By Christopher Cole ( April 18, 2025, 5:54 PM EDT) — An Austin, Texas-based telecom sought Friday to shake a nearly $4.5 million fine by the Federal Communications Commission after the Fifth Circuit tossed an unrelated $57 million penalty against AT&T based on last year’s high court ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy curtailing agency fines…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Steering through a maelstrom of uncertainty and risk in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape requires resilient leaders who will adapt strategies centered on the human experience. Advancements in AI and the widespread availability of medical information are compelling US healthcare provider organizations (HPOs) to reassess how they engage with customers and employees. They are exploring creative ways to reposition themselves and demonstrate steadiness in an increasingly concentrated industry. To succeed, HPOs will achieve stability and remain relevant by leaning on core values. To help guide HPO leaders, our new report, The Seven Trends That Matter For US Healthcare Providers In 2025, explores the top seven trends for HPOs this year, including: Differentiation through content centers of excellence. With the proliferation of health-related misinformation, HPOs are positioning themselves as trusted sources by creating reliable educational content in diverse media formats. But to stand out, HPOs must tailor content to the unique needs of their patient populations and design for sustained patient engagement, leveraging data-driven storytelling and frequent updates. Culture initiatives that change how employees work. Despite their best intentions, many HPOs find that their culture initiatives fail to meaningfully impact operations and employee behavior, resulting in further disconnect between leaders and employees. HPOs must ensure that their leaders model the organization’s shared purpose, and they must institute rituals that reinforce employees’ roles in accomplishing this purpose and subsequent cultural expectations. The expansion of AI’s role on the front line. As AI becomes further integrated into everyday healthcare operations, its ability to streamline clinical workflows is becoming increasingly indispensable. On the other hand, the rise of AI in healthcare also calls for thorough governance, fairness, privacy, security, and accountability. HPOs must train — not penalize — employees on responsible AI use and adopt best practices now to mitigate risk and reap its benefits. Ready to chart your course? Schedule a guidance session now to discuss how your organization can seize these opportunities. Forrester clients can also read the companion report The Seven Trends That Matter For US Health Insurers In 2025 and watch our recent on-demand webinar that covers both perspectives. Not a client? Learn more about how you can have Forrester on your side and by your side. source

Songs generated by AI tools such as Suno and Udio are flooding Deezer — but the French music streaming platform is trying to fight back.  Deezer said on Wednesday that users are adding over 20,000 fully AI-generated tracks to its platform each day. This bot-made audio now makes up 18% of “total uploaded content” — almost double the 10% figure the company shared in January.  Aurelian Herault, Deezer’s chief innovation officer, said the flood of AI-generated slop songs is an issue that shows “no sign of slowing down.” In January, Deezer launched a tool that detects AI-generated music. The algorithm can identify artificially created songs made using several popular generative AI models, including Suno and Udio, which turn basic text prompts into “music.”   From Shark Tank to Tinder Swindler TNW Conference 2025 combines the latest breakthroughs in tech, the startup ecosystem & enterprise innovation Thanks to the tool, Deezer is already “removing fully AI-generated content from the algorithmic recommendations,” Herault said. The company also plans to develop a tagging system for fully AI-generated content, it said in January.   Deezer’s tool stands out in an industry that largely seems to be turning a blind eye to the issue. Rival platform Spotify has yet to launch any equivalent tool to track AI-generated music. It also hasn’t made any attempts to label such content, at least not publicly.      CEO Daniel Ek previously said that tracks created with AI were fair game on the platform — unless they mimicked real artists. However, Spotify seems to be doing a lousy job of identifying and removing these AI imitations, according to several reports.  Other music streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal, have remained virtually mute on the topic. It’s perhaps unsurprising that popular music streaming platforms are sitting on their hands. There are currently no laws in place to regulate the flow of AI-generated songs, or a consensus on what kinds of artificial music are acceptable or not.  Last year, a group of US record labels sued Suno and Udio, alleging copyright infringement on a “massive scale.” However, the two companies claim that training their models on copyrighted music falls under “fair use,” a common defence from AI firms. “Generative AI has the potential to positively impact music creation and consumption, but we need to approach the development with responsibility and care in order to safeguard the rights and revenues of artists and songwriters, while maintaining transparency for the fans,” said Herault. source

The political environment is impacting the appeal of US-based events for international attendees, with Tourism Economics, a subsidiary of Oxford Economics, predicting a 15.2% decline in inbound international travel due to a combination of shifts in pubic sentiment, travel advisories, and visa delays. At the same time, events focused on the US government sector are being challenged due to new approval processes and travel freezes. With announcements on tariffs likely to further increase the cost of running US-based events at a time when event budgets are flat or down for 69% of organizations, the current event environment is a complex and dynamic one for teams to navigate. Leaders Should Review And Adapt Event Plans While events continue to play a crucial role within the marketing mix, given the current uncertainty, leaders should adjust plans. They should start by taking these four actions: Review event plans and goals. Do the events you’ve planned still make sense? To what extent is an event dependent on international and/or government attendees? Are target audiences likely to be impacted by the current environment? Model the potential impact of these factors on likely attendance and consider whether you need to make changes, all the while ensuring that your events have SMART goals agreed with stakeholders. Scrutinize budgets. Are you still able to deliver the agreed plan in light of potential cost increases and/or reduced ticket revenue? Review how much spend is contractually committed and consider whether you need to cancel and/or scale back event activity. Reconsider your event mix. Does it make sense to switch some planned events to virtual and/or introduce a hybrid option for attendees unable or unwilling to travel? Teams made the pivot to alternate formats back in 2020, and ensuring that they’re able to quickly flex in the current environment makes sense. Focus on measurement. Have you agreed on performance metrics for your events with key stakeholders? With budgets and resources under strain, having clear goals and performance metrics set that enable you to understand event impact is more important than ever. To help leaders better understand the current environment, Forrester clients should register for the upcoming webinar on the future of B2B events, where we’ll be sharing key findings from Forrester’s Q1 2025 State Of B2B Events Survey. They should also take the B2B Event Maturity Assessment to help identify improvement areas. source

Photo from Data Center World 2025 in Washington, D.C. Image: Drew Robb/TechnologyAdvice Kevin O’Leary — better known as “Mr. Wonderful” from ABC’s “Shark Tank” — made a surprise appearance at Data Center World 2025 in Washington, D.C. What’s a venture capitalist doing at a major IT event? He’s building the world’s largest AI factories, and he’s ready to talk about it. The project, called Wonder Valley, is a massive off-grid AI data center under construction in Alberta’s Municipal District of Greenview in Canada. Purpose-built for AI workloads, the facility will span 6,000 acres and boast a staggering 7.5 gigawatts of power capacity. The initial phase of 1.5 GW is expected to complete in the 2027-2028 timeframe at a cost of $2 billion; the remainder will be added gradually over the next few years. “Data centers are today’s gold rush,” said O’Leary during his keynote. “AI is in high demand, and the strongest market is in companies of 5 to 500 employees.” Bypassing lengthy regulatory and grid interconnect delays O’Leary explained how difficult it can be to build and power a new data center. He said the regulatory environment is difficult; there are many permitting and approval hurdles to overcome. Utilities prefer to take half a decade or more to deliver power to new customers. He gave an example of a data center asking for 250 MW now and 250 MW more in two years. The response: 25 MW was all they could get — but not for another three years. “If you want to attract investors, you have to get a project operational within 24 months,” said O’Leary. “We had to figure out how to pull this off when there was no power available on the grid.” Solution: Find sources of stranded power, specifically large quantities of natural gas that may not have easy access to the market. In that order, he found the best sources: Alberta, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Virginia. “Alberta, Canada, is the motherload in North America with about 10 times the natural gas of all others,” he said. More about data centers Creating a data center with sustainability and citizens in mind Wonder Valley is big on sustainability and community value. As well as being the world’s biggest data center, the campus will be surrounded by nature trails and wilderness areas. It can operate entirely off the grid, but the owners plan to provide power to the local community. The region has an abundance of everything required: land, natural gas, fiber, people, infrastructure, a local polytechnic, hospitals, and more. “The capital cost of an AI data center is so high that you have to build big,” said O’Leary. “We are looking for other sites with similar characteristics to Alberta and where the government is keen to help.” More Data Center World 2025 coverage: NVIDIA’s Vision For AI Factories | Industry Analysts’ Take on How AI is Revolutionizing Data Center Power and Cooling The “Shark Tank” celebrity complained to the Data Center World audience about the poor sales job the industry has done in recent years. New data center projects frequently provoke intense local antagonism; he recommended a change in approach. Instead of taking power from an already constrained grid and driving up electricity rates in a community, go in with a plan that includes adding power to the area — and have enough power available to give some of it to the locals so their electricity rates don’t rise. “Arrive in town to build more power for them at low cost, to provide lots of construction jobs for locals, to set up training of technicians who will man the facility, to eliminate flaring of natural gas to lower emissions, and to bring in tax revenue by buying stranded natural gas assets,” said O’Leary. “Everything comes from the availability of power in abundance. Stranded natural gas is inexpensive, clean, and we can even put the carbon underground rather than emitting it into the atmosphere.” source

“The teams may get pushed on to build the next set of things that they may not be ready to build,” he says. “This can result in failed initiatives, significantly delayed delivery, or burned-out teams.” To fix this data quality confidence gap, companies should focus on being more transparent across their org charts, Palaniappan advises. Lower-level IT leaders can help CIOs and the C-suite understand their organization’s data readiness needs by creating detailed roadmaps for IT initiatives, including a timeline to fix data problems, he says. “Take a ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach to drive this in the right direction, and put out a roadmap,” he says. “Look at your data maturity in order to execute your roadmap, and then slowly improve upon it.” source

By Kevin Pinner ( April 18, 2025, 3:32 PM EDT) — A Swiss-Italian man is seeking to quash an IRS summons on Apple Inc. to produce records linked to his account as part of a probe into his Swiss income tax liabilities, according to a petition filed in California federal court…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

In the age of intelligent automation, enterprise business applications (EBAs) are increasingly embedding and integrating sophisticated AI agents to drive efficiency, insights, and innovation. These modern EBAs — designed for composability and flexibility — boast a modular architecture built upon a complex software supply chain. This intricate ecosystem comprises microservices, third-party APIs, cloud services, and a blend of open-source and proprietary components — not to mention the vast array of tools used throughout the development, build, test, delivery, and deployment lifecycle. While the agility and scalability offered by this architecture are undeniable, the inherent complexity introduces a significant and often overlooked attack surface. Do you know what risks are hidden in your EBA software supply chain? Neglecting the security of this intricate web of dependencies can have profound consequences, especially as AI agents become deeply integrated into critical business processes. Attackers recognize the software supply chain as a potentially lucrative target, viewing vendors, SaaS providers, and open-source projects as strategic footholds to compromise numerous downstream customers, including enterprises and government agencies. The 2020 SolarWinds breach serves as a stark reminder of this reality. By compromising the software development process of a widely used monitoring tool, malicious actors gained access to thousands of networks, highlighting the devastating impact of a successful supply chain attack. Widespread confusion and a prolonged struggle for organizations to understand their exposure characterized the aftermath. As AI agents become more deeply embedded within EBAs, the potential impact of a software supply chain compromise escalates dramatically. Imagine malicious code injected into an AI agent responsible for financial forecasting, customer relationship management, or even critical operational decisions. The consequences could range from data breaches and financial losses to compromised business logic and erosion of trust. Prioritizing software supply chain security is no longer a secondary concern; it’s a fundamental imperative for organizations leveraging AI-powered EBAs. Understanding and mitigating the risks within this complex ecosystem is crucial for maintaining the integrity, security, and reliability of your critical business applications and the intelligent agents that power them. Ignoring this vital aspect leaves your organization vulnerable to sophisticated attacks with potentially catastrophic consequences. Fortifying AI-Powered EBAs: Proactive Measures For A Resilient Software Supply Chain In today’s increasing complex digital landscape, it’s important to mitigate escalating security risks, protect critical business operations, and future-proof against emerging threats. More than the typical IT hygiene, the complexity introduced by AI integration amplifies the importance of securing the foundations upon which these advanced applications are built. To minimize downtime, the risk of a security breach, and the time spent addressing vulnerabilities — from purchasing software, government agencies, and enterprises — we recommend eight key actions: Achieve comprehensive supply chain visibility. Initiate this by compiling a detailed inventory of all organizational software assets, leveraging existing IT asset management systems or configuration management databases. If such an inventory is lacking, collaborate across procurement, legal, IT, and enterprise architecture teams to establish one. Engage with software suppliers to understand their secure software development practices. Inquire about their adherence to “secure by design” principles and their own visibility into their upstream software suppliers. This due diligence is crucial for understanding the security posture of the entire chain. Demand SBOM for transparency. Request a software bill of materials (SBOM) from your suppliers in one of the NTIA-approved formats (i.e., CycloneDX, SPDX). SBOMs are an inventory of all the components, libraries, and modules in a software product, including software dependencies. Recognize that SBOMs are designed to be machine-readable, which means they can be analyzed and enriched with operational, legal, and security risk information. This granular visibility is essential for informed risk management in AI-integrated systems. Establish control through risk-based decision-making. Leverage the insights derived from SBOM analysis to make informed, risk-based decisions. Scrutinize discovered vulnerabilities, the health of dependencies, and any associated open-source license obligations. You might be OK running software with known vulnerabilities that have a low chance of being exploited or with an outdated dependency that the vendor confirms will be updated in the next release. But you might not want to take the risk of utilizing software with medium-severity vulnerability in an application that holds employee data. Integrate security into the procurement lifecycle. Embed security considerations directly into the procurement process. It’s significantly more effective to address security requirements before a purchase is finalized. During the RFP process, explicitly ask security-focused questions regarding the vendor’s development practices and request verifiable evidence to support their claims. Assess the product based on the vendor’s response to secure software development practices and an analysis of the SBOM. Leverage contractual agreements to define critical patch timeframes, acceptable downtime thresholds, and even security incident warranties based on the vendor and product risk assessment. Actively monitor and utilize SBOM post-purchase. Don’t let the SBOM sit on the shelf. SBOMs are useful post-purchase as they can be continuously monitored for newly disclosed vulnerabilities. Knowing which software components are affected by a critical vulnerability allows for targeted preparation and efficient deployment of vendor-supplied patches. In the case where the vendor isn’t able to expedite a fix, the detailed information within the SBOM enables the implementation of compensating controls to reduce the risk posed by the identified vulnerability within your AI-driven applications. Prioritize software with privileged access. The SolarWinds breach — the infiltration of the US Treasury department via BeyondTrust’s privileged access management software — and the Windows outage — following an update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon Identity Threat Detection software — all share a common factor: software operating with privileged access. This elevated access level makes them more appealing to malicious actors and allows incidents to disseminate quicker through an organization. Get ahead of third-party AI integration risks. As vendors integrate AI into their products to improve customer experience, automate tasks, and facilitate autonomous decision-making, the software supply chain becomes more extensive. It’s important to incorporate third-party risk management questions concerning the use of generative AI when purchasing and renewing products, but don’t delay initiating discussions with current vendors. You must understand how the application currently uses or

Five fast-rising scaleups from the DACH region have qualified for TECH5 — the “Champions League of Technology.” The DACH entrants fought off off stiff competition to reach the finals, which will crown the hottest scaleup in Europe. Comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, DACH blends deep industrial roots, high R&D spending, elite research institutions, and a growing startup scene. Collectively, the three nations have created a regional tech powerhouse. Individually, each of them has unique strengths.  Germany leads with a booming startup scene in Berlin and a deep tech hub in Munich. The county also had Europe’s second-highest total VC investment last year, after the UK.  Austria’s compact but vibrant ecosystem has an impressive track record of greentech and health innovation. The industry centres in Vienna, which was named the world’s most liveable city for the third year running in 2024 by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Switzerland blends scientific excellence, fintech nous, and blockchain leadership. In 2024, the country ranked number one in the Global Innovation Index (GII) for the 14th consecutive year.  Funding in DACH has also enjoyed a solid start to 2025, growing in deal value year-on-year. The region aggregated €12bn in exit value in Q1 — 20% more than its average quarter over the past five years — according to Pitchbook.  Scaleups from all three DACH nations have qualified for TECH5. Our judges picked them based on an analysis of their growth, impact, and future potential and then placed them in random order. It’s time to introduce them. 1. The Exploration Company The Exploration Company is an emerging European leader in the limitless universe of space travel. The Franco-German scaleup develops reusable, modular spacecraft that make access to the cosmos more affordable, sustainable, and open to a broader ecosystem. Hélène Huby, the company’s founder and CEO, said she plans to democratise the routes to space. “By working together across borders and sectors, we can make space exploration a cooperative effort rather than a competition between nations, ensuring it remains accessible and drives innovation that benefits many, not just a few,” Huby told TNW. The Exploration Company enjoyed a banner 2024, raising a whopping €151.6mn in a Series B round and winning a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop cargo shuttle vehicles for low Earth orbit. This year has also had a strong start, with the German aerospace agency becoming an anchor customer for the scaleup’s Nyx spacecraft. 2. Neustark Swiss sustainability scaleup Neustark has an ambitious target: remove 1 million tons of CO₂ by 2030. The company plans to achieve this by storing CO₂ from the air in recycled mineral waste — specifically demolished concrete, which Neustark calls “the world’s largest waste stream.” The scaleup’s solution mineralises CO₂ in demolished concrete aggregate, removing the compound from the atmosphere and permanently storing it. “We need to exponentially accelerate the removal of CO2 if we want to reach net-zero goals by 2050,” said Johannes Tiefenthaler, Neustark’s co-founder and co-CEO. “This target will only be possible by globally deploying highly scalable, measurable, and commercially viable carbon removal solutions at the scale of millions of tons per year.” Tiefenthaler founded Neustark alongside Valentin Gutknecht in 2019 as an ETH Zurich spin-off. Last year, they secured their biggest funding round yet, raising $69mn to take their carbon capture tech global. 3. Metaloop The sole Austrian contender in the DACH finals, Metaloop aims to fundamentally reshape the global metal recycling industry. To reach that goal, the scaleup has developed an all-in-one platform for metal scrap trading. The company’s matchmaking system connects buyers and sellers in real time. Consequently, clients can generate revenue, safe time, and fosters sustainability. The software also eliminates fraud, enhances transparency, and optimises supply chains — valuable services for the traditionally opaque and fragmented metal scrap sector. The solution has enjoyed a rapid rise. In 2024, Metaloop was named by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies for a third year in a row. “By directly connecting industrial manufacturers with certified smelters, we ensure fair pricing, consistent quality, and streamlined logistics — turning scrap metal from a risk factor into a reliable, high-value asset,” the company told TNW. “Ultimately, we see Metaloop as a catalyst for a more sustainable, circular economy.”  4. Vytal Before contending for TECH5, Germany’s Vytal had already claimed an impressive title: the world’s largest provider of smart reusable packaging solutions. Founded in 2019, Vytal has created a new form of sustainable containers for takeaway and delivery food. Investors have been impressed, injecting a steady stream of cash into the scaleup. Just last month, the company secured another €14.2mn to accelerate its international growth. The round was led by Inven Capital, a VC firm that specialises in scaling climate tech. “This new funding comes less than nine months after our last raise and reflects an incredibly successful 2024 for the Vytal team,” said Dr Tim Breker, Vytal’s co-founder and managing director.  “With Inven Capital’s expertise in supporting international growth strategies, we are well-positioned to scale our impact further and make tech-enabled reusable packaging the new standard in gastronomy, events, and entertainment globally.” 5. Yokoy The second Swiss contender in the DACH finals, Yokoy develops a powerful all-in-one spend management solution. The AI-powered platform simplifies the management of expenses, invoices, and corporate cards, while delivering new insights, eliminating routine work, and providing full control. Founded in 2019, Yokoy is a resident of TNW City. Last year, the company topped Sifted’s inaugural rankings of Central Europe’s fastest-growing startups by revenue. Across the past three financial years, the company had hit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 281.88%. In January, Yokoy was acquired by the Spanish travel-management company TravelPerk. Philippe Sahli, the scaleup’s co-founder and CEO, heralded the deal as the beginning of a new era for intelligent spend management. “Starting

In an era of unprecedented technological advancement, IT teams are expected to embrace new tasks and achieve fresh goals without missing a beat. All too often, however, the result is an overburdened IT workforce that’s frustrated and burned out.  It doesn’t have to be that way, says Ravindra Patil, a vice president at data science solutions provider Tredence. “Overwork tends to come from an ‘always-on’ culture, where remote work and digital tools make people feel they must be available all the time,” he explains in an online interview.  Warning Signs  One of the earliest signs that a team is reaching its breaking point is an increasing number of errors, missed steps, or just plain sloppy work, says Archie Payne, president CalTek Staffing, a machine learning recruitment and staffing firm. “These are indications that the team is trying to work faster than is realistic, which is likely to happen when they have too much work on their to-do lists,” he explains in an email interview. “This is likely to be paired with a general decline in morale, which can come across as more complaints, more cynical or frustrated comments, a lack of enthusiasm for the work, or increased emotional volatility.”  IT leaders can also detect overwork through various warning signs, such as a mounting number of sick leaves, high turnover rates, increasing mistakes, and overall lower work quality, Patil says. He adds that beleaguered team members may also look tired, act emotionally, or seem unengaged during meetings. “Keeping an eye on things like overtime, slower progress, or falling performance despite long hours can also show that the team is under too much pressure.”  Related:Breaking Down the Walls Between IT and OT John Russo, vice president of technology solutions at healthcare software provider OSP Labs, says that a sudden drop in creativity and problem-solving are also strong signs indicating team weariness. In an email interview, he states that an IT team that’s stretched too thin will stop generating innovative ideas, opting instead to complete tasks mechanically.  Another strong unrest indicator is a change in communication patterns. “If the team members delay responses, or seem disengaged during discussions, it’s worth digging deeper,” Russo recommends.  Working under unrelenting high pressure is a recipe for burnout, and that’s the greatest risk if you keep pushing your IT team too hard, Payne says. “Burnout could drive employees to quit, forcing you to waste resources on recruiting replacements,” he warns. “Even if they stay, burned-out employees are less productive and more likely to make mistakes, so your overall team productivity and work quality will likely suffer.”  Related:3 Ways to Build a Culture of Experimentation to Fuel Innovation Pressure Release  The simplest and most effective answer to burnout is reducing the team’s workload. This can be accomplished in several ways, Payne says. Review the IT team’s current assignments, then consider whether some of the tasks could be assigned to another team or department, which may be more adequately staffed. “If all of the work must be done by IT, that may mean it’s time to expand the team,” he advises. Meanwhile, adding temporary freelance talent during workload spikes can relieve IT team pressure during peak times without committing to adding new hires who may not be needed over the long-term.  Careful planning, focusing on important tasks, and delaying or skipping less critical ones, can also make workloads more manageable, Patil says. Setting realistic deadlines can help, too, preventing the dread that can, over time, lead to burnout. He also advises using automation tools whenever possible to cut down on repetitive tasks, making work easier and less stressful.  Patil says that Tredence reduces team pressure with initiatives, such as “No-Meeting Fridays,” which gives team members uninterrupted time to focus and recharge. “Flexible schedules and open communication also help our teams stay balanced,” he adds.  Related:Today’s Technology Should Be Designed By and For All Minds IT leaders should schedule regular check-ins with their teams to identify stress points as soon as possible, Russo advises. “When employees feel heard and validated, they’re more likely to share their concerns before burnout sets in,” he explains. At OSP Labs, Russo introduced flexible work models into well-being initiatives. “This policy allows my team members to set their own hours, with more freedom to balance work and personal time.” Russo says he also makes a concerted effort to celebrate his team’s accomplishments with “thoughtful goodies and high-fives”. Such small initiatives, he notes, eventually make a huge difference.  Parting Thoughts  Long-term excessive pressure can lead to burnout, leaving team members feeling completely drained, Patil says. “This lowers productivity and may cause employees to leave, leading to more stress for those who stay.” Health issues may also arise. including anxiety, depression, or even physical problems.  Russo recommends setting realistic expectations and encouraging a culture in which asking for help isn’t seen as a weakness. “Create an environment where open communication about workloads is the norm, not the exception,” he advises.  source