A lengthy commute has health consequences, study finds | How PepsiCo builds a strong talent pipeline | Flexible work arrangements still prevalent in finance
People with long commutes are more likely to deal with certain health issues, including being overweight, drinking excessively or experiencing sleep problems, according to a Stockholm University study. The study found that a commute of just two miles could contribute to these issues.
Part of PepsiCo's "people as assets" philosophy involves hiring 2,000 graduates every year to ensure the company is prepared to meet future leadership needs, shared Chief Human Resources Officer Ronald Schellekens. "Our early hiring programs are vital to this effort of building a pipeline, and we're proud that we've been tracking roughly the same number over at least the past two recruitment cycles," added a PepsiCo spokesperson.
Championing better health and wellbeing With the help of Alight, Siemens Energy is leading the way in becoming a steward of good health for its employees—while also improving outcomes and saving the organization significant costs. Read the Case Study.
May is Mental Health Month, which means it's a prime opportunity for leaders to review their policies and culture to ensure that employees are being taken care of and their needs are recognized, writes Shawna Seldon McGregor, the founder & CEO of Maverick Public Relations. Seldon McGregor offers three areas leaders should examine including benefits and policies and whether their culture encourages employees to speak up about their issues.
The US Department of Education in April launched the Career Z Challenge to help grow career options for high-school students as part of the "Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success" program. The program includes $2.5 million in grant funding designated to help expand career programs, such as apprenticeships.
Acting like you have command of a situation can backfire if it prevents you from learning how to handle it properly, author and executive coach Laura Gassner Otting writes. A beginner's mindset of learning new things and continuing to grow ultimately can cement you as a stronger communicator and businessperson.
Today's teacher tribute was written by Katie Parsons, SmartBrief Education's associate director of content. Her story is beautiful, and I had to share it with all of you. Enjoy!
The teachers that positively affected me the most -- the ones I still think of as an adult with five school-age children of my own -- are the ones who showed me kindness in the moments when I needed it. The one who stands out most to me is Mrs. Moore, my first-grade teacher who welcomed me into her classroom halfway through the school year.
She didn't scold me for crying a few times per day, or even when I fell asleep once during a read aloud. She didn't know that my whole world had been overturned in the months before I joined her class; that my dad had lost a job, our family had lost a home, and that I had lost all my neighborhood friends when we were forced to move back to the hometown where my parents grew up -- over six hours from the only home, and school, I'd ever known.
She didn't know how much I missed my best friend, or how much sleep I was losing to anxiety, or that I was eating free lunch every day. Well, knowing Mrs. Moore, she likely knew some of that.
She just saw a child who needed an extra person, a safe place, to come every day and just "be." She knew I wouldn't be able to learn if I didn't first feel welcomed, loved and accepted. She greeted me with a hug and always smiled when I approached her desk. She made me feel like I was enough, just as I was, whatever that looked like on a particular day.
By the end of that school year, I was a different kid -- one who could go a whole day, or two, without crying. I was a student who not only could read proficiently, but did it voraciously. I was confident, but not because I was particularly advanced in any of my academic subjects. I was able to adapt to the new life my family was facing because I had a safe place -- and a safe face -- to see every day when I went to school.
Thank you, Mrs. Moore. I hope you're still flashing warm smiles to first graders.
-- Katie Parsons, associate director of content, SmartBrief Education and Business Services
Who's made a difference in your world? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.
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