It's been almost exactly a month since I last posted on LinkedIn and since the last edition of the Better Boundaries Brief. That post was Make the Most of Your Summer Break (and Why You Need One), and I definitely took one. But if I'm being honest, that was not entirely by design. While I took planned time off after a busy June and July, I was also forced to cancel, regroup, rearrange, and rest by a series of occurrences that I blame on Mercury retrograde. But if I'm still being honest here, a lot of it was a consequence of doing too much and not leaving enough room for magic, as I like to say. For the past couple of weeks in particular, I've been thinking a lot about rest and productivity, and where the need to constantly "do" comes from.

When was the last time you took a summer break? I mean a real break - no work, nothing scheduled, just enjoying being, whatever that looks like for you. The last long break I had was in the spring of 2020, when I intentionally took a few months off between jobs. I spent a lot of time reading, doing yoga, gardening, and resting. I haven't had a break like that since. And while I am not taking a break like that now, I am taking a small break from the norm for this week's edition of The Better Boundaries Brief.

Human resources plays a huge role in the workplace experience, but according to a Betterworks report in 2023, only 26% of employees trust in HR and only 32% trust in their organization's leaders, who are responsible for implementation, reporting, and enforcement of HR policies. This is a critical gap because HR shapes your entire workplace experience, from personnel actions like hiring and firing, to investigations into complaints, to providing supports for employees like Employee Assistance Programs. They often do this work in the shadows - if you don't have a reason to engage with HR, you might never have any meaningful interaction with them.

Imagine a world where we all have what we need to thrive. Getting there starts with saying yes to yourself. That can look like canceling a meeting, taking a nap, going for a run, or seeing your therapist. But that can also look like advocating for the conditions you need to thrive at work, at school, at home or in your neighborhood, and as part of a community, however that is defined for you.

As our attitudes toward work-appropriate clothing have shifted, so, too, have requirements about dress at work. One analysis of 27,000 job postings by Adzuna found an increase in posts mentioning a casual dress code from 2019-2022, and a corresponding decrease in posts referencing business casual during the same time period. However, there are generational differences in shifting attitudes, with Millennials being quickest to adapt their style and Boomers showing the least change.

Inspired by Rihanna, this week's post is all about money. Throughout our careers, we will always be in a position to negotiate for compensation, whether due to being hired or promoted, during annual reviews and cost of living assessments, or because of a changing landscape (as a result of a pay equity audit, for example). The bottom line is that one of the most important boundaries related to work is a resource boundary, and in this edition, we're talking about getting paid what you are worth.

I was recently triggered by a post I saw re-shared by the Center for Creative Leadership (who you should be following, by the way) about Leadership Green Flags. I've seen several variations of this list and it really irks me, every time. The reason why I am so bothered is that I've worked for leaders who checked many of these boxes but were still terrible leaders. Leadership is a verb - it's not enough to say the right things, you have to do the right things, too.

One of my favorite novels is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. You may recall its famous opening line: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." One of the reasons I love this book is that it uses dichotomy to illustrate the differences and similarities across classes and systems. This is one reason why I think it's a perfect metaphor for this week's post.

Even before the pandemic, 67% of employees in one survey indicated that spending too much time in meetings and on calls distracts them from making an impact at work. Virtual meeting platforms have arguably made that worse. According to Gallup, 8 in 10 employees think that virtual meetings are less effective or no different than in-person meetings, and a SurveyMonkey poll showed that 32% of employees think that meetings "could have been an email" all or most of the time.

Office celebration culture is a term that captures the way our teams, organizations, and institutions recognize and honor major life events, from birthdays and anniversaries, to major holidays or institutional milestones. In a healthy work environment, these celebrations are often organic and employee-led. In more challenging work environments and teams, these celebrations can feel forced and cause employees to feel no small amount of angst.

I'm excited to share the launch of my blog, the Better Boundaries Brief. If you know me, you know how important it is to me to set healthy boundaries around my time and energy. But like everyone who has ever had a job, I have often found my boundaries tested. I'm starting this blog to share the ways I've learned to navigate the workplace and establish practices that support my wellbeing. I also hope this newsletter creates space for us to learn from each other.

First shared on LinkedIn on Health Workforce Well-Being Day in recognition of the fact hat healthcare and especially public health workers are struggling with stress and burnout. Take a moment today to commit one act of self-care, and subscribe to the Better Boundaries Brief.