Mosquito bites to control dengue fever: The World Mosquito Program, a nonprofit organization, is now using mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria to interrupt the transmission of dengue fever, according to the Associated Press. The strategy involves breeding Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with the bacteria, which can be passed to their offspring. The WHO is closely monitoring mosquito releases in Honduras, where 10k people are infected by dengue each year, and across 130 countries, 400 mn are infected and 40k people die each year, according to Nature.

The bacteria prevents the spread of dengue and related diseases like yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. Field trials have been showing promising results, but questions remain about the strategy’s effectiveness and cost; a three-year trial in Tegucigalpa, Honduras is expected to cost around USD 900k. Doctors Without Borders is educating neighborhood leaders on the benefits of the strategy and has reassured them that mosquito bites will not lead to dengue.

Bosses say they want employees back in offices, but they actually don’t want them on payroll: While 90% of US companies are preparing to implement return-to-office orders by 2024, this push to force employees out of hybrid and work from home setups is actually, in many cases, designed to cut down on staffing by, CNBC reports, citing talent management and workplace experts. Companies are taking advantage of how averse to working from the office employees have broadly become, and are using the RTO mandate to restructure staff without bearing the legal consequences, one career advisor said.

Will it work? Yes, but not without drawbacks: Even though employers are able to frame an employee’s resignation as their own choice (encouraged though it may be), it may negatively affect the morale of other employees who decide to stay, according to research firm Workplace Intelligence’s managing partner. Over time, valued and necessary employees might become demotivated, overworked, and lack creativity, prompting them, sooner or later, to look elsewhere for other jobs.

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