The Daily Valet. - 5/11/21, Tuesday

✔️ Going Back?

Tuesday, May 11th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Have you stopped for fast food only to be met with a sign saying they didn’t have anyone to make your order?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Going Back to the Office?

Why the hybrid workplace probably won’t last

After months of experimenting with remote work, many companies are now discussing what they should do as society opens back up. Some are calling back employees. Others are allowing WFH indefinitely. But there are a lot of questions circling around what the future of work life will look like.

There are, of course, benefits to both staying home and going into a place of work. And they’re both pretty obvious. You certainly get more time back by working from home. But maybe that time just goes to more work. WFHers have been logging longer hours and more weekends behind the desk than before the pandemic. And, according to a Gallup poll, they’re more likely to report loneliness, depression and anxiety than those working in person.

It makes sense. Wasn’t the chatter and camaraderie of the office the thing that made work feel ... almost fun? Who can even remember at this point?

A behavioral scientist who spent the last two years researching and writing a book about connection and trust, told the Boston Globe that he’s betting pretty much everyone eventually will go back to the office. “As distance increases, teams need higher levels of trust to function,” he says. “And trust is traditionally created through little actions that are more fluid in person.”

But perhaps there really is a middle ground here. According to The Atlantic, science points to an ideal number of days to work from home each week. And it’s fewer days than you might think.

They suggest coming in three days a week and staying home just twice a week. And it’s a small ask, if your company isn’t all that eager to keep WFH policies. You’ll still be in the majority of the week, which might help a reluctant boss come around, but you’ll have enough flexibility to make a real difference in your work life.

↦ FYI: In a 2020 survey from Gensler, an architecture and design firm, more than half of respondents said that they’d ideally split their time between home and the office.

Fast Food Fight

McDonald’s workers in over a dozen cities plan to walk off the job on May 19

McDonald's cashiers and cooks in 15 U.S. cities will strike on May 19—a day before the fast-food behemoth's annual shareholder meeting, reports Vice.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski suggested on an April earnings call that the company could increase wages soon, though it's unclear if such an announcement could be made before the planned strike.

McDonald's is just one of many restaurants facing worker shortages. Recently, photos of signs declaring locations closed due to the lack of workforce have been popping up on social media.

Republicans seem to blame enhanced unemployment benefits for the worker drought, while many employees and several Democrats say it exposed “deeper, systemic problems within the industry—notably low wages and poor working conditions.”

↦ Meanwhile: Chipotle is looking to hire 20,000 more employees and will raise the average hourly wage to $15 by the end of June.

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Jeff Bezos Is Getting a New Yacht

And it’s got people talking ...

Jeff Bezos will soon be the owner of a $500 million superyacht he purchased two years ago, and whose construction is nearing completion, reports Bloomberg. The yacht will be longer than a football field, and will also come with its own “support” yacht, complete with helipad.

In other words, this yacht—among the largest ever built in the Netherlands—comes with its own yacht.

On top of the hefty price tag, operating costs for the vessel will average about $60 million a year. To put that into context, for someone who makes $68,700 a year, (the current median household income in the U.S.) that'd be like paying $23 in yearly operating costs. A drop in the bucket for the literal richest man on the planet.

But the news has people talking. Jezebel called it “another extremely compelling reason to tax the rich.” The Cut said the “417-foot-long monstrosity is among the biggest, dumbest things money can buy.” But I'll reserve any judgement until I see it in person. Jeff, send the chopper.

↦ Meanwhile: Tom Brady just bought a 55-foot Wajer Cruiser a few months ago, but has already decided to move up to the Dutch builder's brand-new 77-footer.

Dad Bod Is Back

That means it went away for a while, right?

Hollywood leading men are coming clean about relaxing their fitness routines and strict diets during the pandemic. First Will Smith, then Anthony Anderson. Now Mark Wahlberg admits he's no longer waking up at an ungodly hour each day to work out.

Stars ... they're just like us. Over 61% of Americans say they've gained unwanted weight during the pandemic. And it's resulted in the return of the Dad Bod.

Stress, of course, is mostly to blame (along with gym closures and the common practice of binge-watching shows while self-isolating). An obesity doctor tells InsideHook that with long-term stress comes an increase in inflammation, and a rise in cortisol levels that can have an outsized impact on the midsection, particularly in men.

On the bright side, a softer midsection might not spoil your Hot Vaxx Summer. A survey by the dating platform Dating.com revealed that nearly 75% of respondents are “a fan” of the dad bod.

In Other News

↦ Pfizer COVID-19 Shot Expanded to U.S. Children As Young As 12

↦ The FBI Unearths Its Archival Kurt Cobain File

↦ 2 Baseballs Collided at an MLB Game. How Did That Even Happen?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

These throwback polos

This handsome Marfa mid-century home

A more powerful Bronco

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Case in point: one of their most popular treatments for hair loss is the prescription drug finasteride, which is a daily pill that reduces the hormone in your scalp that causes hair loss. They also offer a topical solution, minoxidil, which has been proven to regrow hair. But if an oral medication feels like an overwhelming way to treat male pattern hair loss, their new spray could be for you.

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Sales We’re Eyeing

Alex Mill chinos,$118 / $82.60

Vans Classic slip-ons,$55 / $38.50

Gitman Vintage camp collar shirt,$198 / $136.50

For the next 24 hours, East Dane is hosting a preview sale, offering some of their best-sellers and popular new summer merchandise on discount, up to 40% off. Take advantage now, because the prices will go back up tomorrow.

↦ Shop the Sale: at East Dane