Our Rising Star Awards nomination deadline has been extended. And don’t miss these top workplace benefit stories from EBN’s editorial team.

We have extended our deadline. To nominate a Rising Star please fill out the online form by Feb. 5, 2021.

The company is working to identify programs run by people in underrepresented communities.

Continuing claims in state programs — an approximation of the number of people receiving ongoing benefits — climbed by 199,000 to 5.27 million in the week ended Jan. 2.

Employers should consider adding student loan benefits, if they want to attract potential hires.

“A mission-driven culture, transparent leadership and career opportunities are always hallmarks of Best Places to Work winners,” says Glassdoor CEO Christian Sutherland-Wong.

The new cards allow consumers to earn rewards on health and wellness products.

Hourly employees will get the equivalent of four hours of pay after getting the vaccine, while salaried workers will receive additional store labor hours to accommodate their time away from the store.

A new survey by payroll services company Paychex found that 20% of employees have a worse relationship with their manager since the start of the pandemic, and one-third of employees communicate with their manager less than when they were working in-person.

Experts see powerful employment gains over the next three years that evade the curse of past recessions. If they’re right, millions of Americans will leap back into the workforce as soon as vaccines against the coronavirus roll out.

The company announced $100 million through 2025 to support small businesses and community development projects in diverse communities.