Gen Z employees are increasingly engaging in 'career catfishing,' where they accept job offers but fail to show up on their first day, according to a survey by CV Genius. This trend is seen globally, with 33% of Gen Z and 25% of Millennials admitting to the practice. Recruitment expert Tammie Christofis Ballis says this behavior is common and recalls a candidate who was hired for a job, catfished the company, and then later reapplied to that same company for another job. Full Story: New York Post (3/10)
Recruiting & Retention
Education Department to lay off half its workforce Education Department officials said it will lay off more than 1,300 employees, reducing its workforce by half as part of a plan to dismantle the agency. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the goal is to reduce bureaucracy and disburse more funds. Full Story: The Associated Press (3/11)
Employers urged to remind staff about FSA deadline The grace period for flexible spending accounts ends March 15, and employees should be reminded to use any remaining funds, experts say. FSAs can cover a wide range of expenses from medical visits to baby products, but many people likely are unaware of their full benefits. "Make them aware of deadlines, let them know whether they have that grace period extension and make sure they see the breadth of what's eligible with their accounts," said Joe Giordano of the FSA Store. Full Story: Employee Benefit News (free registration) (3/11)
Path to Workforce
Math education aids reentry, success after incarceration Education programs, such as the Bard Prison Initiative, offer a path to economic success for inmates after their release, with math literacy playing a key role in reducing recidivism and increasing employment opportunities. Hancy Maxis, who earned a math degree while incarcerated, is now an assistant director at Montefiore Medical Center. Full Story: The Hechinger Report (3/7)
The HR Leader
Report: HR struggles to act on feedback HR departments are increasingly collecting employee feedback but are struggling to act on it because of heavy workloads, according to a report from Perceptyx. While 95% of HR leaders have maintained or increased listening efforts, only 27% are confident these programs will lead to desired outcomes, down from 43% in 2024, the report found. Full Story: HR Dive (3/10)
About the Editor
Reflections
(Kanoe Namahoe)
I was eight years old, sitting at the dinner table with Dad, a page of math problems between us. Dad was supposed to be helping me learn how to add fractions. It wasn’t going well. “It’s so simple! It’s so simple!” he growled, shaking his head and jabbing his giant finger at the worksheet. I remember staring at the page, silently begging God to unscramble my brain so I could finally make sense of the numbers. They always eluded me and I hated that. I eventually made my peace with math, thanks to a statistics class in college. I gained a new respect for numbers and the people who spoke its secret language. They seemed capable of being able to do anything. So I wasn’t surprised to see, in today’s Path to Workforce story, that math is helping people who are or were incarcerated find success. There’s Hancy Maxis who earned his bachelor’s degree in math while in prison and, after his release, got a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He now works at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. And then there’s Jeffrey Abramowitz who served five years in federal prison and then took a job teaching math to adults. He now works as the CEO of The Petey Greene Program, an organization providing educational programs and services to current and former felons. They help folks prepare for education and the workforce. Math was the pathway to success for these folks and others featured in the story. They muscled through the rigor and gained a new lease on life. Right on! Are you a math person? How has it helped you in your career? For those of you who don't consider yourselves math people, has that been a deficit in your work? Let me know! I'm curious about this topic. Do you enjoy this brief? Share it with others. Want different stories? Something about it bug you? Tell me. In the words of Frasier Crane, “I’m listening.”
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