A four-day workweek pilot project involving 61 companies with 2,900 workers that took place from June to December of 2022 offered promising results. Fifty-six companies have extended the arrangement -- including 18 that have permanently moved to a four-day workweek -- and most employees had lower levels of burnout by the end of the experiment.

Firms have for years used software that analyzes millions of data points to identify job candidates, promotion prospects and retention priorities, but companies are turning to such software to assist with job cuts. "They suddenly are just being used differently," says Joseph Fuller, a Harvard University professor who co-heads the Managing the Future of Work initiative.

Just a third of US workers use employers' wellness perks and about half sign up for retirement plans, possibly due to ineffective communication, researchers have found. Incentives will inspire more participation if they're tested before a wide introduction, promoted effectively and reviewed, Harvard Business School professor Leslie John says.

School districts nationwide are working to build more career exploration into high school. Such programs help engage students in learning, and in the New Albany, Miss., school district, Superintendent Lance Evans says a successful internship program helps expose students to careers they may otherwise not have considered and get a sense of the pathway before investing time and money in a college education or other training.

Employees are more engaged and innovative when they feel psychologically safe to express themselves in meetings and they know that failure will be treated as a learning experience and not punished, write Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman. Leaders can ensure this safety by listening deeply and creating ground rules and opportunities to speak up and collaborate in meetings, they write.

The final tally is here.