Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down as chief operating officer from Facebook parent company Meta, Hope writes.

Why it matters: Right hand to CEO Mark Zuckerberg for the past 14 years, Sandberg has been instrumental in the growth of not only the company as its COO but also of Zuckerberg himself, who was just 23 when Sandberg joined.

Catch up quick: In a Facebook post today, Sandberg wrote, "Sitting by Mark’s side ... has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime."

• Zuckerberg separately posted: "It's unusual for a business partnership like ours to last so long. I think ours did because Sheryl is such an amazing person, leader, partner, and friend."

The big picture, via Axios' Sara Fischer: Sandberg's impact on Silicon Valley extends beyond her work with Meta.

• Most notably, she has in the past decade positioned herself as a champion for women in the workforce, including writing and launching "Lean In" as a movement.

What to watch: Sources tell Sara that the decision was Sandberg's.

• Sandberg will remain on the company's board of directors, and Zuckerberg said in his post he doesn't plan to replace her role in Meta's "existing structure."

💬 Hope's thought bubble: I covered Facebook daily for seven years. Sandberg was just as synonymous with the company as Zuckerberg. This marks the end of an era — and fittingly so — as it moves away from its original business and into the metaverse with its new name.

Office time is paramount for Elon Musk, who has reportedly issued a return-to-work ultimatum for Tesla staffers, Hope writes.

Why it matters: Workers and employers (and politicians) are split about the future of remote work. Musk’s hard line amplifies the threat level for workers — staying employed.

• Catch up quick: “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla," Musk wrote in a series of memos yesterday to Tesla employees, according to Electrek and Bloomberg.

State of play: Workers 25 and older with an advanced degree (higher than a bachelor’s) are among the most likely to work remotely, U.S. government data shows.

• But fewer in that group have been doing so since April (17.7%) compared to last fall (25.6%).
• The least likely — workers 25 and older with less than a high school diploma.

What we're watching: The May jobs report comes out Friday.

Go deeper.

👨‍💻 U.S. job openings are near record highs. (Axios)

🌀 JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon upgraded his economic forecast from storm clouds to "a hurricane." (Axios)

Two tech giants, a supermarket chain, an apparel company and a consultancy top Glassdoor's list of the highest-rated companies by workplace experience for LGBTQ+ employees, Nathan writes.

Why it matters: Pride Month begins today, casting a spotlight on the LGTBQ+ community.

State of play: Employers, as a whole, have work to do.

• LGBTQ+ employee ratings for their workplace experience were 6% lower than non-LGBTQ+ employees, an average of 3.62 out of 5.
• And LGBTQ+ employees were 128% "more likely to mention discrimination-related keywords" in their reviews.

Glassdoor's analysis was based on more than 209,000 worker reviews of employers, including some 27,000 from LGBTQ+ employees.

Here are the top 5...

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. H-E-B
4. Lululemon
5. Deloitte

Now this is BOOM-worthy, Nathan writes.

What's happening: The late John Madden — the former NFL coach and broadcaster who died in December — will grace the cover of the latest version of the video game that bears his name.

• Madden NFL 23 will be the first version of the game in more than two decades to feature the football legend, game maker EA said in a statement.

By the numbers: The game has generated more than $7 billion in revenue since its debut in 1988, the NYT reported in December.

"[A]ll the well-meaning people telling you to follow your dreams leave out something important. They never tell you how.”