Issue 2: Experimentation

For the past year and a half, we’ve been living in the world’s largest-ever work experiment.

It seemed like think pieces started popping up about “the new normal,” “the great reset” and how businesses might thrive after Covid-19 as soon as the pandemic began. But truthfully, 18 months in, the extent of the pandemic’s effects remains ever-changing.

Despite the upheaval, payroll professionals have shown up, figured out how to work smarter and gotten people paid. And that’s why ReThink Quarterly’s Issue 2 theme is Experimentation. Changing how you do business can sometimes lead to unforeseen consequences, but it can also open up new possibilities.

How musicians are getting paid in the pandemic

Physical album sales are just 3% of their peak in the year 2000, music streaming services pay peanuts, and the pandemic halted touring. But artists are embracing new ways of making money.

Has the time finally arrived for Universal Basic Income?

With so many people around the world losing work during the pandemic, interest in UBI is on the rise. What have we learned so far?

The shecession: Women’s work, paid or unpaid, is rarely finished

Employment cuts brought on by the pandemic have hit women hardest, exacerbating the gender pay gap. But even when women lose their jobs, they’re never out of work.

Bringing humanity to the boardroom

In 2014, India mandated corporate social responsibility spending for all large companies. Now CSR funding tops $2 billion annually, with half of those funds dedicated to pandemic relief in 2020.

Financial wellness programs essential for pandemic recovery

As the Covid-19 pandemic has strained people’s wallets around the world, more companies in Nigeria are providing financial literacy services to employees.

How digitizing payroll set the scene for a cashless society

When companies started embracing direct bank deposits for employees’ wages 50 years ago, it laid the foundation for today’s digital cash.

How 6 people in São Paulo earn their reais

São Paulo is Brazil’s financial center and the largest city in South America. We talked with six Paulistanos about their first and future paychecks.

Cuneiform tablets reveal secrets of Mesopotamian payroll

Early payroll records were among humans’ first steps toward a writing system, explains Ali H.O. Bnayan, an archaeologist and cuneiform expert from the Iraq Museum.

Estonia, a Baltic tiger and tech hub

This tiny nation has become a European tech hub and a global forerunner in e-government, becoming the first country to offer e-residency in 2014.

Giving back during Ramadan in Indonesia

In the past decade, Indonesia has seen a big increase in charitable giving. Our photographer takes you to the streets of Jakarta during this Muslim holy month when giving is at its peak.

3 payroll challenges your team could face in 2021

On the road to post-pandemic recovery, the stumbling blocks payroll teams may encounter also provide opportunities to future-proof the business.

Steal our charts: Issue 2

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