BlackRock, Commonwealth and other partners developed a systemic approach for helping employees set aside money for emergencies, write Commonwealth's Timothy Flacke and Peter Tufano, who describe how the initiative focused on making the challenge a workplace issue, reviewed consumer research to understand need and pushed for legislation that allows retirement plans to include emergency savings options. "In the last few years, we have helped over 10 million workers collectively put away $2 billion in emergency savings and set the stage, we hope, for a permanent tool to aid workers facing financial insecurity," they write.

Many employers have eliminated college degree requirements in job postings, but few companies are actually hiring people who lack degrees, write Joseph Fuller, a faculty co-chair of the Project on Managing the Future of Work at Harvard Business School, and Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute. Embrace skills-based hiring by identifying necessary skills and determining meaningful certifications, providing programs to help new employees adapt to the workplace, focusing on promoting from within first and celebrating success stories, they write.

The attorneys general of 18 states have filed a lawsuit arguing that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's guidance on federal workplace protections for transgender people improperly expands Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The guidance allows employers to face liability if they purposely refer to workers by pronouns that do not align with their gender identity, fail to let workers use bathrooms in accordance with their gender identity, or harass a worker whose appearance is different from what is commonly "associated with that person's sex."

Job-seekers are expressing frustration on social media over entry-level job listings seeking extensive qualifications, suggesting a shift towards skills-based hiring rather than an emphasis on formal education. Reports indicate a growing barrier to employment due to the lack of relevant skills or experience, prompting suggestions for alternative skill-building avenues like online training programs and freelance work.

Company culture is similar to how the body's vagus nerve regulates our physiological and emotional responses, so leaders can create psychological safety with techniques such as active listening, empowerment, recognition and providing growth opportunities, write Randy Brazie and Geoffrey Vanderpal, the cofounders of NeuroConsulting Group LLC. Leaders must also be aware of danger signs such as micromanagement, poor communication and a culture of blame that can undermine safety and loyalty.