Good morning to the chronically employed, the chronically applying, and everyone trying to make work suck less.

👏 One good thing. A UK survey shows that, on average, we're only productive for 2 hours 53 minutes out of an 8 hour work day at the office. Use that as your benchmark. 3 hours of productivity? You're doing better than half of the population. Leave it there. Don't kill yourself trying to do the most in a place we know isn't built for it.

📮State of the business. This week, the format is going to be a little different because Deloitte just introduced a new sub-class of worker: the support team. And I'm fuming about it.

🔙 But let's back up a bit. Organizations have been cutting costs in their biggest expense line (human capital) since time immortal. We've seen it in laying off senior and tenured employees and replacing them with junior talent, offshoring labor to cheaper markets, replacing staff with contractors to avoid paying benefits. Unpaid interns. AI.

🐤 Now, Deloitte's workforce re-categorization is the canary in the coal mine. They're reducing or eliminating benefits for certain US workers - the "central" support functions. Admin, Support, IT, Finance. Deloitte says they're doing this to "better align with the marketplace" and to "provide a more tailored experience reflective of our professionals' broad range of skills and the work they do serving our clients." Coughbullshitcough. Way to say you don't value the people who keep things running back of house.

💴 Benefits are a part of your total compensation. Used to be, a company offered all staff the same benefits package. Deloitte is changing that narrative (into a freaking nightmare). Reducing parental leave from 16 weeks to 8 weeks. Limiting PTO by up to 10 days. Less retirement contributions. 8 weeks... I couldn't walk fully upright 8 weeks after my first C-section.

👉🏽 What's happening here:

1. Deloitte is just the first - expect similar moves from the rest of the Big Four and likely tech as they try to free up cash flow to invest in AI infrastructure.
2. These changes are going to have the gravest impact on women who make up the majority of support functions. Whether it's the goal or an unintended impact, we're pushing more women out of the workforce. (I'm way too cynical to think this isn't intentional)
3. If your role has typically fallen within a "cost center" you know you're first on the chopping block when things get tight. Now, keep an eye on your compensation package shrinking and plan accordingly.

💬 Coffee break gossip. Forbes 30 under 30 strikes again. This time it's two 21 year-old Delve founders (babies, really) who conned over 400 AI startups (and $32M out of investors) into thinking they could certify their AI tool was "safe." Really, they were just copy/pastaing the reports and changing the names. At this point, the FBI should just investigate all Forbes honorees as a matter of business.

Until next Saturday, you got this.
Cassandra

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