A new study published in BMJ Heart, a leading journal for cardiovascular advances, has found a powerful connection between your walking speed and your heart rhythm. According to the research, people who maintain an average or brisk walking pace have a 35% to 43% lower risk of developing heart rhythm abnormalities compared to those who walk at a slower speed.
What the Research Says
The study defines a “slow” pace as less than 3 mph, while a “brisk” pace is considered more than 4 mph. Higher walking speeds were specifically linked to a reduced risk of atrial fibrillation and other types of cardiac arrhythmia.
The Full-Body Benefits of Walking
This study reinforces what health experts have long advocated: walking is one of the most effective and accessible forms of exercise. Beyond protecting your heart rhythm, a regular walking routine can:
Boost your mood and mental clarity.
Improve cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure.
Strengthen muscles and increase bone mass.
Provide low-impact support for your joints.
Simple Ways to Start
Walking is a “no-cost, no-equipment” workout that fits easily into any lifestyle. You can start small by choosing to walk to local destinations instead of driving or setting a modest daily step goal. To keep things interesting, find a scenic path you enjoy or use your favorite music and podcasts as motivation.
Before starting a new physical activity routine, it is always a good idea to talk with your primary care provider to determine the pace and plan that works best for you.
The Longest Season: Navigating Spring Allergies
As the weather warms up, millions of people are feeling the familiar sting of spring allergies. If it feels like the season is getting longer and more intense, you aren’t imagining it. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 4 children now suffer from seasonal allergies.
Why Are Allergies Getting Worse?
Research from Climate Central shows that the U.S. pollen season is now roughly three weeks longer than it was 50 years ago. Warmer temperatures create a longer growing season, which allows plants to produce significantly more pollen.
Spring: Primarily tree pollen (the most common trigger).
Early Summer: Grass pollen typically peaks in June and July.
Late Summer/Fall: Ragweed begins blooming as early as August.
Proactive Steps to Find Relief
While we can’t control the climate, we can control our environment. Health experts recommend these strategies to keep the pollen at bay:
Seal Your Home: Keep doors and windows closed during high-pollen days.
Upgrade Your Air: Use HEPA filters in your HVAC system to trap fine particles.
The “Outdoor Reset”: Pollen clings to hair, skin, and clothes. Wash your hands frequently and shower immediately after spending time outside.
Monitor the Counts: Check local pollen and mold forecasts daily to plan your outdoor activities when levels are lower.
“HR is for big companies. We’re only 12 people.” It’s a common refrain and an expensive one. Compliance obligations don’t wait until you hit 50, 100, or 500 employees. Many apply from employee #1, and others kick in far earlier than most small businesses expect. The result? Well-meaning teams make ad-hoc decisions, managers wing it, and risk piles up quietly until a complaint, audit, or lawsuit makes it very loud.
Good news: “having HR” doesn’t have to mean building a department. It means putting simple, repeatable practices in place so you hire, pay, schedule, and train employees in a consistent, compliant way.
Myth vs. Reality
Myth: HR only matters once we’re big. Reality: Core requirements start immediately and expand as you grow.
Applies at (nearly) any size:
Form I-9 verification
Wage-and-hour rules (timekeeping, overtime, breaks, final pay timing)
Safety obligations and incident reporting basics
New-hire reporting
Required workplace posters
Kick in earlier than you think:
Paid sick leave in almost half of states and many cities
State family and medical leave protections
Protections against discrimination at the state and federal level
Pay equity and transparency rules in many states and cities
Harassment-prevention training (mandated in several states)
You don’t need to memorize every line of the law. You do need a system that keeps you on the rails.
The Hidden Costs of “We’ll Figure It Out”
Wage and hour drift
Inconsistent timekeeping, off-the-clock work, misclassification, and haphazard compensation decisions can lead to lawsuits galore, which often include back pay, penalties, and attorney fees.
Policy whiplash
Without an up-to-date handbook, managers may be unaware of employee entitlements and set their own rules. That is terrible for both fairness and defensibility.
Documentation deserts
If you can’t show which policy applied, what training people took, or how a decision was made, you’re exposed.
Leave confusion
Sick time, voting leave, organ donation, school activities, victim leave, baby bonding, disability. Small missteps snowball when no one knows the script.
Manager guesswork
Most frontline leaders aren’t lawyers or HR experts. They want step-by-step instructions and simple answers, not internet rabbit holes.
What “HR” Looks Like for a Small Business, No Department Required
Pay right: accurate timekeeping, overtime rules followed, pay stubs and final pay on time, and salaries consistent between employees doing similar work.
Set expectations: a clear, current handbook and employee acknowledgments.
Train the team: short, role-based courses (e.g., harassment prevention, manager basics) with tracking.
Handle leaves and schedules: simple request and approval steps and manager guidance.
Close the loop: document decisions, keep records, refresh policies as laws change.
Tap into expertise: access trusted HR and compliance resources, such as Mineral Experts™, for timely, practical advice when questions arise.
Do these well and you’ve got “HR,” even if HR is a hat someone wears part-time.
3 HR Quick Wins You Can Check Off This Month
Publish (or refresh) your handbook. Create a document that matches your locations and capture acknowledgments.
Make sure everyone is on the same page with timekeeping. Refresh all employees on your policies around clocking in and out, logging breaks and lunches, recording time worked outside of the workplace, and how and when they should turn in their timesheets. (And make sure your handbook has this great information, too!)
Check up on your leave processes. If your current system feels haphazard, simplify by creating one place to request time off, one way to document it, and one place to view balances.
The Bottom Line
Being “too small for HR” isn’t lean, it’s risky. Compliance applies whether you have 5 employees or 5,000. Put simple, repeatable practices in place, give managers clear answers, and keep policies current. That’s HR, sized for you.
Navigating the healthcare system is rarely a straight line. Between deciphering insurance jargon and choosing the right doctor, the decisions you make have a direct impact on your physical health and your bank account. As healthcare costs continue to rise—ranking as a top economic concern for two-thirds of Americans—personal health literacy has become an essential survival skill. It isn’t about having a medical degree; it’s about having the practical “know-how” to find, understand, and actually use health information to your advantage.
The Four Levels of Health Literacy
Proficient: Can navigate complex systems, follow intricate treatment plans, and choose the most effective care.
Intermediate: Can handle moderately complex documents and draw reasonable conclusions.
Basic: Can manage simple tasks (like reading a brochure) but struggles with complex insurance or medical concepts.
Below Basic: Struggles to navigate the healthcare environment beyond simple hospital forms.
How Health Literacy Saves You Money
Choosing the Right Setting: Why pay ER prices for a minor flu? Literacy helps you distinguish when to use Telehealth or Urgent Care versus the Emergency Room.
Mastering the Network: Avoiding “out-of-network” surprises by proactively verifying provider status before you show up for an appointment.
Decoding the Jargon: Understanding basic terms like deductibles, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums so you can predict expenses and optimize your coverage.
Managing Medications: Knowing how to ask for generics or 90-day supplies, and understanding instructions to avoid costly complications or repeat visits.
Using Preventive Care: Many plans offer vaccinations and screenings at no cost. High health literacy ensures you use these benefits to catch issues before they become expensive emergencies.
Maximizing Tax Savings: Effectively using HSAs and FSAs to pay for medical needs with pre-tax dollars.
Effective Communication: Asking the right questions during a doctor’s visit to avoid unnecessary tests or duplicate referrals.
The 2-Minute Health Literacy Challenge
Test your “Health IQ” and see if you’re ready to save in 2026!
You have a $1,500 deductible… A) $0 B) $500 C) $1,000
Which account rolls over? A) FSA B) HSA C) Both
Nasty cough, sore throat… A) ER B) Telehealth/Retail Clinic C) Specialist
True or False: In-Network means discounted rates. A) True B) False
Non-life-threatening injury on Saturday… A) Urgent Care B) Telehealth C) ER
Tier 3 drug cost… A) Cheap generic B) Expensive brand/non-preferred C) Not covered
Check Your Answers
C ($1,000). Since you haven’t hit your $1,500 deductible yet, you are responsible for the full cost of the procedure until that “starting line” is met.
B (HSA). HSAs are yours for life. FSAs are generally “use-it-or-lose-it” by the end of the year.
B (Telehealth/Retail Clinic). For non-emergencies, these settings are significantly cheaper and faster than the ER.
A (True). Staying in-network is the easiest way to avoid “surprise bills” and high coinsurance rates.
C. The ER is designed for life-or-death situations. Because it is staffed 24/7 with specialists, the “base price” just to walk through the door is often 5x–10x higher than an Urgent Care or Telehealth visit.
B. Formularies are usually tiered 1 through 4. Tier 1 is the cheapest (generics), while Tier 3 and 4 are the most expensive (specialty/brands). Knowing your tiers helps you ask for a “Tier 1 alternative.”
Most employers follow standard payroll schedules—monthly, weekly, semi-monthly, or biweekly—with biweekly cycles being the most common. Nearly half of organizations pay employees every other week.
In 2026, however, employers using a biweekly schedule may encounter an unusual twist. Because New Year’s Day in 2027 falls on a federal holiday, companies that typically issue Friday paychecks may need to move that payday earlier. This shift places the final paycheck on Thursday, December 31, 2026—potentially resulting in 27 pay periods instead of the usual 26.
This extra pay cycle doesn’t happen often—typically less than once a decade—due to the mismatch between the 365-day calendar year, leap years, and a 14-day pay schedule.
What This Means for Payroll
An additional pay period can create complications, especially for salaried employees who receive a fixed amount per paycheck. Employers generally take one of two approaches:
Adjust salaries by dividing annual pay across 27 periods instead of 26
Maintain current pay rates and issue an additional paycheck, increasing total compensation by about 3.85%
In most cases, benefit deductions (like health insurance) are still spread across the first 26 paychecks.
However, the extra cycle can introduce compliance and administrative challenges, including:
Wage and hour law compliance under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Proper handling of salaried employee pay structures
Required employee notifications
Accurate tax withholding
Budget forecasting and payroll accuracy
Benefits and contribution limits
Key Takeaway
The additional payroll cycle in 2026 may seem minor, but it carries meaningful implications for budgeting, compliance, and employee pay. Employers should review their payroll strategy early and consult legal or payroll professionals to ensure they remain compliant and prepared.
As we move through 2026, the workforce is sending a clear message: Stability is the new priority.
New research from the Adecco Group
shows that employees are putting a premium on job security, fair pay, and long-term stability—much more than chasing the next opportunity.
Many have embraced “job hugging”,
choosing to stay where they are rather than jump for a slightly bigger paycheck.
The Great Stability: Why Employees Are Staying Put
Specifically, employees say they stay in their jobs because:
They’re happy with their work-life balance.
They like the company culture.
They’re satisfied with their salary.
They appreciate the flexibility in their current role.
They value the upskilling and training they receive.
As the report notes, flexibility, fulfillment, and culture still matter—but they’re no longer enough on their own.
What Employees Value Most Now
Priorities have shifted in the last few years. With the pandemic largely behind us but the economy and society
still unsettled,
employees are sending a clear message.
With the results from the Addeco Group survey, they found that employees value:
Prioritize security over personal fulfillment.
Stable income and job security now outrank “purpose” as the top reasons people stay.
In an uncertain world, they need
stability at work.
Still want flexibility—but tailored to them.
Leaders often care more about where they work, while junior employees focus on when they work.
One-size-fits-all policies miss the mark.
Expect fair and transparent pay.
Blue-collar employees are more likely than white-collar workers to feel they’re paid fairly—but both groups want clarity and openness around compensation.
Want to grow where they are.
Many employees want internal mobility, but more than 60% of organizations struggle to move people into new roles.
There’s an opportunity to
build internal mobility
through better
skills gap analysis.
How Companies Can Lead in the Great Stability
Stability alone won’t keep people forever. Employees still need growth, purpose, and a healthy environment as their lives and careers evolve.
Here are four ways organizations can respond:
Invest in upskilling and internal mobility.
Many companies have people who could step into new roles, but lack the tools and visibility to make that happen.
At the same time, employees are increasingly taking development into their own hands, learning AI and building new skills on their own.
Companies that provide clear learning paths, targeted training, and internal job opportunities will hold onto their best talent rather than constantly hiring from outside.
Create an environment where employees thrive.
Most workers prefer employers committed to inclusion, well-being, sustainability, and purpose—but Adecco found satisfaction with those efforts is still low.
Organizations can stand out by offering real mental health support, visible DEI progress, and meaningful social responsibility,
then communicating those efforts clearly and consistently.
Personalize flexibility—think “when and how,” not just “where.”
Instead of generic hybrid or remote policies, give teams tools to shape their own work rhythms:
schedule flexibility, core hours, compressed weeks, or smart shift-swapping for frontline roles.
Let employees help design team norms—like meeting-free blocks and response-time expectations—and tie flexibility to clear performance outcomes.
Build a genuine “voice-to-action” loop.
Use short, frequent check-ins and listening sessions focused on what makes people want to stay—workload, manager support, recognition, flexibility, growth.
Then close the loop quickly with “you said, we did” updates so employees see tangible changes within weeks, not months.
The Great Stability isn’t about employees settling; it’s about employers rising to meet a new standard.
Organizations that pair security with fair pay, growth, and real listening will be the ones people choose to “hug” for the long haul.
