Two Strategies for Specialty Drug Savings—And How to Choose the Right One
Specialty drug prices are climbing, prompting employers to seek sustainable savings through two main pathways: alternative funding programs (AFPs) and in‑benefit optimization. AFPs tap manufacturer assistance or non‑traditional sourcing to lower out‑of‑pocket costs for high‑price therapies, but they add coordination and documentation burdens. In‑benefit optimization trims waste within existing PBM channels, preserving continuity and compliance without new vendor layers. Selecting the right approach hinges on spend concentration, workflow impact, and regulatory defensibility.
UKG Makes AI a Cost Lever as Southwest and Nike Reset the Economics of Workforce Investment
UKG announced a restructuring that eliminates about 950 roles, roughly 5% of its workforce, and attributes the cuts to AI‑driven productivity gains, positioning L&D efficiency as a CFO metric ahead of Q2 budgeting. Southwest Airlines reported a 4.6% operating margin,...
Why Most Dealerships Get Employee Handbooks Wrong (And How to Fix It)
Most auto dealerships either lack an employee handbook or have one that no one reads, creating operational inconsistency, legal exposure, and cultural fragmentation. High turnover, commission‑based sales, flat‑rate technicians, and evolving employment laws amplify the risk of ad‑hoc policies. A...
I’m Terrible at Receiving Negative Feedback — and Am Spiraling From My 360 Review
A senior‑level employee received a 360‑degree review as part of a leadership development program and is struggling with the negative comments, especially from C‑suite peers. While the overall feedback is largely positive, the individual is fixated on the criticisms and...
CEO Pay Rose 20 Times Faster Than Worker Wages Last Year
Chief executives at the world’s largest firms saw real compensation climb 11% in 2025, while average worker wages barely moved, rising just 0.5% globally. In the United States, S&P 500 CEOs experienced a 25.6% pay surge versus a modest 1.3% increase...
Corporate Buzzwords Require Maturity
The article argues that popular corporate buzzwords—radical transparency, equity, meritocracy, psychological safety, and others—are often adopted before an organization has the maturity to sustain them. It illustrates the gap between lofty language and day‑to‑day reality with concrete scenarios such as...
The Severance Problem: ICIMS and the Identity Crisis Every Legacy ATS Is About to Face
iCIMS used its AI Executive Summit to showcase a rebranded, AI‑first platform called Coalesce AI and a new integration framework aimed at modernizing its legacy applicant tracking system. The company highlighted a "crawl, walk, run" roadmap, but most of its...
Binge Eating in the Workplace: How to Talk to Your Employees About It
Workplace wellness programs are increasingly expected to address hidden mental‑health issues such as binge eating disorder, which affects over 5% of adults and accounts for a large share of the 9% of Americans who will experience an eating disorder. Managers...
The Power of Digital Networking in Career Growth
Digital networking now drives the majority of hires, with LinkedIn reporting that 85% of jobs are filled through connections rather than traditional job boards. A 2023 Jobvite report shows employee referrals account for nearly 40% of hires despite representing only...
My Coworker Carries a Hidden Recording Device Everywhere
A hidden AI‑powered recording device is being used by a colleague in a higher‑education setting, sparking privacy concerns amid anti‑DEIA legislation. The employee who learned of the device feels uncomfortable and uncertain about how to address the issue. Experts advise...
Weekly Briefing: 92,000 Tech Workers Are Funding the AI Buildout, the 4-Day Work Week Is a Lie, One Agent Wiped...
In 2026, more than 92,000 tech workers were laid off as firms like Meta, Microsoft and Oracle divert payroll to fund an estimated $670 billion AI infrastructure push. The hype around a four‑day work week is challenged by data showing only...
The Pyramid Has Already Broken
A fast‑growing U.S. law firm, Pierson Ferdinand, now runs with more than 270 partners and no junior associates, relying on AI to perform tasks traditionally done by entry‑level lawyers. The firm’s model proves that capable AI can undercut the economic...
Even Top Performers Need Coaching
Sales leaders often claim that veteran reps don’t need coaching, but the article argues that even top performers can improve by 10‑15% when guided. It likens sales teams to sports squads, where coaches refine tactics and amplify strengths rather than...
DEI’s Danger to Nonprofits
Greg Berman’s new book, *The Nonprofit Crisis*, warns that DEI initiatives have turned the nonprofit sector into a battleground of generational and political conflict. He cites a surge from 800,000 nonprofits in 1991 to over 1.7 million in 2024, with government...
Re-Enchantment: Humantel Research Uncovers the Human Competitive Edge.
Humantel’s March 2026 study of over 2,000 U.S. professionals reveals a systemic gap between employee commitment and actual energy, labeling it a depletion of workplace vitality rather than a simple engagement issue. The research argues that organizations have unintentionally stripped...
Startup Profile: Meld
Meld is an AI‑powered career development platform designed for the next generation of women leaders. Positioned in the Future of Work and HR‑Tech space, it combines personalized skill assessments, mentorship matching, and salary benchmarking to accelerate professional growth. The startup...
Brave Leaders Aren’t Loud
Claire Brumby argues that true bravery in leadership is quiet, truth‑driven action rather than loud confidence. In compliance, mistaking visibility for courage creates cultural decay and hidden risk. Gallup data shows engagement at a record low, with managers especially disengaged,...
We Should Pay More for the Best Teachers
A new study by political scientists David Broockman and Josh Kalla finds that a centrist stance on teacher compensation—making it hard to fire teachers while rewarding high performers—significantly boosts a Democratic candidate’s vote share. The research compares this effect to...
The Feedback Gap at the Top (And Why It Spreads Faster Than You Think)
The article highlights a pervasive "feedback gap" among senior executives, where difficult accountability conversations are avoided or softened. It attributes the gap to a lack of training, complex reporting structures, and the natural desire to be liked. This silence at...
Can an Employee Sue for Failure to Accommodate a Disability She Said She Didn’t Have?
The Sixth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a public employer after an employee with a history of transient ischemic attacks refused to request a disability accommodation and instead challenged an independent medical exam. The employee, who had worked over thirty...
Spring Cleaning for Your AI Tools
AI chatbots like Anthropic's Claude now retain a rolling memory of prior conversations, updating it every 24 hours to provide contextual continuity. Users can disable this memory, but doing so strips the model of useful context. Similar persistent‑memory features exist...
A Case Study for Redesigning Work for Longer Careers
U.S. life expectancy hit a record 79 years, prompting workers to extend their careers well past traditional retirement ages. People over 75 now represent the fastest‑growing segment of the American labor force, and a larger share are staying employed beyond...
Flat Hierarchy: Four Ways Companies Make It Work
The article defines a flat hierarchy as a shallow structure where a small top team oversees a network of autonomous teams, eliminating most middle‑management layers. It outlines four recurring archetypes—cell‑based, chain‑based, circle‑based, and micro‑enterprise structures—each organizing teams around geography, value‑chain...
Your AI CV Just Got You Rejected
A federal court in California authorized a collective‑action notice allowing anyone over 40 who applied through Workday’s AI hiring platform since September 2020 to join a class‑action lawsuit. The case, Mobley v. Workday, alleges that the AI system systematically down‑weights older,...
How to Improve the Candidate Experience During AI Video Interviews
AI video interviews promise up to 50% faster hires and 40% lower costs, yet many candidates feel anxious, confused, and disengaged. The article argues that the technology alone isn’t enough; the candidate experience determines whether efficiency gains translate into better...
Workday's $2B+ AI Shopping Spree: What It Means for HR Tech Buyers
Workday has spent more than $2 billion acquiring six AI‑focused HR startups—HiredScore, Evisort, Paradox, Flowise, Sana and Pipedream—within two years, mirroring similar moves by SAP and Oracle. The acquisitions aim to plug gaps in Workday’s recruiting, learning and employee‑experience suites, but...
The Multifamily Operations Daily Huddle: What Turnover Is Actually Telling You
The article argues that employee turnover in multifamily operations is a diagnostic tool, not just an administrative task. Exit interviews contain insights about leadership, culture, and operational clarity that mirror the data used to analyze resident behavior. Companies with the...
Are You the Thermostat or the Thermometer?
The piece uses Martin Luther King Jr.’s thermometer‑vs‑thermostat metaphor to challenge CEOs on whether they merely reflect external pressures or deliberately set their organization’s tone. It argues that leaders who tie company outcomes to their personal identity become emotional thermometers,...
AI PM Safety + Ethics Interviews: Complete Guide
The post reveals that AI product‑manager interviews now treat safety and ethics as a decisive hiring round rather than a peripheral checkbox. Candidates who rely on generic, philosophical answers are being rejected in favor of those who can cite concrete...
🔴 Career Brew (🎓☕) - 3rd May - 93 Hottest Early to Mid Career Jobs - Do Not Miss
Career Brew’s May 3rd edition curates 93 of the hottest early‑to‑mid‑career positions across technology, finance, and internship categories. The list features marquee employers such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Mastercard, and BMO Financial, with roles ranging from data specialists to senior...
Deputy General Manager // O2 Academy Oxford
Academy Music Group is hiring a Deputy General Manager for O2 Academy Oxford, a flagship live‑music venue in Oxford. The senior role reports to the General Manager and oversees day‑to‑day operations, budgeting, event programming, health‑and‑safety compliance, and team leadership. Candidates...
Making the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships
Mey Ly Ortiz, a two‑decade mentoring veteran, outlines three actionable ways lawyers can get the most out of mentorship relationships. First, mentees should drive the partnership by scheduling meetings and coming prepared with focused questions. Second, they must invest in the bond...
The Death of Employee Loyalty: How AI Rewrote the Workplace Contract
The rise of AI is reshaping the employee‑employer contract. Companies now use AI to cut headcount and redefine high performance, while workers leverage AI to accelerate learning and build side income, eroding traditional loyalty. The article proposes a new contract...
British Airways Will Pay Pilots $100,000 a Year Just to Taxi Planes On the Ground Around Chicago O’Hare
British Airways is hiring experienced Boeing 777 and 787 pilots to taxi its aircraft between Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 at Chicago O’Hare, offering a base salary of $90,000‑$100,000 per year. The role targets recently retired pilots who can no longer fly...
10 Timeless Lessons From Seven Samurai That Will Change How You Lead Forever
The article reframes Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic *Seven Samurai* as a leadership masterclass, extracting ten timeless lessons for modern executives. It highlights purpose‑driven motivation, the power of diverse skill sets, and the primacy of preparation over reaction. The piece also...
Stop Micromanaging: The Leadership Shift That Builds Elite Teams & Unlocks Full Potential
A veteran telecom executive argues that micromanagement stifles high‑performing teams. Drawing on 25 years of experience building #1 teams at AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile and Microsoft, he says leaders should act as enablers, removing barriers and granting autonomy. The shift from directive...
Everyone “Had a Blast Making Spirit the Butt of the Joke,” Flight Attendants Blast After Airline’s Sudden Collapse Leaves Them...
Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations on May 2 after a $500 million federal bailout fell through, leaving 5,500 flight attendants and other staff jobless. The collapse was driven by soaring jet‑fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict, which eroded the low‑cost carrier's...
Which Airline Do They Fly Now
Spirit Airlines abruptly halted operations at 3 a.m. Eastern on May 2, 2026, after a failed bailout, instantly terminating 17,000 jobs and stranding roughly 60,000 daily passengers. The shutdown exposed the fragile role of low‑cost carriers that serve predominantly working‑class, Black, Latino,...
Reinventing with New Traditions
The article argues that modern organizations must deliberately craft “new traditions” to keep culture agile in the AI era. It proposes a suite of practices—including a Critical Pause, Provocative Inquiry, seasonal “What If” sessions, and social‑capital prototyping—to embed reflection, ethics,...
The CV Mistake Killing Senior Exec Searches
Executive boards are now hiring for missing capabilities rather than seniority, with 56% of searches driven by new skill needs according to AESC’s 2025 survey. Traditional CVs that list titles and tenure no longer answer the core question – “What...
Should You Develop Your Leadership Strengths, or Fix Your Weaknesses? The Tinkerer's Mindset: How to Win More. The 2026 AI...
The Harvard Business Review article challenges the binary view of leadership development by urging executives to first diagnose what success looks like in their specific role. It recommends targeting three zones: superpowers (strengths to amplify), dangerous derailers (weaknesses that erode...
AI Bill Passes General Assembly; Broad Workforce Bill Follows
Connecticut's General Assembly approved SB 5, a comprehensive AI and online safety bill that imposes new disclosure, notice, and anti‑discrimination obligations on employers using automated decision tools. Effective Oct 1 2026 for most provisions and Oct 1 2027 for pre‑decision notices, the law requires...
Cal/OSHA Publishes Updated Workplace Safety Notice
California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued a minor update to its mandatory “Safety and Health Protection on the Job” poster, revising only the contact information for its Santa Barbara and San Francisco offices. The notice continues...
How California Employers Can Prepare for the July 1, 2026 Minimum Wage Increases
Effective July 1, 2026, several Southern California jurisdictions will raise their minimum wages, with rates ranging from $17.75 in San Diego to $20.87 for West Hollywood hotel workers. The 2024 PAGA reform now requires employers to document “reasonable steps” toward compliance, capping penalties at...
Sponsors Are the New Mentors, Especially for Women Lawyers
Despite a steady influx of women into law firms, their ascent to senior leadership remains stagnant. The article argues that mentorship alone is insufficient; sponsorship—active advocacy by senior partners—is the key driver of promotions. Men typically enjoy sponsorship, gaining high‑visibility...
The Business of Benefits: Financial Education at Alloy
Alloy, a 300‑person identity and fraud‑prevention firm, has partnered with Addition Wealth since 2023 to provide financial‑education benefits, including seminars and one‑on‑one advisor sessions. The program complements its 401(k) and equity grants, aiming to help employees navigate life events and...
Stop Trying to Win. Start Trying to Understand. The Leadership Shift That Changes Everything—At Work and At Home
The article challenges the common win‑oriented approach to conflict, urging leaders to replace it with a curiosity‑driven focus on understanding. By asking “What pressure is this person under?” leaders can uncover hidden stressors that fuel tension in boardrooms, sales calls,...
When “Good Enough” Becomes the Dominant Culture
The article warns that an unchecked drive for efficiency can turn "good enough" into a default culture, eroding the craft‑oriented mindset of creative teams. Over time, repeated shortcuts signal that high standards are optional, causing talent to disengage and quality...
Can a $300 Baby Sleep Device Get Parents Back Into the Office? Owlet Hopes So.
Owlet, the Utah‑based maker of the $299 Dream Sock baby monitor, is rolling out an employer‑benefits program that lets companies subsidize the device for new‑parent staff. The company argues that sleep‑deprived parents are less productive, so offering the monitor can...
Premium Perk: How to Tailor Feedback to Each Personality Type
Premium leadership platform 16Personalities released a new subscriber‑only guide titled “How to Tailor Feedback to Each Personality Type.” The cheat sheet breaks down all 16 Myers‑Briggs‑style types and provides two actionable lists—“Say This” and “Avoid This”—for each, offering phrasing that...