Insider Finance - Business - Managers need to watch out

Hello, Insiders. This week I'm using this space to consider the reinvention of work in 2023. No group is forcing more change than Gen Z professionals.

Joining the workforce during a period of historically low unemployment, Gen Z professionals have been able to make demands of employers that previous generations could only dream of. They won't work long hours or tolerate toxic bosses. They will do only exactly what they are paid to do. The concept of a “dream job” makes them go "ick" because, honestly, work is just a small part of their lives.

When I consider this tremendous impact, I wonder two things. The first: Are we really talking about Gen Z-specific traits and desires? Or just what youthful people have always wanted? The second: This generation entered the workforce at a time when workers had all the power and companies had to bend over backward to attract them. Will that dynamic always hold? Let me know what you think: insidertoday@insider.com.

— Nicholas Carlson

Shortages of a “game changer” weight-loss drug are driving people to buy knockoffs online — but doctors warn it could be dangerous.

Semaglutide is the first FDA-approved drug for treating obesity in almost a decade. But almost as quickly as it burst onto the market, it’s become difficult to find. 

It’s also incredibly expensive to try it and to stay on it long term. Wegovy, designed to treat obesity, costs $1,349 a month. Ozempic, intended to treat type 2 diabetes, costs $892 a month. So some patients, who can’t find or afford the real thing, have resorted to “compounded” versions of the drug for a fraction of the price.

But here’s the thing that’s troubling doctors: Taking compounded drugs is safe if you know where the ingredients come from. In this case, we don’t. What we do know is that these versions don’t contain semaglutide — a patented drug that is not available for compounding. Experts warn that it’s difficult to know how safe or effective it might be.