Would you boomerang back to an old workplace?

A weekly roundup of news and views on office culture, workplace trends, the daily grind and more

LeBron James is a famous “boomerang” employee, leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010 and then returning to a hometown embrace in 2014. But most of us are not as dominant in our industries as the four-time NBA MVP award-winner. According to a new survey by Monster Canada, half of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 say they are likely to return to a previous employer, so always be careful how you leave a job. (BNN)

Well, son, when I was your age… Friends and family are usually the first to offer career advice, and you should probably ignore it, according to career coach Alison Cardy. Here are two reasons why: they tend to project their own experiences, and they tend to favour “safe” career paths. (Fast Company)

Vacation shaming: it’s the latest workplace behaviour attributed to millennials. According to a recent study by market research company GfK, millennials have a tendancy to be workplace martyrs, valuing hours spent working and an appearance of dedication over output. However, be wary of stereotypes. Part of the problem in pigeon-holing the millennial cohort is the lack of longitudinal studies. (Inc.com)

Shanghai’s startup culture is so workaholic that one firm offers a free “night snack” delivery at 10 p.m. and a small loft with beds for snoozing. Long work hours are customary in China, inspiring a Shanghai choir this summer to record a song coining the term “overtime dogs.” But do all those hours pay off in productivity? (BBC)

Companies can benefit from offering employees flexible work hours—studies have shown payoffs including increased productivity and decreases in office overhead costs. But while the possibility of working in pajamas is an obvious lure of the home office, the old-fashioned face-to-face conversation can be extremely rewarding. Here, writer Meredith Bennett-Smith makes the case for office culture. (Quartz)