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Flex

Reinventing Work for a Smarter, Happier Life

Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

Seasoned trends forecaster and consultant Annie Auerbach takes a fresh look at women's professional lives today by rethinking the 9 to 5 in this "no-nonsense guide to thinking and behaving more flexibly in order to have a happier, better, less frenetic life" (Marie Claire)—now widely available for American readers and updated with an author note addressing work in the post-Covid age.
The recent coronavirus outbreak has proven what Annie Auerbach has long championed: working 9-5 in an office doesn't work for most us.

It's time to change the rules.

We can be efficient and productive when we're allowed the freedom of flexibility—to meet deadlines working during the hours and in the places we choose. But before the coronavirus pandemic, only 47 percent of American workers had access to flexible working options. Annie Auerbach advises major corporations, including Nike, Google, Unilever, and Pepsico. She understands work culture and the needs of employees. The world is changing for working women, but until the recent pandemic, companies turned a blind eye. Now, it's time to make this change routine.

Auerbach reiterates the importance of leaving the office cubicle behind and explores the realities many women experience working from home and the changes to their daily lives, including the trickle-down effects, from emotional labor to balancing childcare and education with work, to even biohacking the female body's unique rhythms.

What happens when women embrace the concept of flex? We become more creative, more strategic with our time and energy, and more engaged with our personal lives. As Auerbach makes clear, we reject "our toxic culture of presenteeism, time-pressure, and ultimately burnout. It helps us escape the army of octopus lady jugglers, crazed with the exhaustion of "having it all." It allows us to live longer lives more sustainably. It gives us self-worth."

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      December 14, 2020
      Auerbach, the founder of a consultancy that “helps brands understand how society is changing,” suggests nine-to-five should be a thing of the past in this thin “manifesto for living and working on your terms.” The Covid-19 pandemic, Auerbach writes, forced companies to allow employees the flexibility to work from home and focus on their well-being—concerns Auerbach argues should have considered all along. Working and living flexibly, Auerbach writes, challenges “social norms like women bearing the brunt of the emotional load at home,” and allows employees to be happier and more creative. She offers tips to prevent work from carrying over into one’s home life, such as setting up “a clear out-of-office email with the times you will answer emails and the times you are out of contact,” and not checking emails within an hour of waking up. Unfortunately, she offers relatively few stories of companies who have made workplace flexibility central to their mission; instead, the book is heavy on large-type inspirational quotes and heavy design elements. Auerbach’s encouraging direction on “how to be human in a tech-driven world” will find willing ears among a workforce that’s reexamining how work and other responsibilities coexist. Still, those looking for a deep dive into a changing work culture will be left wanting more.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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