Lessons from Equal Pay Day, the growing C-suite influence of comms, and more

Hi there, comms connoisseurs:

Let’s explore some notable stories from March 14-18, 2022—and extract a few useful messaging takeaways along the way:

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate this week for the first time since March 2020. This will mean a higher cost of borrowing on credit cards, student and home loans, car financing and more. It could also mean more returns from savings accounts, depending on the institution.

Now is the time to partner with HR and managers and take a fresh look at your organization’s employee benefits, including matching programs and financial literacy resources. Will they still provide substantial employee assistance after the rate change? Do they hold up as generous when compared to other employees in your industry?

Consider equipping your managers with tactics to determine how the rate hike affects their teams’ quality of life and stress level. Ensure the feedback loop is fully operational to ensure that what those managers are hearing reaches leadership.

March 15 marked Equal Pay Day, a symbolic holiday intended to raise awareness about the gender pay gap. Each year, the date changes to reflect how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.