#1. How to get employees to take a break? Give them a bonus

Some companies are using drastic measures to encourage employees to take their holiday time that accrued during the pandemic, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. One of those measures? Additional vacation time and bonuses for those who do take time off. Accounting and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is offering U.S. staffers $250 for every full week of vacation they book this year, with a cap at $1,000. It’s a pricey move, but the company says it has tried other options to no avail. “We want to show people we’re serious,” Mr. Ryan says. “Economic incentives do have a way of helping.”

Other companies, like Google, are trying other methods. The tech giant is offering their workers an extra day of vacation if they book time off right now. Citigroup, on the other hand, is adding a new all-company holiday. Read more here.

#2. Will Brexit bring a talent exodus? Examining the situation, three months in

For many companies, bringing in staff and employees from other countries to help their businesses has become much more complex since Brexit came into effect. Employers who relied on the recruitment of staff within the European Union are suddenly facing an enormous set of hurdles, though it’s still in the early days, according to a report in People Management. Companies that look to hire lower-skilled workers at lower salaries, like farmers, could face serious challenges in filling their roles as the months go on. Even as recruitment grows and flexible patterns emerge, challenges are likely to persist.

To combat some immigration hurdles, some businesses including the translation company Wolfestone, have taken advantage of remote work to overcome the points-based immigration system. Others that have always helped sponsor employees from non-EU countries might not see many dramatic shifts in their ways of working. Read more here.

#3. How to set goals and grow your career amid uncertain times

The pandemic has derailed many employees’ traditional work life and sparked concern about a lot of people’s future careers and goals. Confidence in pay raises and promotions may be lower, as well. But even in turbulent and uncertain times, experts say now is the time to set career goals that may have been put on hold. Some suggestions? Reassessing priorities, starting small, being proactive about upskilling, and looking and at bigger picture. Read more here.

#4. Facebook’s ad algorithms are still excluding women from some jobs

Facebook came under fire last week after the latest audit of its ad service revealed that the tech giant is withholding certain job ads from women because of their gender. The audit, conducted by the University of Southern California and reported in MIT Technology Review, revealed that Facebook shows different job ads to women and men – even though the job has the same qualifications in place. Under U.S. law, this would constitute sex-based discrimination. Read more here.

#5. Companies are selling their real estate at the fastest pace ever

Companies across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are selling their real estate and office spaces at record rates, according to a report in Bloomberg. In 2020 alone, EMEA firms sold $32 billion in properties. Over a third of corporate sales last year were office properties, a 10% jump from the previous year. Companies are selling property to “preserve capital and release liquidity, as well as to reshape their portfolios to support post-pandemic business plans,” said Nick Compton, head of corporate capital markets for EMEA at JLL.