How to fire a client

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

It’s not me, it’s you. Not paying invoices, demanding work beyond the scope of the project, and missing appointments are among the most egregious offences of problem clients. Here’s how you know when you need to move on. (Fast Company)
 
What makes your organization unique? Probably not much. While job seekers try to find an employer with an attractive “culture,” and hiring managers look for employees who “align with company values”, a classic 30-year-old Stanford study found that people think their work cultures are more distinctive than they really are. Participants in the study tended to tell the same types of narratives to describe their company, including: Is the Big Boss Human? and Can the Little Person Rise to the Top? (The New York Times) 
 
What do women want? In workwear, it’s a tough question. In 2014, Banana Republic hired star designer Marissa Webb, formerly J. Crew’s head of womens wear, to inject some panache into the dull staples of sheath dresses, suits and collared shirts. It did not go well. (Bloomberg)

Robots are an advancing labour force, taking over jobs in places from ATMs to driverless cars. Over the past few decades, there has been a fortunate trade-off: when the machines take over in one sector, increased productivity and profits often create demand elsewhere in the economy. For example, with the advent of ATMs, banks reinvented their business model and ended up employing more people selling financial products. But here, work futurist Tim Dunlop explains how this flow might be coming to an end, for two big reasons: machines are getting smarter; and wealth is now being created not by making and selling physical things, but in areas of knowledge and information, which do not need as many workers as traditional employers. (The Guardian)
 
Looking for a job? You’re not alone. According to a new survey from human resources firm ADP Canada, two-thirds of working Canadians are prepared to leave their current employer. The survey breaks down the flight risk into the following categories of employees: 33 per cent are the Uninspired, those who feel no loyalty; 16 per cent are the Casual Daters, casually looking for the next thing; and 16 per cent are the Dissed, those who are dissatisfied, disengaged or disaffected. (ADP Canada)