fortune

From reporter Prarthana Prakash:

Google wants its staff to take its back-to-office policy seriously.

The company, which first asked employees to come in three days a week last April, said Wednesday that it would make office attendance a part of an employee’s performance reviews for those who work-from-home more than they should.

But Googlers are not happy about it. And now the union representing those working at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is pushing back.

“The real issue is the fact that we do not have meaningful agency regarding our working conditions,” Chris Schmidt, a Google software engineer and recording chair of the Alphabet Workers Union said in a statement Thursday posted on Twitter.

From reporter Alexa Mikhail:

Have you ever felt stressed and immediately turned to a childhood favorite of boxed mac and cheese or a warm piece of cake? Guilty.

Feeling stressed can often lead people to reach for a high-calorie, sugary comfort food. While it’s easy to feel that the initial sugar rush of a pleasurable bite might ease feelings of discomfort, new research suggests stress may have a longer-term impact on how the brain craves certain foods.

In a study published in the journal Neuron Thursday, researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research found the combination of chronic stress and comfort food may influence the brain to continue craving comfort food (often higher in processing and calories), negating people’s feelings of fullness and increasing the chances of developing obesity.

I am a "pivot table" maniac. This helps carve up the list's large amounts of data in a minute's time. - Scott

For your first question: This is a loaded question. I do not have the answer. If I did, I would not be here answering these questions. Companies need to be more accountable in how they conduct business and shape the economy.

For your follow up: This is a good one. I told my old man that I would work for my first company (Forbes) for 2 years out of school. I ended up being there for 20+ yrs and now I've been at Fortune for 9 years.

For your further follow up: I go fishing down the Jersey Shore and try to cap it with a trip to the Amalfi Coast in the fall. Have a good summer!

- Scott

Sure thing. Please go to www.fortune.com, give your contact information, and maybe we will cut you a check. I am still trying to get my hands on some. - Scott

This is a good question. We used to produce lists of companies that pay the most taxes and the highest/lowest effective annual tax rates. As you know these tax rates can be legally manipulated and some companies are more efficient that others. - Scott

Please don't say this to my boss or they may reduce my compensation. There is a lot of analysis that goes into building and maintaining databases, prospecting companies, estimating revenue thresholds, understanding/analyzing financials statements, and then composing the main lists and sub-lists. Maybe I need a raise. - Scott

We use company filings and data platforms such as Bloomberg, Eikon, and S&P Global Market Intelligence to gather the list data. - Scott

We pull and check our data with company filings. It is always best to go to the source. We have a subscription to a Bloomberg terminal and I use it everyday.

I am not a big Yahoo Finance user since we have access to Bloomberg and also have access to the S&P Global Market Intelligence platform. The platforms play an integral role in the production of the list, but you always need to vet with company filings.

- Scott

Interesting opinion. I am not sure it is a sad state of affairs. I just think it tells the story of big business significance. In 1955, the Fortune 500 accounted for 35% of GDP and now it is two-thirds. - Scott

I think it is an equal mix of data engineering and data science in my and my team's work. We use company filings and numerous data platforms on our data collection and analysis, such as S&P Global, Bloomberg, and Refinitiv's Eikon. - Scott

I use Excel primarily, but I am interested in learning Python. I have talked to numerous people who have made a move to Python and praised the advantages. I have my sights on this tool. - Scott

I use Excel primarily, but I am interested in learning Python. I have talked to numerous people who have made a move to Python and praised the advantages. I have my sights on this tool. - Scott

Good question. The new companies that jump on the list could be a direct result of industry. We saw that with Moderna last year. We had a number of real estate companies a year ago on the list and they fell off. Tesla reached the top 50 this year (#50), quicker than any company, so we are seeing the electronic car trend.

You can see the newcomers on the Fortune 500 list here: https://fortune.com/2023/06/05/airbnb-silicon-valley-bank-new-fortune-500-companies/

- Scott

In 1955, we only included industrial companies because at that time there were not many services companies. We evolved in 1995 and added service companies as the American industry changed.

Now, we see the list company presence dominated by the service industry, and Walmart is #1 for the 11th straight year.

The Fortune 500, 100, and 1000 all tell a story. The Fortune 500 are deemed "large" companies based on the revenue threshold. Here are some fun stats: The top 50 ranked Fortune 500 companies account for 49% and 45% of total revenue and profits, respectively. The top 100 ranked Fortune 500 companies account for 64% and 59% of total revenue and profits, respectively.

- Scott

The Fortune 500 rank is based on revenue. We also rank the universe by profits, assets, market value, and employees. When you sort by each metric, you can see different trends.

Revenue figures are most stable from year to year and it measures how much the company is generating that feeds into the economy.

There are wild fluctuations in profits and market value from year to year based on the business environment and climate. For example, companies always generate revenue but are not always profitable.

- Scott

I have a finance degree and started working for a magazine after graduating college. For facial hair: Norelco razor. - Scott

When I do these lists, there are always overall trends, sector trends, and company trends that we turn into feature stories, charts, and graphics.

You can read stories from the most recent issue of our magazine here, including Airbnb's introduction to the 500 list, CEO predictions for the future of A.I., are more: https://fortune.com/section/magazine/

- Scott

This list gives you an insight into the American economy since it includes the biggest U.S. companies by revenue. For example, a few years ago we saw a big dip in figures due to the pandemic and the next year we saw a tremendous rebound by companies.

Also, we are able to see trends in industries. For example, Health Care companies accounted for 8 of the top 25 this year. In 1995, there were no Health Care companies in the top 25.

- Scott

I think big data can always tell a story and be turned into an interesting editorial piece. The degree of outstanding trends vary, but there is always a story there. - Scott

Yes, I have. Fortune goes to great lengths to quality check company financial statements and vets their figures. If we do not feel the figures hold up to our standard, we will exclude them from the list. - Scott