Tech:NYC Digest: July 31

Tech:NYC Digest: July 31

July 31, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Monday, July 31, 2023

In today’s digest, workers are now actually taking their vacation days, what’s next in New York’s congestion pricing plan, and where to find New York’s best croissant.

Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

  • The city subway system is in-line for a multibillion-dollar investment from the state’s congestion pricing plan. The list of expected improvements includes new elevators, fare gates and platform barriers. (New York Times)

    • Barring future legal challenges, tolling could begin as soon as spring 2024.

  • A new law takes effect today prohibiting city establishments from providing plastic utensils and other items — condiments, extra containers, napkins — in takeout and delivery orders unless actively requested by the customer. (NY1)

    • Called the "Skip the Stuff" rules, the new law hopes to cut down on single-use plastics. Any violations before June 30 of next year will receive a warning instead of a monetary penalty. 

  • Housing Works — which in late December opened New York’s first legal recreational marijuana dispensary — sold $12 million worth of edibles, flower and other marijuana products in its first six months, averaging $2 million a month. That’s twice the monthly revenue the nonprofit was projecting when it launched. (Gothamist)

In other reading:

  • An Unwelcome Visitor Returns this Summer. Hint: It’s COVID. (Wall Street Journal)

  • 25 free things to do in NYC this August (Gothamist)

  • What’s the Best Croissant in New York? We Tried 25 to Find Out (Eater New York)

Now that we’re heading into the month full of out-of-office replies, three letters are on the rise this summer: PTO. 

While the pandemic slowed how often US workers took time off in recent years, vacation time is turning a corner: More working adults took vacation days in the first half of this year than in pre-pandemic years, the Wall Street Journal reports. 

But not all PTO is equal. Here are some of the trends that have surfaced:

Vacations are getting a little longer, as well as more frequent. 

  • The number of employees logging vacation days last month climbed 11% compared with 2022, and the time they took off increased by about 5% from last year, according to data from HR tech firm Gusto. 

  • Some companies are encouraging staff to take time off this summer, or even requiring it. TaskRabbit, an online marketplace for freelancers, recently began declaring two annual “Recharge Weeks,” in addition to employees’ regular paid time off. 

Time-off is a priority for tech job-seekers. 

  • Benefits that increase time flexibility, such as four-day workweeks and unlimited PTO, are infrequently offered but highly valued by tech job seekers, according to a recent survey by the hiring platform Indeed and global insights agency Skim.

  • Tech workers polled by Indeed listed a lack of work-life balance as the top reason they would leave a job. 

  • The Indeed survey found that tech workers working for technology industry companies are more likely than tech workers in other industries to have unlimited PTO, with 42% of workers in tech getting this benefit compared to 13% and 9% respectively for banking and aviation/defense. 

A related read: Thanks to the rise of remote work, more professionals are stretching their weekends beyond the usual Friday night to Sunday night span, they're taking more trips, and spending more on experiences, Axios reports. 

In other reading:

  • Sunday emails are the most likely to get read, says new research (Fast Company)​​

  • How companies are thinking about remote work, more than three years after the onset of Covid-19 (HR Brew)

  • Weight stigma infiltrates work (Axios)

  • Topline Pro, a NYC-based online platform to help home services businesses scale, raised $12 million in Series A funding. Forerunner Ventures led the round and was joined by Bonfire Ventures, TMV, and BBG Ventures.

  • August 2: In-person: AI Tech for Good Pitch Contest, featuring finalists Azul Bio, InterviewMaster, Libbie Health, Pajama Cats Media, and Tilosia. Hosted by Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Use code TechNYC for a complimentary ticket while supplies last by registering here.

  • August 8: In-person: Entrepreneurs Roundtable 180, with New York Venture Partners founding partner Brian Cohen. Hosted by ERA. Register here.

  • August 22: Virtual: #notapitch: Unofficial Feedback on Your Idea/Prototype from a VC, with Brooklyn Bridge Ventures partner Charlie O’Donnell. Register here.

Any feedback or suggestions of things to add? Get in touch here. Was this digest forwarded to you? Sign up to receive it directly here.