Applications for unemployment benefits declined by 4,000 to 228,000 during the week ending Aug. 26, according to the Labor Department. The four-week moving average of jobless claims increased slightly by 250 to 237,500.

When workers hear "It's all fine," or "It could be worse," the workplace has probably taken positivity to a toxic level, leading to denial of stress and other negative emotions, experts say. Seven practices that thwart toxic positivity include a coaching culture, transparency, active listening and accountable leaders.

Split-dollar life insurance may help employers attract and retain valuable employees, and it also provides benefits for employees, write attorneys Brian Balduzzi and Bryan Bloom. They discuss different kinds of split-dollar arrangements and note that "they can be a valuable estate planning vehicle for employees wishing to negotiate additional fringe benefits from their employers."

Leaders face stressful, challenging situations frequently, such as navigating difficult conversations, managing conflict or dealing with high-pressure deadlines, and it's important to apply leadership skills to yourself first before addressing others, writes emerging-leader coach and author Art Petty. "How you handle yourself in high-stakes, high-stress moments will set the right or wrong example" about how to be at your best when others are at their worst, Petty says, offering three ways to lead yourself through tough moments.

Inmates in California's adult prisons can now earn a master's degree in a partnership between the prisons and California State University, Dominguez Hills. So far, 33 inmates have enrolled to earn a master of arts in humanities that will involve two years of Zoom and correspondence classes.

In observance of Labor Day in the US, SmartBrief will not publish Monday, Sept. 4.