If you’re feeling lonely, you’re not alone. As much as one-half of US adults report feeling lonely, and it’s seeping into the workplace. Some experts believe that it’s an employer’s responsibility to encourage workers to connect.

A persistent epidemic. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a report last May describing the loneliness epidemic, comparing its severity to tobacco use.

Murthy warned that people are spending more time online and less time socializing in-person. This trend has accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic, and has led to increased loneliness. Research has found those experiencing loneliness have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and those without much social interaction have a 39% higher risk of premature death, NBC News reported.

Now, loneliness is following people, particularly women, into the workplace.

Keep reading here.—KP

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As the debate over the legality of DE&I efforts continues, and more states consider legislative action, some courts are issuing decisions, handing DE&I initiatives three victories in May.

Amazon. A lawsuit filed against Amazon by a group of white entrepreneurs who claimed its Diversity Grant program—which provides minority entrepreneurs $10,000 grants to become “delivery service partners”—discriminates against white-owned businesses was dismissed on May 23, Bloomberg Law reported.

The judge for the US District Court in Southern California found that the group did not establish grounds for discrimination as the plaintiffs did not apply for the program themselves.

Hello Alice. America First Legal (AFL) sued the fintech company in Ohio after the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action, claiming that its DE&I practice of providing grants to entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups was unlawful.

Keep reading here.—KP

Here’s this week’s edition of our Coworking series. Each week, we chat 1:1 with an HR Brew reader. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Rachel Ackerman worked on payroll, comp, and benefits for the Mets—yes, the iconic New York City baseball team—for seven years toward the beginning of her career. Then, after stints in the healthcare and tech field, she found her way back to sports (media) and was hired at Barstool Sports as its director of people operations.

“Barstool is definitely a different breed of company,” she said, likening it to “a little bit of the Wild Wild West” and a “pirate ship.”

Ackerman first rolled up her sleeves to tackle the company’s compliance issues, organize new HR processes, and overhaul its HR tech stack. With a year under her belt, she is eager to keep at it.

Ackerman said she’s eyeing mobility and career development frameworks now, cementing pay banding, and “listening for what our people are asking for.”

Keep reading here.—AD

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