Author: TECH

If happiness feels elusive right now, you’re not imagining it. At this time of year, most of us are operating in a constant state of low-level overload – screens, notifications, comparison, economic pressure – while being sold increasingly unrealistic ideas of what “feeling good” is supposed to look like. The result? Happiness has become something people feel they’re failing at.Jules Von Hep, confidence coach and author of The Confidence Ritual, takes a very different approach. After two decades working in the beauty industry – often with people at their most vulnerable, undressed in a spray tan booth – he is…

Paying rent on time might finally pay off for tenants in Colorado.Earlier this week, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a program for select renters across the state: Colorado Renter Rewards. The initiative allows renters to earn cash back for on-time rent payments, sharing in a property’s equity as it grows over time.The program is limited to renters living in properties financed by the Proposition 123 Equity Fund, which provides investments to construct and preserve low- and middle-income rental developments. A ballot initiative approved by voters in 2022, Proposition 123 transfers one-tenth of 1% of taxable income every year to an affordable…

As a disability awareness and inclusion advocate, Joanie Calem has spent years educating others and being a voice for those with “invisible” disabilities such as mental health issues, like anxiety or depression, or neurodivergencies, like autism.Calem was under the impression that the world, specifically Jewish spaces, was doing a lot better in ensuring that those with invisible disabilities are still properly involved, but a recent Zoom call showed her that isn’t always the case.“It was with a national group and the topic was centered around kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, which in English means we all take care of each…

                                Case File Because teachers were deemed essential employees for purposes of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey, a teacher’s contraction of COVID-19, which led to her death, was work-related and fully compensable. Simply Research subscribers have access to the full text of the case. Case Amato v. Township of Ocean School District, A-31-24 (N.J. 12/11/25) What Happened? At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management adopted federal essential worker guidelines, which covered teachers. Additionally, the state’s health department promulgated…

Two researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently invited a special guest to a pretend tea party: a 43-year-old bonobo named Kanzi. Bonobos are close relatives of humans, similar to chimpanzees, but with slender, longer limbs. For decades, their population in the Democratic Republic of Congo — the only place they are found in the wild — has been on the decline due to habitat loss and poaching.Like other primates, bonobos are also highly intelligent. At times, they have been seen engaging in various levels of play, moving “imaginary” blocks after playing with wooden blocks, or carrying sticks as though a mother…

                                ReEmployAbility, the nation’s largest provider of specialty return-to-work services, has partnered with Crosstie (formerly Gain Life) to deliver an enhanced digital experience that streamlines communication, improves coordination, and empowers injured workers through their recovery journey. Through this partnership, ReEmployAbility has launched the new Injured Worker Portal, powered by Crosstie’s proven claims-experience technology. The platform provides real time access to program information, simplifies communication, and reduces uncertainty by giving injured workers clear visibility into their Transition2Work® experience. By making information easier to access and support…

UB has received an $8,000 SUNY Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Grant to provide faculty, staff, students and community members with the tools and resources necessary to support students in mental health crises.The funding will support creation and expansion of campus MHFA programming, including instructor certification, delivery of campuswide training, required materials and outreach efforts to strengthen mental health literacy. The training emphasizes early recognition, supportive response and connection to professional help.“The grants provided through this innovative program will help ensure more SUNY staff and personnel are trained to recognize and address mental health concerns and to support students in…

For many women in the U.S. and around the world, motherhood comes with career costs.Raising children tends to lead to lower wages and fewer work hours for mothers — but not fathers — in the United States and around the world.As a sociologist, I study how family relationships can shape your economic circumstances. In the past, I’ve studied how motherhood tends to depress women’s wages, something social scientists call the “motherhood penalty.”I wondered: Can government programs that provide financial support to parents offset the motherhood penalty in earnings?‍A ‘motherhood penalty’I set out with Therese Christensen, a Danish sociologist, to answer…

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Inland Empire Health Plan’s (IEHP) “Start the Conversation” mental health awareness campaign earned the Best in the West award at the 2026 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Conference on Feb. 4. Inland Empire Health Plan’s Marketing and Communications Team earns the Best in the West award at the 2026 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Conference on Feb. 4. The Best in the West title recognizes the creative communication efforts of PRSA members from 11 different chapters across five states and is voted on by an independent…

Rising levels of staff sickness at a community NHS trust in Shropshire are causing concern to leaders, with conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression being named as the main issue behind it.Sickness absences across the Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (Shropcom) have increased every month for almost a year – the most recent figures show 5.7% of the workforce is off with long or short-term issues.The trust has a target to have no more than 4.75% of its workforce off sick.Shropcom’s board told a meeting on Thursday that it had had to draft in “slightly” more agency and bank…