Avoid traffic jams with a short-haul aircraft vehicle + Are you taking your sick leaves for the right reason?

We’re approaching our Jetsons era: Silicon Valley-based company Pivotal has manufactured a single-seat aircraft vehicle, Helix, with deliveries expected as early as next June, the Economist reports. The all-electric aircraft is aimed at recreational and short-hop travel. It will be fitted with user-friendly features, including auto takeoff and landing, and cruise control, according to the Economist.

Who will be able to pilot Helix? The model is primarily designed for personal, public service and defense applications, and comes at the base price of USD 190k per unit, according to Flying magazine. The aircraft has been built in accordance with America’s federal aviation regulations. Although Pivotal claims that a pilot license is not necessary to fly the aircraft over non-built-up areas, Helix buyers will still need to undertake Helix-provided training to fly the model. Helix did not provide further details on the nature of the training.

More people are taking sick days — and the definition of a “sick day” is growing broader in the US, with younger employees in particular feeding into this phenomenon, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some 30% of all white-collar workers in the US have taken sick leave at some point this year — up nine percentage points from those who took time off using a sick day throughout the entirety of 2019, the WSJ reports, citing data from payroll data company Gusto. The uptick is most pronounced among employees aged 25-34, compared to older generations, which typically shy away from taking time off to avoid casting doubts on their reliability, the data indicates.

The problem: Employers and business owners say the unplanned time off is starting to bite, with the uptick in sick days among employees costing companies foregone productivity time from their staff, the Journal notes. Automotive player Stellantis, for example, recorded a 10.9% loss in “hourly worker time” in 2022 due to unplanned absenteeism.

Some are embracing more sick leave — and seeing the potential benefits: The provision of sick leave benefits is actually growing among companies in the US, with some states passing legislation requiring companies to offer sick leave to take care of family members, and several companies are lifting caps on the number of sick days available per year. Some employers are also seeing the potential to increase employee loyalty and productivity when offering comfortable policies and benefits such as increased sick leave allowance, the WSJ says.