Issue 3: Place

As the world recovers from the pandemic and the recession, companies are facing a unique challenge in hiring: Talent and jobs are not necessarily in the same places. Although globalization has brought us all closer, pay challenges have varied widely by location, and the effects of the pandemic have been unevenly distributed.

When people can work from anywhere, it changes a company’s culture as well as its tax obligations. While some big tech companies have tried to cut salaries for employees moving away from the San Francisco Bay Area, other companies have experimented with location-agnostic pay, hiring global talent on a universal pay scale. Some employers entice hard-to-find workers in challenging locations with hazard pay.

In this issue, we’ll explore unique places, such as the working-class German city whose economy depends on its football club. You’ll meet a postmaster at the “penguin post office” in Antarctica, hear from six working people in Cape Town, South Africa, and get to know the bustling city-state of Singapore. You’ll also travel back in time to rural West Virginia, when company cash was king, and experience the rise of the ATM, just 40 years ago.

How a German city and its football fans weathered the pandemic

Gelsenkirchen is best known for FC Schalke 04 and for having the highest unemployment rate in Germany. Its strong sense of community has gotten residents and businesses through the pandemic.

Why pandemic recovery will play out in rural and urban areas differently

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every country in the world, but its effects are playing out very differently in urban vs. rural places, exacerbating existing inequalities.

Coal company scrip paid to miners often left them deep in debt

The tokens paid in lieu of cash were abundant in remote areas of the U.S. until the mid-20th century, explains history professor Lou Martin.

In a remote world, should pay be based on location?

During the pandemic, some workers moved to places with a lower cost of living. Companies are now considering how much location should determine pay.

How 6 people in Cape Town earn their rands

Known as the Mother City, Cape Town has the highest employment rate in South Africa. We spoke to six Cape Townians about their relationships with money.

How the rise of cash machines changed payday

After payroll went digital, people still needed cash, mobbing bank branches on paydays. In the 1970s, banks started making big investments in a new innovation: the Automated Teller Machine.

Thinking strategically with Dow’s global payroll data

How can global payroll data make an impact on a company? Dow worked with ADP to get payroll right and extract strategic insights.

Working at the penguin post office

Kit Adams spent a summer working as the postmaster at Port Lockroy, a remote island off the coast of Antarctica.

Swimming with sharks: Danger pay in the pandemic

Some jobs are more dangerous than others, and putting a price on that risk is necessary to entice key talent to take on the challenges.

Singapore, a thriving Asian business hub

The country is a draw for businesses, but its low earners have been thrust into the spotlight.

How companies and workers are reacting to pandemic pay challenges

Many employees have experienced changes to their jobs and pay due to the pandemic, and the results have not always been positive.

Welcome to the hybrid workplace

The remote vs. in-person debate is so 2020: Workplaces will likely be hybrid as the pandemic continues. But what does this mean for payroll teams?

How the pandemic is moving the war for talent

After two years of pandemic life, workers are reconsidering what they want and how they want to live. What’s a would-be employer to do?

Steal our charts: Issue 3

Please feel free to use these visualizations and charts we’ve created in your reports, presentations and social media.