All Activity

Preemption would hurt affordability for many, the Conference of State Banking Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators said. View the full article

Primelending produced a pretax loss of $5.2 million in the fourth quarter, significantly lower than the loss of $15.9 million in the same period a year earlier. View the full article

Record cold temperatures are once again expected to hit a swath of the country this weekend—even plunging Florida into its coldest stretch of the last 15 years, potentially bringing snow to areas of the state that haven’t seen it in four decades. This arctic blast is actually a sign of climate change, and how more extreme weather happens in an increasingly warming world, despite erroneous claims by the president and others. There’s a difference between weather and climate Ahead of the winter storm that brought intense snow, ice, and freezing temperatures to about two-thirds of the United States earlier this month, President The President took to Truth Social to repeat a common piece of climate misinformation. “Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 states. Rarely seen anything like it before,” he wrote. “Could the Environmental Insurrectionals please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” The President repeated this sentiment in a recent speech. But his comments reveal a deep misunderstanding about climate change. There is a difference between weather and climate. Weather is short, variable, and has to do with the current conditions in any place at a specific time. Climate, on the other hand, has to do with long-term trends and patterns. As climate change worsens and the planet warms, it leads to trends of hotter and hotter years. But it also exacerbates weather extremes. Climate change also specifically destabilizes the polar vortex, which then brings arctic air and freezing temperatures further south than usual. What is the polar vortex? Swirling around the Arctic above the North Pole is the polar vortex, a large mass of cold, fast winds. Typically, the polar vortex is pretty fixed in terms of its shape and reach: it sits as a band above the top of the planet, like a hat made of cold, low-pressure air. The Arctic is the fastest warming region of the planet, and as it warms, it throws the polar vortex out of whack. Underneath the polar vortex is the polar jet stream, a river of air that sits closer to the Earth’s surface and affects our winter weather. As climate change disrupts and destabilizes the polar vortex, it causes it to wobble and distort out of shape. That in turn affects the polar jet stream. Instead of blowing its cold winds straight across the Earth, the jet stream turns wavy, curving up and down and bringing storms and frigid Arctic air further south than usual. That’s what is expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures to much of the country this weekend. Overall, our winters are still getting warmer. On average, 210 locations around the U.S. now experience six more extremely warm days than they did in the 1970s. A warmer atmosphere also holds more precipitation, which can even mean more snow. And generally, climate change fuels all sorts of extremes—from more intense hurricanes to hotter heat waves to, yes, more severe winter storms. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot vacuums can get expensive quickly, especially as you move into models with features such as self-emptying bins and hot-water mopping. But if you’re looking to dip your toe into this world without dropping major cash, the Roborock Q7 L5 robot vacuum and mop is a low-stakes entry-level option that checks many boxes, and right now it’s at a record-low 44% off at $139.99 (originally 249.99) on Amazon, according to price-trackers. Roborock Q7 L5 Robot Vacuum and Mop $139.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $110.00 Get Deal Get Deal $139.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $110.00 The Q7 L5 has 8,000 Pa HyperForce suction (surprisingly powerful for this price point), multiple anti-tangle brushes, LiDAR navigation, and multi-floor mapping. It also has a mopping feature, which is rare at the under-$150 price point; the 270 ml water tank allows the device to vacuum and mop simultaneously. Some reviews also note that the mopping function can leave floors slightly wet, which is something to keep in mind for people with delicate floor surfaces. Like pricier models, you can customize zones, schedules, and suction levels via the Roborock app, but it’s worth noting that this vacuum only supports 2.4 GHz wifi. The dual anti-tangle system is especially appealing for pet owners, and navigation runs smoothly and efficiently with obstacle avoidance, as well as suggesting no-go zones to avoid getting stuck. Compared to more feature-rich mop and vacuum hybrids, the dock on the base is compact and has a water tank and dustbin as a single integrated part in the machine, making it a good choice for people with smaller homes. While it doesn’t have the automation bells and whistles of pricier models, for $139.99, it’ll perform most everyday cleaning jobs effectively. If you’re a first-time robot vacuum buyer or have a specific budget and are looking for a robot vacuum to help automate your cleaning sessions, the Roborock Q7 L5 robot vacuum and mop will give you strong value without breaking the bank. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $399.00 (List Price $429.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — (List Price $24.99 With Code "FTV4K25") Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Silver) — $159.99 (List Price $219.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The feeling of “languishing” is likely relatable for many workers—even if they don’t quite have that exact language for it. And new research shows it’s not many workers who feel this way. It’s most. “What gets a little confused in people’s minds is that they assume languishing is almost like distress and mental illness,” says Oscar Ybarra, business professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “But it’s more like: I’m just kind of stuck. I’m not really engaged. I don’t know where I’m going.” Ybarra wanted to capture the malaise that employees often experience in the workplace, which doesn’t always rise to the level of mental illness. When he first polled workers in 2024, Ybarra learned that a majority of them identified as languishing at work, rather than flourishing. In a new survey conducted in partnership with YouGov, workers seem to be doing even worse: About 61% of the 2,000 respondents said they were languishing, compared to 57% the year prior. Nearly 18% of them claimed to be “languishing severely.” The study found that there is little variation along demographic lines, and the experience of languishing tends to be correlated with high rates of burnout. “I feel very conflicted about that,” Ybarra says of the uptick in languishing. “As a researcher, you always want some consistency—but that consistency suggests there’s a lot of people who are just not doing super well at work.” Beyond just documenting the phenomenon of languishing at work, Ybarra hopes to offer some potential relief for organizations and employees. The spectrum of languishing to flourishing is a useful framing because it “broadens how psychologists tend to think of well being,” according to Ybarra. “Especially when you apply it to the work setting—which is something that hasn’t been done—it really provides a lot of targets for potential intervention,” he adds. There are certain common elements across workplaces with flourishing employees: Many of them report a high degree of autonomy alongside strong support from colleagues and managers. The study characterizes this as an “empowered squad,” and found that 68% of employees in those workplaces were flourishing; a “muted squad” in which employees have high levels of support, but less autonomy, yielded a lower rate of flourishing employees at 42%. (Ybarra points out, however, that there is such a thing as too much autonomy—someone who works entirely remotely and very independently might actually feel isolated.) On the whole, the survey’s findings indicate that work environment seems to inform an employee’s experience more than demographic background. Companies that boast a strong sense of ethics and hold people accountable for their behavior also had a higher share of flourishing employees. But there are steps individual employees can take to thrive more at work, even if their workplace lacks structural support. Flourishing workers rely on a number of strategies for emotional regulation, which Ybarra describes as the “three Rs”: reframe, reach out, and reset. Reframing is a common technique in psychotherapy, in which you might try to find the positive in a difficult situation or remind yourself that it won’t last. Reaching out can involve connecting with family or friends or even consulting your colleagues—though Ybarra notes that seeking this kind of support is not the same as venting frustrations, which is “a little less healthy.” Resetting really depends on what works best for you, whether that’s physical exercise or meditation, or something else altogether. “What previous research has shown is that the more of these [strategies] you have in your toolkit, the better,” Ybarra says. “It gives you more things to choose from.” As workers are up against a tough job market and growing pressure from their employers to adopt AI—not to mention the political unrest in our midst—any strategies to protect their peace may come in handy. “The conditions can be so overwhelming that you could have the perfect toolkit in your head for thinking differently about things, but it’s just working against too much,” Ybarra says. There will always be stress and difficulties at work—but when we have those supports in place, individuals may be better able to use [them] to some good effect.” View the full article

The high court, without comment, refused Emigrant Mortgage's appeal of a verdict holding it liable for no income, no asset verification loans to minorities. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Your first day in the gym can be pretty intimidating. I remember spending a whole semester in one half of my university’s gym because the other room was, I don’t know, scary. And if you haven’t been to the gym in a while—or ever—you probably have questions. So let’s talk through the very, very basics. What is a gym even like inside?Hey, great question! There are different kinds of gyms, so there isn’t a single, universal answer. I’ll assume you’re going to what’s sometimes called a “commercial” gym, one that caters to a wide variety of people and has a selection of cardio machines, weight-training machines, and dumbbells. It may or may not have barbells. Planet Fitness, Crunch, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and 24 Hour Fitness are all in this general category. If your gym is in a community center or a YMCA, it may have a few more or less features, but will probably be similar to what I describe. Before you head in, check the gym’s website. Most will offer a free first day or week, which will let you scope the place out and do a workout or two before you commit to a membership. Some gyms may make it difficult to cancel after you sign up, so don't rush into it. Take advantage of those trial periods. While you're doing your research, check out the website for virtual tours and photos of facilities. Get an idea of what kind of stuff they have. Check Google Maps for photos; you may even be able to find a Street View-style tour of the interior. And finally, log on to Instagram and browse through photos tagged at that gym's location. You’ll get a sense of what equipment is there, how people train, and what kind of vibe to expect. What do I bring?You can come to a gym with nothing and still get in a good workout. The only absolute requirement, in some gyms, is that you bring a pair of shoes that aren’t filthy. (Some gyms disallow street shoes, and expect you to change into a clean pair; others don’t care, or only enforce the policy in winter.) On the other end of the spectrum, people will often bring a complete change of clothes and a bunch of toiletries and supplies to take a shower and change afterward. You don’t have to do this. It’s OK to walk out the front door still sweaty, and shower at home. Some small gyms don’t even have showers. What’s the middle ground? I would bring these for my first time at a new gym: A water bottle A small towel (for sweat), unless I know for sure that the gym provides towels Headphones A clean(ish) pair of shoes A bag to carry everything in A combination lock if you plan to lock your things up and aren’t sure whether the gym’s lockers have built-in locks What do I do with my stuff while I’m there?If you have a bunch of stuff, like a coat and a bag, you can put it in a locker. It’s also totally fine to keep a few things with you as you walk around. Most people will probably have their towel, water bottle, and phone with them. You can usually bring a small bag around the gym with you, and just set it down next to whatever machine or bench you’re using, as long as it’s not directly in anybody’s way. (Check the gym rules, though.) Since that can be a hassle, another popular approach is to keep your water bottle in a sleeve that has pockets for your phone and small items. What do I wear?Anything that feels comfortable, isn’t indecent, and that you don’t mind sweating in. For your upper body, try a T-shirt or tank top. For your legs, wear shorts, sweatpants, or leggings. Again, check the gym rules to see if they have any specific requirements. Some gyms don’t want you to take your shirt off, others don’t care. For shoes, any kind of sneakers or comfortable athletic shoes should be fine. Chucks, running shoes, that sort of thing. If you get really into this exercise business, you can get picky about shoes later. For your first day, it doesn’t really matter. So do you just, like, walk in?There will be some kind of check-in desk. If it’s your first time, you’ll probably need to talk to somebody about a membership trial or buy a day pass. This can be a separate visit from your first actual workout. Make sure to ask what the normal check-in procedure is. In many cases you’ll scan your phone or show a key tag or card as you enter, and then you’re free to do whatever you want. How do I know what they have and where it is?Two options here: you can walk around the room and scope everything out; or you can ask if someone can give you a brief tour or new-member orientation. (They may offer before you ask). Be aware that they may try to upsell you on personal training or other extras in the process; it's OK to decline. If you do get a guided tour, use this opportunity to ask any remaining questions you have. Don’t be embarrassed, the whole idea is that they know you’re new and they’re trying to help. And if you don't get a tour, it's still OK to ask basic questions at the front desk like "which way to the locker room?" or "do you have squat racks?" What if this whole idea makes me nervous?Look, the first day is about expanding your comfort zone. If you can walk into the gym and not run right back out, you’ve already accomplished something, and Day Two will be so much easier. A few things that tend to help: Go at one of the less busy times if that will help your nerves. Mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late evenings tend to be slow times. Check Google Maps to see if it can show you peak hours at your particular location. Bring a friend, or meet a friend there if you can. Even if both of you are new and clueless, you can be new and clueless together. Read up on what to expect. You’re already doing that, so you’re on the right track! If there’s a certain exercise or machine you want to try, look it up on YouTube. If your gym offers classes, that can be a good way to start. The class will get you in the gym with a clear plan of where to go and what to do. You can save independent workouts for after the class or for another day. If you’ll be on your own, try this: Walk around the whole gym. Scope everything out. Nobody will stop you or judge you. You don’t even have to pretend that you know where you’re going; if anybody asks “can I help you?” you can just reply “Oh, I’m just new here and seeing where everything is.” Sit on an exercise bike (or the machine of your choice). Ideally, pick one that faces the main gym area so you can gather more information about what equipment is out there and what people do with it. Use that machine while you decide on your next steps. Maybe this is enough. A typical cardio workout is 20 to 30 minutes, so you can just use the bike for a half hour and then go home. Or maybe you find your confidence building as you pedal. After five or 10 minutes (a typical warmup time), hop off the bike and go check out the dumbbells or machines or whatever has piqued your interest. Take the free personal training session if you want, but beware the upsellMost gyms sell personal training for an extra fee. And as an enticement to get people to sign up, they may offer a free session or a fitness test with one of their trainers. Like the tour, this is also a good time to get some questions answered. You can do this if you like, but proceed with caution. Some gyms and trainers are great, but others will use this opportunity to make you do a lot of hard exercise so that you feel out of shape, and then you’ll feel like you need their services to get into shape. I’ve heard too many stories of people having one of these sessions and then feeling terrible about themselves afterward. So if you decide to go ahead with a session, keep your wits about you. You do not have to be fit your first day in the gym. You also don’t have to do a really demanding workout your first day. If the trainer has you do anything you’re uncomfortable with, you don’t even have to know why you feel the way you do about it. You can just say “you know what, I don’t think I’m ready to do that right now” and ask to move on. This is also a good test of your trainer. If they try to force you to do something you’re not cool with, you probably won’t have a good time working with them. And, of course, never sign up for anything you aren't sure you want. If they say you'll get a better deal if you join right now, that's a hint that they only get people to sign up when pressured, which means it's probably not a good deal at all. If you do sign up for a package of sessions, read the fine print to make sure that whatever they tell you about cancellations is actually written there in the contract. (Overwhelmed? Better to just say no for now. You can always sign up later.) Can you give me a routine for my first day?Sure can! Although what makes something a routine is that you do it routinely. So I’ll give you an option for your first day’s workout, and you can even repeat it a few times, but eventually you’ll want to find yourself a program that lays out longer-term plans. Try this, which should give you a full-body workout in a reasonable length of time. If one machine or station is busy, just skip to the next while you wait. I’m recommending two sets of each exercise because that should give you a nice sampling without making you too sore the next day if this is all brand new. I’m recommending 10 reps in each set because 10 is an easy number to remember. Feel free to do more or less if you like. 5-10 minutes on an exercise bike (or any cardio machine) 2x10 (that means two sets of 10 reps each) dumbbell or machine shoulder press 2x10 on the assisted pull-up machine or lat pulldown 2x10 walking lunges with dumbbells in your hands 2x10 dumbbell bench press or machine chest press 2x10 seated cable row or dumbbell row 2x10 goblet squats with a dumbbell or kettlebell (if you’re feeling brave, give the leg press a try instead) 5-10 minutes stretching anything that feels tight (look for a stretching area with mats on the floor) If you want an even shorter workout, split it in half. Do the shoulder press, pull-up or pulldown, and the lunges, and then skip right to stretching. Next time, go right to the dumbbell bench after you warm up, and continue the workout from there. You don’t have to memorize everything ahead of time. Machines almost always have instructions posted on them telling you how to adjust them and how to use them. Also, it is totally fine to look up videos of exercises on your phone, or to keep notes in your phone or on paper about what you did. It is always OK to be that guy with the notebook. What do I need to know about gym etiquette?If there are wipes and spray bottles around, wipe down anything you sweated on. This includes benches and the seats and handles of machines. Don’t forget to throw the wipe away afterward. You can also put your towel down on a bench or machine as a sweat barrier. Whatever you use, put it back when you’re done. It’s OK to rest a minute, or even a few minutes between sets. (For example, you just did 10 reps of bench press, and now you’re sitting on the bench for a few minutes before you do your next 10 reps.) But don’t take up space any longer than you need to. If somebody is using a thing you’d like to use, it’s OK to ask them “how many sets do you have left?” and if the answer is a lot, you can ask “Do you mind if I work in?” which means that you’ll take turns using the equipment. If somebody asks these questions of you, be honest about how many sets you have left (it’s OK to make them wait) and offer to let them work in if you feel comfortable doing so. If somebody offers you advice and you don’t know how to react, just say “OK.” If the advice is about following a gym rule, follow the rule. If it’s about how to properly use equipment, like adjusting a safety setting, take their advice. On the other hand, if it’s about the proper way to do an exercise, it’s 100% up to you whether you want to give their way a try or just go back to what you were doing. (I have a guide to responding to unsolicited advice.) What about the second day?It’s going to be so much easier the second day. You’ll know what’s available, where to find it, and what the routine is for checking in and finding a place for your stuff. Come in with a plan. It can be the same as your first day, or something new you’d like to try. If you did a full-body strength workout, the next day can be just plain cardio. And if you still feel nervous, don’t worry, it will get easier every day. View the full article

President Donald The President says he’ll tap former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair to replace Jerome Powell in May — with The President believing that he can finally get the booming economy that he promised to voters. When The President said that Warsh comes from “central casting,” the president revealed a lot about his own views of the 55 year-old’s looks and conventional pedigree. Warsh has many of the trappings of a traditional pick to lead the world’s most important central bank, yet he’s doing so at a decidedly unconventional moment for the Fed as The President has said the new chair needs to cut its benchmark rates to the White House’s liking. “He’s very smart, very good, strong, young, pretty young,” The President told reporters on Friday about Warsh. “He was the central casting guy that people wanted.” The president added, “Looks don’t mean anything, but he’s got the look.” Rate cuts of the degree sought by The President could temporarily boost growth, but they also pose the risk of overheating the economy at a time when inflation is already elevated and affordability is a top concern for much of the American public. Warsh was previously a runner-up for the Senate-confirmed post of Fed Chair in 2017, when The President selected Powell to lead the central bank. The President has since said that he was given bad advice regarding Powell. Warsh is credentialed with degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University Law School. He is also married to Jane Lauder, the daughter of billionaire cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, a major Republican donor. At 35, Warsh became the youngest governor on the Fed’s seven member board, serving in that post from 2006 to 2011. He was previously an economic aide in George W. Bush’s Republican administration and was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Warsh worked closely with then-Chair Ben Bernanke in 2008-09 during the central bank’s efforts to combat the financial crisis and the Great Recession. Bernanke later wrote in his memoirs that Warsh was “one of my closest advisers and confidants” and added that his “political and markets savvy and many contacts on Wall Street would prove invaluable.” Still, Warsh appeared in key moments to be misguided about the depth of the challenges confronting the U.S. economy as mortgage defaults and layoffs mounted in the Great Recession. He wanted the Fed to keep its benchmark rates higher when the economy was at risk of deflation and possibly collapsing. Warsh raised concerns in 2008 that further interest rate cuts by the Fed could spur inflation. Yet even after the Fed cut its rate to nearly zero, inflation stayed low. And he objected in meetings in 2011 to the Fed’s decision to purchase $600 billion of Treasury bonds, an effort to lower long-term interest rates, though he ultimately voted in favor of the decision at Bernanke’s behest. Warsh also behaved at times like a pre-The President Republican, calling in a 2010 speech for ending “the creep of trade protectionism” that he declared to be the opposite of “pro-growth policies.” The President has since largely overhauled GOP dogma by pushing for massive hikes in import taxes, having unilaterally imposed them last year by declaring an economic emergency. Warsh has been working as a visiting economics fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank located at Stanford University. He is also a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a partner at the Duquesne Family Office, which manages the wealth of billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller. In recent months, Warsh has appeared to engage in an active campaign for the Fed post with TV interviews and articles. He has become much more critical of the Fed, calling for “regime change” and assailing Powell for engaging on issues like climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion, which Warsh said are outside the Fed’s mandate. In a July interview on CNBC, Warsh said Fed policy “has been broken for quite a long time.” “The central bank that sits there today is radically different than the central bank I joined in 2006,” he added. By allowing inflation to surge in 2021-22, the Fed “brought about the greatest mistake in macroeconomic policy in 45 years, that divided the country.” In a November opinion article in The Wall Street Journal, Warsh said that the Fed “should abandon the dogma that inflation is caused when the economy grows too much and workers get paid too much. Inflation is caused when government spends too much and prints too much.” He suggested that inflationary pressures would be lowered because technologies such as artificial intelligence would lead to higher levels of productivity. His bet that AI will lead to growth without inflation aligns closely with The President’s own belief that inflation has been defeated and that the AI buildout will power growth this year. “AI will be a significant disinflationary force, increasing productivity and bolstering American competitiveness,” Warsh wrote. —Josh Boak and Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press View the full article

If you’ve received any text messages from California-based healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente, you could be eligible for cash under the terms of a new settlement. The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan agreed to pay $10.5 million to settle a class action suit filed in August 2025. That suit alleged that the healthcare company sent marketing texts to people who had already replied “stop” to opt out of receiving them. That practice could run afoul of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a law protecting consumers from aggressive telemarketing and robocalls, and the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act. Jonathan Fried, the plaintiff who brought the suit, lived in the Miami, Florida area at the time. Anyone who opted out of marketing texts but received more than one message from Kaiser within a 12-month period between January 21, 2021 and August 20, 2025 is eligible to be part of the settlement class. The settlement’s final approval hearing was held this week, on January 28. Anyone who meets the criteria and files a valid claim can receive $75 for each marketing text Kaiser sent after it acknowledged their request to opt out. If that’s you, you can submit a claim form online or through the mail by February 12, the filing deadline. While this one is pretty cut and dry, it’s not the only settlement Kaiser Permanente has been involved in lately. In mid-January Kaiser agreed to pay out $46 million to settle allegations that its website and app included tracking code that shared patient health and personal data with third parties. Earlier this month, Kaiser also agreed to pay $556 million in a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice over allegations that it fraudulently billed the government for conditions that patients didn’t have. Kaiser provides health insurance and care for 12.6 million people across the country. “More than half of our nation’s Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, and the government expects those who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” Justice Department’s Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said of the settlement. The Justice Department accused the health provider of bringing in around $1 billion between 2009 and 2018 by adding on diagnoses to Medicare Advantage patients’ charts. In a press release issued earlier this month, Kaiser emphasized that the settlement does not amount to an admission of “wrongdoing or liability” and was chosen to avoid a longer litigation process. “Multiple major health plans have faced similar government scrutiny over Medicare Advantage risk adjustment standards and practices, reflecting industrywide challenges in applying these requirements,” the healthcare consortium wrote. View the full article

What many applicants may not realize is that, nowadays, the first hurdle in applying for a job is dealing with AI. Candidates now often must clear an artificial intelligence system that screens their résumés that quietly determines who advances, and whose application is filed away in a drawer or spam folder, never to see the light of day. Now, a new lawsuit filed on Tuesday is the first in the U.S. to accuse an AI hiring company of violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Eightfold AI, a venture capital-backed artificial intelligence hiring platform, is being sued by two workers in California for allegedly compiling reports used to screen job applicants without their knowledge, consent, or any opportunity to correct errors. “I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs, but it feels like an unseen force is stopping me from being fairly considered,” said Erin Kistler, one of the plaintiffs, in a press release. Both plaintiffs applied to roles at several companies that use Eightfold AI, including PayPal and Microsoft, according to the complaint. Out of the thousands of jobs she has sought in the past year, only 0.3% of her applications have progressed to a follow-up or interview, Kistler told the New York Times. “It’s disheartening, and I know I’m not alone in feeling this way.” Eightfold AI’s algorithm trawls career sites, job boards, and résumé databases to create a data set of “1 million job titles, 1 million skills, and the profiles of more than 1 billion people working in every job, profession, industry, and geography”, according to their website—much of it “inaccurate, incomplete, or drawn from unknown third-party sources,” the complaint alleges. Using an AI model trained on that data, plaintiffs say, Eightfold AI scores job applications on a scale of one to five, based on their skills, experience, and the hiring manager’s goals. These AI-generated evaluations function as “consumer reports under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and California law,” the lawsuit alleges. Unlike credit reports (a type of consumer report which the FCRA regulates to ensure accuracy and fairness), applicants are given no feedback on their scores or how the rating was generated, rarely aware that an algorithm evaluated them at all. If the tool is making mistakes, candidates have no ability to correct them. This creates a “black box” situation where we can see what goes into an AI system, and what comes out. But the reasoning in between remains hidden or incomprehensible to humans or the employers relying on the scoring when considering potential hires. This opacity is troubling at a time when more companies are relying on AI for hiring and candidate screening. A spokesperson for Eightfold AI told Fast Company that “this characterization about our products is factually incorrect. Eightfold offers technology that enterprises use to manage their talent processes and engage with candidates. Eightfold does not ‘lurk’ or scrape personal web history, social media or the like to build secret dossiers. Eightfold’s platform operates on data that is submitted by candidates to our customers or provided by our customers.” They continued: “We use information such as skills, experience and education that applicants choose to submit to our customers and data authorized by our customers under contract.” They also pointed to their blueprint to learn more about their specific data practices. The plaintiffs, meanwhile, are not demanding the elimination of AI from hiring. Instead, they are asking for AI companies to be held to the same standards as others. “Just because this company is using some fancy-sounding AI technology and is backed by venture capital doesn’t put it above the law,” David Seligman, Executive Director of Towards Justice, said in the press release. “This isn’t the wild west.” Still, as AI becomes more pervasive in hiring, legal conflicts like this may just become more and more common. View the full article

Fourth quarter pretax income of $900,000 and net income of $656,000 for the segment compared with year ago losses of $625,000 and $197,000 respectively.

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe 5-second summary Knowledge workers often struggle to uncover relevant insights (like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter) exactly when they need it, leading to wasted time, energy, and money. Intentional async practices surface vital knowledge that helps teams prevent duplicate work and make better decisions, faster. AI can serve as a helpful partner in gathering and summarizing what already exists before creating anything new. The worst thing you can do is sink a lot of money into something that you end up having to scrap, for reasons that could have been flagged at the beginning of the project… VP, Fortune 500 financial services company, in Atlassian’s State of Teams 2025 report It’s a painful rite of passage for knowledge workers: You spend days or weeks on a project, only to discover a related idea you wish you’d known earlier, a piece of data that changes your work, or (worst of all) something that negates everything you’ve been doing. Maybe you launch a survey, only to learn afterward that another team ran almost the same survey last quarter – and already answered your key questions. Or you might spend a week assembling a strategy deck, then stumble across a document with sharper thinking and fresher data that never crossed your radar. That’s the all‑too‑familiar problem for many teams, especially those who work asynchronously: lack of visibility into work that’s already been done, ideas that have already been considered, and insights that have already been gathered. This information may be: Buried in an old deck, an epic from two years ago, or a page no one can find Delivered after the deadline or the moment you were looking Shared quietly or held back completely Either way, if knowledge isn’t surfaced at the right time or in the right way, it never gets used – leading to wasted time and energy at best, and costly mistakes at worst. The good news is there are plenty of ways to overcome those barriers. Here’s how your team can tackle these challenges, use async benefits to your advantage, and do your best work – together. Teams have more information than ever, but they’ve never been less informed As the pace of work accelerates, employees are using more tools than ever and scattering data across a graveyard of disconnected work artifacts. This leaves people struggling to find and use relevant insights, like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter. In fact, Atlassian’s most recent State of Teams report shows Fortune 500 companies waste 2.4 billion (yes, with a “b!”) hours every year searching for information. One in two knowledge workers report that teams at their company tend to unknowingly work on the same things, and just 20% feel confident that their team has an effective process for quickly informing other teams of decisions that may impact their work. The three things teams say they need to collaborate more effectively: Clearer goals Shared processes for how to get work done Ability to easily find the exact information they need Let’s dive deeper into that third benefit and explore six practical, research‑backed habits any team – especially those who work async – can use to surface knowledge faster and make even better decisions. 6 async practices to uncover existing insights Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication 1. Write before you meet Practice: Ask team members to write their thoughts and ideas about a topic before meeting. One of the biggest challenges with making decisions in live meetings is that meetings perpetuate groupthink and introduce bias. One way to avoid this is to give people time and space to write down their thoughts before they meet. Studies comparing group brainstorming to brainwriting (individually writing ideas) find that people generate more – and more unique – ideas when they write first instead of speaking in a group. Writing slows thinking down enough for nuance and clarity to emerge. People can draft, edit, and refine instead of reacting in real time. That means a designer in Sydney can write down three thoughtful concerns about a proposed UI change, rather than trying to get a word in during a rushed, late-night call. Similarly, writing also removes pressure to respond instantly or compete for airtime, which is especially helpful for introverts, junior team members, and those from under‑represented groups. Try it: Before a meeting or working session, share a short prompt for your collaborators to answer in writing. For a planning session, it could be, “What risks do you think we’re underestimating?” For a new campaign brainstorming session, it could be, “What’s the best campaign you’ve seen lately, and why?” Ask each person to write their thoughts in a shared document before any live discussion. Let people add async follow-up comments. Start the live meeting by reviewing a summary of themes the team wrote down and any notable outliers that may influence decisions. Where you can ask AI to help: Give the tool an overview of the meeting goals, topics to discuss, and what success looks like. Then, ask it to brainstorm questions and prompts for attendees to answer in writing ahead of time. Cluster themes among the responses, and highlight outliers. Present your team’s ideas in search results when another team is looking for similar information months later. 2. Design for time-delayed contribution Practice: Give everyone an opportunity to respond before you review. Some people are fast thinkers and communicators. Others take more time to formulate and write their thoughts. Some team members may be in a different time zone or out of the office. The fastest replies often get the most attention, but speed isn’t a signal of insight or value. Building in time for everyone who wants to contribute levels the playing field and avoids missing potentially important perspectives. Research on remote and virtual teams shows people are less likely to share when they feel like they’re being watched and more likely to share when they feel psychologically safe. Encouraging collaborators to share knowledge async – and giving them more time to do so – puts them in control over when and how they show up. That creates space for more robust, thoughtful input, and fewer decisions led by whoever responded first. Try it: Set clear response windows for async comments, like “Add comments to this proposal by end of day Thursday.” Give people clear direction on what type of contributions you’re looking for. Feedback on existing ideas? New ideas? Additional context the group may not have considered? Intentional disagreement to poke holes in a concept? (See practice #3 below.) Send a reminder before the deadline, tagging people who haven’t responded (if appropriate). In your recap, you can call out key contributions that arrived later in the time window in case people who responded earlier missed them. Where you can ask AI to help: Resurface lightly engaged threads before the response window closes, and summarize who hasn’t responded yet: “Only 2 of 5 assignees have replied. You are waiting on Marcos, Jennifer, and Lynn.” Schedule reminders for the team to contribute before the deadline. Flag contributions that are significantly different from earlier responses so you don’t miss something that changes decisions. 3. Intentionally invite disagreement Practice: Build in opportunities to respectfully dissent in writing and with purpose. Humans are hardwired to avoid conflict, especially at work. But questioning, disagreement, and arguing (respectfully, of course) can expose issues, clarify confusion, and reduce the risk of bigger problems later on. Conflict also signals that people care about a particular person or topic. In async work, there aren’t as many obvious opportunities for disagreement. You’re not meeting live or talking back and forth with someone you can share your true thoughts and feelings with in real time. That’s why it’s important to build in async opportunities for team members to disagree. Inviting people to share their questions and concerns in writing, on their own time, also gives those who may not feel comfortable speaking up live or face‑to‑face – especially across power or culture gaps – space to think, write, and edit their feedback before sharing. Try it: Add standard prompts to big decisions, such as: “What are we missing?” “If this fails, why will it have failed?” “What do you disagree with, and why?” “What feels riskier than we’re admitting out loud?” “What would a smart critic say about this plan?” Add “risks and concerns” fields to planning page templates and intake forms. Add a section to retrospective and incident review templates where people can share considerate critiques of a decision or tradeoff made. Run the Sparring Play to get async feedback on an idea or piece of work. Normalize respectful questioning and dissent as a helpful contribution to quality, not as criticism or an attack. (Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson shares three rules that contribute to building psychological safety, meaningful dialogue, and co-creation: listen more and speak less, build on others’ contributions, and respond to what’s emerging vs. pre-planning ideas.) Publicly thank people who disagree and say the hard stuff out loud. Show how their input shaped the outcome. Related Article 6 types of meetings that are worth your time (and 3 that aren’t) By Sarah Goff-Dupont In Teamwork Save for syncs Not every comment or conversation is appropriate for async. Opt for real-time communication if it’s: Individual one-on-ones First-time meetings with people who have never worked together Topics that are emotionally charged (performance issues, interpersonal conflicts, etc.) Project kickoffs Where you can ask AI to help: Analyze multiple messages and flag areas of repeated uncertainty or concern, like “Several people have raised concerns about privacy.” Summarize themes after a sparring session. Automatically add a step to suggested workflows to invite disagreement, instead of relying on people to remember to do it. Edit dissent messages for tone and clarity so those messages are better received, like changing “This plan is reckless and ignores basic security” to “I’m concerned this plan may introduce significant security risks that we haven’t fully evaluated yet.” 4. Separate idea generation from evaluation Practice: Don’t mix “What could we do?” with “What should we do?” There are two types of thinking: divergent and convergent. Divergent thinking is unrestricted, judgment-free, and takes a meandering path to explore all viable (and some not-so-viable) options. Convergent thinking uses logic to narrow down ideas in a structured way. Alex Osborn, who developed the creative-problem solving framework in the 1940s, noted that both types of thinking are essential to creativity. The problem is people often jump to convergent thinking as the most direct path to one “right” solution. If they don’t diverge first, they may make a short‑sighted decision and miss out on an even better solution. Try it: Break up the brainstorming or problem-solving process to diverge first, then converge. Start with divergent thinking to generate ideas (async): Share a collaborative document or form with the team for brainstorming, and ask them to share any and all observations, concerns, hypotheses, and ideas about the topic. Remind them to suspend judgment. Don’t worry about what’s been tried before or what “won’t work.” There are no good or bad ideas at this point. Encourage writing down every concept, even if it’s not certain or fully formed yet. Then evaluate ideas (later, async or sync): Shift to sharing feedback, prioritizing, and making decisions using clear criteria (e.g., impact, effort, risk). Decide which ideas become experiments, tasks/issues, or backlog items. Where you can ask AI to help: Label contributions by type (observation, risk, assumption, idea, etc.) so you can see what’s missing. Group similar ideas based on themes. Compare ideas to requirements or context to spot gaps or misalignment. Prioritize ideas based on criteria. 5. Surface summaries Practice: Share recaps of conversations and decisions with the rest of the team. Insights often get lost in conversation threads, notes, and documents. After doing any of these practices above or meeting live, share a summary of what was discussed and decided in a Slack or Teams channel, shared workspace, or wherever your team communicates. Summarizing and resurfacing information not only helps close the loop, but also means the next team doesn’t have to re‑ask the same questions or repeat the same experiment six months later. Decision logs and recap notes are consistently cited as a cornerstone of effective async collaboration, as GitLab notes in their handbook. Try it: Assign a teammate in each meeting or working session to share a recap with all stakeholders. In a simple written summary or decision log, capture: What was discussed or decided Key findings and patterns that informed the conversation and decision Points of tension or disagreement Open questions and notes to revisit later Store summaries where the team actually works, like a project’s Confluence page or Slack channel. Resurface findings at key moments: planning, retros, onboarding, or when similar work starts. Where you can ask AI to help: Add an AI notetaker, such as Loom, to your meetings to take notes and automatically share a summary. Create insight‑focused summaries, like “Here are the four main concerns and why the group chose Option B.” Schedule reminders to revisit notes, open questions, and past decisions for further review and assessment. 6. Create dedicated async “thinking spaces” Practice: Set up a document, workspace, or chat channel for random thoughts and brainstorming. Our brains work differently when they’re thinking than when they’re doing. (Both modes are equally important.) Even when we’re not thinking, like when we’re trying to fall asleep or in the shower, ideas strike at random. That’s because people generate better ideas when they have time and space to think alone, then come together to collaborate. It’s crucial to intentionally think before we do and to capture those thoughts before they disappear into the void. Async “thinking spaces” (like a Confluence page, whiteboard, or Slack channel) do exactly that: give team members a low-pressure place to jot down questions and blue‑sky ideas as they come up, instead of letting them disappear. Try it: Create a shared place as the team’s async thinking space. This space is specifically for: Questions and hypotheses, like “Is adoption suffering because of friction during onboarding?” Patterns people are noticing across customers or incidents, like “Three different tickets mentioned confusion about payment methods this week.” Ideas to revisit in the future Treat these as “slow” channels with fewer, but deeper messages and thoughts. Model the behavior by posting your own reflections, not just directives. If appropriate, share the thinking space with other teams to cross-pollinate knowledge. Where you can ask AI to help: Schedule weekly reminders to add any new ideas. Highlight emerging themes or repeated concerns, like “Social media posts featuring real customers are gaining popularity” or “Customer trust has come up 5 different times this month.” Surface themes across different projects, documents, and channels to bridge silos. How to get started: small experiments, big payoffs Async work won’t surface every insight or replace every meeting – nor should it. But when you make small, deliberate changes to the way your team writes, reflects, and disagrees, you can turn time zones and quiet personalities into a competitive advantage. Your team likely already has valuable work and hard-won lessons just waiting to be uncovered. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 6 async practices that surface buried insights (and how AI can help) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe 5-second summary Knowledge workers often struggle to uncover relevant insights (like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter) exactly when they need it, leading to wasted time, energy, and money. Intentional async practices surface vital knowledge that helps teams prevent duplicate work and make better decisions, faster. AI can serve as a helpful partner in gathering and summarizing what already exists before creating anything new. The worst thing you can do is sink a lot of money into something that you end up having to scrap, for reasons that could have been flagged at the beginning of the project… VP, Fortune 500 financial services company, in Atlassian’s State of Teams 2025 report It’s a painful rite of passage for knowledge workers: You spend days or weeks on a project, only to discover a related idea you wish you’d known earlier, a piece of data that changes your work, or (worst of all) something that negates everything you’ve been doing. Maybe you launch a survey, only to learn afterward that another team ran almost the same survey last quarter – and already answered your key questions. Or you might spend a week assembling a strategy deck, then stumble across a document with sharper thinking and fresher data that never crossed your radar. That’s the all‑too‑familiar problem for many teams, especially those who work asynchronously: lack of visibility into work that’s already been done, ideas that have already been considered, and insights that have already been gathered. This information may be: Buried in an old deck, an epic from two years ago, or a page no one can find Delivered after the deadline or the moment you were looking Shared quietly or held back completely Either way, if knowledge isn’t surfaced at the right time or in the right way, it never gets used – leading to wasted time and energy at best, and costly mistakes at worst. The good news is there are plenty of ways to overcome those barriers. Here’s how your team can tackle these challenges, use async benefits to your advantage, and do your best work – together. Teams have more information than ever, but they’ve never been less informed As the pace of work accelerates, employees are using more tools than ever and scattering data across a graveyard of disconnected work artifacts. This leaves people struggling to find and use relevant insights, like past research results or a list of ideas brainstormed last quarter. In fact, Atlassian’s most recent State of Teams report shows Fortune 500 companies waste 2.4 billion (yes, with a “b!”) hours every year searching for information. One in two knowledge workers report that teams at their company tend to unknowingly work on the same things, and just 20% feel confident that their team has an effective process for quickly informing other teams of decisions that may impact their work. The three things teams say they need to collaborate more effectively: Clearer goals Shared processes for how to get work done Ability to easily find the exact information they need Let’s dive deeper into that third benefit and explore six practical, research‑backed habits any team – especially those who work async – can use to surface knowledge faster and make even better decisions. 6 async practices to uncover existing insights Related Article How to excel at asynchronous communication with your distributed team By Jaime Netzer In Communication 1. Write before you meet Practice: Ask team members to write their thoughts and ideas about a topic before meeting. One of the biggest challenges with making decisions in live meetings is that meetings perpetuate groupthink and introduce bias. One way to avoid this is to give people time and space to write down their thoughts before they meet. Studies comparing group brainstorming to brainwriting (individually writing ideas) find that people generate more – and more unique – ideas when they write first instead of speaking in a group. Writing slows thinking down enough for nuance and clarity to emerge. People can draft, edit, and refine instead of reacting in real time. That means a designer in Sydney can write down three thoughtful concerns about a proposed UI change, rather than trying to get a word in during a rushed, late-night call. Similarly, writing also removes pressure to respond instantly or compete for airtime, which is especially helpful for introverts, junior team members, and those from under‑represented groups. Try it: Before a meeting or working session, share a short prompt for your collaborators to answer in writing. For a planning session, it could be, “What risks do you think we’re underestimating?” For a new campaign brainstorming session, it could be, “What’s the best campaign you’ve seen lately, and why?” Ask each person to write their thoughts in a shared document before any live discussion. Let people add async follow-up comments. Start the live meeting by reviewing a summary of themes the team wrote down and any notable outliers that may influence decisions. Where you can ask AI to help: Give the tool an overview of the meeting goals, topics to discuss, and what success looks like. Then, ask it to brainstorm questions and prompts for attendees to answer in writing ahead of time. Cluster themes among the responses, and highlight outliers. Present your team’s ideas in search results when another team is looking for similar information months later. 2. Design for time-delayed contribution Practice: Give everyone an opportunity to respond before you review. Some people are fast thinkers and communicators. Others take more time to formulate and write their thoughts. Some team members may be in a different time zone or out of the office. The fastest replies often get the most attention, but speed isn’t a signal of insight or value. Building in time for everyone who wants to contribute levels the playing field and avoids missing potentially important perspectives. Research on remote and virtual teams shows people are less likely to share when they feel like they’re being watched and more likely to share when they feel psychologically safe. Encouraging collaborators to share knowledge async – and giving them more time to do so – puts them in control over when and how they show up. That creates space for more robust, thoughtful input, and fewer decisions led by whoever responded first. Try it: Set clear response windows for async comments, like “Add comments to this proposal by end of day Thursday.” Give people clear direction on what type of contributions you’re looking for. Feedback on existing ideas? New ideas? Additional context the group may not have considered? Intentional disagreement to poke holes in a concept? (See practice #3 below.) Send a reminder before the deadline, tagging people who haven’t responded (if appropriate). In your recap, you can call out key contributions that arrived later in the time window in case people who responded earlier missed them. Where you can ask AI to help: Resurface lightly engaged threads before the response window closes, and summarize who hasn’t responded yet: “Only 2 of 5 assignees have replied. You are waiting on Marcos, Jennifer, and Lynn.” Schedule reminders for the team to contribute before the deadline. Flag contributions that are significantly different from earlier responses so you don’t miss something that changes decisions. 3. Intentionally invite disagreement Practice: Build in opportunities to respectfully dissent in writing and with purpose. Humans are hardwired to avoid conflict, especially at work. But questioning, disagreement, and arguing (respectfully, of course) can expose issues, clarify confusion, and reduce the risk of bigger problems later on. Conflict also signals that people care about a particular person or topic. In async work, there aren’t as many obvious opportunities for disagreement. You’re not meeting live or talking back and forth with someone you can share your true thoughts and feelings with in real time. That’s why it’s important to build in async opportunities for team members to disagree. Inviting people to share their questions and concerns in writing, on their own time, also gives those who may not feel comfortable speaking up live or face‑to‑face – especially across power or culture gaps – space to think, write, and edit their feedback before sharing. Try it: Add standard prompts to big decisions, such as: “What are we missing?” “If this fails, why will it have failed?” “What do you disagree with, and why?” “What feels riskier than we’re admitting out loud?” “What would a smart critic say about this plan?” Add “risks and concerns” fields to planning page templates and intake forms. Add a section to retrospective and incident review templates where people can share considerate critiques of a decision or tradeoff made. Run the Sparring Play to get async feedback on an idea or piece of work. Normalize respectful questioning and dissent as a helpful contribution to quality, not as criticism or an attack. (Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson shares three rules that contribute to building psychological safety, meaningful dialogue, and co-creation: listen more and speak less, build on others’ contributions, and respond to what’s emerging vs. pre-planning ideas.) Publicly thank people who disagree and say the hard stuff out loud. Show how their input shaped the outcome. Related Article 6 types of meetings that are worth your time (and 3 that aren’t) By Sarah Goff-Dupont In Teamwork Save for syncs Not every comment or conversation is appropriate for async. Opt for real-time communication if it’s: Individual one-on-ones First-time meetings with people who have never worked together Topics that are emotionally charged (performance issues, interpersonal conflicts, etc.) Project kickoffs Where you can ask AI to help: Analyze multiple messages and flag areas of repeated uncertainty or concern, like “Several people have raised concerns about privacy.” Summarize themes after a sparring session. Automatically add a step to suggested workflows to invite disagreement, instead of relying on people to remember to do it. Edit dissent messages for tone and clarity so those messages are better received, like changing “This plan is reckless and ignores basic security” to “I’m concerned this plan may introduce significant security risks that we haven’t fully evaluated yet.” 4. Separate idea generation from evaluation Practice: Don’t mix “What could we do?” with “What should we do?” There are two types of thinking: divergent and convergent. Divergent thinking is unrestricted, judgment-free, and takes a meandering path to explore all viable (and some not-so-viable) options. Convergent thinking uses logic to narrow down ideas in a structured way. Alex Osborn, who developed the creative-problem solving framework in the 1940s, noted that both types of thinking are essential to creativity. The problem is people often jump to convergent thinking as the most direct path to one “right” solution. If they don’t diverge first, they may make a short‑sighted decision and miss out on an even better solution. Try it: Break up the brainstorming or problem-solving process to diverge first, then converge. Start with divergent thinking to generate ideas (async): Share a collaborative document or form with the team for brainstorming, and ask them to share any and all observations, concerns, hypotheses, and ideas about the topic. Remind them to suspend judgment. Don’t worry about what’s been tried before or what “won’t work.” There are no good or bad ideas at this point. Encourage writing down every concept, even if it’s not certain or fully formed yet. Then evaluate ideas (later, async or sync): Shift to sharing feedback, prioritizing, and making decisions using clear criteria (e.g., impact, effort, risk). Decide which ideas become experiments, tasks/issues, or backlog items. Where you can ask AI to help: Label contributions by type (observation, risk, assumption, idea, etc.) so you can see what’s missing. Group similar ideas based on themes. Compare ideas to requirements or context to spot gaps or misalignment. Prioritize ideas based on criteria. 5. Surface summaries Practice: Share recaps of conversations and decisions with the rest of the team. Insights often get lost in conversation threads, notes, and documents. After doing any of these practices above or meeting live, share a summary of what was discussed and decided in a Slack or Teams channel, shared workspace, or wherever your team communicates. Summarizing and resurfacing information not only helps close the loop, but also means the next team doesn’t have to re‑ask the same questions or repeat the same experiment six months later. Decision logs and recap notes are consistently cited as a cornerstone of effective async collaboration, as GitLab notes in their handbook. Try it: Assign a teammate in each meeting or working session to share a recap with all stakeholders. In a simple written summary or decision log, capture: What was discussed or decided Key findings and patterns that informed the conversation and decision Points of tension or disagreement Open questions and notes to revisit later Store summaries where the team actually works, like a project’s Confluence page or Slack channel. Resurface findings at key moments: planning, retros, onboarding, or when similar work starts. Where you can ask AI to help: Add an AI notetaker, such as Loom, to your meetings to take notes and automatically share a summary. Create insight‑focused summaries, like “Here are the four main concerns and why the group chose Option B.” Schedule reminders to revisit notes, open questions, and past decisions for further review and assessment. 6. Create dedicated async “thinking spaces” Practice: Set up a document, workspace, or chat channel for random thoughts and brainstorming. Our brains work differently when they’re thinking than when they’re doing. (Both modes are equally important.) Even when we’re not thinking, like when we’re trying to fall asleep or in the shower, ideas strike at random. That’s because people generate better ideas when they have time and space to think alone, then come together to collaborate. It’s crucial to intentionally think before we do and to capture those thoughts before they disappear into the void. Async “thinking spaces” (like a Confluence page, whiteboard, or Slack channel) do exactly that: give team members a low-pressure place to jot down questions and blue‑sky ideas as they come up, instead of letting them disappear. Try it: Create a shared place as the team’s async thinking space. This space is specifically for: Questions and hypotheses, like “Is adoption suffering because of friction during onboarding?” Patterns people are noticing across customers or incidents, like “Three different tickets mentioned confusion about payment methods this week.” Ideas to revisit in the future Treat these as “slow” channels with fewer, but deeper messages and thoughts. Model the behavior by posting your own reflections, not just directives. If appropriate, share the thinking space with other teams to cross-pollinate knowledge. Where you can ask AI to help: Schedule weekly reminders to add any new ideas. Highlight emerging themes or repeated concerns, like “Social media posts featuring real customers are gaining popularity” or “Customer trust has come up 5 different times this month.” Surface themes across different projects, documents, and channels to bridge silos. How to get started: small experiments, big payoffs Async work won’t surface every insight or replace every meeting – nor should it. But when you make small, deliberate changes to the way your team writes, reflects, and disagrees, you can turn time zones and quiet personalities into a competitive advantage. Your team likely already has valuable work and hard-won lessons just waiting to be uncovered. Subscribe to Work LifeGet stories like this in your inbox Subscribe The post 6 async practices that surface buried insights (and how AI can help) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

The Farmers’ Almanac isn’t going out of business after all, but it is leaving Maine for the bright lights of New York City and a new owner. Beloved by farmers and gardeners, the almanac was first printed in 1818 and — like the arguably more famous Old Farmer’s Almanac — relies on a secret formula of sunspots, planetary positions, and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts. It’s been acquired by Unofficial Networks, a digital publisher focused on skiing and outdoor recreation. That means the almanac will keep operating despite announcing in November that its 208-year run was coming to an end. A new Farmers’ Almanac website will be “a living, breathing publication with fresh, daily content” and there are plans to bring back a print edition, said Tim Konrad, founder and publisher of New York-based Unofficial Networks. “I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close,” Konrad said, “and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.” The deal will prioritize “preserving and sustaining the iconic publication,” according to a statement from Unofficial Networks and Peter Geiger, the almanac’s longtime publisher. The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in New Jersey before moving its headquarters to Lewiston, Maine, in 1955. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is based in New Hampshire. Over the years, scientists have sometimes chafed at the publications’ predictions. Studies of their accuracy have found them to be a little more than 50% accurate. That is about on par with random chance. But Geiger, whose family had the Farmers’ Almanac for more than 90 years, said they’re “going out a winner” by having predicted a cold and snowy 2026. “For more than 200 years, the values and wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac have been protected and nurtured by four owner-publishers,” Geiger said. “I am grateful to have found the right next custodian in Tim Konrad. I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.” Unofficial Networks was started in 2006 by Konrad and his brother John in a California basement, according to the company’s website. —Patrick Whittle, Associated Press View the full article

Unsolicited texts are annoying—and even more so if they keep coming from a legitimate sender after you've opted out. If you received text spam from Kaiser Permanente, you may be eligible for a cash payout for each message. The healthcare company, which serves over 12.5 million members, recently settled a $10.5 million class action lawsuit filed over marketing text messages sent after recipients tried to opt out. The suit, filed in August 2025, claimed that Kaiser Permanente failed to honor opt-out requests. Those with a valid claim may receive up to $75 per qualifying text. Are you eligible for the Kaiser settlement? To qualify for a payout from this settlement, you must have received more than one text message from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. within a 12-month period—between Jan. 21, 2021 and Aug. 20, 2025—after sending a "stop" or similar opt-out request. (Note that the confirmation of your request does not count.) According to the settlement website, there are two separate classes covered by suit: one for message recipients in Florida and one for the U.S. as a whole. How to claim your settlement cashTo get your cash, you'll need to submit a valid claim form by Feb. 12, 2026. You can complete your claim online if you received a notice of eligibility via mail or email containing a unique ID and PIN. If you did not get a notice, you'll have to download and submit a paper claim form to the settlement administrator. Hard copy claims must be postmarked by Feb. 12. While the maximum per-text payout is $75, the final amount may be less depending on how many claims are filed. Payments could take months to distribute while settlement details are finalized, so don't expect the funds to arrive immediately. View the full article

Former Fed Gov. Kevin Warsh is a relatively known quantity to financial markets, but his embrace of President The President's agenda and the White House's own contentious relationship with the central bank make it hard to know with certainty where — or even whether — he will lead the Fed. View the full article

Here’s everything you need to know about setting up an integration to sync Rovo with Salesforce work items with an automated flow from Unito. Since Unito is a completely customizable platform with a no-code interface, you can set up this integration without any technical resources and minimal maintenance. No need to troubleshoot complex automations or rely on expensive consultants, either. Overview Tools: Rovo and Salesforce Use cases: AI agent integration, record syncing Great for: Project managers, IT teams, software developers. Unito’s integration for Rovo and Salesforce allows users of any technical background, from project managers to software developers, to sync data from Salesforce work items to Rovo. This integration also syncs any updates to these work items from Salesforce to Rovo and automates repetitive actions. This in-depth guide shows you how that’s done. Why integrate Rovo with other tools? Rovo is Atlassian’s AI solution for everything from agentic AI to chatbots. It’s natively integrated with all Atlassian tools, like Jira and Trello, meaning it has access to all the work items and data in these tools. But few organizations do all their work on these platforms, and some teams need dedicated tools. Integrating Rovo with tools like Salesforce gives your Rovo agents and chatbots access to the work happening in deals, cases, contacts, and more. That leads to better answers, more intelligent agents, and automated handoffs between teams. Step 1: Connect Rovo and Salesforce to Unito Sign up for Unito. Click +Create Flow in the Unito app. Click Start Here to connect Rovo and Salesforce. Click +Choose Account for each tool and complete the authorization process. Click Confirm. Connecting tools to Unito for the first time? Here’s an in-depth guide. Step 2: Choose flow direction for new work items With flow direction, you decide where Unito automatically creates work items to match those you create manually. For most Unito integrations, you can choose between a two-way flow that creates work items in both tools or a one-way flow that only creates new items in one tool. With Unito’s Rovo integration, you can only build one-way flows that sync data from other tools to Rovo, feeding context to your AI agents and chatbots. Want to know more about flow direction? Check out this guide. Step 3: Set rules to sync specific Rovo and Salesforce work items Unito rules can do two things: Filter out work items you don’t want synced. For example, you could create a rule that only syncs Salesforce deals created after a certain date. Automate certain actions, like automatically creating new work items based on events in Salesforce. To start building your rule, click Add new rule, then choose a trigger and action. Want to learn more about rules? Check out this guide. Step 4: Map fields between Rovo and Salesforce When you map fields, you pair fields in Rovo with fields in Salesforce so data goes exactly where it needs to. Unito can usually map most fields automatically, whether they’re exactly the same (Creation Date→Creation Date) or just compatible (Creation Date→CreatedAt). You can also choose to map fields manually to customize your flow. Here’s what you’ll see when Unito maps your fields automatically. You can add a field mapping by clicking +Add mapping, then Select a field. When you choose the field you want to map in one tool, Unito will automatically recommend compatible fields in a dropdown under the other tool. Some fields have a cog icon, meaning you can customize them once they’re mapped. For example, a Status field can be customized so its options match those in another field. Step 5: Launch your Rovo-Salesforce integration That’s it! You’re ready to launch your flow. Unito will automatically sync data from Salesforce cases, contacts, deals, and more to Rovo, so your chatbots and AI agents always have maximum context when answering questions or automating tasks. This allows your teams to get more out every AI interaction, knowing they’re getting data from across your tool ecosystem—not just Atlassian tools. Ready to optimize your workflow? Meet with our team to see what Unito can do for your workflows. Talk with sales FAQ: Rovo-Salesforce integration Why should I integrate Rovo with Salesforce? Rovo is Atlassian’s AI solution for tools like Jira, Trello, and Bitbucket. It automatically pulls data from these tools to train chatbots and AI agents, meaning developers, project managers, and other users can use AI assistants to do their best work. But if you use Salesforce, Rovo doesn’t have access to that data. That’s why integrations are so essential; they feed data from other platforms to Rovo so your AI features have more context. What’s the best way to integrate Rovo and Salesforce? Few integration providers actually integrate with Rovo, since this tool is so new. Atlassian does offer pre-built connectors, but they have varying levels of depth, meaning you might only get some context from other tools in Rovo. Unito’s integrations are some of the deepest on the market, and they support a wide range of tools from project management apps to ITSM tools and databases. That makes them one of the best way to integrate Rovo with Salesforce. What’s next after integrating Rovo with Salesforce? Need to integrate Rovo with other tools in your stack? Check out our other guides: Syncing Rovo with Asana More about Unito’s Rovo integration Looking to integrate Salesforce with other tools? Check out these guides: Integrating Salesforce with Jira Connecting Salesforce with Trello Syncing Salesforce with ServiceNow View the full article

Financial markets are churning on Friday as investors try to figure out what President Donald The President’s new nominee to lead the Federal Reserve will mean for interest rates. The initial reactions were uneasy because of the uncertainty. U.S. stocks fell, with the S&P 500 down 0.8% in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 507 points, or 1%, as of 1 p.m. ET, and the Nasdaq composite was 1% lower. The value of the U.S. dollar, meanwhile, climbed, but only after swiveling a couple of times following The President’s nomination of Kevin Warsh. And some of the wildest action was again in precious metals markets, where the price of gold screeched lower following its stellar run over the last year. Whoever leads the Fed has a big influence on the economy and markets worldwide by helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. Such decisions lift or weigh on prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S. job market humming without letting inflation get out of control. The President has been pushing for lower interest rates, which usually help goose the economy but can also cause higher inflation. A fear in financial markets has been that the Fed will lose some of its independence because of The President. That fear in turn helped catapult the price of gold and weaken the U.S. dollar’s value over the last year. The longtime assumption has been that the Fed can operate separately from the rest of Washington so that it can make decisions that are painful in the short term but necessary for the long term. To get inflation down to the Fed’s goal of 2%, for example, may require the unpopular choice to keep interest rates high and grind down on the economy for a while. The big question is what Warsh’s nomination, which still requires approval from the Senate, means for the Fed’s independence. Warsh used to be a governor on the Fed’s board, so investors are familiar with him. That could also mean Warsh is familiar with and hopes to continue the institution of the Fed as an independent operator. And while with the Fed, Warsh criticized the central bank’s buying of bonds to keep interest rates low. Some on Wall Street took Warsh’s nomination as an encouraging signal for a still-independent Fed that will keep rates high, if necessary. But Warsh has also recently been critical of the Fed’s current chair, Jerome Powell, and has voiced support for lower rates. “Indeed, Warsh is not the Fed’s guy, he is The President’s guy, and has shadowed The President on monetary policy almost every step of the way since 2009,” according to Thierry Wizman, a strategist at Macquarie Group. “This doesn’t necessarily mean that Warsh will push the Fed into rate cuts soon,” but it could indicate he may be quicker to do so when the time comes. On Wall Street, stocks of metals miners tumbled as the price of gold dropped 8.9%, to $4,878.80 per ounce. Gold’s price has suddenly run out of momentum following a tremendous rally where it roughly doubled over 12 months. It topped $5,000 for the first time on Monday and got near $5,600 on Thursday. Silver, which has been on a similar, jaw-dropping tear, fell even more. It plunged 23.5%. Prices for gold and other precious metals had been surging as investors looked for safer places for their money while weighing a wide range of risks, including a potentially less independent Fed, a U.S. stock market that critics say is expensive, political instability, threats of tariffs, and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide. The dramatic halt in momentum may have been inevitable, given how far and how fast metal prices had surged over the last year. Nothing goes up in price forever. Friday’s drops for metals prices helped send the stock of miner Newmont down 10.9%. Freeport-McMoRan, another miner, dropped 8.4%. Apple was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after sinking 1.4%, even though the iPhone maker reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Helping to limit the market’s losses was Tesla, which rose 4.3%. It bounced back after dropping on Thursday despite delivering better profit reports for the latest quarter than analysts expected. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.24%, where it was late Thursday. It got near 4.28% in the overnight and early-morning hours before falling back. A rise in a bond’s yield indicates that its price is weakening. Yields may have felt some upward pressure from a report released Friday showing U.S. inflation at the wholesale level was hotter last month than economists expected. That could put pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates steady for a while instead of cutting them, as it did late last year. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose in much of Europe following a mixed performance in Asia. Stocks rose 1.2% in Jakarta after the CEO of Indonesia’s stock market, Imam Rachman, resigned Friday. Stocks had stumbled there in prior days after MSCI, an influential company in the investment industry that creates stock and other indexes, warned about market risks such as a lack of transparency. —By Stan Choe, AP business writer AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. View the full article

On episode 339 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Kirk Williams, a long-time PPC professional who’s been in the industry since 2009. Kirk is the founder of Zato, a specialist PPC micro-agency, and the author of Ponderings of a PPC Professional and Stop the Scale. He’s also a familiar face on the global conference circuit, speaking at events like BrightonSEO, SMX, HeroConf, and more. The big f-Up: Taking on the wrong clients Kirk’s biggest mistake wasn’t a platform error or a bad bid — it was taking on clients who weren’t a good fit. He explains that these decisions often came during moments of pressure: wanting to grow quickly, dealing with client churn, or navigating tougher economic periods. In those moments, warning signs were present, but ignored. The result? Short-lived client relationships that drained time, energy, and morale. Why “bad fit” clients are so costly Kirk is careful to define “bad” not as morally wrong, but simply misaligned. A poor fit client creates several hidden costs: Emotional tax: Team members become drained by friction, conflict, and constant tension. Time tax: More calls, more explanations, more conflict resolution. Financial tax: Reduced profitability and, in some cases, refunded fees just to exit cleanly. Over time, these costs compound and take focus away from clients where the agency can truly deliver value. Red flags Kirk wishes he’d acted on sooner Looking back at one particular client, Kirk shares several early warning signs he now takes far more seriously: Emotionally immature communication during discovery Aggressive or defensive reactions to pricing discussions Lack of respect for the agency as a separate business with its own boundaries A mindset that the agency exists solely to “serve” the client These behaviors often signal deeper issues that surface later as unrealistic expectations and ongoing conflict. Fit is about personality and expectations Kirk emphasizes that fit isn’t only about whether someone is “nice.” You can have a pleasant contact who still isn’t a good match. A major issue arises when clients expect PPC to outperform what the channel is realistically capable of delivering. If a business believes Google Ads alone should drive all growth — without brand, CRO, or other marketing channels — the relationship is set up to fail. When expectations and reality don’t align, no amount of optimization will fix it. The industry fit reality check Some industries and client types simply aren’t a fit for every agency. Kirk openly shares that he avoids legal clients, not because they’re “bad,” but because the typical communication style and expectations don’t align with how he and his team work. Fit is personal. Knowing who you don’t want to work with is just as important as knowing who you do. The discovery process as a detective exercise To solve the client-fit problem, Kirk overhauled his discovery process. Instead of selling first, he focuses on understanding. Key areas he probes: Why the prospect is looking for an agency now How they believe PPC fits into their overall marketing strategy Whether they understand trade-offs between scale and efficiency What they disliked — and liked — about their previous agency One standout question: “What’s something you liked about your last agency?” If a prospect can’t answer it, that’s often a signal of unrealistic expectations rather than poor past performance. Asking better questions improves sales, too Counterintuitively, Kirk says deeper discovery doesn’t hurt sales — it improves them. Prospects can sense genuine curiosity and alignment. By the time pricing is discussed, both sides already understand whether the relationship makes sense. The result is fewer rushed decisions, fewer failed engagements, and far stronger long-term partnerships. PPC isn’t a standalone growth strategy Both Anu and Kirk reinforce a critical point: PPC cannot — and should not — carry an entire business on its own. Paid search works best as part of a broader marketing ecosystem that includes brand, product, customer experience, and other channels. When clients expect PPC to do “all the heavy lifting,” it’s a structural problem, not a performance one. Final thoughts: protect your team and yourself The biggest takeaway from this episode is simple but powerful: vetting clients is a mental health strategy as much as a business one. Strong discovery processes protect agencies, consultants, and in-house teams from burnout, resentment, and constant uphill battles. Saying “no” early can be far healthier — and more profitable — than saying “yes” to the wrong opportunity. View the full article

Before you head out to a protest, take some precautions to protect your privacy and both the physical and digital security of any device you bring along. The most secure option, of course, is to leave your phone at home, but you can also lock things down to minimize the risk that your data will be accessible to law enforcement or someone who gets hold of your device. Thankfully, both iOS and Android have built-in device encryption if you're using a passcode, meaning that your device's data cannot be accessed when it is locked. (On Android, go to Settings > Security to ensure Encrypt Disk is enabled). You'll want to maximize this protection with the following privacy settings. Turn off face and fingerprint scanningAt an absolute minimum, you'll want to disable biometric access, such as face and fingerprint authentication, on your device in favor of a passcode or PIN. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes, this minimizes the risk of being physically forced to unlock your device and may provide stronger legal protections against compelled decryption. On iOS, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and toggle off iPhone Unlock. You can also set up a stronger passcode—a custom numeric or alphanumeric code—under Change Passcode. On Android, you'll find the option to delete your fingerprint in favor of your PIN or screen lock pattern under Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Fingerprint. Limit location trackingAgain, the best option to prevent your location from being tracked is to coordinate any details in advance and leave your phone at home. If you must bring it along, keep it off unless you absolutely need to use it. You can turn on Airplane Mode in advance, as well as disable Bluetooth, wifi, and location services, which keeps your device from transmitting your location. However, note that some apps may still be able to store GPS data and transmit it when an internet connection is available—so again, the safest bet is to keep your device off for the duration. Airplane Mode can be enabled (and wifi and Bluetooth disabled) in your device's settings or quick access menu. On Android, go to Settings > Location to disable location services and turn off Location History in your Google account. On iOS, head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to disable locations entirely. Turn off previews and notificationsTemporarily disable notifications and screen previews so that if someone gets your device, they won't be able to glean any information from your lock screen. You can adjust these options under Settings > Notifications on iOS and Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications on Android. Adjust screen lock timeMinimize your screen lock time to as short a period as possible so that your screen turns off when you're not actively using it and will require authentication to reopen. On iOS, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and select 30 seconds. The exact path on Android may vary, but typically you'll find this under Settings > Display or Lock Screen. Know that most devices have camera access from the lock screen, so you can take photos or record video without actually unlocking your device. Enable app pinning or Guided AccessApp pinning (Android) and Guided Access (iOS) are features that prevent others from navigating through your phone beyond a specific app or screen. This allows you to use an essential feature on your device while locking the rest behind your PIN or passcode. You can enable this preemptively, and if someone grabs your device, they won't be able to snoop around. You can find this setting on Android under Security or Security & location > Advanced > App pinning and on iOS under Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. Use a SIM PINYou can also lock your SIM card to prevent unauthorized use of your device or SIM card, including access to two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS. This PIN will be required any time your phone restarts or if someone tries to use your SIM card in another device. On iOS, go to Settings > Cellular, select your SIM, and tap SIM PIN. On Android, you'll find this under Settings > Security > More security settings (the exact path varies by device). Sign out of, hide, or delete appsThis step will vary depending on what you keep on your phone and your risk tolerance, but you may want to consider signing out of your social media accounts and deleting apps that contain or allow access to sensitive data. On iOS, you can also lock or hide specific apps: the former requires an extra authentication step to open apps on your home screen, while the latter sends apps to a hidden folder that also requires authentication to unlock. Touch and hold an app icon to bring up the quick actions menu, then tap Require Face ID/Require Passcode. On Android, you can set up a "private space" to lock apps behind your pattern, PIN, or password. Apps are hidden from the launcher and recent views as well as quick search. Go to Settings > Security & privacy > Private space, authenticate with your screen lock, and tap Set up > Got it. If necessary, turn on Lockdown Mode or Advanced ProtectionBoth iOS and Android have strict device-level security modes that significantly limit access to certain app and web features as well as blocking changes to settings. Both were designed with journalists, activists, and other users with access to sensitive data that may be targeted by cyber actors in mind. These settings are overkill for day-to-day use but add a potentially helpful layer of security in high-risk situations. Enable Lockdown Mode on iOS via Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode. On Android, turn on Advanced Protection under Settings > Security & privacy > Advanced Protection. Protect your privacy after a protestWhile the above steps are largely about securing your data during a protest, you should also follow best practices for protecting privacy (yours and others') after the fact. If you plan to post photos or videos, utilize blurring tools to block faces and other unique identifying features, and scrub file metadata, which includes information like photo location. You can do this by taking a screenshot of the image to post or sending a copy to yourself in Signal, which automatically strips metadata. Signal also has a photo blurring tool, or you can blur in your device's default photo editing app. View the full article

If you enter a query into Quili.AI on January 31, your question won’t be answered by a large language model, but instead by residents from the Chilean community of Quilicura. The project aims to replace artificial intelligence with “analog intelligence,” to both highlight the environmental impact of AI, and to get people thinking consciously about their AI use. “We’re inviting people to have a day without AI,” Lorena Antiman from Corporación NGEN, an environmental organization focused in part on protecting Quilicura’s wetlands, says while speaking through a translator. Corporación NGEN spearheaded the project. Instead of going through a data center, each prompt into the “chatbot” will be answered directly by Quilicura residents. Artists, teachers, and others in the community will all meet in one place on Saturday, ready to respond to the queries. Quilicura and data centers The people of Quilicura, Chile are directly living with the impact of AI data centers. The community is located on the edge of Santiago, which is becoming a data center hub: 16 such facilities have been approved for construction there since 2012. Data centers both use immense amounts of energy, and lots of water to cool the servers. Understanding AI water use can be complicated, but some experts have tried to quantify it. A 2024 Washington Post article says that generating a 100 word email with GPT-4 requires 519 milliliters of water, or just over a bottle. Google opened its first Latin American data center in Quilicura in 2015. That facility uses 50 liters of water a second—or the same as 8,000 Chilean households—the New York Times reported in 2025, based on environmental records filed with the government. (Google says the sites used less water the year prior, about the same water use as a golf course.) This data center boom from tech companies is happening as Chile experiences a 15-year megadrought. The country is expected to lead the world in terms of water stress by 2040. Community activists in Quilicura have highlighted the impact of these data centers by showing before and after photos of the region’s wetlands, appearing dry even during the rainy season. How Quili.AI works Up to 50 community members will be participating in the day without AI, ready to respond to Quili.AI prompts over the 24 hours of January 31 only. Each of them will bring their unique skills to the task. Prompt Quili.Ai to make a certain image, and a local artist will draw it. Ask Quili.AI for a recipe, and someone will share their own. “Or need something explained to you like you’re 5?” a community member says in a video promoting the action. “Ask Mateo. He’s 5.” Instead of servers and cloud computing, community members will use their own experiences, their cultural knowledge, and their human judgment. Responses may not be immediate, but Antiman says they’ll do their best to reply to as many queries as they can. And though the humans powering this “analog intelligence” are local to Quilicara, the organizers say anyone can use the tool. Instilling better AI habits Antiman hopes the action helps people think more responsibly about what they turn to AI for, and if their prompts are worth the resources they require. Just like we’re taught to turn off lights when we leave a room, or to not run water while we brush their teeth, she hopes people can learn better AI habits. Many people may simply not be aware of the impacts of using AI. Antiman is a teacher, and she says her students are surprised when she highlights those effects. “They don’t know the consequences of the way they’re using AI,” she says. The day without AI is also an invitation, she adds, for people to look to their own neighbors or communities for knowledge. Maybe your neighbor knows how to change a tire, or another already has a recipe for cupcakes, so you don’t need to ask ChatGPT. This connection between real people is what makes the Quili.AI project so exciting to Antiman. “The most magical thing about it is the community is the one working on it,” she says. “They’re all coming together to make this happen.” View the full article

Federal prosecutors can’t seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a federal judge ruled Friday, foiling the The President administration’s bid to see him executed for what it called a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed a federal murder charge that had enabled prosecutors to seek capital punishment, finding it technically flawed. She wrote that she did so to “foreclose the death penalty as an available punishment to be considered by the jury” as it weighs whether to convict Mangione. Garnett also dismissed a gun charge but left in place stalking charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison. To seek the death penalty, prosecutors needed to show that Mangione killed Thompson while committing another “crime of violence.” Stalking doesn’t fit that definition, Garnett wrote in her opinion, citing case law and legal precedents. In a win for prosecutors, Garnett ruled they can use evidence collected from his backpack during his arrest, including a 9mm handgun and a notebook in which authorities say Mangione described his intent to “wack” an insurance executive. Mangione’s lawyers had sought to exclude those items, arguing the search was illegal because police hadn’t yet obtained a warrant. During a hearing Friday, Garnett gave prosecutors 30 days to update her on whether they’ll appeal her death penalty decision. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, which is prosecuting the federal case, declined to comment. Garnett acknowledged that the decision “may strike the average person — and indeed many lawyers and judges — as tortured and strange, and the result may seem contrary to our intuitions about the criminal law.” But, she said, it reflected her “committed effort to faithfully apply the dictates of the Supreme Court to the charges in this case. The law must be the Court’s only concern.” Mangione, 27, appeared relaxed as he sat with his lawyers during the scheduled hearing, which took place about an hour after Garnett issued her written ruling. Prosecutors retained their right to appeal but said they were ready to proceed to trial. Outside court afterward, Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said her client and his defense team were relieved by the “incredible decision.” Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13. The state trial’s date hasn’t been set. On Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney’s office urged the judge in that case to schedule a July 1 trial date. “That case is none of my concern,” Garnett said, adding that she would proceed as if the federal case is the only case unless she hears formally from parties involved in the state case. She also said the federal case will be paused if the government appeals her death penalty ruling. Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used by critics to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan. Following through on The President’s campaign promise to vigorously pursue capital punishment, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered Manhattan federal prosecutors last April to seek the death penalty against Mangione. It was the first time the Justice Department sought the death penalty in President Donald The President’s second term. He returned to office a year ago with a vow to resume federal executions after they were halted under his predecessor, President Joe Biden. Garnett, a Biden appointee and former Manhattan federal prosecutor, ruled after hearing oral arguments earlier this month. Besides seeking to have the death penalty rejected on the grounds Garnett cited, Mangione’s lawyers argued that Bondi’s announcement flouted long-established Justice Department protocols and was “based on politics, not merit.” They said her remarks, followed by posts to her Instagram account and a TV appearance, “indelibly prejudiced” the grand jury process resulting in his indictment weeks later. Prosecutors urged Garnett to keep the death penalty on the table, arguing that the charges were legally sound and Bondi’s remarks weren’t prejudicial, as “pretrial publicity, even when intense, is not itself a constitutional defect.” Prosecutors argued that careful questioning of prospective jurors would alleviate the defense’s concerns about their knowledge of the case and ensure Mangione’s rights are respected at trial. “What the defendant recasts as a constitutional crisis is merely a repackaging of arguments” rejected in previous cases, prosecutors said. “None warrants dismissal of the indictment or categorical preclusion of a congressionally authorized punishment.” —Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister, Associated Press View the full article

Talent acquisition involves a strategic approach to finding and hiring qualified candidates who fit your organization’s needs. It’s not just about filling vacancies; it includes employer branding, creating a positive candidate experience, and implementing diversity initiatives. By focusing on building a talent pipeline, you can address both current and future staffing challenges. Comprehending how these components work together can improve your hiring process greatly, but there’s much more to investigate in this evolving field. Key Takeaways Talent acquisition involves identifying and attracting qualified candidates through strategic employer branding and candidate sourcing. The process includes assessing candidates based on relevant skills, rather than just traditional qualifications. Building a positive candidate experience is crucial, emphasizing timely communication and feedback throughout the hiring process. Implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies enhances the candidate pool and fosters innovation. Ongoing relationship management with potential candidates helps maintain a strong talent pipeline for future staffing needs. Definition of Talent Acquisition Talent acquisition is an vital strategic process that organizations use to identify, attract, and hire qualified candidates who align with their business goals. A talent acquisition specialist plays an important role in this process, focusing on building a strong candidate pipeline rather than merely filling immediate vacancies. So, what does talent acquisition do? It encompasses various activities such as employer branding, candidate sourcing, assessment, and onboarding. This strategic approach leverages data analytics to improve decision-making, ensuring that hiring strategies are optimized for success. By prioritizing a diverse and inclusive workforce, talent acquisition promotes innovation and helps adapt to changing labor market dynamics. In the end, effective talent acquisition aims to lower employee turnover rates, boost productivity, and improve overall employee engagement within the organization. Key Components of Talent Acquisition Effective talent acquisition hinges on several key components that work in harmony to attract and secure top talent. First, employer branding plays an important role, showcasing your organization’s values and culture, often led by marketing or HR teams. Skills-based hiring shifts the focus from traditional criteria like education to evaluating candidates based on their relevant skills, broadening the candidate pool considerably. A positive candidate experience is fundamental; offering timely communication and constructive feedback during the hiring process builds trust and engagement among potential hires. Moreover, promoting internal mobility encourages the growth and development of existing employees for open positions, which improves engagement and retention. Finally, implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies is critical, as diverse teams stimulate innovation, and inclusive practices help attract underrepresented candidates, ensuring a well-rounded workforce. These components together create a robust talent acquisition strategy. Talent Acquisition vs. Recruitment Grasping the distinction between talent acquisition and recruitment is crucial for organizations aiming to build a strong workforce. Talent acquisition takes a proactive, strategic approach, focusing on long-term workforce planning and establishing a talent pipeline. Conversely, recruitment is primarily reactive, centered around filling immediate job vacancies. While recruitment typically involves short-term hiring for specific roles, talent acquisition includes broader activities like employer branding, candidate experience, and workforce analytics. The talent acquisition process encompasses identifying future skill needs and sourcing candidates, whereas recruitment focuses solely on screening and selecting applicants for open positions. Effective talent acquisition strategies address both current hiring needs and future requirements, ensuring organizations are prepared for upcoming challenges. This ongoing relationship-building with potential candidates and a strong employer brand differentiates talent acquisition from recruitment’s immediate candidate engagement and placement focus. Grasping these differences can improve your organization’s hiring success and workforce stability. Importance of Talent Acquisition Comprehending the significance of talent acquisition is vital for organizations aiming to align their workforce skills with overall goals. Effective talent acquisition impacts your productivity and competitiveness, ensuring you have the right people in place. By sourcing both active and passive candidates, you can build a diverse and skilled talent pool. Without a clear strategy, you might struggle to market your organization, making it hard to attract top talent. Here’s a table highlighting the importance of talent acquisition: Key Benefits Effects on Organization Outcomes Aligns skills with goals Increases productivity Improved competitiveness Builds a strong pipeline Addresses current and future needs Enhanced organizational resilience Reduces turnover Boosts employee engagement Positive impact on performance Investing in talent acquisition is fundamental for long-term success, leading to lower turnover rates and higher employee engagement. Talent Acquisition Strategy Development When developing a talent acquisition strategy, it’s fundamental to align it with your organization’s overall strategy to support business objectives and long-term growth. Start by evaluating future resource planning, which involves identifying skill gaps and forecasting staffing needs based on anticipated market changes and organizational goals. Creating a talent pipeline is important; this means maintaining relationships with potential candidates, ensuring a steady flow of qualified applicants for both current and future roles. Don’t underestimate the importance of employer branding, as a strong brand not just attracts quality candidates but additionally differentiates your organization in a competitive job market. Finally, keep in mind that continuous evaluation and adaptation of your strategy are indispensable. This helps you respond effectively to changing labor market dynamics, improving your recruitment processes and outcomes over time. The Talent Acquisition Process The talent acquisition process starts with effective candidate sourcing strategies that attract top talent through various channels like job boards and social media. You’ll engage in a thorough assessment and selection process to identify the best candidates, which includes screening resumes and conducting interviews. Finally, you’ll guarantee a smooth progression for new hires through careful onboarding, setting the stage for their success within your organization. Candidate Sourcing Strategies In today’s competitive job market, effective candidate sourcing strategies are essential for attracting a diverse and qualified pool of applicants. You can utilize various channels like job boards, social media, and professional networks to reach potential candidates. Engaging with passive candidates and building a talent pipeline helps maintain relationships for future hiring needs. Implementing skills-based hiring techniques allows you to focus on relevant skills instead of just formal education or past experience, broadening your candidate pool. Furthermore, leveraging data-driven sourcing methods, like talent analytics and AI tools, improves your decision-making by identifying effective channels and candidate profiles. Regularly evaluating your sourcing strategies against key metrics, such as time to fill and candidate quality, guarantees continuous improvement in your talent acquisition process. Assessment and Selection Process During the evaluation of candidates, it’s essential to implement a structured selection process that guarantees a strong fit for both the role and the organization. This involves thorough evaluations through structured interviews, skill assessments, and background checks. By utilizing data-driven tools and HR software, you can streamline the screening process, quickly identifying candidates with relevant skills. Engaging stakeholders like hiring managers and team leaders during this phase improves insights on candidate evaluations, aligning selections with team needs and culture. Standardized interview questions and assessment criteria help reduce biases, ensuring fair evaluations. Moreover, continuously refining the selection process based on metrics, such as first-year turnover, can greatly enhance future hiring decisions and overall talent acquisition effectiveness. Best Practices for Effective Talent Acquisition Effective talent acquisition can greatly impact an organization’s success, especially when you implement best practices that attract and retain top talent. First, develop a strong employer brand, as 70% of job seekers consider this before applying. A compelling brand can draw quality candidates to your organization. Next, adopt a skills-based hiring approach, which focuses on relevant skills instead of traditional qualifications like degrees. This broadens your candidate pool and helps you discover hidden talent. Maintaining open communication with candidates throughout the hiring process improves their experience, increasing engagement and trust by 50%. Furthermore, implement a robust talent pipeline strategy to guarantee a steady flow of qualified candidates, reducing your time-to-hire by up to 30%. Finally, regularly monitor key performance metrics, such as candidate satisfaction scores and first-year turnover rates, to refine your talent acquisition strategies and achieve better outcomes over time. Leveraging Technology in Talent Acquisition As organizations aim to improve their talent acquisition processes, leveraging technology has become essential for staying competitive in today’s job market. Utilizing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) automates job postings and streamlines the application process, improving efficiency in candidate management. AI-driven tools analyze vast amounts of candidate data, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and speed up sourcing and selection. Virtual interview platforms facilitate remote hiring, connecting you with a broader talent pool and reducing time-to-fill metrics. Additionally, integrating talent acquisition software with HR analytics tools provides insights into recruitment metrics like candidate Net Promoter Scores (cNPS) and time-to-hire, helping you refine your strategies effectively. Implementing chatbots in your recruitment process improves candidate engagement, offering real-time responses to inquiries and enhancing the overall candidate experience. Talent Acquisition Metrics and Analytics Grasping talent acquisition metrics and analytics is essential for optimizing your hiring processes and ensuring you attract the right candidates. By measuring various metrics, you can gain insights into the effectiveness of your recruitment strategies. Key metrics include the Candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS) for applicant satisfaction, and Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) to assess loyalty and satisfaction among current employees. Here’s a quick overview of important metrics: Metric Purpose Importance cNPS Measures applicant satisfaction Improves candidate experience eNPS Gauges employee loyalty Indicates retention effectiveness Time to Fill Assesses recruitment efficiency Streamlines hiring processes First-Year Turnover Reveals match effectiveness with roles/culture Improves selection accuracy Utilizing these analytics helps you make data-driven decisions, ultimately enhancing your hiring outcomes. Trends Influencing Talent Acquisition In today’s swiftly evolving job market, talent acquisition strategies are undergoing significant transformations to keep pace with new realities. As companies adapt, several trends are shaping how they attract and hire talent: Remote Work: The shift toward remote work allows organizations to source candidates from a wider geographical area, enhancing access to diverse talent pools. Artificial Intelligence: Many companies are leveraging IBM Watson and data analytics to streamline recruitment processes, improve candidate screening, and minimize bias in hiring decisions. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): There’s a stronger focus on creating inclusive job descriptions and recruitment processes to better represent underrepresented groups. Employee Experience Metrics: Organizations increasingly integrate metrics like candidate satisfaction and retention rates to refine their hiring strategies and boost overall performance. These trends highlight the need for innovative approaches in talent acquisition, ensuring companies remain competitive in attracting top talent. Building a Strong Employer Brand Building a strong employer brand is essential for attracting and retaining top talent in today’s competitive job market. A well-defined employer brand communicates your organization’s values, culture, and mission, helping you attract candidates who align with these attributes. This alignment can lead to a 50% reduction in turnover rates and a 28% increase in job applications. To effectively build your employer brand, utilize various platforms like social media and career websites. Showcase employee testimonials, culture, and benefits to improve the overall candidate experience. Moreover, organizations with a strong employer brand can see a 20% increase in employee engagement, which directly correlates to higher productivity and retention rates. Benefit Impact Strategy Reduced turnover 50% decrease Align values and culture Increased job applications 28% increase Showcase testimonials on platforms Improved employee engagement 20% increase Promote culture and benefits The Future of Talent Acquisition As the terrain of talent acquisition evolves, organizations must adapt to the growing influence of technology and changing workforce dynamics. The future of talent acquisition will focus on several key areas: Technological Integration: Advanced technologies like AI and machine learning will improve candidate sourcing and streamline recruitment processes. Skills-Based Hiring: Organizations will prioritize skills over traditional education, broadening the candidate pool and nurturing inclusivity. Remote Work Adaptation: With remote and hybrid models on the rise, talent acquisition strategies will leverage digital platforms for virtual assessments. Data-Driven Decisions: Continuous improvement will rely on analytics to track KPIs, including time to hire and employee retention rates. Moreover, the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will drive organizations to create inclusive hiring practices. In the end, this will promote diverse talent pipelines that encourage innovation and success. Frequently Asked Questions What Do You Do in Talent Acquisition? In talent acquisition, you identify and recruit skilled candidates by developing effective strategies. You create engaging job descriptions, utilize various sourcing channels, and build a strong talent pipeline. Evaluating candidates through structured interviews, skill evaluations, and background checks guarantees they align with your organization’s culture and requirements. You maintain relationships with both active and passive candidates, as you track metrics like time to fill and retention rates to refine your hiring processes continuously. What Are the 5 C’s of Talent? The 5 C’s of talent are essential for effective candidate assessment. First, competence measures the skills necessary for job performance. Character reflects a candidate’s integrity and values, ensuring they fit the organizational culture. Compatibility assesses how well a candidate aligns with team dynamics. Contribution evaluates their potential impact on the organization’s success, as well as commitment gauges their dedication and loyalty. Together, these elements help you identify the best candidates for your organization. What Are the 7 Stages of Recruitment? The seven stages of recruitment start with job analysis and planning, where you define the role and its requirements. Next, you source candidates through job boards, social media, and referrals. After that, you screen and shortlist applicants, often using technology like ATS. The process continues with interviewing candidates, selecting the best fit, offering the job, and finally onboarding new hires to guarantee they integrate smoothly into your organization. What Is the Highest Salary for Talent Acquisition? The highest salary for talent acquisition professionals can exceed $250,000, especially in senior roles like Chief Talent Officer. In competitive industries, such as technology and finance, managers and directors typically earn between $90,000 and $150,000. Specialized roles focusing on executive recruitment or high-demand fields, like data science, might reach $300,000. Geographic location greatly impacts salaries, with major cities like San Francisco and New York often offering the highest compensation packages. Conclusion In summary, talent acquisition is a crucial process that goes beyond mere recruitment. It involves strategic planning, skill assessment, and the use of data analytics to build a strong workforce aligned with organizational goals. By focusing on employer branding, DEI initiatives, and candidate experience, companies can create a talent pipeline that supports both current and future needs. As trends evolve, staying adaptable and informed will be key to successful talent acquisition and long-term organizational growth. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Does Talent Acquisition Involve?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Online employee payroll is a digital solution that simplifies how businesses manage employee compensation, tax deductions, and withholdings. It operates through secure cloud-based platforms, allowing employers to calculate wages accurately and efficiently. Employees can access their pay stubs and tax documents through self-service portals. By automating these processes, online payroll reduces errors and guarantees compliance with regulations. Nevertheless, various factors influence its effectiveness, and comprehending these can help you make informed decisions about your payroll needs. Key Takeaways Online employee payroll is a cloud-based system that automates wage calculations, tax withholdings, and deductions for employees. It allows employers to access payroll information from anywhere, reducing manual errors in processing. The system provides employee self-service portals for viewing pay stubs and important tax forms like W-2s and 1099s. Data security is ensured through encryption, secure servers, and user authentication, maintaining compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Future enhancements include AI for accuracy, real-time processing for instant wage access, and mobile applications for tracking hours and managing benefits. Understanding Online Employee Payroll Online employee payroll systems, which are cloud-based, streamline the payroll process by automating the calculation of wages, tax withholdings, and deductions. You can access these systems from anywhere with an internet connection using a payroll online login. This convenience allows businesses to manage payroll efficiently, reducing the risk of manual errors. To process payments accurately, you’ll need to input crucial information, like salary or hourly rates, tax status, and employee bank details. The system calculates gross pay based on hours worked for hourly employees or set salaries for salaried staff. It then applies necessary deductions before disbursing net pay. Additionally, online employee payroll systems often include features like direct deposit, year-end tax form generation, and reporting tools that help track labor costs and compliance with payroll laws. Key Components of Online Payroll Systems When businesses implement online payroll systems, they gain access to a variety of key components that improve efficiency and accuracy in payroll processing. These systems automate wage calculations based on input data like hourly rates or salaries, ensuring compliance with tax regulations. They likewise manage tax withholdings and generate year-end forms such as W-2s and 1099s, simplifying tax filing for everyone involved. Additionally, many online payroll platforms feature self-service portals, allowing employees to view pay stubs and update personal information, enhancing transparency. Security is paramount; these systems utilize secure servers and advanced encryption to protect sensitive payroll data, ensuring compliance with data protection laws. Many platforms likewise offer time tracking and attendance management features that integrate seamlessly with payroll calculations, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency. Component Description Wage Calculation Automates calculations based on input data Tax Management Manages withholdings and generates forms Employee Self-Service Portal Provides access to payroll information How Online Payroll Services Function To streamline payroll processing, online payroll services automate the calculation of employee wages using input data like salary levels, hourly rates, and tax statuses. These systems manage tax withholdings, guaranteeing that the correct amount is deducted from each paycheck, and they automatically generate year-end tax forms, such as W-2s and 1099s, for employees and contractors. Payments are processed through direct deposit, allowing employees to receive their salaries directly into their bank accounts on time. For hourly employees, these services offer real-time tracking of hours worked, enhancing accuracy in wage calculations and reducing errors. Furthermore, online payroll services provide detailed reporting tools that help you track labor costs and verify compliance with payroll regulations. This all-encompassing approach simplifies payroll management, making it easier for you to focus on other critical aspects of your business. Benefits of Using Online Payroll Utilizing online payroll services offers numerous advantages that can greatly boost your business’s efficiency and accuracy. First, these systems automate wage calculations and tax withholdings, markedly reducing manual errors, which guarantees accurate payments to your employees. You’ll additionally benefit from direct deposit payments, allowing your staff to receive wages electronically, improving convenience and reliability. Moreover, online payroll services simplify tax filings and year-end forms like W-2s and 1099s, helping you maintain compliance and avoid costly penalties. With detailed reporting tools, you can effectively track labor costs and manage payroll expenses, giving you better insight into your financials. Lastly, advanced security measures—such as encryption and secure servers—protect sensitive payroll data from unauthorized access and cyber threats, making sure your information remains safe. Common Features of Online Payroll Platforms When you choose an online payroll platform, you’ll find features like payroll tax management and employee self-service portals that streamline the entire process. Payroll tax management automates calculations and guarantees compliance, reducing the risk of errors that can lead to penalties. Meanwhile, self-service portals empower employees to access their pay stubs and tax information, enhancing transparency and efficiency in payroll management. Payroll Tax Management Effective payroll tax management is crucial for businesses seeking to maintain compliance and avoid costly penalties. Online payroll platforms automate payroll tax calculations, ensuring accurate withholding for federal, state, and local taxes based on current regulations. These systems furthermore automatically file payroll taxes and make timely payments using Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), enhancing efficiency. Many platforms generate and e-file year-end tax forms, such as W-2s and 1099s, simplifying tax reporting for both employers and employees. In addition, online payroll services provide detailed reporting tools that allow you to track tax liabilities and payments, improving financial oversight. Regular updates to tax rates and regulations are incorporated into these systems, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring compliance with ever-changing laws. Employee Self-Service Portals Employee self-service portals play a crucial role in modern online payroll platforms, allowing you to access important payroll information directly. These portals increase transparency and reduce inquiries to HR by letting you manage your data easily. Here are some common features you can expect: Access to pay stubs, tax forms, and benefits information online. The ability to update personal details like bank information and tax withholding preferences. Mobile compatibility, enabling you to manage your payroll information anytime, anywhere. With secure environments that use encryption and authentication, self-service portals protect your sensitive data. The Importance of Payroll Accuracy Payroll accuracy is crucial for maintaining employee trust and ensuring compliance with regulations. When you make mistakes in payroll, it can erode confidence among your team and lead to disputes, as well as exposing your business to potential fines from tax authorities. Impact on Employee Trust When payroll processes are inaccurate, it can severely undermine the trust employees place in their employer. Accurate payroll is crucial for maintaining morale and satisfaction, as timely payments directly affect financial well-being. A survey revealed that 82% of employees might leave a job because of payroll errors. These inaccuracies can lead to financial stress, diminishing confidence, and overall productivity. To improve trust in payroll systems, consider the following: Provide employees with access to transparent payroll information through self-service portals. Conduct regular audits and compliance checks to minimize errors. Encourage an environment of open communication about compensation practices. Compliance With Regulations Maintaining compliance with payroll regulations is fundamental for businesses to avoid significant financial repercussions. Accurate withholding of taxes and deductions protects you from penalties and legal issues tied to tax discrepancies. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires you to keep precise records of hours worked and wages paid, making careful payroll tracking important. Inaccurate payroll can lead to miscalculations in employee pay, potentially resulting in fines from federal and state agencies that can reach thousands of dollars. Additionally, accurate payroll is crucial for reporting purposes, as you must file correct year-end forms like W-2s and 1099s to comply with IRS regulations. Regular audits and reconciliations of payroll records help maintain ongoing compliance with labor laws and tax regulations. Types of Payroll Processing Methods Grasping the various payroll processing methods is essential for effectively managing employee compensation. You’ll find that payroll methods typically fall into a few categories, each suited to different work structures: Hourly: Employees are paid for the hours they work, often with overtime pay eligibility. Salary: Employees receive a fixed amount regardless of hours worked, providing stability in compensation. Commission: Common in sales roles, this method can be purely commission-based or a combination of salary plus commission. Moreover, payment methods can vary. Options include paper checks, direct deposit, or a mix of both, allowing you to cater to employee preferences. Payroll frequency likewise plays a role, with options like weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, affecting how often employees receive paychecks. Grasping these methods will help you choose the best approach for your organization whilst ensuring compliance with relevant laws. The Role of Tax Compliance in Payroll Tax compliance in payroll is crucial for any business, as it guarantees that you accurately withhold the necessary federal, state, and local taxes from your employees’ wages. This compliance helps you meet legal obligations and avoid costly penalties. You must timely remit these withheld taxes to the appropriate tax authorities, usually via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), to maintain compliance and prevent fines. Using payroll systems can greatly streamline this process, as they automate tax calculations and filings, reducing errors that often occur with manual methods. The IRS mandates that you file payroll tax reports, like Form 941 for quarterly returns and W-2s for year-end earnings. This guarantees transparency and accountability. Data Security in Online Payroll Systems As businesses increasingly rely on online payroll systems, safeguarding data security becomes paramount to protect sensitive employee information. Modern payroll platforms use advanced encryption technologies to secure data during transmission and storage, maintaining confidentiality and integrity. Reputable providers implement secure servers and strong cybersecurity measures, including regular updates to defend against data breaches. Here are key features that improve data security in online payroll systems: User Authentication: Multi-factor authentication restricts access to authorized personnel only. Data Backups: Cloud-based solutions often incorporate backups and disaster recovery protocols to guarantee business continuity. Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA is crucial for responsible management of personal information. Employee Self-Service Features With employee self-service features in online payroll systems, you can easily access your pay stubs and important tax forms anytime. This allows you to manage your personal information, like your address and banking details, without needing to contact HR. Access to Pay Stubs Accessing pay stubs through online employee self-service features has become a standard practice in modern payroll systems, making it easier for you to stay informed about your earnings. With these systems, you can view and download your pay stubs through a secure online portal or mobile app, keeping your financial records organized and accessible. Here are some key benefits of accessing your pay stubs online: You gain insights into gross pay, deductions, and net pay, helping you understand your earnings better. Notifications alert you when your pay stubs are available, so you’re always informed about your compensation. This feature reduces the administrative workload for employers, as you can independently retrieve and review your payroll information. Update Personal Information When you need to update your personal information, online employee self-service features streamline the process, allowing you to make changes directly through a secure portal. You can easily update details like your address, phone number, and tax withholding preferences without needing HR’s assistance. This self-service capability improves your ability to manage your benefits selections and enrollments, ensuring you’re always informed about your options. Furthermore, you can view and download your pay stubs, W-2s, and other tax documents, promoting transparency. Security measures, including advanced encryption and user authentication, protect your sensitive information during these updates. Overall, these features not only empower you but also reduce the administrative workload for HR departments, making the payroll process more efficient. Challenges of Online Payroll Solutions Though online payroll solutions offer convenience and efficiency, they come with a range of challenges that can affect a business’s operations. Inaccurate calculations can occur as a result of incorrect data entry, meaning you’ll need to double-check entries to guarantee employee payments are correct. Compliance issues may arise if payroll tax rates aren’t updated, leading to potential penalties from regulatory agencies. Consider these common challenges: Scalability issues: Your payroll system might struggle to keep up as your workforce grows or your payroll needs evolve. Complex payment structures: Handling varying pay rates and compensation models can complicate payroll processing. Integration difficulties: Choosing the wrong solution could result in inadequate customer support or insufficient features for your specific requirements. Being aware of these challenges is essential for maintaining smooth payroll operations and avoiding costly mistakes. Choosing the Right Online Payroll Service How do you choose the right online payroll service for your business? Start by evaluating important features like direct deposit, automated tax calculations, and year-end form generation to guarantee they align with your specific needs. A user-friendly interface is significant; it simplifies payroll management for both administrators and employees, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors. Compliance is another priority; select a service that adheres to federal, state, and local payroll laws, as non-compliance can result in penalties. Consider scalability options, too, so the service can grow with your business and adapt to evolving payroll requirements. Finally, research customer reviews and ratings to gauge the quality of support and reliability. Responsive customer service can be critical during busy payroll periods. Integrating Payroll With Other Business Functions Integrating payroll with other business functions can greatly improve your operational efficiency. By streamlining HR processes, you guarantee that new employees’ payroll information is automatically set up, which saves time and reduces errors. Furthermore, linking payroll with accounting systems enhances your financial management by providing real-time insights and accurate expense tracking, helping you maintain precise financial records. Streamlining HR Processes When you streamline HR processes by integrating payroll with other business functions, you create a more efficient and accurate system for managing employee information. This integration allows seamless data sharing, considerably reducing manual entry errors. With automated payroll linked to time tracking, you can calculate wages in real-time and simplify overtime management. Moreover, integrating with benefits administration ensures accurate payroll deductions for health insurance and retirement plans. Improves compliance by automating tax withholdings Generates necessary year-end tax forms, minimizing penalties Facilitates extensive reporting tools for tracking labor costs Enhancing Financial Management To improve financial management, integrating online employee payroll with accounting systems is essential for optimizing business operations. This integration streamlines financial management by automating data entry, which reduces manual errors and guarantees accurate financial reporting. When you synchronize payroll with HR functions, you gain real-time updates on employee data, benefits management, and compliance tracking, enhancing operational efficiency. Furthermore, utilizing payroll analytics provides valuable insights into labor costs and helps you identify trends, enabling informed financial decisions and effective budgeting. Future Trends in Online Payroll Technology As businesses continue to evolve in a digital environment, future trends in online payroll technology promise to reshape how organizations manage their workforce compensation. You’ll notice several key developments on the horizon that will improve your payroll experience: AI and Machine Learning: These technologies will increase accuracy in wage calculations and tax compliance, greatly reducing manual errors. Blockchain Integration: Expect secure and transparent payroll processes, making cross-border payments smoother and compliant with international regulations. Real-Time Processing: The demand for instant wage access will grow, giving employees the flexibility and satisfaction they need. Moreover, mobile applications are becoming crucial for payroll management, allowing you to track hours, view pay stubs, and manage benefits right from your smartphone. Improved data analytics will similarly empower businesses to utilize workforce data for informed decision-making and better labor cost management. Embracing these advancements will prepare you for a more efficient payroll future. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Online Payroll? Online payroll is a cloud-based system that automates employee payment processes, making it easier for you to manage payroll from anywhere with internet access. It calculates wages, applies tax withholdings, and facilitates direct deposits. With features like automatic tax filings and detailed reporting tools, you can track labor costs effectively. Is It Better to Be on Payroll or 1099? Deciding whether it’s better to be on payroll or 1099 depends on your needs. Payroll employees receive benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, plus taxes are withheld, ensuring compliance with labor laws. Conversely, 1099 workers enjoy flexibility but face higher self-employment taxes and lack job security and benefits. Consider your long-term financial goals and whether you prefer stability and benefits or independence and control over your work arrangements before making a choice. What Are the Three Types of Payroll? The three main types of payroll you’ll encounter are hourly, salary, and commission. Hourly payroll pays you based on hours worked, often including overtime for extra hours. Salary payroll offers a fixed annual amount divided into regular paychecks, regardless of hours worked, and can classify you as exempt or non-exempt regarding overtime. Commission payroll ties your earnings to sales performance, combining base salary with commissions, which may likewise affect overtime eligibility. How Does Employee Payroll Work? Employee payroll works by calculating gross pay based on the hours you work or your salary, then applying deductions for taxes and benefits to determine your net pay. To process payroll, your employer collects necessary information, like your Social Security Number and tax forms, ensuring compliance with tax regulations. Payments are typically made through direct deposit, with funds reaching your account within two to three days, whereas maintaining accurate payroll records is crucial for legal compliance. Conclusion In summary, online employee payroll systems provide an efficient way to manage wages, tax withholdings, and deductions. By automating these processes, employers can minimize errors and guarantee compliance with regulations. Employees benefit from easy access to their financial information through self-service portals. As you consider implementing such a system, evaluate the features that best meet your business needs and prepare for future developments in payroll technology to improve your organization’s financial management. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Online Employee Payroll and How Does It Work?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As the commerce landscape rapidly evolves, small businesses face the need to adapt to changing consumer behaviors and technological advancements. Salesforce, in collaboration with Google, is making it easier for businesses to embrace this shift by introducing the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). This new framework promises to provide a standardized approach to intelligent, AI-driven shopping experiences, particularly beneficial for small business owners looking to enhance their operational efficiency and customer engagement. Salesforce and Google’s expanded partnership enables Agentforce Commerce merchants to harness the power of UCP, which was designed to streamline the connection between consumer AI models and merchants’ backend systems. The integration is set to facilitate real-time interactions, allowing businesses to manage crucial aspects like inventory checks and customer loyalty seamlessly. This advancement comes after a significant demonstration of AI’s impact on consumer behavior, evidenced by a staggering $262 billion in holiday sales during Cyber Week 2025. With support for UCP, small business owners can expect several key benefits. First, the integration allows for native checkout experiences on Google’s AI commerce surfaces, such as the Gemini app. This means that customers can complete transactions directly in these platforms, enhancing the shopping journey and potentially boosting sales. The payment processes will also include secure methods, such as Google Pay, providing an added layer of assurance for consumers. Moreover, the standardized approach reduces integration complexity, enabling small businesses to launch their offerings more quickly and effectively. By using pre-built integrations, merchants can focus on immediate customer engagement rather than the technicalities of setup. Nitin Mangtani, SVP and GM of Agentforce Commerce and Retail at Salesforce, stated, “AI is redefining how shoppers find products and how retailers drive growth.” This underscores the importance of adopting new technologies for sustained growth in a competitive environment. Small business owners can also maintain greater control over merchandising, customer service, and post-purchase interactions. With the UCP, the responsibility for these aspects remains firmly in the hands of the merchants, ensuring that they can cultivate direct relationships with their customers. Despite these promising advantages, it’s essential for small business owners to consider potential challenges that may arise from adopting this new protocol. Transitioning to a standardized framework may involve understanding new systems and best practices, which could be time-intensive and necessitate training or additional resources. Additionally, businesses should prepare for the competitive nature of enhanced AI capabilities as they innovate to meet customer expectations. Salesforce will collaborate with Google to outline the technical requirements, merchant eligibility, and timelines for rollout, enabling businesses to step into this new commerce paradigm efficiently. As further details about onboarding processes are finalized, small business owners should stay informed to capitalize on these advancements as soon as they become available. In summary, the introduction of the Universal Commerce Protocol is set to reshape the shopping ecosystem by providing small businesses with tools to integrate AI technologies into their operations seamlessly. By navigating the initial complexities and staying abreast of developments, small business owners can leverage this new era of intelligent commerce to foster deeper connections with their customers and drive growth. To read the full press release from Salesforce, visit Salesforce News. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Salesforce and Google Launch Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-Driven Shopping" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article