| The former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski said college is part of the American Dream and shouldn’t become a financial nightmare for students and their families. Little wonder, then, that student-loan repayment benefits are becoming a big component of financial wellness in the workplace. Read how.—The Ragan Team TOP READS Interest in student-debt relief grows as organizations receive CARES Act incentives. How PwC and other organizations are enhancing student-loan repayment programs.  We’re tracking the transformation of workplace wellness. Help us by taking this brief survey. Share how wellness is changing at your organization. We’ll keep all responses confidential. Giving your employees a little space opens a new way of thinking about the workplace. A managing partner at Finn shares tips on workplace well-being and sailing through a storm. Curating the week in wellness February 9th – 12th 2021: Looming health care changes; supporting working moms, and more. The week’s essential content and fresh industry pickings for those dedicated to employee well-being. More articles. Visit our website for additional trend stories, research, case studies and more. RESEARCH Here’s what workers are thinking, and what they need from their employers, a year into the pandemic. Surveyed employees say that they feel more productive and happy when given the ability to work remotely, but many would reject the deal if it came with a lower salary and no other benefits. Pushing for more meaningful DE&I progress in 2021. McKinsey argues it’s time for a new approach toward building racial equity, but what might that look like? Read on for fresh ideas to turn good intentions into genuine inclusion. STAT OF THE WEEK 
Workers have an ambivalent relationship with employers nearly a year into the pandemic, according to new research. They like working from home, but are less likely to take a pay cut to do it. And they favor various remote-work perks. Coalition of advocacy groups issues an 8-point worker-safety agenda. More than 100 organizations call for immediate action to reverse Trump-era policies and ensure workplace protection from COVID-19. 
RESOURCES OF THE WEEK Want to know what really enhances job satisfaction—with data that executives can’t ignore? Check out Ragan's Salary & Workplace Culture Survey, and learn whether your salary structure is within the norm and whether you're doing all you can to foster workplace happiness and optimize the employee experience.
Are you ready for your workforce to come back to the office? Communications will be at the heart of any successful effort to reboard your employees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s how to plan for a changed business world. | 
