When coworkers don't get along

WORKPLACE TENSIONS: Getting along with coworkers can be a challenge for many employees, and issues are often exacerbated when they find themselves on the same team.?Ninety percent of employees have encountered difficulties with the team they're a part of at work, according to a report from organizational development platform TeamDynamics. And when teams can't get along within organizations, it can have widespread negative effects on the company as a whole.?

"When you have bad team dynamics, productivity suffers significantly," says Christopher Morrison, founder of TeamDynamics. "That's because when a team is out of alignment and they aren't given the tools they need to find a way to cope, you're adding an unnecessary layer of stress and tension — things that over time lead to stress, burnout and disengagement."?

Read more about how to address this thorny issue here: 90% of employees aren't getting along with their coworkers

DEJA VU?: Are employers ready for another pandemic? As bird flu spreads among U.S. cattle, they may want to consider whether they have a plan for the next public health crisis. Bird flu, or the H5N1 virus, is primarily spread between wild birds and in rare cases, can be spread to humans who had contact with sick birds — at least until recently. Since late March, three people in the U.S. have tested positive for bird flu they contracted from sick cows. While their flu-like symptoms were mild, scientists are alarmed that the virus is now spreading among mammals.

"There hasn't been an indication that the current version of the bird flu can move easily from a dairy cow to a person and then person-to-person," says Mary Kay O'Neill, clinical services consultant at Mercer. "But flu viruses change and mutate all the time, and employers will need to be able to address the risk of people getting it from other people."

Read more about this potential public health emergency here: COVID, bird flu and other pandemic risks are still a threat to the workplace

AI AND FINANCIAL WELLNESS: There's more to financial wellness than paying bills, but that alone is a challenge for many employees these days. Offering a resource that helps them understand, track and map out their money can help them make tangible?progress.?Financial platform AfireFi is using AI to help employees make a financial plan: AI-powered questions and live help assist them in connecting the "why" behind their money goals, which encourages the short and long-term money habits they need to achieve them.??

"It's not just about [saving for] retirement or college; it has you think about what you really need and asks you questions along the way," says Patricia Whittaker, founder of AfireFi. "When you focus on your dreams, you're acknowledging the qualities you can't measure with math and you start to realize that money can be a tool."

Read more about how improving workers' financial wellness improves their lives: Making money goals helps employees achieve financial wellness