Monday’s business headlines

The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards -- an event considered the Oscars of the fine-dining world -- was also obliged to take a hiatus last year, but it's finally back, and the two eateries at the top of the list are both in Copenhagen. (Provided Photo/Nicolas Lobbestael via CNN)
The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards -- an event considered the Oscars of the fine-dining world -- was also obliged to take a hiatus last year, but it's finally back, and the two eateries at the top of the list are both in Copenhagen. (Provided Photo/Nicolas Lobbestael via CNN)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Monday’s business headlines with Jane King.

New warning about tax scams

It’s a bull market for tax fraud right now as we head toward the tax filing deadline.

Criminals pocket thousands of taxpayers’ refunds after stealing social security numbers and filing phony tax returns, and their dirty dealings don’t stop there.

Fraud experts say scammers will also pose as IRS officials or tax experts and attempt to make off with your bank account information or get you to voluntarily pay them a bogus tax bill, or they will charge you big fees for services you don’t need or are ineligible for.

Retirees afraid paying for health care will drain their funds

Even more scary for retirees than running out of money in retirement is paying for healthcare, which can be a major drain on any retiree’s nest egg.

More than 6 in 10 people between the ages of 60 and 70 said healthcare costs were a top concern in retirement, while more than half of them said those worries were pushing them to spend less in other areas, according to a new survey from health-insurance marketplace ehealth and retirement-planning company Retirable.

Companies that provide daycare see return on investment

Companies see returns of between $0.90 and $4.25 for every dollar spent on onsite daycare or other child care benefits for their workers, according to a new study.

Though only 12% of U.S. employers currently provide child care benefits, these organizations are more likely to retain working parents as child care costs continue to soar.

Axios reports that while more research on employer-provided child care needs to be done, the study could encourage more employers to see child care as an investment rather than a cost center.

Data shows most people clock out at 4 p.m. on Fridays

A growing body of evidence suggests Friday is increasingly a “work-leisure limbo land,” writes the Wall Street Journal.

According to data from workforce analysis firm Activtrak, the sign-off time of the average North American worker is 4:03 p.m. on Fridays.

Fridays were also the most popular day for fitness and beauty bookings on the classpass app in 2023, and the weekly peak restaurants used to see Fridays at lunchtime appears to be a thing of the past.

Study: Most people say restaurants are too loud

An overly quiet restaurant can be the kiss of death for the business, but a new study finds most restaurants are actually the opposite.

According to 2023 Soundprint data, diners say 63% of eateries are too loud for a conversation.

Now a new business has sprouted up–acoustic advisers, who can save patrons from shouting with well-placed curtains, carpets and sound-absorbing foam.