House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stated that the House will consider the $15-minimum-wage proposal "in the near future," following its removal from the COVID-19 relief bill because of Senate rules. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that an alternative Republican proposal for a gradual increase to the minimum wage to $10 would be "worth discussing."

A majority of job applications were on mobile devices last year, according to data analyzed by Appcast. Independent contractor, or "gig," positions were among the industries most likely to receive mobile applications.

Employees concerned about whether their retirement benefits will last long enough can consider options such as a lifetime income annuity, which converts a portion of retirement savings into a regular source of income. "Eighty percent of employees who have guaranteed lifetime income in retirement -- like an in-plan annuity -- say they feel confident in their progress toward their long-term savings goals, compared to 45% of those who do not have a source of guaranteed lifetime income," writes Amanda Schiavo, citing a TIAA Retirement Insights survey.

Women hold less than a quarter of all STEM positions, in part because girls lack the mentorships necessary to encourage them to pursue a STEM education, writes Girls SySTEM Mentorship Program founder Kathryn Lauren Hong, who is also a medical student and clinical researcher. Hong writes in this commentary about the support needed by middle- and high-school girls in STEM and how the perspectives and ideas of women benefit all of society.

The pandemic has emphasized that internal communication requires greater choice for employees, writes Kristin Graham, a former Amazon executive. Some ways to do this include holding shorter, camera-optional meetings, providing on-demand learning content, and offering transcripts and closed captioning for important communications.

Remember when Zoom calls first became routine? Suddenly, we’re ditching sweats and messy buns for button-down blouses and tidy hair and makeup. Rooms are clean and children and dogs are shooed to other areas of the home.

Fast forward one year. The messy bun is back and the button-down has been traded for the athleisure gear. Makeup optional.

We didn’t become lazy. We got comfortable letting people see the real us -- dogs, kids and all.

Today’s HR Leader story talks about how business communication has taken a similar path. Effective communication used to be formal meetings with four-color PowerPoint slide decks and scripted presentations. Those still have a place, but now, effective communication happens on the fly, in-person or online, with the goal of being more responsive and capturing ideas as they develop. What would have previously been considered haphazard is now routine. “Messy is the new credibility,” says Kristin Graham.
 

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