It’s review season: Here’s how to talk to your boss

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Work Transformed newsletter.

It’s that time of year again…review season.

Was that a groan? I get it, performance reviews are tough during normal times. And who really wants to look back at 2020?

While many companies are taking a different approach to evaluations this year, some experts say that having a one-on-one discussion with your boss about last year while also setting goals for the new year will help establish your priorities and continue your career growth.

Here are some of the things they suggest you do to make the conversation worthwhile:

Be prepared. Have at least three examples of work you want to highlight from 2020, including pre-pandemic work.

Don’t get defensive. Critical feedback can be hard to take. But avoid arguing. Show that you understand your boss’ concern and come up with a plan to avoid the issue in the future.

Give feedback. Reviews should be a two-way street. Maybe there’s something that you need from your boss, like more communication or clearer expectations. Propose a solution and focus on how it can make you a better employee and will benefit the manager and the company.

Get more tips here.

The union push

Amazon workers are set to vote on the formation of the first US-based union at the company.

On February 8, around 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers at a facility in Alabama will begin casting their vote on whether to unionize using mail-in ballots.

The union push comes at a time when Amazon’s warehouse working conditions are under heightened scrutiny as a result of the pandemic, writes CNN Business’ Sara Ashley O’Brien.

Earlier this month, Google employees announced the formation of a union, open to all workers of parent company Alphabet.

Some Amazon workers are unionized in Europe, and there was a union vote in 2014 at a Delaware warehouse that was unsuccessful.

Read more about the vote here.

Replacing train rides with morning walks

Getting rid of the daily commute is one the best perks of working from home. But maybe you shouldn’t give it up completely.

For some, the commute to and from the office serves as a routine that helps signify the start and end of the workday, and separates work and home life. Without it, lines become blurred.

Before many workers started working from home due to the pandemic, the ritual of commuting was critical for their mental health and work-life balance, reports CNN’s Kristen Rogers.

To help recreate boundaries, you can fake a commute by replacing the time normally spent in a car or on a train with activities like walks, bike rides or runs.

Read more about what people are doing during their “fake commutes.”

WFH tip: Hitting refresh

With everything going on right now, it’s hard to stay focused and motivated. Julie Morgenstern, an organizational and productivity consultant and author of “Organizing from the Inside Out,” said hitting the refresh button can be powerful:

The key to endurance is self-care. I encourage clients to select one activity from my self-care formula to incorporate. The four components of S.E.L.F are sleep, exercise, love, and fun. Focusing on sleep might mean using a new sleep app; for exercise, perhaps it’s adding a daily walk. Love can look like streaming a weekly show together with friends and family. Fun is about hobbies, like learning how to play the guitar or developing your love of baking. Focusing on one activity may seem under-ambitious but it’s the key to fresh starts.

Is everyone Zooming without me?

Maybe it’s an unanswered Slack message. A planning meeting you weren’t invited to. Or an awkward virtual exchange with your boss last month that you are still thinking about.

Remote work is bringing a whole new range of anxieties for workers, reports Jessica Grose for The New York Times.

We might dwell on small interactions with our colleagues that may not have caused us to think twice at the office.

Working at home means we aren’t getting the impromptu social contact and conversations that can help reassure us about our status. And little things like an unanswered message can lead to thoughts like, “Am I about to lose my job?”

Check out the full story here.

Prop 22 drama….it’s baaack

Looks like the battle over California’s gig economy is still brewing.

A labor union and a group of gig workers filed a lawsuit with the state’s Supreme Court challenging Proposition 22. The ballot measure, which passed in November, exempts companies like Uber and Lyft from having to classify drivers in the state as employees.

That would have made drivers eligible for more job protections and benefits.

The lawsuit claims the measure unconstitutionally limits the power of the State legislature to implement a worker’s compensation program, or pass future legislation concerning certain workers’ rights, reports Sara Ashley O’Brien.

Farewell, part II

As we mentioned last week, this newsletter is coming to an end next Tuesday, January 26. I will still continue to cover the evolving workplace and the changes to when, where and how we work through our Work Transformed series so keep in touch!

Looking to get your daily business news fix? You can sign up here for CNN Business’ Nightcap that covers the day’s biggest financial stories.

Coffee break

Well, here’s a job posting you don’t see every day.

Oscar Mayer is hiring “Hotdoggers” to drive its legendary hot dog-shaped Wienermobile around the US for a year.

The company says it’s looking for outgoing, creative college graduates to represent the company.

Read more about the job here.