As vaccination efforts ramp up nationwide, businesses are figuring out how to plan a return to the office for employees who have worked from home over the past year. Office-sharing giant WeWork is partnering with the Chambers of Commerce for the five boroughs of New York City to help ensure companies make a smooth transition back into the office.
"So if somebody's a member of one of the chambers, what they do is they apply to us, and we're able to give them some enhanced terms to be able to participate in our spaces," said Shyam Gidumal, chief operations officer at WeWork. "That's a central part of people being able to get back into the work environment."
Gidumal said WeWork has developed programs in other cities and has plans in development for national programs. He added that the company has the tools to make spaces safe and comfortable as workers also do their part in making their way back to workplaces.
"I think what we are also starting to see is a real pick-up as the vaccines have rolled out and people have become a little more accustomed to wearing masks and doing the basics that the CDC and the like have been recommending, that people are becoming much more comfortable coming back into the offices," he told Cheddar.
WeWork also has collaborated with businesses on new office layouts and designs, implemented distancing between workers, and installed sanitizing stations.
While companies consider their future work models as they try to get reacclimated to office life, Gidumal said the hybrid option, part work-from-home, part in-office, could be an option. A unique feature about WeWork's offerings is the flexibility it can provide businesses when it comes to in-office operations.
"For us, we solve all of those needs. So if people want to bring back their employees in a big way, that's great. We have space for them. If they want to create flexibility, they want to have flexibility so that people can come into the office part-time, that's fine," Gidumal said, explaining that WeWork's All Access program will allow people to work from any of its locations.
Meanwhile, as businesses recognize International Women's History Month in March, WeWork, in partnership with SoftBank, has launched the Women for Tomorrow campaign and has carved out a special program for women-run companies that will allocate $5 million among businesses, throughout the Americas, to provide flexible workspaces.
"Women, in particular, have been hit hard and differentially hard by the pandemic and the impact it's had on the workforce. So one of the things that we really wanted to lean into was to provide some support for them, and I'm really proud of what we've been able to put together," he noted.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
We sat down with Ali Furman, U.S. Consumer Markets Industry Leader at consulting firm PwC to ask what trends she garnered from the initial data this year.
