Disney workers sue over Florida relocation, Lake Nona campus
Two Disney workers have sued the company after it asked them to relocate from California and be based at a new Florida campus — which it later canceled. In May of last year, Disney scrapped plans to build the nearly $1 billion campus in Orlando's Lake Nona neighborhood. The company was on a cost-cutting spree after Bob Iger returned as CEO. Simultaneously, Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis had locked horns over a Florida law that limited what public schools could teach about gender identity and sexual orientation. More from Entrepreneur.
How the rise of remote work is affecting worker psychology
As the Covid-19 pandemic swept the country, it brought along a wave of change to workplace culture. While many employees have returned to the office, hybrid work remains a common option — and that's creating some unique challenges for employees and employers alike. That's particularly true when it comes to mental health, where remote work presents a unique mix of problems and opportunities. In a 2022 global survey of 12,500 people, Tracking Happiness found a positive relationship between remote work and happiness. More from the Business Journals.
It's World UFO Day. What's that in the sky? Subway delivering by drone in 2 Florida cities
Today is World UFO Day. And if that isn't enough to get you looking up ... Subway will start delivering its new Footlong Dippers for a limited time in five cities across the U.S., including two in Florida. It's not just for everyone, though. Here's what you should know. Subway drones will deliver the Ultimate Footlong Offering — UFO, get it? — Subway's all-new Footlong Dippers, the Footlong Cookies and the iconic Footlong Sub today. More from Florida Today.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Staying on track
Is a college education worth it? More than half (52%) of Floridians responding to a recent Helios Education Foundation survey said they think it is — but that’s quite a dip from prior years. In 2020, 88% of Floridians said they believed a college degree or credential beyond high school was key to career success. In 2017, 62% shared that opinion. Accompanying the shift in attitude is a decline in enrollment rates at Florida College System institutions. More from Florida Trend.
Extreme heat contributed to his brother’s death. He worries he could be next
Ever since they were little, Yonatan Vasquez was best friends with his brother Wilmer. It wasn’t that they were so similar. Wilmer, the younger one, was an extrovert. “He just wanted to be around people,” Yonatan says. “He was always encouraging people, making sure they were doing good. He liked to be the center of attention.” The brothers often worked together as roofers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Wilmer would D.J. for the other guys in the work crew. “He would dance on the roof,” Yonatan remembers, laughing. More from NPR.
Small Business Trends
Small businesses find success with mobile model
Don Nix is “the pie guy.” Every Friday morning, Nix and his wife sell homemade Key lime pies from under a tent they set up on the side of Micro Racetrack Road in Fruitland Park. On Saturdays, he sells pies in several flavors at the Brownwood Farmers Market. Nix is one of a growing number of business owners who earn most or all of their income selling food and goods through street vending, food trucks, farmers markets and flea markets.
» More from the The Villages Daily Sun.
Higher Education
Steeled for worse
Last year, Dr. Liz Steele, an equine veterinarian in Hardee County, posted an urgent warning on her veterinary practice’s Facebook page. She started with the numbers. Out of the 3,200 students who graduate from veterinary school every year in the U.S., only 48 (1.5%) are entering equine practice. Meanwhile, turnover in the profession is high. More than half of all new horse vets leave equine medicine in the first three years to work in small animal practices or pursue other professions, and the 20 or so who stick around aren’t nearly enough to keep up with the demand for care.
» Read more from Florida Trend.