America, we have a vacation problem; why parents really need work friends; and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

Parents need a shoulder to lean on at work. Two-thirds of working moms and dads suffer from poor social wellbeing, according to research from Gallup. For many, the combined challenges of parenthood and working life leave little room for social connection. Enter the work best friend: While only 20% of workers claim to have one, Gallup found that those who have a work bestie are more engaged and do higher quality work. Managers can help create a cultural environment that supports such friendship. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The U.S. has a vacation problem

While the U.K., France and Spain offer more than 35 days of annual leave and holiday time, the U.S. mandates a paltry 10 public holidays. And that time off doesn’t even have to come with pay. In fact, 28 million Americans go without any paid vacation or holidays, CNBC reports. Here’s a look at how the U.S. compares to 11 other nations. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Clarification: ?The UK offers 5.6 weeks (or 28 days) of statutory paid leave. Employers can include public holidays as part of that paid leave, but they do not have to do so. The chart breaks those two items up to demonstrate the maximum potential leave available to UK workers.

Managers, your words are more powerful than you think. Even a casual observation at a meeting can unintentionally lead to a cascade of emails, directives and initiatives. Stanford’s Robert Sutton calls this “executive magnification,” the all-too-common act of taking a passing suggestion from someone in charge as dictate — a massive source of wasted time, money and effort. How can leaders help stop the insanity? They can qualify their observations, encourage honest feedback and reward the skeptics who want to kill wasteful projects. ? Here’s what people are saying.

You Asked: “I accepted a position a year ago with a promise that I would earn a promotion. However, after my performance review, I was told I would receive ‘some raise’ without any discussion about the promotion, leaving me with no room to negotiate. How should I manage this situation?” — Anonymous

“Even after an A+ performance review, there might be circumstances outside of your supervisor’s control prohibiting that promotion you were promised when you started, but you absolutely deserve to know the reasoning behind it. I would recommend scheduling a follow up meeting with your supervisor to discuss your performance review in more detail. Come prepared with your questions and supporting evidence on why you deserve the promotion (outside of it being communicated to you when you started). There is always room to negotiate, but if the company can’t promote you now due to financial reason, think outside the box. Request additional paid time off, flexible work time or a transportation allowance. Lastly, work with your supervisor to create a plan that will pave the path to promotion. Take the initiative to come up with goals to push the business forward and ask for feedback along the way.” — Molly Moseley, chief marketing officer at LinkUp (Read Molly Moseley’s full response.)

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

Need to sell a big change? Focus on what will stay the same. Making the case for major changes by emphasizing all the problems with the status quo is likely to backfire, according to a recent study in the Academy of Management Journal. Instead, leaders who emphasize what will stay the same amid the changes are better able to sell reforms. Messages that focus on continuity help employees envision how they can continue to identify with their work even as things shift. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

One last idea:  It’s easy to rely on your first impressions. But author Karla Starr reminds us that such snap judgments reveal more about us than anything about the people we’re meeting. When we slow things down a bit, we can open ourselves up to unexpected discoveries.

“Luck is what catches you off guard, and that can only happen when you give other people a chance to surprise you.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster