Initial jobless claims suggest labor market may be cooling | Employers offer perks to get people back to the office | 2 firms must pay $225K in EEOC suit over ASL interpreter
Initial jobless claims reached 229,000 last week, rising 27,000 from the previous week, according to the Labor Department. This is the first time that claims have been above the pre-pandemic average since the beginning of the year, suggesting the labor market may be beginning to cool.
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Companies are enticing employees back to the office with perks, improvements and policies such as child care, free scooter subscriptions for commuting, pet care stipends, free meals, casual dress codes, musical events, indoor and outdoor collaboration sites and recreational activities, HR leaders say. "Sharing conversation over a meal, getting face time with senior leaders and catching up with one another in a casual setting raises the energy of our workforce and overall engagement," says Jennifer Strauel, chief people and diversity officer for Arrivia.
Leading Is Tough. But You’ve Got This. It's not about changing your style—you'll just need to kick things up a notch. Kellogg Insight offers advice from one of the world's leading business schools via research, podcasts, and webinars. Approachable. Curious. Straightforward. Learn more »
A study on the use of flexible spending accounts shows that the vast majority of employees who have them are actively using them. About 89% of people with an FSA took a distribution from it in 2020, the average distribution was about $1,287, and the average contribution was $1,265; results also showed differences in how employees are using standard FSAs versus limited-purpose FSAs, which are applicable for some dental and vision expenses. LPFSAs saw an average contribution of $859, and 74% of users took a distribution from them.
Avoiding difficult circumstances out of fear can often make them worse and undermine a leader's power, writes Gregg Vanourek. Vanourek offers 14 strategies to confidently meet uncomfortable situations, including tackling smaller issues first, getting help from others and quieting negative self-talk.
Washington Spirit soccer player Trinity Rodman became the highest-paid player in National Women's Soccer League history when she signed a four-year deal at the beginning of this year reportedly valued at $1.1 million. Rodman, who also plays for the US Women's National Team, talks about her early roots in soccer and how she wants to build a name for herself as an athlete based on her own performance and not on the legacy of her NBA legend father, Dennis Rodman.
My dad is my hero but even as I say that, I’m not a Daddy’s girl. We’re close now, but our early relationship -- especially during my teen years -- was tense. We didn’t know how to talk with each other. And he was very tough on me. He had strict standards for me, as a student, an athlete and young adult.
“Nothing lower than a B.”
“No, you not trying out for cheerleading. You run. You play soccer. Let them cheer for you.”
“Who said that to you? OK. So, was she right? Well den, forget it. No, you not coming home. You’re fine. You’re staying.”
In hindsight, I’m truly glad Dad didn’t let up on me. His Teflon-like tactics built in me a toughness I’d need later in my adulthood, as a parent, a woman and a professional.
I admire Trinity’s honesty and compassion she extends to her father. She is taking the mature approach -- one driven by grace rather than anger. Does he deserve it? She doesn’t seem to waste time asking that question or dwelling on his shortcomings. Instead, she focuses on building her own athletic career and letting that relationship grow on its own.
Good for you, Trinity. That’s wisdom.
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