The big story about the United States’ workforce this year was the rise of remote working. Tens of millions of American employees defied skeptics and showed the world that, yes, they could be productive and be at home.

Underneath the surface, there’s an even more important employment story that emerged this year: the rise of the independent contractor. This includes a whole new group of mostly white-collar employees who went from full-time salaried positions to being fully employed independent contractors.

Full article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/12/29/the-way-we-define-independent-contractor-is-broken-heres-how-to-fix-it/?sh=26a0a3195de6

It’s been a long year for everyone — including everyone impatient for Wonder Woman 1984 to come out. It was set to be out last Christmas, but got moved to being a summer 2020 release. Well, that didn’t happen (’cause, you know, pandemic), and it’s been moved several more times since before finally hitting HBO Max on Christmas.

Los Angeles actor Spencer Trinwith was excited about having a small part in the film, but has had to wait as the clock kept on ticking and the movie ultimately got a direct-to-streaming release (while also playing in theaters, where they’re open, at the same time).

“I’m sure that there’s a lot of things that I don’t know, in those boardroom meetings,” Trinwith said. “It was unfortunate that this pandemic hit when it did, but I think it’s the right thing to hold off until there’s proper [movie theater] protocols, and they feel financially like they can make those accommodations too.”

Full article here: https://laist.com/2020/12/25/wonder-woman-1984-spencer-trinwith-hbo-max.php

Among the challenges organizations and professionals faced in 2020, none were more momentous than those having to do with the way we work. Professionals around the world quickly learned how to shift to video-conferencing platforms, juggle parenting with work meetings (often in the same room), and accept that business travel was nonessential—all while maintaining a high level productivity.

So what’s in store for 2021? And how will it impact your career?

Below, based on my 25 years as a staffing industry executive as well as research gathered over the last few months from the 325 global offices that comprise the MRINetwork, I’ve identified what will likely be the top workplace trends in 2021 (purposely excluding “remote work” because I don’t think anyone needs a reminder that remote work will continue into the New Year).

Full article here: https://www.vault.com/blogs/workplace-issues/5-workplace-trends-in-2021-to-start-planning-for-now