Emotional intelligence requires self-examination, such as being aware of how your behavior affects people, showing appreciation, rooting out biases and asking for guidance, writes John R. Stoker, who provides 10 questions for self-assessment. "Noticing patterns of behavior and results is one key to making important changes," he writes.

President Joe Biden's $6 trillion budget proposal includes a budget hike for the unit within the Labor Department that examines the rights of gig workers. The proposal states that the government is "committed to ending the abusive practice of misclassifying employees as independent contractors, which deprives these workers of critical protections and benefits."

The New Jersey seaside town of Wildwood expects big crowds but has struggled to attract workers, particularly an airbrush artist to work in one of David Zarfati's five stores. Zarfati spent weeks looking for an artist -- even securing then losing one -- and offered incentives and bonuses for the job, which can bring in $30,000 for a summer of work.

A Willis Towers Watson survey shows that the pandemic has spurred large employers to pay more attention to voluntary, employee-paid benefits such as hospital indemnity and critical illness plans that could help protect against unexpected expenses. About 93% of employers surveyed also said they planned to offer their staff members financial counseling benefits through an existing provider in the next two years.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari says women are becoming more able to return to employment as coronavirus conditions ease, and their return is essential for ensuring that currently rising inflation is kept under control. "I believe we are going to bring women back into the labor force and workers who have been displaced, but if we fail to do that, then these high inflation readings would become a lot more concerning because then it would signal we are overheating the economy," he said.

"Help Wanted" signs are posted in windows all over New York City, but the city's unemployment rate is 11.4%, double the national average. Anne Kadet talked to some of the New Yorkers who are still out of work, and they had a variety of explanations, some ideological and others practical.

The Kpone landfill in Ghana is the final destination point for huge quantities of used clothing exported from the US that can't be resold. It's not cool because smoke from burning clothing and other waste at the landfill has a detrimental impact on people nearby and the surrounding environment.