The Daily Valet. - 8/4/22, Thursday

✔️ The New Way of Working

Thursday, August 4th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

If you could work from anywhere, where would it be? Me? I’d like to go to Japan.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

The New Way of Working

People are happier working remote (and less days), but there are a few downsides to consider

With the pandemic and the “Great Resignation” making it harder for companies to attract and retain talent, more and more businesses are open to change—be it flexible schedules or remote work. Which means workers are calling the shots more and designing something that looks like the ever-elusive “work-life balance.”

For the past eight weeks, thousands of people in the United Kingdom have tested a four-day schedule that analysts say could help usher in a new era of work. According to CNN, it’s the world’s biggest trial of a four-day work week so far. And while some workers admitted that it was a tricky adjustment, most say they feel happier, healthier and are now doing better in their jobs.

The six-month trial, coordinated by the non-profit 4 Day Week Global and the Autonomy think tank has 3,300 workers across 70 companies working 80% of their normal schedule while promising to maintain 100% of their previous output. When the trial ends in November, companies will decide whether they want to continue or go back to a traditional workweek.

The New York Times spoke with an anthropologist who studies Gen Z, who said that younger people view the workplace fundamentally differently. They’ve never known an unconnected world so they don’t see their job as a 9-to-5 thing. But through the pandemic, they made it clear to companies that they wanted a healthy work-life balance. So when workplaces started allowing employees to work from anywhere, many used it as an opportunity to travel.

With so many workers freed from the shackles of the office, it’s no wonder interest in so-called digital nomad visas has spiked recently. These visas allow remote workers to legally live and work in a given country for periods ranging from one month to four years. According to trend tracking site Exploding Topics, searches for the term are up a whopping 1,900%.

In fact, so many people are trying it that some destinations are suffering from the same downsides of gentrification. Mexico City, for example, has become a remote work playground for expats. But rising housing prices and inflation have made it more unaffordable for locals. And it’s not just abroad. Vox reports that remote workers are altering the urban geography of the United States, too. Many are relocating from dense hubs like San Francisco and New York to more spacious cities like Austin, Miami or Honolulu.

↦ Going Remote: Inc. has a list of the 46 countries currently offering digital nomad visas.

Senate Votes to Add Sweden and Finland to NATO

It will be one of the most significant expansions of the military alliance in decades

The Senate voted 95 to 1 Wednesday to ratify the applications of Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance, clearing the two-thirds threshold needed for approval. It paves the way for one of the most significant expansions of the alliance in decades.

All 30 NATO members must approve the applications of the two Nordic states, which had both been neutral for decades but sought out the NATO security umbrella after Russia invaded Ukraine.

President Biden, who according to the Associated Press, has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two nations. They'd been on course to accede to NATO in record time until Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his intention to use his veto. He has since lifted that threat while insisting he could still freeze the process if his security demands aren't met.

Still, the approval of the United States is a crucial step, and now quick approvals are expected to continue across the rest of the alliance.

Bourbon to the Rescue

Rare bottles will be auctioned to help those affected by the Kentucky floods

Parts of eastern Kentucky remain impassable nearly a week after catastrophic flooding. Some residents can't or refuse to leave. Now a heat wave is further complicating relief efforts. But one of the state's biggest industries—bourbon—is stepping up to help.

Wild Turkey announced that they're donating $50,000 to the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund, as well as some rare Wild Turkey bourbon-related items and experiences to the Kentucky Distillers Association's relief auction—with proceeds going directly to affected communities.

According to InsideHook, the online auction will kick off today and run through the 21st. Items will include “rare bottles signed by [Wild Turkey] master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell and a private barrel experience with Eddie.”

This benefit is a follow-up to a December 2021 auction related to deadly tornadoes on the other side of the state. At that online event, the Kentucky Distillers' Association, the Bourbon Crusaders and whiskey expert Fred Minnick raised $3.4 million for relief efforts.

↦ Bid: The auction site will go live today.

Podcast Payola?

Your favorite podcasters might be making thousands for inviting guests

A new gift seems to have just dropped. People are actually paying their way onto the top podcasts now, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

They found that some thirsty guests are paying upwards of $50,000 to be interviewed on a show. The practice appears to be popular among business, cryptocurrency and wellness genres—three circles that are notorious for scams, overpromising and needing to be seen as the “top” person to follow. In that way, it's easy to see why it might be seen as a worthy investment to buy your way onto a podcast to be introduced as someone the audience needs to know.

Of course, there are some valid ethical and legal concerns surrounding the practice. This could be considered a modern take on payola, or the pay-for-play schemes used to boost songs on the radio. Engadget asks, is a guest appearing because they're relevant, or just because they're willing to pay?

Not surprisingly, critics say listeners deserve to know about it. No one appreciates being misled. But podcasters—similarly to the influencer industry on social media—is taking advantage of a gap in oversight. For now. A Federal Trade Commission spokesperson said that there's deception whenever consumers are mislead about the nature of advertising and promotional messages, regardless of the media format. The regulator didn't say if it would crack down on podcasters who improperly disclose paying guests, but the message could serve as a warning to show hosts.

↦ FYI: Ready to launch your own podcast? Here’s all the equipment and what you need to know to get started.

In Other News

↦ White House Scrambles to Play Catch-Up on Monkeypox Response

↦ How to Change the Side Panels in Gmail’s New View

↦ Kia Goes After a New Crowd With the Upscale 2022 EV6

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

This tool box

Freddo espresso

Drake going GORP

Get Rid of Sweat Stains

Summertime means sweat. But it doesn’t have to ruin your clothes.

During the dog days of summer, a little sweat is cool. Literally. Sweating is the body's way to regulate heat—dispersing perspiration from millions of sweat glands.

It's effective, sure, but that doesn't mean this glaze of natural coolant doesn't mess up some perfectly good clothes from time to time. Depending on the amount you perspire, you could be dealing with some salty stains. Not to mention, some seemingly baked-in odors.

But fear not, these items aren't ruined. They just need to be cleaned properly. For our Summer Survival Guide, we've pulled together some expert-recommended tips on how to get sweat stains out of everything from your shirts and collars to your white tees and hats.

↦ Read: How to get rid of the worst sweat stains.

What We’re Buying

Wear this as an overshirt for now or save it for fall and put it underneath a denim jacket.

↦ Get It: $105 / $53 by Carhartt WIP

Partner

Scientifically-Proven Better Sleep

After all, it's not just about how much you get, but the quality of your shut-eye. But while many supplements claim to improve sleep quality, few are ever clinically tested for efficacy. ASYSTEM doesn't just promise results, they prove it. The company recently invested in a Citrus Labs-led clinical trial and the results speak for themselves: When tested, 82% of study participants saw an improvement in sleep, 79% fell asleep faster and 82% were able to get more restful sleep after only 30 days. As a bonus, they come in low-impact, compostable packaging and a silver tin which looks as good as the gummies taste.