Better Life Lab

The coronavirus pandemic is completely disrupting the way we work, and the way we live, care and relate to one another. So much is changing, and so fast, it’s hard to keep up with it all, That’s why the Better Life Lab is offering  Crisis Conversations - Live from Better Life Lab. With host Brigid Schulte working from home — recording into the cheap mic built into the cord of her earbuds — we're recording live Zoom sessions on Fridays. We want these sessions to be an intimate, interactive space for people to take a breath, and share stories. We'll reflect and gain some perspective and context, and think about what these changes could mean for the future of work, gender equity, health and social policy. Our lead guest for this episode is Eve Rodsky, author of the New York Times bestselling Fair Play. Eve works with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, discussing how coronavirus may be upending the unfair division of labor at home. Could the social distancing required to slow the pandemic expose the double burden women have been shouldering for decades, and trigger a reset in gender norms around work and care? We'll also hear a personal story from Stephen Dypiangco, co-founder of Dadventures. And we'll hear stories and Q&A from attendees on the recorded call. If you'd like to attend our next live-recorded Zoom event — on Friday, April 10, about how the coronavirus pandemic has shut down businesses and left millions of people without work — please follow this link: https://newamerica.zoom.us/webinar/register/5115861816279/WN_1d_UUTRmTmer_iUhY_DL9g More at: https://www.newamerica.org/events/

The coronavirus pandemic is completely disrupting the way we work, and the way we live, care and relate to one another. The novel virus that threatens public health and is sending stress and anxiety levels soaring is also reshaping public policies for families and workers for the first time in decades. So much is changing, and so fast, that it’s hard to keep up with it all, much less figure out what it means, and where it might lead us once we emerge out of the crisis, whenever that will be. That’s why the Better Life Lab is launching Crisis Conversations - Live from Better Life Lab. With host Brigid Schulte working from home — recording into the cheap mic built into the cord of her earbuds — we're recording live Zoom sessions on Fridays to create an intimate and interactive space for people to take a breath, and share stories. We'll reflect and gain some perspective and context, and think about what these changes could mean for the future of work, gender equity, health and social policy. Our lead guest for this episode is- Vicki Shabo, Senior fellow for paid leave policy and strategy with New America and a leading national expert on family-supportive policy. She'll be talking about how COVID-19 may be reshaping family-supportive public policy forever. And we'll hear stories and Q&A from attendees on the recorded call — please sign up here if you'd like to be invited to a future live-recorded Zoom call — usually on Fridays. To join the April 3 live session, follow this link: https://newamerica.zoom.us/webinar/register/2515855769504/WN_yLtx0YfHSFuuUguqaWqpdQ Hosted by Brigid Schulte, produced by David Schulman, with help from the New America Communications and Better Life Lab teams.

In Japan, workers are so used to working punishingly long hours that dying from overwork is a common phenomenon: so common, in fact, that victim families can and do routinely apply for worker compensation benefits. We hear the stories of Japanese workers caught up in a system of overwork, young activists trying to change things on the ground, and a professor trying to make sense of it all. Is it just a Japanese phenomenon? What can Americans learn from a culture of overwork? This episode is brought to you by Constant Contact. For a free trial, sign up today at constantcontact.com/lifelab. 

Research shows that egalitarian couples who fairly share work and home responsibilities are happier, healthier and have better sex. But are egalitarian partnerships really possible, especially when U.S. work cultures demand all-out devotion and women still carry the load as primary caregivers and household managers? We hear stories from  workers striving for that egalitarian ideal: An Ethiopian immigrant nurse and Uber driver,  A military “trailing spouse” with big dreams. And Amy Nelson, founder and CEO of The Riveter. To make sense of why egalitarian relationships can be hard no matter your circumstances, we hear from Jennifer Petriglieri, professor of organizational behavior and author of the forthcoming book, Couples that Work.

While an unpredictable schedule has always been a part of a restaurant worker’s experience, the advent of scheduling technology and the pressure to keep labor costs low has turned the schedules - and lives - of restaurant and retail workers upside down. We hear stories of waitstaff and big box retail workers from around the country. Joan Williams, Director of the Center for WorkLife Law at UC Hastings, shares research on how predictable schedules not only make life better and healthier for workers, but actually makes businesses more profitable.