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In todays job market, many employees are feeling the pressure. Layoffs continue to make headlines, hiring pipelines have slowed, budgets have tightened, and job seekers are facing fierce competition. For those already employed, this environment raises a tricky question: Whats reasonable to ask for at work right nowand what isnt? Theres always the standard wish list: promotions, raises, more flexibility, and better benefits. But in a strained economy, some of these asks may be harder to landand for many employees, even harder to ask for. Zety, a career platform designed to make job searching easier with expert-backed tools and advice, found in its latest Pay on Pause Report three in five workers are willing to forgo or accept smaller raises this year due to fears of layoffs and job instability, and 66% avoided asking for a raise altogether, citing economic pressures and uncertainty. In a job market this unpredictable, where many employees are job hugging out of fearone question remains: should employees hold off on asking, or should conversations still be happening? Theres fear in asking According to career expert Jasmine Escalera, many employees are hesitant to ask for anything right now. The thought process is: I should just be grateful to have a job, or, I dont want to ask for more and rock the boat, especially if AI is coming in, she explains. Maybe even, I don’t want to disrupt what I already have, because I don’t want to then be out in that job market and not even know when’s the next time I’m potentially going to get a position, Escalera says. In todays job market, employees are often hesitant to speak up, hoping staying quiet will help them maintain their positionsespecially since certain requests, like pay raises, are harder to secure. Pay increases and promotions may be harder to secure It is true. Certain requests are more difficult in todays job market, Escalera explains, and pay raises are one of them. If layoffs and budget cuts are happening, one of the first things that are going to go is pay increases, she says. This also includes bonuses, or any other type of financial component. Anything that goes into the budget could potentially go wrong, which is not good for individuals who are in positions where they need to be upskilling. Or they need to be learning more to complement AI, or even potentially just for specific career growth opportunities, she says. Promotions also face limitations. As Escalera explains, Promotions typically come with raises and professional development [or] upskilling opportunitiesthose are going to be things that potentially go away. Still, it doesn’t mean employees should shy away from asking, or from putting their requests on their managers radar. Open the conversation A company may not be able to provide pay raises or promotions during a downturn, but that doesnt mean the conversation cant happen. Even if your company comes out and says, we don’t have the financial capacity to give pay raises right now, or we don’t have the financial capacity to give bonuses right nowthat does not mean you do not have the conversation, Escalera says. The key is approaching the discussion thoughtfully, focusing on your contributions and the value you bring. You might say, I understand that the organization is in financial hardship, or may not be giving bonuses or pay raises at this moment, but I really want to open up the conversation around my work Escalera suggests. Carolyn Troyan, CEO of Leadership360, an HR consulting and leadership coaching firm, agrees its important to be thoughtful with your approach. It’s doing it in an emotionally intelligent way, she says. After half your team has been laid off, demanding a raise is probably not such a good idea. But after the dust has settled and the company is back on steady footing, its reasonable to bring it upor even during your next performance review, if the timing feels right. When having that conversation, acknowledge the environment and what the team has been throughbut dont let that stop you from discussing your growth with your manager. Just because a company is struggling doesn’t mean you don’t have a career plan, Troyan says. To your manager, you might say, Here’s what I want to do over the next two to three years, I’d love to kind of talk about that with you. What opportunities do you see available, even in this environment, for me to learn some of these new skills? Commonly, youre going to hear one of two responses, Troyan explains: We really love you, but we can’t do it right now, which comes up a lot. Or, you may receive feedback highlighting what you need to work on to reach a promotion or raise in the future. Either way, youre still having the conversation. Support and flexibility Even if a company cant provide a promotion or raise due to financial hardship, there are other things to ask for. One of the biggest asks right now is supportsupport that isnt monetary, Escalera says, pointing to the same report: Mental health support tops the list. What that really shows is that individuals are incredibly burnt out and stressed out, she said. As a result, were seeing more requests for mental health days and other forms of support. If a company isnt meeting requests for pay, flexibility, or other forms of support, it may be a signal for employees to reassess their options. Even in uncertain times, understanding your value, approaching conversations thoughtfully, and asking for the support you need are all things you dont have to shy away from.
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration is planning to buy a direct stake in yet another chip technology company. Earlier this week, the Commerce Department announced that it had signed a letter of intent to buy up to $150 million of xLight, a startup that focuses on lithography, a critical part of the semiconductor-manufacturing process. The move shows that the governments nearly $9 billion dollar investment in Intel — for 10 percent stake in the company structured as a silent partnership — wasnt a one-off, and that officials are moving forward with plans to buy equity in technology companies it deems critical. As part of the latest deal, the startup will receive tens of millions in exchange for developing a prototype that would use free-laser electron technology to manufacture chips. The approach, if successful, would be a big deal, since it could provide an alternative to lithography equipment made by the Dutch company ASML, which is practically the only choice for chipmakers. For the US government, the hope is that the xLights technology could help produce extremely tiny — and highly sought after — transistors. “The right shareholder?” Under the Trump administration, the government has rapidly increased its ownership shares in private companies — a controversial strategy. A good number of conservative economists believe the government shouldnt be getting so involved in the private sector. Theres also concern that current investments dont reflect a consistent strategy, and could veer into favoritism for political friends. The Trump administration may also be risking taxpayer money as well, since theres no guarantee industrial policy investments will actually pan out. Is the government really going to be the right shareholder to help these companies succeed? Is the government going to start showing favoritism to these companies over companies that it doesnt own? Peter Harrell, from the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, recently told PBS. What are the kind of political requirements that are going to be put on companies that the government is taking an ownership in? In addition to xLight and Intel, new federal government investments now include millions in equity in mineral and steel firms, according to the New York Times. There were reports earlier this year that the Trump administration might even take a direct stake in quantum computing companies, though, when Fast Company asked, a senior official denied them. Further CHIPS entanglements Its true that Intel was unlikely to return to its former status as a leader in chips manufacturing based on the billions it would have received under the Biden administration alone, said one former employee at the Commerce Department-based CHIPS office, which was created under the CHIPS Act and helped oversee massive new subsidies for semiconductor companies. Still, the Trump administration buying direct equity in the company doesnt really achieve that goal, the person said. There might be a world in which the governments equity in xLight and Intel work in tandem, the person added. But do we really want the government telling Intel to use the startup the government invested in? (Notably, Pet Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel, leads xLights board.) Regardless, xLight may not be the last of the Trump administrations investments in chip companies. This past September, the Chips Research and Development office, housed within the Commerce Department, released a broad agency announcement sharing that entities could apply for awards meant to boost the countrys microtechnology industry. That announcement stipulated that awardees might need to give the government equity, warrants, licenses to intellectual property, royalties or revenue sharing, or other such instruments to ensure a return on investment to the Government.
Category:
E-Commerce
Apple just lost a top design talent. Meta has hired Alan Dye, who was the head of Apple’s human interface design team. The company is filling his position with Stephen Lemay, who CEO Tim Cook told Bloomberg “has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999.” Before being poached by Meta to become its chief design officer, Dye worked at Apple since 2006, where he oversaw projects including Liquid Glass and Vision Pro. By the end of his tenure, Dye reported directly to Cook. His departure is the latest in a game of musical chairs for top design roles at Apple. Apple’s former longtime chief design officer Jony Ive left the company in 2019, and his replacement, Evans Hankey, left in 2022 and wasn’t replaced. On the org chart, the remaining members of Apple’s industrial design team reported to COO Jeff Williams. Bloomberg reports that Dye will be creating a new design studio at Meta, where he’ll oversee the design for hardware, software, and AI integration for its interfaces. For Meta, Dye’s hiring is proof the company is serious about designing hardware that can compete in the ongoing race to build the first great AI gadget. It will put him in direct competition with his former colleague Ive, whose company io was bought by OpenAI in May for $6.4 billion with the goal of building the next great user interface.
Category:
E-Commerce
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