendly relationship with them.
If you’re not getting along with co-workers, here are CNN’s suggestions from workplace experts Lynn Taylor and Amy Cooper Hakim:
More companies are taking responsibility for boosting voter turnout by giving employees time off to vote, Bloomberg reports.
“A record 44% of U.S. firms will give workers paid time off to vote on Nov. 6, up from 37% in 2016, according to reports from SHRM,” the article states.
Bloomberg notes that the U.S. lags behind other nations in election turnout – and in midterm elections, like this year, turnout rates are historically lower than for presidential elections.
“Business leaders say they can help, and hundreds have come together this election cycle to do so, often as part of broader corporate social responsibility strategies. ‘This is a more neutral way for them to engage, in that this is non-partisan,’ said Marick Masters, Wayne State University professor of business who researches business and labor political action.”
The Washington Post reports on specific initiatives that companies have launched to drive their workers to the polls. These include:
The Washington Post adds that companies are increasingly looking more closely at their policies to make it easier for their workers to vote.
“In a year when interest in the midterm elections has reached a fever pitch, nonprofits that are focused on voter turnout say they’re seeing a noticeable uptick in the enthusiasm and creative approaches that many employers are using this year to get more workers to the polls — whether by closing stores or offices, making paid time off or flexible work arrangements available, or by trying to remove obstacles to voting, such as securing transportation for workers or discouraging meetings for the day.