Workspan Daily News Bytes for Aug. 29, 2025

Mothers Report Higher Standards at Work in New Survey

The cost and accessibility of childcare and the difficulty of setting clear work-life boundaries remain major obstacles for many working parents, according to the 2025 FlexJobs Working Parents Report.

More than 2,200 U.S. professionals across industries and career levels participated in the career website’s survey.

Workplace expectations for parents aren’t viewed the same across the board, according to the report:

• 50% of all respondents said employers hold working mothers to higher standards than working fathers.
• 33% believed working parents are judged equally.
• 17% said working fathers face higher standards.

Men and women reported very different experiences of workplace parenthood. When comparing working fathers and working mothers, statistics reveal just how sharply their perspectives differ:

• Women were more than twice as likely as men to say mothers face higher expectations from employers (59% versus 27%).
• Men were more likely to say parents are treated equally (48% versus 28%).
• Men were also more likely to say fathers face higher standards (25% versus 13%).

Parents also were asked about their top work-life balance concerns when it comes to managing careers and raising children. The leading challenges include:

• The financial strain of childcare costs (56%)
• Difficulty maintaining work-life boundaries (50%)
• Lack of affordable and reliable childcare options (30%)

When asked what policies would better support them, parents pointed to the following:

• Flexible working hours and schedules (72%)
• Remote or hybrid work options (65%)
• Comprehensive paid parental leave (47%)
• Generous family care sick leave (45%)
• Childcare assistance (37%)

U.S. Jobless Claims Fell to 229,000 Last Week

There were 229,000 applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Aug. 23, according to data released Thursday, Aug. 28, by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. That total was 5,000 less than the prior week.

“The unemployment rate has been relatively stable because layoffs are low,” Nancy Vanden Houten, the lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told Reuters. “Going forward, slower labor force growth will also hold down the unemployment rate, masking some of the potential fissures in the labor market.”

The DOL reported the four-week moving average was 228,500, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 250 from 226,250 to 226,000.

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 191,289 in the week ending Aug. 23, a decrease of 2,873 (or -1.5%) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected an increase of 1,405 (or 0.7%) from the previous week. There were 192,741 initial claims in the comparable week in 2024.

The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending Aug. 9 was 1,987,457, a decrease of 18,314 from the previous week. There were 1,883,079 weekly claims filed for benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2024.

Across the country, the highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Aug. 9 were in:

1. New Jersey
2. Rhode Island
3. Massachusetts
4. Minnesota
5. California
6. Washington
7. District of Columbia
8. Puerto Rico
9. Connecticut
10. Oregon
11. Pennsylvania

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Aug.16 were in:

1. Kentucky (+2,951)
2. Iowa (+1,048)
3. Virginia (+522)
4. Ohio (+210)
5. South Carolina (+144)

The largest decreases were in:

1. California (-2,290)
2. Michigan (-1,170)
3. Texas (-1,085)
4. New Jersey (-660)
5. Minnesota (-587)

California Hotel Accused of Failing to Pay Staff Minimum Wage

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Santa Monica Proper hotel has been accused of failing to pay its employees minimum wage. The class-action lawsuit was filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of approximately 100 workers who have allegedly been underpaid for years.

The Times stated all hotel staff are entitled to the minimum wage stipulated by the Santa Monica Hotel Worker Living Wage Ordinance — which was set at $19.73 in July 2023, jumped to $20.32 in July 2024 and a year later is $21.01. These rates are similar to those set by the city of Los Angeles’ minimum wage ordinance for hotel workers.

In Santa Monica, the only way hotels can receive an exception to the ordinance is by applying for a one-year waiver, arguing that compliance would force a shutdown, or by reaching a collective bargaining agreement with employees that includes a waiver. According to the complaint, the Santa Monica Proper hotel has never formally sought a waiver from the city claiming it is unable to afford the rates.

The hotel pushed back on any implication of exploitation, saying its healthcare coverage and retirement pension contributions go beyond what the ordinance requires.

Plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial and compensatory damages, including back pay owed to workers. In addition, they are asking for penalties of $100 per day per person whose rights were violated under the ordinance, plus further penalties for violations of the California Labor Code.

Study: 88% of U.S. Gig Workers Take More Jobs to Battle Inflation

A survey of more than 900 U.S. gig workers revealed 88% of them have taken on more work to combat rising prices.

Additional findings from the 2025 State of Gig Work Report by career website Zety revealed:

• 95% said they “game” platform systems to secure better pay or more jobs.
• 91% reported being deactivated, penalized or “shadowbanned” without explanation.
• 55% relied on gig work for more than half their total earnings.
• 33% cited physical or mental burnout as a major concern.

Primary concerns among surveyed gig workers included:

• A lack of benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans (47%)
• Getting deactivated or banned by a platform (35%)
• Physical or mental burnout (33%)
• Not earning enough to cover basic living expenses (24%)
• No job security or consistent income (21%)
• A lack of legal protections or worker rights (12%)

Retail Chain to Pay $35,000 to Settle Disability Discrimination Charge

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on Aug. 20 Kwik Trip Inc., a family-owned gasoline station and convenience store with more than 800 locations in the upper Midwest, has agreed to provide $35,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to a former employee and committed to provide additional training on equal employment opportunity, including requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), for all employees and managers.

According to the EEOC’s investigation, an employee was hired as a full-time guest service/kitchen associate in October 2021. In March 2022, the employee submitted a reasonable accommodation request to modify her work schedule and duties. While Kwik Trip initially intended to accommodate the employee’s medical restrictions, it misinterpreted the reasonable accommodation request and reduced the employee’s full-time work schedule to about nine hours per week, forcing her to resign.

“Under the ADA, employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities,” said EEOC spokesperson Victor Chen. “As the federal agency tasked with enforcing equal opportunity laws, the EEOC will aggressively pursue all appropriate avenues of relief for victims of disability discrimination.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Benefits
• Employee Compensation
• Employee Experience
• Equitable and Diverse Workplaces