#pay-freeze

#pay-freeze

One of the things that I'm hoping to do a better job on is getting people from the private sector-who've been in the private sector their whole career-who also spend a couple years in government at some point in their career, and learn something.

The Vermont Labor Relations Board has ordered that Gov. Phil Scott's administration 'rescind' a controversial requirement that state employees return to their physical offices three days per week. The board stated that the state has 'refused to bargain in good faith and interfered with employees' exercise of rights' in requiring in-person work.

"It's a brutal job market. To see that 3.1% hiring rate, the lowest since April 2020, underscores how little hiring is going on."

At least 125 employees, which is more than 20% of the company's workforce, were let go as Underdog shifts away from some of its traditional offerings and leans more heavily into prediction markets. Teams in fraud operations, marketing, customer support, and product were among those affected.

Typical of Trump, he is boasting about the performance of the U.S. economy in the most hyperbolic terms. He even declared that his economy is 'the greatest ever in history' in a recent interview on Fox Business Network. He points to the stock market and allegedly low inflation to back his claim.

Less than 40% of employees received a bonus last year, down from 44% in 2021. And in 2024, the average bonus payout was $1,786, down from $1,857 a year earlier, according to the study. That's not the only pay-related trend to watch in 2026. Pay transparency will also be a hot topic this year, said ADP Chief Talent Officer Jay Caldwell. In June, counties in the European Union will be required to comply with new pay transparency laws, mandating salary disclosures in job advertisements (much like many U.S. states).

Workplace wellness programs have exploded over the past decade or so, with companies rolling out a suite of subsidized perks, such as gym discounts, mental health apps, and other benefits aimed at attracting and retaining workers. The pandemic upped the ante even more - in the face of a tight labor market and a hyper-stressed workforce, plenty of business leaders looked around and thought, "Well, a Zoom meditation session can't hurt, right?"

"France finally has a budget,"

A friend recently told me a story that made this reality impossible to ignore. Her elderly parents live near an elementary school not far from the nation's capital. For several years, they had been quietly raising money to provide groceries and basic supplies for families whose children were going hungry. When Republicans suspended SNAP benefits, the need surged overnight. What had been a steady act of care suddenly became an emergency response.

The findings also indicate that working parents and caregivers (often women), as well as employees with disabilities who require workplace accommodations, are being pushed out. "The probability of more skilled employees departing after RTO mandates is 77% higher than that of less skilled workers, and the probability of senior employees departing after RTO mandates is 36% higher than that of junior workers," said Mark Ma, an associate professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh.