The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Coming out|Marking a first in Czech football, AC Sparta midfielder came out as gay on Twitter. The team said in a statement that the player "spoke openly about his sexual orientation with the club's management, coach and teammates some time ago." AC Sparta concluded with "everything else concerns his personal life." Read more in our story.

Office culture|Despite the fact that the majority of employees had planned to go back to the office for 2–3 days a week in both 2021 and 2022, actual occupancy rates in corporate offices around Europe currently stand at only 35 percent, according to a new study conducted by Colliers in collaboration with the workplace occupancy analytics platform Basking.io. Read more in our story.

Spotify recommendations|In case you were wondering what U.S. Ambassador to Prague is listening to, you can check out his playlist on Spotify, which the U.S. Embassy in Prague shared on Facebook. His tastes range from Lorde to The Lumineers, Radiohead and Maggie Rogers.

Retirement age|Retirement ages in Czechia may be changing, though a government spokesman says so far it is just a proposal. People now in their 50s would retire at 66, those in their 40s at 67, and people younger than 34 at 68, Czech Television reported, citing a Labor Ministry document that the government parties discussed last week. Read more in our story.

Diplomas for trans students|Students in Czechia who have undergone a gender transition may be issued diplomas to reflect the change, based on a new draft governmental amendment. The amendment would contribute to minimizing discrimination against trans people when presenting their qualifications. Read more in our story.

Pedestrian bridge|The pedestrian footbridge linking Prague's Holešovice and Karlín neighborhoods has been under construction for the past year, and is on schedule to open this spring, according to Prague 8 officials. The new bridge will save residents and others in the neighborhood a significant amount of travel time. Read more in our story.

Kokoschka on sale|A painting by expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka will go on sale on March 19 through the Prague auction house Adolf Loos Apartment and Gallery. Painted in 1920, "Woman and Slave" (Frau mit dem Sklaven), which shows the artist as a slave and his former lover and model Alma Mahler as his owner, will have a starting price of CZK 200 million.

Czech design|Until March 18, aficionados of Czech design will have a chance to see part of an exhibition of contemporary Czech designers organized in Brussels the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The "Design and Transformation exhibition. Stories of Czech design 1990–2020" is at the UM Gallery in the UMPRUM building.

Internet comes to Czechia| On Feb. 13, 1992, Czechoslovakia was officially connected to the internet. The first institution to be connected was the Czech Technical University in Prague.