The long-term care and senior living industry continues to face workforce challenges. The number of people requiring care keeps rising, and the available labor pool to provide those services isn’t keeping pace. Finding and keeping talent is no longer an HR challenge, but a strategic business priority. Yet, most companies are unable to attract the right talent and/or build lasting relationships with their employees in an effort to overcome the challenges in today’s market.

Vacations are essential for improving employee quality of life. A major U.S. longitudinal study of 12,000 middle-aged men found that taking an annual vacation is associated with reduced risk of death due to heart disease. Vacations also improve employee performance. Iowa State University economics professor Wallace Huffman found vacations can boost productivity as much as 60 percent for up to two months following the vacation.

Want to perk up your work life? Buy some plants.

It sounds simple, but a recent report by the University of Twente, VU Amsterdam and CBRE suggest it’s true. The study of 124 employees at CBRE’s Amsterdam office found that adding plants to the office floor boosted engagement in 76 percent of the workers surveyed. Happiness went up in 78 percent of employees, while feelings of healthiness improved in 65 percent.

The Taproot Foundation's U.S. Pro Bono Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from across sectors and industries with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to social change organizations.