Work / Life Issues

Cutting benefits can backfire

05/18/2026

Before you cut benefits, consider the consequences. While employees won’t necessarily quit over benefit changes, they often see the removal of benefits as a broken promise.

Is it time to offer more benefits for singles?

04/20/2026

The number of unmarried individuals has grown substantially, with almost 47% of American adults remaining unpaired. Among the generational cohorts entering the labor force now, a great many are single and plan to stay that way. And that may change how employers approach benefits.

As student loan SAVE ends, here’s HR’s role

04/13/2026

It’s likely that most employers have employees who will soon have to make budget adjustments to accommodate repayment. HR plays a crucial role in educating employees on the new rules and reminding affected employees about any options they have under their employer’s benefit programs.

Survey: Financial stress reshaping work and retention

04/06/2026

Nearly half of employees say they have changed jobs due to financial stress, while close to seven in 10 have considered doing so or reducing their hours. This positions financial well-being as a direct driver of turnover, not just an employee experience issue.

RTO mandates make child care benefits essential

04/06/2026

If your organization is serious about a return-to-work mandate, it’s time to consider providing enhanced child care benefits. Why? You may lose a significant portion of your workforce, especially women, if you remove the flexibility of remote work and replace it with a strict in-the-office requirement.

Should you offer early access to worker pay?

03/30/2026

Earned wage access benefits allow workers to receive the pay they have earned before their regular payday. These offer stressed workers an alternative to credit card charges and payday lending with its sky-high interest rates. And employers are increasingly offering earned wage benefits for their workers to help them manage their financial lives without paying interest or racking up late fees for their household bills.

Study cites heartbreak as a reason for workplace absences

03/09/2026

Romantic breakups are quietly affecting workplace productivity, according to a new survey of 1,020 U.S. workers by career platform Zety. One in three employees say they’ve taken sick leave or PTO to recover from a breakup.

Caregiver benefits gain ground as employees juggle work and aging parents

03/09/2026

Millions of employees now log off from full workdays only to begin hours of unpaid caregiving at home, whether for young children or aging parents. As the U.S. population ages, that dual role has pushed more employers to expand paid leave and caregiver support.

Should you add an emergency 401(k) withdrawal benefit?

03/02/2026

Just 4% of employers offering 401(k) plans have amended them to allow the new $1,000 emergency withdrawals authorized under SECURE 2.0, according to financial services firm Vanguard.

High job satisfaction, low engagement: HR’s uncomfortable contradiction

02/23/2026

A new survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research paints a striking picture of the American workforce in 2025. Employees who broadly value their jobs and benefits packages remain stubbornly disengaged, financially stressed and skeptical about what the future holds.