Weekly Must Reads: Workplace Gossip Gets Digital

The week's top stories about the future of work.

Month-old app Memo purports to give employers "the power to make your company better by giving your fellow employees a voice" by letting them talk trash about their employers — anonymously. It's already come under fire, with several companies blocking it on their servers and sending cease-and-desist letters to its founder.

Check it out at BostInno.

How to Design for Positivity

Enter the average office space and you'll be greeted by a familiar palette of colors and textures: grey cubicles, beige walls and large swaths of earth-toned carpet as far as the eye can see. Ron Thomas, CEO of Great Place to Work explains how aesthetic and design choices can send a clear message to everyone who enters: this is not your average office.

Get the tips at TLNT.

Introducing Co-Working Spaces for World Travelers

A new breed of workspaces has emerged for those who bring work on vacation but also want to enjoy their time off in exotic destinations. Reminiscent of co-working spaces, these centers — such as "The Surf Office" in the Canary Islands — include amenities like beds, fully stocked kitchens and access to group activities like hiking and bike trips.

Travel vicariously at The New York Times.

A Love Letter to the Old-School Office

Freelancing, flextime and WFH may be en vogue, but NY Mag senior writer Jennifer Senior thinks all that freedom may not necessarily be a good thing. Her nuanced argument makes the case for putting in some face time.

Read the whole story at New York.

Needed: A New Etiquette for the Communal Shower

The office shower is no longer an exclusive perk for the almighty CEO. Companies across the country are outfitting their workplaces with showers, open to all. But, The Wall Street Journal finds, they can lead to some very unpleasant situations.

Find out what at The Wall Street Journal.