At the height of the pandemic, major companies like Amazon, Walmart, Walgreens and CVS expanded benefits for workers, including access to more paid sick leave. Now, some of them are starting to pull back on those benefits. The benefit expansion seemed to signal the arrival of a more worker-centered workplace, but could the cuts signal a return to the way things were before the pandemic? We talk to Brian Kropp, a VP at the consulting firm Gartner, about why some companies are walking back expanded leave and what that might say about the future of the employee-first workplace. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading Sick With Covid, Americans Feel the Pressure to Power Through at Work   Calling In Sick or Going on Vacation, Workers Aren’t Showing Up This Summer  More Companies Under Pressure to Provide Paid Sick Leave  WSJ’s Life & Work Coverage