Icelandic women took to the streets to protest continued gender disparity. The Nordic Island nation that has the most gender equal society witnessed a nation-wide protest, which is their seventh since 1975’s historic walk-out, Bloomberg reports. The demonstration gathered over 25k women and nonbinary people to shed light on the 21% percentage point difference in the gender pay gap, the unequal distribution of unpaid work at home, and 40% of women who are subjected to violence. Lending her voice and presence to the crowd was Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir who also joined the demonstrations.

The protest brought the country’s economy to a standstill sparking nationwide concern. As thousands flocked to the country’s capital during the demonstration, establishments, such as the 80% female-staffed National University Hospital, came to a near stop. And with a population of approximately 400k it can be surmised that the protest triggered some alarm. Sigridur Margret Oddsdottir, the first woman to run the SA Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise, raised concerns about stopping the economy for a full day. Acknowledging the impact it has on the economy, she even suggested notifying supervisors to avoid the losses that can emerge from rallies of this magnitude.

Arewellbeing days the answer to employee happiness? With 77% of US workersfacing work-related stress last month and 57% experiencing workplace burnout it appears that wellbeing days, given to employees to spend on their mental health and, well, well-being, may be a welcome solution, according to the Financial Times. This day-off, which began during Covid-19 to mitigate the strain of working during the pandemic, became a permanent fixture for some companies. For instance, LID, a business book publisher, offers wellbeing days during periods where there are no official holidays for employees to break away from work and engage in enriching and often personal activities. Other businesses are taking it a step further: Adobe, Burberry, Bumble, and Virgin Money provide additional days off, extended breaks, or half-days during seasons, such as Christmas or the summer.

But if you have a culture of overworking, then wellbeing days are not enough. Jennifer Moss, the author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, highlights the importance of addressing mental health needs before they escalate and turn into a full-on burnout. She also proposes that the wellbeing days are planned in the company calendar and assigned for the entire labor force — not on an individual, or departmental basis. Not doing so would make employees apprehensive of missing out on a meeting or email, in turn, making employees anxious on a day that should help them unwind.

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