For better or worse, technology is here to stay

Long story short: For better or worse, technology is here to stay

February 18, 2022 11:00 AM

Technology has infiltrated every aspect of our work and personal lives — for better, and sometimes for worse.

In this week’s top stories, reliance on technology can be beneficial when it comes to things like expanding healthcare access and awareness. Lyra Health, for example, is tapping into technology to offer dialectical behavioral therapy to users struggling with suicidal thoughts. This therapy is typically difficult to access and often prohibitively expensive, but bringing it online is expanding the reach for those who need it most. Media company theSkimm is also leaning on the power of social media to shine a light on the importance of paid leave. The brand is using the hashtag, #ShowUsYourLeave to expand the conversation around this topic and call on major players to share their policies and spur more action.

While technology makes these conversations possible, there’s always a dark side, too, especially given the increased use of AI in the workplace. Record quit rates are leaving companies exposed to possible data breaches and cybersecurity threats. For employers hoping to push their DEI initiatives forward, AI may also be getting in the way: a report by Garner found that AI may make biased decisions during recruiting and hiring practices.

How can you make sure you’re using technology the right way? See more from our top stories to find out:

The Great Resignation is driving data breaches and cybersecurity threats

Forty percent of US employees have taken data with them when they’ve left a job, potentially exposing the company to a slew of cybersecurity concerns, from data breaches to regulatory fines, according to data from email security company, Tessian. Seventy-one percent of IT leaders agree that the data losses have increased security risks in their organization.

Many employees don’t even realize they’re taking anything valuable with them (data is often lost via personal devices that have been used for work), and of those that are aware, few do so with malice. Fifty-eight percent took information to help them in their new job, 53% believed that the documents belonged to them, 44% so they could share it with their new employer and 40% to leverage it for more money in their new position. Associate editor Paola Peralta explores what this means for IT professionals.

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The Great Resignation is driving data breaches and cybersecurity threats

Employers’ DEI strategies can be derailed by unethical AI practices

More recruiting teams will find AI-equipped hiring solutions essential in 2022, according to a recent trend report by software company ModernHire. But without the proper attention to detail, too much tech can threaten the diversity initiatives of a company.

A 2018 Gartner report predicted that through 2030, 85% of AI projects will provide false results caused by bias that has been built into the data or the algorithms, or that is present in the teams managing those deployments. This can result in a number of consequences, including AI tools that cater to “white sounding” names on resumes and image recognition software that favors men over women. Associate editor Paola Peralta explains what recruiters can do to avoid these biases.

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Employers’ DEI strategies can be derailed by unethical AI practices

A social media campaign is starting a nationwide conversation about paid family leave

The United States is one of only seven countries worldwide without a national paid maternity leave policy, and just 23% of U.S. workers in the private sector have access to paid-leave benefits through their employer, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even then, the amount of paid leave offered varies widely across companies — and for many, it isn’t enough.

TheSkimm, a media company focused on empowering millennial women, is trying to change that through their #ShowUsYourLeave initiative. Companies and workers can use the hashtag to share their paid-leave policies, cultivating transparency and starting conversations that could bring paid leave — and more of it — to more people. Reporter Shelby Rosenberg chats with theSkimm about this initiative and how your company can get involved.

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A social media campaign is starting a nationwide conversation about paid family leave

Combatting depression and suicidal thoughts through telehealth

Lyra Health, a behavioral coaching and therapy telehealth platform, is launching a new program that will utilize dialectical behavioral therapy to help reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Lyra coaches trained in DBT will provide this skills-based treatment to users who show symptoms of mental health distress and need more intensive support.

The program, Lyra Blended Care, was launched in January in response to the growing needs of the Lyra user population, as well as within the wider community struggling with severe mental health challenges, Joe Grasso, senior director of workforce mental health at Lyra, tells executive editor Alyssa Place. In 2020, 11% of Americans considered suicide, according to data from the CDC, and Lyra user data found that 16% of members indicated thoughts of suicide or active self-harm in 2021, up from 10% pre-pandemic.

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Combatting depression and suicidal thoughts through telehealth