Best of the week roundup

December 13, 2024 12:00 PM

With the holidays soon upon us, senior reporter Deanna Cuadra makes the case for companies to give employees time off from December 25 through January 2. For those still working, contributing writer Keith Button offers advice on how to manage holiday-related stress for employers and employees, and editor Lee Hafner writes about why employees should start their New Year's resolutions now.

In non-holiday related news, we revealed how AI is helping to detect breast cancer and heart disease simultaneously; how the Trump administration might impact pay parity; and the chief commercial officer at fertility clinic and family-building benefits provider Kindbody reveals how to build a strong team.

Read about these topics and more in our weekly roundup.

How employers and employees can manage holiday-related stress

About half of the workers responding to a recent poll say they're more stressed during the year-end holiday season, while two in five say they are less productive and a third are working a second job to supplement their income.

"It becomes a challenging time of year for many workers to achieve work-life balance," says Vicki Salemi, a career consultant at jobs website Monster, which conducted the November poll of 532 workers. "The holidays, yes, they are an important, special time of year for family, friends and loved ones. But they can also be a speed bump in your work life, in your productivity, in your engagement, in your stress levels overall."

Why your company should shut down for the holidays

As 2024 comes to a close, many workers find themselves juggling end-of-year deadlines and holiday preparations. But the race to New Year's Day doesn't have to leave employees even more burned out.

Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, the CEO of the American Psychological Foundation, is requiring all her employees to take the week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. She hopes that if no one at the nonprofit is online, the pressure to check inboxes and team messages is eliminated, and her workforce can truly rest.

"This releases the tension you have when you take your own PTO and come back to an overflowing email and all the work that other people couldn't pick up," says Dr. Ryder. "When your entire organization takes [time] off, it reduces that burden and actually gives you free time to rejuvenate."

AI is helping fight two of the biggest health risks to women

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life. An even bigger risk is heart disease, which kills one in five women in the U.S.

Preventative care is critical for early detection and intervention of both these conditions, and a new partnership between CureMetrix and SimonMed Imaging (SMI) that brings advanced AI readings to mammograms is enhancing the process.

The AI technology offered by CureMetrix allows radiologists at SMI, a network of over 150 facilities across 10 states, to see detailed analysis of both full-field digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis screening mammograms, as well as any detection of breast arterial calcifications — a potential signal of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

How the Trump administration could impact pay equality

The incoming presidential administration is bound to impact how employers approach compensation, including policies around pay transparency and pay gap reporting. But just how much will it change in the next four years?

Two key players affect pay at the federal level: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The EEOC regulates and enforces the Equal Pay Act, which requires men and women in the same positions to receive equal pay for equal work; the commission also enforces laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, two laws that prohibit discrimination against protected classes, which includes offering less pay based on a worker's disability or age.

How to combat 5 common holiday wellness challenges

The end-of-year holiday season is upon us, and whether employees are concerned about taking time off, worried about increased spending, or dreading upcoming workplace parties, employers should approach this time of year with extra empathy.

Winter holiday planning is inevitably stressful. Data from Achieve found that one in five employees feel they will not financially recover from the 2024 holiday season until May 2025 or later. Additionally, travel or hosting obligations, changes to children's school and child care routines and an increased number of social engagements often mean many employees will find themselves more tired and less focused at work.

10 countries that offer digital nomad-friendly visas

Do you truly want to work from anywhere? It may be time to look into a digital nomad visa.

While remote work has made it possible to do your job from the comfort of your home, it has also made it possible to take your work abroad, whether you go beachside in Mexico or to the Alps of southern Germany. However, if remote workers are looking for a long-term stay, they will need extended work visas — and luckily, that doesn't mean they will need to look for a local employer in the country they're visiting.

Digital nomad visas allow individuals to live and work remotely in a country outside their permanent residence for months, if not years. The visas typically require workers to be employed by a foreign employer or have a business that mainly operates abroad.

13 top priorities for fixing US healthcare

Fixing healthcare should be a top priority for the next administration because it directly impacts key issues like the economy and border security. Manufacturing jobs go overseas because of the high cost of health benefits and undocumented workers are hired because no one owes them health benefits. If the goal is to modernize government agencies to make them more efficient, healthcare is the perfect place to start because even small changes can reap lasting rewards. Here is a list of what can be done:

Read on for Dr. Paula Muto's recommendations.

Advisers serve as catalysts for ethical healthcare solutions

In the intricate web of the American healthcare system, benefit advisers hold a unique and crucial position. They have the potential to influence transparency in healthcare pricing and the alignment of health insurance plans with clients' actual needs. However, they also face hidden fees, misaligned broker incentives and policies restricting access to cost-effective drug options.

These challenges call for a robust response, particularly in the form of patient advocacy. These programs can significantly enhance the navigation of healthcare systems for employees, leading to better health outcomes and cost efficiencies.

We all know that transparency is a significant hurdle in healthcare. Patients and employers alike all too often face unexpected and obscured costs arising from layers of administration, insurance policies and pharmacy benefit managers' (PBMs) actions.