Latest news with #summerbreak


Fast Company
2 days ago
- Health
- Fast Company
How working parents can push for more support during the summer holidays
Sun-soaked beaches, cocktails by the pool, and a rare break from Zoom: It's what we all want from a summer break. Yet, for millions of parents, the reality doesn't live up to the dream. With school out and schedules upended, working moms find themselves under increased pressure. They juggle deadlines, playdates, meetings, and household chores, all while trying to create core memories with their loved ones. For them, it isn't a vacation—it's another full-time job. Unsurprisingly, a survey from the Headway app found that 36% of workers admitted that balancing work, social life, and downtime during the summer season leaves them drained; 9% say they're already suffering from sun-induced burnout. For working moms, the toll is even steeper: 81% reported experiencing burnout as they attempt to do it all. As someone who has balanced parenting with my role as a productivity coach at Headway, I know the exhaustion all too well. At times, there's the burning desire to quit. There's also the guilt of putting work before family, and the misery of returning from vacation more tired than when you left. The toll summer takes on working moms For working moms, the pressure to manage everything often leads to chronic overworking, skipped breaks, and stress levels. Over time, this slowly chips away at their physical and mental well-being. Burnout isn't a buzzword. It's a precursor to anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and more. And, again, working parents are at greater risk. A 2022 Harris Poll data (commissioned by CVS) found that 42% of working parents admit they suffer from anxiety, depression, or both. It's not surprising that motherhood often coincides with women leaving the workforce. A journal article from Behavioral Sciences found that some 24% quit within the first year. And working mothers who choose to come back don't always receive support. Instead, they face skepticism. They face scrutiny from employers over their commitment and competence—further stalling their career progression. Another journal article from Behavioral Sciences found that mothers were less likely to be interviewed, hired, promoted, or paid a fair wage. How to ask your employer for more summer support If you're struggling through summer with little support from your employer, here are some tips on how to make a compelling case that seasonal flexibility is a smart business decision that benefits all: Use data to support your case Unfortunately, the reality is that not all employers will care about your personal circumstances. Most, however, will care a great deal about your productivity. Headway research shows that 54% of workers have had their work routine disrupted by summer, while 46% are managing fewer than 30 productive hours each week. By supporting your request with data, you're showing how a lack of flexibility impacts the wider workforce—whether through reduced productivity, more sick days, or higher turnover. That way, it becomes less of a personal plea and more of a strategic business decision that benefits all. Ask for flexibility, not time off Your employer is paying for your time, so it's unrealistic to expect additional time off at their expense. Instead of requesting an absence, ask for flexibility. For instance, rather than saying you can't work Wednesday morning, explain why you need that time off and when you'll make it up. In this case, it might be when school (and normality) resumes. When you bring this up, stress that you aren't asking to do less. You're simply proposing a schedule that allows you to maintain your productivity while keeping on top of your summer responsibilities as a parent. Frame flexibility as a retention tool Turnover is an expensive problem for employers. Based on data from the Social Security Agency, the cost of replacing an employee can range from $33,000 to $50,000. Given the high quit rates among working moms, especially during high-pressure periods such as summer, retaining this talent can be a strategic solution. Present flexibility as a retention tool, and show how with a few adjustments, your employer can support your team's well-being while retaining talent, preserving knowledge, and saving costs in the process. Call on HR for support Your manager might not be all ears initially, but HR should be. After all, with data showing that working mothers shoulder a disproportionate share of the stress that comes with balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, this is an equality issue. In my experience, most employees want to be inclusive and supportive, but simply haven't addressed the specific need yet. But your advocacy could be the spark that prompts upper management to implement broader policies that ease the burden on all caregivers across the organization. Highlight other companies' successes While many companies are hesitant to disrupt the status quo, others have committed to supporting working parents and seen strong results. Patagonia, for instance, offers on-site childcare to all its employees, providing peace of mind over childcare during working hours and plenty of quality time with their little ones throughout the day. Likewise, HubSpot offers flexible work schedules and unlimited time off, prioritizing results over the number of hours an employee logs. These forward-thinking policies alleviate pressure on working parents while boosting loyalty, engagement, and retention. And it's no coincidence that these companies are regularly voted among the best places to work. And that's something that should pique your employer's interest, no matter what industry they come from.


Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Victoria and David Beckham welcome beloved son Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel onboard their £16M yacht in St Tropez as they enjoy summer break with family friend Eva Longoria... but Brooklyn is still missing
Victoria Beckham looked thrilled to welcome her beloved son Cruz and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel onboard her and David's £16million yacht in St Tropez on Monday. The couple's eldest son Brooklyn, 26, and daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz, 30, continue to be absent from their annual summer break amid an ongoing family feud. The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months, amid claims Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May. Cruz, 20, joined his parents mid-trip following a romantic break with Jackie, 30, elsewhere. Eva Longoria, 50 - a close family friend of the Beckhams - was also spotted on their multi-million pound vessel with her husband José Bastón, 57. The Desperate Housewives actress, who is godmother to Victoria and David's daughter Harper, was seen relaxing on a sun lounger in a high-leg white swimsuit before greeting Cruz and Jackie. Cruz joined his parents during their annual family getaway following a romantic break with Jackie elsewhere After settling in, Cruz enjoyed a dip in the ocean with his father, 50, before sharing a sweet embrace while chatting to Victoria, 51. Fashion designer Victoria looked incredibly elegant in a black lace dress, teamed with a large sun hat. The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami. The impressive looking vessel, understood to be worth £16million, was a significant upgrade on the comparatively modest 100-foot yacht reportedly purchased by Beckham in 2022. The football legend was said to have 'treated himself' to his original vessel in 2022 after being inspired by his maritime jaunts with close friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish - who often holiday at sea. A source told The Sun at the time: 'David had a look around some yachts in the summer, and decided to treat himself. He helped design the boat himself, and has been incredibly hands-on with everything. 'It's not an oligarch-style super-yacht, but it's still pretty plush by anyone's standards. He was inspired after holidaying with Elton and David on their boat - and loves life on the water. 'There will be an area for the kids to snorkel, and the boat will be a brilliant base for the whole Beckham clan to have magical holidays abroad.' The family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months, amid claims Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father David's 50th birthday celebrations in May Shirtless David showered off after a dip The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami The impressive looking vessel, understood to be worth £16million, was a significant upgrade on the comparatively modest 100-foot yacht reportedly purchased by Beckham in 2022 The football legend was said to have 'treated himself' to his original vessel in 2022 after being inspired by his maritime jaunts with close friends Sir Elton John and David Furnish - who often holiday at sea Cruz showed off her skills as he dived into the water from the boat The trio looked in great spirits on the family trip David and Victoria are also away with their other children, Romeo, 22 and Harper, 14. Victoria gave a rare insight into her feelings about estranged son Brooklyn with a telling social media move. The former Spice Girl has proved she is still keeping tabs on her eldest son's moves by 'liking' several of his social media facts. Notably, in the three-weeks spanning July 5 and July 26 - she liked every single one of his posts that didn't feature Nicola. All posts in which he was seen with his wife, were not acknowledged by Victoria. It is possible that these posts - four out of the 16 - were simply not seen by her. Victoria has not liked any of Nicola's posts in the same time period. Nor have the Lola actress and Brooklyn liked any of Victoria's. Brooklyn did, however, open up about the only thing he and wife Nicola argue over amid the ongoing feud with his famous family. Despite their troubles, the hunk suggested the couple, who wed in 2023, are still very much in the honeymoon stage and only disagree over the thermostat. They transferred onto the yacht The trio caught up after a few days away from each other The father-son duo dried off after a fun afternoon in the sea He told GQ: 'By the way, that's the only argument me and my wife have, the temperature in the room. She loves it'. 'She runs cold, so she always wants it all hot all the time. I always run hot, and I like to have it a little bit colder, so we meet in the middle.' It was previously revealed that Brooklyn and Nicola's Instagram accounts no longer follow his younger brothers Cruz and Romeo in the latest family drama. However, Brooklyn's friends told MailOnline that Cruz and Romeo have actually blocked them on the social media platform. This would make sense given that Brooklyn and Nicola are still following Victoria and David. Cruz and Romeo were still following Brooklyn and Nicola earlier this month but appeared to take action after Brooklyn posted a birthday tribute to sister Harper, sharing a family photo without them in it – which Nicola reposted. There was much speculation whether Brooklyn would reach out to Harper on her 14th birthday, but despite him doing so, it seems all is not well in the camp. Brooklyn's birthday tribute to Harper marked his first public interaction with his family since he paid tribute to his grandmother Sandra on June 26, despite remaining silent and shunning his father's 50th birthday earlier that same month. Sources close to the family have told MailOnline of their fears that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola have also distanced themselves from Harper after they failed to visit her when they flew into London in May to film an advert for French-Italian clothing brand Moncler just over a mile from the family home in Holland Park. David and Victoria had no idea whether Brooklyn, who Harper has idolised since she was a little girl, would message her privately or publicly on Instagram because they have no communication with him.


The Independent
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
The key number set to keep Max Verstappen at Red Bull for 2026
Max Verstappen is now guaranteed to be positioned in the top-three in the drivers' championship for the F1 summer break – meaning he cannot activate an exit clause in his Red Bull contract. The Dutchman's fourth-place finish in the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday means, currently positioned in third, he is 28 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the world championship. With just one race to go before the summer break, this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen can no longer finish below the top-three. As such, an exit clause in Verstappen's £50m-a-year contract – which he can activate if he is lower than third in the drivers' standings by the summer break – cannot be triggered. Verstappen, 27, could be bought out of his contract by any potential suitor, including Mercedes, but that appears extremely unlikely. Regardless, Verstappen hinted at Spa that he is likely to stay at Red Bull for 2026, despite the team's underperformance this season. As a result, George Russell looks set to stay at Mercedes for at least the 2026 season, with talks expected to get underway shortly. The length of any new deal for the British driver, whether it be a one-year extension or a multi-year contract, remains to be seen. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insisted his 'absolute priority' was keeping his current driver line-up of Russell and Kimi Antonelli for next season. Meanwhile, Verstappen won the Belgian GP sprint race on Saturday, Red Bull's first win under new team principal Laurent Mekies, and insisted he was looking forward to working with the ex-Ferrari engineer, who replaced Christian Horner as team boss three weeks ago. 'I get along very well with him, so that's already a bonus,' Verstappen said. 'Hopefully, we can continue to strengthen our relationship in the coming weeks and months.' Verstappen now trails championship leader Oscar Piastri by 81 points with 11 races left, as prospects of a fifth consecutive title appear to be slipping away.


Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
David and Victoria Beckham narrowly avoid awkward run-in with estranged son Brooklyn and wife Nicole Peltz in sun-soaked St Tropez - following Elton John's 'attempts to end ongoing feud'
David and Victoria Beckham narrowly avoided an awkward run-in with estranged son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz in sun-soaked St Tropez last week. The former footballer, 50, and fashion designer, 51, arrived in the swanky south of France for their annual summer break on a £16M yacht, while their eldest son, 26, holidayed on his billionaire father's boat nearby. David and Victoria were joined on the lavish getaway by the rest of their children; Harper, 14, and Romeo, 22, while youngest son Cruz, 20, soaked up the sun elsewhere in St Tropez with girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30. Romeo and Harper were first of the family to be spotted in St Tropez on Thursday, just 48-hours after Brooklyn met with godfather Elton John, who was also holidaying in the South Of France, for lunch where the singer 'attempted to end ongoing family feud'. The once close-knit Beckham family has been thrown into turmoil in recent months, amid claims Brooklyn has become increasingly estranged from his famous parents after failing to attend any of his father 50th birthday celebrations in May. It was also revealed that Brooklyn and Nicola's Instagram accounts no longer follow his younger brothers in the latest family drama. Sir Elton, who has been friends with the Beckhams for three decades, reportedly took the opportunity to 'say his piece' about the feud as he wined and dined the young couple. According to The Sun, Sir Elton 'briefly' spoke about the family's feud in the hope Brooklyn would patch things up with his parents, and footage of the outing shared on social media showed the pair shaking hands. Speaking about Elton's attempts to play peacekeeper in the row, a source said: 'Elton is the showbiz equivalent of Switzerland. He's utterly neutral in this row. 'Elton of old may have relished in taking sides - in this case his young godson, Brooklyn - but two years off his 80th birthday, he's a man who has seen and done it all. He just wants everyone to be happy. 'There is no side-taking as such; he simply adores his godson, and really has a laugh with Nicola who he thinks has a great sense of humour. He wants to look after them in his role as 'spiritual adviser' as a godfather, it's a role he takes seriously. 'Elton and David think the situation is terribly sad, and has gently suggested to all involved that life is short - to patch things up.' The source added Elton is 'adamant he doesn't want to stick his nose in' the feud, he just simply 'wants peace'. Sir Elton is also said to have generously picked up the entire bill, after dining on the restaurant's signature lobster linguine which comes in at an eye-watering £190. David affectionately calls the musician 'Uncle Elton' after becoming friends in his football heyday. Sir Elton was due to perform at the Beckhams wedding in 1999 before suffering a heart attack that prevented him from playing. He later sang at one of the children's christenings. Meanwhile Victoria once disclosed that it was Elton who inspired her to say goodbye to the Spice Girls, penning an emotional letter to her older self where she confessed that watching her friend perform made her realise that her true calling lay beyond singing. Soaking up the sunshine on their £16 million vessel, David and Victoria were seen making the most of the picturesque French weather. Every the doting dad, David embraced his daughter Harper as they boarded a speedboat to take them to the shore. While her second son Romeo enjoyed jet ski ride in the sunshine, Victoria opted for a spot of downtime on the yacht, before changing into a chic yellow satin dress and a matching hat for the outing. The couple traded in their £5million yacht for the much bigger vessel last year, and had been pictured on it sailing around Miami. Amid his own lavish getaway Brooklyn embraced his billionaire father-in-law in snaps from the family getaway to St Tropez, while estranged mum Victoria snubbed him from her own family tribute. He enjoyed a friendly beer with Nelson Peltz, 83, before packing on the PDA with wife Nicola, 31, onboard the businessman's superyacht. Meanwhile back home Victoria honoured her own father-in-law Ted Beckham on his 77th birthday with a family snap, that did not include her eldest son and his wife. She captioned the post: 'Happy birthday @tedbeckham kisses' before going on to tag sons Romeo, Cruz as well as daughter Harper. Nicola shared a slew of final holiday snaps from the couple's lavish trip before heading home to the US. In a snap shared to her Instagram Stories Nicola threw her arms around Brooklyn's neck as they smooched while watching a sunset. She later stunned in a black mini dress as she strutted her stuff on the dance floor before enjoying a lavish fireworks display. The heiress later showcased her jaw-dropping figure as she headed ashore and turned heads in a Chanel crop top which she teamed with a fluffy shrug, despite the scorching weather. Meanwhile another source has claimed that Nicola and Brooklyn will not feature in his mother forthcoming documentary series. The former Spice Girl will take centre stage in a new Netflix docuseries about her day-to-day life as creative director of the eponymous fashion and beauty brand she originally launched in 2008. The source told The Sun: 'The children hardly feature — it's simply not a case of Brooklyn and Nicola being cut, as they weren't in it to start with. 'This is very much a project focussing on Victoria's transaction from pop star to businesswoman and designer.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Max Verstappen cannot trigger Red Bull exit clause for 2026 after F1 Belgian GP
Following the Belgian Grand Prix, it's clear that Max Verstappen will be in the top three of the championship standings during the summer break. After the sprint weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, the Dutchman is on 185 points, while fourth-placed George Russell has 157 points to his name after a poor Mercedes showing in the Ardennes. With only 25 points left to be won before the break, Verstappen is guaranteed to retain third regardless of what happens in Hungary. This relates to the much-discussed performance clause in Verstappen's Red Bull contract, which formally runs until the end of 2028. According to information obtained by last year, the clause is directly linked to his championship position: if Verstappen is outside the top three at a specified reference point – the summer break – he would be allowed to leave the team. However, with the outcome of the Spa weekend, that scenario is now off the table, meaning the clause will not be activated for the 2026 season. In theory, this doesn't automatically mean a driver must stay, since contracts can be bought out. However, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, this is not under consideration, as Verstappen is not planning to leave Red Bull regardless of the exit clause situation. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing It aligns with recent signals from the paddock, where Verstappen himself has repeatedly said that he still feels at home at Red Bull – despite the fact that the results this season and the handling of the RB21 have been unsatisfactory. The latter has not yet been resolved with the update package introduced in Belgium. Verstappen made clear on Saturday that it's a step forward in terms of pure performance, but that the car's balance issues remain the same. More options on the driver market towards 2027? For next year – with entirely new regulations in F1 – much depends on Red Bull-Ford's in-house engine project. However, a switch of teams also carries risks, as Verstappen has no guarantee of immediate success elsewhere and the environment at Red Bull has largely been tailored around him. In addition to loyalty, staying one more year would give him the opportunity to observe how the pecking order plays out under the new regulations. Since the performance clause will still be in place next season, the door remains open for a future move should Red Bull truly fall short. The driver market is expected to be even more open heading into the 2027 season, with theoretical opportunities at Mercedes, Aston Martin, and potentially even Ferrari. Looking forward to building a new relationship with Mekies Verstappen also indicated during the Belgian GP weekend that he is pleased with new team principal Laurent Mekies, who has recently taken over from Christian Horner. 'I get along very well with him, so that's already a bonus,' he told Dutch media. 'Hopefully, we can continue to strengthen our relationship in the coming weeks and months.' The Dutchman admitted that his technical conversations with the new team boss go 'a bit deeper' than before, but immediately added that it was 'completely normal' given Mekies' engineering background. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, for his part, stated that his 'absolute priority' lies with the current drivers, and added that there is a '90 to 95%' chance that his team will continue with the 2025 line-up at least into the upcoming F1 season. Read Also: Why new Red Bull F1 team boss Laurent Mekies is 'up there with the best' Max Verstappen: I'm powerless against McLaren in Belgian GP – even more so in the rain To read more articles visit our website.