🧑‍💻 Remote work & substance abuse

PLUS what a "forever labor shortage" means for workers, Twitter's new CEO on remote work, virtual coworking, and Thailand's pro-democracy win

Mitko Karshovski
May 17, 2023

Hey Insider, hope you guys doing well so far this week! Personally, I’m getting ready to hit the road for the next month with trips to Prague, Budapest, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Chicago, so if you’re going to be in of those cities over the next month, let me know!

Today’s email is a 5min 35sec read:

📉 What a “forever labor shortage” means for workers
🐣 Twitter’s new CEO on remote work
➕ PLUS subscriber virtual coworking & Thailand’s new pro-democracy party wins an important victory

But first, is there a connection between remote work and a rise in substance abuse? According to Bloomberg yes, but looking into the actual research, I disagree…

🔬 DEEP DIVE

Remote Work & Daytime Drug & Alcohol Abuse

A Bloomberg article that made the rounds earlier this week suggests that remote work is the cause of an increase in daytime drinking & drug abuse (link is to a free version on Hindustan Times)

The article and cited research make the case that workers that aren’t required to come into the office can easily drink and use drugs during working hours, something that the article says at least used to be reserved for after hours.

Here’s the thing…

The article’s title (“Remote work comes with daytime drug and drinking habits”) makes it sounds like remote work is the cause of the increase in this behavior.

However, the research the article is citing doesn’t actually say that…

What the research does show is that there was an increase in substance abuse during the COVID pandemic (which is nothing we didn’t already know) and that working remotely made it easier for people to hide this from their employers.

This is still an important problem to tackle, but is very different from saying that remote work in some way causes people to develop a substance abuse problem!

The research also suggests that the solution according to the data is for companies to provide mental health support for their workers… not that forcing employees back to the office will magically cure them of their drug abuse

After all, people tend to develop substance abuse due to an unresolved problem, and speaking to a professional is the best way to solve that.

Depression and substance abuse among all professionals is an important subject, and something we need to address, but I think we can confidently classify this particular article as pro-office propaganda.

What do you think about this article?

Pick the answer that aligns best with your views and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

⚡️ WE’RE BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAMP INDIE

Unconventional Minds Wanted!

Break free and join the ultimate adult summer camp for digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and adventure-seekers! Whether you’re just starting out or have been on this path for years, you’ll advance toward the lifestyle you want to lead (while having a blast at summer camp).

Most conferences charge high ticket prices and make you pay for your hotel, food, and entertainment.

At Camp Indie your accommodations, food, workshops, and entertainment are all included!

All you need to do is show up, relax, and have a blast enjoying an unforgettable weekend of growth, learning, and connection.

Join us June 16-19, 2023 in Connecticut’s Berkshire Mountains, less than 2 hours from New York City!

🎟️ INSIDER EXCLUSIVE

Remote Insider Virtual Coworking

Virtual coworking is a fancy term to describe the idea of getting on a Zoom call with friends, coworkers, or strangers and working together.

This provides you structure and accountability to focus on the task at hand and is proven to boost your productivity.

If this sounds interesting we’re hosting a Remote Insider Virtual Coworking session this Friday, May 19th, 10am-11am EST and it’s absolutely free for subscribers!

🎥 FAV TIKTOK

Who knew Stanley was a workplace futurist…

@theofficequote.s
Stanley is a time traveler #theofficequotes

Truly a man ahead of his time!

🚨 WORD ON THE WEB

📉 America needs to get ready for the Forever Labor Shortage

Since the pandemic, American companies have struggled to fill open roles & this is not due to a lazy generation, since unemployment is at a record low
The truth is that as Baby Boomers retire, younger generations which we considerably smaller, can’t fill their shoes
For the moment this gives workers a lot of power which can result in higher pay & access to desired flexibility
But in the long run businesses will hire globaly (thanks to remote work) and in some industries may be able to replace some workers with robots.

🐣 Twitter hires Linda Yaccarino as new CEO, what can we expect from her on remote work?

The internet is split on how it feels about Twitter’s new CEO with both the conservatives & liberals unhappy for different reasons, but what does this mean for Twitter’s remote work policy?
While Yaccarino hasn’t made any public comments about her views on remote work, she is the Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Work Taskforce which did have a focus on remote work work this year
Despite that, Elon Musk has been very aggressive about his stance on remote work, and with Yaccarino’s immense ad background, it’s unlikely that she’s coming to Twitter to address remote work.

🇹🇭 Thailand, a favorite location for digital nomads, is on the precipice of a historic political moment

On Monday, Thailand’s two main pro-democracy parties agreed to join together after out-performing the ruling military-backed party
The front runner to emerge as the new Prime Minister is Pita Limjaroenrat, a 42-year old Harvard alum and former tech exec.
Noteably, Pita’s party campaigned to reform strict laws that ban criticism of the Thai Monarchy (currenty punishable by up to 15 years in prison
Although promising this is not sealed deal yet since even with a coalition Pita is still shy of the 66 parlimentary seats needed to become a prime minister.

📆 UPCOMING EVENTS:

FEATURED EVENT ✨

May 28-June 4: Porto Santo Nomad Fest [📍 Porto Santo, Portugal] - A festival celebrating the digital nomad community, on a beautiful island off the coast of Madeira. Limited attendance.

May 24-28: Vivel [📍 Multiple Locations, Turkey] - networking meets music at this one-of-a-kind conference for location-independent professionals

May 28th-June 3: Nomad Cruise 11 [📍 Mediterranean Sea] - The original conference at sea is back! Join 250 digital nomads on board a cruise ship in the Med to discuss remote work, business, and personal growth

June 16-19: Camp Indie [📍 Kent, Connecticut] - adult summer camp & conference for digital nomads & those living an unconventional life

June 21-25: Remotion Festival [📍Burgas, Bulgaria] - A festival for remote workers, freelancers, & digital nomads highlighting the Burgas area as a hub for smart living

June 25-July 2: Bansko Nomad Fest [📍 Bansko, Bulgaria] - for digital nomads, freelancers, and founders in the mountains of Bulgaria

💾 TECH

Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera

This may seen like an odd remote worker recomendation but hear me out…

Sony’s ZV line is specifically designed for vloggers, which means that the ZV-E10 is very compact and easy to use. But what sets it apart is that you can also use it a high quality webcam for Zoom calls or streaming.

This makes it a great all around camera that you can use for all your photo and video needs, from simple photos for your videos, to looking professional on your team meetings, and filming higher quality TikToks

🌍 WFA JOBS:

Looking for a job that’s not just remote, but that you can work from anywhere in the world? We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Check out these awesome WFA positions 👇

⭐️ WordPress Developer @ Awesome Motive

⭐️ Junior Local SEO Manager @ Bookedout Dentist (🇩🇪 focused)

⭐️ Customer Services Representative @ Attic Pros

📊 POLLS

How Do You Feel About Work-Life Integration?

On Monday we wrote about the difference between work-life integration, and work-life balance, here’s how some of you feel about it:

🙅‍♂️ Z.M: “I’d rather have clear boundaries between my work and my personal life.”

❤️ B.M: “As a mom, I don't think you can un-integrate work. I'm always multitasking. Home life never gets turned off. I love remote work because I think it's a great equalizer. There are more opportunities for moms because we don't have to stick our kids in daycare (which is so expensive that it often makes having a career not worth it).”

Favorite Thing Abour Remote Insider?

Which section of Remote Insider is your favorite?

Pick the RI section that you like the most below and let us know why in the comments!

Thanks for spending a few minutes of your day with us, we’d love to hear from you!

Please take a second and let us know what you like about the newsletter and if there is anything you think we can do better 👇

What do you think of today's edition?

Let us know what you thought of today's email so we can make our content as awesome as possible

If you are enjoying this newsletter consider sharing it with someone you think may like it!

Send them this link!

See you on Wednesday, hope you have a great start to the week! Cheers 🍻

Today’s email was written by Mitko Karshovski