An employee at Macy's concealed up to $154 million in expenses, prompting the company to postpone its Q3 earnings release. Macy's CEO Tony Spring emphasized the company's focus on resolving the issue and maintaining customer service during the holiday season. Full Story: Yahoo (11/25),The Wall Street Journal (11/25)
Discover the Top 2025 Workplace Trends Employee expectations are changing. Leadership, culture, and innovation are at the forefront of workplace transformation in 2025. See how in Arbinger's latest research report.
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Recruiting & Retention
Home ownership aid can bolster employee well-being Employers can enhance employee well-being by incorporating home ownership assistance into financial wellness programs, writes David Stedman of BrightDime. Home ownership is a key component of the American dream and a significant factor in wealth accumulation, but financial stress significantly affects productivity, morale and job satisfaction. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (11/18)
Living to 100 Living longer in retirement has implications for retirement planning and outcomes. Explore key aspects to consider for a secure retirement. GET PAPER
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Leadership & Development
Trump nominates Chavez-DeRemer for Labor secretary President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., to be labor secretary, a move that has drawn praise from unions and criticism from conservatives. Chavez-DeRemer, who lost her reelection bid, is one of the few Republicans who has supported the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, and her nomination has drawn mixed reactions, with support from labor unions and criticism from some conservative groups. Full Story: CNN (11/22),The Associated Press (11/22)
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Ultraprocessed foods linked to biological aging A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition links ultraprocessed foods to accelerated biological aging. Researchers used data from the Moli-sani Study in Italy to analyze the association, noting that factors beyond poor nutritional content, such as altered food matrices and contact materials, might contribute to the effect. Full Story: Medscape (11/20)
A survey by AHIP shows that 75% of American workers are satisfied with their employer-provided health insurance, citing comprehensive coverage, affordability and provider choice. The poll also found that 76% of respondents feel their insurance would protect them in a major medical emergency, and 80% say health benefits influence their decision to remain at their current jobs. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (11/21)
The HR Leader
Why entrepreneurs should hire superstars and take risks Founders should take more risks, hire more "rock star" employees and focus on aligning their leadership team with the company's vision, strategy and values so they can operate independently, allowing founders to step back from day-to-day specifics, says Wonder founder Marc Lore. "When you get that dialed in with your team, and they get that dialed in with their own team, everybody moves in the right direction," Lore says. Full Story: TechCrunch (tiered subscription model) (11/24)
Some of the "Hollywood Ten" -- moviemaking creatives investigated by a 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee into communist affiliations in the industry -- eventually got past a blacklist and continued working. Who among these them wrote the screenplay for "M*A*S*H" (1970)?
It was a Saturday morning and my nerves were in shreds. I was sitting in the office of a sweet gal named Kathy, a loan officer who worked with my best friend Jen. Jen had referred me to her knowing that I wanted to buy a home but had some concerns, especially about the loan qualification process. “Just talk to her,” Jen encouraged me. “She’s wonderful. She’ll never judge and she’ll be honest about your options.” So I spilled everything to Kathy -- my divorce, how it cratered my finances and how I had worked to heal from that situation. How I had a good job and a stable employment history. How I was raising two kids and I really wanted this for them. It felt like one long breath. When I finally stopped talking, I looked up to find her smiling gently at me. “Ok, Kanoe,” she said. “Can I run your credit now?” I took a deep breath before I answered. “Yes,” I said, closing my eyes. “Let’s get this over with.” A few seconds later, Kathy began talking. My situation was not bad at all, she said, her voice pleased. My eyes flew open and I saw the scores on the monitor in front of me. A tsunami of emotion hit me and I began sobbing quietly into my hands. Kathy was still talking -- her back was to me, looking at a different monitor -- so she didn’t see me until she turned around. “See, Kanoe, this isn’t –- ay mija! What is this? Are you crying? Ay no mija! Are those happy tears at least?” She began fumbling about looking for tissues, clearly concerned about the crying nutjob sitting on the other side of her desk. I tried to collect myself. “I’m so sorry, Kathy. This is so unprofessional,” I said, wiping my eyes and trying to steady my breathing. “No mija, it’s okay! Don’t worry,” she said, and I noticed her eyes were red too. I gave her a wobbly smile. She reached across the desk and held my hand tightly. “Now, let’s talk about your options.” A 2023 poll by Lending Tree found that 94% of consumers consider home ownership part of the American dream, though 51% say they don’t believe they will be able to do it. Lack of down payment and high home prices were cited as primary obstacles. Promoting homeownership within employer-sponsored financial wellness programs can turn this picture around, according to our Recruitment & Retention story today. Working with a financial professional can help people identify and break bad practices, set up a workable budget, and begin piecing their lives and homeownership dreams back together. It can also help boost employee retention and foster commitment to the organization. What do you think? Is this a program you could potentially offer? Would this help reduce turnover? Let me know! Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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