Bonobos founder shares experience with bipolar disorder | Temporary holiday hiring plans at FedEx, UPS and USPS | Human connection remains vital in the workplace
After a manic episode related to his bipolar disorder landed Bonobos founder Andy Dunn in the hospital in 2016 for a second time, he sought help and now advocates for honest and open conversations around mental health for founders and their employees. Dunn, who is raising funds for his new in-person social media platform, Pie, after his $310 million exit from Bonobos, says founders must be clear about the workload of a startup with new employees offering them equity and a chance to grow their skills as a tradeoff for long hours. Full Story: TechCrunch (tiered subscription model) (11/2)
Temporary holiday hiring plans at FedEx, UPS and USPS UPS plans to hire more than 125,000 seasonal workers to help with demand on its system from the Friday after Thanksgiving through mid-January, while the US Postal service says it will take on around 7,500 temporary employees. FedEx has seasonal openings on its website, but has not published specific numbers of holiday vacancies. Full Story: USA Today (11/3)
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Texas Christian University's innovative snow room at the Simpson Family Restoration and Wellness Center is designed to aid athlete recovery through cold therapy, a method that reduces inflammation and enhances mental well-being. Dr. Jason Mogonye and Kristina White discuss the rewards of cold therapy, such as improved sleep and mood, which are crucial for athlete performance. Full Story: Texas Christian University (10/31)
Benefits & Compensation
Contribution limits for IRAs, 401(k)s set for 2025 The annual employee deferral limit for 401(k)s and other workplace plans is rising to $23,500 next year, $500 higher than in 2024, the IRS has announced. Catch-up contributions for those 50 and older will remain at $7,500, but those aged 60 to 63 will be eligible for a higher limit of $11,250. Meanwhile, the IRA contribution limit will stay at $7,000. Full Story: USA Today (11/3)
If you're feeling creatively blocked, Jotform founder Aytekin Tank recommends visiting with your teams, bouncing your ideas off of them and listening closely to their suggestions. Tank suggests volunteering as a notetaker in meetings to focus on listening, scheduling one-on-one meetings to encourage input from introverted employees and creating recap documents to reflect on ideas and manage time effectively. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (11/1)
Computer historians consider Nov. 2, 1988, as the official date the Morris computer virus was unleashed, infecting 10% of internet users back then. How many computers would have been online then?
My nephew Vincent had been after me for more than a year to do a cold plunge. For those of you unfamiliar with cold plunging, it’s basically sitting in an ice bath for anywhere from 30 seconds to up to 10 minutes. Vincent, a former football player turned marathoner, cold plunges regularly as part of his workout and recovery routine. He was determined to get his stubborn aunt to try it. “Aunty, you’ll like it.” “I’m sure I won’t.” “You should try it just once. It’s good for you!” “Is ice involved?” “Well, of course, but -- ” “Nope.” “The dopamine release lasts up to two hours!” That got my attention. I did some research on my own and discovered that cold plunging had many benefits, including extended dopamine release and better sleep. The sleep alone was reason enough to give it a shot. So this past weekend, I took the plunge (I know, bad pun.) And I liked it -- a lot more than I thought I would. I stayed in for about six minutes and when I climbed out, I could feel my body responding to it. I got warm and tingly right away. My toes stung a bit (they never adjusted to the cold), but that was the only pain. Everything else felt…alive. Today’s Health & Wellness story features an interesting conversation about cold therapies with two professors at Texas Christian University. Improved mental health is an important benefit of cold plunges and cryotherapy, according to Dr. Jason Mogonye, assistant professor of family medicine at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “People who cold plunge or do cryotherapy say they tend to sleep better…If something helps somebody sleep better, they’re going to recover better and have better mental health. People who don’t sleep well tend to have more depression, be more anxious and lose focus more easily,” said Mogonye. Do you cold plunge? If not, would you be willing to try it? If you do, let me know! I’d love to hear about your experience. Do you love this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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