Eighty percent of US employees say they have freedom to work anywhere, but just 12% think this will extend to next year, and the thought of having to commute again is not popular, with 52% saying they'd rather wash dishes and 40% declaring they'd prefer to clean their toilets, according to a RingCentral survey conducted by Ipsos. The study also revealed a disconnect between leaders and workers, with 43% of the former wanting to go back to the office, compared with 16% of the latter.

Private payrolls gained 534,000 jobs last month, an ADP report found, higher than the expectations of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. November marked the third consecutive month with gains above 500,000.

A Unum poll finds two-thirds of US employees intend to spend more time this year considering their open-enrollment choices. In addition, 57% of workers plan to enroll in new benefits and key focuses will be mental health and finances.

Amazon's failure to deliver pay and benefits shocked the HR community as a whole. But this misstep reveals a larger picture: Technology troubles can hit any business, no matter the size.

Research suggests that autonomy is neither entirely good nor entirely bad when it comes to team performance. Leaders should consider what kind of autonomy they are offering their subordinates and recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Her name is Stacy. She gave me my first job in publishing, in 1998, just before my daughter was born. She was tough, smart and successful.

Stacy kicked my tail. We were a two-person ad sales team with a territory covering most of the Western United States. I had never done that type of work before and Stacy pushed me out of my comfort zone. There was no time to be apprehensive or shy. I had to jump in with both feet. That first year was hard; I thought about quitting often. But, I was a young, single mother and needed the income and benefits. So, I stayed.

It’s one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned a ton from Stacy -- lessons I carry with me to this day. Be tough. Be assertive. Guard your yield. Be prepared. Mind your money. If you don’t know something, figure it out. Ask questions. Eat well. Drink good wine. Take time off to be with your children. Take care of your body. Freedom comes when you can stand on your own two feet.

Today’s Leadership & Development story reminded me of Stacy. She became one of my closest friends and helped make the B2B publishing world home to me. She had a huge hand in the success of my career, even after I moved into editorial. I’m deeply grateful to her mentorship and influence.

Who are your Stacys? Let me know! And if you enjoy this brief, tell others so they can benefit also.