Workspan Daily News Bytes for Nov. 14, 2025

Survey: Most Americans Are Unprepared for Surprise Medical Costs

Eighty percent of Americans worry that an unexpected medical expense could derail their financial goals, according to a national survey of more than 1,000 consumers by Equitable, a financial services company.

More than a quarter of this group indicated that a bill under $1,000 would cause financial hardship. Younger generations are especially anxious: 89% of respondents in either the Gen Z or millennial demographic said an unplanned medical cost would disrupt their financial plans, compared to just 56% of Baby Boomers.

When survey respondents were asked how they would pay for a costly and unplanned medical bill:

48% said they would set up a payment plan
31% would use general savings
28% would rely on credit cards
12% would take a hardship withdrawal from their retirement account, with millennials (20%) and Gen Z (16%) more likely to do so than Gen X (6%) or Baby Boomers (3%)

Other key findings from Equitable’s survey include:

37% of Gen Z respondents use platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube for benefits information — more than any other generation. Additionally, millennials lead all age groups in their use of artificial intelligence (AI), with 30% using the tools for benefits guidance.
Despite 80% of survey respondents saying it’s important to have a financial advisor when selecting and managing benefits, only 20% actually consult one during open enrollment.
40% of employees lack confidence in their understanding of voluntary benefits. Yet, once informed, more than 80% said they consider them highly valuable.

36% of Full-Time Workers Plan to Work More Over the Holidays

In a survey of 1,000 full-time workers by professional services company ResumeTemplates.com, 36% of respondents said they’re already earning additional income to help pay for holiday-related costs, while another 29% plan to do so. Only 34% reported they don’t intend to take on extra work.

“It’s not unusual for people to feel financial pressure during the holidays, but this year, the stress seems even higher,” said Julia Toothacre, a chief career strategist at ResumeTemplates.com. “The deeper issue is that full-time employment no longer guarantees financial stability. Wages aren’t keeping pace with costs, and many people are being forced to find extra income just to maintain a basic standard of living.”

Among those seeking additional income, common approaches include:

Working more hours for their current employer (46%)
Obtaining part-time employment elsewhere in:
- Delivery services (33%)
- Seasonal retail jobs (30%)
- Ride sharing (23%)
- Freelancing (23%)
- Social media (16%)
- Pet sitting (14%)
- Babysitting (12%)

However, 39% of survey respondents said taking on more work has or will likely hurt their productivity at their full-time job.

“Employees taking on extra work need to stay mindful of their energy and mental health,” Toothacre said. “Overworking can quickly lead to burnout, fatigue and declining performance in both their main job and side work. It’s important to build in time to rest and recharge, even if that means scaling back productivity to a sustainable level.”

After Nearly Year-Long Process, Lucas Named EEOC Chair

On Thursday, Nov. 6, President Donald Trump designated Andrea R. Lucas as chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Lucas was named acting chair of the EEOC by the president on Jan. 20, 2025, and was re-nominated for another term on March 24, 2025. The Senate confirmed her on July 31, 2025, for a term expiring July 1, 2030. Lucas has served on the five-member commission since 2020.

Before her appointment to the EEOC, Lucas practiced labor and employment law for an international law firm in Washington, D.C.

The EEOC is tasked with protecting workers and job applicants from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Are Workplace Changes Worth It? Some Workers Don’t See the Value

A recent survey from Eagle Hill Consulting found there is a critical gap between the recognized benefits of workplace change and employees’ views on how change is managed.

While 63% of participating U.S. workers said they experienced workplace change over the past year, more than a third (34%) believe those changes were not worth the organizational effort.

Additionally, the survey revealed significant pain points in how change is implemented:

45% said organizational change increased their workload.
43% reported higher stress levels.
62% said their manager did not reduce their regular work to accommodate time for learning and adjusting to changes.
24% agreed that change is executed in a way that makes it easy to embrace.

Employees’ receptiveness also varies dramatically by type of change, according to the survey. For example, employees rated positively:

Major new product launches (69% better)
Technology changes (66% better)
AI initiatives (59% better)

In contrast, return-to-office mandates left 46% of employees feeling their organization changed for the worse, while only 24% saw improvement.

Figures and Facts of The Week

Here’s a smattering of recent statistics covering the world of work:

25.7: The percentage of women who outearn their partners across the 100 largest metro cities in the U.S. A study by financial services company LendingTree found New Haven, Conn., had the highest percentage of women outearning men (29.7% of coupled households), followed by Syracuse, N.Y. (29.5%), with Minneapolis and Providence, R.I. (both at 28.9%), tying for third.
26: The percentage of employees who suspect they have received an AI-written performance review. According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. professionals by ZeroBounce, an email validation software company, tech employees (37%) and Gen Z (32%) workers were the most likely to suspect this.
58: The percentage of employers currently using insights from AI to personalize benefits recommendations, according to a recent survey of more than 400 employers and 3,000 employees worldwide by consulting firm Mercer.
81: The percentage of employees who use unapproved AI tools at work, according to a survey of 1,500 global workers by UpGuard, a cyber risk management services company.

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

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