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  • Ethical Machine Learning with Explainable AI and Impact Analysis

    As more decisions are made or influenced by machines, there’s a growing need for a code of ethics for artificial intelligence. The main question is, “I can build it, but should I?” Explainable AI can provide checks and balances for fairness and explainability, and engineers can analyze the systems' impact on people's lives and mental health.

  • How Open-Source Maintainers Can Deal with Toxic Behavior

    Three toxic behaviors that open-source maintainers experience are entitlement, people venting their frustration, and outright attacks. Growing a thick skin and ignoring the behavior can lead to a negative spiral of angriness and sadness. Instead, we should call out the behavior and remind people that open source means collaboration and cooperation.

  • How the Hybrid and Remote Working Revolution Impacts Maintaining Mental Health

    Whether working remotely or in a hybrid environment, the way in which we work with one another is changing, and can impact mental health and well-being. Personality characteristics can influence how we respond to remote or hybrid working environments. Organizations can foster psychological safety by focusing on culture, transparency, clarity, learning from failure, and supportive leadership.

  • Sustainability for Software Companies: Reducing Impact by Deciding What Not to Do

    Small and medium-sized companies can contribute to sustainability with emissions reduction, mental health offerings and inclusion. To support sustainability, software engineers can think about “what not to do” to reduce complexity and make solutions smaller, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.

  • Four-Day Work Week Gaining Traction

    A number of studies and reviews have recently been published which look at the changes needed and the impact of shifting to a four-day work week. The consensus is that, while there are some challenges to be overcome, generally shifting to a four-day work week results in happier, more engaged staff with increased productivity.

  • Tech People: Enhance Your Professional Journey with Mindfulness

    In software development, we need to focus carefully and stay focused in order to be productive. Especially during a lockdown, people in tech are faced with stress, lack of concentration, and other mental problems that reduce their focus and motivation. To enhance tech people’s professional journey, a suggestion is to combine testing with mindfulness.

  • Becoming Personally Agile for Mental Health

    Feeling the need to be constantly producing high-quality deliverables with a high sense of perfection can lead to stress and can cause burnout. You have to first accept that you have a problem to find your way out of burnout. Applying agile on a personal level can help you to achieve high goals while reducing stress and lowering the chance of getting burnout.

  • The International Week of Happiness at Work

    During the last week of September, from the 21st to the 27th, companies and individuals around the globe are invited to celebrate the International Week of Happiness at Work for the third time. The event was created to promote happiness at work around the globe and companies are encouraged to organize events to focus on increasing happiness at work

  • Mental Wellbeing in the Tech Industry: QCon London Q&A

    Businesses are losing a lot of money to mental ill-health. The pace at which the tech industry moves and the pressure to deliver can leave staff struggling to keep up. People have different sweet spots for pressure and performance, and they change over time; the way to know an individual’s sweet spot is by talking to people to find out how they work.

  • Looking after Mental Health and Wellbeing During COVID-19

    In times of crisis such as what is happening around the world with COVID-19, anxiety, fear, sadness, anger and frustration are normal reactions and we need to accept that these emotions will happen without minimising or denying them. There are things which you can do to help overcome the stress; empathic responding is one way to positively deal with the stresses we all find ourselves under.

  • Training Your Managers to Support the Mental Health of Your Team

    We still do not offer clear advice for our organizations and managers on the best ways to raise awareness of and manage mental health in the workplace, according to a recent review of the literature on mental health awareness training.

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