PPB October 2016

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by Jen Alexander
WATER COOLER
Separate But Together
Make working remotely work for your team
Between the uncertainty of
the job market and the busy
professional’s desire to find
a better work-life balance,
working remotely has steadily
gained favor throughout the
U.S. workforce. In 2015, the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
found that 38 percent of
management, business and
financial operations employees,
and 35 percent of employees
in professional and related
occupations, worked from
home some or all of the time.
What’s more, people who
work remotely—from home,
in particular—are nearly 50
percent more likely to rate
job satisfaction a 10 out of 10
compared to office workers.
As an employer with
on-site workers, you may be
wondering what a remote-
employee business might look
like. At , a website
devoted to remote-work
resources and tools, companies
with established practices
share their insights and
lessons learned so others can
determine if a remote workforce
is right for them. More than 100
firms have signed up to answer
questions about management,
benefits, team roles and more.
Among the tips provided,
participants shared
some elements they feel are
key to working successfully
with remote teams:
• Establish a culture of trust
in the people, products
and services
• Use the right tools to ensure
clear communication and
sufficient access
• Establish opportunities
for in-person meetings
and collaboration
• Set regular meetings
and build mechanisms
for feedback and
performance evaluation
AD-ITIVES
Rebel,
Rebel
French cities’ ban
on burkinis boosts
sales of full-body
coverage swimwear
In much the same way as
Prohibition made alcohol
more desirable in the U.S.,
a recent attempt in France
to ban one kind of full-body
beachwear has turned one
woman’s small company
into a booming business.
Australian creator Aheda
Zanetti designed the burkini—a
catchy mashup of burqa and
bikini—so that women who
wanted to show less skin
could still enjoy her country’s
popular beach lifestyle.
When several cities along the
French Riviera banned the
burkini from their beaches this
summer, citing secularism laws,
Zanetti says her online sales
increased by 200 percent in
the days following the ban.
Zanetti’s burkini is only
the latest product to see
skyrocketing interest as a result
of being made taboo. While
the decades-long embargo
on Cuban products was still
in place, the island’s famous
cigars were illegal to import,
yet somehow managed to
maintain their cult status among
American smokers. And though
Facebook is banned in China,
many users still manage to log
on by employing virtual private
networks and other, similar tools.
68 | OCTOBER 2016 |
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