Almost half of employees don't feel "financially well," and 8 in 10 said employers had a role in providing financial education that can reduce stress. The topics employees wanted to learn about most were retirement planning, reducing credit card debt, saving for emergencies, paying off mortgages and buying a home. Full Story: BenefitsPRO (free registration) (6/30)
Summer is the time for early-career academics looking for fall faculty roles to craft cover letters, write Jennifer Furlong and Stacy Hartman, of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Creating drafts of these letters -- even before descriptions of potential jobs are made available -- can help with identifying and articulating professional goals, they write. Full Story: The Chronicle of Higher Education (6/29)
Study: People living near green spaces may live longer Research published in Science Advances found long-term exposure to green spaces may slow down biological age-related changes by about 2.5 years. The study, which examined molecular changes in the blood of over 900 people living in four US cities over 20 years, "shows that being near green space caused some biological or molecular changes that can be detected in our blood," principal investigator Lifang Hou said. Full Story: The Washington Post (6/28)
Benefits & Compensation
Employers can design plans to better serve cancer patients Nearly 2 million people in the US received a cancer diagnosis last year, and rising costs of cancer care can have a significant impact on employers that offer benefits. Practices like utilization management, formulary design and prior authorization can have a dampening effect on patients' access to needed care and therapies, but employers can ask to work closely with health insurance companies to construct plans that strike a balance between cost containment and comprehensive coverage, and they also can consider high-deductible health plans coupled with health savings accounts. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (6/29)
The HR Leader
Are you a visionary leader? Use this list to see Visionary leaders are aspirational, creative, inspiring and daring, but it can often be a bit tricky to see these traits in yourself, so Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger, the founders of branding company Motto, offer up nine traits you can look for in your own leadership. "Our takeaway is this: If you possess at least five of these nine traits, it's safe for you to think of yourself as being a visionary ... or a visionary-in-waiting at the very least," they write. Full Story: Fast Company (tiered subscription model) (6/29)
SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday, July 4 In observance of Independence Day in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Tuesday, July 4.
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
The Flag Act of April 4, 1818, provided for a star for every state added to the Union. How many stars were on the flag up to July 3, 1819? Check your answer here.
Two years ago, I participated in a panel discussion of education reporters and editors talking about the education beat and the future of the education journalist workforce. At one point the conversation turned to the topic of how we can nurture diversity in our field. I was the only person of color on the panel. I didn’t hold back. “The doors of opportunity are not locked,” I said. “They may not be swinging open, but they are not locked. Fifty years ago, someone like me -- a Native Hawaiian woman, single mother of two -- would not have my job. She wouldn’t be managing a team, and she certainly wouldn’t be managing one with men on it. We’ve made progress. We must acknowledge that if we’re going to make the field attractive to those coming up behind us. So young people, open the door, go sit at the table and then do really great work.” For all its sins, this country remains the land of opportunity. We have the freedom to become what we want to become. Does the road look the same for everyone? No. Some will be long, some short. Some will be dark, some well lit. Some will be windy and steep and you’ll have to be careful and go slow. Some will include detours you didn’t expect. Keep going. Don’t get stalled by things that seem unfair. Calibrate your personal GPS and stay the course. You have the freedom to pursue the life you want. And I’ll be here cheering for you 🙂 Happy Independence Day all! How can I serve you better with this brief? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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