One of executives’ biggest worries about remote work is the reduction in spontaneous meetings and conversations with employees. But is this worry justified? New research on meetings shows that it might not be. It turns out that employees have more short, one-on-one meetings compared to 2020, and those meetings are increasingly spontaneous. While there are limitations to this data, it does suggest that employees are finding new ways to connect with each other — and that there are steps organizations can take to encourage them to continue to do so.

In the United States, most efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion focus on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Companies should be aware of caste as a basis of discrimination, too. Caste is a form of social organization and identity in the South Asian context, and it affects more than 1 billion people around the world — and 5.4 million in the United States. Companies should follow these four steps to become more aware of caste as a factor in their own DEI efforts.

Pay equity is more than just a competitive tool in a red-hot labor market. It’s an opportunity to foster innovation, drive employee engagement, minimize turnover, maintain (or improve) brand reputation, and attract investors. To help employers understand where their organization is regarding pay equity, the author suggests a three-level framework that allows organizations to evaluate their current pay practices, progress, and long-term goals.