Open-plan offices have raised privacy and noise concerns among workers, and some companies have responded by creating more private spaces such as huddle or focus areas, phone booths and lactation pods, where people can get a reprieve or work quietly. Many employers have created wellness rooms for all employees, allowing for a variety of activities, including taking a nap.

Competition for employees is increasing as more fast-casual restaurants are launched, and employers are facing rising wages and health care costs, Chop Chop Rice CEO David Smith writes. He recommends employers focus on eight best practices for hiring the best employees, including evaluating turnover and retention, improving training and hiring for work ethic.

A Health Care Cost Institute report states per-person health care spending for those with employer-sponsored coverage increased 4.4% in 2018, while health care utilization climbed 1.8% from 2017 to 2018, the fastest pace in the five-year period studied.

Walmart's Live Better U, an initiative aimed at helping employees earn bachelor's or associate's degrees, has graduated its first class of 30 workers. The program has 12,000 Walmart employees enrolled, and will now see more graduated monthly, the company said.

Empathy and self-awareness can help leaders motivate employees when digital transformation is jeopardized by inertia and other threats, writes Sanjay Malhotra. He points out that "[f]or most organizations, the human aspects of change will be a greater challenge than the technology."