You couldn’t pay me to hang out with coworkers outside of work is a refrain as common as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” this time of year. Retail clerks, lawyers, software engineers, nurses, and even reporters have been known to utter the phrase.

But it turns out you can pay your employees to hang out outside of work. Remote-first compliance software company Ethena reimburses employees up to $100 a month to hang out with their coworkers.

In-person engagement. Athena’s VP of people, Melanie Naranjo, told HR Brew that the concept emerged in March 2022, after rethinking the company’s office space. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Athena budgeted for a 50-person space in Brooklyn. But during the pandemic, employees moved away, and the company began hiring talent across the country.

Like many companies, Ethena began to grapple with a post-pandemic reality of a disparate workforce and underutilized office space. Naranjo began to explore what might be possible if there wasn’t an office…or an office budget.

Keep reading here.—AD

As global warming continues, scientists, corporations, and startups are working against the clock to find solutions. Carbon capture technology is widely known as a potential fix, but there are repercussions.

This Tech Brew article dives into the world of climate tech and gives details on what certain parties are doing to invent and innovate existing carbon capture technology, and ultimately, the controversy behind it. Get the scoop now, right here.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday allowing students to apply for Pell Grants for short-term workforce programs.

House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik introduced the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act along with Reps. Virginia Foxx, Robert Scott, and Mark DeSaulnier.

“This bill will allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality, short-term programs that equip students to join our workforce immediately,” Stefanik said in a news release. “Unlocking skills and development opportunities will help connect workers with high-demand career fields.”

If passed, the bill would support allowing credentialed candidates to work at a time when companies (and governments) are moving toward skilled-based hiring.

Keep reading here.—AD

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act into law on Nov. 22, extending certain protections to freelancers throughout the state.

The law, which will take effect in May 2024, applies to freelancers who are being paid at least $800 for their services over a 120-day period. It excludes certain contractors, including those in the construction industry as well as licensed medical professionals.

Employers using freelancers based in New York State must provide the worker a written contract, either physically or electronically, under the terms of the new law. It must include the following information.

Keep reading here.—CV

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The share of college-educated women with young children who are employed rose by 10 percentage points between the early 2000s and 2023. (Penn Wharton)

Quote: “I think typically, you find if you see people out there wearing branded merchandise, it’s a direct correlation to how strongly they feel or how strongly connected they are to their employer.”—Eric Hamlin, head of swag at gift card company Snappy, on how office gifts affect employee engagement (WorkLife)

Read: Luxury goods company LVMH is hiring US-based apprentices to make up for a projected shortfall of 22,000 workers by the end of 2025. (Bloomberg)