In Brief: Feeling Overwhelmed by News; Boosting Employee Benefits

Deluged With News, Some Americans Turn Away, Study Finds

Americans often feel overwhelmed by the volume of news they see, especially online, and consequently can’t discern which stories are important, a new Gallup/Knight Foundation study finds. 

Among more than 20,000 people interviewed, 62 percent said the growing number of information sources makes it harder, not easier, for them to be well-informed. In response to the flood of news, some Americans, especially older adults, come to depend on just a few news sources. Among those who say they’re overwhelmed by news, about 17 percent stop paying attention to it altogether, while 8 percent rely on others to help them sort out which stories are important. Younger Americans (ages 18–29) are more likely to stop paying attention to the news entirely and to consult family and friends instead. 

Opting out of the news threatens the health of a democracy, KnightFoundation.org reported, because studies have shown that consuming news leads to increased civic and political engagement. 

Companies, Workers Have Different Views on Adequate Training

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the digital future of work — and the skills employees will need for it — to the forefront of human resources discussions, HRdive.com reports.

A recent study from the IBM Institute for Business Value finds many executives overestimating the levels of training and support, and the clarity of job expectations, they give workers. 

In IBM’s surveys, 74 percent of employers believe their organizations are helping employees learn the new skills they need, but only 38 percent of workers agree. Still, training only goes so far: The research firm Gartner recently found employees applying just 54 percent of the new skills they’ve learned on the job, while 33 percent of the skills they acquired three years ago are already irrelevant.

 When it comes to the physical and emotional health of workers, 80 percent of employers said their organizations are providing strong support, but fewer than half of employees agree. 

Companies Boost Employee Benefits

As workers feel stretched mentally, emotionally and financially during the COVID-19 crisis, companies are offering new employee benefits.

In a recent survey from consultants Willis Towers Watson, 47 percent of employers say they’re enhancing health care benefits for workers, while 45 percent are boosting well-being programs. 

“Wellness is the top priority that organizations are addressing right now,” says Regina Ihrke, senior director for Willis Towers Watson. 

Examples of enhanced employee benefits include back-up support for childcare at firms such as CVS Health, Target and Ally Financial; telehealth options at Boeing, Chipotle and Circle K; and no-cost mental-health sessions for Starbucks employees. To mitigate financial hardships, companies such as Facebook, Kroger, Walmart and JPMorgan Chase reportedly have instituted special bonuses for workers. 

As per an April survey from the HR association WorldatWork, among corporations offering new or expanded employee benefits, the most popular option (27 percent) was a more flexible schedule, followed by mental health services (21 percent), online fitness (13 percent), meditation classes or apps (12 percent) and nutrition support (7 percent). But even as benefits improve, some cash-strapped companies are suspending employee 401(k) matches.

Do Work Breaks Boost Productivity?

As demand for knowledge-based work grows, our daily limit for cognitively taxing work remains four-and-a-half hours. The trick is to schedule uninterrupted time when our energy is right for a particular task, as Fast Company reports.

At The Muse, a job-recruitment site for millennials, employees have discovered they work most productively in 52-minute bursts, interspersed with 17-minute breaks. 

Managing email eats up much of our workweeks, but taming the impulse to respond to every note frees time and mental energy. Consider turning off email notifications and setting specific 30-minute periods of the day to check email. The search function of your inbox might be more efficient than creating a system of email folders.

At our busiest, it’s harder to exercise good judgment on how best to spend our time, which can lead to anxiety. “Anti-flow” means relieving that pressure by taking breaks that catapult creativity. Not signs of weakness but rather symbols of stability, “anti-flow” breaks to meditate, write in a journal or ride a bike help us solve problems, the post said. When we return to work afterwards, it’s easier to find our flow and become productive.