The nurses' strike that shut down parts of New York City this past February, one of the largest and longest the city has seen in decades, was a stark reminder of just how overworked and underappreciated health care workers feel. In a commentary for The Well News, PTO Exchange CEO Rob Whalen argues that HR teams in health care need to respond with real, concrete support, not just recognition.

The data backs up the urgency. Nearly two-thirds of nurses report significant stress and burnout, and only 60% say they'd choose nursing as a career again if given the choice. Whalen points to inadequate staffing, feeling undervalued, and insufficient pay and benefits as the top drivers pushing more than half of health care workers to consider leaving their roles in the next year, with serious downstream consequences for patient safety and care quality.

Whalen's recommendations center on flexibility: things like flexible scheduling, break and sleep rooms, and wellness support, alongside convertible PTO that lets health care workers direct the value of unused time off toward retirement contributions, HSAs, or student loan payments. He also highlights education support as a major lever, 60% of health care workers say they'd stay longer with an employer offering tuition assistance, and most would use PTO toward that goal if given the option.

Read the full commentary here: HR Teams Must Step Up to Support Overburdened Health Care Workers