Caring for someone from a distance comes with unique challenges. Just because you’re conducting your duties from afar does not mean the quality of care needs to be any different. Even when hands-on assistance is not possible, knowing how to best adapt to long-distance caregiving can help make the process easier for both you and the person you’re caring for.

The National Safety Council (NSC) found that 1 in 12 workers is dealing with an untreated “substance use disorder” (SUD). Even if employers don’t see it, which is more likely with remote and hybrid work arrangements, substance use, misuse and addiction likely remain prevalent among their workforce.

Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the consumer price index (CPI) eased to a 7.7% year-over-year increase in October 2022. This is down from an 8.2% increase in September. In addition, the CPI for all urban consumers rose by 0.4% from the same period last year, matching the increase in the previous two months.

On Nov. 10, 2022, a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas judge struck down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, declaring the program a “complete usurpation” of congressional authority by the executive branch. The U.S. Department of Justice immediately appealed the decision to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mental health is a growing concern in the workplace. Over the past few years, many employees have experienced mental health issues, such as burnout, depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Employers have responded by expanding mental health benefits, including adding mental health programs, increasing schedule flexibility, offering telemedicine options for mental health and providing more mental health education.

Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC—which operate 18,000 stores and employ more than 150,000 workers—are once again facing penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor after seven southeast OSHA inspections found 31 Occupational Safety and Health Act violations.

Microcultures are the specialized subgroups in which the participants of that group develop their own expectations, communication methods and values. These exist within a larger macroculture—the dominant culture within the organization. Microcultures can, have and continue to develop in on-site working arrangements. But, with more employers supporting remote or hybrid work models, many large-company macrocultures that were nurtured by in-person connection have fallen to the wayside.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a cybersecurity solution that continuously monitors security-related threat information and endpoint data to detect and respond to ransomware and other kinds of malware. It provides visibility into security incidents occurring on endpoints—such as mobile devices, desktop computers, laptops, embedded devices and servers—to prevent damage and future attacks.

Ahead of this winter season, experts warn of a threat of a “tripledemic” that would affect children around the nation. Hospitals nationwide are under threat of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu) and COVID-19. In the last couple of years, both the flu and COVID-19 have been prominent in the United States, but with the addition of RSV this year, there are new risks when catching any of these illnesses.

Organizations sometimes lay off employees to cut costs, reduce headcount, reskill their workforce or adjust to existing economic conditions. While this is a practice all employers may need to exercise at times, some organizations may want to offset the impact of laying off employees. Voluntary separation and early retirement programs are two examples of voluntary reduction-in-force programs, which have the same goals as traditional layoffs but are designed to benefit both the employer and the employee.

Influenza (flu) hospitalizations have significantly risen across the United States in recent weeks. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitalizations have reached levels that are generally not seen until later in the flu season, around December.

Exercise is a great way to combat stress, maintain a healthy weight and boost your energy. But attempting to do too much too quickly can cause injuries. To keep your workouts injury-free, be sure to add warming up, cooling down and stretching to your exercise routine.

There's no denying that employees' needs have changed over the past few years. As such, employers can offer benefits to meet evolving worker needs shaped by lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a tight labor market and rising inflation. Many workers are paying more attention to their benefits and wondering how to stretch their dollars further.

Caught-in or -between hazards may cause injuries if a person is squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched or compressed between two or more objects, or between parts of an object. Such accidents can occur in any industry.

Maintaining a healthy level of social well-being benefits your overall health and relationships around you. Social well-being is the sharing, developing and sustaining meaningful connections with others. Benefits of social well-being can include being comfortable where you are in social situations, increased self-esteem, the ability to create healthy boundaries and helping build emotional resilience.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in its quarterly Employment Cost Index (ECI) that wages and salaries for private sector employees increased 5.2% for the year ending in September, up from a 4.6% increase the year prior. In the first quarter of 2022, the private sector wage and salary increase had been 5% and 5.7% in the second quarter. Experts view this report as evidence that U.S. wage growth is slowing.

When an organization’s financial outlook becomes uncertain, its immediate impulse may be to reduce costs through layoffs. However, organizations should consider layoffs as a last resort since they can create risks, such as legal liabilities, lower morale and employee distrust, and negatively impact business operations by decreasing productivity and proficiency. Instead, organizations may be able to minimize the need for layoffs by choosing to slow hiring or pause it entirely.

Over the past decade, many states have been moving toward the legalization of both recreational and medical marijuana. The changes in legislation have posed a range of difficulties for employers, forcing many to reevaluate existing workplace drug policies and procedures.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released its September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. The month’s reported number of job openings increased by 437,000 to 10.7 million, surpassing what economists had forecasted. The September report follows several months of record-high job openings and quit rates.

In today’s competitive and fast-moving employment landscape, employers may struggle with attraction and retention. In fact, according to Zywave’s 2022 Attraction and Retention Benchmarking Overview, 75% of employers consider this a top-five business challenge.