Why do middle managers get fired first?

WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT: Companies like Meta and 联邦快递 have laid off thousands of employees, with many cutting a substantial portion of their middle managers in the name of efficiency. In fact, FedEx reduced global officer and director jobs by 10% this year. And while it's true a bad manager can weigh a company down, good managers are vital to company success, says Ian White , founder and CEO of talent management software ChartHop .?

"There's often a tendency to downplay the importance of managers," he says. "These companies are looking to be more streamlined and efficient and believe managers are an obstacle to that. They are often mistaken."

Read: Middle managers can make or break a company — but they're first in line for layoffs

FLEXIBLE WORK: The debate over flexibility within the workplace has been the cause of massive worker discontent lately, as companies such as Farmers Insurance , 亚马逊 and 星巴克 are demanding their employees return to the office. Yet data from Gitnux Market Data reveals that 96% of the workforce needs flexibility, and 80% view it as a crucial part of job evaluation.?

What that looks like can vary, but it's more than just the ability to work from home. According to Quantum Workplace , over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed defined flexibility as "adaptable," meaning the ability to adjust work pace or schedule to fit personal commitments. Another 15% stated that flexibility means performance focus, where they are trusted to get their job done and get to decide when in-person collaboration is necessary. Fourteen percent defined flexibility as having more autonomy and work-life balance. At odds with what employers may have expected, only 10% of respondents defined flexibility as location.?

Read: Workplace flexibility means more than a hybrid schedule

RETIREMENT: Morgan Stanley at Work's annual State of the Workplace report revealed that 66% of all employees have scaled back on their?retirement contributions?because of inflation and concerns around a recession.?Younger employees in particular are more likely to skimp on their retirement, as 80% of millennials and 78% of Gen Z reduced their retirement contributions, compared to 58% of Gen X and 40% of boomer workers. Younger employees may lack a solid foundation of knowledge that could prevent them from making more prudent choices, says Craig Rubino , head of participant insights, financial wellness and learning at Morgan Stanley at Work .?

"Many employees are probably still developing a baseline understanding of how to invest in general — many of these employees haven't gone through financial literacy education in high school or any type of finance training or learning," Rubino says. "Employees need to understand the trade-offs. Any actions they're taking today will have significant consequences on their nest egg down the road."?

Financial education can help employees keep their retirement savings intact