Diversity and inclusion are at the top of the agenda for countries and companies.
Argentina passes legislation ensuring job quotas for transgender people, and the European Space Agency sets its sights on the first para-astronaut. Meanwhile, burnout and psychological distress are becoming more evident, with LinkedIn and Bumble giving employees time off, and Australia noting a concerning effect on unemployed youth.
Companies call a timeout as burnout becomes evident
Dating app Bumble shut down its offices around the world for a week “as a way to thank our team for their hard work and resilience”.
Its staff of 700 worldwide were granted the week of 21 June off, according to a company spokesperson, who responded to a request for comment from CNN Business. The initiative also extends to Badoo, an international dating app owned by Bumble.
In April, LinkedIn also gave its entire workforce of nearly 16,000 people a week off, citing employee surveys that showed “clear burnout”.
Argentina approves jobs quota for transgender people
A law reserving one percent of Argentina's public sector jobs for transgender people will transform everyday life for the country’s trans community, LGBT+ activists have said, following final approval for the measure.
Senators in the South American country, which already has some of the world's most progressive trans rights legislation, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the law late on Thursday, Reuters reported.
In addition to the jobs quota, the legislation offers tax incentives and soft loans for private businesses that hire trans people in Latin America’s third-biggest economy.
Pandemic job loss takes toll on young Australians
More than one-third Australians who lost their jobs during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic were younger than 25, a government study has found.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) revealed in a report that 38 percent of the 592,000 Australians who lost employment in April 2020 amid a nationwide lockdown were aged 15-24 and that the proportion of people aged 18-24 experiencing severe psychological distress increased from 14 percent in 2017 to 22 percent, reports Xinhua news agency.
Creating an inclusive space
The European Space Agency hopes to hire and launch the world's first physically disabled astronaut and several hundred would-be para-astronauts have already applied for the role, ESA head Josef Aschbacher has told Reuters.
"We would like to launch an astronaut with a disability, which would be the first time ever," he said. "But I’m also happy for ESA, because it shows that space is for everyone, and that's something I’d like to convey.”
The 22-member space programme has just closed its latest recruitment call for astronauts and received 22,000 applicants.
