Mandatory self-defense training, an industrywide "no-fly list" for disruptive passengers, and the end of to-go cups for alcohol are the changes airline crews want so they can stop being afraid to go to work.
Why it matters: Flying has become so dangerous for crew members, due to attacks by violent passengers, that airline unions are asking for government help in bringing civility back to the skies.
In the 22 months since U.S. companies sent their workers home, they've collected droves of poll data, paid workplace consultants billions of dollars, and drafted plan after plan — but they still don't know much more about post-pandemic work than they did in March 2020.
Driving the news: The latest factor to foil every return-to-work plan is the arrival of the Omicron COVID variant.
It looked like corporate Christmas parties would get the green light this year after virtual soirees in 2020 — but along came Omicron.
Driving the news: Companies of every size and across the world are rethinking their holiday bashes as the Omicron winter wave rolls in. And a popular new option is putting the ball in workers' courts by planning hybrid parties.
Why it matters: The administration paused enforcement of the mandate, which requires companies to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated or tested weekly by Jan. 4, 2022, after a separate federal circuit court last month deemed it "staggeringly overbroad."
Superyacht builders are entering the new year with more boats on order than ever before.
Driving the news: The mega-rich (whose wealth ballooned during the pandemic) sought out giant yachts at record rates for a private refuge from the virus — and there are fresh signs it isn't letting up, per Boat International's annual report out this week.
