Employers have the upper hand right now with pay increases and remote work mandates, according to a new survey from Payscale. The data show that fewer employers plan to give raises this year -- 79% compared to 86% last year -- and that in-person work is up to 31%, an increase from 27% last year.

Clorox's unlimited paid time off policy for corporate salaried staff has increased employee retention since launching two years ago, bringing "financial value to the company," according to Laura Baruch, vice president of total rewards.

A new MetLife study found employees are more likely to experience stress, burnout and depression than they did before the pandemic as they face a "permacrisis state" brought on by inflation, wars and other global problems. "When employers aren't prioritizing delivering care to their employees, they risk a workforce that's not only less holistically healthy and happy, but also less engaged, loyal and productive," says MetLife group benefits head Todd Katz, who emphasizes employers should offer quality benefits to support people's financial, physical and mental well-being.

Generative AI will help employers automate candidate screenings, speed up the interviewing and onboarding process and reduce repetitive tasks, says WorkFusion CEO Adam Famularo, who recommends defining AI goals and preparing employees by showing them how AI will open up new opportunities and help them do their jobs. "Innovative companies are exploring their options with technology, such as how to better empower and grow existing employees and how to automate lower value work to improve the employee experience, uplevel job skills and training, and reduce burnout -- since AI can do the more mundane and painful parts of a job that no one wants to do," Famularo says.

Workplace stress can impede productivity and safety, and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health suggests a three-step prevention process: Identify the source, design and implement interventions and evaluate results. Informal discussions to identify sources of stress may also yield prevention ideas, some of which may be narrowly focused and easily implemented, and others of which may be broader and require more time.