The gig economy is here to stay, and there are ways to work productively with freelancers -- on top of paying them on time. "The best way to make those who gig feel valued is to connect them with their end customers so that they can get direct feedback on the service and support they've provided, and also see how they have made a difference to someone," writes Roger Beadle, co-founder of Limitless.

Flexible schedules and work arrangements, as well as new projects and roles, are two ways to help employees without increasing salary, writes Anastasiia Osypova, head of people, engagement and culture at Innovecs. "Another non-monetary motivator is to make employees happier by alleviating their home routine duties, giving access to engaging webinars, online courses, podcasts on healthy eating, meditation applications, back exercises, and much more," Osypova writes.

Managers can improve retention by finding the right way to motivate employees, says Liz Mason, founder of High Rock Accounting. Choosing the right communication style and making employees feel supported are two more ways for managers to up their game, Mason says.

Professional mentoring can extend to your personal working life, especially if you have children to juggle. Seek out co-workers with children of similar ages as well as older children to help you navigate balancing your home life with the company's culture.

Mental health self-monitoring platform Total Brain, in conjunction with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and One Mind at Work, used a random selection of 500 anonymous assessments to gauge shifts in mental health and well-being since February. Working women's level of depressed mood has increased 83% since February and anxiety levels increased 52%, compared to 36% and 29%, respectively, for working men, indicating the mental health toll of the pandemic is weighing disproportionately on women workers.

To convince your boss that you would like to work remotely permanently, prepare a one-page memo that outlines your reasons -- but focus on how the company would benefit from this arrangement and not how you would personally benefit. There are three "don'ts" to keep in mind when drafting your appeal, writes Arianne Cohen, and consider asking for a trial run.

Fire ants, whose stings are painful and can prompt a hospital visit, are moving from the southern US to farther up north as nighttime temperatures increase. The venomous ants were accidentally brought from South America to Alabama in the 1930s.