People who see primary care physicians on a regular basis tend to have lower overall health costs, but the number of doctors who provide these services has dwindled in recent years. Over 100 million Americans encountered challenges accessing primary care as of 2023, according to a report from the National Association of Community Health Centers, nearly double the share who faced these barriers in 2014.

Some employers are investing in on- or near-site primary care clinics to address this access gap. Pella Corporation, a window and door manufacturer based out of Pella, Iowa, is one such company.

“Many people actually don’t take advantage and have a primary care physician,” said John Bollman, Pella’s CHRO. “We’re making it convenient, easy for our team members to be able to take advantage” of these services, he told HR Brew.

At the end of December, Pella soft-opened a wellness center five minutes from the company’s headquarters. Employees based in and around Pella can access services including primary care, behavioral health, and a pharmacy at the center.

For more on how Pella opened a primary care clinic near its office, keep reading here.—CV

Participation in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) grew 8% from 2014–2023. Now, the Department of Labor (DOL) is encouraging more employers to offer the benefit, according to a new report.

ESOPs allow employees to become part owners in their employer’s business. Ownership can grow over time, and can be offered instead of or in addition to a 401(k) plan. The US government established this type of ownership model in 1974 to help close the wealth gap, but has encouraged employers to offer it more frequently in recent years.

The report was released as part of the requirements outlined in the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which requires the DOL to educate businesses on and encourage adoption of employee ownership through, for example, tax benefits, which are available to companies that are at least 30% employee owned.

Roughly half of ESOP plans have “fewer than 100 participants,” and 67% are offered by companies that also provide other retirement benefits, including 401(k)s, according to the report. The 8% increase saw 15.1 million employees participate in an ESOP in 2023; 14 million participated in 2014, the report found. However, the number of participating businesses has remained consistent over the past decade.

For more on how the federal government is encouraging ESOPs, keep reading here.—KP

AI certifications can help candidates prove their skills—but they’re not everything. Some experts argue that showing an ability to learn is arguably more important, as is work experience.

Sam Ransbotham, professor of business analytics at Boston College, told IT Brew that he sees AI certifications as just one indicator of a prospective employee’s capabilities—and not even necessarily a particularly helpful one.

“Whatever you know today will immediately start to decay,” Ransbotham said. “With AI, that’s bound to be a bit faster than even some of the fast-moving technologies we’ve seen in the past.”

For more on AI certificates in the job market, keep reading on IT Brew.—EH

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